Dear Schuylerville families,
I hope you are all enjoying the summer with your families and friends and taking time to recharge and relax! This summer has been a transition period for district administration, as we welcomed Mr. Nate Kocak in July who will be taking over for Jordan Tezanos as High School Assistant Principal. Mr. Tezanos, in turn, has been working with me to take over as Director of Pupil Personnel Services. As of Aug. 19, I assumed the role of Deputy Superintendent, and will officially become Superintendent on Oct. 1. I am looking forward to the new school year, which for me, always symbolizes a new opportunity for our students and staff. Another chapter begins!
COVID-19
The latest update from NYS regarding COVID-19 guidance for schools moves away from strict mitigation measures. The full information can be accessed on the New York State website, but the bullet points below help summarize:
Instruction
- In-person instruction will be provided for all students. For the 2022-23 school year, there will be no remote option for students K-12 if absent from school.
Masking
- Masks and face coverings are optional. We will continue to respect the decisions made by students and staff on whether they choose to wear a mask or not.
- Masks are not required on school buses.
- The NYS Department of Health recommends that individuals should wear a mask during days 6-10 after testing positive for COVID-19.
Exposures
- Quarantines are no longer required for close contacts. Please continue to monitor your child for COVID-19 symptoms and have them stay home when sick.
Testing Positive
- Isolation after testing positive for COVID-19 is still in place. The isolation period may vary based on COVID-19 symptoms.
- Please continue to report any positive cases so we can help your family navigate the absence and help your child to continue their learning.
- If a student or faculty/staff member is COVID-19 positive, it is advised:
- The person remain absent for five days (day 0 is the day you test positive)
- The person return on day six if symptom-free
- The person mask for days 6-10
Contact Tracing
- School districts are no longer required to conduct contact tracing or report positive COVID-19 test results on a daily basis to the NYS Department of Health. The district’s Friday emails with COVID-19 case updates will be discontinued.
Physical Distancing
- Physical distancing and cohorting are no longer recommended, so student activities and groupings will return to their pre-pandemic norms, including lunches.
COVID-19 Tests
- We have COVID-19 home tests from New York State available; tests can be requested from the nurse’s offices in each school building.
As always, the district will continue to follow guidance from the NYS Department of Health in regard to COVID-19 health and safety protocols in public schools, and staff, families, and students will be updated when and if changes are made.
Parking/Traffic Patterns
Faculty, staff, and visitors should park in the front parking lot upon arrival. The back parking lot (by the concession stand entrance) will be used this year for student parking. Please respect and follow the traffic patterns of our school parking lots and always be aware of students in crosswalks.
School Meals
The USDA waiver allowing all meals in schools to be served at no cost for students expires in September. Families will need to complete a Free and Reduced-price Meals Application to qualify for free or reduced-price meals; communication was sent out to families already regarding this. Click here for more information, as well as a link to the September breakfast and lunch menus.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. Enjoy the final week of summer; we look forward to welcoming students back on Thursday, September 8!
Mr. Gregg Barthelmas
Deputy Superintendent