Superintendent’s Community Update, May 21, 2021
Dear Hastings Families, Faculty and Staff,
On behalf of the Hastings Public Schools and Board of Education, thank you for supporting the passage of the District’s 2021-22 school budget. Congratulations to the newly elected Board of Education Trustees: Alexander Dal Piaz, Damaris Lois Yamoah Lang, and Doreen Bucher. We welcome them and wish them well.
Below is more information for your review.
Memorial Day Weekend
Next week the District will be closed May 28th-June 1st in observance of Memorial Day. I am sure everyone appreciates this time to relax and enjoy family and friends. I hope everyone has a safe holiday.
Pop Up Clinic Update
The pop-up vaccination clinic for students held on Wednesday at Dobbs Ferry High School was well attended and appreciated by parents and students. Each of the four school districts participating assigned staff members to assist. Tricia Chibbaro, Constance (Connie) Liberatore, and Bob (Bobby) Hanney represented Hastings. We are grateful to them for being there to help with registration and security. We also thank Emily Saltzman, Deputy Director of Operations, at the Westchester County Department of Health for providing the vaccinators and operating the clinic. Please note that vaccine appointments may also be obtained through the following sites:
Mask Wearing Continues
While the CDC relaxed some mask-wearing requirements for fully vaccinated individuals, we have not changed our safety protocols regarding mask-wearing.
HASP Program and Graduation Celebration
Yesterday, the Hastings Alternative High School Program (HASP) honored six students who will be graduating this year. It was heartwarming to hear the students speak about how being in HASP contributed to their success and helped them stay on track to graduate. The students spoke of how the efforts of caring family members, friends, faculty, and administrators prevented them from giving up and falling through the cracks. A special thank you to the HASP faculty, its Director, Peter Scotch, and congratulations to the six graduates.
New York Board of Regents Policy on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
On May 17th, the New York State Board of Regents, the governing body that oversees public education in New York State, issued a mandate to districts to develop and implement policies and practices that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. More information about the Regents DEI initiative can be found here. At next week’s Board of Education meeting on May 25th, Melissa Szymanski, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, will share the DEI work underway in the District.
Federal Funding
The Federal Government provided additional funding to New York State to support schools through the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Plan (ARP ESSER) and the Coronavirus Response & Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act Plan (CRRSA). New York State, in turn, is required to obtain feedback from the public on how the ARP ESSER funds will be used. If you are interested in sharing your feedback with New York State, please review the information provided in this link. At the May 25th Board of Education meeting, we will be discussing how we plan to utilize these extra Federal funds and obtain community feedback.
Remote Learning Option for the 2021-22 School Year
While some states have announced that remote learning will not be offered in the upcoming school year, New York State is allowing school districts to use remote learning in place of snow days. Based on what we know now, the remote learning option available to families this year ends at the close of this school year.
End-of-Year Celebrations
Mr. Adipietro, Ms. Spirelli, and Ms. Cazes will be sharing information about the upcoming end-of-year celebrations. We will follow the guidelines for gatherings provided by the New York State Department of Health.
Mental Health Month
As May comes to a close, please continue to access the NY Project Hope Program of the Westchester Library System, which offers crisis counseling services for adults and children to help manage and cope with changes brought on by the pandemic. The details for how to access free, confidential, and anonymous counseling services can be found here. Please share this flyer with others.
Thank you for continuing to complete the daily COVID health questionnaire, check your child’s symptoms, and follow testing guidelines. Your efforts are deeply appreciated and matter in our goal to keep everyone safe. As a reminder, please remember to keep your child home if your child is awaiting the results of a COVID PCR test or a family member develops COVID symptoms. If your child comes to school they may infect others.
We appreciate all you are doing to support our schools and keep everyone safe. We’ve gotten this far because of the collective efforts of faculty and staff in our schools and the community. Thank you.
I hope you have a safe and pleasant weekend.
Sincerely,
Valerie Henning-Piedmonte, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
