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The North Rockland Central School District announced over the weekend that it will be halting in-person learning beginning on Monday, Nov. 23 before returning to its hybrid instruction that was scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 19.
Of North Rockland's eight schools, three — North Rockland High School and West Haverstraw and Stony Point elementary schools — have already been forced to temporarily shift to all-remote learning due to positive COVID cases earlier this year.
“Through this entire crisis we have remained united and we must continue to do so through the “second wave” that experts are predicting,” Schools Superintendent Kris Felicello wrote to parents over the weekend.
“Our community has endured so much in 2020; some have not seen family members or close friends in months, others have been confined to their homes, battled this terrible disease, and too many of us have lost loved ones without the opportunity to properly grieve.
Felicello said that by providing the “holiday pause,” it will allow the district and families to see if there is a second surge of COVID-19 cases over the holiday season and allow time to reassess the situation.
The superintendent noted that the district saw nine positive COVID-19 cases before Halloween but 31 cases following the holiday.
“A pause of in-person instruction during the holiday season would allow North Rockland families to make their own decisions regarding isolation, testing, and social gatherings without negatively impacting our schools,” Felicello said. “I am grateful for the collective efforts to limit the spread of the virus while ensuring that our academic purpose and key supports continue to flourish.”
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