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

The December 16, 2020 Board of Education meeting has been cancelled. The next meeting will be on January 6, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria.

The following message was shared the day before school started. If you would like to be added to the meal delivery schedule for virtual students, please contact Mr. Abbruzzese at cabbruzzese@richfieldcsd.org or leave a message at 315-858-0610 ext 1611. Thank you. School meals will be available to all students this school year both on site, and on remote learning days. If you would like school meals for remote learning days, please complete the survey below. Please fill out one survey per child. https://forms.gle/bhhvZNreS1JvpmZRA

November 6, 2020 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 secondary level (grades 7-12). We reached out to those families directly affected yesterday and the Department of Health will be in contact with those families today. This is also the reason that the secondary level has moved to fully virtual instruction. The confirmed case only impacts the secondary level at this time. Elementary students and staff are not impacted and in-person instruction will continue at the elementary level. The Richfield Springs Central School District will continue to work closely with the Department of Health. Further information and announcements will be provided as updates are available. If you have further questions/concerns, do not hesitate to contact the District Office. Thank you and stay safe, Tom Piatti Richfield Springs Superintendent of Schools

Students in grades 7-12 will be going fully virtual beginning on Monday, December 7th until the Holiday break. Monday will be a B-day. Elementary is still in session as normal. Students not under quarantine may come to the building to get things from their lockers. Thanks and stay safe.

Congratulations to our K-2 Star Students!! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_2OBvr9gEhK-ozBAqpiy5XLtuBMSoPF9/view?usp=sharing

Our Bassett school based health center will be open when school is in session virtually or in-person. Telehealth options are also available. Please call 315-858-0610 ext 1041 or 844-255-7242 Mon – Fri 8-4 to schedule an appointment. Schedules are subject to change.

This year we will have two Christmas Spirit Weeks so that all high school students have the opportunity to participate. The schedule is as follows: Monday 12/7 and 12/14 - Crazy Christmas Socks Tuesday 12/8 and 2/15 - Favorite Christmas Character Wednesday 12/9 and 12/16 - Ugly Christmas Sweater Day Thursday 12/10 and 12/17 - Silver and Gold Day Friday 12/11 and 12/18 - Cozy Christmas Jammies Day

This is a note about the new travel rules put in place on November 4, 2020. Anyone who travels to a state that is NOT one that borders or touches New York may “test out” of the mandatory 14-day quarantine. Travel to and from states next to New York (Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) do not have to quarantine. Anyone who was in another state, one that DOES NOT TOUCH NY, for more than 24 hours MUST *get a COVID-19 diagnostic or rapid test 3 days before leaving that state *When back in New York, fill out the travel form, and quarantine for 3 days; and on the 4th day get another COVID-19 test, NOT rapid, the school can only take ANTIBODY LONG TEST *If both tests are (-) negative you can go to work or school *If you were in a state for less than 24 hours no test before you leave, but you MUST fill out your travel form AND when back in New York wait 4 days, then get a COVID-19 ANTIBODY LONG TEST *Based on the results of that test, the DOH (Department of Health) will tell you what you can do next Thank you for following the rules so that we can all stay safe and healthy and continue to teach your children in person. Have a nice Thanksgiving; rest and enjoy the family.

Check out what some of our 8th graders created in ceramics class a couple of weeks ago! They had to construct a mug or bowl using coils, finishing with some cool glazes. They are so talented!!!! https://bit.ly/2KxcJuV

Congratulations to our Elementary Scholars and Star Students!! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hSZ_vM5KCMGcL3sqrU8zH21FVM2YMNLK/view

Congratulations to the students who made the Principal's List, Honor Roll, and Merit Roll for the first quarter! https://5il.co/nbba

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

As of today, the basketball season is set to begin on January 4th.

We will be holding 2 RSCS Spirit Days (as much purple and gold as you can wear) on Monday November 23rd and Tuesday November 24th. We are doing 2 days so that all HS students will have the opportunity to participate.

Jared Campbell, award winning singer/songwriter, presented to our kindergarten, first, second, and third grade classes. His message was about kindness, friendship, and self confidence. Click and watch today's assembly. https://youtu.be/_9N5K-gYk8g

Jared Campbell, award winning singer/songwriter, presented to our 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classes. His messages were about kindness, love, gratitude, and perseverance. Click and watch today's assembly. https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/ZhbaC820M6fjpBjUncEOj?domain=youtu.be

The Big Buddy Program is looking for mentors for students within our district. The program matches at-risk youth in Otsego county with a mentor in their local area. If you're interested, please feel free to contact Jamie Smith. Attached is the flyer.

Richfield Springs Schools are closed today due to a water main break.

As a reminder, school is closed tomorrow in observance of Veteran's Day. When we return to school on Thursday, it will be an A day in grades 7-12 and a C day in grades PK-6.

Good news. The presumed positive COVID test results have come back and they are negative. Thanks and have a good evening.

Richfield Springs COVID-19 Presumed Positive Letter

NYSED Parent Dashboard https://data.nysed.gov/parents/

Drive Your Tractor to School Day

Based on clarified guidance from the New York State Department of Health and conversations with the Herkimer County Department of Public Health, Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES and its 10 component school districts will make the following three clarifications to their COVID-19 absence policies to take effect Monday, Oct. 26: 1. Individuals sent home with COVID-19 symptoms must be evaluated by a healthcare provider within 48 hours. Unless the individual is evaluated within 48 hours or is awaiting COVID-19 PCR test results, districts must notify the Herkimer County Department of Public Health and the individual may not return to school. The Department of Public Health will initiate contact tracing, make a determination about quarantine, and determine when the individual may return to school. 2. When a student or staff member is sent home because of COVID-19 symptoms, that individual's household members may remain in school as long as they are symptom-free or until the Department of Public Health directs otherwise. 3. The quarantine/isolation period for the individual sent home will be 10 calendar days (instead of the current 14 days) from the onset of symptoms, with the final three days being symptom-free. The Department of Public Health will determine the quarantine/isolation period for other individuals in the household if needed.

Project Prom is hosting a drive-thru Brooks BBQ on Nov. 3rd. Check out the attached flyer for more details.

Designing rubber band powered vehicles in our potential vs. kinetic energy studies!

Attention seniors and guardians! Herkimer College's Financial Aid office will be hosting a very detailed financial aid presentation. This year it will be delivered virtually on November 7th at 9am. Please note, the presentation is for all college bound students, not just those applying to SUNY and/or Herkimer College. Check your email for the link to join. If you can't attend the meeting and have questions, please reach out to Susan Tripp, the director of financial aid. She and her staff are amazing resources!

Last year our very own Victor Gelfuso was selected to represent New York State in the American Legions Oratorical's National Competition. Each state winner earns a $2000 scholarship. Those who move on at the national level are eligible for multiple awards over $20,000. Victor's journey started at the local level with a simple call to Mr. Mackin to express his interest in participating. If you would like to learn more about the program contact Mr. Mackin at 315-368-3922. Please reach out by October 21st. Some general information about the program can also be found here... https://www.legion.org/oratorical/prepare

Richfield Springs Central School District has their very own weather station collecting weather data from the top of the campus! Weather data will be collected in Earth Science classes and Advanced Weather class for investigation of the nature and unpredictability of the weather. The school and surrounding community has access to current weather data via the Richfield Springs Central School District website. Click the menu and scroll down the "District" column until you reach RSCS Weather Data. Click and you will view the current weather conditions at Richfield Springs Central School District.

7th graders finished their bluebird houses and 3D flowers in Technology class!

The students in Mr. Wadnola's 4th grade class are studying the Haudenosaunee Indians in ELA. The students got to examine actual replica reproductions of items used in ceremonies and celebrations by members of The Five Nations.

The senior class is hosting a drive-thru Brooks' Chicken Half event on Friday, October 9th from 4-6 PM or until they are sold out. The cost is $8.00 per half. See the attached flyer for more information.

Interested in joining Girl Scouts during these uncertain times? Girl Scouts is now offering virtual troops for those girls that are not able to do in-person troops. For more information. check out the attached flyer.

School Picture Day is coming! Use the shop at home link below to order your package. https://www.bjkphotos.com/

Click this link to see the picture schedule for B-Day. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1T9Cw4iE9UaBuLs7OzdLwAIQnp849XF3fAF2GS1b4POw/edit?usp=sharing

Click the link below to see the picture schedule for A-Day. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cZ82Z8dfcwKsfw1H9ygzAxlrDXI4TKfIAIcAUbJysmQ/edit?usp=sharing

Great news for our families!!!

School meals will be available to all students this school year both on site, and on remote learning days. If you would like school meals for remote learning days, please complete the survey below. Please fill out one survey per child. https://forms.gle/bhhvZNreS1JvpmZRA

COVID-19 SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRES Under the guidance of the NYS Department of Health, Richfield Springs Central School is requiring that staff, students, and visitors complete a health screening questionnaire on a daily basis prior to reporting to school. The links to these forms can be found in the COVID-19 Updates section of our website and app. Please note that if you're an iPhone user, press and hold down on the link to open the form in Safari.

Remote Instruction Clarification: We hope by now our parents/guardians and families have familiarized themselves with the Richfield Springs Central School District’s reopening plan for the 2020-2021 school year. The District has worked diligently to ensure that the reopening plan will be safe for its returning staff and students. While the District remains steadfast in its commitment to maintain the health and well-being of its staff and students as they return to the school building, we are also aware that certain students, particularly our special education population, may not be able to return to the school building despite the District’s safety measures. If you, as a parent/guardian of a special education student, believe your child warrants remote instruction based on his/her medical condition, please submit your request in writing as soon as possible to Tom Piatti, Superintendent of Schools at tpiatti@richfieldcsd.org. The District reserves the right to individually assess each request and seek medical documentation regarding the student’s medical condition and how it impacts the student’s access to education in order to determine whether the student necessitates remote instruction. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and support during these unchartered times, and we look forward to seeing you all in September.

9th-12th Grade Family Forum: Below is the link to the 9th-12th grade virtual question and answer session beginning at 6:00PM. We look forward to seeing you online. Thank you meet.google.com/rqh-amof-hpe Phone Numbers(‪US‬): ‪+1 561-223-1417‬ PIN: ‪924 318 440#

8th Grade Family Forum: Below is the link to the 8th grade virtual question and answer session from 5:00-5:45PM. We look forward to seeing you there. https://meet.google.com/tfe-zyyh-unc Join by phone ‪(US) +1 423-491-5698‬ PIN: ‪404 340 962‬#

The Richfield Springs Central School District will be obtaining some Mobile Hotspots for students who currently do no have home internet access. The Mobile Hotspot units are intended for your child's educational needs. To reserve a unit, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/oVRA9uCiiM4ESeH36 Once the Mobile Hotspots are available for loan, Jim LaVere Coordinator of Educational Technology, will reach out to you.

Click here to view our Back To School Newsletter! https://5il.co/k7yo

This is Lee Supensky, Interim Secondary Principal at Richfield Springs Central School I’m calling to invite parents/guardians/caregivers of secondary students to a virtual question and answer session on Thursday, August 27th. This session will address student scheduling for the 2020-21 school year and will include Mr. Busch from the counseling department. Student schedules will be available on SchoolTool as early as this evening. Paper copies will be mailed Tuesday, Aug 25th. The meetings will be offered through the google Meet link on the school's webpage as follows: 8th grade from 5:00-5:45 9th through 12th grade from 6:00- 6:45 As a reminder, 7th grade will hold its virtual transition meeting separately tomorrow night at 5pm. Thank you

7th Grade Orientation We would like to invite all students starting 7th grade at RSCS and their parents to orientation on Tuesday evening, August 25th, at 5:00pm. This will be held virtually via Google Meet. Join with Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/ouq-kumk-aae Join by Phone: +1 336-904-9376 (PIN: 525456450) See you then!

The RSCS Class of 2024 would like to invite you to their Brooks Chicken BBQ on Sunday September 6 from 12-4 pm in the RSCS parking lot! In order to comply with social distancing guidelines and requirements, this will be a DRIVE-THRU and HALVES ONLY event. We are requiring that you come prepared with exact change or a check made payable to RSCS Class of 2024. Mark your calendars, SPREAD THE WORD and come out to support our class! We hope to see you on the 6th! PRE-ORDER HERE or get 'em that day! $8 halves The Class of 2024 THANKS YOU for your continued support!!

Mr. Piatti will be hosting a District reopening information session on Wednesday, August 19th @ 6PM. This will include a summary of the District Reopening Plan, as well as a Q&A session. Please email your questions to tpiatti@richfieldcsd.org at least 24 hours prior to the start of the meeting.. A follow up Q&A session will take place on Friday morning at 10AM. These meeting will also be streamed to YouTube and recorded for your viewing pleasure. Thank you and stay safe. Tom Piatti is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Richfield District Reopening Meeting Time: Aug 19, 2020 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://moric-org.zoom.us/j/99107746450?pwd=Qzk4M29xZm4zSVdISXFJTEQzcFJDdz09 Meeting ID: 991 0774 6450 Passcode: 681351 One tap mobile +19292056099,,99107746450#,,,,,,0#,,681351# US (New York) +13017158592,,99107746450#,,,,,,0#,,681351# US (Germantown) Dial by your location +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 991 0774 6450 Passcode: 681351 Find your local number: https://moric-org.zoom.us/u/a31Soxqnl Join by SIP 99107746450@zoomcrc.com Join by H.323 162.255.37.11 (US West) 162.255.36.11 (US East) 115.114.131.7 (India Mumbai) 115.114.115.7 (India Hyderabad) 213.19.144.110 (EMEA) 103.122.166.55 (Australia) 64.211.144.160 (Brazil) 69.174.57.160 (Canada) 207.226.132.110 (Japan) Meeting ID: 991 0774 6450 Passcode: 681351

Supply List for Grades 7-12 Please use this link to get to the supply lists for grades 7-12. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pi4zNXh-sy4l3Uc3yropIGHwK9MnwPZxq-E3vamW5Ww/edit?usp=sharing All courses aren't listed yet so keep checking!

Please click this link (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O5NVyK3YQ8ipettwrdY0ETcl0TS0c35BYK2rf8y5jiU/edit?usp=sharing) to get access to the Elementary School Supply List. If your grade level isn't listed, please check back as document will be updated.

The elementary school is hosting grade-level back to school informational meetings for families. All meetings will be held in the cafeteria from 6:00p.m.-7:00 p.m. The schedule is as follows Monday August 10th Pre-K Tuesday August 11th 6th grade Wednesday August 12th 5th grade Thursday August 13th Kindergarten Friday August 14th 2nd grade Monday August 17th 4th grade Tuesday August 18th 1st grade Thursday August 20th 3rd grade Please try to limit attendance to one adult per family. You must wear a mask. You may not attend the meeting without one. Children are NOT allowed at the meeting. We cannot allow admittance if children are with you. If you would like to join virtually the link is meet.google.com/mme-jtfy-kns. YOU WILL BE PROMPTED TO ASK PERMISSION TO JOIN THE MEETING, WITHIN A FEW MINUTES STAFF WILL UNLOCK THE ROOM. The meeting will discuss traditional in person school as well as distance learning. We look forward to seeing you soon

Use this link for information about remote learning. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a2gaOVsQJOvNhuDIgZ5A9Ra5DpGHbeDn/view?usp=sharing

COVID- 19 Testing Locations o In Otsego County: Bassett Hospital – 1 Atwell Rd, Cooperstown o In Herkimer County: Primary Urgent Care – 130 West Albany Street, Herkimer • May have rapid response tests available o Richfield Springs School Based Health Center (SBHC) – Families enrolled in the SBHC may request COVID testing on-site in the District’s isolation room.

School Protocol for Symptomatic or Covid-19 Positive Students or Staff Use this link to get information about the school protocols for symptomatic or Covid-19 positive students or staff. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gTZ1KSSRl-Xt8hTC2od_jlXZiRKwoJlB/view?usp=sharing

Use this link to get information about the RSCSD reopening plan. (https://drive.google.com/file/d/139bQfjog55W4gXX40V4JrNKnfJDq6P56/view?usp=sharing)

There will be a drive-thru food pantry at Cherry Valley/ Springfield on July 21st at 10AM.

Device collection will be from 10-2 near the cafeteria doors on June 18 for elementary and June 19 for secondary. Please bring all iPads, laptops, calculators, chargers, and cases. If you cannot return the devices on those days/times, please contact tech@richfieldcsd.org.

Due to the weather Thursday, we moved the senior recognition car parade to today, Monday, June 1st at 6:00 pm. Students, please plan on meeting at the firehouse at 5:45 pm.