Dear Families,

I hope this weekly update finds you and your families safe and well.  Thank you all so much for notifying me of your family’s health during this time.  It has been a crucial piece in monitoring the spread of the virus within our community.   If you, or anyone in your family, experiences symptoms in line with COVID-19, please continue to notify us.   We are here to support you.

My thoughts this week are with the residents, and their loved ones, of Pine Haven Nursing Home down the road from us in Philmont.  As of yesterday, there were 17 positive cases at Pine Haven, affecting all three of their facility wings.  Hawthorne Valley School made a small donation of N-95 masks to their staff this week.  Please keep the residents and the staff in your thoughts right now.

Testing continues to be restricted for the general public in Columbia County.   However, with 72 cases locally, we can safely predict that this is widespread throughout the county . Columbia County has purchased more tests in hopes to enhance their ability to measure the impact of the virus as it moves through the county.

As of now, the closest place to get tested is at the newly opened drive-thru Capital Region Testing Site at the University of Albany campus (1400 Washington Ave., Colonial Quad parking lot, accessible from main UAlbany entry, off Washington Ave.)  An appointment is required and can be made by calling 888-364-3065 – no walk-ins allowed. 

Most importantly,  if you are sick with any symptoms, stay home for 14 days.  Even if you are sick with another virus or mild respiratory illness, staying home protects you and your community.    We all have the power to slow down the spread.  

A few other resources and points of information I wanted to share:

  • The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (i.e. grocery stores and pharmacies).  Cloth face coverings fashioned from household materials at low cost can be used.  If you and your family are in need of cloth masks, please reply to this email and I can connect you with folks in the community who are making them.

  • We can’t underestimate the impact this public health crisis has on mental health. New York State is partnering with the company Headspace to provide New Yorkers with free mediation and mindfulness resources.  Access a collection of free guided meditations, along with at-home mindfulness exercises and additional resources to help address rising stress and anxiety at www.headspace.com/ny.  Additionally, the New York State Office of Mental Health has a free hotline for anyone experiencing COVID-19 related distress or in need of support.  To seek help, call 1-844-863-9314.

  • Lastly, a reminder about the campus being closed for the time being.  Until further notice, the farmyard, play yards, picnicking areas, and recreational areas of our campus are closed to all families, students, and visitors.  This includes use of the basketball court and picnic tables.  

Thank you for all of your awareness and care for our community.  If we all do our part, we  will slow the spread!

Take good care,

Kara Desiderio
School Nurse

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