HCS Reopening Updates and Reminders

Greetings Honeoye Central School District Community,

I hope this email finds you well and that you enjoyed the spectacular weather we had this weekend! I am reaching out to share a few updates with you as we launch the final week in August... difficult to imagine that we have just over two weeks left before reopening of schools.

KUDOS HCS: HCS Identified in US News as a 2020 Best High School
The US News and World Report annually identifies high school rankings at the local, state and national level.  A "BEST" high school ranking is determined by institution outcomes and student performance in the areas of math, reading, college level exams and graduation rates.  Shout out to HCS for designation as a Best High School!

Class Lists, Cohorts and Mailings
The placement process at the elementary school level should be finalized early this week.  The designation of cohorts at the secondary level was finalized on Friday, 8/21.  We expect that PreK-12 student placement, cohort designation, and master schedule information will be mailed to families this week.  Please note: In the event that adjustments must be made to elementary student placements or secondary cohort designations and/or schedules, our elementary or secondary office staff will notify families on an individual basis.

Save the Date: Honeoye Central School District Town Halls
HCS will offer additional opportunities for families to participate in Town Hall meetings on the upcoming dates and times listed below:

• 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?

GoogleMeet access information will be shared with families via email 24-48 hours prior to each scheduled Town Hall meeting.

Medication Drop-Off:  Thursday, September 3rd and Tuesday, September 8, 2020
HCS School Nurse, Marybeth Tonkery, will be scheduling medication drop offs for students, by appointment only, on September 3 and September 8. Please email Mrs. Tonkery at [email protected], or call the Nurse’s Office at 585-229-5171 ext. 3013, to schedule an appointment.  Please remember:

• Medication MUST be in original container labeled with Student Name, Medication Name, Dose and Frequency.
• ALSO - You MUST have documentation from your doctor stating the Student Name, Medication Name, Dose and Frequency.

Screenings at Honeoye Central School District
Per NYSDOH, health screenings are required for faculty, staff, students, contractors, vendors, and visitors.  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. Additionally, HCS has moved forward with the purchase of ParentSquare, which is a safe and secure platform for all school-to-home communication.  Families will be required to conduct temperature checks of students each morning and communicate non numeric results to HCS each morning via Parent Square. Nicki Klingensmith, our Director of Instructional Technology, hopes to have more information about this process and platform to share with families in the upcoming week(s).  Additional notes about screenings, per the HCS Reopening Plan:

• Daily health screenings for employees, contractors, vendors and visitors include daily temperature checks and completion of a screening questionnaire.
• Health screenings must be completed by staff and students (parents) prior to arrival to school.
• Families will be required to provide daily confirmation of temperature less than 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit /absence of fever.
• Daily temperature checks and periodic completion of a screening questionnaire are required for all students. HCS will utilize Parent Square to collect daily non numeric temperature check information from families.  HCS will utilize Parent Square to collect bi weekly non numeric screening questionnaire information from families.  A laminated Screening Checklist will be provided in welcome back materials to students’ families for periodic completion. The screening checklist will also include signs and symptoms of illness that require a child to stay home from school.

Masking at Honeoye Central School District
We have fielded significant inquiries specific to student and staff masking.  Face coverings/masks are “strongly recommended” by the NYSDOH at ALL TIMES.  Per the NYSDOH, acceptable face coverings include but are not limited to cloth based face coverings (handmade sewn, quick cut, bandana) and surgical masks that cover BOTH the mouth and nose. Face coverings are meant to protect other people in case the wearer is unknowingly infected but does not have symptoms.  At Honeoye Central School District, all students, faculty, and staff must wear a mask/face covering at all times, most notably:

• Whenever they are within 6 feet of someone: 
• Upon entry and exit to campus;
• Upon entry and exit to cafeteria;
• During all transitions which require travel to alternate areas on campus;
• In hallways;
• In restrooms; 
• In other congregate settings, including buses
• In locker rooms (note: there will be no changing for PE at this time); and
• In office spaces.

Note: At Honeoye Central School District, masking breaks will be incorporated for students during the instructional day, as practicable, when students are located in their classroom AND can be positioned six feet away from any other individual. Mask breaks will be “teacher directed.”

Toolkit for Helping A Child Wear a Mask
The University of Rochester Medical Center has developed and shared a Masking Toolkit for families to utilize with their children in effort to support consistent wearing of masks. This resource has been posted on the HCS website and is also attached to this email.  It has been suggested that the medical community will continue to promote the use of masks and that based on the CDC and DOH guidance, there will be few mask exemptions. Note: In the event there are medical circumstances which prohibit a student from wearing a mask, families must work with Marybeth Tonkery to secure a valid mask exemption for the child. Such exemption requires documentation from a pediatrician or primary care provider. 

Reminder: Honeoye School District COVID Testing Plan 
Honeoye Central School District will work with the Ontario County Department of Health to establish who in the community is responsible for referring, sourcing, and administering testing (e.g., local health department testing site, physician offices, hospital system) particularly in the event that large-scale testing at the school is needed.  Please note: Any staff or student who displays symptoms of COVID-19 will be placed in a designated isolation space, evaluated and supervised by our school nurse, Marybeth Tonkery.

Upon evaluation by the nurse and confirmation of COVID-19 symptom(s), a symptomatic student will remain in the isolation room until they are picked up by a parent/guardian. A symptomatic staff member will be directed to go home for the day.  Any individual who presents as symptomatic 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 clearance has been secured by HCS School Nurse, Marybeth Tonkery, in accordance with the Department of Health guidance. 

Reminder: Honeoye Central School District Contact Tracing Plan
The Honeoye Central School District will coordinate closely with the local Department of Health in the event a situation warrants contract tracing. The Ontario County Department of Health will facilitate the contact tracing process for our district.  Records such as daily attendance, class by class attendance, the student management system, our camera system, seating charts (bus and classroom), and visitor logs (as permitted) will support collaboration with the local DOH to provide the information needed to conduct a proper and thorough Contact Tracing process.

Grim Outlook: State Budget, Payments Withheld and Possible State Aid Reductions
Last week, the Division of the Budget (DOB) provided an update to our state's financial situation. The news is not good for us.  If the federal government does not provide funding to the state, state spending will need to be reduced significantly ($10.1 billion) from the budget enacted last spring.  New York State has already begun withholding 20% of local aid payments expected by school districts this summer.  The DOB update indicated that, “All or a portion of these withholds may be converted to permanent cuts, depending on the size and timing of new federal aid, if any.”   

Mike Bastian, our HCS Business Official, and I will be spending time together this upcoming week to determine the immediate impact of local aid payment withholdings and to begin development of plans in the event that our NYS withholdings become "reductions."  As we navigate the volatile fiscal terrain ahead, we aspire to maintain programming and services in the PROUD tradition of HCS and remain hopeful that we will be afforded relief from the financial trajectory that NYS public education faces right now.

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 for your continued patience, understanding, and flexibility throughout this period of uncertainty.  We appreciate your partnership in advocacy for Honeoye students

Warmest regards to each and every Bulldog,
E. Bridget Ashton

Elizabeth Bridget Ashton