Coronavirus Resources

Since the Governor issued Executive Order 202.68 designating parts of Monroe County as a Yellow Zone, we have been working with the Monroe County Department of Public Health and area school superintendents to operationalize the requirement that 20% of students and staff in school districts be tested each week until the yellow zone designation is lifted.  Because yellow zones are determined by town, not all of our students and staff will need to participate in the testing program. 

 

Each week, 20% of students and staff will be selected at random to be tested. We are still working out how the notification process will work. Students and staff located in a district-based building will be selected and tested by that school district.  Staff are required to participate, including itinerant staff, who work with classrooms in that building. If a school district has a different selection and testing process, staff should follow their process. Students will participate only if their parents grant consent. Consent forms will be sent by email to parents/guardians by the end of the day. The consent can be completed online or by paper. Parents will be given the option of taking their students to their physician or local pharmacy to be tested. Students who do not consent will remain coming to in-person instruction. If the testing program lasts five weeks, the state would ideally like everyone to participate once. However, the requirement is 20% of the total number of staff and students attending in-person classes each week. The hope is that within a couple weeks, the yellow zone designation will be lifted and we will no longer have to test.

THE TEST IS EASY AND NON-INVASIVE! Here is a link to video of Monroe County Health Department's Dr. Michael Mendoza demonstrating the non-invasive rapid test.

The Abbott BinaxNOW rapid test produces results within 15 minutes. The test consists of swabbing the inside of the front of the nose.  It is not the same test that goes all the way to the top of the nasal cavity! Testing will begin on Tuesday, 11/17. A two-person testing team that has been trained by MCDPH will come to each site to conduct the rapid test. Logistical arrangements will be worked out with program supervisors as to where the testing will be conducted at each program.   Students or staff that have a positive test will follow the established protocols for leaving school and contacting their health care provider.  Information on each person tested will be collected and must be shared with the MCDPH and NYSDOH to meet the testing requirements. All information will be transmitted via a confidential portal.

 

BOCES 2 is committed to providing our students and families with the best educational and related service experiences possible. We believe that having students in school is the best place to do this. Participating in the yellow zone testing program will help to drive the number of positive COVID-19 cases in the county down, thus ensuring in-person instruction can continue. Thank you for your continued commitment to those we serve in such challenging times.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has designated most towns in Monroe County as a Yellow Zone as part of New York State’s Micro-Cluster Strategy. This designation is due to a positive COVID-19 test rate over a 7-day rolling average above 3% for the past 10 days.

 

For schools, a Yellow Zone designation requires that 20% of students and staff be tested for COVID-19 on a weekly basis in order to continue in-person instruction. Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES and local districts are doing everything possible to keep schools open for in-person learning.

 

The NYS Department of Health is deploying rapid-testing kits to the county. BOCES 2 is working with the Monroe County Department of Public Health and local school superintendents to determine how the testing requirement will be implemented and how it will affect BOCES classrooms located in the school districts within the Yellow Zone.

 

We understand that this announcement has increased people’s anxiety and worry and generated a multitude of questions. We will communicate details of the plan as soon as possible.

 

Health officials say schools continue to do an excellent job of controlling the spread because of our adherence to health and safety protocols. The recent rise in positivity rates is the result of social gatherings outside of schools where masks and social distancing protocols were not observed.

 

It is more important than ever to continue to follow the health and safety protocols we have in place including wearing masks, proper hand hygiene and social distancing. Stay safe.

On November 3, 2020, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo released updated travel restrictions for travelers arriving in New York State following out of state travel.  A summary of these restrictions is as follows:

 

All travelers, including New York State residents, who enter New York from a noncontiguous state, or from a CDC Level 2 or 3 Travel Health Notice country, must quarantine for 14 days unless:

            1. Travelers who traveled outside of New York for more than 24 hours must obtain COVID 19 diagnostic testing within 72 hours prior to arrival in New York AND

            2. Such travelers must, upon arrival in New York, quarantine for a minimum of 3 days, measured from time of arrival, and on day 4 may seek a COVID 19 diagnostic test to exit quarantine. Upon receipt of the second negative test result, the traveler may exit quarantine. 

 

Contiguous states are Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont. Travelers to these states are not subject to the quarantine requirements above. 

 

Travelers who travel outside of New York for less than 24 hours do not need to take a COVID test prior to their departure from the other state but must still quarantine for 3 days upon return to New York and test on the fourth day to exit quarantine. 

The New York State Department of Health recently released a Pre-K to Grade 12 COVID-19 Toolkit. Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES staff and families should carefully review the toolkit, which includes flowcharts detailing when students and staff are able to return to school/work after having experienced COVID symptoms.

The Monroe County Department of Health recently updated their guidance about when school staff may return to work after having COVID-19 symptoms. It is imperative that you read this updated guidance. 

According to the updated guidance, any employee having a temperature greater than 100 degrees or exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms that are new or unusual must remain home and cannot return to work until they have a doctor’s evaluative note AND 1) a negative COVID test or 2) 10 days have passed since the onset of the new and unusual symptoms. 

 

Staff who answer yes on the daily health assessment to having symptoms will receive a phone call from Human Resources reminding them of the above protocol.  In no instance can staff report back to work until they have provided Human Resources with the required documentation AND also received a confirming email from Human Resources acknowledging receipt of the documentation and allowing them to return.  

 

Monroe County is continuing to release guidance in relation to COVID-19. This week they have released a number of information tools to help educational facilities navigate these challenging times.

Click here to read Monroe County's COVID-19 Schools FAQ.
Click here to view Monroe County's "Student Screens Positive" Flowchart.
Click here to view Monroe County's "Students Placed In Medical Quarantine" Flowchart.
Click here to view the Health Department's Guidance to Reopening Schools 8/17 Update.

The New York State Education Department (NYSED), Office of Special Education is sharing the following resource provided by the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability, and Reform (CEEDAR) Center, a national technical assistance center funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs. The CEEDAR Center is designed to help state educational agencies, institutes of higher education and local educational agencies create aligned professional learning systems that provide teachers and leaders effective opportunities to learn how to improve core and specialized instruction in inclusive settings that enable students with disabilities to achieve college and career ready standards. This resource is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute NYSED endorsement. Please be aware that websites listed may change. The information provided is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. 

 

The Family Guide to At-Home Learning has practical strategies that work for helping children of all ages who may be struggling with an at-home learning task. Families may find these strategies useful when helping their children complete various reading, math, and/or behavioral tasks at home.

In response to increased rates of COVID-19 transmission in certain states within the United States, and to protect New York’s successful containment of COVID-19, the State has joined with New Jersey and Connecticut in jointly issuing a travel advisory for anyone returning from travel to states that have a significant degree of community-wide spread of COVID-19.

 

Look under "Coronavirus Resource Links" in the right-hand sidebar, or click here to see the NYS Travel Advisory information.

Due to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Orders regarding school closing and remote learning, adjustments to the academic calendar have been necessary. Because the governor’s orders include a requirement for instruction and remote learning to continue through any previously scheduled school vacations, Friday, May 22 must now be a day of instruction. Memorial Day, Monday, May 25 is a federal holiday, and therefore remains a day off for all students and employees.

As the end of the academic year approaches, administration is reviewing the calendar to determine the final day of instruction. We will communicate that to staff, students and families once that decision has been made.

We also continue to monitor the phased reopening of the Finger Lakes region as per the governor’s orders. We are in contact with the Monroe County Health Department, County Executive Adam Bello and the Finger Lakes Regional Development Council as our region enters Phase One of reopening today.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today that he is extending the closing of schools in New York State through the end of the academic year. Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES and all schools will continue to provide remote learning and support services to our students and families for the duration of the closure.

Today Governor Andrew Cuomo extended the "New York State on PAUSE" restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19. At this point, Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES and all public schools remain closed to students until May 15, 2020.

The BOCES 2 Board and administration appreciate the efforts staff members are making to support students, families and our community during this challenging time. With so many heartwarming examples of positive and innovative BOCES 2 connections, a page on our website has been dedicated to sharing some of these stories. You can see this page at www.monroe2boces.org/connections and check back frequently for more updates over the coming weeks.

Among the items on that page is a video titled “BOCES 2 Together in Spirit” created to salute the connections between students and staff.

Today Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered an extension of the school closings in New York State. Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES and all public schools remain closed to students through April 29, 2020.

As per Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order #202.11 all districts are expected to provide continuity of learning (i.e., continued instruction), distribution of meals and childcare each day of the closure through April 14, 2020.

In reference to that order, Governor Cuomo’s Deputy Secretary for Education Dan Fuller has advised that school districts are expected to provide continuity of learning (i.e., continued instruction), distribution of meals and childcare each day of the closure including during what was previously calendared as Spring Break.

Teachers will continue to provide learning activities and resources and communicate with students during this time. However, Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES understands that families may be overwhelmed and doing the best they can to balance many responsibilities, including how to move forward with learning during the week of April 6.  

In an effort to slow down the spread of COVID-19, we have complied an extensive list of resources on this page to assist you. We hope that all families stay healthy, stay home and continue to practice social distancing as we work together to get through this unprecedented situation.

Today Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered an extension of the school closings in New York State. Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES and all public schools remain closed to students through April 14, 2020.

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello has announced a job portal that will connect essential businesses who are looking to expand their workforce during the COVID-19 crisis and individuals across the community who are healthy and looking for work. 

 

While the local economic impact of COVID-19 is already visible, Bello announced a concerted effort to direct both employers looking to hire workers and residents seeking work to a single platform. Job seekers and employers are encouraged to use the RochesterWorks system, which may be accessed at www.monroecounty.gov/works. This effort is being done with the cooperation of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and Greater Rochester Enterprise, both of whom have indicated they have member businesses looking to hire. Residents with limited internet access are encouraged to call RochesterWorks at (585) 258-3500.

These are paid resources used by students, teachers and parents within the Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES community. We have identified resources most of our schools and BOCES programs have access to, and provided the direct links to each one.   

As communicated via automated phone calls and on our website, BOCES 2 and all local schools are closed to students until further notice. We will continue to keep you informed as this situation progresses. All school-related activities and events are being assessed on a daily basis. Determinations on specific school closings beyond this week will be made in collaboration and coordination with the State and local health officials. Student and staff health and safety are our first priorities. 

BOCES 2 employees should monitor their email and the BOCES 2 website for further information tomorrow.

Dear Students, Families, Faculty and Staff,   

The Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES and the regional public schools continue to monitor the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). We have been working together on a daily basis to discuss strategies on how to best keep our students and families healthy during this emerging public health situation. We are in consultation with the Monroe County Health Department, New York State Health Department, State Education Department, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. In most cases, BOCES and districts have decided to postpone or cancel overnight travel outside of the Greater Rochester area through April 12, 2020, due to concerns about potential out-of-town risk and/or quarantine possibilities. Many factors are considered when canceling or postponing travel or events based on specific circumstances within the BOCES and/or districts.

We know this is a difficult time for our students, staff, and families. The Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES will continue to problem solve and make the best decisions possible for our programs and services with student and staff health and safety being our first priority.

We will continue to keep you informed as this situation progresses. All school-related activities and events are being assessed on a daily basis. Determinations on specific school closing decisions will be made in collaboration and coordination with the State and local health officials. We are sending a letter home with students today explaining to parents that they need to begin preparing for child care in case closures become a reality.

The image below (also provided as a downloadable PDF by clicking here) provides critical information and resources as it pertains to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). 

 

Thank you for your cooperation, patience, and continued support as we work through this challenge.

Respectfully Submitted,

JoAnne L. Antonacci
District Superintendent