Otselic Valley Central School District

November 18, 2020 Dear Parents/Guardians/Staff, Firstly, we want to thank you all for your ongoing support as we have moved to virtual/remote learning.  The decision was in the best interest of our community, as we have seen an increase in both positive cases of COVID-19 and quarantining of staff and students.  Thus far, for each positive case, we have averaged more than 10 additional staff and students who have quarantined.  As directly impactful as the virus is on the individual and staff, the indirect impact of the quarantines on our District’s operation cannot be understated.  Despite all this, our spirit has remained high and our resolve to provide the best education possible to our students has not wavered! At this time, it has been determined that all students will continue to be virtual/remote through the Thanksgiving break.  Parents, guardians and students should plan to return to in-person instruction starting Monday, November 30th.  At that time, all students will return four days per week, with Wednesdays continuing as a virtual/remote day.  Other than those staff members explicitly told otherwise, staff should plan to return to work from the building.  BOCES students will continue to be transported to their programs. Please note that the federal and state privacy laws restrict us from disclosing or confirming any personally identifiable information. We cannot identify anyone who has tested positive or release any additional information. Since the start of the school year, the district has been thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting all portions of our school building that are in use by students and staff on a daily basis in accordance with guidance from the New York State Department of Health and the CDC. For details about our cleaning procedures, COVID prevention policies and more, please see our Reopening Plan at www.ovcs.org. Any additional questions, including information about testing procedures, can be directed to the Chenango County Health Department at 607-337-1660 and Madison County Health Department at 315-366-2361. Sincerely, Georgia Gonzalez Superintendent of Schools