Dear Parents & Families,
Happy Friday everyone! We have a few updates and information to share with you all before you start your weekend. First, we would like to thank you for your continued cooperation as we continue our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We recently sent out an update to our COVID guidelines that we advise you to review.
Though we continue to have positive cases of COVID-19 in our school community, your continued diligence in adhering to practices that will mitigate the spread of the virus, including proper mask wearing and handwashing are appreciated. As a reminder, please keep your child(ren) home if they are experiencing symptoms. An effective way to reduce the transmission rate is to be vaccinated if you are eligible. Information on vaccination clinics in Albany County can be found here.
We would like to remind families about our pick up and drop off procedures, to ensure the safety of all students, parents and staff. We ask that you remain in line when waiting to drop off your child, be mindful of students departing their vehicle and to please respect the traffic pattern. When picking up your student, we ask that you wait in your assigned spot or in a visitor spot if yours is unavailable. With the winter weather, we ask that you drive carefully and at or below the speed limit of 15 miles per hour. Lastly, we ask that you are cognizant of the two-way traffic in our parking lot to avoid any incidents.
Next Monday, Jan. 24 the PTA is hosting a dine out fundraiser at Il Faro Restaurant here in Menands. For more information, please refer to the Menands PTA Facebook page or their website. Additionally, progress reports for grades 3-5 will be mailed home next Friday Jan. 28.
As a reminder, if you have not filled out the Student Digital Resources survey, we ask that you do so as soon as possible. We are required to send the New York State Department of Education this information in order to comply with state regulations, and to continue to be eligible for funding and resources. Families that do not respond to the survey will receive a phone call to answer the survey questions, as we are required to provide the State responses for each student.
With the winter season in full swing, the chance for inclement conditions becomes more likely. In the event of a weather-related emergency, we will continue to utilize SchoolMessenger and the local media to notify of school closures and delays. If you are not receiving notifications from us via SchoolMessenger, please contact Liz Mentiply in the main office. For safety reasons, please do not drop off students prior to 10:10 a.m. during a delayed opening. Prior to this time, there is no supervision for students.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. Have a warm and safe weekend!
Dr. Long & Mrs. Cannavo