On Sunday, January 9, HCT members, along with friends and family, enjoyed a thrilling basketball game at the Nassau Coliseum. While the home team lost, the game was only determined in the last few minutes, as the lead changed hands a few times. The season is young, so the LI Nets still has a great shot at a postseason birth. Looking forward to more great basketball at the Coliseum this season and more Member Engagement opportunities to come!

A great big thank you to all who donated to our virtual food drive benefiting Island Harvest. Collectively we donated 254 items to those in need on Long Island. 

Since this is a negotiations year, we want to present a unified front by wearing HCT-branded clothing every Wednesday. In addition, we'll be sharing photos on social media of our members proudly wearing their HCT gear.

Use the hashtag #WeAreHCT on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. If you do not use social media and/or would like me to post your photos, feel free to email them to jketyer@gmail.com and I will share them. Remember to Wear it on Wednesdays!

If you missed our fall clothing sale, there is a limited supply of HCT apparel available for sale at the HCT office. View items here.

NYSUT needs your help to spread the word about our #FutureForward initiative. There’s no better way to highlight the needs of our schools than to share real stories from real educators, students and parents.

This informative AFL-CIO podcast on the #FutureForward initiative features three teachers/task force members: Jen Wolfe, Oceanside FT; Adrienne Cohan, Starpoint TA, and Amy Hysick, North Syracuse EA .

K-12 educators and SRPs can learn how to reverse the impact of trauma on students’ abilities to trust and behave in school through @NYSUT ELT Professional Learning. Here are more topics for Getting Back On Track.

ELT offers a variety of wellness seminars to help members cope with these difficult times. For example:

Learn about more topics available to NYSUT members here.

A new round of our popular student loan debt webinars has been added to the schedule for December and January. More information and registration for these Zoom webinars can be found here.

The new issue of Educator’s Voice, NYSUT’s professional journal, on Leveraging Student Strengths through Project-Based Learning and Authentic Assessment, is now online. The journal also seeks proposals for its next edition, on the topic of Sustaining Democracy through Civics Education. The proposal submission deadline is February 1st.

Late on Monday January 10th, 2022, the Nassau County Department of Health informed us that they have adopted the changes in quarantine and isolation guidance from the January 4th 2022 Interim Guidance from the NYSDOH. This guidance changes the quarantine and isolation period from 10 days to 5 days long based on certain criteria including vaccination/booster status which is outlined in the January 4th Guidance. Further clarification from the NYSDOH was given to us yesterday and can be read here.

We will continue to follow our current COVID protocols including masking, physical distancing, handwashing and reporting positive cases, which can be done using our COVID Positive Case Reporting Form found on our website.

Members who need to be tested, do not have to use the district testing site. Members can go to their own doctors, pharmacies, or other testing sites and bring in proof of a negative test.

If an HCT member does not comply, the member will be declared ineligible to report to work and will be suspended without pay. The NYSUT Nassau Regional Office has informed us that the district is within its legal rights to do this.

Frequently Asked Questions about Covid-19 Testing and Vaccine Mandates for P-12 Employees can be found here.

After several weeks of behind the scenes work by NYSUT, the New York State Department of Labor has updated the guidance for Labor Law Sec 196-C, which allows paid leave time for COVID vaccinations, to include vaccine booster shots.

School-related COVID questions should be directed to Gail Hunker.

If you are interested in being listed in our tutor database or would like to remain in the database, please download and complete the Tutor Referral Form and mail it to the HCT at 535 South Broadway, Suite 212, Hicksville, NY 11801. If you prefer, you can scan the completed form and email it to Hicksville_Teachers@verizon.net.

Congratulations to Nicole McCabe (Middle School) on the birth of her son Jaxon Jeffrey.

Born January 7, 2022

6 lbs. 8. oz - 20"

Congratulations to Susan Goldman (Lee Avenue) on the graduation of her son from Ohio State University. 

Congratulations to Susan Tillwitz’s daughter, Suzanne, who recently got engaged to Evan. The two will wed in 2023. Susan retired in 2020 from Dutch Lane School.