Positive COVID-19 case at high school; all-remote high school instruction begins Monday, Nov. 9 through Friday, Nov. 13

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Dear Minisink Valley school community:

Tonight, Nov. 6, the district was advised by the Orange County Department of Health (OCDOH) that a Minisink Valley High School student tested positive for COVID-19. Due to mandated confidentiality guidelines, no further information can be disseminated.

As a result, high school academic instruction will be fully remote for all students beginning Monday, Nov. 9 through Friday, Nov. 13.  All scheduled sports workouts are canceled for this week. 

CTECH students will connect to their classes remotely, following their individual schedules.

In-person instruction schedules remain in place at our other schools. 

I want to reinforce our high school administration, faculty and staff have prepared for this scenario and are ready to continue academic work on a fully remote basis.

When a student or staff member tests positive for COVID-19, those exposed to the affected individual are mandated to quarantine for 14 days from the last exposure date. The OCDOH determines the individuals who need to quarantine.

We are working closely with the OCDOH to identify those students and staff who may have been exposed. The OCDOH requires stringent health and safety protocols to lessen risks for all members of our school community. One positive case in school or on a bus often results in an OCDOH directive quarantining large numbers of students and even faculty/staff members.

Impacted individuals will be contacted directly within the next 24 to 48 hours by the OCDOH. If you do not receive a message, your child is not believed to have a risk of exposure. Anyone who was exposed to the individual will be mandated to quarantine for 14 days from the last exposure date.

Please remember: The primary symptoms of COVID-19 include shortness of breath, coughing, and fever or chills. Other symptoms include congestion, sore throat, diarrhea, abdominal pain, body aches, and loss of taste or smell. Anyone who needs medical care should call their healthcare provider to report an illness or exposure to COVID-19 prior to seeking care. Please notify your child’s school if your student begins to experience symptoms.

This is also an important opportunity to again remind everyone of the importance of wearing masks, staying six feet apart from others and regularly washing your hands.

If you have questions or need to report a positive case of COVID-19, please contact your child’s building principal.

My hope is we don’t see any further cases and the infected student recovers quickly. Personal responsibility and good decision making are the best tools we have for keeping our students safe and keeping our schools open. We have and will continue to stress this to our students and the greater Minisink Valley community.

The health, safety, and well-being of our school community always remains our top priority. We appreciate your ongoing support, understanding and flexibility.

Sincerely,

Brian C. Monahan
Superintendent