Dec. 17: weekly update

A message from Superintendent Wiles:

Dear Guilderland CSD Families,

It is important for us to remember that each and every day wonderful things happen in the Guilderland Central School District; events that not only benefit our students but the community in which we live. This is something I’ve known for a long time, and now, it seems the media is taking note. 

Yesterday Channel 10 News covered an event at Farnsworth Middle School where students and teachers put an interesting spin on collecting food for the Guilderland Food Pantry. Students determined the surface area and volume of 350 cereal boxes, which were later donated to the food pantry, to create a line of “dominos” the length of several hallways. “Calculating kindness into every equation”, the students learned some principles of math but also about helping others who live in their community. You can watch the news coverage here or go to the district website to see the video of the entire line of cereal box dominos falling.

GCSD holds successful vaccine clinic

On Monday, Dec. 13, GCSD held a free COVID-19 vaccination clinic in partnership with Albany County Department of Health. A total of 355 vaccinations were administered. Thank you to all who volunteered; we’re hoping to offer additional vaccination clinics in the future.

Reminder: COVID-19 protocols for travel

As we approach the holiday recess, it’s important to note that GCSD follows CDC guidelines for travel. Please take a moment to revisit these guidelines, whether traveling domestically or internationally. Additionally, students returning to school from international travel must follow the GCSD mitigation protocols defined at the beginning of the school year. Depending on vaccination status, students will either need to present the district with a negative COVID-19 test result and/or quarantine for a full seven days. These measures are in place to ensure the health and safety of all GCSD students and staff, and are fully outlined on the district website

COVID-19 cases for the week of December 13

The information below details the number of new COVID-19 positive cases for the week of December 13 and the resulting number of required quarantines.

Altamont Elementary School: 1 new case; no close contacts

Guilderland Elementary School: 3 new cases; 6 close contacts requiring quarantine

Lynnwood Elementary School: 4 new case; 9 close contacts requiring quarantine

Pine Bush Elementary School: 2 new cases; no close contacts

Westmere Elementary School: 1 new case; 3 close contacts requiring quarantine

Farnsworth Middle School: 5 new cases; 28 close contacts requiring quarantine

Guilderland High School: 12 new cases; 4 close contacts requiring quarantine 

Finally, the past few days have been stressful for school districts across the nation. Troubling social media posts threatening school violence have been in the forefront of the news and unfortunately, GCSD has not been immune. Thankfully, these threats were concluded to be non-credible, however they demanded the attention and resources of building administrators and local law enforcement. I am appreciative of their assistance and support, and grateful to say because of their efforts, today was a safe day for all GCSD students and staff. 

As always, thank you for your continued patience and support. Have a wonderful weekend.

Sincerely,

Marie Wiles, Ph.D.
Superintendent

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