September 1, 2022

 Dear Whitney Point Families,

 We are looking forward to having students back in school on September 8th.  We are excited to be starting a healthy and positive new school year here in Whitney Point. 

I am writing to share the current NYS Department of Health and NYS Department of Education guidelines for COVID-19.  While school will be running very much as it did before the pandemic, we do still have to take care to keep our school environment as healthy as possible.  The procedures are very similar to the ones we used at the end of last school year, but I have included some details for your reference below.  If you would like to read the details, they are included here.  

According to the NYS DOH staff who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate at home for at least five days.

·         Day 1 would be considered the first full day after symptom onset (if symptomatic) or the first full day after the positive COVID test was taken (if a person has no symptoms).

·         Students and staff who had symptoms and tested positive for COVID-19 may return to attending school in person on day 6 if they are fever-free without fever-reducing medication for 24 hours and their symptoms are improving. 

·         Upon returning to school, students and staff who tested positive should continue to wear a well-fitting mask or respirator around others through day 10.

Students and staff exposed to COVID-19 will not need to quarantine. People who were exposed to COVID-19 are recommended to wear a well-fitting mask for ten days after the exposure and get tested at least five days after close contact (or sooner if symptoms develop).

Schools are no longer required to conduct routine contact tracing.

Universal mask wearing is not currently required in schools but students and staff who choose to wear a mask are encouraged to do so. 

The Whitney Point Central School District will continue to make building cleanliness a priority. Hand sanitizer will be readily available, and we encourage everyone to continue practicing proper handwashing techniques as well as other personal hygiene habits to prevent the spread of illnesses. 

To help prevent the spread of illness and to promote a safe and healthy learning environment, students and staff are encouraged to stay home when they have symptoms of an illness.

Testing for COVID-19 when and if symptoms exist remains an important strategy that can limit the number of exposures in schools. The district will continue to provide and offer free at-home testing kits for students, faculty, and staff as requested.

We appreciate your assistance in helping us keep our school environment as healthy as possible.  If you have questions or concerns, you can call the health office of your child’s school.  

CEA – 607-692-8238

TRA - 607-692-8326

HS - 607-692-8210.

 Sincerely,

Jo-Ann Sexton

To view a pdf of this letter click here