UPDATED 1:32 p.m.: COVID-19 update: Monday, March 16 now a conference day

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UPDATE: 1:32 p.m. – Kindergarten registration is expected to continue as scheduled. Any changes to this plan will be communicated via the website and SchoolMessenger. The activities at the St. John Street School Community HUB have been suspended indefinitely, out of an abundance of caution. We will update the community when activities resume. 

Dear Monticello community,  

In anticipation of a possible extended school closure due to the COVID-19, Monday, March 16 is now a conference day. There will be no school for students. Our faculty and staff will use this day to plan for the possibility of remote instruction, food service and other logistics associated with an extended school closure. The buildings will continue to be sanitized and disinfected according to our enhanced cleaning protocol.  

It is important to note that as of print time, school is scheduled to resume on Tuesday, March 17, and that there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in either the Monticello Central School District or Sullivan County. However, this is a rapidly evolving situation. The district has been in daily, and sometimes hourly, contact with the New York State Education Department, the Sullivan County Department of Health and other health officials for guidance and information. We will continue to follow their lead in taking action to help mitigate the spread of this disease and we will be in communication with our families and community via our website and SchoolMessenger notification system as more information becomes available.  

The district’s number one priority is to ensure the safety of its students, staff and community. You can help by:

· Encouraging your children to use good germ hygiene, wash their hands, and encourage them to remind their friends to do the same.

· Answering any questions your children ask honestly with age-appropriate language and reassure them that the adults are doing everything they can to make sure they are safe.

· Reminding children to respect the privacy of their peers and their families and that using coronavirus as a subject of humor is not appropriate.

· Being calm in front of children and don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” when they ask questions that don’t have easy answers.

· Reducing the spread of rumors by getting information from reputable sources and checking with local or school officials before passing partial or inaccurate information along.

· Keeping children who are feeling sick at home and seek medical attention if they are experiencing any of the symptoms related to COVID 19 (novel coronavirus). These symptoms include fever, cough, difficulty breathing, and aches and pains.

For more information on germ hygiene and the coronavirus, please review the letter sent home earlier this week: https://www.monticelloschools.net/message-from-dr-silver-re-covid-19-coronavirus/