The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Mask Wear

The Back to School ‘Picture’ in Chappaqua Schools*

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Chappaqua School Superintendent Christine Ackerman. Photo by Carolyn Simpson

The start of school is right around the corner. As we approach the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, we look back on an unprecedented year during the COVID-19 pandemic with a renewed hope for the future. One thing we know for certain: this year’s back to school will look somewhat different than last. The majority of parents, students and teachers alike are thankful for a return to normalcy, in-person instruction, full classrooms and far fewer Zoom meets. 

In the spirit of hopefulness and optimism, but with requisite caution as the pandemic is not over, the Chappaqua Central School District is readying itself for a full return to academics, sports, extracurricular activities and the like this year. I spoke with superintendent Dr. Christine Ackerman to get a glimpse into the coming year as well as a look into how the district handled last year’s atypical school year. Ackerman has served as Chappaqua’s superintendent since July 2017. Prior to that, she served as superintendent of the Greenwood Lake Union Free School District in Orange County for three years. 

As COVID-19 cases continue to decrease and vaccinations increase, what is Chappaqua’s current plan for back to school in September?

“This September we will operate a normal school schedule. We finished last year with all students able to attend school for the full day on campus.  All students will return to our traditional classrooms, 3 Feet- Apart, K-12.  We also are prepared to shift to remote learning for all students at a moment’s notice.

I personally feel students learn best when they’re with us in school. As we progressed in the (2020-21) year, remote access dramatically decreased, and many students returned to on-campus. Very few children in June were accessing remote instruction. At this time, we allow students and staff placed in quarantine by the Health Department due to COVID-19 exposure or diagnosis as well as students who are medically fragile and unable to be vaccinated access our classes remotely.”

How might the District encourage vaccinations for eligible students and staff?

“As soon as staff were eligible for the vaccine, we shared and facilitated this process in partnership with the Westchester County Department of Health. At this time, students and staff cannot be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend school or to participate in our programs. However, we will provide opportunities for more flexibility for students and staff who are vaccinated as we plan forward.”

How are the new recommendations from the CDC requiring indoor mask wear impacting back to school decision making?

“All students, staff and visitors should plan to wear masks when inside our buildings this September.  At this time, the District will not require masks outdoors.”

As you envision a return to sports/extracurricular activities come fall, what special precautions will be in place? What will be back to normal?

“Last year Chappaqua held most of our high school activities. We held end of year concerts in a tent; the musical was held at Caramoor; the prom was on campus, as was graduation and all moving up ceremonies.  We used our outside spaces as much as possible. Chappaqua ran its entire sports program, with weekly Covid testing for higher-risk sports, to support those programs last year.

For this year, with the understanding of guidance provided, and based on what I know now, we anticipate being able to support a normal extracurricular schedule, including after school transportation. We will hold as many of our large events as possible outdoors and will hold our September Open Houses virtually via zoom for all grades.” 

Describe your experience thus far within the Chappaqua district and community.

“I came to the district in 2017. My daughter is entering 7th grade and my son is entering 9th. It’s has been a privilege being a parent in our district. It helps me support my children in very important ways and provides a lens into the experience here for students and parents. It informs my decision-making as superintendent. Especially during the pandemic, having two students living the experience you’re shaping for them with your team makes me stronger as a leader. 

My experience with our community, is that we are resilient.  We pulled together last year, all of us, to ensure the children of this community had the education they deserved.  I have always been impressed by our students, families, staff and Board of Education, and this pandemic affirmed what I already knew, Chappaqua Central School Districts is an amazing place to work, learn and live.

Whatever this year brings, we will work together to figure it out to ensure students can attend school safely every day.”

What have been sources of pride to you and the district during these challenging times?

“The district has been working on a strategic plan focused on six areas: Instructional Space to Amplify Learning, District Wide Assessment Practices, Social Emotional Learning Curriculum Alignment, Curriculum Alignment, Technology as a Tool to Personalize Learning and Equitable Affirming & Culturally Responsive Learning Environments.  The work we’ve done around social and emotional learning and instructional spaces prior to the pandemic have all supported how we would focus on learning in this new environment. I’m proud we were able to shift the focus and redefine the plan; we were able to support students in multiple ways and redefine curriculum based on their experiences in the middle of trying to support the community through this unprecedented situation.

I’m most proud of our administrative team, the teachers and staff under the support of the Board of Education and community. We were able to work through COVID-19 as best we could and position the District to open in September in a way that minimal instructional loss was experienced. It was hard to open and to stay open but at the end of the day, being able to help a 4-year-old out of the car and welcome seniors back for their last year was absolutely worth every moment for that. That’s the work. 

I really can’t take the credit for this either. If I didn’t have the administrative team with me trying and working EVERY weekend, supporting students exposed to COVID-19, all the logistics for opening, there’s no way this could have happened. The amount of work the principals had to do to open and stay open was extraordinary–especially related to COVID-19 exposures, calling parents, etc. They worked late at night and over weekends to make sure we were all safe.

It took everyone. Every person, every stakeholder group had a part in opening us up in September and making sure we remained open. It’s only because of that that I felt we were in a place at the end of the year that students had an experience where they were able to be in school as normally as they possibly could be.”

*Editor’s Note: The comments for the print version of this article were gathered and updated to the best of the author’s and editor’s ability through early to mid August for optimal accuracy inside our back-to-school print editions and to help us define a ‘New Beginnings’ theme. We appreciate Superintendent Ackerman’s time and openness to the Inside Press to achieve that goal and for several updates, including today’s. We also recognize that the news each day brings new revelations and of course impacts our school district’s decision making, sometimes profoundly. Please follow announcements from your individual school district to keep up with policies for vaccinations and mask wear and other Covid-safety protocol. Wishing families everywhere a safe, healthy and productive back to school experience!

‘What to Expect’ in the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District – An Interview with Superintendent James Kaishian*

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Dr. James Kaishian, BMUFSD Superintendent   PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIARCLIFF MANOR UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Dr. James Kaishian has been superintendent of the Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District (BMUFSD) since August 2000. We recently spoke so that he could share some of his thoughts on what the 2021-22 school year might look like for the district. 

As Covid cases continue to decrease and vaccinations increase, what is Briarcliff’s current plan for back to school in September?

“In years past I would have already written to families with finalized school opening plans for September, but Covid cases are once again rising and things have become rather fluid. Although I’m optimistic about the upcoming school year, the trajectory of the pandemic and new data surrounding the highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 Delta strain provide reason for renewed concern. 

While carefully monitoring regional health metrics, we do plan near normal school operations come September. The District’s plan will require masks be worn by all students, staff and visitors while indoors and on district provided transportation.  The District’s plans otherwise calls for near normal operations regarding classroom instruction, co-curricular activities, and transportation. Unless mandated by the State, a remote option will only be available if schools are closed due to COVID-19 or if students are required to quarantine. Last week, school districts across New York State received updated guidance from the State Education Department. That guidance essentially mirrored the CDC’s guidance fro schools. BMUFSD subsequently reconvened a district opening committee to finalize a return to school on September 9th.  The finalized plan will be provided to families on Friday. Given the ongoing dynamics of the pandemic, the District’s plan includes the ability to at any time make necessary adjustments and additions to COVID-19 safety policies and procedures as may be recommended by health experts.”

How will the district encourage vaccinations for eligible students and staff?

“At this time, vaccination rates for Briarcliff faculty and staff exceed the goals set by regional and national health experts as do vaccination rates for students ages 12 through 17. This summer and throughout the fall, we will continue to amplify federal, state, and regional awareness of prudent COVID-19 health and safety precautions and strongly encourage those eligible to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

How are the new recommendations from the CDC requiring indoor mask wear impacting back to school decision making?

“Again, the new data around the highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 strain or the “Delta Virus” is a reason for concern and in addition to vaccination, wearing masks while indoors is the best way to help mitigate these concerns. We are putting final touches on a plan to safely open each of our  schools for full in-person instruction on Thursday, September 9th. Following NYSED recommendations and CDC COVID-19 Guidelines for Schools, all students and staff will be required to wear masks while indoors. The current plan does not require students to be masked outdoors. Absent further guidance, the District will also follow basic hygiene, social distancing, and contact tracing protocols.” 

As you envision a return to sports/extracurricular activities come fall, what special precautions will be in place? What will be back to normal?

“Unless the regional heath metrics deteriorate appreciably, we envision little in the way of further restrictions on sports and extracurricular activities beyond daily screenings and common-sense safety precautions such as distancing, layered hygiene and cleaning measures.  Sports schedules and championship play look to be back on track.  Plans currently call for a full school day followed by co-curricular activities and sports. Once again, as circumstances dictate, additional health and safety measures may be required of students engaged in after-school activities and sports.”

Describe your experience thus far within the Briarcliff Manor district and community.

“The support the District has received from the Briarcliff school community has been extraordinary. Patient, and public health conscious, the collective effort of our faculty, staff, students, and parents enabled our schools to open on time and for the District to remain open for in-person K-12 learning for the entirety of the 2020-21 school year. United behind the interests of kids and families, we successfully navigated the challenges that the pandemic placed before us. This year, we are called to prioritize physical health and safety for all who enter our schools wile elevating the social and emotional needs of our students. I’m confident that we will answer the call once again.”

*Editor’s Note: The comments in the print version of this article were gathered and updated to the best of the author’s and editor’s ability through early to mid August for optimal accuracy inside our back-to-school print editions and to help us define a ‘New Beginnings’ theme. We appreciate Dr. Kaishian’s time and openness to the Inside Press to achieve that goal, and for the updates today. We also recognize that the news each day brings new revelations and of course impacts our school district’s decision making, sometimes profoundly. Please follow announcements from your individual school district to keep up with policies for vaccinations and mask wear and other Covid-safety protocol. Wishing families everywhere a safe, healthy and productive back to school experience!

 

COVID Recommendations are a Moving Target

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Editor’s Note: We contacted Northern Westchester Hospital for guidelines on the latest news surrounding COVID, for thoughts on breakthrough infections, vaccinations and mask wear. Here, expert insights and advice from Debra Spicehandler, M.D., Co-Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Northern Westchester Hospital

By Debra Spicehandler, M.D.

To mask or not to mask? That is just one of the questions generating confusion as the CDC tries to nail down current COVID recommendations as the very contagious Delta strain gains traction. We continue to learn more, but the Delta variant appears to cause more severe illness and may spread as easily as chicken pox. In addition to a growing number of breakthrough infections among the fully vaccinated, it appears that symptomatic vaccinated people can also spread the Delta variant.

Dr. Debra Spicehandler

During the past few weeks, New York seemed to have pushed COVID back to the point when people felt comfortable eating in restaurants, attending weddings and going back to the office.  Not so fast. Almost overnight, the Delta variant has become the dominant COVID strain, and we are seeing rates of infection rise especially among the unvaccinated.

Here is what we know:

Being vaccinated is key, but vaccine hesitancy persists, and there is discussion about mandating vaccines among certain groups, including healthcare workers.

We are now seeing breakthrough infections even among people who are vaccinated as a result of the now dominant, highly contagious Delta variant. The good news is that breakthrough infections among the vaccinated seem mild, in most cases, and do not require hospitalization. It is unclear whether people with breakthrough COVID cases will have any of the long-term effects we’ve seen that include cardiac issues, long-lasting fatigue, lung problems, joint pain, and brain fog.

Though we have not seen definitive data, federal health officials announced both vaccinated and unvaccinated people who contract the Delta variant of COVD may carry similar levels of viral load and spread the disease even when asymptomatic. A recent New England Journal of Medicine study of 1,497 vaccinated Israeli healthcare workers found 39 breakthrough infections with three quarters of those people showing a high viral load.

This information raises other questions: if we are seeing more breakthrough infections, is it because the Delta variant is more efficient, or does the efficacy of the vaccine wane over a certain period of time? And, if so, how long do vaccines last?

It is beginning to look as though people who have been vaccinated will soon need booster shots.

As COVID rates rise, the CDC recommends that even fully vaccinated people wear masks indoors where transmission of the virus is high, such as New York City and surrounding suburbs, including Westchester. Since the virus is rising in New York, I recommend caution. It is still okay to be outside without a mask if you are vaccinated, but it looks like indoor masking should be reinstituted, and people should follow the most updated guidelines on the CDC website. This is an evolving situation. Even if we know people have been vaccinated, we cannot be sure that someone has not been exposed to the Delta variant.

For the vaccinated, COVID symptoms can be extremely mild. But if you are concerned that you may have COVID–especially if you have other co-morbidities–then get tested.

Patients who test positive and are at high risk for developing a severe infection may be eligible for infusions of monoclonal antibodies. This risk group includes people 65 and older, who have diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiac disease, obesity, asthma or who are immunocompromised.

Because recommendations are changing so quickly as we learn more, check the CDC website for the most current information. And, if you think you may have COVID, check with your physician. For more information, visit Northwell’s Digital Resource Center.