CSS Newsletter
March 12, 2020
Produced by the CCS PTA
Submissions for the CCS Newsletter are due by 3 PM on Mondays prior.
Email to: news@ccspta.info
Email to: news@ccspta.info
March 11, 2020
Dear Parents/Guardians,
The purpose of this communication is to update you more specifically with information needed as our district responds to the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak.
Last week, I implemented a Pandemic Annex, which is a supplement to our emergency plan that outlines responsibilities, duties and procedures for responding to a pandemic, which is defined as a worldwide spread of a new disease.
I also sent this letter to parents and forwarded the same to all staff via email and posted it on our website, and created a webpage dedicated to information related to the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).
As the situation continues to evolve, I have been receiving updates from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the New York State Education Department (NYSED) that inform our planning and actions.
I also updated the Board of Education at the meeting last night, the audience of which included community members and our local press. I have created a Coronavirus 2019 Update Slide Deck from that presentation that contains the information.
One of the more important take-aways in that presentation, based on information from the NYSED and NYSDOH is that if there is a case of COVID-19 discovered in our community, the schools will be directed to close for a 24-hour period to allow for an investigation after which the Oneida County Health Department will make recommendations that could include extended closure.
With hopes that we will not need to close, families should be prepared for the potential short-term and/or long-term closure of schools and be thinking about how childcare responsibilities will be covered in your homes.
Our Leadership Team is in the process of creating an Instructional Continuity Plan in the event that we do experience a related long-term school closure. An Instructional Continuity Plan would help us understand how we could possibly continue with instruction and student learning should we be forced to close. For example, using the internet for email and online learning activities and systems.
On Monday afternoon, our principals will be convening the Building Emergency Response Teams to discuss instructional continuity planning and other related issues, followed by a meeting of the District Emergency Response Team on Tuesday morning. I hope to have a draft Instructional Continuity Plan and an updated Emergency Plan by mid-next week.
Also, I have included some resources below that may help with conversations with your children, some of who might be experiencing stress due to the fear of this virus. These resources were also part of the slide deck presentation and will be posted on our website.
I am sorry that this is occurring, but I am confident that we can pull together and keep our community and your children safe.
If you have any questions and/or comments, please submit them using this Comments Form which links you to the website page form.
Sincerely,
Dr. Grimm
CCS is participating in the Positivity Project. A different character trait or topic is highlighted and discussed at school each week. Families are encouraged to follow along with the weekly themes at home to further emphasize each topic. This week's topic is Social Intelligence.
Visit The Positivity Project's website to learn more and to sign up for the weekly newsletter.
Click here to view the complete list of topics for the 2019 - 2020 school year.
Please join us on Thursday, March 12th at 7:00 p.m., in the Media Center for an information session on how to jumpstart the college admissions process. Sophomores, juniors, and their parents are invited to attend. College admissions experts from Hamilton College and Mohawk Valley Community College will present strategies to assist you in the college planning process.
On Monday, March 16th (5-7:30 p.m.) and Tuesday, March 17, 2020 (9-11:30 a.m.) there will be a National College Fair at the Onondaga Community College, SRC Arena. Students are encouraged to complete a free pre-registration form online at www.gotomyncf.com prior to the fair. Colleges and universities gather student contact information by scanning the barcode obtained from the online registration, allowing students more time to speak with college representatives and less time filling out personal information.
Those students interested in taking the Spring SAT or ACT tests must register directly on the testing agency’s website. The registration deadlines, test dates, and web addresses are listed below.
| Registration Date | Test Date |
|---|---|
| May 8, 2020 | June 13, 2020 |
| June 19, 2020 | July 18, 2020 |
| Registration Date | Test Date |
|---|---|
| April 3, 2020 | May 2, 2020 |
| May 8, 2020 | June 6, 2020 |
During this week's Board of Education meeting, Dr. Grimm gave an update on the district's preparation for the Coronavirus and guidance from NYSED. See below for the slides from Dr. Grimm's update.
CCS music teachers recently worked with students on a project in collaboration with the Hamilton College Orchestra. Students were asked to write introductory texts to parts of Carnival of the Animals, composed by Camille Saint-Saёns. The papers were collected and judged, and the most creative were selected to be read during the Hamilton College Orchestra's performance of the piece. Many of the students bravely ready their text on stage. The selected texts were written by the following students: Ben Wileczka, Caiden Tritten, Morgan Rudwall, Veronica Giannone, Aliyah Bentley, Brindalin Filippo, Josey Bauer, Avery Stoddard, Kiersten Majka, Connor Cook, Wynnin Davignon, Anh-Minh Verity, Mac Spadea, Anastasia Leahy, Jackson Bean, Lucas Crissey, Noelle Otto, Anna Kerman, Brooke Painter, and Greg Hartman-Sounder.
*Photo credit - Elizabeth Bentley
There are a limited number of printed High School Musical full cast photos available for $5 each (5"x7" with paper holder). Please email Jackie Walters at jackiewalters73@gmail.com
Kindergarten registration is scheduled for the week of March 9 - 13. Click here to download the registration forms.
The 2019 - 2020 Clinton Elementary School yearbook is on sale now at jostensyearbooks.com!
The deadline has passed for personalizations but you can still order a yearbook. Orders placed after 1/31/2020 will start at $25 plus tax.
If you have pictures from the school that you would like to submit, please send them to smith853a@gmail.com
Below you will find the dates of several upcoming school spirit days at Clinton Elementary:
| Date | Spirit Day | What to Wear |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, March 17 | Good Luck Day | Go green |
| Thursday, April 2 | Autism Awareness Day | Light up the world with blue |
| Friday, April 24 | Earth Day/Arbor Day | Green or animal print |
| WHEN? The entire month of March |
| WHICH HANNAFORD? 55 Meadow Street, Clinton, NY |
| HOW DOES IT WORK? For every Community Bag sold during the month of March, Cub Scout Pack 9 will receive a $1 donation! |
Drop in for free children’s activities and treats! Kids will compare and contrast two different portraits by Hiram Powers and Renée Stout, and create their own 3-D portrait using Model Magic air dry clay. This project is inspired by works of art in the Wellin Museum’s permanent collection, on view in Archive Hall.
Families and children ages 5 - 10.
Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art at Hamilton College
198 College Hill Rd
Clinton, NY 13323
Click here for a list of the Wellin Kids activities scheduled for the 2019 - 2020 school year.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
