Dear Putnam Valley Community:
As everyone begins to settle back into school during these first two interrupted weeks of instruction, I would like to take this opportunity to restate and clarify some information:
Remote vs Quarantined Instruction: These two terms have been used within a variety of communications and warrant clarification.
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Remote instruction is typically used to describe what was offered last school year, when families could opt into virtual vs in-person instruction. As previously communicated, remote instruction is no longer an option this year (links to previous emails). This should not be confused with quarantined instruction which is our continued commitment to educate those students who are subject to mandatory quarantine.
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Quarantined students should expect a blend of live virtual interactions supplemented with written assignments. Current NYS guidance on identifying close contacts and the issuance of the subsequent quarantine orders should drastically reduce the number of students quarantined this year.
Vaccinations: The Department of Health does not require vaccinated students to quarantine. Only students ages 12 and older are eligible to receive the vaccine. Students who are vaccinated can avoid quarantine by completing the brief questionnaire for our school nurses. All information will remain strictly confidential. Click Here for Form
Attendance: The district must continue to track and report the number of students physically in school each day. This will require us to mark quarantined students with an “excused absence”. This absence does not exclude your child from instruction and will not have any negative impact on the student.
Quarantine Orders: The current guidelines provided by the NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH) identify a close contact in school buildings as an individual within 3 feet while masked or within 6 feet while unmasked. These measures pertain to both indoor and outdoor exposures. Students are seated at least 3 feet apart in most classrooms, so quarantines should be minimized. Vaccination status remains a determining factor if individuals need to quarantine following an exposure.
I will continue to share guidance as it is received from state and local officials and will ask for your understanding as we continue to send reminders about exercising great caution and keeping sick children home from school. We understand that this can be difficult and thank you for your partnership in keeping our community healthy and our school buildings open.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me, your building administrators, or your school nurse if we can answer any questions.