Roslyn Public Schools
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS 

June 15, 2020
Dear Roslyn Families,
 
As we reach the final day of the school year for students, I want to thank our school community for its patience and support over the last three months. It is an understatement to say that this has been an extraordinarily unusual and difficult period. No one likes to live with uncertainty, and we are all having to endure high levels of uncertainty for an extended period of time.  As an educational leader who is accustomed to making plans months and years ahead, it is uncomfortable not to have answers to all of your questions about what our schools will look like in the new school year.
 
Having said that, we are working tirelessly every single day on developing plans to reopen schools safely in September. Tomorrow, staff members will participate in a conference day to review and plan; we don't want to waste one day in the process of getting ready for the fall. Even as we follow the guidelines from New York State, the CDC, and local health authorities, we know that these guidelines are frequently updated. We have to continue to expect that as conditions change, our responses to those conditions will also have to change.
 
Your responses to the surveys will be very, very helpful. You should be pleased to know that a great many of the suggestions that we have read so far are ones that we are already contemplating, which means that we are on the same page about the general outlines of a "new normal".  As a parent, I totally understand the anxiety and frustration that so many of you have experienced, and am grateful that those feelings have been channeled into constructive ideas for the future of our schools.
 
Though the school year has technically ended, celebrations continue. Last week, we marked the moving up of fifth graders at East Hills and Harbor Hill with lovely drive-by celebrations. Over the last two weeks, the high school held a drive-by parade of seniors at the school, a remote "Senior Sunset" program, a virtual yearbook signing, and a day-long graduation parade by teachers and other staff members who passed by the homes of every graduating senior. Tomorrow, we will congratulate our eighth-graders in a special graduation event at the middle school, and next week, we will have a series of ceremonies where our high school graduates will receive their diplomas. (The high school track and tennis courts will be closed on Monday, June 22 through Thursday, June 25 from 7am to 3pm to accommodate these ceremonies on the football field.) These celebrations will culminate in a virtual Roslyn High School graduation ceremony on Friday, June 26. There are videos and slide shows of these events on our website. I thank all of our students, parents and staff for their spirit of cooperation in the organization of these and other unique events to honor our students and their achievements.
 
Please enjoy your summer break from school. I hope you are able to refresh and renew your spirits over the next couple of months. I will continue to keep you updated about any important developments, and the administrative staff will be available throughout the summer to address your questions and concerns. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Allison Brown