Posted November 04, 2020
GH School COVID Update and Further Clarification Regarding NS High School
Dear North Shore Faculty and Staff,
I am pleased to share with you that Glen Head Elementary School will return to a full day of in-person instruction tomorrow, Thursday, November 5, 2020. We thank you for your patience and are pleased to report that our contact tracing is complete, and the school is ready to receive all of our students and staff tomorrow.
In light of my recent communications regarding the reporting of COVID-19 cases at North Shore High School, I understand that you may be feeling a bit uneasy and probably have many questions regarding the decision to close our school.
As a point of clarification, the determination to close the high school for 14 days was made in consultation with the Nassau County Department of Health (NCDOH) with the sole interest of maintaining the public health and safety of our North Shore students, faculty, staff, and community members. These decisions are not made lightly as we work together with the NCDOH to follow the COVID-19 guidance set forth by the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) and the New York State Education Department. The closing of North Shore High School was not attributable to just a small party, but was primarily determined by the potential exposure of well over one hundred students (and their families) over the weekend that were simply impossible to contact trace.
Now is the time to come together as a community to support one another because a positive COVID-19 outcome can happen to any one of us. I can understand some of the frustration and anger directed at me for this decision but shaming and blaming fellow students or community members is not helpful and we are better than this. We have a collective and individual responsibility to be compassionate friends and thoughtful neighbors. I’ve seen this in action so many times here in North Shore and we should be proud of our connections.
As I have been saying for months, please remain vigilant now more than ever and commit to one another as a community that we will do all that we can to remain socially distant, practice healthy hand hygiene, and wear face coverings to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. The coronavirus does not fatigue, and neither can we. Let’s be our best selves as we overcome this difficult time together.
If anyone in the community is interested in receiving a Rapid Covid Test, we will have a mobile unit onsite at North Shore High School on Friday, November 6, 2020 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please note that the cost for each test is $85.00 and is generally not covered by insurance. Appointments can be made by clicking this link or accessing the attached document. Nov 6th North Shore Testing Flyer.pdf
https://northshore116.youcanbook.me/
Dr. Peter Giarrizzo
Superintendent of Schools