Updates

Marcus Whitman Central School District
Reopening Facts and Frequently Asked Questions
Live Document-Updated Frequently
First Published July 29^th, 2020 3PM, Updates 8/6, 8/11, 8/19

The Marcus Whitman Central School District intends to open schools, if permitted, for the 2020-2021 school year.  The District has created a comprehensive plan for reopening that can be found on our school website, mwcsd.org, (will be made available on July 31^st) and the greatest factor that has been taken into consideration is student and employee safety.

This document should be used in addition to the actual reopening plan to develop an understanding about how school will operate in the Fall.  The plan is subject to change based on regulation changes provided by President Trump, Governor Cuomo, The Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and the New York State Education Department.

Questions can be sent to Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D. at cbrown@mwcsd.org or by calling 585-554-4848 x1805.  Questions will be answered individually and will then be added to this document. Thank you!

Facts: (Complete Details are in the Reopening Document that will be Published on July 31^st, but the highlights can be found here…https://www.mwcsd.org/covid-19/updates
under July 24^th.)

Frequently Asked Questions: (We have received the following questions more than one time)

What will the policy on masks be?  Masks will be mandatory for all students and employees (people can provide their own, but we will provide them as well).  When students are in classes that are socially distanced by six feet or more, masks can be removed.  When social distancing cannot be maintained in classrooms, students (and staff) will be given mask breaks. If a student has a medical condition that is accompanied by a note from a doctor indicating that a mask cannot be worn and the student is medically allowed to attend school, they will be socially distanced on the bus, in classrooms, and in any other common space that is shared by other students.

Added August 6th: We will have masks for students and staff, but we encourage both to bring their own.  Any mask type that covers the mouth and nose will be acceptable.

My child will need to see the face of their teacher. The District has ordered regular facemasks (both cotton and paper), clear masks, and face shields.  If a child needs to see the mouth of the teacher (Ex: speech), the teacher may wear the clear mask.  It is important to note that in ALL guidance documents, masks are mandatory, but face shields are optional.  If an employee or student would like to wear a face shield, they must also wear a mask.

How will transportation work?  Parents will be encouraged to drive their children to school, if they are able. Student driving will be opened to include sophomore drivers.  On the school buses, students will wear masks (unless they are medically unable to) and will be seated one child per seat.  Siblings and children from the same day or child-care may be seated together as well.  

Added August 6th: Student driving is encouraged for Juniors and Seniors, driving permits will be mailed home for students to fill out before the year starts.

What if a child refuses to wear a mask on the bus or takes their mask off on the bus? A child boarding the school bus without a mask will be offered a mask by the driver or bus monitor.  If the child refuses to wear the mask they have been given or takes their mask (or the provided mask off) during the bus ride, they will be reported to the Transportation Supervisor.  The supervisor will alert the building principal, and the parent/guardian will be contacted.  The child will either wear the mask on the next bus ride, be driven to school, or will learn remotely for a specified period of time. This will not be a discipline referral, this will be noted as a health and safety matter.

What if the bus driver/monitor or students tests positive for COVID-19?  We are working closely with the Yates and Ontario Departments of Health in this area.  We will be in direct contact with them and they will initiate contact tracing, ask questions of the patient and District as to length of exposure to others, seating arrangement, etc… The Department of Health will then notify the District of any student/employee quarantine that needs to take place.

Will my children be tested for COVID-19 each day?  No.  The District will not be doing any COVID testing.  If there is testing to be completed, it will be completed by a testing site or by the physician for the child.  Parents/guardians will be given instruction on what symptoms to look for in their children.  Parents/guardians are also encouraged to take temperatures of their children.  If a parent/guardian sends a child out to the bus, drives them to school, or allows them to drive, they are assuming the responsibility that they were “well” when they departed for school.  The District is required to use “robo-calls”, email, and other methods of communication to remind parents of this responsibility.  The District is also required to survey parents on a “periodic” basis.

How are staff, visitors, and guests being screened?  Employees will be trained regarding COVID symptoms and how to spot them in themselves and others.  Employees will be instructed not to report to work if they have any COVID symptoms as well as what to do next.  Employees not exhibiting symptoms will complete a survey each workday that will be kept on file.  Visitors/guests will be extremely limited in all buildings. If a visitor/guest must be allowed access to a building, they will have a temperature check, and will complete the survey electronically before being given access to any building.

What if a student or employee is at school and does not feel well and displays COVID symptoms? Each building now has an isolation room that will be monitored.  If an employee or staff member exhibits the symptoms above, they will be taken to the isolation room, and checked by a nurse.  For students, parents/guardians will come to get them and they will follow the advice of their physician.  Employees will seek medical attention.  The following exhaustive guide will be used to determine when an employee/student can return to school.  This guide can be overruled by the Department of Health, who we will be in contact with for certain cases.

COVID-19 RETURN TO WORK/SCHOOL PROTOCOLS

Employee/Student Has Tested Positive For COVID-19
Employee/Student is to remain quarantined and may return to work/school if:

·         10 days have passed since employee/student exhibited symptoms or since they tested positive if they are asymptomatic; and

·         at least 24 hours have passed since employee/student had a fever (≥100.0° F) without the use of fever reducing medications; and

·         at least 72 hour period where employee’s/student’s symptoms have improved

Employee/Student Is Symptomatic And Has Had Close Or Proximate Contact1 With Someone Who Has Tested Positive For COVID-19
If employee/student is symptomatic, the employee/student is to remain quarantined and may return to work/school if:

·         10 days have passed since employee/student exhibited symptoms; and

·         at least 24 hours have passed since employee/student had a fever (≥100.0°F) without the use of fever reducing medications; and

·         at least 72 hours have passed where the employee’s/student’s symptoms have improved

Employee/Student Is Symptomatic But Has Not Had Close Or Proximate Contact With Person Who Has Tested Positive
If employee/student is symptomatic, the employee/student is to remain quarantined and may return to work/school if:

·         14 days of quarantine have been completed or

·         10 days have passed since employee/student exhibited symptoms; and

·         at least 24 hours have passed since the employee/student had a fever (≥100.0° F) without the use of fever reducing medications, and

           

·         at least 72 hours have passed where the employee’s/student’s symptoms
have improved, or                                                                 

·         the employee/student has been diagnosed with another condition and has a note from their healthcare provider indicating they are clear to return to work/school or

·         the employee/student has a negative test result

Employee/Student is Symptomatic And Has Had Close Or Proximate Contact With Someone Awaiting Test Results
If employee/student is symptomatic, the employee/student is to remain quarantined and may return to work/school if:

·         the test result for the other person comes back negative or

·         the employee/student has a negative test result; or

·         10 days have passed since employee/student exhibited symptoms; and

·         at least 24 hours have passed since employee/student had a fever (≥100.0°F) without the use of fever reducing medications; and

·         at least 72 hours have passed where the employee’s/student’s symptoms have improved or

·         the employee/student has been diagnosed with another condition and has a note from their healthcare provider indicating they are clear to return to work/school

Employee/Student Is Not Symptomatic But Did Have Close Or Proximate Contact With Person Who Has Tested Positive
If the employee/student is not symptomatic, the employee/student is to remain quarantined and may return to work/school:

·         after completing 14 days of self-quarantine; or

·         the employee/student has had a negative test result after having had close or proximate contact with a person who has tested positive Employees Only:

However, if the employee is deemed essential and critical for the operation or safety of the workplace, upon a documented determination by the District Superintendent in consultation with appropriate state and local health authorities, the exposed, asymptomatic employee may return to work so long as the employee adheres to the following practices prior to and during their work shift, which should be monitored and documented by the employer and employee:

·         Regular monitoring: While at work the employee must self-monitor for a temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit every 2 hours and symptoms consistent with COVID-19 under the supervision of the Health and Safety Coordinator; and

·         Wear a mask: The employee must wear a face mask at all times while in the workplace for 14 days after last exposure; and

·         Social distance: The employee must continue social distancing practices, including maintaining, at least, six feet of distance from others.

·         Clean and disinfect workspaces: The employer must continue to regularly clean and disinfect all areas, such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, and shared electronic equipment.

·         Maintain quarantine: The employee must continue to self-quarantine and self-monitor for temperature and symptoms when not at the workplace for 14 days after last exposure.

Employee/Student Is Not Symptomatic And Has Had Close Or Proximate Contact With Someone Symptomatic And Awaiting Test Results
If the employee/student is not symptomatic, the employee/student is to remain quarantined and may return to work/school:

·         after completing 14 days of self-quarantine; or

·         the employee/student has a negative test result; or

·         the person whom the employee/student had close or proximate contact with has a negative test result Employees only:

However, if the employee is deemed essential and critical for the operation or safety of the workplace, upon a documented determination by the District Superintendent in consultation with appropriate state and local health authorities, the exposed, asymptomatic employee may return to work so long as the employee adheres to the following practices prior to and during their work shift, which should be monitored and documented by the employer and employee:

·         Regular monitoring: While at work the employee must self-monitor for a temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit every 2 hours and symptoms consistent with COVID-19 under the supervision of the Health and Safety Coordinator; and

·         Wear a mask: The employee must wear a face mask at all times while in the workplace for 14 days after last exposure; and

·         Social distance: The employee must continue social distancing practices, including maintaining, at least, six feet of distance from others.

·         Clean and disinfect workspaces: The employer must continue to regularly clean and disinfect all areas, such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, and shared electronic equipment.

·         Maintain quarantine: The employee must continue to self-quarantine and self-monitor for temperature and symptoms when not at the workplace for 14 days after last exposure.

Employee/Student Has Traveled To A State Designated As Having Significant Community Spread
Employees/students who travel to a designated state with significant community spread must notify their supervisor/principal of their travel plans including the state being traveled to, along with the departure and return date.

·         If an employee/student has traveled from within one of the designated states with significant community spread, he/she must quarantine upon re-entering New York for 14 days from the last travel within such designated state.

·         The requirements of the travel advisory do not apply to any individual passing through designated states for a limited duration (i.e., less than 24 hours) through the course of travel. Examples of such brief passage include but are not limited to: stopping at rest stops for vehicles, buses, and/or trains; or lay-overs for air travel, bus travel, or train travel.

·         Employees/students may return to work/school after completing 14 days of quarantine.

I do not want to send my child to school this Fall due to a medical condition or due to parental preference. What is the plan? The District is planning on reopening schools with as many students in attendance as possible.  If a child has a medical note to not attend school, the child will receive their education by a combination of classroom teacher (materials) and tutors, similar to what would happen if a child was out of school due to a broken bone, etc…. Because our teachers will be teaching live to students, our ability to offer 100% virtual instruction to students who are home due to parent preference will be limited.  We will also be asking parents who prefer to keep their children home due to a non-medical reason, to do so for a whole semester at a time (20 weeks), so we can properly distance and schedule the students who will be attending in person.  For UPK, there will be no virtual instruction.  Parents will be given materials from the building principal to consider using with their children.  Children in grades K-2 will have some virtual math and English language arts instruction.  Children in grades 3-5 will receive limited virtual instruction.  Students in grades 6-12 will follow along with their regular classroom schedule.  The teacher will have a Chromebook in their classroom that the virtual student can connect to each day.  Attendance will be taken for students each day, whether they are learning remotely or in person.  If schools are ordered to be closed, UPK-12 students will all receive instruction virtually.

Added August 6th: The type of in-person or virtual opportunities we are able to create will depend on the results of the parent surveys.  If many parents opt for virtual instruction, we may have to alter the number of days we can have students in person (more or less, depending). 

My youth group would like to use the facilities for (insert activity here). Why can’t we use the facilities? Bringing students and employees back to school is going to be a challenge.  We take keeping them safe very seriously.  Our cleaning staff are going to need the spaces to be empty in order to do their jobs efficiently each night and we may be adding shifts to our cleaning schedules.  As soon as we can allow safe facility use, we absolutely will.

Do our school facilities have adequate ventilation?  I have read that we should be opening windows?  We have read the same things, so we contacted the Ontario County Department of Health for expert advice.  At the same time, we had all of our HVAC systems tested by an outside vendor.  All of our systems exceed the minimum airflow requirements (how much outside air is brought into a space on a continuous basis).  The Ontario County Department of Health contacted the regional Department of Health and the answer is that opening windows is not going to help or hurt the spread of virus droplets with the type of HVAC and filtration systems that we have.  Opening and closing windows will be up to the adult in charge based on room comfort and preference. Spaces that are air conditioned will not be as cool if the windows are open when it is warm out just as spaces that are heated will not be as warm when it is cold out.

Will it be “this way” for the whole school year?  We sure hope not.  We are reading and receiving information almost every day and will be making adjustments to our plans accordingly.  We will be sending frequent email messages with updates.

Will there be sports, field trips, or extracurricular activities this year?  We just don’t know the answer at this time.  Based on the information we have at this time, sports are delayed until at least September 21^st, field trips are canceled, as are extracurricular activities.  We want students involved in activities so as soon as we are able to have flexibility in this area, we will make things happen for students.  

Added August 6th: Students 9-12 will have opportunities for clubs, groups, if possible by Oct. 1.

If I choose to keep my UPK or K student home and not take any resources from the school, do I have to file homeschool paperwork?  It depends, but in almost every case, the answer is “no”.  UPK and K are not mandated grade levels and a parent requires homeschool paperwork for their child if and only if they turn six years old by December 1^st.

What is a cohort and what does it mean to me as a parent or to my child?  Think of a cohort as one group of people who do everything together.  It has been highly recommended to us that we group students in cohorts so that they limit where and how they might be exposed to germs.  Cohorting will be accomplished at the UPK-8 levels.  High School students have too many schedule options to cohort all the time, but groups of students will be placed together when they can.  For example, in second grade, lists of students will be made and each teacher will have a set number of students. This will now be his/her cohort of students.  They will stay in the same classroom and if they move anywhere, they will move as a group.

How large will class sizes be? It depends on the size of the space they are in.  For a typical sized classroom (770 square feet), there will be approximately 14-16 students, unless barriers are used, in which case, there could be a couple more.  This is one of the major reasons why (staffing is the other) why we cannot bring all students in grades UPK-12 back every day at this time.  We need to keep six feet of distance between students whenever possible.  If the regulations change and that spacing is three feet, we can bring all of the students back to school.

Will my child start and end the school year with the same teacher?  In most cases, yes.  Where there could be changes are at grade levels that have more sections to start the school year than they will if we are able to bring all students back at every grade level.  You will be notified well in advance if there is going to be a teacher change, but it is possible.

Will you be grouping students, especially at the elementary and intermediate levels, by ability? We know that some students got more out of the instruction provided in the spring than others.  There are many reasons for this.  This summer, we have focused a lot of our professional development on “gap closing”.  We understand that students will be coming into the Fall in different places academically, socially, and emotionally, and we want to be prepared.  When making class lists, care will be taken first to try and have all of the same family members reporting to school on the same days (when and where we can), and we will then create class lists and will consider grouping by ability (when and where we can).  It will not be possible to have fully “grouped” groups, but we will not be ignoring the concern either.

How will foodservice work?  While in school, students will have access to a limited menu, but food choices for breakfast and lunch that include hot and cold options.  For students in grades UPK-5, students will have food delivered to them based on pre-ordering.  Students in grades 6-12 will be able to go to the cafeterias, socially distanced, grab meals, and return to their classroom or designated areas.  

For students in grades 3-12, who will not be coming to school every day, there will be food available for them to take home (breakfast/lunch), and we can arrange for pickup by parents.

If a student has an IEP or 504 plan and receives a pull out service (speech, OT, PT, counseling, etc…) how will they receive their services?  We will deliver services to the best extent possible in person on the days the children can be in school .  There is still flexibility with group vs. individual as per guidance and therefore some group services may still need to be delivered individually to honor social distancing.  As far as program delivery that will be determined when we know our plan is accepted and we can work out the details of each building.

How will “specials” (library, physical education, art, and music) be delivered?  Right now, students are not allowed to share materials so we will not be allowing students to check out library books.  Instead, students will use their Chromebooks and will have access to two very large “full book” sites and they will be able to download the books (if they do not have adequate Internet access at home) or stream them.  We will allow students to check out library books as soon as we are notified that they may share materials.

• Every student will receive physical education, and it will occur outside as much as possible.  When outdoor physical education cannot be offered, students will participate either in their classrooms (UPK-5) or in alternate rooms (6-12).
• Art classes will take place and students will have materials that they will not share.  
• For music, students in UPK-2 will not receive music instruction until January.  Students in grades 3-8 will not have chorus but will have lessons and other musical activities,  Students in grades 9-12 will have chorus that will be held in different locations to provide social distancing.  Those locations are still being discussed as the schedule is built.
• Students will have band beginning in 5th grade and we are working on ways to provide the experience and lessons both virtually and in person.  We expect to have virtual concerts for both band and chorus at some point in the first part of the school year.
• Added August 6th: Band and Chorus will be offered to grades 9-12

I will be dropping off children at both Valley and Gorham, is that okay?  Of course!  The start times are now the same but you can work with the principals and they will work with you to get each child dropped off as efficiently as possible

Added August 11th: If my child is receiving completely virtual instruction, will they still have access to breakfast/lunch? Yes.  Our food service department will have grab and go breakfast/lunch options for those who will be receiving their education completely virtually to begin the school year.  We will probably not be able to deliver, as our bus drivers will be picking up and dropping off students, but parents will be able to come to school to get food.  We will likely have a sign up for that later in the summer.

Added August 11th: If my child is receiving completely virtual instruction, will they be able to participate in athletics and extra-curricular activities once they begin? Yes.  The New York State Education Department has a regulation called the “Bonafide Student Regulation” which states that a student can participate in interscholastic/extracurricular activities if they are taking at least three classes plus physical education and are learning completely remotely.

Added August 11th: Will my child be able to learn completely remotely for their entire academic career? No.  As soon as we are told that schools can open fully or the social distancing requirement is dropped from six feet to three feet or less and we can safely fit all of our students in the buildings, we will discontinue the fully remote learning option. Parents would then have a choice to return their child to school, or select homeschooling for their children.

Added August 11th: Will my high school student be able to use his/her locker?  Yes, on a limited basis.  The high school is unable to cohort due to the complexity of student scheduling so they will be moving from class to class at different times of the day.  Students will be assigned lockers that are socially distanced from other lockers and they will have access to them at different times of the day.

Added August 19th: From the parent meetings held on YouTube

​How many kids can not wear a mask until the bus has no more room left

Bus drivers will have a supply of masks available and offer the child to wear it. Child puts a mask on and sits in their seat.  All seats will be assigned on the bus.  One child per seat. Siblings and children from the same childcare/daycare facility can sit together. If a child chooses not to wear a mask or refuses to take a mask,  the child will sit socially distanced from other students.  Parents will be called to pick up their child.  If a child won’t wear a mask they will receive their education virtually  until they are comfortable wearing a mask.

​For parent drop off, are there going to be specific drop off spots at each school? Example, at the valley school, will we drop off by last name of A-G at one spot, H-P at another? I just think that all the students going into one entrance will be very congested.

Principals are looking at traffic patterns and there will be designated areas.  

​Will students have extra time more than to wash hands in between classes?

Students will be able to use hand sanitizer during class and frequent hand washing breaks.  This method worked well with the extended school year program.  

​Is there a process to record daily screenings of kids, compare to in person attendance and assist in contact tracing if it becomes necessary?

We could , but unfortunately we can’t due to the HIPPA requirement.  The District is purchasing GPS software to put on the buses.  Parents will know how soon their student will be picked up and dropped off at school.  Students will have swipe cards to get on the bus and use in the cafeteria.  District has cameras outside the buildings and inside, hall passes, bathroom passes; these are all records the District is keeping for contact tracing.  Dept. of Health is aware of our record keeping and will work with us. 

​Are students dropped off by parents required to have their parents pick them up?

Yes, parents can drop off or have transportation take students home or transportation can pick students up in the morning and then parents can pick up at dismissal.  We realize parents have childcare needs.  For instance Monday-Wednesday school transports to one daycare then on Thursday and Friday transportation can take  students to another daycare.  Students on the buses will need to wear a mask and on certain days we may have more than 22 students on the bus.

What symptoms would a child have to have while in school to be sent home or isolated?
If a student is not feeling well, the student will go to the nurse's office.  The nurse will check over the student.  If the student is showing signs/symptoms of COVID the students will be in an isolation room.  They are not being left alone.  Parents will be called to pick up their child.  If the student is not feeling well with other symptoms, headache,etc. The nurse will call parents to let them know their child is not feeling well and to pick the child up.

Are they still going to be having an orientation for 6th graders?

This will be held virtually.  Dr. Cole will be putting out communication about this event soon.

​Will HS students who don't have lunch in their schedule be allowed to eat/drink in a classroom or study hall?

For some students taking additional courses or going to BOCES lunch is not their schedule. This is not going to be an issue. There will be an area where the students can eat and then go to their classroom.

​What if my kindergarten has problems with putting on the mask and needs help ?

There will be a training video released soon for community, parents and staff to view.

​Will there be more student sick days allowed then to promote staying home?

Unfortunately no, as a public school we need to stay within the parameters of New York State Education Dept. guidance.

​My question is are kids aloud to bring their own hand sanitizer and tissues to keep at their desk?

They can bring tissues to keep on their desk.  The District will have enough hand sanitizer  on hand for students to use throughout the day.

​Will the MS/HS administration be sending/mailing home a class schedule for those students that cannot attend school on opening day due to their grouping? And what does the grouping look like?

Schedules should be mailed out early next week. 

​Will there be a bus orientation for UPK and new kindergarten students? 

Unfortunately this will be held virtually.  

​Will there be a staff member with students if they need to go to the isolation room due to illness? 

Yes, an isolation room  is for when a student is showing signs of COVID.  Teacher will send the student to nurse.  Nurse will evaluate and if the student has symptoms to warrant possible COVID. Student will be in an isolation room with another staff member.  Parents will be called to pick up their student.  The staff member will walk the student out to the parent vehicle.  Each building has an isolation room.

Will multiple students be isolated together? 

No, the buildings have other plans for that.

​Will there be a 10th period? Will there be clubs/jazz band?

There will not be a 10th period to start the school year.  We want to make sure we have the bus runs down, cleanings and safety protocols down.  We want to offer clubs and activities for the students.  They will begin virtually and then bring together in person sometime in the school year.  Dept. of Health is telling us no field trips, no athletics. It’s a challenge.  10th period is important to us and some students will have a 10th period science lab. We plan to have 10th period and clubs we just can’t start the school year with them.

​Will there be any sort of meet and greet for students at valley? Specifically UPK?

We are not going to be able to do it in person for this year.  Buildings and Grounds crew has a lot of work to do. They have been working since March with no students.  The amount of work that needed to be done during the Extended School Year program and moving desks around in classrooms, storage for desks and deep, deep clean in order to bring students back.  Dr. Cazer will be doing a virtual welcome for UPK and virtual bus orientation and then as they come to school by group get them familiar with bus safety. 5th to 6th grade Dr. Cole putting together a virtual orientation for that.  Ms. Taft in the HS is putting together a freshman orientation  taking place outside where students can be distanced.  We are trying to make the best of the situation.

​Will buses have bus monitors to ensure students wear masks?

No, bus monitors are required on buses  based on the need of the  student.  As your child boards the bus, they need to have their mask on. We will be monitoring once the student boards the bus and takes their mask off, Superintendent will call parents to discuss how long the student will be taking their classes virtually.  Students will need to take the mask seriously.  It will take time to teach the students how to wear the mask.

​What are the most important, most helpful things you'd like parents to do to prepare our kids for school this year?

Start working with your child wearing a mask.   We will have plenty of signage and staff to keep students socially distanced.  It’s really getting them used to wearing a mask.

​What if numbers go up? Are we able to change our minds and go completely virtual? 

As parents, you have complete control over your child's education.  You are sending us your greatest gift.  On the survey we asked parents to consider a semester long decision,  Maintenance and Transportation departments have been working hard setting up bus runs and desks in the classroom.  If a student comes 3 days and then home 2 days we can’t accommodate for that. We understand things change.  Parents chose at home instruction and then possibly parents change jobs and student needs to go to school.  Superintendent will say ok and we are going to try to accommodate whatever you need.  If your child started in school then got uncomfortable and wants to go virtual? Yes.  The only time virtual will go away 100% is when the Governor says all children can come to school.  Until then, we will work with the parents.

When will the kids that go to School on the 10th of September when will they get there chromebooks

Chromebooks and mifi  units will be given out for MS/HS and mifi before the start of school.  Valley/Gorham handing out the first day of school and then go from there

​H.S. Band runs ACE, Chorus BDF... If a student is enrolled in both, how will that work when our H.S. students attend in-person alternating days?

There have been some significant changes to HS schedules.  Physical Education is not running opposite of Science Lab.  Those have been broken out to give students both experiences in person.  You have to give our music staff moree time to work out those details and they will.  There may be some pieces in person and virtual.  We are trying to make it as much in person as much as possible.  Dr.Cole and Ms. Taft will be getting that information out.

​When will students get their schedules?

Gorham/Valley students will get their schedules early next week.  MS/HS next week.

If we have to keep our child home, who isn’t feeling well, will we be able to have them remote learn on that day?

It depends on grade levels.  If it’s Valley/Gorham probably no.  If it’s MS/HS maybe.  Principals are working through schedules.  We will have more information coming regarding specific grade levels.

Will MS students that have accelerated math and/or science be in the same cohort or will they be leaving their cohort for math/science?

Yes.  7th grade accelerated Math will be in one cohort and 8th grade accelerated Science will be in a single cohort.

For MS will the students bring all supplies back and forth every other day?

Yes.  We would like to get the students to lockers at some point.  We are keeping in line with the guidance to cohort students as best as we can.

I have concerns about my children keeping track of their swipe card required to enter the bus.  Are these easily replaceable?  Maybe I could attach it to the backpack?

That is a great idea.  We will find different ways for the students to keep track of their swipe cards.  We are also looking at some lanyards that can hold the swipe cards.  They are easily replaceable and we will work together to accommodate the students. 

Marcus Whitman Central School District Testing Plan

1.      Any staff or student who displays symptoms of COVID-19, will be placed in a designated isolation space, evaluated and supervised by one of our school nursing staff members who will be outfitted in all of the designated and appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).  

Once the symptoms are confirmed, the symptomatic individual will remain in the isolation room until they are picked up by a parent/guardian in the case of students, or a loved one or can leave on their own accord in the case of a staff member. If the symptomatic individual is picked up by a parent, guardian, or in the case of a staff member, picked up by a loved one or is able to leave on their own accord, they will be encouraged to visit their pediatrician, physician, urgent care facility, or a local testing facility. 

Individuals who are symptomatic will not be allowed to return to the school until they reach clearance in accordance with the Department of Health guidance. 

Marcus Whitman Central School District Contact Tracing Plan

1.      The Marcus Whitman Central School District will coordinate closely with the local Department of Health as they facilitate the contact tracing process. Using our daily attendance and class by class attendance, our student management system, our camera system, seating charts (bus and classroom), and our visitor logs (if visitors are permitted) we will work with the local Department of Health to provide them the information they need to conduct a proper and thorough Contact Tracing.

Parent Forum #1

Parent Forum #2

Parent Forum #3

Good Afternoon-

If your child is learning fully remotely or is attending in-person on certain days of the week, we can have breakfast/lunch "grab and go" packs delivered to you.  To sign up, please fill out this survey here, or call Carla Woolston at 585-554-4848 x1802.

Thank you!

Good Afternoon-

The National School Lunch program will be continuing free breakfast and lunch for all students in UPK-12 for the remainder of the school year. There is nothing that you need to do on your part. If you feel that your financial circumstances have changed where you may qualify for free or reduced lunch for next school year, please contact Carla Woolston at 585-554-4848 x 1802. There may be other benefits outside of school that you qualify for based on your new income level.

More and more students are returning from all virtual to in-class or hybrid instruction. That has been wonderful news for us. More students returning is putting some pressure on our transportation department in terms of number of students on buses, so if you are able to drive your child to school, especially in the morning, we would really appreciate it if you would.

Also, because we have more students attending classes every day, we are now only allowing students who currently attend school, to attend fully remotely if they have a medical note for themselves, explaining that for a medical reason, they cannot attend school in person. Thank you.

The Marcus Whitman YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF57RFmgBLyxbxSNsWCCwUA) is becoming a source for many different types of broadcasts, including our town halls, Board of Education meetings, messages from principals, and our sporting events.

Beginning this week, I am going to be starting a reading series geared for students in grades UPK-8, with topics related to change, managing anxiety, and feeling comfortable in the uncomfortable. They will be available on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF57RFmgBLyxbxSNsWCCwUA) beginning every Thursday morning for the next seven weeks. Each book video will be narrated by me, and will be about fifteen minutes or less in length. Thank you to our librarian, and to some of our sixth graders, for helping to pull the books that I will be using.

Lastly, there will be a live streamed town hall this Wednesday from 4:30PM-5:30PM. It will be broadcast on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF57RFmgBLyxbxSNsWCCwUA) and you will have an opportunity to ask questions. The topics will be the most recent COVID updates related to Marcus Whitman, the results of the Thought Exchange that you participated in, and we will have two special guests who will talk about their departments and will answer questions. If you cannot watch live, you can always watch the recording at a later date.

I will be sending an email with this information as well. Thank you and enjoy the week!

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Evening-

I hope you are doing well.  This is a reminder that tomorrow is our last Foodlink distribution of this calendar year.  It will take place from 3-5PM at the high school, district office side.  I hope to see you there.

Part of working together is reaching out to get your honest feedback about how you feel the school year is going so far.  Please take a few moments to participate in this ThoughtExchange survey...https://my.thoughtexchange.com/775464640.  The deadline is Monday, October 19th, at 4PM.  Thank you and have a great rest of the week!

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Evening-

Today we learned through the Department of Health that a student teacher from an area college, placed at the Marcus Whitman high school, tested positive for COVID.  The student teacher worked in the high school, in rooms that we have identified, all day Monday, October 5^th, and the morning of October 6^th.  The Department of Health was quick to point out that this positive case is NOT connected to the positive case we had on Monday.

Because there is a high rate of infection on college campuses, the Department of Health is attacking this case very aggressively, and with an overabundance of caution, quarantining the staff and students who were in the identified classrooms.  This equates to nine employees, and ten students. Those staff and students are in the process of being contacted by us tonight, and will be contacted by the Department of Health tomorrow.  

Again, because of the mask wearing, social distancing, and cleaning that we have been doing, all other areas in the district are “clean” in terms of quarantine or contact.  I was told that the high school could remain open tomorrow for in person classes.  Because I am the “responsible party” for the school District, and for the safety of our staff and our students, I have made the decision to have the high school ONLY (Valley, Gorham, middle school and FLSS will operate as normal) have a virtual day tomorrow for students.  We have thoroughly cleaned the identified classrooms, but the high school has the capability to immediately go virtual, and I would like to give the three impacted rooms a deeper cleaning.  FLTCC students will still attend their programs, and Jenn Taft will put out a call to them later. This will NOT impact outdoor athletics at this time, but may have an impact on the swim meet tomorrow evening, but we will get more information about that in the morning.

This case will NOT be on our state COVID dashboard.  It will be on the dashboard of the college where the student teacher attends.

Unfortunately, this is the “new normal” that none of us want, but we are one big family, and we need to continue to work together and support each other.  Thank you and I will send something else out tomorrow or over the weekend should it be necessary.

Thank you and have a good rest of the evening.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-

Late this morning we learned from the Department of Health that a student at the high school tested positive for COVID.  After the Department of Health informed us of the situation, contact tracing began immediately.

We were able to trace the student’s every step from the time they left their home on the day that was specified to us by the Department of Health, until they left the building early morning that same day, using video and witness accounts.

We contacted the Department of Health and told them what we knew.  They were very complimentary that our employees and students were following proper safety and social distancing guidelines, and that we were able to contact trace so definitively.

As a result of our employees and students following the proper safety protocols, and the results of the contact tracing, we will NOT need to quarantine anyone, or close any buildings for this particular case. In addition, no employees or students were deemed to have been at risk at any time.

Due to privacy concerns, we are not at liberty to share the name of the student.  Obviously, we are not out of the woods of this pandemic, and I will continue to inform you about positive cases that we become aware of in the future, and what the outcomes are.

Thank you.

Chris

Good Afternoon-

Thank you for your help so far this school year.  Our average daily attendance has been almost 97% since the school year started.  This is exactly where we are when all of the students are allowed to attend during a “normal” school year. 

The New York State Department of Health finally released some updated guidelines for schools and COVID.  I will be sending them to you via email (attached), and they will be posted on our website and social media platforms.  The major changes are that if a student has COVID symptoms, but they represent pre-existing conditions (allergies, migraines, etc…) the doctor can write a note about those pre-existing conditions, and the child can return to school without needing to stay home for ten days.  Also, children who have symptoms can go to the doctor and the doctor can write a note explaining that it isn’t COVID, or can administer a COVID test.  In either case, the child can return to school immediately if the test is negative or if the symptoms go away. If you have any questions, please contact your school nurse. 

Now that we are well into the school year, school bus pick-up and drop off times may have been adjusted from what they were the first few days of school.  This would happen on any school year, but is more pronounced this school year with more parents driving their children than normal. The pick-up and drop off times you are experiencing now should be solid as we move into the rest of the school year.

If you signed up for grab and go meals to be delivered to your child(ren) on virtual or all remote days, that service will begin on October 13^th. If you have any questions, please contact Carla Woolston at 585-554-1802.

Foodlink distribution will be this Thursday from 3-5PM at the high school, District Office side.  The final distribution of the Fall will be October 15^th.

We will be sending home lack of attendance letters ONLY for students we have not been able to make contact with, or who have not been participating in their schooling.  This is different than normal school years, where we would send letters home for ANY students who have been missing a lot of school days.

Lastly, this Friday, October 9^th, IS a school day.  The paper calendar has it listed as a conference day, but we used it at the beginning of the school year.  We are expecting students to attend school this Friday, October 9^th.

Thanks for your continued support, and have a great week!

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-

I hope that everyone is having a good week.  This is a reminder that our next Foodlink distribution is tomorrow, from 3-5PM at the high school, district office side.  The USDA has changed how they are packaging the food, and instead of three, twenty pound each boxes of meat, dairy, and produce, they are sending one box that contains 40 pounds of meat, dairy, and produce.  We are being given a quantity limit of 294 boxes, so we are only going to be able to give each car one box.  If we are able to satisfy all of the cars that come through, we will send a call out and will give out the remainder until they are gone.  As a reminder, the next pickup will be the 8th from 3-5PM, and the one after that will be on the 15th, from 3-5PM.  Thank you, and I hope to see you there.

Attached are the athletics spectator guidelines for the Fall season.  Mr. Lahue and I will be recording a livestream tomorrow to explain the guidance in more detail, and if you have any questions, you can contact Paul Lahue at plahue@mwcsd.org.

We will be holding a few more "live-streamed", virtual town halls on our YouTube channel in the coming weeks, and we want to offer them when you will be most available, so you can actively participate.  If you could help us by completing this short survey(https://forms.gle/rrmFm76RsVjpPbB87), I would appreciate it. Thank you.

Thank you for continuing to complete the daily health assessment with your children each morning before school.  We are hoping to stay open and even get more students back sooner than later, and it will continue to take all of us working together to make that happen.

Thanks, and have a great rest of the week!

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of SchoolsEvent Protocols & Expectations for Spectators - Fall 2020.pdf

Good Afternoon-

Attached are the most up to date student flowcharts from the Department of Health for either being exposed to COVID, or having COVID symptoms.  The two major changes are that the temperature was reduced from 100.4 degrees to 100 degrees, and if a child has any of the COVID symptoms, they MUST get a note from their physician AND either a negative COVID test, OR remain out for ten days. The previous flowchart from the Department of Health allowed students to remain out for ten days and not have to go to the doctor or get a negative COVID test. We have been told that there could be an update coming from the New York State Department of Health, but it may be at least a couple of weeks.

Also, a reminder that we DO have school on October 9th.  The school calendar indicates that the 9th is a conference day, but we borrowed it and used it at the beginning if the school year, which is why the school year started one day later than indicated for students.

Thank you and have a great week!

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Symptomatic Students.pdf Exposed Students 9 28 2020.pdf 

Good Evening-

Well, we made it to Friday.  Thank you for your continued support and for your patience as we continue to work through this pandemic.  We have had EXCELLENT student attendance both in person and remotely since the beginning of the school year, and that is a tribute to you as parents and to our staff, so THANK YOU.

Our capital project continues to really progress.  We are expecting to be using our new gym and auditorium by as soon as Thanksgiving, and we are excited about that.  You can see that our second floor on top of the high school is moving right along as well.  That will take about 15 more months to be completed.

Thank you to those who attended our recent town halls/parent nights on remote/virtual instruction, as well as athletics.  You can view them and any other town halls we have had on our YouTube Channel which is located here… https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF57RFmgBLyxbxSNsWCCwUA. We will be scheduling more in the near future.

While we have been fortunate to not have a positive COVID case yet, a quick look at the news shows that schools around us have had positive cases.  If we do have a positive case in a student or employee, we will be working with the Department of Health on what they would like us to do.  Also out there is what we will need to do if too many bus drivers, custodians, food service workers, or teachers are out on any given day.

As parents, I would ask you to plan for the worst, and hope for the best.  The worst would be that we have to close schools and go fully remote for a period of time.  The best would be that a particular classroom has to stay home for a period of days due to quarantine, etc…. We will be ready to handle that here, but you may want to plan for childcare, if you need it, for anything that might happen.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that we can keep moving forward the way we are, and even get more students back to school, but we have to be ready in case that cannot happen for a period of time.

On Monday, I will be emailing an updated flowchart from the Department of Health for our students and employees.  The biggest concern we are receiving from parents and employees is being able to obtain a COVID test if the employee or children do not have symptoms. You can get them, but there is quite a process involved, and I find that unacceptable.

I have been in contact with the Department of Health and have asked to pilot the COVID saliva test in our district, if and when they become more available.  This would allow parents and employees the convenience of being able to get tested locally if they need to be.  We would also be able to get results very quickly and that will help with the timeframe to be able to return to school and work.  When I hear more, I will let you know.

We are following the flowcharts very closely, as we have zero flexibility, unfortunately, and we are closely monitored by the state.  You can keep track of our daily COVID “positives” (we currently have none) by clicking here… https://schoolcovidreportcard.health.ny.gov/#/home, clicking public schools, and entering “Gorham” and you will find our school district.

Just a reminder that next Thursday, October 1, is our next food link distribution, from 3-5PM.  Hope to see you there!

Thanks again for your continued support, and we will continue to get through this together.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-

I hope that everyone had a great week.  I want to say thank you for helping with the daily health checks and for your communication with us.  I also want to thank the students and parents for helping to make mask wearing a priority.  The students have been been great understanding the importance of mask wearing, social distancing, and hand washing.  We will need to continue those three things as we move forward, and I am certain that we will.

Yesterday, the Department of Health gave us un updated COVID flowchart (attached).  It contains an updated symptoms list and also a roadmap of what the school will be doing should a student or employee exhibit any of the listed symptoms.

There are a few frustration points that my colleagues and I are trying to get clarified by the Department of Health, and they have indicated that there may be changes to this flowchart again in the coming weeks.

Under the current guidelines, with NO exceptions, if a child wakes up with any of the symptoms or comes to school and exhibits any of the listed symptoms, they are to remain home or be sent home through our isolation room process.  That has worked well so far.  Unfortunately, we cannot take pre-existing conditions into consideration for students at this time (allergies, migraines, etc...). That has been frustrating, and that is the thing we would like to see changed by the Department of Health.

If a child needs to use the flowchart, they MUST have a negative COVID test either at a testing site or through their physician AND be symptom free before they can return to school.  If they do not get a test, they MUST stay out of school for ten days and be symptom free in order to return.  We are sorry if this causes an inconvenience as we move forward but we are required to follow the Department of Health guidance.  Again, I hope that that we are provided with flexibility in the near future for students with pre-existing health conditions.

This link will take you to all of the COVID testing sites in our area... You can call them ahead of time to see if there are any fees (many are free) and to set up appointments (many do not need appointments).

Thank you again for working with us to keep our students safe and learning.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

 

Good Afternoon-

I hope everyone is having a great day. I wanted to provide you with a few updates. We have been working through some of the technology glitches that have caused issues with Zoom.  Our local BOCES has been monitoring the Internet connection as well as our hardware, and it appears that the sporadic issues are outside of our control, but that doesn't mean that we are not working with whomever we need to in order to find solutions.  One of the pieces within our control is our email.  In order to make it work most efficiently for our employees and for you, BOCES has begun migrating our email to a new server and version of our email program.  We expect the process to be completed by the end of the week.  This should not impact anything, but I wanted to let you know in case it somehow temporarily does.

As a reminder, tonight is our town hall regarding fall athletics from 5-6PM.  We will let you know everything you need to know about the new look of athletics from the perspective of the student athlete, parent, and general spectator.  You can view the town hall on our YouTube channel live or the recorded version, also on our YouTube channel later tonight.  This is the link to our YouTube channel...https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF57RFmgBLyxbxSNsWCCwUA?reload=9.

On September 22nd and 23rd, we will be holding two parent nights, one for all remote learners, and the other for our hybrid learners.  The remote learner night will be on the 22nd from 4-5PM for grades UPK-5 and 6-7PM for grades 6-12, and the hybrid learner parent night will be the 23rd from 4-5PM for grades UPK-5 and 6-7PM for grades 6-12. These will also be on our Youtube channel and we will send the links as we get closer to those dates.  I just wanted you to have them on your calendar at this point.

Thanks for reading, and have a great rest of the week!

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-

We are excited for the first day of school tomorrow, and appreciate your patience these first few days, as we use and adjust to our new systems.  We would much rather err on the side of caution than rush things and cause us to move backward.

The FamilyID process that we use for athletics will be opening so students can sign up for Fall sports, with the understanding that things are rapidly changing, and we do not know what the season will exactly look like.  Stay tuned for more details from the Athletic Director.

The school district will still NOT be a COVID testing site, however, we are now required by the state Department of Health to provide a daily update to them about any positive COVID cases in students and employees.  We would get the testing data from the local Departments of Health. They are calling the interface a "dashboard" and as soon as there is public access to it, we will make it available on our website.

Our next Foodlink distribution will be Thursday from 3PM-5PM at the high school, district office side.  Because of increased traffic due to school, we will have a slightly different traffic pattern, and we will not begin to load cars until exactly 3PM.  Thank you for understanding.

I am looking forward to this school year.  Challenges bring opportunities, which means that we will have plenty of opportunities for success this year!

Take care and enjoy the rest of the week.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools 

 

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Good Afternoon-

We had a very successful week with all of our employees back in the buildings.  We do have some glitches to work out before students arrive next week, but we will.  What isn’t a glitch is our commitment to our students and our community.  That came across loud and clear yesterday; and I am proud to be the leader of such a dedicated group.

I do want you to know a concern that is occupying space in my brain as we head into the weekend, with the hopes that maybe some of you can help.

Our building schedules are tight, meaning, we have spread the people we have to the max.  To be more comfortable, we really need to hire four to five more teacher aides (full-time), several temporary cleaners (probably for the school year at least), and bus drivers (both permanent and substitute).  If you know anyone who is 18 or older and looking for steady work, please have them contact Sharene Benedict at sbenedict@mwcsd.org, or 585-554-4848 x1805. Thank you very much.

I hope to have more updated information from the Department of Health about everything COVID related.  One thing that I think will be coming is a ban on gaiters and bandanas as approved face coverings.  I have heard chatter about it for a few weeks now and was told it would be in the next DOH update.  For now, they are allowed, but don’t be surprised if they aren’t in the near future. I have also heard enough chatter about updates to COVID testing in schools to know that something is probably coming related to that topic as well.  I will keep you posted.

The District Office will be closed tomorrow due to construction, and will reopen next Tuesday. 

Enjoy the weekend, and I am very excited for next week!

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-

Attached is the most updated list of COVID symptoms as of today.  If an employee or child exhibits symptoms before coming to school or work, they are to stay home and contact the nurse or principal/director for further direction.  We expect more updated information from the Department of Health this week.

Thank you.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools CDCSymptomList.docx 

Good Afternoon-

The purpose of this message is to provide you with a few updates as we get ready for the start of school.

We held an administrative meeting yesterday, and I am very confident with where we are in the reopening process. There have been no changes to our reopening plans, frequently asked questions, or Department of Health guidance since my last phone call, so we are full speed ahead.

By now, you should be receiving schedules, bus run information, orientation videos, dates and times for Chromebook pickup, and other important information related to the start of school. If you have any questions about the materials, please contact the building principal or director as soon as possible.

There are three things that you can do as parents to really help us out as we start the school year.  The first is to get your child used to wearing a mask if they will be attending school. We will provide training when they get here, but having them used to the feeling of wearing a mask before they get to us will be very helpful.

Early next week, you will be receiving a student health checklist from me to put on the fridge.  It will contain a few very basic questions that you will answer at home, and keep at home, including taking daily temperatures.  You can consider it your child's ticket out the door in the morning, and we will be spot checking temperatures when children arrive for the day.

The last thing you can help us with is creating an environment at home that closely matches a classroom, if your child needs to have virtual days until we can all get back to school.  This means using headphones for Zoom, having your children in an uninterrupted place, and letting them be students.  With those three things from you and what we are doing at school, we will have a very successful school year.

The Governor announced that high school sports can begin on September 21st, but there are too few details about how they will work for me to give you a proper update.  Once I know more, I will share the information with you.

Thanks for your continued support and enjoy the weekend!

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-

Thanks to all of you who participated in our community forums or watched them on our Youtube Channel. Your questions and input helped us to make our reopening plans better. We added all of the questions and answers from those forums to our website and the link to the page can be found here...https://www.mwcsd.org/covid-19/updates.

We spent this week fine tuning our plans and I thank our administrators and employees for working as hard as they have to prepare us for a safe opening to school in a few weeks.

Parents and guardians should be on the lookout next week for emails, phone calls, and mail from the principals and directors containing class lists, bus route information, Chromebook pickup dates, and any other information that you and your children will need to begin the school year.  

We did learn something new about transportation today.  Before today, the use or possession of hand sanitizer by students and bus drivers on school buses was prohibited.  Today, the Department of Health and the New York State Education Department announced that students and bus drivers CAN have hand sanitizer on the bus.

Thank you for your continued support, and have a great weekend.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-

I hope this is finding you cooler than I am.  My office is currently 88 degrees and has been for most of the day.  It is my new weight loss plan.  Actually, they put temporary cooling in the district office while construction is happening but it just doesn’t reach my office well.  No worries though, I could stand to drop 10!

I wanted to get you up to speed on a few things as we head into the bulk of the week.  For starters, we are going to make a calendar change.  The first day of school for students will be September 9^th, not the 8^th.  The 8^th will be used as a conference day so our employees can complete all of the required COVID related trainings..  We are taking a conference day away from October so we can have the conference day on the 8^th

This week, we will be making updates to the FAQ document as well as the one page infographic.  The biggest change for the infographic is that high school students will have limited use of lockers to begin the school year.  Just about everything else will remain the same as of right now.

Thank you, stay cool, and have a great rest of the week!

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Evening-

I hope that this message finds you doing well and getting ready to enjoy the weekend.  I wanted to bring you up to speed on where we are with plans to reopen in September.  In my last message, I indicated that we would be able to have ALL students return to school at Valley, but we would be unable to do the same in our other buildings due to social distancing requirements. I can now provide more detail and will continue to do so into next week and beyond.

Planning for, organizing, and operating Extended School Year at Gorham this summer has given us an awesome opportunity to see what the Fall could look like, just on a much smaller scale.  We tapped into the teachers, drivers, custodians, and administrators of the program to get their take; things that are working well, things that need improvement, and considerations that hadn’t been thought of when the program started.

We combined those thoughts and suggestions with the results of the surveys and the seemingly endless number of ever changing regulations into the best working schedules we could come up with, by building, to start the school year.  Many thanks goes to the entire administrative cabinet for their long hours and collaboration to help us get to where we are today.  There will certainly be changes between now and the start of school, but it is good to know that we have a solid plan…for now.

As I mentioned earlier, we will be able to have ALL students at Valley attend five days per week.  We are going to keep UPK and K as full-day programs.  You may hear about other schools moving those grade levels to half day programs, but we feel strongly that the programs need to remain full-day. All Valley grades will be taught using the cohort model, meaning that students will stay with each other all day.  Cohorting, especially at the younger levels, was a very strong recommendation in all guidance documents.

At Gorham, third graders will attend in person Monday through Thursday.  Friday will be a virtual day.  Fourth grade will attend in person Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  Virtual instruction will happen on Tuesday and Thursday.  Fifth grade will attend in person on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Virtual instruction will take place on Monday and Wednesday.  Gorham students will also be taught using the cohort model.

At the middle school and high school, students will attend in person every other day, using an “A-Day”. “B-Day” schedule.  Middle school students will be taught using the cohort model, and the high school will as well when they can. Students will be split into “A” groups and “B” groups by alphabet (roughly A-K for group “A” and L-Z for group “B”), and great care will be taken to be sure that children with different last names but living under the same roof end up in the same group.

While no hybrid model is ideal, this plan represents the absolute best we could come up with considering the constraints we are facing. As we can get more students back to school, we will.  We will also have plans for students who will be instructed from home.

These are just the schedules.  Attached for your review are the 18 pages of assurances that we also have to have written plans for before we can allow ONE student to enter the building.  We have until July 31st (a week from today) to have these assurances completed and submitted.  We will, and when we do, we will share them, along with opportunities for us to connect, answer questions, and get ready for the start of the school year.

The Commissioner of Education resigned yesterday, and the Governor indicated that he would give his final answer about schools the week of August 3^rd.  Both of these things could bring changes, as could an increase in COVID cases.  For now, this is the plan, and I feel fortunate to be working with such a great team and in such an awesome community2020-21 School Re-Opening Plans - Public School Districts and Charter Schools - 2020 re-opening - 2020 re-opening - GORHAM-MIDDLESEX CSD (MARCUS WHITMAN.pdf .

Thank you and enjoy the weekend.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-

We have been working a lot of uninterrupted hours trying to come up with the best scenarios to reopen school, while keeping our students and employees safe, meeting all of the Department of Health and State Education Department guidelines, and trying to meet the needs expressed in the surveys that we recently administered.
 
We do NOT have final schedules worked out at this time, but hope to have close frameworks finished by the end of the week.  What we do know is that Valley Elementary is the only building that will be able to bring students back five days per week. Gorham, the middle school and high school will have to start the year with some type of hybrid model in order to have enough space and staff to maintain social distancing according to the most recent guidelines.  If the guidelines change, so will our ability to include more students at school every day.
 
We do know that the school year will start without athletics (delayed until September 21st at the earliest), extracurricular activities that cannot run completely virtually, and field trips, unless they are to school owned properties and/or are virtual.  We will also not be able to allow use of our facilities by outside groups to start the school year.
 
We know that whatever we start the school with will likely not be what we finish the school year with, so our initial schedules need to have the flexibility to be changed.
 
We have been wrestling with students and mask wearing and received clarification from the Department of Health today that masks will be mandatory for ALL students unless they have a medical or mental health exemption, in which case we will make accommodations for them.  Students who refuse to wear masks when they need to (hallways, common areas, buses, classrooms when 6 ft cannot be maintained) will be given the option to wear their mask or learn virtually at home. 
 
We know that some parents will be homeschooling their children in the Fall, or will not send their children if they need to wear masks, so we are planning for those types of scenarios in our scheduling as well, and we will have an additional survey about this topic in the very near future.  Rules related to COVID are not our rules, but we need to enforce them, and respect the wishes of those who choose not to follow them by giving alternate means of education.
 
We WILL be able to provide busing for our students, BOCES will be running a five day per week schedule, and we will have some sort of ECO program for our sixth graders who were selected for the program. 
 
The key word for the school year is going to be “flexibility”; especially if we want to retain the maximum number of opportunities for students throughout the school year, and if we want to keep our collective patience!
 
Attached are the community stakeholder survey results, and I will write again when we have schedules completed by building, which I hope to be by the end of this week.
 
Thank you for reading, and I will send more information as soon as we have it.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools MWCSD Stakeholder Input about Reopening - Fall 2020 - Google Forms.pdf 

Good Afternoon-

I hope that you are finding ways to keep cool. I wanted to provide you with some updates with regards to the reopening of schools. First, thank you to the over 500 people who completed our reopening survey. I will share the results with you on Monday, and we are using them in our reopening planning.

Our first choice for the Fall is to have all students back in our schools five days per week. Our second choice is to have a hybrid model, where students would attend a portion of the week, and would use the rest of the week to learn virtually.

We will be using math to make the decision for us. The regulations we have been given state that we must provide 36 square feet of space for each student in their classroom, and 144 square feet of space in music the physical education. Students must have six feet of social distance on the buses as well.

Today, we determined that with student drivers, and some parents driving their children to school, we WILL have enough buses to keep our school times normal whether we go with a regular five day per week schedule, or an alternate/hybrid schedule for students.

We are in the process of measuring every space in every building to determine if we can safely house all of our students and staff. We hope to have that completed over the weekend and that will determine if we can go with the first or second scheduling model.

The regulations also state that students must wear masks when they are not socially distanced unless they have a medical reason not to wear a mask. We will be updating our Codes of Conduct to reflect this regulation.

As you know, everything is subject to change at a moment's notice, but we are going to be using the information above to create our first base plan for reopening. I won't be letting a single student or employee enter our buildings in the Fall unless I would feel comfortable enough to send my own children or grandchildren.

I am going to apologize in advance for the amount of communication you will be receiving over the next few weeks, but I feel that it is very important to keep you in the loop at all times.

Thank you and have a great rest of the week!

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-

Today, the governor informed us that he will have guidance for the reopening of schools available by July 13th. We will then have until July 31st to submit our plan for reopening, and he will make the decision to open or not open schools in September between

August 1st and 7th. To prepare for the guidance, you will be receiving a link soon to a survey that we would like you to fill out so we can include you input in our reopening plans. Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey; we are all in this together.

Our next Foodlink distribution is tomorrow, July 9th, from 2-4PM at the high school, district office side. Each vehicle can pick up for a maximum of two people. In the event that we may run out of food, we may limit the number per vehicle to one. Thank you for understanding, and hope to see you there!

Thank you, stay cool, and enjoy the rest of the week.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Morning-
 
Tomorrow night (Friday) is high school graduation, and I could not be more excited.  Our grounds crew, technology department, and high school administration have worked out every detail to provide a safe and unique graduation ceremony that falls within the Governor’s Executive Order for capacity limits and social distancing.
 
Senior families will be receiving two tickets each, and we have figured out a way to rotate loved ones who received tickets through our football field during the ceremony without exceeding the 150 person capacity limit.  We will be live-streaming the ceremony, and the link will be available on our website tomorrow (Friday).  The ceremony will begin at 6PM sharp, and we are keeping our fingers crossed for cooperative weather!

If you did not receive a ticket to attend graduation, we ask that you watch the livestream from home.  The last thing we want to happen is to have more people than we are allowed to have on site, and jeopardize the ceremony for our students. Thank you!
 
On July 2nd, we will have our second Foodlink distribution at the high school, district office side. The time will be 2-4PM and this is open to any community member in Ontario and Yates counties.  I will send out a reminder next week.

Thank you and enjoy the weekend.
 
Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-

As we get closer to the end of the school year, I wanted to provide some updates regarding the summer and pre-planning for next school year. 

The last day of dinner grab and go for the school year will be this Thursday.  A special thank you to our food service workers and volunteers for providing an excellent service.

Breakfast and lunch grab and go and will end on June 26^th and will restart again on July 6^th.  Beginning July 6^th, breakfast/lunch will be on Monday’s and Thursday’s until August 13^th.  The Monday breakfast pick-up will provide enough food for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  The Thursday pickup will provide enough food for Thursday and Friday.  In order for us to staff properly and make enough food, please complete this short survey…https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScaXVRk7vAJ2dllOvXN4lzuwmYc-i8Bz7G4G-DlMqwUSUWdGg/viewform. Thank you.

Governor Cuomo announced that a limited number of recreational, non-school sports can begin July 6^th.  Our facilities are not available for possible use by Executive Order until we enter Phase 4 and the Governor opens school facilities to students.  As soon as we receive that information, we will let you know. Our playgrounds, track, and fields are open to individuals as long as you properly socially distance.

We do not know what the Fall will bring as of yet, but we will be ready for any eventuality.  We do know that we will be changing the start time of Gorham Intermediate to match the start time of Valley Elementary.  This will allow Gorham to have its own bus run, which will have fewer students on buses, shorter bus run times, and will allow us to provide more thorough cleaning of buses.  Gorham parents will hear more from the building principal in the near future.

School budget vote day is tomorrow, beginning at 5PM.  We will have the results posted on our website and all of our social media sources.  We will also give the results to the local media.

Lastly, a socially distanced, in person high school graduation is still scheduled for June 26^th at 6PM, with a rain date of June 27^th.  Seniors were given directions and two tickets.  The event will also be professionally live streamed for all to view.  We will have more details as we get closer to the big day.

Thank you and have a great week!

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good afternoon-

I wanted to take a few moments to bring you up to speed regarding the school budget vote, and graduation.

Governor Cuomo extended the vote date for school districts.  The original date and time that absentee ballots were to be counted was today, beginning at 5PM.  The new date is June 16^th, beginning at 5PM.

The Governor also stated that between 5PM today and 5PM on June 16^th, we can only accept ballots that are received by mail, and after 5PM today, we cannot give out additional ballots.  We have received over 1,400 ballots so far and we will keep you posted about the results next week.

Governor Cuomo also changed his mind regarding graduations. We can now have a socially distanced, outdoor graduation on our football field with no more than 150 people in attendance. 
The class would like to graduate together, and we will accommodate their request.  When we add the class, plus the school employees necessary to conduct graduation, that gives us 110 people.  We are working on ways to be able to include parents in some way, and will have the full plan available in the next day or two.  We will also have the event professionally live-streamed, and a recording of the event made available. Graduation will on June 26th, with a rain date of June 27th. The time will be 6PM, but it is subject to change.

It’s Taco Tuesday on the menu tonight as well as goulash for the dinner grab and go at the HS from 4:30-6PM, and as a reminder, we will be conducting the Foodlink distribution from 2-4 on Thursday, also at the HS and will have 60 pounds of meat, dairy, and produce available to give to families.

Thank you, stay cool, and I will reach out later this week with any other updates that come our way.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-

A few moments ago we received information from the Department of Health, outlining parameters for graduation.  Unfortunately, and regardless of how hard we pushed, socially distanced in-person graduations were not approved for this school year.

The options we have been given include virtual graduations, drive-in graduations, drive-thru graduations, in person but fewer than 10 people graduations, and home graduations (school officials will not be allowed to get out of their cars).

Ms. Taft and her crew worked tirelessly to provide the best experience they could for the socially distanced, in-person graduation.  With these new parameters, the team will develop a new graduation plan, taking pieces from the drive-thru, virtual, and in-person but fewer than 10 people categories.  We need to give them a few days to put their vision on paper, and I will relay the new plan once it is completed.

Keeping positive is something that I have mentioned during this whole COVID thing, and this time is no different.  We did the absolute best we could to provide an outdoor graduation experience for students and families, and by no fault of our own, we need to change course.  

We will be in touch with the new plan, date(s) and time(s) shortly.

In other news, thank you for returning your school budget ballots.  We have received over 500 so far.  You have until 5PM on June 9th to have your ballot in the District Office.  You can mail the ballot, use our drop box located at the District Office, or drop it/them off during breakfast/lunch/dinner pickup.

I will write again soon about 

Thank you.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-
 
I hope this finds you keeping cool and allergy free. Thanks to all of you who have returned your school budget ballots, and as a reminder, they can be returned by mail, in person during breakfast, lunch and dinner pickups, or at the district office between the hours of 8AM and 2PM M-F. They can also be placed in the drop box that is outside the district office.  Ballots must be in by 5PM on June 9th to be considered.  If you need a ballot, please contact Sharene Benedict at 585-554-4848 x1805.  

The big question continues to be whether we will be allowed to have an outdoor, socially distanced graduation, and there is still no word on that, except “no”.  We will keep pushing, and I have a Zoom call with Bob Duffy, the person heading up the re-opening of NY for our region, on Monday.  Outdoor graduation will be the very first question I will ask about.
 
We also did receive some clarification about summer school.  We will NOT be allowed to have any students on campus this summer for any type of summer school, Extended School Year, or summer reading program; even if the number of students is less than 10.  I specifically asked that of the regional people yesterday and was told that bringing students onto campus for educational purposes would be a violation of the Executive Order of the Governor.  All of this can change, obviously, but these are the rules as of now.
 
We will have Extended School Year and Summer School but they will be virtual. At this point, we will not have summer reading, but if that changes, I will let you know.  As details become available about these programs, we will let you know as well.
 
Mickey Frieda once again helped us to get more Blessings in a Backpack, so we will have more food to hand out with our usual breakfasts/lunches. That is great news, and thanks to Constellation Brands for their generosity in paying for the shipment.

Thank you for your continued support, hang in there, and enjoy the weekend.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

If you are wondering why you got an extra ballot or two for the June 9th school vote, here is the reason and what we are doing about it...

“I hope that you are finding shade or air conditioning somewhere today! You will never hear me seriously say “is it hot enough for you?” but I certainly feel like saying it!

I wanted to reach out to solve the great mystery of why some of our community members received more than one ballot, what we are doing about it, and what it means on June 9th.

First, we consulted with our school attorney to generate a master list of qualified voters. That list included people who are registered voters and live within the school district boundaries, as well as people who voted in last year’s school budget vote. We also captured students who turned 18 in time to register to vote on June 9th.

That list contained duplicates, which our Board Clerk began the process of removing. At the same time, we worked with a company to print the ballots. That company indicated that their computer system would remove the duplicates, and for us to just send them the master list, which we did.

Once ballots were mailed, we began to receive calls and emails from people who received duplicate ballots. We reached out to the company as soon as they opened this morning and they indicated that the system removed several of the duplicates, but not all of them. We are working with the company now to recoup the costs of the duplicate ballots that were sent in error.

Every voter is entitled to cast their vote one time, and we will be using the master voter list on June 9th to make sure that we do not receive duplicate votes. If you received extra ballots, please recycle them. If you did not receive a ballot yet, and think that you should, please contact Sharene Benedict at 585-554-4848 x1805.

In speaking to our school attorney this morning, this scenario is not unique to us, and is a sign of working through the growing pains of this “new normal”. Once we go through the complete voting process, we will make corrections and adjustments, so it is much more efficient should we need to do this again next year.

Thanks for reading, please help spread the word, and have a great rest of the week!-Dr.B”

Good Afternoon-

I hope this finds you well.  I wanted to bring you up to speed on several items. First, we submitted our plans for a potential in-person but socially distanced graduation to the Department of Health and NYS.  If and when we receive feedback or a decision, I will be sure to let you know.  If in-person graduations are not allowed, we will have a virtual ceremony, but a socially distanced in-person graduation is our top choice.

By now you should have received a budget postcard, and today, the electronic newsletter about the budget, called the Annual Report, will be made available.  Tomorrow, absentee ballots will be mailed to all eligible voters in the school district.  If you have not received your ballot by Thursday of next week, please call our office at 585-554-4848 x1805 and we can help you to get a ballot.  Also, please complete and return the ballot as soon as you can because we have to have them at the district office no later than 5PM on Tuesday, June 9th.  If you do not want to return your ballot by mail, you can drop it off to the district office between the hours of 8AM-2PM M-F, or use the drop box that will be located outside of the district office.  Thank you!

New York State is looking for feedback from community members and parents about the reopening of school and they are using Thought Exchange, the same tool that we used to get feedback from you a few weeks ago.  The link to the survey is... https://my.thoughtexchange.com/333518046 and we are in the Wayne Fingerlakes BOCES when you get to that question.

Speaking of our survey, I would like to test out some new broadcasting software we have tomorrow night at 6:30PM.  We now have our own YouTube channel so you can watch "town hall" and other meetings that we will have.  Our YouTube channel will also give you the ability to send questions to us via the chat feature.  You can find this link at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF57RFmgBLyxbxSNsWCCwUA.  The test meeting tomorrow, which you are all invited to attend, will have the survey results, plans for graduation, and other end of the school year items on the agenda.  If you cannot make it to the live event, it will be available at the same link to watch after the fact.  Thank you in advance for helping us to test out some of our new communication software.

Thank you for reading and have a great rest of the week!

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-

I had a really busy day wading into the weeds of COVID life.  One of the meetings was about academics, one was about the budget, one was about the operations of keeping buildings and classrooms clean when students are allowed to come back, and one was getting teachers back into the buildings to collect their personal belongings.  Today, I am going to write about academics.  Next week, I will give an update about everything else.

Academically, Valley and Gorham will be delivering instruction as they have been since schools originally closed.  Report cards will contain narratives only, for the third trimester.  We are coming up with a plan for the last day of new instruction and how we will get Chromebooks back.  Mrs. Cazer and Mr. Pasho will be working with Valley and Gorham staff, parents, and students next week to go through all of the details.

For the middle school and high school, instruction will continue to be delivered as is has been since the original closing of school. The numerical grade that will be used on the report card will be the first three marking periods for the middle school, and the first three marking periods and the mid-term for the high school.  

The fourth quarter will be graded using a rubric (attached).  Students will need to receive a score of “7” or higher in order to pass the fourth quarter.  The report card for the fourth quarter will have a drop down box for the various degrees of passing or failure, plus any comments.

The importance of the fourth quarter for middle school students is that the results will carry into the next grade level for each student, and students may be able to improve their overall grade by how they perform on the rubric.  For high school students, not receiving a score of “7” or higher may mean not being given course credit, or receiving a grade of exempt from a Regents exam (because the course will not be “complete”). High school students can also improve their numerical grade by how they perform in the fourth quarter.  Dr. Cole and Ms. Taft will be providing much more information to middle school and high school staff, students, and parents next week. We will also have a Chromebook return plan developed for the middle school and high school.

Thank you for reading and Happy Mother’s Day to all of the super hero moms out there!

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools Marcus Whitman CSD - 4th Quarter Grading Rubric.pdf 

 

Good Afternoon-

You will be receiving several email messages from me over the next couple of days. This email is about the 2020-2021 school budget vote. As you may have heard, the school budget vote this year will be held by absentee ballot only, and the official budget vote date is June 9th, 2020 at 5PM.

We will be trying to reach every eligible voter in our community by using the Ontario and Yates county voter registration lists, our list of voters from previous school budget votes, as well as our list of 18 year olds who will be eligible to vote by June 9th.

By law, we will be required to send you several mailings including budget postcards, news letters, a financial "report card", and absentee ballots (that will have postage paid return envelopes included).

You will be able to return your ballot via the pre-paid envelope, come to the district office between the hours of 8AM-2PM to drop it off in person, or use a drop box that will also be located at the district office. More detailed instructions will be found in the different mailings that you will receive, but I am always available for help if you need it.

Tomorrow, I will be sending an email that will include the last day of school for students, how they will be graded for the end of the school year, and what to expect from each building from now until the last day of school.

Thank you and have a good evening.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good afternoon- 

Governor Cuomo announced that schools will remain closed through the end of the school year.  Decisions about any type of summer school will be made by mid-may.

I am saddened and disappointed for everyone, but COVID is larger than Marcus Whitman, and largely out of our control.

Our breakfast, lunch and dinner programs will continue, and I will release more information about graduation, grading for the rest of the year, and when the official last day of school will be after I receive information from the state education department next week.

Thank you, and we will make it through this by continuing to work together.

Take care.

Chris

Good Afternoon-

As was mentioned in my phone call, we are using a survey company called Thought Exchange to help us create the best balance between school work and home life.  The link for the survey is... https://my.thoughtexchange.com/549348430.  It is a one question survey.  Once you provide an answer to the question, you will be asked to "star" other comment answers that others have already entered.  Over time, the answers that have the most "stars" will rise to the top as the most important points, and we will be able to make decisions around the answers that are most important to our school community.  Thank you in advance for participating.

Take care.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-

First, congratulations to our Board of Education, employees, students, parents and community members for Marcus Whitman being recognized as a New York State Recognition School for 2020, and a US News and World Reports Best High School for 2020. We work and live in a very special place, and I am honored to be at the helm.

Second, we still do not know when or if we are returning to school this year.  The most up to date information is that we will be returning on May 18th, but the Governor is expected to make an announcement about schools next week.  As soon as I hear more, I will relay the information to you.

Be on the lookout next week for a survey regarding instruction.  We are continuing to work together to provide the best balance between school and home and we need your feedback.

Thank you, hang in there, and enjoy the weekend.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-

I wanted to provide you with an update as we near the end of the week, and head into Easter weekend.  First, ALL of our buildings will be closed tomorrow.  Second, new instruction will begin for middle school and high school students on April 14^th, and April 15^th for Valley and Gorham.  Completed work will be evaluated and counted.  Once we know the status of the remainder of the school year (hopefully in the next two weeks), we will formalize what type of grading we will be using for report cards at each level. Building principals will be sending building specific instruction and grading information home in the coming days.

Third, breakfast/lunch service will be Monday through Friday next week from 11:30AM-1PM.  Dinner service will be on Tuesday and Thursday from 4:30PM-6PM.  

Our website (mwcsd.org) has a link dedicated to all things COVID.  If you missed an email, want to find mental health information, or see anything else that we have sent during this time, you can use the new COVID link.

Thank you for your support, hang in there, and enjoy the weekend.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

A message from the Superintendent:

Good Afternoon-

I hope this finds you full of fresh air on this awesome weather day! The Board of Regents met today and decided to cancel June Regents Examinations. August Examinations are TBD at this point.

At the same time, Governor Cuomo extended school closures until April 29th, at the earliest. We are supposed to be receiving details on both items by tomorrow, and I will update you when I can.

Breakfast and lunch is available this week from 11:30AM-1PM at the HS (Tuesday through Thursday; we will provide enough food for Friday on Thursday's pickup).

Thanks and “see” you soon.

Chris

Good Morning-

I want to thank all of you for your patience as we continue to adjust to this new life we are living.  School is just one of things on our minds these days, but I wanted to provide you with some important updates.

First, we simply do not know when or if students will be returning to school.  The information we are working with right now is that we are out of school until April 15th, unless we are given further direction. We are planning for any eventuality,

Next week is the traditional spring break week, but the New York State Education Department as well as the Governors' office has directed that each school must provide for "continuity of instruction", food availability, and childcare options.

In response to that directive, as well as also finishing the third quarter in an equitable way, we have created a plan.  The grade that students had on March 13th, will be their third quarter grade, unless they complete material that improves their grade before the end of the third quarter, which is April 17th.  Next week, teachers will NOT provide new content, review, or material.  It will be a time for students to make up work if they choose, and catch a breather. 

I will send another message about how the fourth quarter will progress once we have a better idea of how much longer we will be out of school.  New material will be delivered during this time.

Our meal program will continue this week as normal.  Next week, we will provide breakfast and lunch from Monday through Thursday.  There will be no dinner service next week.

As we are all adjusting to our new lives, it is important to create a balance for your children and yourselves, but we need to also move their education forward.  The strength of our continued partnership will pull us all through this.

Thank you for your support, and as always, if you have any questions, please let me know.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of School

Good Afternoon-

This is your Friday afternoon Covid-19 update.  First, we had a very successful week in food service.  We provided over 3,000 breakfasts and lunches, and roughly 1,600 dinner meals.  Thank you to our food service workers and volunteers for providing such a needed service.

Governor Cuomo announced today that schools will remain out of session until April 15th, at which time, he will re-evaluate. 

School construction is now considered non-essential.  We will let you know what impact this will have on our Capital Project timeline, once we know when construction can begin again.

Thank you for listening to and reading all of the information we continue to send out, it is much appreciated. Enjoy the weekend and goodnight.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Good Afternoon-

Our breakfast and lunch pickup was heavily used today, and that is great news.  Due to the volume of meals that people are picking up, as well as the number of deliveries we are making, we are going to use the High School, District Office side as our only point of pickup moving forward.  The pickup time for breakfast and lunch is 11:30AM-1PM.  If you need meals delivered, please call Carla Woolston at 585-554-4848 x 1802.

Dinner service will begin tomorrow from 4:30PM-6:00PM, again at the High School, District Office side.  Tomorrow only, we will will also have non-perishables available for families from the 4:30PM-6PM time.  You will be directed where to go when you enter the parking lot to get both the non-perishables and the meals.  At this time, we are only able to service families who have students currently attending Marcus Whitman.  If we find that we have food remaining, we will send out an alert.  We currently do not have delivery available for dinner, but people can take meals for other families when they pick up their own.  All meals are cooked, refrigerated, and packaged.  Directions will be included on how to reheat the meals.

We met today as a faculty group to discuss how the education process is going.  We are using this week to finish working on how we communicate with families and students, and getting homes and teachers used to the balance of home life and school work life.  We appreciate your patience and help.

I could not be more proud of what everyone is doing at school and in the community to help us work through these challenging times.  We need to stay positive, and understand that there will be bumps in the road during all of this. Keeping the lines of communication open will be more important than ever.

Thank you and have a good evening.

Good Afternoon-

I wanted to provide you with a Friday, March 20th, COVID update.  We handed out or delivered 650 breakfast and lunch packs today to students and families in our community.  I would like to give a huge thank you to all of our employees and volunteers who assisted.  Our food service distribution process will be deemed "essential", so grab and go breakfast/lunch Monday through Friday next week, from 11:30AM-1PM will continue, and we will have grab and go dinners from 4:30PM-6PM Tuesday and Thursday.  Also on Tuesday, we will have boxes and bags of non-perishable foods for Whitman families.  That pickup will coincide with the dinner pick up time of 4:30-6PM.  More details will follow next week.

Parents and Students should continue to check their Schoology accounts for information from their teachers. We have ordered 20 Verizon MIFI units for students who do not have the Internet at home.  They are currently back ordered but will be made available when they arrive. If you do not have Internet access, you will still receive information and communication from teachers as you have been.

Grade 3-8 assessments have been canceled for this year.  We do not have information as of yet regarding Regents Exams, Gemini, or AP exams.

Thank you for being a resilient community.  That being said, this is a time of anxiety for all of us.  We all need to catch our breath over the weekend, figure out what our family, work, and personal needs are moving forward, and hit the ground running (or in our homes), On Monday.  Please remember that I am here for you 24/7 at cbrown@mwcsd.org or 585-554-4848 x1800 or x1805.

Thank you and I will update you with more information as it becomes available.

Have a good weekend.

Good Evening-

I want to personally thank all of you who were able to make it tonight to gather work, clean out lockers, and pick up last minute items.  While I was very proud of the efforts of our staff to have everything so organized, I was sad to say goodbye to students, not knowing when I will see them again.

As a reminder, there is no school tomorrow, but the buildings will be open from eight until noon if you did not get a chance to pick up items tonight.  We will arrange delivery at a later date for any items that remain.

We still plan to begin our grab and go breakfast and lunch process on Friday.  Pick up times will be 11:30-1PM at each of our buildings.  Food will be available for all family members.  A dinner grab and go will begin on Monday, March 23rd, if we are permitted.  More information about dinner service will be sent out at the end of the week, including times of operation.

I met families tonight who have already lost employment due to COVID-19, and others who are unable to get to the grab and go sites.  We will have free and reduced lunch forms at our sites to be taken and filled out if you think you will need it when the students return.  Please call Carla Woolston at 1-585-554-4848 x1802 if you need the grab and go breakfast and lunch delivered. We will do our best to make that happen.

Many of you are under a great deal of stress.  We are here to help you in any way that we can.  Thank you, and I will send another message toward the end of the week, or sooner if necessary.

Chris

Christopher R. Brown, Ph.D.

Superintendent of Schools