Superintendent’s Community Update, April 30, 2021
Dear Hastings Families, Faculty and Staff,
With 92% of the student body in attendance, we made it through week three without a positive case. Your efforts in completing the daily COVID health questionnaire, checking your child’s symptoms, and following testing guidelines are greatly appreciated. Please remember to keep your child home if: your child is awaiting the results of a COVID PCR test or a family member develops COVID symptoms. Under these conditions, sending your child (ren) to school will lead to transmission of the virus among unvaccinated individuals and those who are not fully vaccinated. Thank you so much for your cooperation and vigilance.
National Principals’ Appreciation Day
While tomorrow is the official day to recognize the important role principals play in their schools, please join me in both acknowledging and thanking our three Principals, Mr. Adipietro, Ms. Spirelli, and Ms. Cazes, for their commitment and dedication to the faculty, staff, students, and families of Hastings. Their leadership during the pandemic has been extraordinary. They have spent countless hours managing the details and dynamics associated with operating a school during a pandemic. Please send them a note of appreciation for all they have done and will continue to do.
Surveillance Testing Program
Our surveillance testing program starts on Monday, May 3rd. The Health Offices in the Farragut Complex and at Hillside Elementary School will test 5% of the children whose parents submitted consent forms. These students will be tested once. Please visit our Health Office website for details about the requirements and forms needed if you completed a consent form for your child to be tested.
Physical Distancing and Barriers
Yesterday, the New York State Department of Health issued updated guidance to districts on end-of-year celebrations like proms, graduations, and moving up ceremonies. Soon school leaders will be sharing details about their plans for these end-of year-celebrations. In addition at the May 4th Board of Education meeting, the building Principals will also share feedback from their faculty and staff regarding the use of the desktop, table, and floor barriers and their recommendation about whether or not we should continue or discontinue the use of the barriers. The slides about physical distancing and barriers shared at the April 20th Board meeting are here.
We need to continue to uphold the safety practices we’ve been following since the beginning of the school year. Please keep your child at home if you answer yes to any question on the daily COVID health questionnaire found here. Thank you again for all you are doing to support our schools and keep us safe.
I hope you have an enjoyable weekend.
Sincerely,
Valerie Henning-Piedmonte, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
