Posted November 25, 2020

Positive Covid Cases

Dear North Shore Parents, Faculty and Community Members,

On behalf of the Board of Education, faculty, and staff of the North Shore Schools, I extend to you all the most restful Thanksgiving holiday with your families. I am grateful to all of our Vikings for your support for our students, administrators, teachers, and staff.

I am also thankful for the sense of joy that I see when our teachers and students are at work with one another. We have accomplished a great many things together and we have many more successes on our horizons with one another. These have not been easy months and the road ahead together remains a challenge. That said, we are ready to meet this challenge together.  

Thanksgiving is truly one of my favorite holidays. This year, we will be hosting an intimate gathering of four instead of our normal larger extended family. While the four of us have had no shortage of time together, in light of so many who have lost this year, I am simply grateful to have it with them. The Center for Disease Control has offered some guidance about celebrating Thanksgiving this year and I encourage you to review them. As you know, many new cases often arise from small indoor gatherings.  Let’s all try to do our part in staying healthy.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/thanksgiving.html
If you plan to travel, please be sure to familiarize yourself with Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 205.2 which directs the quarantine restrictions for those that travel.  In lieu of the already established 14-day quarantine, travelers may follow these revised guidelines.
https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/no-2052-quarantine-restrictions-travelers-arriving-new-york
For those out of state for more than 24 hours:

• You must obtain a test within three days of your departure and prior to your arrival back in NY.
• You must quarantine for three days upon your return to NY.
• On day 4 of your quarantine, you must obtain a second negative Covid test. If both tests are negative, you may exit quarantine.

For those who are out of state for less than 24 hours:

• There is no requirement to test prior to your departure from the other state.
• There is no requirement to quarantine upon your return to NY.
• You must fill out the Traveler Health Form, which can be done online.

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2020/11/covid-19_travel_form.pdf
Enjoy restful, joyous Thanksgivings with friends and loved ones.  Do so safely, with wellness, and with love. Please be safe and judicious in your choices as your health and wellness are so important to me.

Schools will reopen on Monday, November 30, 2020. If there are any health notifications to share with us regarding a positive case of Covid or any suspected exposure to someone with Covid, please do not send your child to school on Monday.  Rather, you should email your child’s nurse and principal and we will follow up on Monday to gather additional information. If there is any doubt, please err on the side of caution so that we can work with you to keep school open and advise you of the best protocol(s) to follow.

All the best,

Dr. Peter Giarrizzo
Superintendent of Schools