Pre-K and Kindergarten Virtual Orientations

Please join us for pre-k and kindergarten virtual orientations for families that have registered a student for either grade level and prospective families.

During orientation, families will be able to meet the teachers and the principal, view an informative presentation and participate in a Q&A session.

Pre-K Orientation will be held Tuesday, April 13 at 7 p.m.

Kindergarten will have two orientation sessions: Wednesday, April 14 at 10 a.m. and Thursday, April 15 at 7 p.m.

Families interested in attending a virtual orientation session should contact Main Office Secretary Kathy Fazioli via phone at 518-283-4600 ext. 10 or via email at kfazioli@wynantskillufsd.org indicating interest. Ms. Fazioli will then share meeting links with interested families. 

We look forward to meeting you and your child!

Wynantskill UFSD

New York State Assessment Tests

Dear Gardner-Dickinson Families,

Spring is here! I hope you have been enjoying the sunshine and warmer weather this past week. Our students have been thrilled to get outside during school hours.

As we now find ourselves almost three-quarters of the way through the 2020-21 school year, administration typically develops plans for state assessments at this time. Following the unprecedented nature of this school year, plans have become a bit more complex.

In February, the New York State Education Department submitted a waiver to the United States Department of Education that would not require New York districts to administer state assessments due to circumstances surrounding the ongoing pandemic. At this time, that waiver has not been granted. Wynantskill UFSD is following the situation closely, but we must begin preparing plans to administer state assessments in the event the waiver does not get approved. 

While students may have to take state assessment tests, there will be changes in assessments this year. Only the first session of the Grades 3-8 math and ELA exams will be administered instead of two sessions, and only the written portion of the Grades 4 and 8 science exams will be administered while the performance tests will not be given.

The district has planned to administer state assessments on the following dates:

 

  • Wednesday, April 21 Grades 3-8 ELA Testing
  • Wednesday, May 5 Grades 3-8 Math Testing
  • Tuesday, June 8 Grades 4 and 8 Science Testing

 

All state assessments will begin at 9 a.m. on the above dates. Students will have as much time as they need to complete the assessments, though we anticipate testing to take about an hour. Assessments will be administered to all in-person students. Remote students are not required to participate in testing, but remote students may participate in testing if their parent or guardian requests. 

Please do not hesitate to contact me directly with any questions or concerns. 

Sincerely,

Suzann Cornell
Gardner-Dickinson Principal
scornell@wynantskillufsd.org
518-283-4600 ext. 10

 

Positive COVID-19 Case in Wynantskill UFSD

March 23, 2021

Dear Families,

Wynantskill UFSD learned today that an elementary student has tested positive for COVID-19. The student has not been physically present in the building since March 15, 2021.

We have been in close communication with the Rensselaer County Department of Health (RCDOH) to determine any necessary follow-up, and RCDOH has determined no contact tracing is required due to the timeframe of the positive. No action is necessary by any students or staff. Gardner-Dickinson will remain open as normal.

Due to privacy laws, we cannot divulge any further information about the positive individual, 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, proper hand hygiene and avoiding gatherings and travel to states with high positivity rates. We also remind you to please complete the daily health screening form for your child prior to sending them to school.

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

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

Appreciation Week – Friday

Today, we are appreciating our bus drivers, custodians, parents and students!
Our bus drivers have worked hard ensuring students remain six feet apart while getting to and from school and disinfecting all seats between use of buses.
Our custodial and maintenance staff learned about new health and safety protocols and worked day and night disinfecting classrooms, hallways and all other areas within the building and helping to move furniture to ensure a six-foot distance between each student’s workspace.
THANK YOU, PARENTS! You have quickly stepped into the role of at-home tutors and were patient and understanding through all of the changes thrown your way. A total of 50% of our parents drop off and pick up students from school, which is what has allowed our district to be open five days a week for the entirety of the school year! We are so appreciative of all your hard work and support throughout the year!
Last, but certainly not least, our students adapted to every obstacle that came their way this past year. Many of our students are too young to fully understand what has been happening, and their lives have been turned upside down. Through the many changes students faced including separation from friends, adapting to online learning and more, they overcame and continued with their education, no matter how the pandemic changed their lives. Our students are our heroes, and they’re the ones we work so hard for day in and day out.

Appreciation Week – Thursday

Today, we are taking a moment to appreciate our Board of Education, office staff, aides and food service workers.
Our Board of Education has continued to volunteer their time to ensure students have ample opportunities, even during the pandemic. Their uninterrupted support to district has been invaluable throughout the pandemic.
Our office staff worked to answer any questions parents and guardians had and supported other departments in everyday operations to ensure all aspects of reopening plans were implemented daily.
Our aides stepped in to take student temperatures, assist in drop-off and pick-up and more.
Our food service department prepared thousands of student meals during the 2019-20 shutdown and delivered individually wrapped meals during the 2020-21 school year. Their hard work ensured all students always had food on their plates.
Because of you all, Gardner-Dickinson is #OneYearStronger.

Online Book Fair

Gardner-Dickinson will hold an online book fair from March 22 – April 4. Shipping is free on book-only purchases over $25.

Learn more and browse more than 6,000 products on our book fair homepage.

Camp Innov@tion at TVHS

Tech Valley High School is pleased to announce that it will once again be hosting Camp Innov@tion for middle school students (current 6th and 7th graders) this summer on its Albany campus.  Interested students can visit summercamp.questar.org for more information and the opportunity to register.

Appreciation Week – Wednesday, One-Year Commemoration

Dear G-D Community,

One year ago today, the Gardner-Dickinson School closed due to COVID-19. On March 16, 2020, students and staff alike packed their belongings in the midst of uncertainty the then-new virus brought. Little did we know March 16 would be the last day our students and staff were in the building during the 2019-20 school year.

We quickly assembled Google Classroom, Google Meet, Seesaw and more to make remote learning a reality and worked to ensure each of our students had food to eat and children of essential workers were cared for during the shutdown last school year. 

During summer months, there was much trepidation. The unknowns of what lay ahead for the 2020-21 school year left our team wondering how we would possibly make this school year work. Though there were many questions, our staff buckled down and stepped up to the plate for our students, working together to create a plan. 

In partnership with our families, we were able to create a safe learning environment for students this school year when many districts could not. Our families played a pivotal role in our return to in-person schooling.

Today, one year later, we reflect on all that has occurred during this unparalleled year. Our hearts go out to each and every family across the globe that has dealt with hardships during the pandemic, whether that hardship was losing their job or the loss of a loved one. 

We must remember that Wynantskill is a strong community, and we can lean on one another in times of need. The one positive trait that stood out this year was our district’s unity. We have worked as a team with those we may not have worked with toward a common goal in the past. Collaborating with individuals within our school community whom we may not have known so well beforehand has in turn developed indestructible bonds. We have shared experiences and gotten through a difficult time together. Our already tight-knit school became even stronger than ever before.

We have all worked harder than ever before this year with very little relief. I acknowledge this hard work, and I thank you each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Mary Yodis
Wynantskill UFSD Superintendent

 

 

 

Today, we appreciate all of our teachers, our nurse and our IT department.
Our teachers rapidly assembled remote instruction and learned to teach while miles away from students, which required quick thinking and innovation when lesson-planning. Teachers have had to adapt to teaching in-person and remote students simultaneously during the 2020-21 school year.
Our nurse Ms. Gibbs worked as our very own frontline worker. Ms. Gibbs stayed up-to-date with all CDC and NYSDOH protocols; assisted in contact tracing; and ensured all students in the building were healthy.
Our IT department, Mr. Vescio, worked to get a device in each student’s hands, set up internet hotspots for those who needed internet access during the shutdown and school year and help with any technical difficulties.
Because of our teachers, our nurse and our IT department, we are #OneYearStronger.

 

Appreciation Week – Tuesday

Today, we would like to thank our first responders.
Town of North Greenbush Police Department, Wynantskill Fire Department and North Greenbush EMS have ensured the larger community as well as our school community remained safe during the pandemic.
Thank you for coming to our school during fire drills, lockdown drills and more to make sure our students know the proper protocols to execute these drills during the pandemic. The North Greenbush Police Department assisted in a lockdown drill just yesterday. You are one of the reasons we are #OneYearStronger.

One Year Stronger

This week, we will reach the one year mark of our school’s shutdown due to COVID-19. In commemoration, Wynantskill UFSD will be appreciating each member of its school community this week. 

At the one-year mark, it is important we remember those who have struggled and are still struggling during the pandemic. Millions of people lost their jobs, are facing mental health issues, are grieving from the loss of a loved one or are one of the almost 2.65 million people worldwide who lost their life to this horrific disease. We ask our school community to take a moment and remember those affected and reflect on how fortunate we have been throughout the pandemic. 

Thank you to all for your support.