Coronavirus Information

Coronavirus Update
Posted on 07/06/2020

Lunch & Breakfast Delivery

Remote Learning - Instructional Resources

Regents Update

Messages from the Superintendent of School:

Summer has begun and I hope everyone has a wonderful time and stays safe and healthy. September is not that far away and I am sure that everyone is wondering what school is going to look like in the fall.

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has formed a committee that will announce guidance as to how schools will re-open. We are waiting to see what these guidelines are before we make any announcement with regard to our plan. In addition, we are waiting to see any Executive Order put forth by the Governor; concerning if, how, and when we can reopen. We are constantly monitoring NYSED and the Governors actions and are ready to respond with any of our contingencies.

As you may know, I have formed two committees to address the reopening of schools. The Facilities Re-Entry Committee headed by High School Principal, Mr. Eric Papandrea and the Academic Re-Entry Committee headed by Director of Instructional Technology and Curriculum, Dr. Lisa Cala Ruud. They have developed several scenarios to choose from that we will implement based on NYSED guidelines and the Governor's Executive Order.

We will inform you as soon as we know and we will continue to update you throughout the summer. We encourage you to continue to follow our website, check your email, and call the District with any questions or concerns.

G. Michael Apostol
Superintendent of Schools



Originally Posted 5/7/2020: I want to thank the Hoosic Valley Community for the outstanding support that they have provided for our students during these unprecedented times. Hats off to my entire staff, members of the Hoosic Valley Business Community, parents, the community at large and most of all the students themselves.

The purpose of this message is to inform you that I will be developing two committees to develop plans for our reentry . The Facilities Planning Committee will ensure that our buildings and grounds are clean and safe. This committee will be led by our High School Principal, Mr. Eric Papandrea. The Academic Planning Committee will develop plans that will ensure our students will be given the necessary instruction, tools, and support to be able to move forward in their educational journey. This committee will be-led-by our Director of Instructional Technology and Curriculum, Dr. Lisa Cala Ruud.

It is my hope that you and your families are doing well. As we prepare for our schools and facilities for a safe return to school (hopefully in September). I want to extend our deepest thoughts and prayers to those who have been impacted by the pandemic. I want to encourage everyone to continue their efforts at work and home to control the spread of COVID-19 through hand washing and social distancing. It is critical to make sure that the health and safety of our students and their families, our staff and community members throughout the district remains our top priority. This will be the main focus of the committees.

Please take care of yourselves and your families. Together we will beat this virus.

We are New York Strong. We are New York Smart. We are Hoosic Valley.

G. Michael Apostol
Superintendent of Schools

Originally Posted 5/1/2020:Governor Cuomo has extended New York school closings for the remainder of the school year. We will continue with remote learning.  Please continue to check the website for updates. 

Originally Posted 4/16/2020: The Governor's has extended New York school closings until May 15th.  

Originally Posted 4/6/2020:The Governor's has extended New York school closings until April 29th.  The Chancellor of Education has announced that the June 2020 Regents Examinations have been cancelled

Originally Posted 4/1/2020:Hoosic Valley will remain closed through April 14 per Governor Cuomo's Executive Order to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under this order, our school district must continue to provide remote learning, meals for students as has been requested and childcare for essential workers every weekday through April 14 even though the district is scheduled to be on spring recess during that time. The state will reassess whether to extend the statewide school closures past this date. We encourage families to continue to check their email and our website for additional information.

Thank you and stay safe.

Originally Posted 3/27/2020: Good Afternoon Hoosic Valley Families & Staff - Governor Andrew Cuomo has extended the school closing period until Tuesday, April 14, 2020 with school reopening on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. I realize that this is in the middle of our scheduled spring break. I am waiting for guidelines from the New York State Educational Department (NYSED) regarding honoring the original spring break schedule. If the Governor makes additional changes concerning closures I will contact you immediately.

Faculty and Staff are meeting on Monday, March 30th by video conference, notification for learning expectations will be sent out soon after that.

Thank you for your cooperation, have a great day.

COVID19 Hotline and key resources for both Rensselaer County and New York State


Information Originally Posted 3/20/2020:MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS

Earlier in the week Hoosic Valley sent out a message about child care for health care workers and first responders. That list has been expanded to include the following professions:

  • Essential health care workers may include licensed health professionals such as physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, LPNs and nurse assistants or laboratory personnel.
  • Direct support professionals may include clinicians and support staff serving the behavioral health, intellectual/developmental disabilities and child welfare communities in residential and community-based care settings.
  • First responders may include paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers, and firefighters, correctional officers or related support personnel necessary to execute these duties.
  • Food manufacturing, production, distribution and supply including supermarket workers and food preparation.
  • Transportation including commercial truck driver of necessary supplies and equipment, transit workers, air and rail and carriers of critical and essential materials.
  • Construction and Manufacturing including specialized equipment related to health or safety of the public.
  • Nonprofit and social service agencies providing support to families and employees in related fields.

If you currently work in one of the above professions and need assistance in securing child care please contact Heidi Pascarella by email at [email protected].

This list may change as the facts and circumstances change, will we do our best to keep you informed of changes.

Take care and remain safe.


Information Originally Posted 3/18/2020: Hoosic Valley is committed to supporting health care workers and first responders while classes remain canceled.  If you work in either of these sectors and need childcare please call my administrative assistant, Ms. Heidi Pascarella, at (518)753-4458 x1506 and leave a message including your contact info. We hope we can be of assistance to those parents who work in these vital positions.

Thank you,
G. Michael Apostol
Superintendent of Schools

Information Originally Posted 3/17/2020, 3:30pm: In accordance with the Governor's announcement of a state wide  mandatory two week school closure, classes at Hoosic Valley will remain canceled until April 1st. 

Academics Phase 1: March 18th-March 27th - Teachers will be compiling educational materials for students to have during the hiatus from school. The intention is to provide students with skills practice and review materials for topics covered thus far in the school year. Students in grades K-6 were sent home with packets on Monday. Elementary students that were absent on Monday can pick up their packets in the Elementary main entrance vestibule starting on Wednesday, March 18th. Students in grades 7-12 can pick up their packets in the High School main entrance vestibule starting on Wednesday, March 18th. The vestibules will be open from 8am – 7pm. Our Director of Curriculum and Instructional Technology is collaborating with teachers and other school districts to provide additional digital resources for learning, access their collaborative Resources for Learning.  

Academics Phase II: After March 27th - In the event of a prolonged school closure, Hoosic Valley will make every attempt to provision Chromebooks and alternate forms of digital curriculum.

Meals – Hoosic Valley will be working to provide meals to any and all families that put in a request. Meals can either be picked up or delivered. Click here for more information

BOCES Services: Questar Boces including the VOTEC Program will be closed March 18-27. Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical Education and Special Education programs are also closed the week of March 16-20. WSWHE BOCES classes for K-12 students are cancelled from March 16-April 17.

Maintenance & Custodian-Our crew have been working very hard to sanitizing all surfaces in our buildings and will continue to do so throughout the time of canceled classes. Information on our district sanitizer

There will be no scheduled events in the district March 18-April 1.

Musical: The school musical is postponed at this time. All rehearsals are canceled until further notice. Click here for further information related to ticket purchases.

Sports: No practices until school is back in regular season. Section 2 has canceled all games until April 19th. For the health and safety of our students, our teams will not play games until they have had sufficient practices.

SPED Meetings: Scheduled meetings will take place by phone conference. The Special Ed Department will be contacting the necessary parties.

National Honor Society Application: If you are applying to National Honor Society, your application must be post marked by Friday, March 20th. Please mail your completed application to: Hoosic Valley High School, 2 Pleasant Avenue, Schaghticoke, NY 12154, Attn: Erin McCauliffe

Easter Bunny Breakfast – The Easter Bunny Breakfast is CANCELLED. Due to the timeframe we will not be able to reschedule this event.

Internet Connectivity Options: Spectrum Offers Free Broadband/WiFi: Beginning Monday, March 16th. Those who do not currently have a Spectrum broadband subscription can call 1-844-488-8395 to enroll. Installation fees will also be waived, according to the company. Wifi through your Cell Phone: Check with your mobile phone service provider. Many are offering unlimited data and free hotspot capabilities during the coronavirus crisis.

Handling stress: Remember our students absorb all that’s around them. They may be feeling some of that same stress we are all feeling when dealing with the challenges of this pandemic. The CDC has some useful information on dealing with the stress of the coronavirus including links related to children dealing with stress, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html



Information Originally Posted 3/17/2020,
 10am: I wanted to share an important Informational Message from the Rensselaer County Department of Health. Please note that the majority of our staff will be working remotely during this time, there will be limited staff in the buildings as needed to provide essential services.  The letter from Rensselaer County also mentions assistance will be available for meals, click here for details on Hoosic Valley's plan to provide meals

Please continue to monitor your emails and check our website for the latest updates. 

Sincerely, 

G. Michael Apostol
Superintendent of Schools

Information Originally Posted 3/15/2020: Superintendents in the Questar III BOCES region of Rensselaer, Columbia and Greene counties decided to cancel all classes effective Wednesday, March 18 until Friday, March 27 out of an abundance of caution.

Hoosic Valley will hold classes as normally scheduled on Monday. Classes will be canceled on Tuesday as previously announced, staff should report at the regular time for planning. Hoosic Valley classes will remain canceled until Friday, March 27th per the BOCES recommendation.

Although Hoosic Valley does not have any confirmed cases at this time, we are seeking to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and to ease public anxiety about schools being in session during this public health crisis.

The decision was made after an emergency meeting of superintendents in Rensselaer, Columbia and Greene counties with the local health departments and Questar III BOCES. Our school district will continue to monitor guidance from local, state and federal agencies to reassess and reevaluate whether we may need to extend our cancellations if conditions worsen.

We understand that this is an inconvenience for our families, but our primary concern is the health and safety of our students and staff. Ultimately, we wanted to be thoughtful about planning and not make a sudden decision that does not allow our families and staff to prepare for what could be a more extended closing.

This week’s schedule provides our teaching staff with time to prepare instructional materials and resources for students in the event of a longer-term closing. It also allows our students to clean out their lockers and bring home their belongings, including digital devices, instruments and other items.

Our school district is committed to providing educational resources for our students during this time, but we also realize that you cannot replicate the school day for your child. Teachers will contact you directly with self or parent-guided materials, either online or through paper packets. We will also seek to maintain our student, teacher and family relationships as much as possible through social distancing and digital means. We encourage you to maintain a schedule and routine to provide as much normalcy as possible for your child.

We will also continue to provide meals to students who may need them. Pick-up or delivery logistics will be shared directly with participating families.

Thank you for your continued patience and support as we work together through this unprecedented situation. Looking ahead, we anticipate that there will be many questions. We will continue to follow guidance from our health and education departments and will provide additional information as soon as possible. Please continue to follow the CDC’s recommendations – including thorough handwashing, social distancing and avoiding large groups and those who are ill – to stay safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

G. Michael Apostol
Superintendent of Schools



Information Originally Posted 3/14/2020Today, the Questar III superintendents and representatives from the Rensselaer, Columbia and Greene County Departments of Health met for several hours to develop plans and respond to this public health crisis. The will be issuing a more complete statement tomorrow afternoon. As of 3 p.m. today, there are two confirmed cases in Greene County (unrelated to local school districts).

Originally Posted 3/11/2020:  Each day we are getting reports on the coronavirus (COVID-19). The best source of information comes from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the New York State Department of Health (NYDOH), or the Rensselaer County Health Department (RCHD).

The link below is from the CDC and explains the basic facts that we all should know about the coronavirus. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf

Our school nurses and I will continue to be in contact with the above agencies to keep you informed about the coronavirus (COVID-19).


Information Originally Posted 3/4/2020:  I am reaching out to the Hoosic Valley Central School District (HVCSD) Community regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19). Presently there are no positive cases in Rensselaer County. Given the media attention and the importance of your child’s health and safety, I want to share some basic facts about the coronavirus and ways to keep your child healthy. While the Center for Disease Control (CDC) considers this a serious health concern, based on current information, the immediate health risk to our school district and community is low at this time. We are following the guidance from the CDC and Public Health Departments (New York State and Rensselaer County) to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff. The HVCSD has an infectious disease control plan in place. Our staff continues to clean and disinfect all school areas; high touch and high traffic areas to help minimize the spread of viruses and other illnesses. Our district will continue to take proactive measures and work with legal and state officials as needed.

Please check the CDC website on how COVID-19 spreads:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/transmission.html

When and How to Wash Your Hands:

https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html

The New York State Novel Coronavirus Hotline: Call 1-888-364-3065 for Information about Coronavirus or visit their website

G. Michael Apostol



Information Originally Posted 2/8/2020:  A new coronavirus called 2019 Novel (new) Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was first found in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. This virus had not been found in humans before. This coronavirus can lead to fever, cough and trouble breathing or shortness of breath. There are thousands of diagnosed cases in China and new cases being diagnosed in a number of countries including the United States.

What do we know?

Since this virus is very new, health authorities continue to carefully watch how this virus spreads. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working hard to learn as much as possible about this new virus, so that we can better understand how it spreads and causes illness. The CDC considers this virus to be a serious public health concern. Based on current information the CDC recommends avoiding travel to China. Updated travel information related to 2019nCoV can be found at

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/novel-coronavirus-china

 How Does 2019 Novel (New) Coronavirus Spread?

Health experts believe the virus probably spreads from animals to humans and from person to person. It’s not clear yet how easily the virus spreads from person-to-person.

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCov) is not currently a concern for the general public and is not actively circulating among New Yorkers at this time. Therefore, there is no need to cancel school or social events, and there is no need for students or school staff to wear surgical masks at school.

Prevention

There are currently no vaccines available to protect against this virus. The New York State Department of Health (DOH) recommends the following ways to minimize the spread of all respiratory viruses, including 2019-nCoV:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol- based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing. If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.
  • Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
  • CDC recommends that travelers avoid all travel to China.

Symptoms

Information to date suggests that 2019-nCoV causes mild-to-moderate illness and symptoms like the flu, including fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.

For questions please contact your local department of health or the NYS DOH Novel Coronavirus hotline at 1-888-364-3065.

 

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