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Dear C-R Families –
As you may have seen in the news, Governor Hochul announced last week that New York State will not be issuing COVID-related requirements for the 2022-23 school year. Instead, the New York State Departments of Health and Education issued a joint letter lifting most of the COVID requirements from last year and referring schools and families to the most recent CDC Operational Guidance for K-12 Schools.
This will be the first school year since the onset of the pandemic that we will have no mandated protocols for testing, quarantines, masking, or social distancing. In many ways, this represents a new phase in our pandemic recovery. We of course hope to continue limiting the spread of illness in school. But instead of mandates, we now will be relying on a partnership with our families.
Toward that end, we are providing a series of recommendations from local and national health officials. We are hopeful that by following these simple recommendations, all of us can help our schools continue to return to pre-pandemic routines.
The recommendations are:
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If you are sick, please do not come to school.
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If you have symptoms associated with COVID, please get tested and/or consult with your healthcare provider. We have an abundance of test kits available at all four of our school buildings and the district office if you would like to test at home.
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If you test positive for COVID, please remain home from school for five days. It is also recommended that you wear a mask for the first five days of your return to school.
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Students and staff who exhibit COVID symptoms at school should go home pending the results of a COVID test or the resolution of symptoms.
A more detailed look at the recommendations and other COVID-related information can be found on the district website: C-R COVID Information.
Please also note that Schoharie County is strongly recommending that all positive test results from at-home tests be reported to the county Department of Health.
Thankfully, we have reached a stage in the pandemic in which instances of severe illnesses have declined considerably (though, of course, not entirely). However, it’s worth remembering that even minor illnesses cause students to miss school and staff to miss work, which can disrupt learning, bus schedules and more. We are counting on your partnership in following these simple recommendations to keep our school community healthy.
Thank you for your continued support, and please email us at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
David Sander
Acting Superintendent of Schools