Announcements:

Good evening Connetquot Community,

I am writing tonight with an update to the recent correspondence the district shared on mandated mask wearing protocols as well as an update on the special Board of Education meeting that occurred this evening.

Earlier today in his press conference, Governor Cuomo announced that mask wearing will no longer be mandatory when students, faculty, and staff are outdoors but that the mandate for indoor mask wearing remains in effect. Those wishing to still wear a masks outside will of course be permitted to do so. As such, the Board of Education voted to confirm that the newly enacted voluntary mask measure for outdoor activities will begin in Connetquot Schools tomorrow, June 8, 2021. In addition, our students will continue to be encouraged to request mask breaks as needed during the day and our administrators are working to move students to cooler locations, especially as the warmer weather is upon us.

Although this easement is significantly less than the NYSDOH has asked from the CDC on Friday, please understand that we are required to follow all prescribed current guidelines in regard to COVID protocols and protections. In recent days I have heard from many in our community asking for our district to divert from the mask mandate and adopt a locally developed practice or implement parental choice. I sympathize with those pleas. Unfortunately, the mask mandate is beyond my, the district’s and our collective local control – this matter rests solely in the hands of the state education department office, through Governor’s Executive Orders and in regulations set forth by the NYDOH.

I know from recent media reports that a few local districts had originally acted to go “maskless” today based on the conflicting information shared over the weekend. As of this writing, I have been informed that at least two of the three districts have already rescinded that decision and will be returning to compliance with the Governor’s executive orders immediately.

While I know that this will leave some families feeling upset or discouraged, I encourage you to stay active and implore you to contact those who are in the power to make change in the future. The Board of Education has passed a resolution to send advocacy letters to the Governor and the Commissioner of Health, requesting further release from the controls that are specific only to schools and not other public entities, especially relaxing mask wearing indoors. It also requests that the Governor rescind the outdoor gathering limits so that Connetquot High School and all other 2021 graduates can celebrate this milestone without having to adopt testing protocols/vaccination requirements for all spectators in order to have a gathering greater than 500 outside.

Please help us encourage the change by downloading the letter attached here and sending it to the Governor and Commissioner Zucker.

Advocacy letter

I thank you, as always, for your continued support and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lynda G. Adams

Superintendent of Schools