Updates: Town Hall Meetings, "Return to School" Protocol, Athletics and More

Greetings Honeoye Central School District Community,

I hope this email finds you well!  As we begin the second full week of school, I feel beyond grateful to serve beside the talented, committed, and ardent advocates for students and learning at HCS.  

Our launch to the 2020-21 school year looks entirely different than it has in the past:

• Students are masked when they disembark from the bus and remain masked as they transition to their classrooms and first period classes (and beyond!). 
• Our learners exercise social distancing as they enter the building and as travel is required on campus throughout the day.  
• Each and every student is scanned upon arrival to ensure that students are not running a temperature of 100.0 or greater.  
• Classrooms have been arranged to ensure that all seating is compliant with social distancing requirements of six feet between students. 
• Elementary students have lunch and specials in their classrooms. Our secondary students have lunch in two locations now (cafe and LGI) to ensure social distancing.
• Within a mixed hybrid model of delivery, teaching and learning looks differently than anything we have experienced in public education. 
• Our teachers and non instructional staff are performing their work, true to our mission of teaching and learning, amidst unprecedented obstacles where no playbook or research based practice exists. 

The above does not even begin to capture the nuances of our nontraditional opening of schools. It is different and that has to be okay given our circumstances. All of our BULLDOGS are BACK, here at the POUND, and that is nothing shy of amazing. Heartfelt gratitude to the HCS community for your patience, flexibility and understanding as we navigate the COVID-19 experience in the school setting.  I could not be more proud of our students and staff and I appreciate your support of their efforts! 

I am reaching out to share a few brief updates with you this morning:

1. Town Hall Meetings are scheduled for this Wednesday, 9/23/2020.
2. Marybeth Tonkery has been working closely with the Department of Health to develop an updated “Return to School” protocol for students who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19.
3. HCS Athletic Director, Lorri Campbell, has provided some updates surrounding the “Reopening of Athletics.”
4. The U.S. Federal Government has extended the option for U.S. public schools to provide free breakfast and lunch meals to all enrolled students throughout the fall of 2020.
5. Student daily temperature assessments must be reported via Parent Square. Please register as soon as possible if you have not already done so. 

(1) Town Hall Meetings are scheduled for this Wednesday, 9/23/2020
HCS will offer additional opportunities for families to participate in Town Hall meetings on the upcoming dates and times below:

• 9/23 5:30 - 6:30 ~ Progress Monitoring the HCS Plan: How are things going at secondary level?
  • Google Meet information included in community email, 9/21/2020
• 9/23 6:30 - 7:30 ~ Progress Monitoring the HCS Plan: How are things going at elementary level?
  • Google Meet information included in community email, 9/21/2020

(2) COVID-19 Update: RETURNING TO SCHOOL AFTER ILLNESS
As you are aware, schools must follow NYSDOH and Local Health Departments for “Return to School” guidance in the event we have students (and/or staff) who present with symptoms of COVID-19 . Our school nurse, Marybeth Tonkery, has been working closely with Ontario County DOH and we have updated our Return to School "flowchart" to reflect the below information.
COVID Symptoms: The following symptoms that are consistent with COVID-19: 

• Fever 
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle/Body Ache
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea/vomiting/Diarrhea

Negative COVID-19 Scenario

In the event a STUDENT HAS SYMPTOMS OF POSSIBLE COVID-19 ILLNESS, ONCE IT IS DETERMINED THAT THE CHILD DOES NOT HAVE COVID-19 BY A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, HE/SHE CAN RETURN TO SCHOOL WITH THE FOLLOWING:

• Documentation of a negative COVID test, AND
• Documentation from your Health Care Provider stating your child is cleared to return to school, AND
• Symptom improvement and 3 days without a fever (without a fever reducing medication)
• A NOTE FROM YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER AND DOCUMENT OF A NEGATIVE COVID TEST CLEARING THE CHILD TO RETURN TO SCHOOL IS REQUIRED AND MUST BE GIVEN TO THE SCHOOL NURSE BEFORE RIDING THE SCHOOL BUS OR ENTERING THE BUILDING.*

Positive COVID-19 Scenario
In the event a STUDENT IS DIAGNOSED WITH COVID-19 BY A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER BASED ON A POSITIVE TEST, THE STUDENT MAY NOT BE AT SCHOOL AND MUST STAY HOME. HE/SHE MAY RETURN ONCE:

• It has been a minimum of TEN days in isolation AND
• It has been at least THREE days since the student has had a fever (without using fever reducing medicine) AND
• It has been at least THREE days since the individual symptoms improved, including cough and shortness of breath.
• Guidance from the Ontario County Health Department will determine the exact return date.
• A NOTE FROM HEALTH CARE PROVIDER CLEARING THE CHILD IS REQUIRED AND MUST BE GIVEN TO THE SCHOOL NURSE BEFORE RIDING THE SCHOOL BUS OR ENTERING THE BUILDING.

Physician notes can be faxed to 585-229-5160 or emailed to the School Nurse. Parent/Guardian must reach out to the School Nurse with updated information from the Health Care Provider as necessary. Contact the student’s health care provider as soon as possible for guidance and if any symptoms become worse, or CALL 911. You may reach Marybeth Tonkery, RN, by phone at 585-229-5171 ext. 3013 or by email at  [email protected].

(3) Athletic Update from The Pound…Submitted by Athletic Director, Lorri Campbell
On Thursday, we received draft schedules from the Wayne Finger Lakes League.  As soon as they are finalized, they will be published on the rSchool calendar for parents to view (found on the Honeoye Athletics website - you can find a team schedule by sorting through the options underneath the calendar on the right-hand side of the page) 

Honeoye Athletics, along with the Transportation Department, have looked over these draft schedules and believe that HCS will be able to transport all of our teams to away contests, still following all of the required CDC guidelines.   

A few items directly from the NYSPHSAA guidance:
http://www.nysphsaa.org/Portals/0/COVID%2019/Return%20To%20Interscholastic%20Athletics%20REVISFINAL%20091120.pdfED%20

CONSIDERATIONS FOR STUDENT ATHLETES
• In accordance with NYSDOH guidance (Interim COVID-19 Guidance for Sports and Recreation) responsible parties must ensure a distance of at least six feet is maintained among individuals at all times, whether indoor or outdoor, unless safety or the core activity (e.g. practicing, playing) requires a shorter distance. If a shorter distance is required, individuals must wear acceptable face coverings, unless players are unable to tolerate a face covering for the physical activity (e.g. practicing, playing); provided, however, that coaches, trainers, and other individuals who are not directly engaged in physical activity are required to wear a face covering. (Pg. 5) 
• Students should tell coaches immediately when they are not feeling well. 
• No hugging, high fives, shaking hands, or fist bumps.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR PARENTS/GUARDIANS 
A family’s role in maintaining safety guidelines for themselves and others: 
• In accordance with NYSDOH guidance (Interim COVID-19 Guidance for Sports and Recreation), spectators must maintain six feet of physical distance between individuals and/or family/household units at all times and all spectators must wear face coverings when they are in common areas and situations where six feet of distancing is not able to be maintained, so long as they are over the age of two and medically able to tolerate such covering. (Pg. 6) 
• In accordance with NYSDOH guidance (Interim COVID-19 Guidance for Sports and Recreation), responsible parties must limit spectators to no more than two spectators per player. (Pg. 6) 
• Provide personal items to children and clearly label them. 
• Disinfect your student’s personal equipment after each game or practice.

Coaches should have communicated important information before practices begin on Monday, September 21 to all families who have registered athletes. We urge you to be patient with us while we sort out all of the details, we are working hard to get all of our procedures in place to make sure everyone can participate, have fun and stay safe! “We are all in this together” is something that has been said often, but it certainly applies to Team Bulldog. We are VERY excited to see our Bulldog athletes in action next week!
 
Note: Please reach out to Athletic Director, Lorri Campbell, at [email protected], with specific questions or concerns about athletics. 

(4) Meal Service for All Students, Information Provided by Mike Bastian and Sheila Lowe

• We are pleased to announce that the U.S. Federal Government has extended the option for U.S. public schools to provide free breakfast and lunch meals to all enrolled students throughout the fall of 2020. Please note that our ability to extend this offer is dependent upon funding from NY State and that we expect a confirmation from the state very soon.
• As a result, we are pleased to announce that effective immediately, any and all HCS students are eligible for free breakfast and lunch meals. This is true for students attending school in person every day (grades PK-5), students in school every other day (grades 6-12 hybrid cohort model) and those students learning remotely from home 100% of the time. Again, this offer will be available as long as NY State honors and funds the federal program.

(5) Parent Square Launch: Screening Platform
Parent Square is working well thus far! Our school nurse, Marybeth Tonkery, and our Director of Instructional Technology, Nicki Klingensmith, will be developing lists this week of students’ families who have NOT yet registered for this screening platform. The district will provide individualized contacts with these families to ensure their participation (and our required documentation of such). 
 
Please note: We will be shifting from Blackboard Connect (the current platform which is utilized for community emails and robocalls) to all Parent Square communications in the upcoming weeks.  As such, Parent Square registration is important for documentation of health screenings AND future communications.   If you have not yet had the opportunity to register, please visit the Parent Square COVID Screening link in this email or on our website at your soonest convenience.  If you have questions about Parent Square, do not hesitate to reach out directly to Nicki Klingensmith at [email protected]. Thank you for your patience regarding the coordination of Parent Square at HCS.

Thank you for your patience, understanding, and unwavering support of our district. As always, if you have any questions about the information in this email, or otherwise, please feel free to reach out to me. 
 
Warmest Regards,
E. Bridget Ashton 
 
Elizabeth Bridget Ashton
Superintendent, Honeoye Central School District
8528 Main Street
Honeoye, New York 14471
[email protected]
On Twitter: @EBridgetAshton
#bulldogpride