Colonial School Update February 22, 2021

Dear Colonial School Community,

Welcome back! I hope you and your children had a relaxing week and are ready to get back to school. I have always been ready when the time comes-as a student, a teacher/parent, and principal. In the time of Covid, vacations are different; stay-cations have new meaning, as my freezer and pantry attest. One year ago I went to Amsterdam to visit my son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. I have not seen them since other than through the miracle of FaceTime and Zoom. I am hopeful that we will start to see the light at the end of this long tunnel. I am one of the lucky ones- two doses of the vaccine, heat and water and plenty to eat.

Over the coming weeks we will be exploring how to get students back to school safely. I have family and friends scattered across the country, the continent, and Europe. I have listened to the various ways different locales are handling the educating of the children, from full remote to full in. It sure is complicated.

Thank you all for your collaboration. "It takes a village" has never meant more.

Have a wonderful week.

Sincerely,

Susan

Important information:

Reminder:

Arrival is between 9:00 and 9:10.

Dismissal is between 2:50 and 3:05.

Dismissal on early release days begins at 11:40

Reopening Planning Survey- The District is asking all families to complete this Reopening Planning Survey, which will help to assess different options for returning more students to full-time in-person instruction. Please access the survey here in English and the links to the survey in Spanish and Albanian respectively. Please be sure to complete it once for each of your children. Survey responses should be complete before Monday, February 22.

Google Form for Reporting COVID-19 Cases- In an effort to make our contact tracing efforts more efficient, we are asking families to complete this Google Form to report positive COVID-19 cases rather than directly notifying your principal. Please read more on the District website.

NYS Travel Advisory- If you plan to travel over the break, please be aware of New York State’s travel advisory and requirements for quarantine. To access the information, please visit the following link: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory

UPCOMING DATES

• 2/22- Schools Re-open with Cohort A for In-Person Learning
• 2/24- Early Release Day Cohort B In Person- Dismissal Begins at 11:40 am
• 3/11- Second Trimester Ends
• 3/16- Parent/ Teacher Conferences from 1:00-4:00 pm
• 3/17- Parent/ Teacher Conferences from 1:00-4:00 pm and 5:00-8:00 pm

Ask a Scientist Event

The District's Math and Science Departments and the Junior League of Pelham are excited to offer a second virtual “Ask a Scientist” event for students in grades 8-12 at 7pm on Monday, February 22. This event will feature Process Engineer at Corning Chemical Company and PMHS 2015 Alum Christin Abraham. Please read more and access the Google Meet link on the District website.