Richfield Springs CSD

Our Board of Education meeting scheduled for 6:30 PM tomorrow, January 20th, will be held virtually. The public is invited to attend by registering using the link below. Register in advance: https://moric-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ESYXgqmZSLm01d2Km7lMeQ

All grades will remain virtual with a planned return to grades P-8 in-person and 9-12 hybrid instruction on 1-25. Thank you

Due to COVID positive and the contract tracing in the transportation department, our return to in-person instruction plans have had to be altered. Students in grades P-6 will return to in-person on Tuesday, January 19th. Students in grades 7-12 will remain virtual for next week and return to in-person instruction on January 25th. This is a fluid situation, therefore if additional changes are necessary, you will receive additional communications. Thank you and enjoy the MLK holiday weekend.

The class of 2022 is hosting a Brooks BBQ fundraiser. See the attached flyer for details.

Make sure your child is up to date on their immunizations! Bassett’s school based health center is open and ready to see your child safely. Call 315-858-0610 ext 1041 or 844-255-7242 Mon – Fri 8-4:00 to schedule an appointment.

Open the first link for new information on our response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Please complete the form linked at the bottom of the memo called "parent permission for student COVID-19 Test form, or click on the second link in this message. https://5il.co/ojdo (MEMO WITH INFO) https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc6lAMsgGZ85Km2QHk0xQZIkqB8JT3RuOYT6NqSoKQNyq3UtA/viewform?usp=sf_link (TESTING PERMISSION FORM)

If you have a child entering Pre-K or Kindergarten next year, please contact Lynda Oakes at 315-858-0610 ext. 2351 or by email at loakes@richfieldcsd.org for a registration packet. Paperwork needs to be returned by June 30th.

Students in grades 4-12 are invited to join the ODY Ski Club. 2021 Ski Packet: https://5il.co/og1r

Need a COVID-19 test for your child? Bassett’s school based healthcare practitioners have the ability to do testing for any student enrolled in a school based health program! Call 315-858-0610 ext 1041 or 844-255-7242 Mon – Fri 8-4:00 to schedule an appointment.

Youth Tractor Safety Certification You do not have to be a member of 4-H to register for this safety class. Herkimer County 4-H will be offering a Safe Tractor and Machinery Operation Program to youth and adults 14 years of age and older. We invite and encourage all farm and non farm youth and adults who will be working on or around machinery to participate in the program. Youth ages 14-15 working for someone other than their mother or father must have successfully completed this course in order to be legally employed on a farm. The program will be held at the VFW next to Clinton Tractor (49 Franklin Ave. Clinton, NY) on February 16-18 from 8:30am-3:00pm each day. The cost for 4-H members is $25. Lunch and all program materials are included. Pre-registration is required by February 8. You can register online by clicking https://pub.cce.cornell.edu/event_registration/main/events_landing.cfm?event=TractorSafety2021-2-2-2_221 , or by calling the Herkimer County 4-H Office at 315-866-7920. If you have any questions regarding this or other 4-H programs please call or email Jennifer Collins at jlr34@cornell.edu. This program is sponsored by Clinton Tractor and Implement Company as well as the Workforce Development Institute through a grant from the Department of Labor. Masks will be required while in attendance at this program. All proper COVID-19 protocol and CDC guidelines will be followed.

Dear Parents/Guardians, For those that are not aware, we are very fortunate to be involved with CFES Brilliant Pathways which provides us with many opportunities for college and career awareness, mentoring, leadership, and more. CFES has started a College and Career Readiness (CCR) Advisor Training for parents/guardians, and the promotion flier is attached. If you would like to register, go to https://brilliantpathways.org/readiness-advisor-training/ If you do attend, Mrs. Bard and I would love your feedback as a parent. Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you, Jan Wust 315-858-0610, x0035 jwust@richfieldcsd.org

Good evening Richfield families and happy new year. It is time to get back into the swing of school. Please make sure students check their emails and schedules and log into their virtual classrooms tomorrow, on time, dressed, and ready to learn. Attendance is being taken and grades collected. We understand that sometimes kids have a bad day, teachers do too, please let us know so that we can work on ways that can help. We also understand that if kids let too many assignments pile up it can feel overwhelming and hard. This happens to teachers too! Please reach out to us, be honest, and let us work out a plan to get everyone back on track. We missed you and are excited to see you.

Details matter! Several students learned this the hard way after a thought-provoking writing assignment this week. Students were asked to write directions for building a snowman. They were quite surprised by the results when Mrs. Ames followed their directions and built the snowmen out play dough. They all learned that paying attention to detail when writing is very important!

Our FFA chapter accepted a state-wide challenge from another FFA in lighting up a tractor. Pictures will be posted on the NYS FFA website for public voting - prizes to be awarded later this month. We met and used a John Deere 730 from the collection of Dick and Bev Johnson (route 20). He is John Burditt’s grandfather and was a FFA district President in his high school days. We hope to continue this tradition in the future!

Don’t forget to see your SBHC practitioner for well child visits, immunizations and physicals! Bassett’s school based health center may be open limited hours when school is in session virtually or in-person and are ready to see your child safely. Call 315-858-0610 ext 1041 or 844-255-7242 Mon – Fri 8-4:00 to schedule an appointment.

Holiday Meal Kits: All children 18 and under in the District are eligible to receive (1) 5-day meal kit for the vacation break. The (All-Frozen Kits) consist of the following items: 5 - breakfast entrees, 5 lunch entrees, fruit juice, vegetable snacks, assorted fruit cups, crackers, and other snack items. To be able to deliver to families by 12/21 or 12/22 all orders would have to be in no later than 12/17. Please contact the cafeteria, if you would like a meal kit. Thank you.

To sign up for meal delivery for students during remote learning days, please email or call Chris Abbruzzese. Email: cabbruzzese@richfieldcsd.org, Phone: 315-858-0610 (ext. 1611)

Due to the anticipated high COVID infection rate during the two weeks after the holidays, the Richfield Springs School District will continue fully virtual instruction through January 15th, returning to in-person instruction on Tuesday, January 19th. During this time, students in BOCES programs will continue to be transported to the valley. Thank you

COVID-19 Announcement: The Richfield Springs Central School District has been notified by the Department of Health that there was a confirmed positive COVID-19 case in the District at the elementary level. We reached out to those families directly affected and the Department of Health will be in contact with them as well. The elementary school is moving to fully virtual instruction until the holiday break. If you are in need of meal deliveries while we are virtual, please contact the cafeteria. We plan to return to in-person instruction on January 4th. Thank you and stay safe, Tom Piatti

To the Richfield Springs School Community: Starting in September, all school districts in New York State have been required to input the following information into a New York State Department of Health (DoH) portal: 1. Do we have any positive COVID-19 cases to report each day. 2. The number of COVID-19 tests conducted on students, faculty and/or staff, whether or not they are on-site or off-site. 3. The number of students, faculty and/or staff that have been referred to a health care provider or health department with COVID-19 related symptoms. Even when we are learning remotely virtually, we still are required to submit this information on a daily basis. Please report any of the above-mentioned COVID-19 related information to the school nurse at extension 1081 or by email at keffner@richfieldcsd.org. Due to the increased volume of quarantines, the DoH has lost the capacity to notify us of quarantines that are the result of contact with a positive case outside the District. Therefore, please contact the school nurse upon learning of your student’s quarantine. The information is important for us to track and monitor. Thanks for your help, Tom Piatti Richfield Springs Superintendent of Schools