8/14/2020 Reopening Updates

Dear Honeoye Central School District Community,
 
Hoping this note finds you well and enjoying the beautiful weather! I cannot believe it is August 14 already... In a mere few weeks we will be opening the doors for the return of HCS students and staff!  This summer has flown in a flurry of planning and preparation for our very nontraditional return to school within the context of COVID. 

I am reaching out today to provide a few brief updates: 

• As directed by Governor Cuomo in his 8/7 address surrounding the reopening of schools, information pertaining to COVID Testing, Contact Tracing and a 100% Remote learning model has been extracted from the Honeoye Central School District Reopening Plan and is readily accessible on our website. 
• Our school nurse, Marybeth Tonkery, has spent countless hours developing protocols to ensure that we are prepared to execute the health and safety provisions of our plan for reopening. Mrs. Tonkery has developed a COVID-19 Health and Safety Handbook intended to inform, instruct and emphasize the importance of the health and safety considerations of reopening for the 2020-21 school year.  The handbook is now available now on the HCS webpage (Reopening 2020 link or on Nurse’s Office page). It will also be copied and distributed to all HCS families with August mailings.
• HCS has purchased and will be installing four FeverWarn scanning units. FeverWarn is a skin temperature scanning system which will serve as a virtual screening tool (temperature check) at our elementary (3) and District Office (1) entrances.
• HCS has moved forward with the purchase of ParentSquare, which is a safe and secure platform for all school-to-home communication. ParentSquare includes functionality features such as messaging, private conversations, and district-wide alerts and notices.  Initially, we will utilize Parent Square for collection of COVID-19 screening information from families (and likely staff members too!) and for district level communications via email and telephone. Regrettably, it is likely that we will not have information for families surrounding how this screening will be implemented until closer to 9/1. Thank you in advance for your patience. 
• HCS has conducted three Town Hall meetings with our community about the HCS Reopening Plan on the following dates and times: 8/5, 8/7 and 8/10.  Save the dates: HCS will offer additional opportunities for families to participate in Town Hall meetings on the upcoming dates and times below:
  • 8/19 3:00 - 4:00 ~ Grades PreK-5 Safety and Instructional Focus
  • 8/19 4:00 - 5:00 ~ Grades 6-12 Safety and Instructional Focus
  • 9/23 5:30 - 6:30 ~ Progress Monitoring: How are things going at secondary level?
  • 9/23 6:30 - 7:30 ~ Progress Monitoring: How are things going at elementary level?

Please note: The placement process at the elementary school level will be finalized the week of August 17 so that we may factor commitment letter data surrounding both models of programming into cohort groupings: 100% in-person OR 100% remote learning. The designation of cohorts at the secondary level will be finalized the week of August 17 so that we may factor commitment letter data surrounding both models of programming into cohort groupings: 50% in-person/50% remote learning OR 100% remote learning. Student placement, cohort designation, and master schedule information will be mailed to families the week of August 24. Thank you for your continued patience.

As always, in the event that you have a question(s) or concern(s) that you would like to discuss surrounding our reopening plan or otherwise, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected],  Elementary School Principal, Margie Wright at [email protected], or Secondary School Principal, Addie Klaehn at [email protected].
 
Thank you to everyone for their continued patience, understanding, and flexibility throughout this period of uncertainty.  We appreciate your partnership in advocacy for Honeoye students.
 
Best to you and yours,
E. Bridget Ashton