September 30, 2020
Dear Hastings Families,
Out of an abundance of caution, and with the health of our students and District faculty and staff in mind, this morning’s emergency dismissal became necessary. We learned new information this morning during a follow-up conversation with the contact tracer from the Westchester County Department of Health that they, nor we, were unaware of yesterday. Accordingly, we made the decision to shift to remote instruction immediately.
- It became clear that two students had symptoms a day earlier than thought, which made the contagion period overlap with two days the children were present in school. It was reported that one of the students at Farragut Middle School was without a mask and around other students while playing, off school grounds.
- The Westchester County Department of Health has indicated that the students may have had contact with other residents over the weekend. It is the role of the Westchester County Department of Health to notify those it believes were exposed directly. However, the District was informed that some of those exposed are students in the District, and live in households with students at both Hillside and Hastings High School. Without complete information regarding who has been exposed, targeted “stay home” requests were made impossible. The District has no direct knowledge of who has been exposed.
The Westchester County Department of Health has initiated contact tracing and we are working with them to provide the information needed to contact families and District faculty and staff who had contact with the two children.
While today’s earlier notice indicated that remote learning will take place tomorrow, Thursday, October, 1 and Friday, October 2, pending further follow-up with the Westchester County Department of Health, it may be necessary for us to remain in remote learning beyond Friday. In-person events, including athletics, and the use of our buildings and grounds by outside groups are suspended until further notice.
Only essential personnel will be allowed in the schools. All faculty and staff will conduct remote instruction from their homes pending further information.
Tonight’s Board of Education meeting will take place remotely. The information for accessing this Zoom meeting is in BoardDocs and also shared in this week’s Hastings Happening.
Based on what we have learned so far, I cannot overstate the importance of making sure that your children remain at home if they are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. It is also essential for children to wear masks when not at school, maintain social distancing, and frequently wash their hands. We want our schools open, but behavior outside of schools can impact our ability to keep our schools open. If you are interested in getting a COVID-19 test, information about where to obtain a test can be found here.
When children or District faculty and staff return to school after testing positive for COVID-19 or having close contact with someone who tested positive, there are conditions outlined in our School Reopening Plan on pages 20-22 that must be met. If you have questions about these details, please speak to one of our school nurses who can answer your questions. Their contact information is below.
- Hillside Elementary School, Nurse Gina Kowalski, 914-478-6280
- Farragut Middle School, Nurse Joanne Cipollina, 914-478-6225
- Hastings High School, Nurse Donna Morin Doyle, 914-478-6224
Based upon what was learned this morning, it was necessary for me to close the schools while we determine the extent of the exposure which will be learned through contact tracing. This also gives us an opportunity for additional disinfection and sanitization of all buildings and grounds.
I know that hearing this information is upsetting and causes fear. We continue to prioritize the health, safety, and welfare of all children and District faculty and staff. I’ll follow up on Friday with another update to the community.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Sincerely,
Valerie Henning-Piedmonte
