Wappingers Central School District

RESPONSE: As the schedules were being finalized and updated based on current information coming from NYS and the District’s phased in education model, the updated bus routes were provided as soon as possible.

Northern 8-3, Southern 9-4

RESPONSE: With the start of the Hybrid Model, teachers are still instructing students in-person and remotely. In order to ensure all students are receiving equitable academic support the students, attending in person's day needed to be shortened to allow teachers additional time to support the alternate hybrid and exclusive remote learners. Our teachers have to provide a full day of work and most work beyond their 7-hour contractual day.

RESPONSE: Members of the District’s senior staff are working with representatives from the Wappingers Congress of Teachers and the Wappingers Administrators Association regarding the opening of secondary schools during the hybrid phase-in.  The schedule for Hybrid phase-in for secondary students has already been released to the community.  Additional information will be shared shortly.

Families need those to plan if they have younger children or special need secondary students that need care themselves via lack of independence or to plan for outside services?

RESPONSE: See response to #3.

RESPONSE: We continue to monitor the COVID19 increases and decreases throughout NYS.  Just recently, Red, Orange, and Yellow Zones have been implemented to determine school opening and closings as well as for other major agencies. The lack of certainty and clarity does not stem from the district. We are continuously monitoring this pandemic, making revisions, and discussing unanticipated options that may very well occur in the near future.  This question will be addressed as we close out the first marking period.

Let me be clear, every parent should be making their child’s education their first priority, unfortunately most have other obligations like yourselves ( such as employment in our district, elected positions on a school board, civil servant, coaches, comedians, spouse, parent, caregiver to ill spouse or child) with that balancing all of that on an average day can be difficult but during this time is more stressful.  MOST families are doing the best to juggle all of this and are handed last minute schedule changes due to what can appear to be poor planning it spirals (into financial losses, work stress, anxiety issues) which can cause a spiral effect on who matters most in all this... THESE CHILDREN! When the state hands us surprises MOST are reasonable and are understanding, it’s out of the districts control and we had to make do.

Thanks for your time.

RESPONSE:  Full remote students will receive academic lessons and support from their classroom teachers and when appropriate/necessary, additional support from a designated staff member.  The elementary principals have already started assigning additional staff to work with remote only students, to support the instruction provided by the classroom teacher.  Parents should contact their child’s teacher and/or building principal if they have questions about the teaching and learning.