Dear Families,

Beginning this Friday, Nov. 20, your child will be required to transport their Chromebook to and from school every day. Due to the increase in national, state and regional COVID-19 cases, a short-term school closure is a possibility at any moment. We want to ensure our students are prepared to pivot to remote learning without loss of instructional time should a short-term closure occur. At this time, there are no plans for a school closure. This is strictly in preparedness efforts if such a need arises.

Please be sure to read the District’s Remote Learning Plan regarding proper care of the Chromebook, parent and student responsibilities, internet safety, getting tech assistance and other important information. Remote classroom schedules are available on our website in the event we go virtual.

Please be sure your child brings their Chromebook to school every day, fully charged, along with its power cord and they take proper care of it. Please see below to review care for Chromebooks. Please note that students in kindergarten will not be taking their computers home daily. If there is a need for remote learning, we will schedule pick-up times for Chromebooks. 

If you have any questions, please contact Susan Stoya at sstoya@wynantskillufsd.org.

Thank you for your cooperation and continued support.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mary Yodis
Wynantskill UFSD Superintendent

Susan Stoya
Wynantskill UFSD Substitute Administrator

Care and Handling of Your Chromebook

• You MUST ask permission before making any changes to the settings on your Chromebook.
• Chromebooks should only be used for activities authorized by the school.
• Be sure to shut down your Chromebook by pressing the power button at the end of every school day. This will prevent unnecessary drain on the battery and will speed up charging time.
• Avoid bending the charger’s cord at sharp angles.
• Position your charger so that you will not trip over it or roll over it with a chair.
• Be gentle as you connect and disconnect the power cord.
• Keep liquids and food away from your Chromebook. Liquids can damage the electronic components of your Chromebook. Close the lid of the Chromebook when you are not using it.
• Don’t carry around your Chromebook. Place it on a desk or table where it will not fall or be dropped. Use both hands when carrying or moving your Chromebook from place to place.
• Never carry your Chromebook by the screen.
• Your Chromebook’s screen is a very sensitive component. It may crack if you slam the lid, drop it or expose it to pressure or weight.
• Do not place any items on top of your Chromebook.
• Use a damp (water), soft, lint-free cloth to clean the computer’s screen and exterior, You can also use packaged eye-glass lens cleaning tissues to clean the screen.
• Remember you are responsible for any damages or misuse.
• Keep your Chromebook away from small children and pets.
• Keep your Chromebook in a secure area. Do not leave it in an unlocked car or outside.
•  Leave repairs to experts. Under no circumstance should you attempt to repair your Chromebook. This may void any warranty and could hurt you. Contact the district if you are in need of repairs.

It has been brought to our attention that a positive case appears on the New York State COVID-19 Report Card for our District. The District did not submit this data and has not received any information regarding positive COVID cases within our schools to date. Rensselaer County Department of Health has confirmed although the positive student lives in North Greenbush, they are not a student within the Wynantskill UFSD. The positive student attends a neighboring district.

The New York State COVID-19 Report Card reads:

“All COVID-19 positive or negative test results for New York State residents 5-17 years old are reported by laboratories to the Department of Health. This data is matched to the school district within which an individual lives. This data reflects the number of COVID-19 tests and test results for students living in a school district. Note: Individuals 5-17 years old may attend a private or charter school in a neighboring district. Verification measures are in place to prevent duplicate reporting of lab results.” 

More information on COVID-19 reporting can be found here: https://schoolcovidreportcard.health.ny.gov/#/searchResults

The District’s top priority is the health and safety of our students, and we are committed to communicating transparently and keeping our school community informed. Should the District be informed of a positive case within our schools, rest assured you will be notified as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding at this time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mary Yodis
Wynantskill UFSD Superintendent

Wynantskill UFSD has decided to cancel its 2020-2021 basketball season following Section 2’s Nov. 13 winter sports news release. While this was a difficult decision, we believe it is in the best interest of our students’ health and safety. Our top priority is the health and safety of our entire school community. We appreciate your understanding at this time.

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

Wynantskill UFSD is looking for school bus drivers. Join our team of professional drivers. Benefits include:

• Paid CDL training
• Competitive salary
• Part-time hours with full-time benefits
• State retirement

If you or someone you know is interested, give us a call at (518) 283-4600.

On Friday, October 30, Gardner-Dickinson kicked off its PBIS program for this school year. November’s initiative is Bee Safe. To learn more about our PBIS program and this month’s initiative, view the presentation below.

PBIS kickoff presentation