Keeping Argyle Safe During the Winter Season

Keeping Argyle Safe During the Winter Season
Posted on 11/17/2020

Dear Parents, Guardians, Students and Community Members, 

Argyle CSD was one of the few local districts able to return to full, in-person K-12 instruction this fall, and one of just a handful of schools yet to experience a COVID-19-related school closure. 

The fact that we remain open and without disruption is not a coincidence, rather a direct result of our school community’s commitment to the safety of our students. 

Our District understands the importance of keeping our students in school, in-person, every day. Considering the social - emotional and educational benefits of learning in-person, as well as the logistical benefits for working parents, we are committed to doing everything in our power to keep up this momentum, keep our students safe, and keep school open. 

Thankfully, cases of COVID-19 in Washington County have remained relatively low so far, with roughly a .5 - 1.0% positive testing rate since the start of the school year. However, similar to what we are seeing across NYS, local COVID-19 infection rates are expected to rise over the upcoming weeks.

Planning Ahead Means Staying Open!

Keeping in mind the predicted rise of COVID-19 cases, and after discussing the situation with our school physician and the district’s risk management firm, the Argyle CSD has created new safety protocols to take effect if needed. Please be prepared to transition to a temporary procedure that requires faculty/staff and students to wear masks at all times in the building and while on district transportation.

“Masks On at All Times” will require students and staff to wear their masks continuously throughout the day, aside from during meals and appropriate mask breaks. This will be for an identified period of time (and a minimum of two weeks*).

During this period, the district will monitor local COVID-19 transmission rates, work with our School Physician and Washington County DOH, and determine if/when it is safe to revert to our “Masks in Motion” model.

Our Continued Commitment to Safety

We are proud of our school community’s efforts and commitment to returning to full, in-person instruction. Taking the additional precautionary step of wearing masks while in school in order to reduce the potential risk of covid transmission and the district-wide disruption that comes with it, seems like a logical step to take in order to safely continue providing full in-person educational opportunities for all of our students.

Should it be required, information pertaining to a shift in our current procedures will be communicated to families in advance and through automated phone calls, emails, text messaging, and postings on our website.

As always, please contact the district with any questions or concerns ([email protected] or 518-638-8243, ext 504).

Thank you again for your continued support of the Argyle Central School District. Sincerely,
Michael Healey

Superintendent

*The recommended period time (minimum of two week or ten school days) for wearing masks for the full-day is not an arbitrary number. Research has demonstrated the incubation period for COVID-19 and the appearance of related symptoms often appears between 2 and 14-days after exposure.
Click the image below to watch Superintendent Michael Healey share updates on the first 10-weeks of the school year and provides important updates on Keeping ACS safe this winter.