This page will be updated as information becomes available. Last updated July 31, 2020.

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 when classes resume in September.

Reopening of School

NYS provided reopening guidance for schools the week of July 13 and our school district’s reopening plan was submitted to the state on July 31, 2020. The Governor has indicated he will make a decision during the first week of August on how schools in NY will reopen.

CCSD Communications/Letters

Virtual Town Hall Zoom Meeting – Reopening of Schools Presentation by Dr. Cook July 30 (July 28, 2020)

Reopening of School Surveys for Parents and Staff (July 10, 2020)

Reopening of Schools Update (July 9, 2020)

Second Reopening of School Committee Meeting – Facilitated on Thursday, June 25, 2020 (July 6, 2020)

Important Information from Dr. Cook –(June 17, 2020)

First Reopening of School Committee Meeting – Facilitated on Thursday, June 11, 2020 (June 17, 2020)

* For earlier communications, please visit our Coronavirus Communications Archive

Athletics

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) has delayed the official start date of the Fall 2020 sports season to September 21st, canceled the Fall 2020 Regional and State Championships, and is preparing to implement a condensed season schedule in January, 2021 if high school sports remain prohibited throughout 2020 due to the COVID-19 crisis. This decision comes at the recommendation of NYSPHSAA’s COVID-19 Task Force. Read a full statement from NYSPHSAA here…

Food Service While School Is Out

The Catskill Central School District is excited to announce that breakfast & lunch distribution will continue for all CCSD students at central locations throughout the summer of 2020.

Monday, June 29 – Thursday, August 20, 2020 Distribution locations:

10:30 am – Mountain Turnpike & Caridi Drive
10:45 am – Cauterskill & Paul Saxe
11:00 am – B & B Lounge
11:20 am – Four Seasons Motel, Route 32
11:30 am – Rainbow Cabins, Route 32
11:45 am – Story’s Corners
12:00 pm – Maple Grove & Pennsylvania Ave

10:25 am – Grandview & Landon Ave
10:45 am – HopONose Apartments
11:00 am – Catskill Community Center
11:25 am – Starlight Motel, Route 9W
11:45 am – Greene Med Arts Pkg Lot
12:00 pm – Leeds Post Office

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. For questions or concerns, please contact Food Service at 518-943-2300 ext 1413.

NYS Testing Cancelations

NYS August Regents Exams are Canceled

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Registration

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten registration is scheduled for June 1-5, 2020. The registration process will take place in the front circle at Catskill Elementary School. Please contact Ms. Nuala Jubie at njubie@catskillcsd.org for immediate support. We have tentatively rescheduled Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten screening for the last week in August 2020. Additional information will be forthcoming.

Novel Coronavirus 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

Nearby County Resources

Albany County
Albany County website
Department of Health
Dept of Mental Health

Columbia County
Columbia County website
Department of Health

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

Child Care Resources

The NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and your local Child Care Resource & Referral agency are here to support you during this difficult time with your child care needs. Take the OCFS Parent Need for Child Care Survey

Child Care Connections – March 26, 2020

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)

Activities to do at Home

GoNoodle
BrainPOP
Sumdog Math
Time for Kids (K-6)
PBS Kids
Ideas for Activities During School Closings
Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch

ByrdseedTV (Educational Videos)
Flocabulary
NewsELA
Reading Eggs
Epic! Digital Book Library (for kids 12 and under – there is a cost – $7.99/month)
Khan Academy – Online video tutorials in a number of subjects at a variety of grade levels
Libby– a free app! Input your library card information and you have access to the library’s
catalog of free audiobooks and e-books.

For Teachers

Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions due to School Closings
Khan Academy Student Schedules for School Closures
Penguin Classics Classroom
Scholastic Learn at Home: Teaching Remotely for Grades K-12
Scholastic Learn at Home: Free Resources for School Closures
Zoom – free sign up for teachers and students & relevant article
Seesaw

For Parents

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.

Connectivity Resources

Free Access to WiFi & Broadband from Spectrum: Spectrum will be offering FREE broadband and WiFi access for 60 days to households with K-12 and/or college students who do not already have a Spectrum subscription. This is designed to ensure that all students have access to theinternet so they may continue their education during this time. All installation fees will be waived. If you or someone you know can benefit from this service please call 1-844-488-8395.

Mid-Hudson Cable has Digital Basic service they will be offering for $19.95 for 60 days.
Their number is 800-342-5400. Or online at http://www.mhcable.net/pricing/

United Way Capital Region Community COVID-19 Response Fund

How You Can Help Others

How You Can Help
Purposity – finds those in need near you

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.

Travel Advisory

NYS has issued travel advisories for a number of U.S. states. People visiting or traveling from these states must quarantine for 14 immediately upon their return to NYS.

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

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 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.