Author Archive: Candace Tibbetts

GD Even Stronger!

Posted on

Gardner-Dickinson Family

 

Today marks the anniversary of our school’s shut down due to the COVID19 pandemic. On March 16th 2020, the decision was made to close our school and pivot to remote learning, starting on the 17th. At that time, we thought we would be out for a week or possibly two, but never imagined that we would still be battling this pandemic two years later.

And what a battle it has been on each and every one of us. A battle that has changed our lives both personally, and professionally. It has changed the way we operate as a district, our policies, procedures, instructional methodologies, and overall, the way we educate our students. The pandemic has also affected our students in numerous ways as well; physically, mentally, socially, behaviorally and academically. These are all challenges that we continue to battle each day. So much hardship and so much pain for so very long. We acknowledge the immense hardships COVID has brought us so that we can truly celebrate our accomplishments.

We must celebrate today the fact that we have been two years strong despite this pandemic which has now spanned over the 3rd school year. Unlike most other school districts, we at GD, celebrate 17 months of in-school learning 5 days per week. What an enormous undertaking!

We have become complacent and don’t see this as the massive undertaking it has certainly been, with this year even harder than last. Last year we got by with only 15 COVID cases while this year we are at 105 (50 in the 2 weeks following the holiday break). All of this without losing even a day of in-person learning! This is because of our school community’s strength, determination and continuous dedication to our children at Gardner-Dickinson. You are remarkable, thank you!

GD’s faculty and staff were given a green cupcake today for the celebration of St. Patrick’s day of course, as well as the acknowledgement that exactly one year ago we celebrated in-person learning with the same green cupcake. The only difference is that the flag on the cupcake last year read, “GD Strong” and has since been updated to reflect their incredible perseverance in 2022,

“GD Even Stronger!”

Sending you cupcake thoughts 🙂

 

 

Dr. Mary Yodis

Superintendent

Wynantskill UFSD

 

Bus Drivers Needed

Posted on

Bus Drivers Needed!

 

Starting salary is $19/hr for Certified Drivers, and  $18/hr for Driver Trainees!

District will provide paid training to non-certified drivers.

Health benefits are available for drivers.

 

Drivers follow the school calendar, typically driving 5 days/week when school is in session.

  • AM Bus Run: 2-hour shift between the approximate hours of 6:30 AM-8:30 AM
  • PM Bus Run: 2-hour shift between the approximate hours of 1:30 AM-3:30 PM
  • Those interested in combined AM/PM Bus Runs can work a 4 hour split shift.

 

Please visit https://www.wynantskillufsd.org/district/employment/Applications to fill out an application!

For more information: 518-283-4600 X 250

 

[embeddoc url=”https://www.wynantskillufsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Bus-Driver-Flyer-1.pdf”]

Book Fair: March 16-18

Posted on

[embeddoc url=”https://www.wynantskillufsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2122-Scholastic-Bookfair-Flyer-1.pdf”]

RFP: Snow Removal, Trash Removal & Transportation

Posted on

Pursuant to the General Municipal Law, the Wynantskill UFSD is seeking proposals for contracted services to serve its Gardner Dickinson Building, effective March 8, 2022. Bids are available for download from the district website at https://www.wynantskillufsd.org/bids_rfps/.

Proposals should be submitted to Heidi Hallock, Board Clerk, via sealed envelope by not later than 12 p.m. on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Bids will be opened at 12 p.m., Wednesday, March 16, 2022. The Board of Education reserves the right to reject all bids and the right to waive any informality in bids. The decision of the Board of Education is considered final.

Please call the District Office at 518-283-4600 ext. 250 with any questions.

New Guidance from the New York State Dep’t of Health

Posted on

Dear Families:

Late Tuesday night, the New York State Department of Health released new COVID guidance for school districts and BOCES across the state. This included an FAQ. School superintendents met with county departments of health yesterday to discuss the latest guidance and how it will impact our students and staff.

Masks

As a reminder, masks are no longer required at school or on school buses/vans. However, the State Health Department recommends students, staff, and teachers wear masks when:

  • They feel more comfortable wearing a mask for personal reasons.
  • They were in the same room within the school as someone diagnosed with COVID-19 for 15 minutes or longer and were thus exposed or potentially exposed, when group contact tracing is used.
  • They are known to have been exposed to COVID in any setting within the previous 10 days.
  • They are moderately-to-severely immunocompromised and have discussed the need to mask with their healthcare provider(s).

Individuals are welcome to wear a mask if they choose to do so. Our school community has shown great resiliency over the past two years, and we expect everyone to continue to practice civility and tolerance surrounding these individual choices.

State Requirements

The new state guidance requires us to comply with three requirements. This includes:

  • A positive COVID case must follow the isolation protocol and mask for days 6-10 upon return to school.
  • Unvaccinated staff must continue to be tested weekly.
  • The district must report cases daily to the NYS COVID Report Card.

All other items within the state guidance document are recommendations, which we will follow. We urge everyone to adhere to the recommendations as well to help keep our buildings a safe learning environment for all. We will continue existing COVID mitigation strategies, including cleaning and disinfection, physical distancing when possible and increased ventilation in classrooms. Students and staff are also encouraged to continue to practice healthy hygiene and to stay home when sick.

Thank you for your continued patience, cooperation, and understanding.

Sincerely,

 

Dr. Mary Yodis

District Superintendent

Wynantskill UFSD

Starting Tomorrow, Masks are Optional

Posted on

As the mask mandate in schools has been recently lifted by New York State, we want to let you know that we spoke with all the children today regarding the upcoming changes in masking requirements at school, letting them know why the changes are taking place, what changes they can expect, and what will remain the same.

On Wednesday, March 2, wearing a mask in school will become optional for students and staff who are feeling well, who have not been exposed recently to someone with COVID, and who would prefer not to wear one.

Of course, wearing a mask remains an option for those who choose to do so, and wearing a mask will still be required for those who have been exposed to someone infected with COVID, and for those who have been infected with COVID in the last ten days.

As these changes occur, we will remain respectful to everyone in our community. Please keep speaking with your children to reinforce that people will now have a choice regarding whether to wear a mask, and that these choices are often private matters. We will see students and staff who are wearing masks, and we will see students and staff who are not wearing masks. Both choices will be respected, and no one should be asked by peers to defend or explain their choice. We do not tolerate bullying for any reason, and we respect each other in our school community, including respecting each other’s feelings and decisions.

Please also remind your children that all other COVID risk mitigation protocols will remain in place. We will continue to practice required testing for those with COVID symptoms, a quarantine period for those exposed to COVID, social distancing, contact tracing, extra cleaning and disinfection procedures, and all other recommended procedures shown to reduce the transmission of illness. These practices remain important in order to keep our schools safe, healthy, and open!

Thank you so much for your patience and support as we implement these changes. We anticipate that additional guidance from the New York State Department of Health will be forthcoming, and we will update you as soon as we are able. If you have any questions or concerns regarding mask use, please reach out to your child’s teacher or principal. We look forward to a wonderful Spring together, full of smiling faces and happy hearts. Thank you for all that you do to make every child’s school experience a great one.

 

Dr. Mary Yodis
Superintendent
Wynantskill UFSD

Mask Mandate in Schools to End on Wednesday, March 2

Posted on

Dear Gardner-Dickinson Family,

At a press conference this afternoon, the Governor announced the end of the mask mandate in schools, effective Wednesday, March 2. She cited declining metrics for making this decision, including a decrease in COVID cases and hospitalizations, as well as new guidance from the CDC on Friday.

As a result, masks are still required in school  on Monday and Tuesday as we await to review and implement new school guidance. Starting Wednesday, masks will be a personal choice in our schools. Although we still recommend the use when applicable, we respect everyone’s right to choose for themselves.

We ask parents and guardians to speak with their child about personal choice and respect for each other’s personal decisions. We will not tolerate any bullying of students or staff who choose to continue to wear a mask.

We understand that this announcement may have a mixed reaction from parents, students and staff. A recent Siena College Research Institute poll found that 58 percent of respondents said the state should wait for early March data before deciding whether to lift the school mask mandate.

Throughout the pandemic, we have relied on guidelines set forth by the State Department of Health and State Education Department in partnership with the county health department.

Conditions are improving locally and across the state. Test positivity is now at the lowest rate since last fall and there is an increased number of students and staff that have been vaccinated.

Our schools also distribute at-home test kits to families – a mitigation tool that was scarcely available in the past. We encourage families to test their child this evening prior to sending them back to school tomorrow, February 28. Anyone testing positive should isolate at home and contact their school’s office.

Thank you for your continued patience, cooperation and understanding. We will share additional information on the new guidance as soon as it is available.

Thank you,

Dr. Mary Yodis
Superintendent
Wynantskill UFSD