February 16,2022
Dear Rondout Families,
Rondout School District 72 will be finalizing its plan to move forward with making adjustments to its COVID19 protocols effective Wednesday, February 23. The district will be preparing for changes in various aspects of the mitigations in place that were impacted by changes in the status of existing mandates that we learned of late yesterday. The Board of Education discussed the transition plan timelines at their regular meeting last night.
In order to provide a smooth and thoughtful transition to the next phase of living with COVID19 we will use the time between now and the 23rd to get further clarity on the legal status of the mandates while preparing our students and staff for the changes.
We will provide you with more details as they are finalized this week. In the meantime, all current mitigations will remain in effect including requiring masking until 2/23/2022 .
On Wednesday 2/23/2022 masking will be recommended but not required for students and staff. We ask parents to make those determinations for and with their children. We need everyone's support and cooperation in respecting each individual's choice regarding wearing masks as each families choices and situations may be different.
Communication with parents regarding additional adjustments and related timelines and parameters will be forthcoming. Ms. Davis and I will be working with our faculty to insure consistency and clarity in implementation of the changes. We will also be speaking with students about the changes in developmentally appropriate ways to support the transition. Resources for families to support their discussions will be available later this week.
Throughout our COVID19 journey we have worked to develop and implement our responses/protocols thoughtfully and carefully. The results of that planning successfully supported in person learning during these past two school years. Our track record related to school transmissions is additional evidence of the effectiveness of the plans.
We want to use that same approach to this next transition. Our respectful collaboration and partnership has and will allow us to move forward effectively. The Rondout Community has demonstrated extraordinary integrity during this challenging time and it is greatly appreciated. While there have been different views about what the protocols should be, everyone pulled together for the welfare of all.
Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and for your continued support in keeping the Rondout Way alive during this challenging time.
Take care...Best regards,
Dr. Jenny Wojcik
Superintendent