Dear Families:

At the January 20th Board of Education meeting, Suzann Cornell, our building principal shared the month by month list of activities and events that our school has provided, as well as, what we hope to accomplish by the end of the year.

Mrs. Cornell along with a PBIS committee of faculty and staff meet biweekly to discuss and plan for future events. This committee’s only focus is to provide positive school experiences and support for our students. Their work is to be commended. 

Our very dedicated PTA is also heavily involved in the creation and support of this list from providing funds to organizing their own ideas and events. Our school board members are very supportive of this work and are working closely with administration as we begin to pivot away from this covid lockdown which we have been in for 2 years. Their focus is on creating a very near future where we open our minds (and doors) to inclusive family activities while still remaining safe. 

This combined effort between our BOE, district employees and the PTA is crucial in ensuring the social and emotional well beings of our children are being met. We wanted to provide you with a copy of the calendar of events so that you can see we are working hard to pivot from Covid. 

We are welcoming any and all feedback from our families that may have additional ideas and/or any concerns. Our district values open communication and transparency and would love everyone to have a voice. Unfortunately, with all things going on, parents have been distanced from the school and we apologize for that as it was certainly not our intention. 

On Tuesday, January 25th, we would like to hold (3) one-hour GD Town Hall Meetings in our gymnasium to discuss anything and everything on your mind. We were thinking that if we had grade band meetings it may help to focus the discussions. 

The meetings will be held at the following times:

• Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grade Families- 5pm to 6pm
• 3rd, 4th, 5th Grade Families- 6pm to 7pm
• 6th, 7th and 8th Grade Families- 7pm to 8pm

Please send an email or call Heidi Hallock to RSVP just so we can get a rough count for chairs and refreshments. Hhallock@wynantskillufsd.org or (518) 283-4600 ex. 250

Thank you and we hope to see you next week!

Dr. Mary Yodis
Wynantskill UFSD Superintendent

Dear Parents and Guardians:

The New York State Department of Health recently updated its guidance on COVID isolation and quarantine, which formally ends its contact tracing requirements.

While the new guidance (and a January 18th memo from the New York State Education Department) states that schools are no longer required to do contact tracing, we will continue with the same level of contact tracing of any positive cases within our school building.

If you are notified by school personnel that your child is a close contact, you must follow the guidance from the State Department of Health found here. The state also provided a quarantine and isolation chart, which can be viewed here.

Please note that you will no longer receive a phone call or quarantine/isolation affirmation or release forms from the county health department. Individuals are now expected to complete these on their own at the conclusion of their isolation or quarantine period. These forms can be found here – quarantine, isolation.

Additional information on New York State’s approach to isolation and quarantine can be found online at https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/new-york-state-contact-tracing.

Our school district will continue to provide additional at-home test kits to families as they are distributed by the state as part of a home test option. This will allow your child to remain in school if identified as a close contact and test negative at home. If your child becomes ill at school, we will be able to test them using our point of care testing machines (based on your prior consent).

This change in state guidance shifts us towards more personal responsibility and accountability. Ultimately, the best way to avoid being a close contact or risk infecting others is to continue to follow our mitigation protocols, including physical distancing, wearing a well-fitting mask (unless eating or drinking), and staying home if you are sick.

Please note that we will also modify our general COVID notifications moving forward. Starting next week, we will move to a weekly notification email to parents and guardians (instead of emails as cases happen). This is consistent with what other schools have done in the region, whether it is sending a weekly summary or moving to a COVID dashboard that is updated weekly. Families of children identified as a close contact at school will continue to receive a phone call from school personnel, consistent with what we have done throughout the pandemic.

Thank you for your continued cooperation, flexibility, and patience throughout the pandemic.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mary Yodis
Wynantskill UFSD Superintendent

Dear Families,

The Wynantskill UFSD learned today of two positive Covid-19 cases, including an elementary student and a middle school student.

We have been in close communication with the Rensselaer County Department of Health (RCDOH) to determine any necessary follow-up. The district is assisting the RCDOH with contact tracing efforts using attendance records. RCDOH is continuing to investigate at this time.

The county has advised the district to continue with its regular cleaning protocols. The district will perform an additional deep clean of the school as a precaution. The building will be open as normal.

We encourage you to offer your full cooperation if you are contacted by a representative of the RCDOH or the district. If you are not contacted by a representative of the RCDOH or the district, there is no further action needed on your part and you may continue your usual schedule. If, at any point, you or someone in your family is directed to quarantine, please respect what you are being asked to do in the interest of public health. People in quarantine need to stay home, separate themselves from others in the home, monitor their health and follow directions from the local health department.

Due to privacy laws, we cannot divulge any further information about the positive individuals, and we ask that our families respect the positive individual’s privacy.

We ask that all families continue to follow all safety guidelines outside of school hours including proper use of face coverings, social distancing and proper hand hygiene.

Please monitor your child(ren) for any symptoms of COVID-19 and report any absences and positive COVID-19 test results to your child’s school.

Thank you all for your continued support and ongoing efforts to keep Wynantskill UFSD safe and healthy. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mary Yodis
Wynantskill UFSD Superintendent

Dear Families,

The Wynantskill UFSD learned today of two positive Covid-19 cases, including an elementary student and a middle school student.

We have been in close communication with the Rensselaer County Department of Health (RCDOH) to determine any necessary follow-up. The district is assisting the RCDOH with contact tracing efforts using attendance records. RCDOH is continuing to investigate at this time.

The county has advised the district to continue with its regular cleaning protocols. The district will perform an additional deep clean of the school as a precaution. The building will be open as normal.

We encourage you to offer your full cooperation if you are contacted by a representative of the RCDOH or the district. If you are not contacted by a representative of the RCDOH or the district, there is no further action needed on your part and you may continue your usual schedule. If, at any point, you or someone in your family is directed to quarantine, please respect what you are being asked to do in the interest of public health. People in quarantine need to stay home, separate themselves from others in the home, monitor their health and follow directions from the local health department.

Due to privacy laws, we cannot divulge any further information about the positive individuals, and we ask that our families respect the positive individual’s privacy.

We ask that all families continue to follow all safety guidelines outside of school hours including proper use of face coverings, social distancing and proper hand hygiene.

Please monitor your child(ren) for any symptoms of COVID-19 and report any absences and positive COVID-19 test results to your child’s school.

Thank you all for your continued support and ongoing efforts to keep Wynantskill UFSD safe and healthy. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mary Yodis
Wynantskill UFSD Superintendent

Dear Families,

The Wynantskill UFSD learned today of two positive Covid-19 cases, including an elementary student and a middle school staff member.

We have been in close communication with the Rensselaer County Department of Health (RCDOH) to determine any necessary follow-up. The district is assisting the RCDOH with contact tracing efforts using attendance records. RCDOH is continuing to investigate at this time.

The county has advised the district to continue with its regular cleaning protocols. The district will perform an additional deep clean of the school as a precaution. The building will be open as normal.

We encourage you to offer your full cooperation if you are contacted by a representative of the RCDOH or the district. If you are not contacted by a representative of the RCDOH or the district, there is no further action needed on your part and you may continue your usual schedule. If, at any point, you or someone in your family is directed to quarantine, please respect what you are being asked to do in the interest of public health. People in quarantine need to stay home, separate themselves from others in the home, monitor their health and follow directions from the local health department.

Due to privacy laws, we cannot divulge any further information about the positive individuals, and we ask that our families respect the positive individual’s privacy.

We ask that all families continue to follow all safety guidelines outside of school hours including proper use of face coverings, social distancing and proper hand hygiene.

Please monitor your child(ren) for any symptoms of COVID-19 and report any absences and positive COVID-19 test results to your child’s school.

Thank you all for your continued support and ongoing efforts to keep Wynantskill UFSD safe and healthy. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mary Yodis
Wynantskill UFSD Superintendent

Dear Families:

Effective today, January 7th, Wynantskill UFSD will adopt new isolation and quarantine protocols in partnership with our county health department. This change aligns with updated guidance from the New York State Health Department on January 4, which also aligns with updated recommendations from the CDC. These changes supersede previous guidance and protocols listed in our school opening plan published in September 2021.

Moving forward, this means any new cases will follow the updated guidance below. Please note that any cases identified prior to today will follow the previous guidance.

ISOLATION

Isolate for 5 days, where day “0” is the day of symptom onset or (if asymptomatic) the day of collection of the first positive specimen.

• If asymptomatic at the end of 5 days, or if symptoms are resolving, isolation ends and the individual should wear a well-fitting mask while around others for an additional 5 days.
• Individuals who are moderately-severely immunocompromised should continue to follow standard (i.e., not shortened) Isolation Guidance.
• Individuals who are unable to wear a well-fitting mask for 5 days after a 5-day isolation should also follow standard (i.e., not shortened) Isolation Guidance.

QUARANTINE

If exposed to COVID-19, quarantine as follows, where day “0” is the last date of exposure:

• If not fully vaccinated: Quarantine for 5 days and wear a well-fitting mask while around others for an additional 5 days.
• If fully vaccinated: NO quarantine is required but these individuals should wear a well-fitting mask while around others for 10 days after the last date of exposure.
• If possible, test at day 5 with either a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT, e.g., PCR) or antigen test.
• If symptoms appear, quarantine and seek testing. In this situation, quarantine would end when the test is negative. If testing is not done, isolate according to the isolation guidance.

Children ages 12 to 15 are now eligible for the Pfizer booster shots. Please visit https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/ for more information or to find a vaccine and booster site near you. You may also visit the county health department website for any location options available.We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate the changing guidance impacting our schools. As always, we communicate any changes after they have been discussed with and approved by our local department of health. Thank you for your cooperation.

Dr. Mary Yodis
Superintendent
Wynantskill UFSD