Dear BC family,
Thank you for your patience and your cooperation as we continue to navigate COVID’s omicron surge. On Jan. 13, we received additional guidance from the New York State Department of Health regarding isolation and quarantine. Our health team is reviewing these documents and we will share any changes to our protocols with you early next week. The guidance from DOH mostly follows the CDC’s five-day isolation and quarantine protocols that have been in place here in the district since the beginning of the week.
We have been fortunate that our staffing levels have not necessitated a shift to remote learning, however, we still have many students who are unable to come to school due to COVID-related absences. This week alone, we have reported more than new 100 positive student cases, with 19 new cases being reported last Friday. Therefore, we will continue our livestreaming option for these students for another week. By next Friday, I hope to report that we have had a steep enough drop in cases that we will be able to return to our tutoring model for addressing the needs of students who are forced to stay home. If so, we will end livestreaming at that time.
On Friday, Feb. 4, we are planning to host an afterschool Vaccine Booster Clinic. This clinic, in partnership with Crestwood Pharmacy, will be available to all eligible staff and students, ages 12 and older. The clinic will be for booster shots only. We will survey families and staff next week to get an estimate of how many people are interested in receiving a booster shot at the school clinic on Feb. 4. Please watch for that information.
If your child has already received a booster shot, please share that information with your child’s school nurse.
Vaccine locations and information are always available at the Albany County website..
Also, please note that I am planning a mid-year Q & A on Thursday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. to answer your questions regarding health and safety, instruction, transportation and more. Please plan to join me then. As we look toward the weekend, I want to thank our hardworking faculty, staff and building leaders who have navigated the last two weeks with tireless dedication, professionalism, teamwork and even good humor. This is a very special group of people that I am proud to work with.
Sincerely,
Jody Monroe
Bethlehem Central Superintendent
