Dear North Shore Parents, Faculty, and Community Members,

I hope that everyone is enjoying a safe and healthy New Year!
We look forward to our return to school tomorrow and are excited to see a refreshed Viking Nation, ready for all that is possible as we turn the page to 2021. With all of the optimism that a new year brings, it has never been more important to recognize that our past always informs our present and future. That said, we remain in the middle of a global pandemic and we must not let our guard down. Simply put, our individual and collective behavior matter now more than ever and our ability to have uninterrupted in-person learning rests with all of us individually and as one community. 
As we prepare for our return from the break, please read this important information carefully:

We will commence with our regular in-person (K-8), or hybrid (9-12) schedule tomorrow, January 4, 2021.  Along with our fully remote learners, we welcome you back and look forward to seeing you and hearing about your breaks.  Please remember to complete your Health Attestation Form(s) by 7:00 a.m. 

Please be judicious and quarantine before returning to school next week if there has been any chance of exposure within 10 days of our return to school tomorrow, Monday, January 4, 2021. If this pertains to you and/or your family, we ask that you email the school nurse and principal and/or me today. We have established protocols to ensure daily continuity of learning for those K-8 students in quarantine. Please also know that planning to significantly improve the learning experiences of our high school students on asynchronous days is on-going and we expect to be able to announce those plans very soon.

Please note that New York State has updated quarantine guidelines to be consistent with those of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Under the new guidelines, "individuals exposed to COVID-19 can end their quarantine after 10 days without a testing requirement as long as no symptoms have been reported during the quarantine period. After day 10 is reached, individuals must continue monitoring for symptoms through day 14 and if any develop, they should immediately self-isolate and contact the local health department or their healthcare provider to report this change and determine if they should seek testing."

Any individual with a confirmed positive case of COVID-19 will continue to quarantine for 14 days.

Please note that moving forward, students and staff will not be permitted to return to school/work if they have a pending PCR test resulting from either symptoms and/or exposure. This applies even if the individual has a negative rapid test that was administered at the same time. 

Please note that mask compliance, social distancing, and frequent hand washing will be strictly adhered to. Weather permitting, we plan to be outdoors as much as possible and we will also increase the flow of fresh outdoor air in classroom with windows open. Please dress accordingly. 

Please be sure to follow New York's established quarantine guidelines for those who have traveled. I am receiving multiple emails from concerned parents and students about this issue, so I need to very direct here. If you have traveled, it is essential that you follow these guidelines. It is the only way for us to have a successful and safe return. For any traveler to New York State from a noncontiguous state, US territory or CDC level 2 and higher country, the new guidelines for travelers to test-out of the mandatory 10-day quarantine are below:

For travelers who were out-of-state for less than 24 hours:

The traveler does not need a test prior to their departure from the other state, and does not need to quarantine upon arrival in New York State.

However, the traveler must fill out our traveler form upon entry into New York State, and take a COVID diagnostic test 4 days after their arrival in New York.

For travelers who were out-of-state for more than 24 hours:

Travelers must obtain a test within three days of departure, prior to arrival in New York.

The traveler must, upon arrival in New York, quarantine for three days.

On day 4 of their quarantine, the traveler must obtain another COVID test. If both tests comes back negative, the traveler may exit quarantine early upon receipt of the second negative diagnostic test

Let's all be #VikingStrong during these upcoming days and weeks to ensure the health and wellness of everyone!  Please remember to wear your mask, practice social distancing, and healthy hand hygiene. Be well, stay healthy, and notice the good. Have a wonderful day. I'm looking forward to being back with everyone.

• Happy New Year!!