Dear Families,
I hope you are well and that you and your children had a great first day of class!
Health Screening Questionnaire Information
Similar to last year, we are required to conduct health screenings of our students, which will be emailed to the student’s primary contact daily. Please complete this health screening for your child(ren) every morning by 8:00 am.
You will receive an email each morning with a link to complete the brief health screening questionnaire for your child before sending them to school. If you have more than one child, there will be a separate link for each child to complete. The screening should take only a minute. The form asks Yes/No questions about COVID symptoms, exposure, and temperature (i.e., does the student have a temperature of 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or greater).
We will be using the secure platform EdVista (you may need to check your spam folder for a message with the subject “COVID-19 Daily Health Screening Form” and allow EdVista as an approved contact). This email will only be sent to the person listed as the primary contact.
This mandatory screening is a state requirement to help ensure the health and safety of our school community. If you are unable to complete the daily health screening form (e.g. internet issues), please notify the main office of your child’s school building as soon as possible so they can complete your student’s screening upon arrival.
Photo Opt-Out
We also wanted to share an update with you regarding how we may distribute information about your child while they are enrolled in our programs. Previously, we have provided a “permission to release photo/video” form for parents or guardians to sign and return to Questar III, indicating permission for the BOCES to share photos or video of your child for various marketing and promotion purposes.
The Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) generally protects “student records” from disclosure. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose, without parental consent, certain “directory information” unless parents have advised the district to the contrary.
“Directory Information” is defined as “information contained in an education record of a student that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed,” which includes photos/videos of students enrolled in our programs. A full list of information designated “directory information” can be found in Questar III BOCES board policy 3-106, which can be found online at https://www.questar.org/about_us/policies/3-106.pdf.
The main purpose for this “directory information” exception to FERPA is to allow schools to include this information in certain school publications and to allow publicity of student accomplishments or educational programs to the news media.
Last school year, Questar III discontinued use of “permission to release photo/video” forms. If you do not wish to allow photos or videos of your student to be shared on the Questar III website, official Questar III social media channels, or released to the local media, parents/guardians must notify the building principal in writing by September 20 each year, or within 15 days of enrollment for students enrolling at Questar III after the start of the school year, pursuant to Board Policy 3-106.
Please do not hesitate to contact me or your child’s building principal with any concerns or questions about this change in procedure. For more information about FERPA and the “directory information” exception, please visit www.ed.gov/policy.
Important Updates
I also wanted to take this opportunity to make you aware of a few updates. Late last week, the New York State Department of Health issued interim guidance for classroom instruction this school year and a Commissioner’s Determination on COVID testing in schools.
The interim guidance addresses the minimum expectations for instruction and operations. Many of our health and safety protocols will remain the same from last year – and the new DOH regulations are consistent with the most recent CDC guidance. In fact, the interim guidance recommends that schools review their prior year’s plans, eliminate outdated measures, and adopt current CDC recommendations (which we have already done).
Current planning indicates weekly (rapid antigen) testing of 10% of unvaccinated staff and students (beginning in late September). We are currently working together with local school districts and our county departments of health to facilitate the staffing, supplies and information that will be required to implement the Commissioner’s Determination on the testing of students, staff, and contractors as soon as practicable to ensure a safe environment for our students and staff. Funding for this has not been released by the state to allow schools to fulfill this new requirement.
We will notify you of the process for providing documentation for full vaccination (to opt-out of testing) or information on testing as soon as possible. We need to remain flexible, adaptive, and patient.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to reiterate some important points from our recent school opening parent forum. We will employ a multi-layered mitigation strategy, which includes mask use, staying home (or going home) when sick, hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, cleaning and disinfection, continued ventilation adjustments, isolation rooms and contact tracing/isolation/quarantine protocols. The strategy is informed by guidance from the CDC, NYS Education Department, local health departments, and will include any future directives from the office of the governor.
While much is the same as last year, I would highlight a few important new pieces of information: the NYS DOH has mandated universal mask use regardless of vaccination status, minimal physical distances have been adjusted to at least 3 feet, and we will no longer require daily temperature checks but will continue with daily health screenings. Though busing is handled through your home school district, I should note that buses are now allowed to run at full capacity (per CDC guidance, masks are required for all riders and staff on buses).
We will keep you informed of all updates as they pertain to our health and safety measures as they arise. We thank you for your partnership and valuable input as we move forward with the 2021-2022 school year. Our building principals and program directors are always available to discuss any items that may come up throughout the year. We want your children to achieve great things with us – and the best way to ensure that happens is to continue working together to do what is best for each student.
Sincerely,
Anthony J. Taibi
Chief Academic Officer – Questar III BOCES
anthony.taibi@questar.org
