Dear Cohoes School Community,
As you are aware, the situation regarding COVID-19/Coronavirus is rapidly evolving. The school district continues to monitor all guidance from local, state and federal agencies. At this time, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Cohoes City School District. We do have some updates to share regarding scheduled events and our planning in the event of a school closure.
Yesterday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that there will be no public gatherings of larger than 500 people in New York State. Schools have been identified as an exception to this. Our plan is to continue with the regular school day, but place limits on after-school and extracurricular events.
Consistent with the state’s effort to restrict large gatherings, please note the following that will go into effect in our school district today, Friday, March 13 at 3:00 p.m. until further notice:
- All after-school activities are canceled indefinitely, with the exception of TSL.
- All use of school buildings by outside groups will be discontinued.
- Any large school events/gatherings that are scheduled will either not take place or will take place with limited occupancy for the time being.
- Field trips and out-of-state travel are suspended.
- Job shadowing/internships are suspended.
We continue to emphasize that this is a rapidly changing situation and information is subject to change. We will provide as much notice via email and text if there are any changes to scheduled events or school.
Planning for a possible closure
While there is no change to the school schedule at this time, schools have been asked to prepare for the possibility of closures to prevent the spread of this illness. In the event that school is closed, it is important to acknowledge that there are practical limits to instructional program continuity. Instead, our commitment will be to sharing a variety of resources for parent-guided and self-guided learning for students. This will include links and resources that will allow students to practice skills, review content and explore topics at home.
One resource that we would like to pass along in this moment is the CDC’s suggestions for how to talk to children about this situation.
In closing, we believe that the steps outlined above are measured and appropriate given all that is known at this time. We continue to hear from public health agencies that the populations most at-risk are the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, and that the precautionary steps we all take can help minimize the spread of illness and decrease risk. The best thing we can do is to stay calm, continue to follow the advice of experts and do what we can to support each other as a community.
We recognize that the continuing public health concerns around COVID-19 raise many questions and considerations in our community. We are doing our best to provide as much information as possible in light of this rapidly evolving situation.
Thank you for your patience and partnership, and we’ll continue to keep you informed.
Jennifer Spring, Ed.D.
Superintendent