Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates and Information

Traveling for the Holiday? Here's what you need to know.

If you are travelling outside New York State during Winter Break, the State has published guidelines that you must follow upon your return.

All travelers, including New York State residents, who enter New York from a noncontiguous state, or from a CDC Level 2 or 3 Travel Health Notice country, must quarantine for 14 days unless:

1. Travelers who traveled outside of New York for more than 24 hours must obtain COVID 19 diagnostic testing within 72 hours prior to arrival in New York AND
2. Such travelers must, upon arrival in New York, quarantine for a minimum of 3 days, measured from time of arrival, and on day 4 may seek a COVID 19 diagnostic test to exit quarantine. Upon receipt of the second negative test result, the traveler may exit quarantine.

Contiguous states are Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont. Travelers to these states are not subject to the quarantine requirements above.

Travelers who travel outside of New York for less than 24 hours do not need to take a COVID test prior to their departure from the other state but must still quarantine for 3 days upon return to New York and test on the fourth day to exit quarantine. These requirements must be met prior to your child's return to school.

In addition, the Monroe County Department of Public Health compiled a helpful guide: What Should I Do While Waiting for a Contact Tracer to Call?

If you have any questions, please contact New York State. More information can be found here. 

Sign the COVID-19 Testing Consent Form

If/when the Wheatland-Chili Central School District receives a "Yellow Zone" designation from New York State, we will be required to test 20% of our in-person staff and students. In order to be prepared for this, we ask that you complete this online consent form authorizing your child to be tested.

Sign the form here.

No student will be tested without parental consent, but if we are unable to secure sufficient consent forms to meet our 20% mandate, we may have to convert students to fully-remote instruction. It is critical that we get as many families as possible to complete the form.

We will update you immediately should we receive a zone designation. There is also the possibility that we receive an "Orange Zone" or "Red Zone" designation in the future, which would entail higher testing thresholds. We are planning for this possibility as well.

Micro-Cluster Zone Classification - What does it mean for Wheatland-Chili?

Updated December 8, 2020

Governor Cuomo has revised the guidelines for Micro-Cluster Zone Classification System. The following FAQ reflects these guidelines as of December 8, 2020.

While much of Monroe County has received a “yellow zone” designation from New York State under the Governor’s micro-cluster zone classification system, the Wheatland-Chili Central School District currently does not fall under this designation. School districts that fall within a yellow zone are required to test their in-person students, faculty, and staff population until the yellow zone designation is lifted. Failure to meet the testing standards will result in a mandatory transition to a fully remote learning model. 

The Wheatland-Chili Central School District is not subject to the COVID-19 testing requirements at this time because our school buildings are located outside of the yellow zone area.  However, even though we are not yet required to begin testing, we are preparing in case our COVID-19 numbers rise and we later become designated as a yellow zone.  

What would the testing look like?

We have already received rapid response test kits from the Monroe County Department of Public Health. The test is easy and non-invasive! Collecting a specimen for testing involves inserting a small swab, similar to a Q-Tip, into the front of the nose and collecting a nasal sample. The test takes approximately eight seconds.

T. J. Connor parents can review this FAQ with their children to help reduce testing anxiety.

If your child receives a positive test, you will be notified immediately by telephone call and your child will be sent home. If your child’s test results are negative, this means that the virus was not detected in your child’s specimen. 

Would parents have the opportunity to consent to testing?

Yes. We are asking parents to sign a consent form before their child is tested. If you do not consent to having your student tested, your student may be required to convert to fully remote learning.

Can parents have their child tested by their own pediatrician?

Yes. If a parent elects to take their child to their own physician for testing, we would require a copy of the test results from the doctor or testing agency. Tests administered at a New York State-operated testing site are also permitted. Test results must be submitted within seven days of the test administration.

How will students be selected for testing?

These details are still being determined. Districts that receive a Yellow designation are given a week to develop their testing plans. While we currently do not have a Yellow designation, we are preparing now as if we will receive a designation in the near future. Our school nurses will administer the COVID tests. The logistics of who will be tested on any given will be determined very soon, after we analyze the returned consent forms.

What if we cannot get a 20% sample?

If too many families decline to provide consent, and we cannot obtain a 20% sample, we will be forced to go full-remote. This makes it critical that we obtain consent forms for as many students as possible.

Currently, at 20%, we would need to test aproximately 140 individuals.

Do remote students count towards the total pool of individuals needing to be tested?

No. Only in-person students and staff count towards our testing mandate.

How accurate are the tests?

The tests are very accurate at catching positive cases in individuals exhibiting symptoms. In asymptomatic individuals, there is a higher rate of incorrect negative results (called “false negatives.”) If your child tests negative but has symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have concerns about your child’s exposure to COVID-19, you should call your child’s doctor.

What would a potential shutdown look like?

If required to close our facilities, we will immediately convert to remote instruction for all students. When permitted, faculty would teach much of their time remotely from their classrooms in their buildings.

It is important to note that we are much better prepared for remote learning than we were last spring. We have had eight months to prepare for this possibility and we have addressed many of the technology, curriculum, and teaching method changes that would be necessitated by a fully-remote learning environment. Students would maintain their daily class schedule that is currently in place. Instead of attending in-person on certain days, all of their participation would be via ZOOM for the period of closure.

With that said, it remains our goal to keep our District open for in-person learning.

What about the daily health assessments?

We ask that students and staff continue to complete the daily health assessments found here.

As local cases continue to climb, we will begin asking students at the Middle/High School to also complete the Health Assessment when they arrive to school each morning. This will be done during their Set 1 class and will only take a few moments.

What else can we do?

We continue to work closely with the Monroe County Department of Health to monitor this situation.  We will share additional information on how the testing program would be administered as soon as it is available.  And, we will of course notify you of any change in our designation. 

Governor Cuomo has required schools to meet these testing thresholds in order to understand the level of community spread. Working together to test our entire community is one way in which we can meet the Governor’s mandate while staying informed and keeping each other safe.

What next?

The situation is constantly changing and we thank everyone for their patience and flexibility. We also want to remind everyone to remain vigilant and committed to mask wearing, social distancing and handwashing to decrease community spread of this virus.

We understand how difficult these times are for everyone, and we also appreciate the need to keep you updated on what is happening in our schools.  We will continue to keep you informed of any new information as we receive it.

If anyone has additional questions, please let us know. Your questions help us plan better for the challenges ahead.

Updated Regulations from the New York State Department of Health

New York State Department of Health Toolkit  

Daily Health Assessments

Students, or parents of younger students, are required to fill out a Daily Health Assessment before coming to each in-person school day. The Student Daily Assessment can be found at THIS LINK or on the WCCSD app. 

Meal Distribution for Hybrid and Remote Learners

In response to feedback from our families, the Wheatland-Chili Central School District is striving to improve access to school meals on days of remote learning. The United States Department of Agriculture has extended the Free Meals Program through the duration of the 2020-21 school year, so all regular breakfast and lunch options are free to children 19 and under until June 30, 2021. 

Starting Friday, October 23, hybrid students in grades 8, 10, and 12 will receive three breakfasts and lunches every Friday as they leave the building. Starting Tuesday, October 27, all T. J. Connor and 6th-grade students will receive meals for remote Wednesday as they leave the building. Grades 7, 9, and 11 will receive three breakfasts and lunches at the end of every Tuesday. 

Fully-remote students can still order meals five days a week. To accommodate family schedules, pick-ups can now be scheduled to include multiple day’s meals at a time.  Families of hybrid students who wish to opt out of the Remote Meals Distribution Program can call 585-889-6237 (T. J. Connor) or 585-889-6251 (MS/HS).