The Scarsdale Public Schools have been sharing information with parents about quarantines, schedule changes, learning resources, and more. Our goal is to share as much information as possible, so we will maintain a repository of communications here for easier reference.
Previous updates about quarantines and schedule changes can still be found here. New updates made after January 1, 2021, can be found on this page as well.
Dear Scarsdale Families & Staff,
Good afternoon to you all. Yesterday, I wrote regarding potential mask requirement adjustments for schools and indicated that I would reach out again if there were further developments to share. A few minutes ago, I received an email from the State Department of Education which included the following language:
“As of September 1, 2020, school districts were permitted to reopen, under Executive Order 202.60, ‘subject to adherence to Department of Health issued guidance and directives.’ These have included the submission of reopening plans to address, among other things, distancing and health requirements.
SED has been in communication with Executive staff regarding the attached letter from Dr. Howard Zucker, New York State Commissioner of Health. According to conversations with Executive staff, the intent of this letter was to obtain a response from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regarding differing standards for summer camps and schools; it has not changed any existing arrangements. Therefore, schools should continue to operate under their existing procedures until further notice. No changes have been, or will be, made by the Executive until after Monday June 7 to afford the CDC an opportunity to respond to the letter.”
Accordingly, there is no change to the mask guidelines/requirements at the present time, and masks continue to be required in Scarsdale schools in accordance with State guidelines and our Reopening Plan.
As always, we will continue to keep you updated as new information becomes available.
Warm regards,
Dr. Thomas Hagerman
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Scarsdale Families & Staff,
As announced by Governor Cuomo on June 15, 2021, most COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted as 70 percent of New Yorkers, aged 18 or older, have received the first dose of their COVID-19 vaccination series. As New York has surpassed that threshold, the State's health guidelines will become optional for most industries; however, schools are still required to follow earlier guidance with the exception of end-of-year commencement and similar activities.
Update on End of Year Activities:
The New York State Department of Health has specifically directed schools to use the large gathering guidance for both graduation and moving-up ceremonies. According to the latest update, the large group gathering limit is now defined as indoor events with more than 5,000 people and outdoor events no longer have a limit on attendance. As such, we are making adjustments to these events throughout the District. For events under the gathering limit, the guidance removes the need for the following:
physical distancing
health screenings
capacity restrictions
proof of vaccination
pre-testing
contact tracing
The new guidance still requires unvaccinated individuals to wear masks but makes masks optional for those who are vaccinated.
Earlier today, the High School communicated about graduation to the school community, outlining the specifics of the new plan. In summary, guest restrictions have been lifted and distance between chairs has been returned to pre-pandemic spacing. Additionally, the need for testing or proof of vaccination has been lifted. The ceremony will run as it has traditionally, except that it will be on Butler Field due to construction on Dean Field.
Later today or tomorrow, the elementary schools will be sending school-specific details on their adjusted moving-up ceremonies. These ceremonies will remain outdoors as single, full-grade events (unless there is inclement weather). Other important details include the following:
Families will not be limited with regard to guests.
Ceremonies will last approximately 30 minutes.
Limited seating will be available and reserved for the students and those attendees who have difficulty standing for extended periods.
Families may elect to bring their own folding, portable chairs rather than stand.
Please Note: Currently, there has been no change to the Interim Guidance for In-Person Instruction at Pre-K to Grade 12 Schools During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency which maintains the need for masks within our buildings, cohorting, and health screening. Therefore, all individuals entering our buildings must continue to wear masks, and school/after-school activities must continue to follow the instructional guidance.
The District is excited that we have the ability to honor our students in our traditional ways with their family and friends in attendance.
Thank you to the building and District staff for their hard work and flexibility in planning these events! We look forward to seeing everyone at Graduation and Moving Up!
Warm regards,
Dr. Thomas Hagerman
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Scarsdale Families,
Today’s update will address expanded vaccine opportunities, barrier changes, and planning for the 2021-22 school year.
Vaccine Opportunities for Students, Staff, and their Respective Family Members:
While individuals and families are always encouraged to work directly with their physicians/ pediatricians on medical issues as the first course of action, we know navigating access to vaccines has been difficult for some. Therefore, we are happy to announce that Scarsdale Schools will be collaborating with White Plains Hospital and the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corp. to provide the Pfizer vaccine to interested staff, students, and their respective family members at the following times:
On the evening of Thursday, May 13th, Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corp (SVAC) will be providing vaccines for Scarsdale Schools students, staff, and family members at their headquarters, 5 Weaver Street, Scarsdale, NY 10583.
AND
On the evenings of Friday, May 14th and most likely Monday, May 17th, White Plains Hospital (WPH) will be providing vaccines for Scarsdale Schools students, staff, and family members at their vaccination site at the Scarsdale Medical Group Building, 259 Heathcote Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583.
If you are interested in getting an appointment(s), please fill out this interest survey by Monday, 10th at 10:00 a.m.. This survey will allow SVAC and WPH to plan and schedule accordingly. Early next week, we will provide staff members, students, and their immediate families with specific links to sign up for the actual appointments.
At this time, Pfizer has been approved for individuals 16 or older; however, we do expect that sometime next week Pfizer will receive approval for individuals between 12-15 years old. With this in mind, we also hope to be able to offer vaccine appointments in the future for children from 12-15 years of age.
All COVID-19 vaccinations are offered at no cost to individuals. White Plains Hospital will request health insurance information for their appointments to file a claim on behalf of the individual(s), but there will be no direct cost to those individual(s). SVAC will not request insurance information for their appointments. Please note that health insurance is not required to receive a vaccination.
We would like to thank the Scarsdale Volunteer Ambulance Corp, Scarsdale Medical Group, and White Plains Hospital for their diligence in making this opportunity available to our school community members! These organizations have been working on the frontlines to keep Scarsdale Schools safe and healthy throughout the pandemic.
Barriers:
When we last announced our plans for increased, in-person learning, our plans were based on the expanding availability of vaccines and relied on the increased use of barriers. The guidance on the use of barriers changed shortly thereafter; and, as a result, we reaffirmed our commitment to review these practices, based on student, teacher, and parent feedback. Over the last couple of weeks, we have heard from a number of parents, and roughly half of our teachers. While some benefits of barriers have been affirmed, the majority of the feedback was negative. The predominant sentiment is that teaching and learning are significantly impacted by the use of barriers in classrooms. Therefore, we will be discontinuing the required use of barriers during instructional time at all levels, starting Monday, May 10, 2021, with the following considerations in mind:
Barriers will be retained during elementary lunch and in all eating areas where they are currently used.
All classrooms will continue to have barriers available for discretionary use by students and staff.
A small number of classrooms may need to retain the use of barriers throughout the day due to the specific needs of staff or students in the room.
If individual families would like to request the use of a barrier for their child, they may do so through the teacher at the elementary level and through the Guidance Counselor or Dean at the secondary level.
Note: This decision was reached after receiving feedback from teachers, parents, administrators, PTA leadership, the Scarsdale Teachers Association, and the Restart Steering Committee.
Planning for 2021-2022:
Throughout this year’s budget process, we have clarified that we are planning for a normal 2021-22 school year. But what does that really mean? We do anticipate that there will still be State guidance in place for some aspects of a multilayer risk mitigation plan. There is no doubt that masks, hand-washing, and maximizing fresh air will continue to be priorities in the year ahead. However, it is unclear what other aspects of the current guidance might remain in place over the summer and into the fall. Two of the most significant aspects of the current plan that affect our daily operations are social distancing and hybrid/remote learning options. At this point, we expect our daily operations and processes to look a lot like pre-pandemic times, including the typical use of facilities for school, club, and community events. However, we will continue to follow any State guidance that is still in place.
At this point, we will not be offering a virtual-only option for instruction, unless State guidance specifically requires us to do so. We will be accommodating students with specific medical accommodations as we have always done in the past by working with individual families and developing student-specific plans. Beyond this, we expect a return to normal operations.
We do anticipate some limited guidance updates in the weeks and months ahead, and we will continue to share this information with the community as it is released, along with any Scarsdale plan changes that might be required as a result.
Have a safe and enjoyable weekend!
Warm regards,
Dr. Thomas Hagerman, Superintendent of Schools
Dear Scarsdale Schools Community:
We are sending this update to provide some additional information about the lockout and early dismissal on Friday at the High School. We hope this update will provide reassurance and allay concerns which have been reported to us about this incident.
As you know, we are entrusted not just with the education of our students, but also with their care and safety, a responsibility we take seriously. We act in the most prudent manner possible when it comes to matters of childrens’ safety and security, and we have structures, people, and procedures in place to further our mission in this regard. Of course, sharing specific details about those interventions would compromise their effectiveness—that is the nature of security. Please know that we are sharing all of the information that we can with security and legal parameters in mind.
The administrative team understands the anxiety and concern felt by members of our community during Friday’s events, and how frustrating it can be to have unanswered questions. In an age of mobile phones and social media, many people have become accustomed to accessing instant information. Unfortunately, these tools can also spread unsubstantiated rumors, creating added anxiety for many when the District’s actions do not match these false narratives. For example, Fox Meadow went into a temporary lockout when a member of a community called to report the presence of a bear, stemming from a series of posts on social media. The lockout at Fox Meadow was lifted in less than 10 minutes, but disruptive nonetheless. While we understand the desire for details during an event like this, we once again caution members of our community to be skeptical of information on social media and the grapevine, especially from unknown sources or hearsay.
Here is a brief chronology of events: Friday morning we learned of a disturbing conversation which included a potential threat of violence. When we learned of this, we immediately enacted our threat management procedures, which included contacting the Scarsdale Police and putting the building into lockout for enhanced security as Building and District Emergency Response Teams evaluated the situation. When the lockout began, we informed students and staff over the PA system, and email and text messages were sent to High School students and parents. During the lockout, the building perimeter and entrances were secured. Because of the specific nature of the concern, staff with ID and students were permitted to enter and exit the building through specific entrances. Inside the building, classes and other activities continued as normal, as the Scarsdale Police worked directly with our safety teams on site throughout the afternoon.
The decision to end the school day early was influenced by a variety of factors, including specific information gained through the investigation. When the decision was made, a PA announcement was made at around 12:50 p.m. about the early (1:05 p.m.) dismissal, and email and text messages were sent out to High School students and parents. After dismissal, the District and police continued to follow up on the threat and ultimately determined that it was safe to resume regular school activities and maintain an increased police presence out of an abundance of caution. We thank parents and students for their swift and calm response, enabling us to clear campus quickly and safely, and we thank the Scarsdale Police Department and other law enforcement agencies for their rapid response, professionalism, and collaboration.
Throughout the afternoon, School/District-based teams and outside agencies worked together to determine the veracity of this threat, develop a mitigation strategy, and locate the source of the threat. Information obtained over this time allowed a fuller understanding of the situation and, ultimately, the police were able to locate and interview the source of the threat.
We will be debriefing this incident with our administration, safety teams, and law enforcement, and we will be meeting with parent and student leaders to integrate their feedback as well into our post-incident review.
Both the District and Scarsdale Police Department affirm that it is safe to return to school on Monday, and we encourage all students to do so. Again, even though we no longer believe there is cause for concern, there will be an increased police presence this week out of an abundance of caution.
We understand that this experience may have caused students distress. As always, our school counselors (deans), school psychologists, and youth outreach workers are available to speak with students individually to help them process their feelings and concerns.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Bonamo, SHS Principal
Dr. Thomas Hagerman, Superintendent of Schools
Dear Scarsdale Families,
Earlier today, the State updated its travel guidance to reflect Governor Cuomo’s March 10th announcement ending the need for quarantine for those traveling domestically. The new guidance is outlined below:
Upon returning from Spring Break students who traveled domestically will not be required to quarantine or test prior to their return to school. Please note: International travel is still subject to quarantine, according to CDC recommendations.
New Domestic Travel Requirements:
All travelers must do the following:
Monitor daily symptoms from the day of arrival in New York through Day 14;
Continue strict adherence to all recommended non-pharmaceutical interventions, including hand hygiene and the use of face coverings, through Day 14 (even if fully vaccinated); and
Self-isolate (immediately) if any symptoms develop and contact the local public health authority or your healthcare provider to report this change and determine if you or your family members should seek testing.
International Travel Requirements:
The changes to international travel are significant. Under the new regulation all international travelers will be subject to either:
A ten-day quarantine, starting the day they return; or
A seven-day quarantine, if the traveler receives a negative test result on Days 3, 4, or 5.
Travel guidance for international travelers does not differentiate for a country's level of risk and does not exempt vaccinated travelers.
Testing will still be required for international travel as noted above. When returning from international travel, both antigen and PCR tests are acceptable; however, the test must be administered/analyzed by a medical professional or a certified lab.
Scarsdale Schools will need official documentation of testing results from a medical professional or certified lab. Our schools cannot accept at-home test kits.
We hope all of you are having a wonderful break, and we look forward to resuming school on April 6, 2021, with everyone in our school community remaining safe and healthy.
Warm regards,
Dr. Thomas Hagerman
Dear Scarsdale Families,
We have entered the second week of full, in-person learning, and it is heartening to see our students and teachers reenergizing relationships, establishing routines, and adjusting to the new normal. All in all, we are happy to report that things are going smoothly thus far. It is important to highlight this could not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our faculty and staff. Over the past few weeks, our teachers have adapted curricula, lessons, and classroom spaces. Our administrators and supporting staff have reorganized schedules and supported teachers through a myriad of changes, while our facilities crews have transformed our buildings to ensure our multi-layered risk mitigation plan is being fully implemented. Additionally, we have to recognize our students. Without their willingness to act responsibly and utilize safety practices, we could not have opened school so successfully. It is through the collective efforts of our entire school community that we have been able to truly make this journey forward!
Here are some additional updates:
End of Year Planning:
Central and building administrators are currently working to develop plans for our traditional end-of-year activities. Recently, the New York State DOH has provided updated guidance with regards to moving up ceremonies, graduation, prom, and other year-end, culminating activities. Although this guidance requires attendance limits and other mitigation guidelines, it also offers us a path to holding these as in-person events. In many cases, these events will look different than those of past years. For example, we may need to limit guests, use multiple ceremonies, or create alternate activities. We are working to give our students the best possible experiences while also following the NYS guidelines. Establishing priorities for these activities is critical for planning purposes, so it is important to note that we will be focusing our efforts on the major transition years of fifth, eighth, and twelfth grades. In the coming weeks, each building will be communicating its plans for these events.
End of Covid-19 Notifications:
The District will no longer be separately reporting Covid-19 cases to the community. Instead, cases will continue to be reported to the State Covid-19 Report Card. Anyone interested in this information can access that information here. The District will continue to monitor the cases in our schools and the community, and we will report if there are instances of in-school spread or significant changes in community infection.
Barriers:
As we planned for full in-person learning, the NYS guidelines required the use of barriers when students were less than 6 feet away from others. This guidance has recently changed and barriers are no longer required. Given our commitment to the staff and the community on the use of barriers at the outset of planning for increased in-person learning, we believe it is necessary to keep these in place for a few weeks as we continue to monitor our progress. We have not seen a rise in school transmission or an increase in the community spread at this time, so we will continue to monitor and may adjust our practices accordingly in the coming weeks.
Technology:
We will be collecting all student 1:1 devices at the end of the school year in order to install important updates that will prepare the devices to be used in the fall. Unfortunately, we cannot allow students to keep their devices over the summer. In May, each level will be sharing the dates when devices and power adapters must be returned to the school, as well as our technology plans for the fall.
Warm regards,
Dr. Thomas Hagerman
Dear Scarsdale families,
It has come to our attention that there was a recent guilty plea to bank fraud from the Chief Investment Officer of Sovereign Health, the organization which runs the lab we use for Covid-19 PCR testing. This guilty plea has also implicated the COO of Sovereign Health, an affiliate of Sovereign Lab Services. The District currently has a per-analysis service agreement with Sovereign Labs to provide PCR testing analysis, which is billed to each individual’s insurance.
Earlier in the school year, New York State required testing for schools in designated cluster zones. We entered into this arrangement in the event Scarsdale was so designated, in an effort to ensure we remained open. The District was never placed into a zone, and no students have been tested through the lab, although some teachers have been tested on a voluntary basis.
The District has reached out to Sovereign Lab Services and asked for an explanation. Their response was that the Chief Investment Officer “Barton Schack—and Barton Schack alone—has admitted that he was engaged in this criminal activity. In fact, Dr. Hajjar [COO] terminated Barton Schack’s employment and severed all relationships with him in July 2018 after questions were raised about monies Schack had transferred to himself and others. The issue at hand is not connected to Sovereign Laboratory Services, nor will it affect the operations of the laboratory.”
Obviously, the District is following these developments closely and evaluating our relationship with Sovereign Labs. Our current contract allows for a 30-day notice for termination.
Sincerely,
Michelle Verna
Public Information Officer
Dear Scarsdale families,
We want to inform everyone about a situation which involves scammers trying to charge Scarsdale families to view our broadcasts of athletics events. As you know, we provide live-streaming of many of our sports events so that parents, extended family members, and the broader community can view these events online.
However, a number of scammers have taken advantage of this by creating fake “Facebook Events” which purport to provide free or paid access to live streams through their proprietary sites. However, instead of providing any service, these scammers simply steal usernames, passwords and sometimes credit/debit card information from victims.
Using generic athletic photos and sometimes stolen logos, these fake events and pages often appear to be legitimate. They prey upon the inherent trust individuals have for their local school districts, and the desire family members have to watch students’ athletic contests.
These cybercriminals are counting on people clicking on to their sites, which often takes you to a video that appears to begin before prompting you to enter personal information to “register” to watch a game via livestream.
If you see an account claiming to host a livestream of a Scarsdale athletics contest, and it asks you to register with a username or password, or it requests personal banking information, please leave that page immediately. Do not enter any personal information.
This has been a problem for school districts around the country, and Westchester schools have recently been victimized by this as well. Scarsdale has not been immune. We have been deleting and reporting these as quickly as they are being created, however Facebook is often slow to respond. Sometimes the users and events are not banned, since the images do not contain nudity, profanity or other prohibited topics.
If you think you have fallen victim to one of these scams, you are urged to change your passwords immediately, especially if the password you used for this was also used on other accounts. You should also file a fraud alert for any debit or credit card information shared.
Please let this email serve as a reminder that in order to view Scarsdale High School sporting events, one need only use the links sent to parents directly by our Director of Physical Education, Health, & Athletics, Ray Pappalardi. Home games are streamed directly from SPS-TV. You will never be asked for a password to view a stream, nor will paid tickets ever be required.
Sincerely,
Michelle Verna
Public Information Officer
Dear Scarsdale Families,
“In a time of destruction, create something: a poem, a parade, a community, a school, a vow, a moral principle; one peaceful moment.”--Maxine Hong Kingston
This past year has been one of dueling pandemics: our communal health has been threatened by Covid-19, while our humanity has been imperiled by a resurgence in racism and social inequality. While known risk mitigation efforts have been put into place to reduce the harmful effects of the former, the latter remains rampant, even in the face of violent attacks and deadly encounters. While a national discourse has emerged calling renewed attention to these issues, little meaningful change has been enacted. Last year, many stood by Black Lives Matter allies as they called for justice following a series of deadly tragedies. More recently, there has been a rise in anti-Asian (AAPI) sentiments and violence. According to recent media coverage, “Stop AAPI Hate, an advocacy group tracking hate incidents, said it has received nearly 3,800 reports of hate incidents across the country since March 2020, compared with roughly 100 incidents a year in previous years.” These incidents and statistics are clearly alarming. As educators, we have the responsibility of both protecting all of our students from harm--both physical and emotional--and helping them to navigate this turbulent political reality.
In recognition of these responsibilities to our students and families, Scarsdale Schools remain committed to creating welcoming and inclusive communities, and to educating our students to be thoughtful, empathetic upstanders, who respect the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Guiding Principles:
We believe diversity in all its many forms is an asset to our school community. It allows us to appreciate differences, divergent thinking, and multiple perspectives, both as individuals and life-long learners. In turn, this allows us to become more creative and critical thinkers and problem-solvers in a pluralistic society and world.
We recognize that inclusive education is based on the principles of acceptance and inclusion of all members of the school community. Therefore, students and faculty should see themselves reflected in their curriculum, their physical surroundings, staff/faculty representation, and the broader environment, in which diversity is honored and all individuals are respected.
As a District, we believe all students deserve a safe and welcoming environment in which to learn and grow. However, issues of racism and other forms of bias exist and our students must be prepared to confront them. So, our curriculum and instructional practices must boldly address them in ways that honor multiple perspectives, analyze existing structures of bias, develop critical thinking, and nurture empathy for others. We further believe that our curriculum and practices should be inclusive and assure that our students see themselves reflected in their learning. To these ends, we must continually strive to understand how our students and staff experience our schools and bring multiple perspectives to discussions about systemic change.
It is important to note that our school culture is not limited to our instructional classroom spaces, but also includes all aspects of our students’ experiences, including curricular (classroom instructional materials), co-curricular (artist-in-residence programs, theater productions, etc.) , and extracurricular activities (clubs, athletics, etc.).
When racial/bias/hate incidents occur within our schools, we take them very seriously. The following outlines the guiding principles and actions we use as part of direct interventions:
District Racism/Bias Incidents:
The School District will...
Investigate incidents observed or reported to us related to a school program or event.
Involve police or other agencies, as appropriate or needed (any illegal or hate incidents will be reported).
Set consequences appropriate to the offense for those involved, including restorative justice practices, whenever possible.
Notify students and families of the incident and any consequences and/or follow up.
Evaluate the incident to understand if District practices or curricular changes are needed to further our efforts in this area.
The dueling pandemics of the past year have created a sense of urgency borne out of crisis. By default, Covid-19 has taken much of our time and energy, but this does not mean that we do not recognize or understand our obligation to ensure the holistic safety and well-being of the entirety of our school community, especially our students. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs reminds us that this is predicated on having our basic needs met first, including the sense of belonging and connection. While our schools can do much to create environments which support these needs, we cannot do this in isolation. Parents and students have always been our schools’ most critical partners, and, if we are to model and exemplify a better, more inclusive community, then we must do this together. We ask for your continued support in the furtherance of this work.
千里之行,始于足下。(qiānlǐ zhī xínɡ, shǐ yú zú xià)
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
~Chinese Proverb
Warm regards,
Dr. Thomas Hagerman
March 17, 2021
Dear Scarsdale Families,
As we approach the Spring Recess, we wanted to take a few moments to share information about the most current NYS travel requirements.
Travel guidance from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) has been rapidly changing over the past weeks. On March 10, 2021, new regulations were published which lifted required domestic travel quarantines for individuals who have been fully vaccinated and changed the international travel quarantines to those recommended by the CDC.
Domestic Travel:
Last week, Governor Cuomo announced that starting April 1, 2020, all required quarantines for domestic travel would be lifted. However, as of today, there has been no official change to the regulations. We do expect the NYSDOH to adjust the requirements according to the Governor’s announcement and, once that adjustment has been made, we will follow the new regulations.
International Travel:
The changes to international travel were significant. Under the new regulation all international travelers will be subject to either:
A ten-day quarantine, starting the day they return; or
A seven-day quarantine, if the traveler receives a negative test result on days 3, 4, or 5. (See testing requirements below!)
We do not expect the international regulation to change on April 1st. Please note: Even after the change in regulations, people arriving prior to April 1, 2021, will still need to quarantine.
The new travel guidance for international travelers does not differentiate for a country's level of risk and does not exempt vaccinated travelers.
Required Testing:
Testing will still be required for some travel as noted above. When returning from travel, both antigen and PCR tests are acceptable; however, the test must be administered/analyzed by a medical professional or a certified lab. Schools will need official documentation of testing results from a medical professional or certified lab. Our schools cannot accept at-home test kits.
Parents are encouraged to reach out to their school nurse if there are any questions about the acceptability of testing.
Warm regards,
Dr. Thomas Hagerman
Dear Scarsdale Families,
Over the next few weeks, we will engage in the last phase of our Journey Forward to full, in-person learning.
Rationale:
The decision to take the next steps come with the understanding of a number of factors:
There has been a steady reduction of positive case percentages and cases per 100k in Westchester County.
The increased availability of vaccines for educators and the wider community allows us to begin lessening 6ft social-distancing while utilizing this and other ongoing mitigation measures (barriers, outdoor spaces, etc.).
We all share continued concerns about our students’ academic experiences and social/emotional health.
The difficulties many students have experienced while engaging in remote and hybrid educational models are clear.
Health metrics continue to demonstrate extremely low in-school spread.
There is the recognition that health metrics could continue to change (i.e. new variants could produce additional spikes) over time; however, our hybrid and virtual-only plans are fully developed and tested. If we need to utilize these models again, we are prepared to do so.
Given this rationale and our shared value that all students should be back to full, in-person schooling when it's safe to do so, all students District-wide will be welcomed back by April 19, 2021, on a staggered basis by level (see the schedules below). The details around these transitions will be presented more fully at Monday’s Board of Education Meeting. There will also be additional communications by school level which will share important details for students and families.
Each of these schedules takes into account the logistical and instructional needs of each level as well as District-wide coordination needs. It should also be mentioned that a recent announcement by Dr. Zucker, NYS Commissioner of Health, indicates additional new State guidance may be forthcoming. All of these plans currently meet the guidelines set forth and will be adjusted accordingly should those guidelines change. Please note that students and staff will continue to wear masks. The CDC recommends masks with layers and those that fit snugly against the face.
Elementary Schools:
The elementary schools will maintain the current timeline for a return on March 22, 2021. However, the plan has been adjusted to return all classes into one classroom space. This change will include the increased use of barriers when appropriate social-distancing cannot be maintained in instructional spaces. Social-distancing of 6ft will be maintained at lunch in addition to the use of barriers.
Secondary Schools:
In light of quarter and student schedule changes and upcoming quarterly testing, our secondary schools will be using a two-step approach to full, in-person learning in regular classroom spaces. This week, as previously announced, Scarsdale High School will begin full-day hybrid instruction on Monday, March 8th and the Middle school will add Wednesday to their hybrid schedule on Wednesday, March 10th. Then, SMS will open to full, in-person learning on April 12, 2021, and SHS will open to full, in-person learning on April 19, 2021.
The expansion of in-person learning at SMS and SHS will require the reduction of 6-foot social distancing and the use of barriers in all classrooms. Lunch will maintain 6-foot social-distancing and the use of barriers, as needed.
Virtual-Only Students and Families:
On the elementary level, the virtual-only program will remain unchanged and families will have one additional opportunity to opt-in to full, in-person instruction. Building Principals will be reaching out directly to their virtual-only families with details on how to make this change. Parents may still to opt-out of in-person learning at any time.
On the secondary level, the virtual-only program will also remain unchanged; however, families will no longer be able to move in and out of virtual-only after the start of full, in-person learning. Students with excused absences (as outlined in the Student Handbook MS/HS) will still be able to zoom into classes, but all families must choose whether they will participate in in-person or virtual-only learning for the rest of the year. Building-level surveys will be sent in the coming weeks to record family choices.
Next Steps:
Tomorrow, March 8, 2021, the District and building administration will present these changes in more detail at the Board of Education meeting. We welcome you all to attend (virtually or with limited seating in the HS Auditorium). A video of the presentation and the slides will be posted on the District website, following the meeting. In addition, each building will be reaching out to provide parents with pertinent details as we approach the start dates of full, in-person learning at each level.
While these changes will bring our students' lives closer to normal, it is important to note that it will still be a "new normal", one in which we must all continue to be vigilant about our own, individual health, as well as the wellness of those around us. We are at this point of return today because of the ongoing partnership between the District and our full school community, including students, staff, and parents. For that, we are eternally grateful, and we ask that this partnership of shared responsibility extend through the remainder of the year and beyond.
Warm regards,
Dr. Thomas Hagerman
Dear Scarsdale Families,
In our efforts towards clarity and transparency, we are using today’s update to provide you with additional details on plan updates by level, a summary of plan iterations, and travel guidance for next week’s break.
Plan Updates by School Level:
As reported at last night’s Board of Education meeting, each of our schools is expanding the in-person time available for students during the month of March. Elementary schools will be returning grades 3 through 5 to full days in a structure similar to grades K-2, the Middle School will be adding Wednesday as an in-person instructional day (alternating cohorts), and the High School will be offering in-person classes by cohort on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Linked below are communications that have been sent to parents at each level providing added detail to the plan at each level:
Journey Towards More In-Person Learning:
As we take another step towards more normalcy, it is important to outline the journey to date and how it relates to future planning. We started the year having never held in-person school during a global pandemic. The administration, with the help of the Restart Steering Committee and its Task Groups, established a multi-layered mitigation strategy that attempted to protect the health and wellbeing of staff and students alike in anticipation of a “Covid” school year. We adopted new policies and procedures; trained our faculty, staff, parents, and students on those procedures; and entered the school year “softly,” with a laser-sharp focus on building relationships between students and teachers.
At the same time, we started planning for a variety of contingencies, including increasing in-person learning. In early fall, we also began encountering challenges in the form of quarantines (individuals and whole classes) and quarantine-related staffing shortages that stretched our resources and, in some cases, caused us to shift to remote learning. As we moved closer to a decision to bring K-2 students in for full days, we engaged in creative problem solving with our faculty and negotiated critical agreements with our Teacher Aides, expanding their hours from an average of 25/week to 35/week. This paved the way for the K-2 in-person expansion, which was initiated on November 30.
As we were beginning the K-2 full days, we started to see community spread increase to an unprecedented level. The rise in cases and quarantines between Thanksgiving and mid-January temporarily dampened our hopes for a greater expansion of in-person learning. Nonetheless, our planning continued, positioning us for this next iteration.
What’s Different Now?:
With our recent news of expanding in-person learning, we continue to hear questions about what has changed. Specifically, how can students fit back into our buildings when we were told they could not because of the need for six-foot social-distancing? The answer is that students could not have fit all this time and remained functionally six feet apart. The idea of social-distancing focuses on reducing the contact between all individuals in an environment. In our assessment, this concept goes beyond the measurement of six feet between desks to encompass the full range of functions necessary to run a school. The new arrangement moves from a more cautious application to accepting a purely mathematical interpretation of 6 feet of distance. This represents a fundamental change in our application of social-distancing, and, at least partially, weakens one of our core mitigation efforts. We resisted this for some time primarily because of health and safety promises we had made to the staff and community, but also because we did not have confidence in our ability to run “school” safely and effectively, given the complex intricacies of a typical day. However, there have been a number of positive developments that have given us the confidence to safely increase the density and frequency of student contact in our elementary schools, including:
the successful transition of K-2 to full days safely, including during lunch;
increasing evidence suggesting school spread has been very low over this school year;
the downward trend in community spread over the past several weeks; and
the availability of, and access to, vaccines for school faculty and staff.
When our grades 3-5 students return, it will be to more densely populated buildings. Students will generally be able to be six feet apart while seated at their desks. However, we recognize that there will be some classrooms that exceed the 6-foot desk capacity (by one or two), and there will be many instances throughout the day when students will not be able to remain six feet apart due to the increased capacity of classrooms and buildings. We recognize that some parents may be uncomfortable with this change, and we have distributed a parent survey to measure our community’s appetite for this risk tolerance. We encourage all elementary families to complete and return the survey. We also recognize that the day-to-day experience of our students may feel different to them as they will be more restricted in terms of movement about the classroom. We are confident our teachers will be able to create learning environments that enable all our students to thrive even within these new limitations.
Since the fall, we have been using a multi-layered approach, including masks, social distancing, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, cleaning and disinfection, and contact tracing. As vaccines become more widely available, we anticipate that the CDC and other regulatory groups will revise their guidance, reducing reliance on other risk mitigation strategies including social distancing. These anticipated changes will be critical as we continue on the journey forward and continue to add more in-person learning opportunities.
Travel Over the February Break:
As we approach the February break, many families may be considering travel to states outside the five states contiguous to New York (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont). New York State has imposed mandatory quarantines for travel outside of the states listed above (this includes all countries outside of the United States and all non-contiguous states). There are two options for travel quarantines:
(1) Travelers must complete a 10-day quarantine upon return to NYS or,
(2) Travelers can test out of the ten-day quarantine by following these steps:
Obtain, within three days of departure, prior to arrival in New York, a Covid test;
Upon arrival in New York, quarantine for three days;
On day 4 of the quarantine, obtain another COVID test; and
If both tests are negative and documentation of the tests are provided to the State and School, the quarantine may be ended after day four.
Both PCR and antigen test results are acceptable for testing out of travel quarantines.
(3) Travelers must observe for symptoms through day 14 of their return.
While travel is allowed, non-essential travel is discouraged by both the NYSDOH and the CDC. We ask all families (traveling or not) to observe mitigation strategies over the break. It is only with community help in stopping spread that schools can continue in-person operations and continue the positive trends being seen in the community currently.
We hope you all have a restful and rejuvenating week ahead!
Warm regards,
Dr. Thomas Hagerman
Dear Scarsdale Families,
The District has been working continuously on safely increasing in-person opportunities for students while keeping health and safety at the forefront of our decision-making. In this update, we will highlight our next iteration of this work.
Our efforts to date conform to current Westchester County DoH, NYS, and CDC guidance and the decision-making matrix published by the CDC. The State and CDC guidance both predicate the safe operation of schools around layering five mitigation practices: the use of masks, social-distancing, hygiene and respiratory etiquette, cleaning and disinfection, and the ability to contact trace (cohorting). We are building on the success these practices have had in limiting in-school spread, and also take into consideration the increasing ability of teachers and staff to receive personal protection from vaccination, along with the decreasing infection trends in Westchester.
We will continue to adhere to our District’s Restart mitigation practices, which include mask-wearing, cleaning and disinfection, cohorting, and 6-feet of social-distancing, to the extent possible. We do expect these changes to increase the frequency of closer-than-six-foot contact between students and staff, especially in our elementary schools. However, our confidence in this change is based on the lived experience with full-day, in-person instruction for grades K-2, the lack of in-school spread among students, and the engagement of our teachers and students in adhering to mitigation measures that we can maintain to avoid in-school spread.
The plans below represent another important step towards a more normalized school experience for our students. Moving forward, our ability to take next steps will be based on the ability of teachers and staff to be personally protected by vaccination, continuing decrease of community spread, and adjusted public health guidance. These changes are expected and welcome!
Plans for Increased In-Person Instruction:
The District remains committed to our “journey forward” towards more in-person learning. At yesterday’s District Restart Committee meeting, we discussed the following:
Elementary:
Return of elementary students (Gr. 3-5) full-time before the end of March.
Middle School:
Wednesdays will have normal, full instructional days, and A and B cohorts will alternate in-person learning every other week by mid-March.
Scarsdale High School:
Expansion of the A/B schedule to two, full-days for each cohort by mid-March.
Specific details of the change at each level are being ironed out. We will be sharing additional information in upcoming communications from District and school administrators and during the District Restart Updates at Monday’s (and future) Board meeting(s).
Parent Survey:
We will be assessing parents' comfort with this change, and its possible impact on our in-person attendance. A short survey will be forthcoming next week.
Warm regards,
Dr. Thomas Hagerman
Today’s update will cover the following topics: Excerpts from Governor Cuomo’s CNN interview, the current status of “higher-risk” sports, and a reminder about our inclement weather procedures in advance of Monday’s weather event.
Governor Cuomo’s Interview, and What It Means for Scarsdale:
As many of you know, Governor Cuomo reaffirmed his position on the importance of reopening schools for in-person learning in an interview with CNN (see full transcript here) this week. He also acknowledged that these decisions ultimately need to be made at the local level.
While the Governor corroborated many of his previous statements, he did not indicate any specific changes to practice at this time. At this point, we have not received any official word from the Governor’s office, NYSED, or NYSDOH adjusting the current guidance on schools. Given other changes in parameters for dining, weddings, and funerals today, we do expect that additional adjustments may be on the horizon. As the District continues its planning for more in-person learning, we are prepared to incorporate changing guidance as it becomes available.
Yesterday, the Lower Hudson Valley Council of School Superintendents (LHCSS) met and discussed the interview by the Governor. On behalf of the LHCSS, President Joseph Ricca stated, “There is strong and growing evidence that in-classroom learning can be conducted while effectively preventing the spread of COVID-19, and the benefits of students remaining in a classroom are immeasurable. In order to safely return all children to the classroom, all school districts must have immediate access to vaccinations for all faculty and staff, districts must have unfettered access to COVID-19 rapid screen testing, updated density and social distance guidelines, and any needed amendments to existing Executive Orders.” This statement reflects a consensus among our region’s superintendents.
Ultimately, these discussions are welcome news. Clearly, progress continues to be made towards ending this pandemic. While we acknowledge that there is still much work ahead of us with regards to access to vaccinations, clarity on the potential impact of new variants, and receipt of clear and consistent guidance, advances in these areas support our top priority of getting all students back to full-time in-person learning as soon as possible.
“Higher-Risk” Sports:
Today, we were informed that Section One has not received authorization for “higher-risk” sports from the Westchester County Department of Health (WCDoH). The Section anticipates this authorization. Once the Section receives additional information from the local departments of health, they will advise their membership. Scarsdale High School (SHS) is prepared to start “higher-risk” sports once authorization is received. Until authorization is received, SHS will continue to run individual and group, low/no contact training for “higher-risk” sports. Session schedules are listed on our practice schedule. To assist with further understanding of this process, please find a timeline of authorizations below:
On Friday, January 22nd, Governor Cuomo announced that “higher-risk” sports may begin on February 1, 2021, with approval from the local county department of health. In addition, the New York State Department of Health released an updated Interim Guidance for Sports and Recreation during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
On Monday, January 25th, the New York State Public High School Athletics Association (NYSPHSAA) authorized “higher-risk” sports to start on February 1st as well, with approval from the local county department of health. As part of their authorization, they updated the Return to Interscholastic Athletics guidance document to reflect “higher-risk” sports.
On Wednesday, January 27th, the Section One Executive Committee approved “high-risk” sports beginning February 1st, pending authorization from local county health departments. As a result, the Section One Executive Committee approved a condensed season calendar inclusive of regionalized championship events for the “higher-risk” winter season, where permissible.
Also on Wednesday, County Executives from the Hudson Valley region authorized higher-risk sports. In his press release, Westchester County Executive Latimer said, “Since early March, Westchester County has grappled with the realities of COVID-19. While the bodily threats of the virus are clearly documented – the mental impacts of COVID-19 are also equally devastating. Children, in particular, have suffered significant mental harm due to the isolation of not being in school consistently, not socializing with friends and family, and not partaking in extracurricular activities. We know there is not a quick fix, but we also know that science has shown us, time and time again, that certain activities can resume with proper precautions put in place. Today, I stand with my fellow Hudson Valley County Executives in support of sports resuming in schools. To be clear, there will be protective protocols in place, and these additional precautions are to protect the athletes. But, I am in favor of providing our children with some normalcy so that they can begin to heal from this horrific pandemic. The resumption of sports will be important for the continued development and mental well-being of our young people - we must never forget them in the decisions we make.”
Inclement Weather:
Given the chance of snow early next week, we wanted to remind the community of how we are handling “snow days” this year:
In the event of a significant weather event (a.k.a. snow day) that could interrupt power, all Scarsdale Schools will close completely with no remote or hybrid instruction offered. All school/District activities will be canceled.
In the event of an uncertain weather event, Scarsdale Schools will declare a Remote Learning day with other school/District activities occurring remotely (or as otherwise communicated).
Have a warm and peaceful weekend.
Warm Regards,
Dr. Thomas Hagerman,
Superintendent of Schools
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Since our last communication, we have learned of six new positive cases of Covid-19. In each instance, once we learned of these new cases, we immediately enacted our Confirmed Case Protocol, and contacted the Department of Health as required.
A positive case at Edgewood Elementary involved a student who was last in school on January 4, 2021 and was quarantined due to an out of school contact. There were no school-related quarantines required. Edgewood will open on a regular hybrid schedule Tuesday, January 26, 2021.
A positive case at Fox Meadow Elementary involved a student who was last in school on January 20, 2021. There were no school-related quarantines required. Fox Meadow will open on a regular hybrid schedule Tuesday, January 26, 2021.
A positive case at Scarsdale Middle School involved a student who has not been in school since January 14, 2021. The student was previously quarantined due to a close contact, and therefore no school-related quarantines were required. Scarsdale Middle School will open on a regular hybrid schedule Tuesday, January 26, 2021.
There were three positive cases at Scarsdale High School all involving students. The students were last in school on January 14, 20, and 21, 2021 respectively. There were no school-related quarantines required in any of the cases. Scarsdale High School will open on a regular hybrid schedule Tuesday, January 26, 2021.
In school contact tracing has been completed and was done according to the new Westchester County quarantine guidance the Westchester County Department of Health is tracing these cases in the wider community. Please note, we will continue to communicate COVID cases by school (when there is a case to report), and only the students and staff members who need to quarantine will be contacted directly. Due to privacy concerns, we cannot share more specific information with the broader community.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Bonamo, Scarsdale High School Principal
Tashia Brown, Edgewood Principal
Felix Gil, Quaker Ridge Principal
Meghan Troy, Scarsdale Middle School Principal
Drew Patrick, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
Eric Rauschenbach, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education and Student Services
Dr. Thomas Hagerman, Superintendent of Schools
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Since our last communication, we have learned of new additional positive cases of Covid-19. In each instance, once we learned of these new cases, we immediately enacted our Confirmed Case Protocol, and contacted the Department of Health as required.
A case at Fox Meadow Elementary involved a contract service provider last in school on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. There were limited contacts that required quarantine. Fox Meadow will open on a regular hybrid schedule Monday, January 25, 2021.
A case at Scarsdale Middle School involved a student who has not been in school since January 4, 2021. There were no quarantines required. Scarsdale Middle School will open on a regular hybrid schedule Monday, January 25, 2021.
Contact tracing has been completed and was done according to the new Westchester County quarantine guidance. Please note, we will continue to communicate COVID cases by school (when there is a case to report), and only the students and staff members who need to quarantine will be contacted directly. Due to privacy concerns, we cannot share more specific information with the broader community.
Sincerely,
Melissa Feinberg, Fox Meadow Principal
Meghan Troy, Scarsdale Middle School Principal
Drew Patrick, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
Dr. Thomas Hagerman, Superintendent of Schools
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Since our communication on Tuesday, we have learned of five additional positive cases of Covid-19, Two at Quaker Ridge, one at Heathcote, one at the Middle School, and one at the High School. Once we learned of these new cases, we immediately enacted our Confirmed Case Protocol, and contacted the Department of Health.
One case at Quaker Ridge involved a staff member the other a student both were last in school on Friday, January 15, 2021. There were limited contacts that required quarantine. Quaker Ridge will open on a regular hybrid schedule tomorrow January 22, 2021.
The case at Heathcote involved a staff member who was last in school on Friday, January 15, 2021. There were limited contacts that required quarantine. Heathcote will open on a regular hybrid schedule tomorrow January 22, 2021.
The case at Scarsdale Middle School was a student and their last day in school was January 7, 2021 due to a previous quarantine from an out of school contact. There were no quarantines required. Scarsdale Middle School will open on a regular hybrid schedule tomorrow January 22, 2021.
The case at Scarsdale High School was a staff member that was last in school on Tuesday, January 19. There were limited contacts that required quarantine. Scarsdale High School will open on its regular hybrid schedule tomorrow January 22, 2021.
Contact tracing has been completed and was done according to the new Westchester County quarantine guidance. Please note, we will continue to communicate COVID cases by school (when there is a case to report), and only the students and staff members who need to quarantine will be contacted directly. Due to privacy concerns, we cannot share more specific information with the broader community.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Bonamo, Scarsdale High School Principal
Meghan Troy, Scarsdale Middle School Principal
Maria Stile, Heathcote School Principal
Felix Gil, Quaker Ridge School Principal
Eric K. Rauschenbach, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education and Student Services
Dr. Thomas Hagerman, Superintendent of Schools
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Today, we learned of seven additional positive cases of Covid-19, One at Quaker Ridge, one at Fox Meadow, two at the Middle School, and three at the High School. Once we learned of these new cases, we immediately enacted our Confirmed Case Protocol, and contacted the Department of Health.
The case at Quaker Ridge involved a student who was last in school on Friday, January 15, 2021. There were limited contacts that required quarantine. Quaker Ridge will open on a regular hybrid schedule tomorrow January 20, 2021.
The case at Fox Meadow involved a student who was last in school on Friday, January 15, 2021. There were limited contacts that required quarantine. Fox Meadow will open on a regular hybrid schedule tomorrow January 20, 2021.
The cases at Scarsdale Middle School were both students and their last day in school was January 7, 2021 due to a previous quarantine from an out of school contact. There were no quarantines required. Scarsdale Middle School will open on a regular hybrid schedule tomorrow January 20, 2021.
Two cases at Scarsdale High School were students and they were last in school January 5 and January 6, 2021, respectively, due to previous quarantines from out of school contacts. There were no quarantines required. The third case involved a staff member who was last in school on January 15, 2021. There were limited contacts that required quarantine. Scarsdale High School will open on its regular hybrid schedule tomorrow January 20, 2021.
Contact tracing has been completed and was done according to the new Westchester County quarantine guidance. Please note, we will continue to communicate COVID cases by school (when there is a case to report), and only the students and staff members who need to quarantine will be contacted directly. Due to privacy concerns, we cannot share more specific information with the broader community.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Bonamo, Scarsdale High School Principal
Meghan Troy, Scarsdale Middle School Principal
Melissa Feinberg, Fox Meadow School Principal
Felix Gil, Quaker Ridge School Principal
Eric K. Rauschenbach, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education and Student Services
Dr. Thomas Hagerman, Superintendent of Schools
Dear Parents/Guardians,
There was one additional case of COVID-19 inadvertently left off today’s earlier communication at the High School. The case at Scarsdale High School involved a student who was last in school Monday, January 11, 2021 and there were no contacts requiring quarantine. Scarsdale High School will open on its regular hybrid schedule tomorrow January 19, 2021.
Contact tracing was done according to the new Westchester County quarantine guidance and contacts were limited. Please note, we will continue to communicate COVID cases by school (when there is a case to report), and the students and staff members who need to quarantine will be contacted directly. Due to privacy concerns, we cannot share more specific information with the broader community.
Sincerely,
Ken Bonamo, Scarsdale High School Principal
Eric K. Rauschenbach, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education and Student Services
Dr. Thomas Hagerman, Superintendent of Schools
Dear Parents/Guardians,
This weekend, we learned of two additional positive cases of Covid-19 one at Quaker Ridge School and one at the High School. Once we learned of these new cases, we immediately enacted our Confirmed Case Protocol, and contacted the Department of Health.
The case at Quaker Ridge involved a student who was last in school on Tuesday, January 12, 2021. There were limited contacts that required quarantine. Quaker Ridge will open on a regular hybrid schedule tomorrow January 19, 2021.
The case at Scarsdale High School involved a virtual-only student and there were no contacts requiring quarantine. Scarsdale High School will open on its regular hybrid schedule tomorrow January 19, 2021.
Contact tracing was done according to the new Westchester County quarantine guidance and contacts were limited. Please note, we will continue to communicate COVID cases by school (when there is a case to report), and the students and staff members who need to quarantine will be contacted directly. Due to privacy concerns, we cannot share more specific information with the broader community.
Sincerely,
Ken Bonamo, Scarsdale High School Principal
Felix Gil, Quaker Ridge School, Principal
Eric K. Rauschenbach, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education and Student Services
Dr. Thomas Hagerman, Superintendent of Schools
Dear Scarsdale Families,
Please see the following updates.
New Department of Health Guidance Regarding Quarantine
Yesterday, the Westchester County Department of Health (WCDOH) released new guidance to Superintendents which adjusts the quarantine protocols specifically for schools. It lessens quarantine requirements for those in “proximate contact” with a positive case. In addition, school bus quarantines were clarified. Please read the entire email to understand the DOH changes and how they will alter the way we contact trace and quarantine students and staff who had contact with individuals who tested positive for Covid-19.
Close Contact and Proximate Contact
Until yesterday, the WCDOH required quarantine for two types of contact with a positive case, identifying them as “close contact” and “proximate contact”:
“Close contact” is defined as spending more than 10 minutes, six feet or closer, to a positive individual over a 24 hour period, regardless of mask use. This definition is unchanged in the new guidance.
“Proximate contact” was defined as spending 10 minutes in an enclosed space (room) with an infected person, regardless of mask use. The definition of “proximate contact” has changed. Now, quarantine is only required when the proximate contact of a positive case is unmasked. Specifically, if you spend ten or more minutes in a room (at greater than 6ft distance) you do not need to quarantine unless you are not wearing a mask.
DOH has also given Districts the flexibility to assess each situation and determine proximate contact beyond the aforementioned guideline in order to err on the side of caution if that is prudent.
Most of the quarantines imposed over the last few months have resulted from “proximate contact”--with or without masks. In the past, both cases required quarantine. Under the new guidance, this is no longer the case.
School Buses
Under the new guidance, riders of school buses may still be subject to quarantine. In situations where the seating and adherence to mask wearing can be confirmed, only students sitting in the seats closest to the individual will need to quarantine. In situations where we cannot confirm the seating, all individuals on the bus must be quarantined.
Lunch
Finally, lunch is one of the few times during the day where students do share space without masks and may still be subject to “proximate contact” quarantine under the new guidance.
While this guidance was delivered only yesterday, the WCDOH has made it retroactive, effective January 3, 2021.
Due to the retroactive nature of this guidance, many of the quarantines imposed since January 4, 2021 can be adjusted. This evening, families and staff at Edgewood School, Quaker Ridge School, Scarsdale Middle School, and Scarsdale High will receive word directly from the buildings if their quarantine can be lifted (each of these buildings will inform the full community once that communication is completed).
There are no existing quarantines at Fox Meadow School, Heathcote School, or Greenacres School that can be adjusted.
The new guidance only applies to the quarantines determined by the school. If you have been told by an outside entity or the Health Department directly to quarantine you must continue to quarantine.
Elementary Tutoring for Students in Quarantine
Our ability to deliver tutoring services for students placed in a mandatory or precautionary quarantine has been stretched extremely thin due to the demand for these services across the region. In addition to contracting with Learnwell, we have a number of individual tutors working directly with the Scarsdale Schools in order to decrease the wait time for these services. Nonetheless, we need to ask for your patience as we work to assign tutors during this period of peak demand. Please note the following:
Students in quarantine are entitled to 2 hours of tutoring for each school day they are quarantined.
The tutoring sessions and hours can continue until the total hours of tutoring are satisfied, even after a student returns to school. Thus, if a student is out for 5 days of school and qualifies for 10 hours of tutoring, those hours can extend beyond the quarantine period to help the student catch up until the 10 hours are satisfied.
Our hope is that the community quickly moves past the post-holiday surge we are experiencing. This, coupled with the new quarantine guidelines issued by the WCDOH (outlined above), will likely reduce the number of students requiring these services, thus improving the response time going forward. As always, we urge all stakeholders to continue to observe all appropriate mitigation measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Warm Regards,
Thomas Hagerman, Superintendent
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Over the weekend, we learned of several new positive or presumptive positive cases of Covid-19 in our District: three at Scarsdale High School and two at Scarsdale Middle School. We have enacted our Confirmed Case Protocol, and contacted the Department of Health regarding each of the confirmed cases.
The three cases at Scarsdale High School were staff members, one of these cases is not yet confirmed but is being treated as a presumptive positive due to symptoms associated with COVID-19. The first positive case was last in school Tuesday, January 5, 2021. Given the staff member’s role, s/he was not in contact with students but did impact a small number of other staff members. The second positive staff member was last in school January 5, 2021, and also had very limited contact with students but did affect additional staff. The third presumptive positive case was last in school on January 7, 2021, and s/he was in contact with students. All in-school contact tracing has been completed, and the families and staff affected have been contacted.
There was one positive case at the Middle School and one presumptive positive case. The positive case was a student who was last in school January 4, 2021. Given the timing of testing, no in school contact tracing was required. The presumptive positive Middle School staff was a staff member who was last in school on Friday, January 8, 2021 and had contact with students. All in-school contact tracing has been completed, and the families and staff affected have been contacted.
As with all presumptive positive cases, quarantines will be enforced until the results of testing are received. Should those test results prove negative, we will end the quarantines for affected individuals. If the results are positive, we will contact the Department of Health and continue the quarantines as planned.
Scarsdale Middle School will move to remote learning for Monday, January 11th, and Tuesday, January 12th, due to the number of staff affected by the latest quarantines. Unfortunately, we are unable to safely and appropriately staff the Middle School for in-person instruction at this time.
At this time, we plan to open Scarsdale High School on a regular hybrid schedule Monday, January 11, 2021. However, given the current quarantines, staffing is becoming difficult and additional staff quarantines may create a situation where we need to move remote learning.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Bonamo, Scarsdale High School Principal
Meghan Troy, Scarsdale Middle School Principal
Eric K. Rauschenbach, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education and Student Services
Dr. Thomas Hagerman, Superintendent of Schools
January 3, 2021
Dear Scarsdale School Community,
Welcome to 2021! We hope this year brings much health and happiness to you and your family. Although we embark on a new year, there are important reminders from the past one that we must still diligently carry forward, particularly those around risk mitigation related to Covid-19.
Some important reminders about holiday travel and return to school tomorrow:
Remember our Scarsdale District-Family Compact:
“The District will take all reasonable steps to create a safe environment for students and staff, but we cannot do this independently. We all bear responsibility for and have the ability to protect our own health and safety. By signing this Compact, you agree that you will act responsibly and will comply with the District’s public health rules and protective measures…”
In recent days, we received multiple reports about individual/group behaviors over break that could jeopardize a safe return to school. While in school, social-distancing and mask-wearing provide a first line of defense, self-isolation and travel-related quarantine is just as important. If you have not followed the State-recommended holiday safety measures (including large gatherings), please self-quarantine. Moreover, if you have traveled, please rigorously observe the NYS Travel Restrictions outlined below. If you have any questions about these requirements, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Travel Restrictions and return to in person learning:
New York State has mandated travel restrictions. If you traveled outside of New York or its contiguous states (CT, MA, NJ, PA, & VT) over the break, NYS guidance requires a covid test three days prior to your return to NY (diagnostic test 1), a minimum four day quarantine period upon your return, and another covid test on or after day 4 after your return (diagnostic test 2). The traveler may exit quarantine following receipt of TWO negative diagnostic tests. Please provide your child’s school with the documentation of both negative tests or the release from quarantine letter provided by the Department of Health. Please note: the non-domestic travel guidelines only refer to Level 2 and 3 countries, but the District requires all students who traveled to Level 4 countries to complete the full 10 day quarantine as defined below.
ezSCRN Reminder:
Please remember to complete the ezSCRN assessment. The ezSCRN assessment must be completed for every student/staff member each day prior to attending school or school activities. This does not apply to virtual-only students/staff.
New Quarantine Guidance:
On December 26, 2020, the NYS Department of Health adopted the revised CDC guidelines on quarantine associated with COVID-19 exposure. The new guidelines shorten the duration of COVID-19-related quarantine to 10 days from 14 provided no symptoms are present. Our local health department has confirmed this change, and the District has adopted this new guidance. All existing quarantines may be adjusted according to the new guidelines below:
Consistent with recent CDC guidance, quarantine for individuals exposed to COVID-19 can end after ten days without a testing requirement if no symptoms have been reported [experienced] during the quarantine period:
Individuals must continue daily symptom monitoring through Day 14;
Individuals must be counseled to continue strict adherence to all recommended non-pharmaceutical interventions, including hand hygiene and the use of face coverings, through Day 14; and
Individuals must be advised that if any symptoms develop, they should immediately self-isolate and contact the local public health authority or their healthcare provider to report this change in clinical status and determine if they should seek testing.
These quarantine requirements are also applicable to travelers who are not essential workers and/or who did not complete the testing requirements described in Executive Order 205.2.
Guidance on how to quarantine can be found here.
If you are subject to a previous quarantine and have a question about what this change means for you, please contact Drew Patrick or Eric Rauschenbach.
Finally, we remind everyone that our ability to continue in-person learning requires a team effort from all stakeholders in the school community. Our decision to open schools this week is in the best interest of our students and based on the belief that we can do so safely. However, as we learned after Thanksgiving, this is a fragile arrangement. We all must do our part in this work by honestly and responsibly following the safety protocols, guidelines, and processes designed to maintain a safe and effective learning environment.
Warm regards,
Dr. Thomas Hagerman
On March 8th, 2021, the Superintedent and members of the Cabinet presented the final phase of the Journey Forward, with specific plans and timelines for the elementary, Middle School, and High School instructional programs.
On October 29, 2020, Cabinet members hosted a Community Forum to answer questions from the community about our virtual and hybrid learning programs, the guidelines we are required to follow, and academics in a virtual world. The FAQ in its entirety can be viewed here.
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Dr. Edgar McIntosh gave a presentation about the efforts the Scarsdale Schools have undertaken to ensure a culturally responsive education for students at every grade level. It can be viewed in its entirety here.
Assistant Superintendent for Business & Facilities Stuart Mattey shares initial budget projections for the 2021-2022 school year and basic budgeting assumptions in a world full of unknowns.
On November 18, 2020, the Board of Education hosted a Public Forum to discuss preliminary budget projections and solicit public input on budget priorities for the 2021-2022 school year.
In this presentation to the Board of Education, Scarsdale teachers discuss the transition to virtual and hybrid learning, and what's working well.
Dear Scarsdale Families,
Mask Updates:
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo just announced that school districts can choose to lift the requirement that their students must wear masks outdoors. Guidance on mask use indoors remains in place. This change aligns New York State's guidance on schools with CDC guidance on summer camps, where even unvaccinated students are not currently required to wear masks outdoors.
"The numbers show that the risk of transmission by children is extremely low, especially in this state, which has an extremely low positivity rate. We spoke with the CDC, and since they're not going to change their guidance for several weeks in New York State, we're going to modify the CDC guidance and allow schools to choose no mask outside for children," Governor Cuomo said. "We'll leave that up to the local school district and we spoke to the CDC, which has no objection. It's very important that people understand the logic between these decisions and that they're rational and based on the science and the data. We have a disconnect right now between the school guidance and the camp guidance, and it's important to rectify it because if people don't think the rules are logical, then they're not going to want to follow the rules."
Starting tomorrow, students will no longer be required to wear masks outside. Students who would like to continue to use masks while outdoors are encouraged to do so. In the coming days, we will clarify our requirements for mask-wearing at sporting events and end-of-year ceremonies after consultation with our District Physician and the Department of Health. Masks must continue to be worn on busses.
Heat & District Cooling Plans:
Today, we have received a number of questions about how we are dealing with the heat, both today and over the remainder of the week. As a reminder, we have developed cooling plans for each school, which provide access to air-conditioned spaces on high heat days. These plans should be in place at all 7 of our schools. Specific questions have also been raised with respect to mask-wearing in consideration of the high temperatures. As clarified above, mask-wearing is still required in our school buildings, but optional outdoors.
Here are some additional resources for mitigating this week’s weather:
Warm regards,
Dr. Thomas Hagerman
Superintendent of Schools