Trumansburg Central School District

February 4, 2021 Dear Trumansburg Community, As we assess our programming in light of the current situation of COVID-19, I have been made aware of an error in the quarantine dates most recently shared, which lent to the district pivoting to remote learning for the week of February 8-12. Those individuals recently placed in quarantine will be released by the DOH on midnight of February 5. We also learned that the DOH will guarantee that if our staff are placed in quarantine and cannot receive their second vaccine, the second vaccine will be held for them until they are released. This will allow us to return to in-person instruction on 2/8/21. Although the instructional pivots are stressful and inconvenient, we believe it is more beneficial to have our students on campus for in-person instruction whenever feasibly possible. Classes will resume on campus for in-person instruction on Monday, February 8, 2021. We know that things continue to change, but this is an ever changing situation and we are doing our best to be flexible. February 12, 2021, was previously announced as a remote learning day due to too many pre-planned absences for vaccines however, we have spent these past couple of days creatively planning for coverage. As such, at this time we plan to be in session as usual on February 12, 2021. Students should follow their regular schedules. Thank you for your dedication to our students. Every day, I am grateful that even though we are operating in an unprecedented time, we are still standing together committed to providing the best possible outcomes for our students. Respectfully, Kimberly Bell Superintendent TCSD

02/03/21 - All after school activities are cancelled (practices, open gyms, and ski club). Student meal pickup and delivery has been rescheduled for Thursday.

02/03/21 : Grades PreK-12 Remote Instruction, all BOCES Programs Remote Instruction (including P-TECH), No Private School Transportation, No Staff Report (unless otherwise directed by your supervisor)

TCSD Virtual Forum - Education Opportunities During COVID-19 On February 8, 2021 at 5pm the District will hold a Virtual Forum to offer the community an opportunity to ask questions about Education Opportunities during COVID-19. Please submit your questions with your registration by 9am on 2/5/21; questions received after that time may not be addressed. Register in advance for this webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_o27jdXdWT6qKZRFFnd5zIQ This event is limited to 100 attendees. If you are not able to register, you can watch the Live Stream on our TCSD TV YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/TCSDTV).

MESSAGE FROM THE FOOD SERVICE DEPARTMENT: Meal pick up and delivery originally scheduled for Tuesday is now rescheduled for Wednesday. Additionally, there will be a produce box distribution and a meal kit distribution on Thursday. For more information, go to: https://www.tburgschools.org/page/school-nutrition-services

Due to predicted weather conditions, Trumansburg Central School District will be closed on Tuesday, February 2, 2021.

January 29, 2021 Dear Trumansburg Community, The purpose of today's communication is to reflect on the challenges our community has faced and inform you of yet another difficult decision we are obliged to make. As you know, these past months, we have been forced to pivot from in-person instruction to remote instruction with little advance notice due to the shortage of instructional staff and strict CDC and DOH guidelines. We recognize that this unpredictable pattern is exceptionally stressful for families, students, and educators. Our teachers and families have worked tirelessly to find new ways to do their jobs and overcome numerous hurdles to ensure students have the best possible opportunities and outcomes in education. We continue to address individual student mental health and learning needs as we recognize not all children are thriving with this "new normal." In follow up to my communication from yesterday, we have another positive COVID-19 case in our ES. That brings us to a total of 30 adults in quarantine district-wide not counting the additional instructional staff that are impacted because their child is a student at our district and now under the Department of Health order of quarantine. We are unable to cover in-person instruction with 30 known employees in quarantine and the likely additional ten or more needing to stay at home for children in quarantine. Our current state is in part due to having adults cover multiple classrooms due to absences, thus lending to more exposure. Keep in mind, some faculty offer instruction in multiple classrooms or serve all grade levels in a building. After many conversations with our administrative team, numerous teachers, and our teachers' union leadership, we have made the difficult decision to shift to 100% remote instruction district-wide from February 1-12, 2021. Although it is the consensus that we would prefer to be in-person, the data and logistics indicate that it is currently not an option. We have many factors involved in our decision. These include: loss of teaching time, the unpredictable shifts to remote and hybrid options, health risks, the number of faculty that have already served at least three mandated quarantines, the number of personnel currently in quarantine, the number of faculty unable to be in-person due to a child in quarantine and the possibility of future ordered quarantines that may prevent our personnel from getting already scheduled vaccines in February. The greatest factor in our decision is the requirement to adhere to the Tompkins County Guidelines as well as the CDC. Additional details that are important to know: the number of faculty currently in quarantine will not be released from a DOH order until February 8 and February 9, which prevents us from being in-person due to coverage issues; February 12, we have already decided, will be a remote day as too many of our personnel are accessing another vaccine clinic and we are unable to provide coverage. We feel this decision will allow our families to plan for daycare and academic support of their children and provide a bit of consistency for our students. The benefit of closure is that we will still be able to allow students to participate in sports as long as we maintain our safety rules. This would not be possible if we continue to shift back and forth between open and closed. This will provide students the opportunity to exercise, be social and support each other. More details to follow from our athletic director. Leadership and personnel will simultaneously revisit and re-envision other possibilities for 2021 in-person learning plans. We continue to follow guidance from the NYS Education Department, CDC, and the Department of Health. As we approximate 95% of our staff being vaccinated by the end of February, we are hopeful that the DOH guidelines will be less restrictive in terms of our adults and the number of days for quarantine from exposure. We are in this together; please look for communications in the coming days from your building principals, individual teachers, food service, and our athletic director. Our goal is the same; we are optimistic with the availability of the vaccine that we will move into the spring with fewer disruptions to in-person learning. Be well, and please keep those directly impacted by the virus in your thoughts. I am reaching out to the T-burg Community to implore you to apply to substitute teach at the District. The more members of our community that we can appoint to substitute the more days we can remain in person. Please see the District homepage for an application: www.tburgschools.org if you are interested. Kind regards, The Administrative Team Trumansburg Central School District

January 28, 2021 Dear Trumansburg Community, Our safe return to in-person instruction requires that we are vigilant in creating a health and safety culture. We continue to use multiple mitigation strategies to eliminate the spread of COVID-19 however, with the increase in the number of cases locally it is inevitable that we experience more exposures at school. With that said, we were notified this morning, Thursday, January 28, 2021 that one of our Elementary School students and one of our Middle School students have tested positive for COVID-19. This will require the quarantine of at least 18 faculty members and 37 students. As such, we will shift to remote instruction tomorrow, January 29, 2021 for grades PreK-6 and asynchronous learning for Grades 7-12. It is anticipated that we will have at least two more positive COVID-19 cases in the next day or two. We are working closely with the contact tracing staff of Tompkins County Department of Health to notify all parties of exposure and the next steps of the protocol to keep our community safe. Please watch for additional communication in the coming days. Thank you for working with us to keep you and your family safe. As always, our thoughts are with those directly impacted. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your school principal. Respectfully, Kimberly Bell Superintendent TCSD

It is with a very heavy heart that we share this update with our Trumansburg Community. We learned last evening that one of our seniors, Sadie Marsden, was in a very serious car accident while on her way to her part time job. We have just learned that as a result of the injuries sustained in that accident Sadie has passed away. Sadie was a wonderful member of our school community and very active in many aspects of our school. In addition to being a uniquely kind a caring student and classmate, she was also a member of the high school drama club, participated on the track team, and served as a mentor for the freshman orientation program. As we cope with this tragic loss, our school’s crisis team has developed plans to support students and staff in this difficult time. We will be opening our high school library to any student or staff member who needs some time to grieve. We will keep the library open throughout the school day and into this evening if needed and any student may join us there regardless of whether or not they are regularly scheduled to be in person or virtual today. We will continue to be thoughtful of COVID safety protocols but will work to be appropriately flexible as we all grieve together. We ask everyone to please keep Sadie’s family in your thoughts and prayers.

January 27, 2021 Dear Trumansburg Community, A huge heartfelt thank you to our school community for your continued support during this new educational chapter. You have proven, beyond a doubt, your commitment to serve and educate our students! I am writing today to notify you that tomorrow, January 28, 2021, will be an asynchronous learning day for all grades PreK-12 as the District cannot provide coverage for an increased number of staff absences. The absences are due to numerous staff accessing the COVID-19 vaccine. The registration for tomorrow’s clinic, specifically for educators within the region, was just announced today. We apologize for the short notice; however, these opportunities will better protect our community and in the long term, hopefully, promote more in-person instruction. Thank you in advance for your understanding. Due to the number and varied times of scheduled vaccinations for staff your child may experience a change in their asynchronous schedule. Additionally, on Friday, February 12, 2021, we will again have too few instructional staff available to provide in-person instruction due to scheduled vaccines. As such, the District will offer asynchronous instruction PreK-12 that day on February 12, 2021. Be well, Kimberly Bell Superintendent of Schools

January 15, 2021 Dear Trumansburg Community, I am writing to update you regarding the recent impact of COVID-19 on our school community. We currently have 64 students in quarantine due to exposure across our Middle and High School buildings. We have 20 instructional staff, 3 support staff and 2 transportation providers in quarantine. We have two positive COVID-19 cases at the High School, two positive cases at the Middle School with a potential third not yet confirmed, 1 positive case at the Elementary School with a possible second case not yet confirmed. As such, we will continue with 100% remote instruction for the Middle and High School through Friday, January 22, 2021 with return to our regular in person learning schedules on Monday, January 25, 2021. The Elementary School grades Pre-k-4 will return to in person learning on Tuesday, January 19, 2021. Please anticipate follow up communication from Building Leaders and individual Teachers, as well as our School Lunch Specialist. Continue to refer to our website for all past and future communications at www.tburgschools.org. These are difficult times for our community, thank you for your flexibility, support, and commitment to the success of our scholars. Please keep those directly impacted by the virus in your thoughts. We send you our best wishes for good health. Be well, Kimberly Bell Superintendent TCSD

January 14, 2021 (Message 2) Dear Trumansburg Families, In consultation with the Department of Health and our Administrative Team, the District will be 100% remote for ALL grades (PreK-12) on Friday, January 15, 2021 to minimize additional exposure and follow precautionary measures during contact tracing. We will provide additional communication and updates as we receive more information. REMINDER: NO SCHOOL – Monday, January 18, 2021 Please keep those that have been directly impacted in your thoughts. We wish for you all good health in the days ahead. Respectfully, Kimberly Bell Superintendent of Schools

January 14, 2021 Dear Trumansburg Families, The District was notified by the Department of Health mid-day today of COVID positive cases that will impact student attendance on campus at the Middle School and High School levels. The Department of Health has recommended an early dismissal at 1:00 p.m. today for Grades 5-12 to minimize additional exposure. Students in Grades 5-12 will be dismissed at 1:00 p.m. today. The District will provide transportation for students that typically ride an afternoon bus home. The Elementary School (Grades PreK-4) will be dismissed at regular dismissal time. Out of an abundance of caution, January 15, 2021 will be 100% remote learning days for Grades 5-12. The Elementary School (Grades PreK-4) will report to campus tomorrow for in-person learning. All afternoon activities and athletic practices have been cancelled for today and tomorrow. We will provide additional information and updates as we receive more information. Please keep those that have been directly impacted in your thoughts. We wish for you all good health in the days ahead. Respectfully, Kimberly Bell Superintendent TCSD

Dear Trumansburg Community, In the wake of the distressing events that took place at our national Capitol yesterday, we feel the responsibility to share how our District is responding. We look to our staff to help children understand our government through active listening and constructive dialogue honoring multiple perspectives, experiences and backgrounds while emphasizing that acts of violence are not representative of how our government works. We will continue to support our staff as they facilitate discussions around the recent incidents within the context of all of our recent history including: • Perspectives on the campaign and election process • Social Justice movements and the quest for greater understanding of race in our nation’s history • The impact of the pandemic on the mental health of our community As a District, it is always our responsibility to educate our students in a way that reflects our evolving history without taking sides on politics or religion. That said, we maintain an obligation to promote ideals of non-violence, justice, anti-racism, and equity. Additionally, our pupil personnel teams will be available to provide support and resources to adults and students. The following website may be beneficial in helping students unpack the emotions and viewpoints they may be experiencing during this stressful time. Please take care of one another and be well. Sincerely, The Administrative Team Parent Engagement Website: https://sites.google.com/tburg.k12.ny.us/parent-engagement/home Notification Dated: 01/07/21

The Food Service Department has produce boxes available to families that could use them. They are available today between now and 12:00pm, and then again today from 4:30pm to 5:30pm in the High School circle. Please sign up at this link. https://forms.gle/85kL7dsJbtnMxDWx6 Distribution will be self-serve

Did you order your student meals for next week? Orders are due by the end of the day every Thursday! https://www.tburgschools.org/page/school-nutrition-services

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE FOOD SERVICE DEPARTMENT! Did you order your remote student meals for next week? Orders are due by 3pm today! https://www.tburgschools.org/page/school-nutrition-services Orders can be picked up at 12:30 pm on Tuesday, January 5th and Thursday January 7th at the High School Circle. If you need extra food, please email rhanson@tburg.k12.ny.us for additional non-perishable food items to be included in your pick up.

REMINDER: No School from December 23, 2020 - January 1, 2021! Have a wonderful break!

Dear Trumansburg Community, I regret to inform you that I am writing to provide you with another COVID-19 update. We have been notified that two of our high school students have tested positive for COVID-19. The last date of attendance for both students was Thursday, December 10, 2020. Our high school nurse, building administrator and other personnel are working in cooperation with the Department of Health on contact tracing. The contact tracing process aims to identify all students and faculty members who may have been exposed and determine whether they need to quarantine. At this time, we anticipate that approximately 41 high school students and 14 faculty members will be placed in quarantine. Any person on the contact tracing list will be notified by both our school nurse and the Department of Health. Our sincerest well wishes for a quick and full recovery to all of those who have been directly impacted. My thoughts are with you as we approach this holiday season. Sincerely, Kimberly Bell Superintendent TCSD

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE FOOD SERVICE DEPARTMENT! Pre-Ordered Produce Boxes – no pick today, rescheduled for 4pm on Friday, December 18th. Did you order your student meals for next week? Orders are due by the end of the day every Thursday! https://forms.gle/n5Pk4LDDaz64ttJB7 - pick up is scheduled for December 22nd! If you ordered a Holiday Meal Kit, just a reminder that pick is scheduled for Tuesday, December 22nd. Questions can be directed to our School Lunch Specialist, Rosemarie Hanson at rhanson@tburg.k12.ny.us