Greetings Holley Families,
I wanted to provide an update to our families on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and our school district. Clearly, we are in the midst of challenging and unprecedented times. We are all working to navigate unknown situations at work, at school and at home. Please know that the health and safety of our students, staff and school community will continue to be the priority in all decisions.
Here’s a current update for Holley:
- There is no current plan to close school. If that changes, we will communicate with families via the ConnectEd system (email and voice messages).
- We have postponed the HS Musical that was scheduled to occur this weekend. We hope to reschedule this event in the future. We will communicate those plans when decisions are made.
- We have canceled all field trips, especially out of state and overnight trips (e.g., Ski Trip), for the foreseeable future. However, decisions about trips (e.g., the HS band/chorus trip) that are scheduled for later in the spring will be made as we get closer to the dates. The same is true for events such as district concerts. We will communicate decisions about events involving our district, as timely as we can, and with the best information to inform our decisions.
- Currently, all spring athletics are still occurring. Student-athletes in those sports will be allowed to practice. No decisions about future games and athletic events have been made at this time. If this situation changes, we will communicate to students, coaches and families.
- We will be limiting visitors to our schools. We will be closing our community fitness center in the Elementary School and hallway walker program until further notice. Also, we will be reaching out to groups who have asked to use our schools (cafeterias, gyms, auditorium, etc.), to inform them that we may not be able to accommodate them at this time.
Although there is not a current plan to close school, being prepared will be critically important for our district and families, should a decision to close occur. This afternoon, our instructional staff, BOCES tech support and administrators worked together on preparing plans for student learning to occur at home, should this be necessary in the near future. In the event that we need to close, specific instructions will be given to students (online or in person if possible) and sent to families about these at-home instructional provisions, in the event that students can’t come into our buildings.
We will continue to follow the guidance from NYS and our local health departments, as we evaluate all scenarios in which we might need to close our school. Once again, there are no definitive plans to close at this time; however, we recommend that our families begin preparing for childcare in case closing school becomes a reality.
In the event of an extended closure, we are working on preparations for the distribution of food and other resources. As a reminder, the district has protocols in place, such as cleaning and disinfecting throughout our schools, to minimize the spread of viruses and a variety of other illnesses. There are a number of steps that students, staff and community members can take to minimize the spread of all respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, according to the State Department of Health:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Thank you for your continued support and patience during this challenging time. I’m confident the Holley community will get through this by working together.
Best wishes for continued good health.
Brian Bartalo
Superintendent of Schools
Holley Central School District