This page will be updated as information becomes available. Last updated June 25, 2021.

As we have throughout this crisis, our District will continue to follow the guidance and regulations set by state and local authorities that govern how we may safely deliver instruction.

Masks are required to be worn inside all District schools and buildings, regardless of vaccination status.

CCSD is under hybrid/remote instruction for the remainder of the 2020-21 school year. Families have selected an option for hybrid instruction (four days of in-person instruction and one day of virtual instruction per week) or 100% remote instruction (five days of virtual instruction).

CCSD Communications/Letters

CCSD Summer Food Distribution (June 25, 2021)

Updated Information for Graduation (June 22, 2021)

Updated Mask Guidance – Guidance Document (June 8, 2021)

Important Information From Dr. Cook: Update on Mask Wearing In Schools (June 6, 2021)

Important Information From Dr Cook – May & June Events, Summer Programs, Vaccination Survey, and Reopening 2021-22 (May 19, 2021)

Vaccine POD for Students 12 and Older (May 18, 2021)

Important Information From Dr Cook – May & June Events, Summer Programs, Vaccination Survey, and Reopening 2021-22 (May 6, 2021)

Information About Class of 2021 End-of-Year Celebrations (May 5, 2021)

Positive COVID-19 Case at CES (May 3, 2021)

* For earlier communications, please visit our Coronavirus Communications Archive

Summer Food Distribution

Breakfast & lunch distribution for all CCSD students will continue through July, 2021 at central locations throughout the district. Distribution locations with times schedule are as follows:

Mondays & Wednesdays

10:15 am – Grandview & Landon Ave
10:30 am – HopONose Apartments
10:40 am – Catskill Community Center
10:50 am – Greene Med Arts Pkg Lot
11:05 am – Leeds Post Office

11:15 am – Cauterskill & Paul Saxe
11:30 am – B & B Lounge
11:40 am – Four Seasons Motel, Route 32
11:45 am – Rainbow Cabins, Route 32
12:00 pm – Maple Grove & Pennsylvania Ave

Breakfast & Lunch will be available for pick up at the listed times at the above locations free of charge to all Catskill School District students who provide name and/or student lunch pin.

Questions or concerns please contact Food Services at 518-943-2300 ext 1413

Reopening of School 2020-21 Plan

District & Building Level Presentations

Tech Support For Parents

Catskill Elementary School

cestechsupport@catskillcsd.org

Catskill High School

chstechhelp@catskillcsd.org

CHS offers live technology support on Wednesdays from 6:00-8:00 p.m. CHS families can access this service with your child’s school account – use the Google Meet code CHSTECHHELP

General

A Google Classroom tutorial
Google Classroom explained for parents
A Google Classroom FYI…. Did you know XBoxOne and Playstation 4 BOTH have Google
Classroom apps! You or your child can access Google Classroom on these game consoles as
well as through a laptop, smartphone, or Chromebook.

State Testing

Grades 3-8 English, math and science state assessments will take place as computer-based testing in 2021. Earlier this year, the New York State Board of Regents petitioned the federal Department of Education for a waiver to cancel the Grades 3-8 Math and English Language Arts exams, as well as the Grades 4 and 8 Science exams, but that waiver has been denied. While students will have to take the state assessment tests, there will be some changes this year. Only the first session of the Grades 3-8 Math and ELA exams will be administered instead of two sessions. Only the written portion of the Grades 4-8 Science exams will be administered while the performance tests will not be given.

The NYS Education Department has stated that it will not be possible to administer any state assessments remotely this year. All exams will be administered in-person. Students who have opted to learn in a fully-remote environment will not be expected to participate, though they will have the option of attending in-person to complete the assessments. All students who attend school in-person to take the exams will be prohibited from bringing cell phones and other personal electronic devices with them.

In March, 2021 the state Board of Regents deployed emergency regulations for exemptions to Regents diploma requirements. For June examinations, only regents exams required under the Every Student Succeeds Act will take place, including English Language Arts, Algebra 1, Earth Science and Living Environment.

August Regents exams will be canceled.

The NYS Education Department canceled the January 2021 administration of the High School Regents Examination Program due to the ongoing COVID–19 pandemic. This cancellation applies to all Regents Exams that had been scheduled for the January 2021 Regents Examination period. January Regents Cancelation FAQ

Athletics

The Greene County Department of Public Health requires the positivity rate in Greene County to be at or below 4% in order for schools to participate in high-risk sports. More at Greene County Public Health Department update on high-risk winter sports

Updated Public Health Department Statement for High-risk Sports (Feb. 17, 2021)

Athletics Health & Safety Guidelines

NY State

NYS Interim Guidance for Sports and Recreation

NYSPHSAA

Return to Interscholastic Athletic Guide for the 2020-2021 School Year.

Patroon Conference

Celebrating the Holidays Safely

The CDC has provided guidance on how to celebrate the holidays safely at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html#halloween

Travel Advisory in Effect

The State has issued a Travel Advisory for persons traveling out of/returning to NYS.

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory

COVID-19 Report Card

New York school districts are required to provide the Department of Health with daily data on the number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in each school. The information is publicly available on a new online dashboard developed by DOH.

School COVID-19 Report Card

School-based COVID-19 Testing

Per NYS guidance, CCSD currently does not qualify to begin conducting surveillance testing in schools.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Hotlines

New York State has established a Novel Coronavirus Hotline which can provide additional information. Call 1-888-364-3065 with questions or concerns about travel and symptoms.

Columbia Memorial Health has also established a Novel Coronavirus Hotline at 518-828-8249.

NYS Office of Mental Health has established a COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-888-863-9314 or https://omh.ny.gov/

Rensselaer County
Samaritan Hospital

Dutchess County

Northern Dutchess Memorial Hospital, Rhinebeck
Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Poughkeepsie

NYSOH Health Insurance Special Enrollment Period

NY State of Health has opened a Special Enrollment Period for people who are uninsured, and has started an awareness campaign to let people know that NY State of Health is there as a safety net during the COVID-19 crisis. Many New Yorkers who are without health insurance are eligible should apply now through NY State of Health. If you lost employer coverage, you must apply within 60 days of losing that coverage. Because of a loss of income, New Yorkers may also be eligible for Medicaid, the Essential Plan, Child Health Plus, or subsidized Qualified Health Plan coverage. Visit www.nystateofhealth.ny.gov for help finding a health care plan that works for you. For questions, contact the Marketplace at 518-486-9102 or NYSOH@health.ny.gov.

Mental Health and Anxiety Resources/Information

NYS Office of Mental Health COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline 1-888-863-9314 https://omh.ny.gov/

NYS has partnered with Headspace to offer New Yorkers free meditation and mindfulness content at www.headspace.com/ny

Taking Care of your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty
5 Ways to Help Teens Manage Anxiety About the Coronavirus
www.gozen.com
www.calm.com
Mini Meditation
Down Dog App, which includes the apps Down Dog, Yoga for Beginners, HIIT, Barre, and 7 Minute Workout, is free until April 1st and has exercises you can do at home
Feeling Anxious Or Worried? Listen To These 8 Podcasts
Coronavirus Anxiety: 4 Ways to Cope with Fear
Help Kids Manage Anxiety around the Coronavirus (3 Expert Videos)
Care for your Coronavirus Anxiety
Expert Offers Practical Advice to Manage Your Coronavirus Anxiety
Helping Children and Teens Cope with Anxiety About COVID-19

How to Talk to your Children/Family about Coronavirus

Talking to Teens and Tweens About Coronavirus
How to Talk to Kids About Coronavirus
BrainPop cartoon video explaining Coronavirus
NPR Comic for Kids explaining Coronavirus
Talking to Kids About the Coronavirus
Help Your Family De-Stress During Coronavirus Uncertainty
Fear and Anxiety – An Age by Age Guide to Common Fears, The Reasons for Each and How to Manage Them
How to Talk About Coronavirus With Kids
The Yucky Bug – Julia Cook
So You’ve Got Questions about Coronavirus
Talking to Children about COVID-19 (Published by the National Association of School Psychologists)

How You Can Help Others

How You Can Help
Purposity – finds those in need near you
United Way Capital Region Community COVID-19 Response Fund

Mental Health Therapists

The following is a list of therapists in our local area. This list is not meant to be a recommendation or
endorsement for a particular clinician.

Name	City	Phone
Lilly Casscles, PhD	Catskill, NY	518-755-2803
Suzanne Tolemao, LCSW	Leeds, NY	518-605-0016
Ken Russell, LCSW-R	Catskill, NY	518-943-0244
Mari Warfel, LCSW	Leeds, NY	518-618-8868
Craig Lennon, PhD	Catskill, NY	518-943-4360
Steven Abrahams, LCSW	Woodstock, NY	845-679-5511
Walter Kendall, PhD	Cairo, NY	518-719-8873
Marcie Pollit, LCSW	Saugerties, NY	845-247-4357
Julie Staber, LCSW	West Hurley, NY	845-679-7500
Richard, Madden, PhD	Catskill, NY	518-943-1000
Carole Sayle, LCSW, CASAC	Catskill, NY	518-943-5354
Tim Rodier, LCSW	Kingston, NY	845-705-9328
Pam Perkins, LCSW-R	Saugerties, NY	845-616-9087
Patricia O’Neil, LCSW-R	Chatham, NY	518-929-8511
Greene County Mental Health	Cairo, NY	518-622-9163
Columbia Memorial Psychotherapy Center	Catskill, NY	518-697-8010
Choices Counseling	Albany, NY	518-438-2222
Families Together Counseling	Catskill, NY	518-719-0123

Mobile Crisis Assessment Team

Is an emergency mental health service that can provide emergency mental health assessments. Their services are available 7 days a week from 8am—10pm by calling 518-943-5555.

About COVID-19

Background

2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease that can lead to fever, coughing, trouble breathing and/or shortness of breath. While approximately 80% of cases lead to mild symptoms, there can be life-threatening cases, especially among older adults and those who have serious chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and lung disease. The virus is likely spread from cough and sneeze droplets, close contact with an infected individual, or by touching a surface contaminated with the virus and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

Symptoms

According to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC), symptoms of the virus most commonly include fever with dry cough, shortness of breath, and pneumonia. Other symptoms reported include tiredness, headache, runny nose, sore throat, loss of sense of smell or taste, diarrhea, and body aches. Some people may have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all but may still be contagious.

Prevention

There are currently no vaccines available to protect against this new virus. Federal, state, and local health departments recommend these simple steps to help stop the spread of COVID-19:

Stay home whenever possible.
Practice social distancing – stay at least six feet from others and avoid large groups.
If you must go out, wear a mask to cover your mouth and nose.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with anyone from outside your household
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick and keep your children home if they are sick.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing. If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.
Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces, such as toys, door handles, cellphones, and countertops.

Additionally, if you or a family member begin showing symptoms of a respiratory illness and suspect it may be COVID-19, contact your healthcare provider before going there and inform them that a case of COVID-19 is suspected, then follow their advice.