Dear families,
We would like to share some updates about the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, which we continue to monitor closely.
Our district response team continues to meet regularly to discuss preventative measures, and immediate and long-term needs. We are following the guidance of the Rensselaer County Health Department, who we have communicated with and has provided outstanding support.
We will update families regularly as we receive new information and share any changes to our procedures. This is a rapidly developing situation so we ask families to please understand that we may need to make changes on short notice but we will communicate any changes as quickly as possible through our website, eNews and automated text messaging system when necessary.
Preventative Measures at School
- We continue to clean and disinfect high-touch areas like handrails, doorknobs and bathrooms as well as buses.
- We continue to remind students, faculty and staff the importance of hand-washing and other preventative measures.
- We installed additional hand sanitizers in the school.
- We extended lunch period to provide students additional time to wash their hands before lunch.
- The district maintains an adequate supply of cleaning and disinfectant products that are confirmed to be effective against COVID-19.
Preventative Measures at Home
- Encourage your family to wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. This is the top recommendation by the NYS Health Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing. Throw away tissues after use.
- If your child is not feeling well, for whatever reason, please keep them home.
- If parents are not feeling well, please avoid coming to school.
- Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, including cell phones.
School Events and Field Trips
At this time, all school events, field trips and other large group gatherings will continue as scheduled at the recommendation of the Rensselaer County Health Department. Please know that this may change and we will let our community know immediately of any changes. As always, if parents are uncomfortable with their children attending an event or field trip they have the option of withholding them from that activity.
Possible School Closure
On March 10, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that if a school has a student who tests positive for COVID-19, then that school will be closed for 24 hours. During that time, the school will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected and the situation will be assessed regarding whether to close the school for a longer period of time. If the event of a school closure, we would immediately announce it through our regular emergency communications systems.
Additional Resources
- The Rensselaer County Health Department website
- New York State Health Department website
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website
Sincerely,
Dr. Thomas Reardon
Superintendent