Superintendent’s Community Update, March 12, 2021
Dear Hastings Families, Faculty and Staff,
Although spring officially starts on March 20th, this week’s sunshine and warm temperatures were energizing and uplifting. Daylight Saving Time will begin at 2am on March 14th, which gives us hope for many more sunny and warmer days ahead. While more daylight means more time for outdoor activities with your family, I want to thank you in advance for continuing to enforce mask-wearing, six feet of physical distance, and frequent hand washing. COVID-19 is still a contagious and dangerous virus. Thank you for helping us keep our schools open by following these safety protocols.
Below are a few additional topics for your review.
New York State Department of Health Vaccination and Travel Advisory
On Wednesday, Superintendents received updates from the New York State Department of Health about quarantine requirements for fully vaccinated persons exposed to COVID-19, which is here, and quarantine restrictions on travelers arriving in New York State following out-of-state travel, which is here. These updates are timely and will be useful in preparation for spring recess on March 29-April 5.
Hastings Vaccination Update
Yesterday, Superintendents were officially notified that the Governor's Executive Order 202.96 requires the Westchester County Department of Health to collect weekly information from districts about how many teachers and staff members have been vaccinated to date. As of today, 82% of the faculty and staff who responded to the questionnaire have been vaccinated. This information will be collected and reported weekly. Yesterday and today, faculty and staff were able to make appointments for their first shot at Westchester Community College. A clerical staff member continues to provide assistance to faculty and staff members who are having difficulty finding an appointment.
Schools Reopen On April 12th for All In-Person Learning
Mandatory mask-wearing and the use of desktop-barriers, when six feet of physical distance is not possible, will be practiced on April 12th when we shift from the hybrid instructional model to all in-person learning. Remote instruction will still be available. This week, the three school-based reopening committees reconvened to discuss recommendations, concerns, and solutions in the following areas: configuration of classrooms and other learning environments; effective use of barriers; personal protective equipment; ventilation and air exchange; outdoor learning; fresh air and mask breaks; remote instruction; surveillance testing; daily COVID health questionnaire; hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection protocols; use of the cafeteria; ingress and egress areas in schools; bus transportation and drop-offs; musical performances; theatrical performances; athletics; and extracurricular activities. On Monday, March 15th from 5:30pm-7:30pm, the Board of Education will be convening a Board Work Session to discuss the recommendations, concerns, and solutions from the committees. This meeting is an opportunity for the Board to have a conversation together as they have done in the past about each school’s preparedness to open safely for all students on April 12th. Finally, the building administrators will prepare a pre-recorded presentation available on March 25th at 3pm to share changes or enhancements they are making in preparation for April 12th. Families may review the presentation at their leisure. After reviewing this presentation, questions may be emailed to Mr. Adipietro, Ms. Spirelli, or Ms. Cazes. Thank you to everyone who participated or served on a school reopening committee. We value and appreciate your feedback.
International Women’s Day & Women’s History Month
While the 19th amendment, granting women the right to vote, was ratified by Congress in 1920, there is still a need to focus on gender equality. To commemorate the celebration of international women’s day and women’s history month, I encourage you to engage in a project started by Ms. Lisa Kilion, a 5th-grade teacher at Farragut Middle School. Ms. Kilion asked her students to research their female ancestors to learn more about them. Students interviewed family members and relatives to learn more about the struggles and accomplishments of their female ancestors. This is inspiring and an important project for everyone.
St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th
Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone who celebrates. Safely enjoy the traditions and festivities of the day. Irish Soda Bread with butter is a delicious treat.
Hastings Daily
We noticed that the Hastings Daily was getting a little congested with daily announcements and reminders. It has been streamlined by the removal of the reminders which can be found on our website. Each section is also arranged in alphabetical order. If you have any questions about information in the Hastings Daily or have difficulty locating information from a previous edition, please feel free to contact Jason Platzner, our public relations and media specialist, at [email protected].
As a reminder, please continue to complete the daily COVID health questionnaire and keep your child home if awaiting the result of a COVID test. If a family member develops COVID symptoms, it is a good practice to keep your children at home as well. Sending them to school will surely lead to further transmission and the quarantining of others.
We appreciate the collective efforts of families, faculty, and staff during these difficult times. Thank you for everything you do to keep our schools safe.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Sincerely,
Valerie Henning-Piedmonte, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
