Dear Fairport Families:
Brotherhood-Sisterhood Week
It was a week of connections and togetherness in Fairport as we celebrated our 25th annual Brotherhood-Sisterhood Week. High school students teamed up with elementary school classrooms to share and model the meaning of C.A.R.E. – where we treat each other with Civility, have Awareness of our surroundings, always Respect each other, and Embrace our differences. I invite you to check out our District and school social media pages for pictures of the week’s events, and take a look at our collection of posts here.
Return to 5-Day Instruction
You may have heard the CDC recently relaxed physical distancing requirements in schools. This is good news and progress as we continue to plan for our full return to school on April 19. We are still awaiting NYSDOH interpretation of this change, but our return to school planning continues forward.
The District’s Return to School Advisory Committees met to discuss some of the key topics involved in a full return to school. The committees are made of parents, students, administrators and staff and are divided into grade bands (K-5, 6-8, 9-12) to discuss challenges unique to those grade levels. On Thursday, groups discussed comfort levels, challenges and mitigation strategies around areas like:
- Supporting all students’ social and emotional wellbeing
- Transportation, arrival and dismissal times
- Extracurricular clubs and activities
- Social distancing in classes, as well as passing in hallways
- Maintaining a diligent, cautious mindset in students and staff as COVID-19 guidelines relax
- Ventilation in classrooms and facilities
- Meal times, recess times and break times for instructors
- Potential impacts on scheduling and student placements, particularly at the K-5 level
Our conversations were focused and productive. District leadership met Friday afternoon to synthesize the feedback we received and plan our next steps for the upcoming week. The Advisory Committees will meet again next week on Tuesday to continue these discussions. The greater community will have the opportunity to understand where we are in this process and provide further feedback. See below for important events that will occur next week.
Upcoming Events
- Tuesday, March 23 – Second Advisory Committee Meetings
- Wednesday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. Special Board of Education Meeting
- During this Special Board Meeting, our Board members will have an open discussion about a return to full time, in-person learning. Click here for more information.
- Thursday, March 25 – Virtual Staff Meeting to provide a status update
- Thursday, March 25 at 6:30 p.m. Virtual Community Meeting
- Please join us for a Virtual Community Meeting via our District’s Youtube channel. The purpose of the meeting is to share updated information on the District’s plan to move forward and Reopening Advisory Committees. During the meeting, community members will have access to a “Questions & Comments” form to complete (click here).
Culturally Responsive Curriculum Overview
Last week we held a virtual presentation, including an overview of the new culturally responsive curriculum that students will experience this year at designated grade levels. The curriculum units and texts are part of Fairport’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and align to New York State Learning Standards, particularly in the areas of Social Studies and English Language Arts. Click here to read a recap of the event. We also compiled an FAQ document on this topic that can be read by clicking here.
School Calendar for 2021-22 (Please Read, This Calendar is Subject to Change)
The Board of Education approved the 2021-22 School Calendar at this week’s Business Meeting. The approved calendar reflects the first day for students as Tuesday, September 7. However, we learned this falls on the first full day of Rosh Hashanah this year and would impact several members of our school community. We apologize for this oversight and anticipate amending the start date and school year calendar for all students. Please stay tuned for more communication and an amended calendar.
NYS Travel Guidance – Spring Recess
Last week Governor Cuomo announced that domestic travelers will no longer be required to quarantine after entering New York from another U.S. State or U.S. Territory beginning April 1, which falls during our Spring Recess. International travel will still require testing prior to entering the U.S. and a minimum 7-day quarantine once tested back in NY.
Our District continues to follow the State’s guidance. We are anticipating that we will no longer require that travelers report this information after traveling domestically (if you arrive back in NY April 1 or after), but we do recommend that you stay abreast of the ever changing guidance and monitor your child if any symptoms arise after traveling. When this new policy is updated, we will review the daily health screening to be in line with any changes or updates from the CDC, NYS and MCDOH after April 1.
Thank you for your continued support of your children and their educational experiences here in Fairport. Spring will arrive this weekend and hopefully with it will come consistent sunny days and new beginnings as we study the prospects for a full return to school! I wish you a restful and joyful weekend – next week is our last week together as we near Spring Recess beginning on March 29.
Sincerely,
Brett Provenzano
Superintendent of Schools