September 4 Parent Communication
Dear NCS Parents and Guardians:
With Labor Day Weekend on the horizon, I wanted to reach out with a handful of important updates as we prepare to welcome students back to school on Wednesday, September 9. However, because guidance related to COVID-19 continues to change on a regular basis, I would ask that you review the following details carefully, and reach out with any questions or concerns (585-374-7901; mfrahm@naplescsd.org).
Daily Health Screening Tool (Operoo):
Before coming to school each day, students and staff will have to complete a brief health screening. Because districts need to be able to verify that individuals have been screened, we ultimately selected a digital system called “Operoo” because of its email/text capabilities as well as its security measures.
Later on this afternoon, you should receive a message prompting you to create a password for your Operoo account. Once you sign in, you will begin receiving daily notifications on September 9. It is critical that you take time to complete the Operoo screenings if your child is attending school as an in-person learner, and we would ask that you let us know if you are experiencing difficulties with the system.
Return to School After COVID-19 Symptoms:
If a student or a staff member exhibits any COVID-19 symptoms, the Department of Health is requiring that they receive a negative COVID-19 test before returning to in-person learning. Although school leaders and medical practitioners have voiced concerns about COVID-19 symptoms that overlap with ordinary and annual illnesses, the guidance has not been modified at this point in time. Because of these current expectations, I wanted to pass along a link (click here) that is helpful in locating testing centers, and to ask that you contact a school nurse directly if your son or daughter is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19.
Breakfast and Lunch Program:
Since the middle of March, all students have been eligible to receive free meals due to a waiver from the United States Department of Agriculture. Earlier this week, we learned that the waiver had been extended, and that all NCS students will continue to be eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch on a daily basis through the end of the calendar year. However, because there are concerns that the program could end earlier if federal funds are not available, we are still asking that families take a few minutes to fill out the free and reduced price meal applications shared by our Food Service Director.
Additionally, if your child(ren) is a remote or hybrid learner and you would like to pick up meals for them each week, please take 30 seconds to complete this brief survey (click here) so that we can contact you about details.
Athletics:
Last week, schools learned that they would have the option of resuming certain athletic activities after September 21. Later on this afternoon, districts will receive detailed information from NYS, and our Athletic Director (Mr. Greg Parzych) will communicate with families once we have a better understanding of how the guidance will impact sports programs in our region.
Communications from School:
Because the 2020/2021 school year will involve so many different procedures, we have tried to communicate as much as possible using Zoom calls, Facebook Live conversations, emails, phone calls, and mailings. However, if you have questions related to previous messages, I would encourage you to visit our Reopening Webpage (click here) to access archived information.
Additionally, if you would like to connect once more before the start of school, I would invite you to join a Zoom conversation at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening using the following link:
https://naplescsd-org.zoom.us/j/91520534496
Meeting ID: 915 2053 4496
What Matters Most:
A couple weeks ago, I drove by a road sign that said, “Drive Like Your Kids Live Here.” As we prepare to reopen next week, we know that you are entrusting us with the safety of your son or daughter when you put the on the bus or drop them off at school. Please know that we are focused on their well-being, and that we are committed to wrapping them in the same levels of connection and care that we would give to our own children.
On behalf of our Big Green family (click here), we look forward to seeing you soon!
Matt
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