Dear Tuckahoe School Community, 

As we continue to respond to student needs and the impacts of the pandemic, we launched i-Ready assessments so teachers can access recent data to help drive instruction and provide interventions. This week, students completed their math assessments. A special thank you to our building leaders and faculty, who helped to facilitate a comfortable pressure-free testing environment in which students were encouraged to do their best. It was great to walk around and see our students working at their various levels to solve problems and tackle challenges. This will be helpful as we continue to refine our instruction to meet students’ needs. 

In addition, we received additional information about the county’s protocols around COVID-19 in schools. I am enclosing the updated Westchester County Department of Health (WCDOH) COVID FAQ. The most pertinent information is summarized below. It clarifies close contact as it pertains to students and staff, and the criteria of close contact in sports, transportation, extracurriculars, and school activities. It also defines close contact as it pertains to staff and students, and the impact of vaccination in quarantine requirements for all school and extracurricular activities.

• New York State guidance requires only unvaccinated close contacts – those students who were within three feet of an infected person for 15 or more minutes – to quarantine. People who are fully vaccinated do not have to quarantine unless they exhibit symptoms. As you are aware, children under 12 are not yet eligible for vaccinations.
• Fully vaccinated individuals meeting the close contact or exposure criteria may continue to work or attend school if the individual's vaccination status has been verified and the individual has no symptoms. Covid testing is recommended within three to five days. 
• For teachers and staff, a close contact is exposure to anyone within six feet of a positive COVID case for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more. Fully vaccinated adults meeting a close contact criteria may continue to work if the individual has no symptoms. These individuals will be reported to the WCDOH with the individual's vaccination status.  
• In the case of meals, snacks, chorus, band, orchestra, and bus rides, if masking cannot be used or monitored all individuals within six feet of the positive case, meeting the 15-minute criteria, are considered exposed. Quarantine will depend on vaccination status. 
• During sports and other outdoor activities, the above six foot and 15-minute criteria applies to all such settings with the exception of during high-risk sports. In these cases, the 15-minute minimum may not apply. The WCDOH will make that determination. 
• Asymptomatic, fully vaccinated individuals meeting the close contact criteria, for school sports or any extracurricular activity, can continue with school and work activities. 
• Any unvaccinated individuals meeting the criteria of close contact will be subject to quarantine by the WCDOH at a minimum of 10 days following their most recent exposure to a positive case of COVID-19.

The full FAQ from the WCDOH September memo can be found by clicking here. 

Thank you for your continued understanding and support. We have celebrated a great start to the school year, and look forward to all that awaits!

Sincerely,

Dr. Amy Goodman
Superintendent of Schools