September 9, 2020
Dear Parents /Guardians,
I am elated to write this letter and share with you some of the positive outcomes of the re-opening of schools.
-
Our students are back!!!
-
Our teachers and staff were thrilled to greet children and start the new school year in person!
-
We heard laughter and saw bright smiles through children’s eyes. What a great way to start!
-
Special attention is being paid to acclimate children back to school, reinforce and practice building procedures and respond to any individual student needs. Please do not hesitate to reach out to any administrator or teacher with concerns.
-
The re-opening plan is in full swing and we have had a successful first day (X2). We are making minor adjustments, where necessary, and will continue to keep you updated.
-
Birthdays are being celebrated, books and materials are in children’s hands, new friendships are being formed and old ones are being rekindled. The halls are starting to buzz again and our upperclassmen are ready to take on new challenges. Music to our ears!
-
Teachers and staff have been very helpful in taking student temperatures each day. We have made adjustments to our procedures to provide for greater accuracy. All student temperature checks will be taken at their forehead in order to adhere to the recommended instructions.
-
Arrival and dismissal has been tweaked at Cutchogue East. We are making adjustments to the drop-off time to alleviate any back-up on the Main Road. Please follow Dr. Devine’s new directions. Thank you for your patience and volunteering to drive your child, where possible.
-
The desk barriers for Cutchogue East are scheduled to arrive on Friday. They will be installed next week in time for the full-in-person learning on September 21, 2020.
-
We have ordered desktop placemats for the high school. These are made of PETG plastic which is a thermoplastic polyester that provides for significant chemical resistance. Students will take these from class to class and they will be sanitized each night and returned for the child’s first period class. In the meantime, we have ordered disposable ones to be used for now.
-
Please check the calendar and await information on the upcoming Virtual Back to School Nights.
-
We could not have made it this far without Tom Kelly, Director of Facilities, and his team for working long hours this summer and over the Labor Day weekend in order for our schools to be properly reconfigured, sanitized and freshly painted. You did it and we are grateful!
-
Shout-out to our technology team and clerical for making the necessary system updates, adding and removing equipment, responding to parent phone calls as well as keeping up with the multiple changes to ensure for a smooth opening. You are amazing!
-
Yesterday, our administrators finally smiled again. They worked tirelessly to prepare for these first days and the days to come. Thank you for sending good wishes, your gratitude and encouragement… this means more than you know!
-
AND Let’s Not Forget, even 6’ apart our teachers are still instructing with lots of HEART!
Wishing you and your family a healthy, happy and exciting year ahead!
Jill Gierasch
Superintendent of Schools