LEADING THROUGH LISTENING

Well, it may be hard to believe but we have made it to the final week of the 2020-2021 school year and the final week of school for our soon to be RFA graduates, the Class of 2021. As this group of students entered 9th grade, no one would have ever known what their high school experience would entail. While last year's senior class was certainly disrupted, and every student 11th grade and below currently was disrupted, no group of students has had their high school experience impacted more than this current group. Yet, one can argue that no group of graduating students has ever achieved more and been better prepared for the real world than this group of students. They have endured a pandemic which at the onset left them as students better prepared for the new learning environment than many of us adults. Shortly thereafter, they were thrust into a national controversy over social justice and basic human rights. A topic that can easily divide communities and students, but this group ...

 As you may know, schools throughout New York State will be recognizing the Juneteenth holiday for the first time this year as it becomes an official State holiday next year. While this is a recognition that is long overdue, many people in our society still do not know much about Juneteenth or the importance of the holiday in our history.  Juneteenth marks the day (June 19) when federal troops arrived in  Galveston ,  Texas  in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came two and a half years after the signing of the  Emancipation Proclamation . Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.  The year following 1865, freedmen in Texas organized the first of what became the annual celebration of "Jubilee Day" on June 19. In the ensuing decades, Juneteenth commemorations featured music, barbecues, prayer services, and oth...

 As you are probably aware, media outlets throughout New York have been reporting all weekend about the State removing the mask requirements for New York Schools as early as Monday. I am hopeful that this will be my last COVID update this year for you all, with only a few weeks of school to go. Please know, that at this time, there are no changes to any of the requirements for schools in New York State.  The district has not received any official notification from any New York State authority including the Governor's office or the New York State Department of Health regarding any changes to the current health and safety requirements for schools. We will review any information we may receive regarding the health and safety requirements for schools, as soon as we receive such information. Our protocols will remain in place for Monday, June 7 and we will update our communications as soon as any official information and direction are provided to schools throughout New York State. ...