October 7, 2020

Dear Troy CSD Families,

The theme this school year has been that “we are all in this together” and I want to thank all of you for your patience and understanding as we navigate these challenging times.  We have had a relatively smooth start to the school year and that is certainly a result of everyone’s collaboration and cooperation, and our willingness to work together to address any glitches that have come up. 

Now is not the time to relax our protocols or to stop being vigilant.  Please continue to do what has been working for us regarding the safety protocols we have put in place.  Specifically, please continue to follow all Centers for Disease Control and Department of Health guidelines including:

  • wearing face masks that cover both the mouth and nose; 
  • frequently washing and/or sanitizing hands; 
  • social distancing a minimum of six feet from others; and
  • notifying the school as well as the Rensselaer County Department of Health if you have been tested for COVID-19. 

Additionally, we know that the pandemic has had rippling effects on the social-emotional health of our students and families. Please reach out to your child’s teacher or counselor if you suspect your child is having a difficult time. We are here to help.  

We would also like to announce an important change to the school calendar: Tuesday, November 3 (Election Day), will now be a “Remote Only Day” for the entire district.  All students will be learning from home on this day and should not report to school.  The purpose of this day is to evaluate and review our readiness to teach and work in a completely remote environment. This will help ensure that we are fully prepared to pivot to a Remote Only instructional model if that becomes necessary.  Several local districts are being forced to make that decision on a moment’s notice and this “practice remote day” will be a proactive way to prepare ourselves for this possibility.  We chose Election Day because some of our buildings are used as polling sites, and there has been some concern about the number of visitors/voters who would be passing through the buildings that day.  We hope that by announcing this now, those who need to arrange for child care will have plenty of time to do so.  Additional details and information about this day will be forthcoming from your child’s school.  

Please remember to visit www.troycsd.org/reopening for information about our plans, FAQs, social-emotional resources, our COVID-19 Report Card and more.

 Stay safe and please remember that we are in this together.

 Sincerely,

John Carmello
Superintendent of Schools