Dear Minisink Valley school community:

Today marks the last day of remote instruction at Minisink Valley. These last three months of distance learning have tested all of us in ways we would have never foreseen.

However, we have addressed challenges and turned them into successes. Our students, parents, Board of Education, administrators, faculty, staff and Minisink Valley school community quickly rallied and our collective energies successfully focused on fulfilling the district’s mission of providing the best possible education in a safe and healthy environment.

That we did this using technology and being separated these past 90 days….is a huge achievement. It’s a reminder that often there is no better education than dealing with adversity, because this teaches and reinforces the power of resiliency to deal with life’s challenges.

It also reinforces the ability to do academic, art, music and physical education instruction in a different, though not desired, environment.  We want everyone to be back in our classrooms and on our athletic fields. We are hopeful to see this happen in the fall, and are concurrently exploring and reviewing different scenarios as part of our ongoing, thoughtful planning — in tandem with our required adherence to state and federal guidance and mandates.  The Board of Regents is beginning regional meetings next week and Minisink Valley will be participating.

Over these last three months, I have repeatedly expressed my sincerest gratitude to everyone involved in this school closure. No matter what your role has been… no matter how large or small…we’ve shown the power of our name, Minisink Valley Warriors: We are strong, and we don’t give up.

Thank you again to everyone who has worked so very hard, to get us this far.

But, our work is far from done.  As a reminder:

• The pickup of student materials and the returning of student materials (excluding Chromebooks) begins next week
• Report cards will be available via SchoolTool beginning June 15.
• Mailed-in absentee ballots for the 2020-21 school budget/board election are due by 5 p.m. on June 16; we will report the results as soon as possible
•  The Class of 2020 Warrior Run is June 17
•  A decision on next steps for the Class of 2020 graduation will come on June 19; with our three-point plan still in place
• The high school virtual Academic Awards Program is June 19
• The Otisville and Intermediate School Virtual Fifth-Grade Moving Up Program is June 22.
• Planning for the upcoming school year continues. We equally continue to receive and review changing state and federal guidance/mandates and will communicate an approved plan as soon as possible during the summer.

We appreciate the ongoing patience, kindness, support and understanding you’ve shown to us over these last months. These expressions continue to motivate us every day and are yet another affirmation as to why the Minisink Valley school community is simply the best.

Sincerely,

Brian Monahan
Superintendent