Read Superintendent's Message - Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Read Latest Updates on School Calendar (including tentative re-open date, spring break and Superintendent's Conference Day) and Remote Learning

Read 3/23/2020 Message from the Superintendent Here.

March 19, 2020 Message from the Superintendent

Key Support Resources

Read Letter from Superintendent Dr. Robert Shaps 

March 11, 2020: Message from the Superintendent

Note from Dr. Shaps

Letter from the Superintendent

Letter from the Superintendent

Letter from the Superintendent

Dear Parents and Community Members,

This serves as a follow-up to the message sent out last evening informing you of a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19 within our school community. We have been informed by the NY State Department of Health (DOH) that the diagnosed individual is a parent of children at Chatsworth Ave. School and Mamaroneck High School.

The parent has not been on school grounds and self-quarantined prior to receiving a lab confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. The DOH has indicated that family members were directed to quarantine, pending the parent's lab results. These family members are not showing any symptoms and will remain under quarantine in accordance with the DOH guidelines until March 17th. The DOH does not test children unless they are showing symptoms. We ask that if you or anyone in your household is directed to quarantine, please contact your child's building principal immediately.

We advised DOH of our already-planned disinfecting regime for all school buildings this weekend, adhering to DOH guidelines for mitigating Coronavirus. The DOH has not directed us to close any of our school facilities and indicated we should continue to operate our regular school days. All school buildings, however, will remain closed throughout the weekend to ensure proper decontamination and deep cleaning.

Earlier this week, I established a crisis leadership team to prepare, plan, and respond to the challenges presented by COVID-19. This includes stockpiling disinfectant resources, procuring third-party cleaning services, standardizing the protocols for daily cleaning, determining lines of communication with public health agencies and point persons, and evaluating the risk associated with a range of school activities (field trips, large group gatherings, facility use, etc.). We are taking recommended precautions and will continue the dialogue with health officials to meet our top priority of ensuring the safety of others.

We will communicate with any additional information we receive about the impact here in our community, respond as quickly as we can to questions and concerns that come in via email (posting on our website), and keep you informed with any further updates over the next 24 hours. As this is a developing situation, we want to ensure that all information disseminated is accurate.

Respectfully, 

Dr. Robert I. Shaps
Superintendent of Schools 

Dear MUFSD Community, 

Earlier today, the District was notified by the New York State Department of Health (DOH) that one of our school community members has tested positive for the novel Coronavirus COVID-19. Consistent with the DOH’s regulations, the family members are quarantined. During the conversation with DOH, we informed them of our prior planned efforts to disinfect (according to DOH guidelines for mitigating Coronavirus) at all schools this weekend. As such, the DOH has informed us that it is safe to operate on Monday as a normal school day. As always, we will consult with and follow the directives of the DOH. 

We will continue to keep you informed over the weekend if there is additional information to report. 

Important School Announcements
We seek to minimize exposure associated with large group gatherings and continue our heightened level of cleaning measures to keep our school facilities as sanitized and germ-free as possible.
- March 11 Superintendent's Conference Day Will Now Become a Regular Day of School
- School Facilities to Close at 6:30 pm Weekdays and On Weekends Until Further Notice
 

Dear Mamaroneck School District Parents,

Earlier today, I informed middle and high school parents of our plan to train teachers in the use of online tools (distance learning) that would allow for continuity of instruction in the event of school closure from the Coronavirus. Consistent with this training at the secondary level, our elementary school principals this afternoon used their regularly scheduled Wednesday faculty times for similar teacher training, familiarizing elementary teachers with online technology for the purpose of sharing instructional resources and sending daily messages to students. 

While the teacher trainings are part of our proactive effort to prepare in the event of a prolonged school closure and not in response to any immediate concern over the Coronavirus in our community, I believe it is critical that we have a plan in place and set clear expectations around the continuation of learning.

Today I also participated in a conference call with other area superintendents, convened meetings with my administrators and principals at all levels, and worked to consider any potential impact the Coronavirus may have on all aspects of student life. We will continue with the extensive cleaning protocols we have put in place throughout our district and work closely with our health partners, following their guidance should an outbreak occur in our community.

As you are aware, there are so many unknowns related to the Coronavirus that we expect the situation to evolve frequently.  I am committed to providing you with timely updates as information is released by local, regional and national authorities and certainly informing you of any decisions we must make moving forward. Additional resources and information can be found on our dedicated section of the Mamaroneck School District website.

Respectfully,

Dr. Robert I Shaps
Superintendent of Schools  

New Web Page Devoted to Coronavirus:
District Updates & Information

Dear Mamaroneck School District Parents and Community Members,

As concerns around the spread of the coronavirus continue to mount globally, our administrative team, school physician and nurses -- along with the Board of Education -- have been closely monitoring the situation as assessed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NY State Department of Health and the Westchester County Health Department.  

As always, you can be reassured that we will continue to work in tandem with our community health partners, stay on top of the most up-to-date information and take every step possible to keep our community healthy and safe. We encourage you too to remain informed and, to this end, provide you with the links below, offering current information about what authorities know so far about the virus, its spread and preventative measures.

A few points I want to highlight:

• To date, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state of New York.
• The CDC recommends avoiding travel to China. Updated related travel information can be found here.
• There is no need to cancel school or social events at this time, and there is no need for students or school staff to wear surgical masks to school.
• Prevention: There are currently no vaccines available to protect against this virus. The New York State Department of Health (DOH) recommends the following ways to minimize the spread of all respiratory viruses, including 2019-nCoV:
  - Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
  - Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
  - Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  - Stay home when you are sick.
  - Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing. If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.
  - Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Symptoms: Information to date suggests that 2019-nCoV causes mild-to-moderate illness and symptoms like the flu, including fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.

In the coming weeks, as advised by local, state and national health organizations, we will continue to use flu-season precautions in our school buildings and monitor pending school trips. We will be sure to share information with you as more is learned about this virus and/or conditions evolve. 
Sincerely,

Dr. Robert I. Shaps
Superintendent of Schools 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Center for Disease Control 2019 nCoV website

NYS Department of Health Novel Coronavirus Website
NYS Department of Health Novel Coronavirus Hotline 1-888-364-3065

New York State Department of Health Local Health Departments 

New York State Center for School Health
Westchester County Health Department