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

Dear Families,

The Wynantskill UFSD has learned today of two positive Covid-19 cases, including one in the elementary school and one in the middle schools.

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 has learned today of three positive Covid-19 cases. This includes one staff member, one elementary student, and one 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 has learned today of five positive Covid-19 cases. This includes one teacher, two elementary students, and two middle school students.

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

December 30, 2021

Dear Families:

We hope you are enjoying a restful holiday break with your family. As we look ahead to the New Year, the health and safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority.

Our schools will be open, as scheduled, on Monday, January 3 for all students. However, we are putting additional health and safety measures in place to mitigate the spread of COVID and keep our schools open for learning.

On Tuesday afternoon, Governor Hochul held a webinar with superintendents to discuss her desire to keep schools open across the state. She pledged millions of test kits to provide to school districts through their local Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES).

While the Governor’s goal was for families to administer these tests at home prior to their children arriving from break on Monday, there are many obstacles with this given the timing of the holiday break. In a memo to school districts yesterday, State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett indicated that districts could use the kits to implement Test to Stay, test on the first day back (for those who previously consented to testing), or as part of ongoing surveillance testing.

COVID Testing After Returning from Holiday Break

• Wynantskill UFSD will be distributing test kits to families at Gardner-Dickinson from 2 to 6 p.m. on Monday, January 3.
• Anyone who tests positive on a take-home test should immediately report their results to the school and begin isolating. Students testing positive using an at-home test kit must complete a lab-confirmed COVID test. Please visit https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/find-test-site-near-you to find a nearby testing site.
• Students who test positive must isolate for 10 days and can return to school on day 11 if there is symptom resolution. At this time, individuals cannot test out of quarantine or isolation.
• Taking part in testing is voluntary. We strongly encourage that you utilize these home test kits for your children when they are available. If you or others in your household need to be tested, please visit https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/find-test-site-near-you to find a nearby testing site.

Test to Stay Update

• Last week, the state updated guidance on Test to Stay to reduce the number of students and staff who would be excluded from school following a COVID exposure. At this time, our local health departments are reviewing and assessing the equity and feasibility of this Test to Stay strategy throughout our counties. Local school districts and the BOCES will continue to monitor local conditions in partnership with our local health departments.

Quarantine Notifications

• The New York State Department of Health has not yet adopted the CDC updates on shortening quarantine and isolation for the general population. The state has only adopted this reduction for essential workers. As a result, the quarantine period remains at 10 days. If there are any changes, we will communicate them as soon as possible.

We are seeing the impact of the omicron variant throughout the region and state. We ask for your continued cooperation in following our established COVID protocols, including mask wearing, physical distancing, and staying home when sick. We will continue to keep you updated with any changes to conditions or protocols. Thank you for your continued partnership and patience.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mary Yodis
Superintendent
Wynantskill UFSD

We will be on holiday recess starting tomorrow. Classes will resume on Monday, January 3. The school district will be closed on December 24 and 31. Happy Holidays!

GD Families,

In a blink of an eye the 1st half of the school year is coming to an end. What a busy year it has been. During September, most school districts were working frantically to finalize plans to bring their students back to school 5 days per week, but not GD. We had already mastered the ability to maintain a physical distance of 6 feet allowing us to bring all students into school 5 days per week for the entire school year. We celebrated the fact that we were able to open school for the entire 180 day school year. This year we were able to continue to find ways to maintain the proper social distance while still allowing our students more flexibility such as moving throughout the building, going to special area classes, bringing music and band back, mixing pods during lunch and recess and creating school wide events such as the pumpkin run.  As we enter 2022, we will continue to find our way through this pandemic searching for a new normal where our kids are safe while building back the celebrations and milestones they so much deserve. 

I can’t wait until the time that I can send you a holiday letter without discussing COVID-19. I will only mention it as I am so grateful for the dedication, flexibility and patience you have all shown this year as we continue to battle this pandemic. To date, we have had 30 COVID cases as compared to 15 all last year. This is not unique to our school district, but rather indicative of what our school districts are facing right now. With that said, we will remain vigilant with our safety protocols and procedures and are thankful once again that we have not seen any spread within the school setting.

During this holiday time, I am reminded of how much I have to be thankful for. I am thankful for a school board and administration who provides the vision, leadership and resources to support our school community in all aspects. I am thankful for our faculty and staff who work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our students while providing them with the tools they need to grow intellectually, emotionally and socially. I am thankful for the families who have done so much to support this crazy academic journey this year. From picking up your children instantaneously and running them around to find a COVID test to becoming the teacher during a quarantine. We can’t do this without all of you. I am also thankful for our students, whose curiosity, determination and excitement remind us why we are here – to support and nurture their development and growth. 

If this year, like last, has taught us anything, it taught us to appreciate the little moments and cherish your loved ones. My daughter turned 30 this summer and it feels like yesterday I put her on the bus to kindergarten crying my eyes out as I ran behind the bus. My youngest Angela who is 26 was surprised when I called her LuLu at her work event in front of all of her fellow police officers. She was a baby 5 minutes ago! Time goes by much too fast and we need these constant reminders to cherish every moment. Luckily, I have been blessed to have this amazing position where I can literally watch all of our beautiful GD children learn and grow each day. I watch them with love and pride as they grow. What an absolute blessing! 

From my family to yours, have a safe and wonderful holiday season. Cherish every moment!

Much love,

Mary Yodis
Superintendent

Show your school spirit by participating in Spirit Week.

• Tuesday – Wear your Royal GD spirit wear, royal blue and white
• Wednesday – Festive seasonal outfit
• Thursday – Pajama Day