June 8, 2020
Dear Families and Staff,
On behalf of the Oneida City School District, we hope you and your families are remaining safe and doing your best to follow guidance regarding measures to re-open our state and county. We are committed to communicating information as it becomes available.
Thank you!
Thank you to our parents and families that have helped their children and our teachers to continue learning this spring!! It is this partnership and teamwork that makes Oneida such a wonderful community. It is my hope that you will find time this summer to reconnect with family and friends, recharge, relax and rest!
Visits to buildings
On June 1, 2020, building principals, administrators, building secretaries/typists, custodians and maintenance staff began working at their regular locations/buildings for their regular work hours. Families and community members can begin contacting the building via our regular phone numbers. As rules and procedures change, we will keep our families informed.
Graduation
The high school administration and senior class advisors have been working with the Class of 2020 officers to plan events for the senior class. The Governor continues to change the rules regarding allowable activities. Final decisions about graduation will be made closer to our June 27, 2020 graduation date as we anticipate that rules will continue to change.
Budget and BOE election
On Sunday June 7, 2020, Governor Cuomo announced that he will issue an extension of time for qualified voters to submit their ballots. Pursuant to the executive order, school budget ballots can be accepted by hand delivery through 5pm on June 9th and received by mail through 5 pm on June 16th by the school district. The district office at 565 Sayles Street will be open Monday, June 8 from 7:30 AM- 7:00 PM or on Tuesday, June 9 from 7:30 AM- 5:00 PM for voters that would like to hand deliver a ballot.
Summer feeding
The district will be moving to a summer feeding program after school ends. The food service department will begin summer feeding on July 6 and continue until August 13. Grab and go lunches will be served at Willard Prior and Durhamville.
Recent tragedies and unrest
As a district, we acknowledge the pain, grief and sorrow that many community members are experiencing following the death of George Floyd. Events like these can be challenging for young people to process, and the social isolation of the pandemic adds another layer to the challenge. Oneida is committed to creating a learning environment that is safe for all. As a school community, we must come together and find ways to support our students as they process these events. If you have questions or concerns about how to best support your child,please reach out to your child’s teacher, school counselor, or building principal.
School in the fall
We still do not have any indication about what school will look like in the fall. Additionally, I anticipate that we will be informed at the last minute. When we have definitive information from NYSED, we will share the information.
Oneida City School District remains committed to open and transparent communications to support our students during this crisis. Our priority is the safety and education of all our students. As always, thank you for your patience, understanding and flexibility.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent
May 20, 2020
Dear Families and Staff,
On behalf of the Oneida City School District, we hope you and your families are remaining safe and doing your best to follow guidance regarding measures to re-open our state and county. Guidance continues to be provided by state agencies and we recognize that this raises questions about potential impacts on students, families and our full community. We are committed to communicating information as it becomes available.
Last day of instruction
NYSED and the Governor’s office has not provided any additional guidance regarding the 180-day instruction requirement. We have decided that the last day of instruction will be on June 16, 2020 as we will have reached 180 days of instruction by that point.
Summer School
The district is working with BOCES to hold a virtual summer school for high school students.
Re-opening buildings
On June 1, 2020, building principals, administrators, building secretaries/typists, custodians and maintenance staff will report to their regular locations/buildings for their regular work hours. Families and community members can begin contacting the building via our regular phone numbers. We will be establishing guidelines that include self screening, social distancing, and use of masks.
Summer feeding
The district will be moving to a summer feeding program after school ends. The food service department is working
on the specifics. Additional information will be provided soon.
School in the fall
We still do not have any indication about what school will look like in the fall. Additionally, I anticipate that we will be informed at the last minute. When we have definitive information from NYSED, we will share the
information.
Chromebook collection
The district will not be collecting chrome books for grades 7-11. The high school and technology department will be working with our seniors to collect their chrome books.
Thank you!
Thank you to our parents and families that have helped their children and our teachers to continue learning this spring!! It is this partnership and teamwork that makes Oneida such a wonderful community. It is my hope that you will find time this summer to reconnect with family and friends, recharge, relax and rest!
Oneida City School District remains committed to open and transparent communications to support our students during this crisis. Our priority is the safety and education of all our students. As always, thank you for your patience, understanding and flexibility.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent
Dear Families and Staff,
On behalf of the Oneida City School District, we hope you and your families are remaining safe and doing your best to follow guidance regarding measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 within our community. Events have continued to unfold, and we recognize that this raises questions about potential impacts on students, families and our full community. Where answers exist, we will work quickly to provide them. However, we anticipate that many other questions will require additional research and/or consultation with local, state or federal officials.
Buildings closed
On May 1, 2020, Governor Cuomo announced that school buildings should be closed for the rest of the school year. Additionally, the Governor indicated that summer and fall openings will be determined at a later date. This leaves many questions still unanswered for the district. As soon as we have additional information, we will share it with our families.
Student items in school
The building principals will be meeting in the next week to discuss June dates for each building and each student/family to retrieve personal items that were left in school. Each building principal will communicate the dates and times for this.
Budget Vote and BOE election
Governor Cuomo announced on Friday that school budget votes and BOE member elections will take place on June 9, 2020. Additionally, the district will hold a remote annual meeting and all voters will vote via absentee ballots. The district will be sending voting information to all residents in the near future.
Technology and internet access
The school district ordered additional Chromebooks in March. Unfortunately, we were informed that the Chromebooks would be delivered late. We now are anticipating the Chromebooks to be delivered to the district on approximately May 22, 2020. Additionally, the school district will need to unbox and inventory them prior to delivering the Chromebooks on the busses.
The school district has also placed wifi access points on two buildings near the parking lots. More information can be found at: https://www.oneidacsd.org/c_o_v_i_d-19/wi_fi_hot_spot_lots
For families that are having difficulty with accessibility please contact your counselor, teacher, or principal as we can provide alternative activities on paper copies and documents on flash drives. We encourage all students and families to communicate with your counselor, teacher, and principal.
Class of 2020
The survey results strongly indicated that both students and families desire an in person graduation ceremony. We would love to see this happen and we will be planning alternative dates for the ceremony if we cannot have the ceremony on June 27, 2020. We need further guidance from NYS and Madison county to move forward with the plans. Please be patient and flexible as the guidance may come later than we would like. We are also working on a virtual graduation as an additional extra for our graduating seniors. Families of graduating seniors will receive additional information about decisions as they are made.
School Feeding Program
Our food service department continues to support students who are food dependent on the district. We will continue to provide meals throughout our closure. Information regarding ‘Grab and Go” meals can be found at www.oneidacsd.org > COVID-19 or: https://www.oneidacsd.org/c_o_v_i_d-19/grab-and-_go_meals
Childcare for Essential Employees in Our Community
Child care placement is available to personnel who provide essential services, supplies, or support during this unprecedented time. Essential personnel can call the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison Child Care Resource Center at 315-223-7850 extension 222 or email [email protected] for information on childcare placement. The Child Care Resource Center will continue to evaluate and adjust plans as necessary to best meet the childcare needs of essential personnel. Thank you to all essential personnel who continue to protect and support our community.
Communication
Contact emails for each building:
Oneida City School District remains committed to open and transparent communications to support our students during this crisis. Our priority is the safety and education of all our students. As always, thank you for your patience, understanding and flexibility.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent
April 17, 2020
Dear Families and Staff,
On behalf of the Oneida City School District, we hope you and your families are remaining safe and doing your best to follow guidance regarding measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 within our community. Events have continued to unfold, and we recognize that this raises questions about potential impacts on students, families and our full community. Where answers exist, we will work quickly to provide them. However, we anticipate that many other questions will require additional research and/or consultation with local, state or federal officials.
Return to school buildings date
On April 16, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued an executive order that schools should be closed through May 15, 2020. If we receive additional information, we will share it will our families.
Technology and internet access
The school district ordered additional Chromebooks over three weeks ago for grades 3-6 with the understanding that it would take 3 weeks for delivery. Unfortunately, we were informed that the Chromebooks would be delivered late. We now are anticipating the Chromebooks to be delivered in the next 4 weeks. Additionally, the school district will need to unbox and inventory them prior to delivering the Chromebooks on the busses.
The school district has also placed wifi access points on two buildings near the parking lots. More information can be found at: https://www.oneidacsd.org/c_o_v_i_d-19/wi_fi_hot_spot_lots
For families that are having difficulty with accessibility please contact your counselor, teacher, or principal as we can provide alternative activities on paper copies and documents on flash drives. We encourage all students and families to communicate with your counselor, teacher, and principal.
iLearning
Our Executive Principal and Administrator for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment have sent letters to families sharing information about instruction that started this week. We have been working with our staff and colleagues to determine the best course of action with grading for our HS students. This has been a difficult process as many of our students rely on grades for scholarships, diploma requirements and applications for further education. We hope to share information with you soon about how grades will be calculated. We anticipate that our decision will be a work in progress and may need to flex depending on individual situations. We ask that parents and students communicate with the HS regarding extenuating circumstances.
Class of 2020
This morning the district met with the senior class executive committee (4 students) and the class advisors to begin brainstorming how to make our senior events memorable and to make sure we have student and parent voice in any decisions that are made. We will be asking our students and parents/guardians of graduating seniors to share their thoughts! Please stay tuned.
Community
In the past few weeks our community has come together to support and help each other in tremendous ways! We have seen blood drives, food and monetary donations to local charities, people helping others at the grocery stores, donation of handmade face masks, doors being decorated to honor the class of 2020, teachers helping teachers get ready to use google classroom, students supporting students whose families are struggling, and parents helping parents with childcare and teaching. The overall generosity and support in our community is what makes us Oneida!!! Our schools are proud to be part of this community!
School Feeding Program
Our food service department continues to support students who are food dependent on the district. We will continue to provide meals throughout our closure. Information regarding ‘Grab and Go” meals can be found at www.oneidacsd.org > COVID-19 or: https://www.oneidacsd.org/c_o_v_i_d-19/grab-and-_go_meals
Childcare for Essential Employees in Our Community
Child care placement is available to personnel who provide essential services, supplies, or support during this unprecedented time. Essential personnel can call the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison Child Care Resource Center at 315-223-7850 extension 222 or email [email protected] for information on childcare placement. The Child Care Resource Center will continue to evaluate and adjust plans as necessary to best meet the childcare needs of essential personnel. Thank you to all essential personnel who continue to protect and support our community.
Communication
Contact emails for each building:
Oneida City School District remains committed to open and transparent communications to support our students during this crisis. Our priority is the safety and education of all our students. As always, thank you for your patience, understanding and flexibility.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent
April 8, 2020
Dear Families and Staff,
On behalf of the Oneida City School District, we hope you and your families are remaining safe and doing your best to follow guidance regarding measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 within our community. Events have continued to unfold, and we recognize that this raises questions about potential impacts on students, families and our full community. Where answers exist, we will work quickly to provide them. However, we anticipate that many other questions will require additional research and/or consultation with local, state or federal officials.
Return to school date
On April 7, 2020, Governor Cuomo issued an executive order that schools should be closed through April 29, 2020. If we receive additional information, we will share it will our families. Regents Exams and Course Credit The NYS Education Department passed emergency regulations on April 6, 2020 regarding course credit, units of study and cancelled the June 2020 administration of the
Regents exams
The High School administration will be sending parents information about how this impacts high school students.
School Feeding Program
Our food service department continues to support students who are food dependent on the district. We will continue to provide meals throughout our closure. Information regarding ‘Grab and Go” meals can be found at www.oneidacsd.org > COVID-19 or: https://www.oneidacsd.org/c_o_v_i_d-19/grab-and-_go_meals
Childcare for Essential Employees in Our Community
Child care placement is available to personnel who provide essential services, supplies, or support during this unprecedented time. Essential personnel can call the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison Child Care Resource Center at 315-223-7850 extension 222 or email [email protected] for information on childcare placement. The Child Care Resource Center will continue to evaluate and adjust plans as necessary to best meet the childcare needs of essential personnel. Thank you to all essential personnel who continue to protect and support our community.
Communication
Contact emails for each building:
Oneida City School District remains committed to open and transparent communications to support our students during this crisis. Our priority is the safety and education of all our students. As always, thank you for your patience, understanding and flexibility.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent
March 31, 2020
Dear Families and Staff,
On behalf of the Oneida City School District, we hope you and your families are remaining safe and doing your best to follow guidance regarding measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 within our community. Events have continued to unfold, and we recognize that this raises questions about potential impacts on students, families and our full community. Where answers exist, we will work quickly to provide them. However, we anticipate that many other questions will require additional research and/or consultation with local, state or federal officials.
Spring Vacation
The district was notified yesterday at 4:56 PM from the NYS Education Department that all “districts must continue to provide remote instruction for students, meals for students, and child care for essential workers every weekday between April 1, 2020 and April 14, 2020, even if the district is scheduled to be on spring break during that time.” This decision can be found in Governor Cuomo’s executive order 202.11. As a result, our teachers will continue to provide instructional from April 3-April 13. You will be hearing from your students teacher(s) by the end of week or the beginning of next week.
We know that our staff and families have been working diligently for the continued care of our students. We also know that everyone is dealing with anxiety and fear and, in most cases, looking forward to some uninterrupted time together, even if we are unable to get away due to the state of emergency. I have no doubt that the staff within our community will continue to demonstrate the perseverance and concern for our staff and community during this time of uncertainty.
Chromebook Deployment
More information about Chromebook delivery for all students in grades 7-9 will be sent via a ‘robo’ call, email and text. We are continuing to meet and plan on how we can best service all students PK-12.
School Feeding Program
Our food service department continues to support students who are food dependent on the district. We will continue to provide meals throughout our closure. Information regarding ‘Grab and Go” meals can be found at www.oneidacsd.org > COVID-19 or:
https://www.oneidacsd.org/c_o_v_i_d-19/grab-and-_go_meals
Childcare for Essential Employees in Our Community
Child care placement is available to personnel who provide essential services, supplies, or support during this unprecedented time. Essential personnel can call the Oneida-Herkimer- Madison Child Care Resource Center at 315-223-7850 extension 222 or email [email protected] for information on childcare placement. The Child Care Resource Center will continue to evaluate and adjust plans as necessary to best meet the childcare needs of essential personnel. Thank you to all essential personnel who continue to protect and support our community.
Student Email
As we work to increase communication between students and teachers, the Oneida City School District has turned on email accessibility for students in grades 6-12. Students can access this feature by going to mail.google.com or by clicking on Gmail in the Chrome browser and typing in their Oneida issued Google address. As a reminder, student email reads as their graduation year, first initial, full last name and @ocsdny.org. For example: John Smith graduating in 2020 is [email protected]. The student’s password is their existing network password. Please visit the Student Email Acceptable Use Policy at www.oneidacsd.org.
Google Meet
The Oneida City School District has turned on Google Meet for students K-12 as an additional option for communication. Google Meet is a video conferencing application that integrates with the Oneida Google for Education Suite. Students will have the ability to join a Google Meeting created by their teacher, but do not have the ability to start their own meeting.
Communication
Contact emails for each building:
Oneida City School District remains committed to open and transparent communications to support our students during this crisis. Our priority is the safety and education of all our students. As always, thank you for your patience, understanding and flexibility.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent
March 27, 2020
Dear Families and Staff,
On behalf of the Oneida City School District, we hope you and your families are remaining safe and doing your best to follow guidance regarding measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 within our community. Events have continued to unfold, and we recognize that this raises questions about potential impacts on students, families and our full community. Where answers exist, we will work quickly to provide them. However, we anticipate that many other questions will require additional research and/or consultation with local, state or federal officials.
Return to school date
The Oneida City School District initially closed from March 16- April 13th, with a return to school on April 14th. Today, Governor Cuomo indicated at his press conference that schools will be closed until April 15th. We have not received official information in an executive order yet.
Instruction
In March, students received instructional guidance that focused on review material that is not graded, rather than new instructional material. We will not be providing additional instructional materials until after our originally planned spring vacation (April 4 - April 13). Our administrative team is working in collaboration with other districts to establish how learning will continue (iLearning Plan) if we remain closed longer than anticipated. As soon as we hear if we will be closed beyond April 15th, we will share our iLearning Plan with faculty, staff, and families.
Chromebook deployment
After much discussion and the need to potentially implement an iLearning Plan, the district will provide Chromebooks to all students grades 3-12. This is important to ensure that our kids can continue to learn if we are out of school longer. We anticipate that we will be deploying grades 7-9 by the beginning of next week. Grades 3-6 will take a bit longer as we have placed an order for the devices. More information about Chromebook delivery for all students in grades 7-9 will be sent on Monday via a robo call, email and text. We are continuing to meet and plan on how we can best service all students PK-12.
Student email
As we work to increase communication between students and teachers, the Oneida City School District has turned on email accessibility for students in grades 6-12. Students can access this feature by going to mail.google.com or by clicking on Gmail in the Chrome browser and typing in their Oneida issued Google address. As a reminder, student email reads as their graduation year, first initial, full last name and @ocsdny.org. For example: John Smith graduating in 2020 is [email protected]. The student’s password is their existing network password. Please visit the Student Email Acceptable Use Policy at www.oneidacsd.org.
School Feeding Program
Our food service department continues to support students who are food dependent on the district. We will continue to provide meals throughout our closure. Information regarding ‘Grab and Go” meals can be found at www.oneidacsd.org > COVID-19 or:https://www.oneidacsd.org/c_o_v_i_d-19/grab-and-_go_meals
Childcare for Essential Employees in Our Community
Child care placement is available to personnel who provide essential services, supplies, or support during this unprecedented time. Essential personnel can call the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison Child Care Resource Center at 315-223-7850 extension 222 or email [email protected] for information on childcare placement. The Child Care Resource Center will continue to evaluate and adjust plans as necessary to best meet the childcare needs of essential personnel. Thank you to all essential personnel who continue to protect and support our community.
Communication
Contact emails for each building
Oneida City School District remains committed to open and transparent communications to support our students during this crisis. Our priority is the safety and education of all our students. Hearing from you will help us identify areas of improvement. As always, thank you for your patience, understanding and flexibility.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent
March 25, 2020
Dear Families and Staff,
On behalf of the Oneida City School District, we hope you and your families are remaining safe and doing your best to follow guidance regarding measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 within our community. During this time, we all need to continue to support one another and work to stay informed, as information continues to shift rapidly. We remind you to please refer to the district's homepage for the latest updates. Additionally, updates can be found on the Madison County webpage: https://www.madisoncounty.ny.gov/2479/Coronavirus-COVID-19
Events have continued to unfold quickly, and we recognize that this raises a range of important questions about potential impacts on students, families and our full community. Where answers exist, we will work quickly to provide them. However, we anticipate that many other questions will require additional research and/or consultation with local, state or federal officials.
Return to school date
The Oneida City School District initially closed from March 16- April 13 with a return to school on April 14 because of an order to close all schools by the Oneida County Executive. On March 17 and March 18, Governor Cuomo issued two Executive Orders that indicated schools will be closed until April 1 and that any other order issued may not be upheld. Essentially, the school district is waiting for further guidance from the Governor. As soon as we have updated information, we will share it will our families.
Instruction
While we are closed, we ask that you keep safe and have students work on educational materials that have been provided to you by our hardworking teachers. We want to keep students engaged in their learning while we address this global pandemic. Students have received instructional guidance that focuses on review materials rather than new instructional material. It is also important to note that all material that has been given to your child up to this point is not graded. We have been working all week with our staff and in collaboration with other districts to establish how learning will continue if we remain closed longer than anticipated. We will be sharing information as soon as we know if the closure time frame will be extended.
School Feeding Program
Our food service department continues to support students who are food dependent on the district. NYSED has provided guidance that schools may continue to provide breakfasts and lunches to children during school closures related to COVID-19. Information regarding ‘Grab and Go” meals can be found at www.oneidacsd.org > COVID-19 or: https://www.oneidacsd.org/c_o_v_i_d-19/grab-and-_go_meals
Childcare for Essential Employees in Our Community
During this current health crisis, you may be classified an essential employee who is still required to work.
Childcare placement may be available to essential employees who work in health care, are first responders, who work in grocery stores, in transportation, some construction fields, certain non-profit agencies and in food or supply distribution fields. If you believe that you may qualify, please call the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison Child Care Resource Center at 315-223-7850 extension 222.
Communication
Contact emails for each building
Oneida City School District remains committed to open and transparent communications to support our students during this crisis. Our priority is the safety and education of all our students. Hearing from you will help us identify areas of improvement. As always, thank you for your patience, understanding and flexibility.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent
March 20, 2020
Dear Families and Staff,
On behalf of the Oneida City School District, we hope you and your families are remaining safe and doing your best to follow guidance regarding measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 within our community. During this time, we all need to continue to support one another and work to stay informed, as information continues to shift rapidly. We remind you to please refer to the district's homepage for the latest updates. Additionally, updates can be found on the Madison County webpage:
https://www.madisoncounty.ny.gov/2479/Coronavirus-COVID-19
Events have continued to unfold quickly, and we recognize that this raises a range of important questions about potential impacts on students, families and our full community. Where answers exist, we will work quickly to provide them. However, we anticipate that many other questions will require additional research and/or consultation with local, state or federal officials.
NYS Assessments
We have been informed by NYSED that all 3-8 Assessments, NYS English as a Second Language Achievement Test, and the NYS Alternative Assessments have been cancelled and NYSED is monitoring the situation and will
provide guidance on the Regents examinations in the near future. The district is also wading through the guidance from the College Board on AP exams. As soon as we have a decision regarding the new guidance, staff will be contacting students who will be impacted.
Instruction
While we are closed, keep safe and have students work on educational materials that will be provided to you. We want to keep students engaged in their learning while we address this global pandemic. Students have received
instructional guidance that focuses on review materials rather than new instructional material. While your student is using technology, please take the time to know and understand what sties they are visiting and who they are
connecting with.
School Feeding Program
Our food service department continues to support students who are food dependent on the district. NYSED has provided guidance that schools may continue to provide breakfasts and lunches to children during school closures related to COVID-19. Information regarding ‘Grab and Go” meals can be found at:
https://www.oneidacsd.org/c_o_v_i_d-19/grab-and-_go_meals
Cleaning of our buildings
Our custodians and maintenance crews have been deep cleaning and disinfecting all of our buildings during the past week. We expect that our buildings will be prepared and clean when we reopen.
Childcare for Essential Employees in Our Community
During this current health crisis you may be considered an essential employee who is still required to work. Child care placement may be available to essential employees who work in health care, are first responders, who work in grocery stores, in transportation, some construction fields, certain non-profit agencies and in food or supply distribution fields. If you believe that you may qualify, please call the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison Child Care Resource Center at 315-223-7850 extension 222.
Communication
Contact emails for each building
Durhamville [email protected]
North Broad [email protected]
Seneca Street [email protected]
OHS [email protected]
OSMS [email protected]
Willard Prior [email protected]
Community Blood Drive
Oneida High School will be hosting a blood drive with the Red Cross on Wednesday, March 25 from 9:00 AM-2:00 PM. All donors must schedule an appointment. It is important to note that appointments are necessary to keep the number of people in the gym at the same time to a minimum. The direct link to schedule an appointment is: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=oneidahighschool
During the last couple weeks, thousands of Red Cross blood drives have been canceled across the country due to coronavirus concerns, resulting in more than 86,000 fewer blood donations. We expect that number to rise. A critical role of the Red Cross is to supply blood products to hospitals and patients.
Oneida City School District continues remains committed to open and transparent communications to support our students during this crisis. Our priority is the safety and education of all our students. Hearing from you will
help us identify areas we may be able to more effectively communicate. As always, thank you for your patience, understanding and flexibility.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent
March 16, 2020
Dear Families and Staff,
On behalf of the Oneida City School District, we hope you and your families are remaining safe and doing your best to
follow guidance regarding measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 within our community. During this time, we
all need to continue to support one another and work to stay informed, as information continues to shift rapidly. We
remind you to please refer to the district's homepage for the latest updates. Additionally, updates can be found on the
Madison County webpage: https://www.madisoncounty.ny.gov/2479/Coronavirus-COVID-19
Events have unfolded quickly, and we recognize that this raises a range of important questions about potential impacts
on students, families and our full community. Where answers exist, we will work quickly to provide them. However,
we anticipate that many other questions will require additional research and/or consultation with local, state or federal
officials.
Beginning on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, we asked that all of our staff work from home to assist in containing the spread
of COVID-19 within our community. Additionally, during our closure we will be ‘deep cleaning’ each of our buildings
in preparation for opening school. Furthermore, we will be establishing an email for each building so that parents and
community members can communicate, ask questions, and get information from our schools.
Contact emails for each building
Durhamville [email protected]
North Broad [email protected]
Seneca Street [email protected]
OHS [email protected]
OSMS [email protected]
Willard Prior [email protected]
Information regarding ‘Grab and Go” meals can be found at:
https://www.oneidacsd.org/c_o_v_i_d-19/grab-and-_go_meals
Oneida City School District remains committed to open and transparent communications to support the continued
focus on teaching and learning. We are focused on the instructional continuity, meal distribution, and cleaning our
buildings. Our priority is the safety and education of all our students. Hearing from you will help us identify areas we
may be able to more effectively communicate. As always, thank you for your patience, understanding and flexibility.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent
March 13, 2020
Dear Families and Staff,
I know you have been following developments related to the COVID-19 outbreak, and our leadership team has been
working diligently in the background to plan and prepare for any possibility. As of today, we do not have any
confirmed positive cases in our two counties. As you may have seen, Oneida County Executive, Anthony Picente, has
declared a state of emergency and has closed all Oneida County schools which includes Madison-Oneida BOCES and
Durhamville Elementary. This means that our Durhamville students, Career and Technical students, and our special
education students who receive services in Oneida County will not be able to continue programming as usual. It is
important to provide all of our students with equitable educational opportunities. With that in mind, as a precautionary
measure, we have decided to alter our calendar and close our instructional programs beginning Monday, March 16
through Monday, April 13.
Schools will be closed for students beginning Monday. All staff should continue to report on a normal schedule on
Monday.
We know that our schools play an important role in providing stability and safety for our students, families and staff,
and we understand that an extended closing can pose a hardship for families. However, our leadership team believes
this decision is in the best interest of our entire community’s health, safety and well-being.
In order to prepare for this closure, we have rescheduled our Superintendent’s Conference Day to Monday, March 16.
This will provide our instructional staff with time to prepare materials and plans for students to utilize while they are
home. We will be communicating how we will be delivering educational materials to our students.
While students are home, we would ask that they not congregate unnecessarily. Our staff is working diligently to
finalize plans for educational materials that focus on review of previously learned materials for our students.
While we are closed, keep safe and have students work on educational materials that will be provided to you. We want
to keep students engaged in their learning while we address this global pandemic. Students will receive instructional
guidance that focuses on review materials rather than new instructional material. Please look for emails, phone calls
and ‘regular’ mail directing you to important information that pertains to your child’s academic progress over the next
few weeks.
In addition, we are working with our food service department to support students who are food dependent on the
district. NYSED has provided guidance that schools may continue to provide breakfasts and lunches to children during
school closures related to COVID-19. Please look for emails, phone calls and ‘regular’ mail directing you to important
information that pertains to our feeding program.
Over the next few weeks, we will continue to monitor this developing situation and continue to consult with regional
colleagues and state health and education officials. We will update you with developments as they become available.
Please be assured that we are doing everything in our power to continue to provide academic opportunities and
minimize disruption to our students, families and staff during this unprecedented situation. As always, thank you for
your patience, understanding and flexibility.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent
March 10, 2020
While the Oneida City School District does not have a confirmed case of Coronavirus (COVID-19) , district officials continue to monitor information from local, state, and federal officials.
The NYS Health Department and the NYS Education Department is communicating with school leaders regarding procedures on how to respond to COVID-19 and recommending non-pharmaceutical interventions and containment measures. Additionally, the guidance indicates that the local health department will notify schools if and when a school must close due to COVID-19 and when a school can reopen.
Oneida City School District is taking additional preventative measures such as:
· Coordinated strategic planning meetings with MOBOCES on a regular basis
· Participation in training with Madison County Health Department
· Discussions with the MORIC regarding continuation of district office operations
· Review of all local and out of the area field trips
· Review of all emergency plans
· Review of all nursing protocols when students are ill
· Increase of cleaning procedures to include but not limited to disinfecting of desks, door handles, countertops, light switches, etc…
· Discussions of continued education in the event of a lengthy closure
· Review of our meal program procedures and communication with local organizations to provide students with meals if schools are closed
· Creation of educational materials for students regarding good practices for hygiene
We are also continuing to encourage staff and students to follow proper hand-washing techniques, cough or sneeze into a tissue or sleeve (not hands), stay home when ill, and take basic health precautions as they relate to any communicable illness. Personal hygiene is imperative for stopping the spread of germs and illness.
Below are some resources from the state and local health departments and the CDC for your reference. While the information often refers to pandemic flu, the content is equally appropriate for any community outbreaks of COVID-19.
Protecting Yourself from Respiratory Illness: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
CDC Information Page: www.cdc.gov
NYS Department of Health: https://www.health.ny.gov/
Madison County Health Department: https://www.madisoncounty.ny.gov/206/Health-Department
The New York State Department of Health has also set up a coronavirus hotline: 1-888-364-3065 if you have any questions or need additional information.
Our first priority is always the health and safety of our students and staff. When new information becomes available from the health departments or CDC, we will pass that information on to you and respond accordingly.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent of Schools
March 4, 2020
Dear Parents and Families:
Oneida City School District continues to work closely with and rely on the expertise of the Madison County Health Department to monitor all health concerns, including those related to coronavirus. As of today, there are no confirmed cases locally and we continue with regular instructional and operational activities.
The coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is a respiratory illness, spread person-to-person similar to influenza. Currently there is no specific treatment or vaccination to prevent COVID-19. Nonpharmaceutical interventions, like those to avoid other respiratory illnesses such as influenza, are the best method to avoid ongoing community spread.
The Health Department professionals have indicated that, at this time, the activities that our district is carrying out to address seasonal influenza are appropriate and satisfactory for the coronavirus. These activities include regular and ongoing cleaning and disinfecting of school facilities, surfaces, and objects. Cleaning and disinfecting are part of a broad approach to preventing infectious diseases in schools.
We are also encouraging staff and students to follow proper hand-washing techniques, cough or sneeze into a tissue or sleeve (not hands), stay home when ill, and take basic health precautions as they relate to any communicable illness. Personal hygiene is imperative for stopping the spread of germs and illness.
Below are some resources from the state and local health departments and the CDC for your reference. While the information often refers to pandemic flu, the content is equally appropriate for any community outbreaks of COVID-19. Further, since we are still in the middle of our annual cold and flu season, this information is just as timely to address those illnesses.
Protecting Yourself from Respiratory Illness: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
CDC Information Page: https://www.cdc.gov/
NYS Department of Health: https://www.health.ny.gov/
Madison County Health Department: https://www.madisoncounty.ny.gov/206/Health-Department
The New York State Department of Health has also set up a coronavirus hotline: 1 888-364-3065 if you have any questions or need additional information.
Our first priority is always the health and safety of our students and staff. When new information becomes available from the health departments or CDC, we will pass that information on to you and respond accordingly.
Sincerely,
Mary-Margaret Zehr
Superintendent of Schools