by Robert Pritchard, Ed.D. | Jan 15, 2021 | Updates
On Monday, January 18, 2021, the South Orangetown Central School District will be closed in observance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday and the pivotal role he played in the Civil Rights Movement. We call this day, MLK Day and this day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service. On MLK Day, all Americans are encouraged to volunteer to improve their communities.
We at SOCSD have made a strong commitment to serving our community and understand the critical role that we play towards developing a sense of service in our students. When young men and women are encouraged to “step outside of themselves” and consider how their actions may impact upon the lives of others in a positive way, each can strengthen his or her own sense of “collective self.” This is important since most children are developmentally predisposed towards a strong sense of their “individual selves” …that’s a good thing – we want students who will have a strong sense of their own identity who can be uniquely vital to the world. Beyond this, however, community service can improve how our students connect to the world around them, and put into action what it truly means to be an American and a global citizen.
While there are many ways that we promote a sense of service in our community, I can think of no better example of community service in action than the collaborative effort shown at our SOCSD Food Pantry, located at the former Tappan Zee Elementary School. The SOCSD Food Pantry was originally designed to assist families struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but has grown into a permanent resource to help our community members dealing with food insecurity. The SOCSD Food Pantry is under the direction of Dr. Karen Tesik, Executive Director of Pupil Personnel Services and Ms. AJ Walker, Director of the SOCSD Family Engagement Center.
If anyone in our community is looking for an opportunity to volunteer and to get involved, the SOCSD Food Pantry is a great opportunity to serve right here in our local community. If you would like to volunteer, please contact us by emailing socsdcares@socsd.org or calling (845) 721-6083. Beyond this, if you would like to know more about how to include service to others as part of a healthy lifestyle for you and your family, please visit The Corporation for National and Community Service’s website at: http://www.nationalservice.gov/
Lastly, I would like to thank the following individuals who have given their time, talents, and resources towards the success of the SOCSD Food Pantry:
Community volunteers who have gone “above and beyond” by distributing food and stocking shelves: Evan Karzhevsky, AnneMarie Uhl, Dan Lamadrid, Lonnie Jacobs, Mitchell Jacobs and Russell Jacobs.
Student ambassadors: Isabella Lamadrid, Matt Tobin and Olivia Steger (Olivia developed a web application to manage inventory)
SOCSD staff: Karen Tesik, Pat Kelly, Lillian Croyle, Jackie Garrecht, Kleo Girandola, Joe Lloyd, AJ Walker, Bobbie-Angela Wong, Jessenia Cursio, Jessica Inglis, Ponnu Varghese-John, Lisa Jacobs and Karen McNee.
A special thanks to Jamie Fodor, Heidi Hill, Bill Hughes, Marisa Premus and all of the EASO members for organizing a wonderful display of support for our families and food pantry team. The holiday music and parade of donations allowed us to restock our shelves for the new year and remind us that “Together We Can” and do what we need to help each other.
by Robert Pritchard, Ed.D. | Nov 24, 2020 | Updates
Dear SOCSD Families,
This is a quick reminder that all SOCSD schools will temporarily transition to fully-remote instruction next Monday (11/30) and Tuesday (12/1). All students and staff are to work from home (remotely) those two days; classes will continue virtually as scheduled.
This two-day pause for in-person instruction will allow District administrators to assess the impact of the COVID-19 transmission associated with Thanksgiving travel/gatherings. Although there is no evidence that schools are vectors for the spread of COVID-19 (SOCSD has a zero percent transmission rate), exposure to an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19 typically results in the quarantining of significant numbers of our students and staff. Pausing in-person instruction for these two days may prevent us from having to close for a much longer period due to the likelihood of a mass quarantine. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
During the days immediately following Thanksgiving, please monitor your health and be extra vigilant towards the identification and reporting of any health issues that you, or those nearest to you, may be experiencing. Each of us must be mindful of our decisions and how our decisions impact on those around us. We have had an impressive record of hybrid in-person instruction which has been the result of us working together as a team.
I recognize how stressful these past several months have been, but I see how strong you all are, and I am inspired by your grit and determination. The resulting benefit to our young learners is immeasurable. I also find great inspiration in knowing that people will begin to have access to a vaccine by the end of December. Knowing that there is some light at the end of this tunnel provides some hope and should renew our determination to beat COVID-19.
In the meantime, let’s support and take care of each other by making good choices. We have a long winter ahead of us, but I am confident that we will continue to thrive in the face of adversity as long as we behave safely and make healthy choices our first priority (frequent hand washing, safe social distancing, avoid unnecessary travel and staying home if you feel sick).
As we head into the Thanksgiving Recess, please know that I am deeply grateful to our community for its continued support of our children and our schools. Here’s wishing each of you a happy, safe and healthy Thanksgiving!
Sincerely,
Dr. Pritchard
by Robert Pritchard, Ed.D. | Oct 23, 2020 | Updates
Under the circumstances, we have had a good start to the school year. Our families and staff have made sacrifices and changed our routines thereby ensuring that our children were able to return to school safely. As a school community, we have all done our best to reduce the risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. That notwithstanding, the choices that we make – both in school and outside of school – can have an impact on our ability to continue in-person schooling. I cannot overemphasize the importance of following the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local department of health guidelines pertaining to social distancing, frequent handwashing, mask-wearing, and not exposing ourselves to others if we are not feeling well.
According to The New York Times’ coronavirus tracker, “there are currently only eight states or territories where the rate of new cases is low and staying low: Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, California, Oregon, New York, Hawaii, Maine, Vermont, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.” There are 33 states where cases are high and staying high. Closer to home, in comparison to the rest of Rockland County, the rate of transmission of students aged 5 to 17 in the South Orangetown Central School District remains relatively low and I am confident this is due to the choices we have made and the precautions that we have taken. Subsequently, we have had the most “in-person” opportunities for all of our students in grades K-12.
We are all weary of this pandemic – and because we are weary, we may be prone to making errors in judgement. So now is the time to “stiffen our resolve” and approach this health crisis with the same determination and grit that has allowed us to continue our mission of “elevating, engaging, and inspiring” our young learners. I mention this since the holidays will soon be upon us and that we will all have to weigh the risks associated with public gatherings. We will each have to make smart choices in the weeks ahead relating to activities such as Trick-or-Treating, Thanksgiving, and Winter Recess. We need to remember that we have a responsibility to keep ourselves and each other safe and this will require changing our behaviors. I would encourage each of you to read the guidance from the CDC pertaining to Holiday Celebrations in order that you can make the best choices possible towards reducing our risks to COVID-19 exposure.
Now, more than ever, our health and happiness depends on our commitment to making good choices and minimizing the risks of COVID-19. With this in mind, here’s wishing each of you health and happiness in anticipation of a very different holiday season.
by Robert Pritchard, Ed.D. | Sep 25, 2020 | Updates
“Going through things you never thought you’d go through will only take you places you never thought you’d get to.” – Morgan Harper Nichols
We are wrapping up our second week of hybrid instruction and most of our students have had the opportunity to return to in-person learning. Prior to September 14, our students had not experienced in-person learning for 185 days. Reacquainting children with their teachers (and each other) in an educational setting has been the aim of our community for several months. Our new model of schooling was designed collectively by a task force of parents, teachers, students, and staff. I am uncertain as to how long we will use this hybrid model of schooling, but am hopeful that it is only temporary until we, as a nation, are better able to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond this, I believe that there are some practices and strategies that we have learned that will shape how we educate our children in the post-COVID world. Here are some “silver linings” that I have seen as a result of our teachers’ and students’ responses to the coronavirus:
- Use of learning spaces: At SOCSD, we are exploring ways to use indoor and outdoor spaces differently. While this is mostly a requirement of social distancing mandates from NYSED and the Department of Health, it has forced us to reimagine how we can array teachers and students differently. The current practice of multiple groups of students, at multiple locations, learning content simultaneously from a single teacher is an innovation that we have developed at SOCSD. We also have a greater appreciation for daily physical activity and outdoor learning experiences.
- The pandemic has fostered our Growth Mindset which leads to our desire to learn and a tendency to embrace challenges, persist in the face of setbacks, see effort as the path to mastery, learn from criticism, and find lessons and inspiration in the success of others (Dweck, 2013).
- Awareness of others and ourselves: In an effort to avoid prolonged isolation, we have pursued a course of action that has allowed our children to re-emerge from their homes and to become social again. Being social in a physical space is different than being social in a virtual space. In a hybrid model, we have learned that there are benefits from understanding how to engage with each other both online and in-person. Sometimes the best solution is a face-to-face meeting, while other solutions are better dealt with remotely. According to SOMS Prevention Counselor Bobbie-Angela Wong, “The Counseling Office can now use Google Classroom to ensure that students have access to counseling staff during difficult times.” Ms. Wong further states that there is unfortunately still a stigma around mental health which makes it difficult to ask for help. “This Google Classroom allows students to make appointments, check in, and reach out without feeling embarrassed, ashamed, or nervous since they can do it privately…the end goal is that all students can feel comfortable talking about their emotions and reaching out. The Google Classroom is a starting point to break down barriers and end the stigma!”
Beyond reopening schools: How education can emerge stronger than before COVID-19
by Robert Pritchard, Ed.D. | Sep 11, 2020 | Updates
Welcome back to the 2020 – 2021 school year! We have just finished our first week of 100% distance learning for our students and, while nothing is perfect, we can proudly say that we are off to a good start. This is a good time to take stock in our values and beliefs and stay true to our SOCSD Reopening Plan. Our community has had significant involvement in this plan that was designed to bring our students and staff safely back-to-school, in-person, and now it is time to put this plan Into action.
In order for us to continue to be successful at our school reopening, we need to be mindful that the health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority. By keeping each other safe, both physically and emotionally, we will establish the foundation for all future success. Let’s not be too hard on ourselves when we encounter the inevitable glitches that are associated with trying something new. And, make no mistake, this is new for all of us. We will make mistakes, we will have setbacks, we will learn from our mistakes, and we will all be better off for having tried to do things differently. Here are some of the lessons that I have learned this week from our 100% distance learning experience:
- Academic: Our daily classroom routine at SOCSD is built upon the foundation of consistent scheduling for assignments and classroom work. Classroom lessons and resources are “pushed out” digitally and physically from our Office of Curriculum and Instruction to our classroom teachers. Another feature of our learning environment is having live, daily instruction for all students, whether participating in-person or virtually. It is important that students do not spend too much of their day staring at a computer screen and, as such, students’ and teachers’ schedules are synchronized.
- Staffing: The COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for all of us to be outside of our homes and for some of our more medically fragile staff, coming to work is not possible. Therefore, as a school district, we have faced some initial challenges concerning staffing. However, we have managed to cover all of our classes with qualified staff and are ready to start in-person, hybrid instruction on September 14. All of our instructional staff have received training and professional development to ensure best practices and consistency in delivering the hybrid model of instruction.
- Communications and Family Engagement: We were able to test our computer and Internet systems this past week and we have a “green light” to move forward with hybrid instruction. Our Internet bandwidth capacity was more than adequate to cover the 100% distance learning and we are confident that this will be the case as we shift to the hybrid in-person model. Many of our families were able to take advantage of the distribution of supplies and computer equipment that took place at each of our four schools.
- Student and Staff Welfare: Our classroom activities will stress the social emotional aspects of student development (beyond the mastery of academic content) in the first few weeks of school. Students must first feel safe and secure before they can be confident with scholarship. As such, we will use a trauma-based approach to instruction with an emphasis on social-emotional learning in the first few weeks of school. It was very encouraging to see such strong student attendance during the initial remote learning phase and we are confident that this trend will continue as we transition to in-person hybrid learning.
- Resource Management: Our Office of Management and Finance has done and excellent job of procuring and deploying personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies for all staff and students. We have established health and safety protocols at each of our school locations. If you have not done so already, please watch our instructional videos that provide information as to how we will conduct our daily operations at each school keeping safety in mind (PPE use, social distancing, personal hygiene, and temperature checks).
The governor of the state of New York has frequently mentioned that our reopening efforts are driven by data. The value in data is that it removes much of the emotional aspects of making decisions that could possibly lead to bad outcomes. However, we also know that our emotions and our instincts play a huge role in how we make sense of our daily lives. Therefore, I am asking each of you to maintain an appropriate balance between understanding the scientific data and the significance of tempering this data with an acknowledgement of our own basic human instincts and emotions (our best decisions are often a function of both).
In the words of heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali, “don’t count the days, make the days count.” On Monday, September 14, half of our students will be returning to our campuses for the first time in many months. Let’s focus on making THAT day count as a foundation for all other days that follow. Bearing that in mind, I would like to wish each of you a great school year, but most importantly have a healthy and happy first day back-to-school.
