November 12, 2020
Dear Families,
There has been an influx of COVID-19 cases at both a national and regional level. The United States recently hit a staggering record of daily cases with more than 120,000 infections in a single day, and the Rensselaer County Department of Health (RCDOH) has confirmed 48 new positive cases within the past three days with Monday, Nov. 9 being the second-highest daily case count since the start of the virus’ outbreak. The numbers continue to grow today.
Over the past few months, we have placed a strong emphasis on social distancing, proper mask wearing, and hand hygiene in an effort to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and to keep our students, staff members and community as safe as possible. Our students have done an exemplary job following all safety protocols and have been taking this seriously. For this, we have our school community’s families to thank.
It is of vital importance we all remain vigilant in reinforcing health and safety protocols during this influx and moving forward, whether we are in school or at home. We understand this has been emphasized for months, but it is crucial we do not let our guard down.
Please make a constant, conscious effort to follow all guidelines set forth by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Yesterday, Gov. Cuomo announced new guidelines during a press conference. New guidance included limiting both indoor and outdoor gatherings in private homes to 10 people, which will go into effect tomorrow, Nov. 13. at 10 p.m. Gov. Cuomo also recently released an updated travel advisory. Please review our letter explaining the advisory and what it means for us at Gardner-Dickinson.
With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, the governor’s new guidance may affect holiday plans. Wynantskill UFSD strongly encourages its families to do everything they can to celebrate the holidays in a way that prevents further COVID-19 spread and allows our schools to remain open and safe. Keeping our students safe and providing the healthiest school environment possible is a team effort. Each community member plays a vital role in protecting our students’ education.
We are proud of the way our students have conducted themselves throughout these challenging and difficult times, and we are thankful for our school community’s support and continued commitment. Now is not the time to become complacent. We must persist and continue to act in a responsible, community-centered manner. Now more than ever, we are in this together, and we must remain GD Strong.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mary Yodis
Wynantskill UFSD Superintendent