Friday June 18, 2021  

Hello Everyone,  

As I write this final, weekly update for the 2020-21 school year I am struck by the commitment our community has for our children. To begin with, we have  weathered close to 40 weeks of school during a pandemic! All throughout this year we have faced many challenges and have consistently met them. From figuring out the protocols to reopen, to dealing with our first COVID cases in  October, navigating a Malware attack in February, and passing a school budget in May with more than 70% approval, our school community has come together in  more ways than one to support our kids. I cannot thank you enough for your patience and flexibility as you worked to not only be amazing parents, but also incredible part time teachers at home!  

The 2020-21 school year would not have been successful without the dedication  and commitment of our faculty and staff. They played a huge part in not only  maintaining the safety of our children, but also delivering a high quality education. As I always say, it’s a team effort filled with professionals who have a  growth mindset approach to their jobs. From our teacher aides and food service  employees to our bus drivers, maintenance workers, mechanics, clerical staff,  nurses, teachers and administrators, we are VCS strong! I cannot thank these 700 outstanding people enough for taking care of our more than 4,000 students and helping to keep our District afloat this past year! 

This commitment and dedication was readily apparent at last Sunday’s graduation when 340 proud seniors received their well earned diplomas at Frontier Field. It was incredibly gratifying to be able to acknowledge each senior after all they have  been through. It was an amazing ceremony filled with profound pride and gratitude. I know our seniors are well prepared for whatever exciting adventure awaits them. A special thank you to Principal Brian Siesto and the VSH staff who  not only organized this incredible event, but also made sure it ran like clockwork!  Best of all, the rain held off and the fireworks were spectacular!

Another form of commitment between our schools and the community is the value we place on the many ways that parents volunteer their time to support Victor students. Please consider serving as a parent representative on a shared decision-making council or committee next year. Please click on the link to the following website for more information. https://www.victorschools.org/district/shared-decision-making  

As a member of a Shared Decision-Making Council, you make a difference! The District truly benefits from your feedback and help with decision-making and respects the different points of view that parents and guardians bring to these  meetings.  

As I close, I want to call attention to “Juneteenth”, which will be celebrated on Saturday, June 19th. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day and Emancipation Day, celebrates the emancipation of those who  were enslaved in the United States. It originated in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 when Union Army General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom from  slavery in Texas. It is meant as a day of remembrance and a day of opportunity for African Americans to celebrate their culture. Our principals have  communicated the importance of this day to all of our students. I hope you share  the significance of this day with your children, too. 

Thank you again for an unforgettable school year! As always, please reach out if  you have any questions. Enjoy the last days of school and have a wonderful summer. We will be in contact with any updates regarding our number one  priority of returning to full time, in-person instruction for every student in 2021- 22. 

With gratitude, 

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday June 11, 2021 

Hello Everyone, 

As we finish one of the last weeks of the school year I am struck by how quickly the time is going by. We have come a long way this year and we could not have accomplished so much without the support of the community. I have five brief updates today. 

First, I am pleased to report that as of this afternoon, our COVID cases remain low, with one active student case and no positive staff cases. We also have six students quarantined. A reminder that New York State is now allowing individuals age 12 and older to be vaccinated. It is the decision of the parent/guardian whether a child is vaccinated for COVID-19. For more information on upcoming clinics, please go to the Ontario County Public Health Department website: https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health. All signs point to a complete reopening in the fall. We will do everything in our power to make sure it occurs as smoothly as possible. 

Second, I have enjoyed the monthly Town Halls that we continued this year from the weekly broadcasts that we started in March of 2020. Although we will not have a June Town Hall, I am planning on having at least one in the summer to review progress with opening school and answer questions tied to the reopening. We will then resume the monthly Town Hall format starting in September. 

Third, I am excited about the variety of summer activities that are planned for our students. We are notifying specific families this week and next about attending Summer Academies in August. The Academies are at both the elementary and secondary level and are for students who need a boost with skills, primarily related to ELA and mathematics. We also have significant opportunities for our students with disabilities. We are communicating these opportunities to families as well. 

In addition, we have an extraordinary opportunity for all students to participate in Summer Enrichment experiences. These will occur in July and include areas of interest such as art, music, sports, writing, mathematics, literature, science, and much more. Brochures describing these opportunities will be arriving soon. Each of the experiences has a limit on the number of students that can participate so sign up fast. 

Fourth, a special thank you to all of the VJH students involved in the Young Women’s Leadership group. They are an outstanding group of 7th and 8th grade leaders who not only do much for the culture and climate at VJH, but also help others. An example is their impressive work raising funds for the PLUTA Cancer Center by selling tee shirts with Victor insignias. I appreciate the work of Mrs. Gordon and Ms. Jerabeck to facilitate this extraordinary club and their efforts to continue to develop student driven leadership that puts others before themselves. 

Finally, Sunday is a special day. Our VCS seniors will graduate at 7:30 pm at Frontier Field! I couldn’t be more excited for our 340 graduates. They have persevered through many challenges but remained resilient and optimistic throughout the experience. They are role models for all of us and I cannot wait to see what they add to our world as they embark on a fabulous future. 

As always, please reach out to me with any questions. Have a great weekend! 

With gratitude, 

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Monday June 7, 2021 

Hello Everyone, 

As promised today, Governor Andrew Cuomo made an announcement specific to masking requirements for schools. This announcement came after the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) weighed in on Dr. Zucker’s and New York State Department of Health’s suggested new mask protocols for schools which was sent for review last Friday, June 4th of 2021. 

Governor Cuomo has shared that masks are now not required to be worn by students, staff, visitors, and/or spectators, when they are outside on school grounds or at a school sponsored event. We are expanding our current policy of not requiring masking for outdoor experiences to include students, staff and guests who are outside on school grounds for any event, including athletics. It is a choice if anyone wants to wear a mask outside. 

The Governor did not authorize the state to make this change for mask wearing inside, despite the letter from Dr. Zucker that was widely circulated on Friday. He says the CDC was not comfortable with lifting indoor masking requirements. Therefore, masks must still be worn while inside of school buildings. We have reminded teachers and staff that they can allow mask breaks for students as often as needed in class and allow for students to take off masks at desks for periods of time if they feel it's needed. We are also advocating for teachers and staff to go outside for class when they have the opportunity. 

Therefore, as we have done all along, we will continue to follow state guidance. If this guidance changes and allows for more flexibility in schools then we will revise our procedures. 

With gratitude, 

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Sunday June 6, 2021 

Hello Everyone, 

As I explained on Friday, Dr. Zucker, the NYS Commissioner of Health, sent a letter to the CDC late in the afternoon saying that starting on Monday, June 7th, NY State intends to issue guidance strongly encouraging mask wearing for students and staff who are indoors and who are not vaccinated, but not requiring it. 

Today, we received word from the NYS Department of Education that the Governor has not yet issued guidance. Therefore, schools should continue to operate under their existing procedures until further notice. No changes have been, or will be made by the Executive until after Monday June 7 to afford the CDC an opportunity to respond to the letter. 

As we wait for this guidance, Ontario County Superintendents are working with Ontario County Public Health to gain clarity on what is a reasonable approach if the state changes mask wearing in school from mandatory to strongly encouraged. I know people have differing opinions on whether changing mask wearing guidance with two weeks left in school is prudent. We will continue to listen to these opinions as we rely on our County Health Department for guidance. We will also make sure to communicate our thinking once we have solid information to make a decision. I will update the staff and community regarding next steps as soon as we have more information. 

With gratitude, 

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday June 4, 2021 

Hello Everyone, 

I hope everyone had a great week. Yesterday we implemented our new policy of allowing students outside for recess and physical education without masks on. Today, at 3:30 pm, we received a copy of the letter from the NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH) to the CDC saying that starting on Monday, June 7th, NY State intends to issue guidance strongly encouraging mask wearing for students and staff who are indoors and who are not vaccinated, but not requiring it. According to the NYSDOH, students and staff who are vaccinated do not have to wear masks. We are reviewing this letter and its implications. I anticipate issuing an update to the staff and the community either Sunday or Monday regarding next steps. 

I am pleased to report that as of this afternoon, our cases remain low, with one active student case and one active staff case (a transportation worker). We also have five students quarantined. Again, we continue to advocate and plan for a full reopening for all grade levels in September. 

Today we celebrated our highest grade level, our seniors, as they took part in their annual Senior Walk! It was fantastic to see the reaction of our staff and students as they walked throughout our campus. We couldn’t be more proud of the leadership of the class of 2021. Their perseverance and empathy for others made this unique school year a special one. There is no doubt that their optimism and ability to adapt to the constantly changing parameters of this school year has prepared them well for the future! I am looking forward to celebrating this special group of seniors at graduation on June 13th at Frontier Field! 

We have so much to celebrate, especially during the graduation season. Take Wolfgang Moss, for example. This senior was recently chosen as the recipient of the Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES Superintendent Award for outstanding achievement through the Wayne Educational Center. We salute Wolfgang for his hard work and perseverance. He is just one example of the many seniors who have earned monetary awards and/or achievement recognition as they embark on their lives ahead. 

Speaking of what’s ahead, we continue to make significant progress with finalizing our summer opportunities for students. This includes August dates for our Summer Academies at both the elementary and secondary levels. This also includes expanded opportunities for our students with disabilities. Parents will be notified next week if their child qualifies for these programs. In addition, we are excited to offer a multitude of summer enrichment opportunities for students who are interested. These will occur in July and include areas of interest such as art, music, sports, writing, mathematics, literature, science, and much more. We will publicize these opportunities by the end of next week. 

Finally, a reminder that New York State is now allowing individuals age 12 and older to be vaccinated. It is the decision of the parent/guardian whether a child is vaccinated for COVID-19. For more information on upcoming clinics, please go to the Ontario County Public Health Department website: https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health. I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize our own Jack Lucchese, a freshman at VSH, who was selected for a full scholarship to any state university or college through a state run vaccine incentive program his parents entered him into. I know Jack and his family are extremely excited! 

As always, please reach out to me with any questions. Have a great weekend! 

With gratitude, 

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Previous Superintendent Messages

Wednesday June 2, 2021 

Hello Everyone, 

We received word from the Ontario County Public Health Department that our proposal to allow students to take off their masks when they are outside, either during recess or for physical education classes, was approved. This approval also applies to the adults who supervise these students at recess and physical education. 

Based on this approval, beginning tomorrow, Thursday June 3rd, we are allowing students and their supervising staff to take off masks when outside during recess or physical education classes. We are also allowing students and staff to take off their masks when outside during end-of-year events such as field days and moving up picnics. 

Despite our new outdoor mask policy, we will continue to focus on keeping students and staff six feet apart as much as possible, but it may not be practical during recess on certain playgrounds. Regardless, students will still be allowed to take off their mask on these playgrounds. Students are also free to continue to wear masks when they are outside. We will not be able to supervise who is supposed to wear a mask and who is not when outside. 

The Health Department’s approval of our outside mask proposal is an exciting step in the right direction, however, it is important to note that we are continuing with our mask wearing policy for students, staff and visitors when inside school buildings. In addition, Interscholastic-Athletics will continue to follow the NYS interim guidance on sports and recreation and the NYSPHSAA protocols. 

As always, please reach out to me with any questions. 

With gratitude, 

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday May 28, 2021

Hello Everyone, 

I hope everyone had a great week. One of the highlights for me was having 12 outstanding high school students attend the virtual Town Hall on Wednesday night to talk about their accomplishments and outlooks on life. Special thanks to Cian, Olivia, Lily, Dom, Heaven, Marissa, Sarah, Andrew, Allison, Lamia, Aly and Semma for sharing a part of their evening with me. As I said during the Town Hall, each of these young adults has chosen a pathway in life that is filled with empathy, perseverance, tolerance, courage, humility, integrity, optimism, and a desire to help others. I learned so much from them! If you would like to see this special Town Hall, please go to the VCS Facebook page.

As you all know, this school year has led us down a variety of challenging pathways, but at each turn we have learned something new and grown along the way. In terms of COVID, as of today we have five active cases. Five students are quarantined. The Ontario County Public Health Department has also adjusted its quarantining practices and will no longer be quarantining students in third grade or above who are masked and are near a student who tests positive unless multiple students test positive. This is good news and will significantly decrease the number of students who need to be quarantined in the future. While quarantining is being loosened in the higher grades, the Health Department will still be strict with quarantining students from PreK through 2nd grade.

A reminder that New York State is now allowing individuals age 12 and older to be vaccinated. It is the decision of the parent/guardian whether a child is vaccinated for COVID-19. For more information on upcoming clinics, please go to the Ontario County Public Health Department website: https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health. 

Perhaps the most exciting path in front of us is the future. We are currently making plans to have everyone back in school, five days a week, starting in September. It is our number one priority! I will have continued updates, not only on our reopening plans for September, but also plans to support students this summer.

Finally, Monday is Memorial Day. This special day is more than just a holiday. It honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. It’s an extremely solemn day where we recognize the thousands of individuals who made the greatest of sacrifices. I encourage our students to take a few moments on Monday to reflect on the meaning behind this long weekend and remember those that came before us. 

As always, please reach out to me with any questions. Have a great weekend

With gratitude, 

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday May 21, 2021

Hello Everyone,

It was another busy week at VCS between a multitude of activities and a successful budget vote!  Here are some brief updates.  

Budget Vote:
On Tuesday, May 18th, the VCS community overwhelmingly supported the 2021-22 school budget. Seventy-two percent of the voters approved this budget. This is a testament to not only the commitment of this community to our schools, but also the dedication of the staff to our children. It also comes with expectations from all of you that we will continue to operate with a growth mindset and look to build on the outstanding foundation that VCS is known for. A big part of strengthening this foundation is the strategic planning process beginning this summer. Staff and community input will play a major role. This process is a critical step toward clarifying what we value as a school community and how we apply resources to develop and support these values and goals.  I will have further information on the strategic planning process in future updates. 

Summer Opportunities:
I am pleased to report that we are finalizing a tremendous array of summer opportunities for our children. I apologize for the late notice for families. We found out in early April that we secured the needed funding from the Federal government to support these summer opportunities and then needed time to plan for their operation. Included in this array of offerings will be a Summer Academy for students from Kindergarten to Senior High. Students will be selected through our counseling offices based on academic needs. We anticipate that the VCS Summer Academy will run between August 2nd and August 20th for two to three hours per day. Parents will receive additional information on this program by early June. We will provide transportation for the Summer

Academies: 
In addition to the Summer Academy program, this summer we are also expanding opportunities for students with disabilities, which will include targeted reading support at both the elementary and secondary levels. Parents of students with disabilities who qualify for these programs will be notified shortly. Additionally, we are hopeful that we can offer other enrichment opportunities for both elementary and secondary students. We will have more information on enrichment opportunities as soon as we secure needed staff. 

COVID Update:
As of this afternoon, we have 5 active student cases in the District and 12 quarantines. The number of active cases are the same as last week and the quarantine numbers are significantly less. As you may already know, New York State is allowing individuals age 12 and older to be vaccinated. It is the decision of the parent/guardian whether a child is vaccinated for COVID-19.  The Ontario County Public Health Department has further information on upcoming clinics. The website is https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health. 

Finally, this Wednesday, May 26th we will hold a virtual Town Hall from 6:30 to 7:30 pm on Facebook Live. This week’s special guests will include a variety of representatives from our 9th through 11th grade classes who have made a big difference for our schools and community this year. I cannot wait to showcase these student leaders!

As always, please reach out to me with any questions. Have a great weekend!
 
With gratitude, 

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday May 14, 2021 

Hello Everyone,

I hope all of you had a great week! Today, I’d like to share four updates with you. 

My first update pertains to last night’s Board of Education meeting where we honored three outstanding individuals, including two exceptional seniors, Emily Baker and Sydney Prescott. Emily spoke eloquently about her work in the New Visions program and was honored by Vicki Ramos, Superintendent of the Wayne/Finger Lakes BOCES, for her outstanding achievement in this very challenging program. Sydney received the prestigious Genesee Valley PTSA Humanitarian Award for her incredible dedication to our community and the PTSA. We are very proud of Sydney, Emily and all of our seniors who continue to make a difference. There is no doubt, they will make an even greater impact on our society in the future.

In addition to Emily and Sydney, last night, the Board also honored Intermediate School Special Education teacher, Tom Cheevers, for receiving National Board Certification as an outstanding elementary teacher. Tom is a fantastic teacher who leads by example and influences others. Moreover, he is representative of our outstanding staff who is committed to doing what is best for children every day. 

My second update today is in regard to the news story you may have seen about quarantines at VCS. As of this afternoon, Ontario County Public Health (OCPH) has quarantined between 114 and 116 students since the April 26th return of elementary students to full time instruction. The vast majority of quarantines were at the Intermediate Building (grades 4-6). We currently have 32 elementary students who are quarantined. The rest have safely returned to school.

For those who don’t know, OCPH is in charge of who is quarantined, not the school. When they receive word of a student who is positive with COVID-19 they look back two days from the onset of symptoms and ask for the seating charts of the classrooms that the student attends. OCPH then makes a decision, typically based on who is sitting near the student, about who is quarantined. School District administrators then assist them in calling families who are quarantined with follow up from OCPH afterwards. 

The good news is that as of today, none of the students who were quarantined have become sick with COVID-19.  In fact, we currently have only 5 students who are positive for COVID-19 in the entire District. We will continue to advocate to OCPH for relaxed quarantining procedures. 

My third update is about vaccinations. New York State is allowing individuals 12 and over to be vaccinated. It is the decision of the parent/guardian whether a child is vaccinated for COVID-19.  OCPH is offering two vaccination clinics next week if you are interested. The website is https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health. Please scroll down approximately half way through the first page to find the links for the two clinics. 

Finally, a reminder that the budget vote and Board of Education election is this Tuesday, May 18th from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm at the Victor Primary School. We encourage everyone to come out to vote. 

As always, please reach out to me with any questions. Have a great weekend!
 
With gratitude, 

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday May 7, 2021 

Hello Everyone,

We continue to have a successful spring as we move through May. Below are four updates.

1. Teacher and Nurses Appreciation: This week not only included Teacher Appreciation Week, but also Nurses Appreciation Day. I cannot thank these two groups of professionals enough for everything they do to support our children. When you think of everything our teachers and nurses have done for our children on a day-to-day basis to not only educate them, but also support their mental and physical health, it is awe inspiring. I am thankful I work with such a professional and caring group of leaders.
    
2. COVID & Reopening: This week marked our second week of full day, in-person instruction for our elementary students. Our children are beginning to get back into the groove of full day, in-person learning. Unfortunately, we still remain in the High Transmission Zone in Ontario County, which means we are not going to be able to return to full time, in-person instruction this school year at the secondary level. We will continue to advocate strongly for a safe return for every student, PreK-12, in September. In fact, we will not only continue to put plans in place at the District level, but we will also advocate strongly for a different set of metrics that specifically evaluate the risk of our school community rather than the entire county.
   
   We currently have ten active cases in our school district, which is one more than a week ago. All ten are students and three of them are remote or go to school in a different location. We have approximately 80 students in quarantine due to potential exposure to COVID-positive students, either inside or outside of the school setting. We hope that this number goes down over the next week. I had a meeting with members of the Ontario Department of Health to clarify quarantining procedures. They have an extremely difficult job. The Health Department is being extremely careful with our youngest learners at the ECS. If a student tested positive, they would quarantine more children because of the challenges of student proximity and mask wearing at that age. At the VPS and VIS they are shifting to less stringent quarantining procedures as long as we continue to show a lack of spread within the schools. They are still quarantining students who are in direct proximity with a student who tests positive.
    
3. Summer Opportunities: We are excited about the summer opportunities that we will have for many of our students. These opportunities are a direct result of the additional one-time stimulus money that the Federal government allotted to us. We are also using a significant amount of this money, which is separate from the general budget, to enhance the technology in our District. This summer we will also offer an expanded program for students with disabilities beyond the extended school year program. In addition, we will have “Summer Academies” for students in general education at both the elementary and secondary level who need additional academic support. We are also working on other opportunities for this summer. We will have more information about these programs in the near future. 
    
4. Schedule Clarification: Finally, I want to clarify the schedule for the end of the year. Last week I made a mistake regarding the last day of the VJH. I neglected to explain that students at the VJH who are in the Gold Cohort will attend school on June 22nd. The revised last day schedule is below. 
   
   • PreK to 6thGrade- the last day of school for students is Wednesday, June 23rd
   • VJH- the last day for students in the Blue Cohort is Monday, June 21st. The last day for students in the Gold Cohort is Tuesday, June 22nd. Regents exams are Wednesday, June 23rd and Thursday, June 24th.
   • VSH- the last day for students is Friday, June 18th. Exams and credit recovery are from Monday, June 21st to Thursday, June 24th

As always, please reach out to me with any questions. Have a great weekend!
 
With gratitude, 

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday April 30, 2021

Hello Everyone,

We had a highly successful first week back for PreK through 6th grade students!

I cannot thank the faculty and staff enough for their work preparing our elementary students to attend school five days a week. Special thanks to all of our parents and guardians for supporting their children for the full return and maintaining safety while driving on our busy campus. I know our students are tired today, but it is because they have finally spent a full week in classrooms. I also know our 100% virtual learners have been busy, too, and are looking forward to a greater amount of synchronous instruction starting on Monday.

Unfortunately, we remain on hold for a full return of our 7th through 12th grade students because Ontario County continues to be in a High Transmission Zone. Our number of new positive cases per 100,000 people in the county has dropped from 163 last week to 112 today. According to both the CDC and the New York State Department of Health, we must be below 100 new cases per 100,000 people to decrease social distancing between students from 6 feet to 3 feet. The number should have enough room below 100 so that we do not have to quickly pivot back to a hybrid model if cases increase. If we continue to be in a High Risk Transmission Zone early next week, then it is unlikely we will return to full in-person instruction at grades 7-12 for this school year. I will keep you updated on this situation.

We currently have nine active cases in our school district. All of them are students. I know that at the VIS we had an uptick of quarantines today based on two positive cases. We do not believe any of the cases are related to each other. I also know how frustrating it can be to be back in school and then have children quarantined. I am working with the Ontario County Health Department next week to review quarantining procedures to see if we can have the procedures adapted to the new social distancing requirements. 

As we move into May I also want to update you on the end of the year schedule, particularly as it pertains to exams and last days.

• PreK to 6th Grade- the last day of school for students is Wednesday, June 23rd
• VJH- the last day for students is Monday, June 21st. Regents exams are June 23rd and 24th
• VSH- the last day for students is Friday, June 18th. Exams and credit recovery are from June 21st to June 24th

As always, please reach out to me with any questions. Have a great weekend!
 
With gratitude, 

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday April 23, 2021

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone had a fantastic week! We continue to operate with a growth mindset as we move through April and plan for the remainder of the school year.  I cannot say enough about the work our staff is putting into supporting our children in anticipation of a full return to campus. 

Starting on Monday, April 26th, our PreK through 6th graders will attend school in-person five days a week.  We couldn’t be more excited! I appreciate the thousands of parents and guardians who completed our survey on the reopening.  If you did not complete the survey we are assuming that your children are coming back to school full time starting on Monday. If you did not fill out the survey and you are planning on having your child attend 100% remotely, please contact your child’s principal as soon as possible. (The survey is currently closed.)

As you know, we are on hold with having our 7th through 12th grade students make a full return because Ontario County continues to be in a High Transmission Zone. As of today, the number of cases per 100,000 people is 163.97. According to both the CDC and the New York State Department of Health we must be below 100 cases per 100,000 people to reopen fully at the secondary level. If we move out of the High Risk Transmission Zone by early next week, we will look to bring our 7th through 12th graders back to school fully by May 10th. If we are still in the High Risk Transmission Zone early next week, then our full return will be delayed. If we continue to be in a High Risk Transmission Zone in early May, then it is unlikely we will return to full in-person instruction at grades 7-12 for this school year. I will keep you updated on this situation. 

Parent/guardian input has been critical to our reopening process. Our final survey numbers show 85% of our Pre-K through 12th grade parents/guardians are comfortable sending their children back to school full time. The remainder of our parents/guardians (15%) are either somewhat concerned or very concerned with sending their children back full time. In terms of PreK through 6th grade students, approximately 96% of our parents/guardians have chosen to send  their children back to school full time while 4% have opted to have their children complete the school year in the 100% remote model. 

Parent/guardian input regarding transportation has also been vital to our reopening plan. Roughly 38% of our parents/guardians will not require transportation for their PreK through 12th grade students going to school, while approximately 33% will not require transportation for their children from school. This means we will have significant traffic congestion between 8:15 am and 9:30 am as well as between 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm. In an effort to minimize potential traffic issues, we will have additional support from the Ontario County Sheriff's Department for the beginning of next week. Please drive carefully and be aware of children and families walking throughout the campus. We appreciate your patience as we move through the first few days of our new schedule. 

Despite the start of a new and exciting schedule at the PreK through 6th grade level, we still ask that you complete your daily health screening for your child. I know it is time consuming, but the completion of this health screening is critical to our ability to remain open for full time instruction at the elementary level. 

Finally, thank you for your feedback at this week’s Town Hall Meeting. I appreciate your continued engagement with our efforts to provide our children the best education we can have under the circumstances. Please go to our website at victorschools.org for specific information about our reopening plans and to review the updated Question and Answer document related to reopening. 

As always, please reach out to me with any questions. Have a great weekend!
 
With gratitude, 

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday April 16, 2021

Hello Everyone,

As we end another successful week I am reminded of how much our school district and community are intertwined with one another. As you know, VCS was named one of the best communities for music education in the United States. We could not earn this recognition without our exceptional teaching staff and the support of an extraordinary community. Thanks to everyone who has influenced our students musically.  I look forward to continuing our emphasis on a comprehensive education as we move forward. 

I have three brief updates for you this week.

1. We continue working on our reopening plans. As I said at last night’s Board of Education meeting we are planning on having our PreK through 6th grade students return fully in-person on April 26th. Please note that Wednesday, April 21st we will not have in-person school for elementary students. Faculty and staff will utilize this time to continue to plan for reopening.  At the secondary level we are still not allowed to shift to full, in-person learning because we are in a high transmission zone.  I will continue to update you when I receive information and are prepared to move to full in-person if the state allows. 

Please fill out the reopening survey if you haven’t done so already, https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBVB4im3GgN2KKDr1jj4GzxHMzkICvMN9JZQlCNaaLq5Pyxg/viewform

This survey will give us valuable information on your comfort level with shifting to 3 feet social distancing, your choice of either 100% virtual instruction or fully in-person, and your preference for transportation.  Your child’s building principal is sending home updated reopening plans specific to each building either today or Monday. We are also holding a Virtual Town Hall dedicated to reopening that will include many of our principals on Wednesday, April 21st from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. 

2. I am appreciative of our Board of Education adopting the 2021-22 School Budget at last evening’s Board of Education meeting. The total budget is $83,218,489, a 6.34% increase from this school year. The tax levy increase is 4.2%. The District is not exceeding the Tax Cap. Our anticipated tax rate will be $17.78, which is still one of the lowest tax rates in the area. The approximate tax rate increase between this year and next is 4.1%. 

This budget allows for an increase in 11.65 positions from this year in critically understaffed areas like student mental health, special education, curriculum and instruction, cleaning, technology and academic intervention services. In addition, we were able to add back a 0.5 section of PreK from an earlier budget reduction. We are also trying our best to mitigate class sizes by adding a small number of sections back at the secondary level. The additional staffing based on the above needs will be supported through the increase in Foundation Aid our District received from NY State. We are cognizant of the need to balance our expense increase with our ability to pay for these expenses. This budget allows for this balance and supports stability in our financial outlook for the next few years.

3. Last night I asked the Board of Education to delay approving next year’s school calendar. We are definitely moving the start of school from September 7th to September 9th so that our families celebrating Rosh Hashanah are not missing the first days of school next year. In addition, we are still finalizing April Break, since the WFL BOCES break is different from Monroe County. There are some complications regarding moving the break that we still need to review before making a final decision. I will ask the Board to approve the final calendar at the May meeting. 

Thank you for your ongoing patience and support as we continue to navigate this challenging year. As always, please reach out to me with any questions you may have. Have a great weekend!

Thank you again for your continued patience. Please let me know if you have any questions.

With gratitude, 

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Monday, April 12, 2021 

Hello Everyone, 

Thank you for your continued resiliency as we deal with COVID and its ramifications as well as the continued  ambiguity of our situation. 

As you heard late Friday, we received updated guidance from the NY State Department of Health (NYSDOH). Specifically, the guidance allows for school districts to reduce social distancing requirements between students from six feet to three feet. In terms of busing, the guidance mentions sitting one student per seat as an example; however, it lists this as “where possible.” After discussing the language with other Superintendents, we are going to allow two students per seat and siblings to sit together on buses. This should enable VCS to transport students who wish to continue to take the bus. 

This morning we received word that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated Ontario County as a High Risk Transmission Zone. Because of this designation, we can still reduce social distancing for elementary students (PreK through 6th grade) from 6 feet to 3 feet, which will enable us to bring all elementary students back to full time, in-person learning by April 26th. However, if our area continues to be designated a High Risk Transmission Zone, students at VJH and VSH will need to remain at 6 feet social distancing as stated by the NYSDOH guidance, which means we need to stay in the hybrid model at VJH and  VSH. 

From a preparation standpoint, we will continue to plan for a full reopening on April 26th. Our Transition Zone  status next week will determine whether we can return to full time, in-person learning at the secondary level  on April 26th. Again, regardless of this status, we are planning to be fully, in-person at the elementary level. I  will continue to update you on this status as I receive new information. The following are specific next steps  the District will take between now and next Wednesday. 

• We will revise and send a parent survey (pre-K through 12th) later this week that will not only seek  feedback on the reopening but also ask for a choice between 100% virtual or fully in-person instruction as well as for transportation. The survey will not be due until the day after next week’s Town Hall.  
• We will finalize the Question and Answer document for parents later this week and send it with the parent survey.  
• We will have a reopening update at the BoE meeting on Thursday. 
• Individual buildings and departments will continue to plan for full time, in-person instruction. Individual  building leadership will send specific reopening plans to parents by the end of this week.
• We will continue to monitor the Transition Zone status to see if we can fully reopen at VJH and VSH by April 26th. 
• I will send another community update on Friday, April 16th.  
• We will have a virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, April 21st to review our reopening plan and answer  questions. Individuals can have until the following day to submit their survey information. 

Thank you again for your continued patience. Please let me know if you have any questions.

With gratitude, 

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday, April 9, 2021

Hello Everyone,

I hope your week was a good one. As you know, we have been advocating for updated guidance from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) for weeks. Late this afternoon we received updated guidance. Although the first read looks promising, we need to review the guidance more carefully. I will send an updated letter on Monday with our next steps in the process of attempting to fully reopen. I am delaying the parent survey as we want to review the new guidance before finalizing the questions. We will also have a Virtual Town Hall, most likely the week of April 19th, to discuss the reopening. 

Please remember that students in PreK through 6th grade will not attend school in person on Wednesday, April 14th. The elementary faculty and staff will use this time to revise curriculum and lesson plans, work on specific ways to support the social-emotional needs of students, as well as focus on room structures and logistics necessary for a safe return to full time, in-person instruction. The strong possibility exists that we will also use April 21st for a faculty and staff work day. I will have more information next week.

Please let me know if you have any questions. 
With gratitude,

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Wednesday, April 7, 2021 

Hello Everyone, 

The VCS staff continues to work tirelessly on specific plans to reopen if we are able. As I have said in the past, we anticipate a shift to every day, in-person instruction starting on either Thursday, April 22nd or Monday, April 26th. We will finalize this date in the near future. 

In an effort to fully plan for the reopening, we will have no in-person instruction at the PreK through 6th grade level on Wednesday, April 14th. Students in the cohort that typically attends on April 14th will remain home. This will give our elementary staff valuable time to plan for the potential reopening. We anticipate that students in the cohort who typically attend school on Wednesday, April 21st will also remain home for planning  purposes. 

Another big piece of the reopening picture revolves around parent/guardian input. We will send a second  parent/guardian survey regarding both transportation and the choice between 100% virtual and days in person  later this week. We ask that you fill the survey out by Tuesday, April 13th. It is important to note that once you  make your choices, you are committed to these choices for the rest of the school year. 

As of now, how the rest of the school year unfolds remains in the hands of the New York State Department of  Health (NYSDOH). In order to shift the social distancing requirement from 6 feet to 3 feet between students, which would allow for every day, in-person instruction, we still need updated guidance from the NYSDOH. To date, we have none. Reopening fully without guidance by the NYSDOH could be devastating, both from a liability standpoint, and potentially, from a funding perspective. The longer the silence by the NYSDOH the  more challenging it is for us to fully reopen. 

Please let me know if you have any questions. 
With gratitude,

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

March 26, 2021

Hello Everyone,

These are challenging times. The lack of control any of us have on what will happen next is weighing on all of us. I understand this and appreciate how you are helping your children handle these extremely unpredictable times. In this message, I want to continue to clarify Victor Central School District’s stance on reopening plans.

A few themes have emerged over the past week that I think are worth sharing in some detail.

The Community Has Strong Opinions On Reopening:
Many community members shared their concerns at Wednesday's Town Hall and other venues regarding the District decision on reopening. Some are in favor of the reopening and wish we would do it sooner, and some are concerned about reopening and would rather have our District keep the hybrid model for the remainder of the school year. It goes without saying that any decision that we make will please some and disappoint others.

The VCS Staff Is Working Extremely Hard:
I am in full support of the VCS staff, without whom this year would not have been possible! Unfortunately,
some staff are taking criticism for the situation that they have no control over. This is unfounded in my opinion. As Superintendent, I can tell you that our staff is going far above the call of duty to create a learning environment that maximizes learning experience for students. In addition, they are balancing significant work with technology and in-person instruction while also attempting to communicate with parents. Whether they work with students, drive our buses, clean and maintain our facilities, run our offices, or serve our food, I couldn't ask for more from them. Like you, our staff is made up of people who have families and their own lives. They are doing this job because they love kids. Many are doing this with significant family/health challenges of their own. I, along with my fellow administrators, will continue to support our staff as they attempt to potentially change the way they teach our children, yet again.

Guidance is ever-changing, but I think the following information represents the most accurate description of VCS’ current reopening stance:

1) We are appreciative of the revised guidance from the CDC and the support from our Ontario County Health Department. We need updated guidance from the NY State Department of Health (NYSDOH) in order to shift the social distancing requirement from 6 feet to 3 feet between students. The impact of reopening without updated guidance by the NYSDOH would be severe, both from a liability standpoint and potentially from a funding standpoint. In addition, we have always followed the guidance from the NYSDOH since that's their job is to oversee the health and safety of schools. I am concerned by the lack of communication from this department.

If you are interested in advocating for the adoption of the CDC social distancing guidelines, please reach out to Commissioner Howard A. Zucker, M.D., 518-474-2011 or email howard.zucker@health.ny.gov. You can also reach out to your local legislature to advocate for the NYSDOH to adopt the CDC guidelines.

2) Regardless of a lack of guidance from the NYSDOH, both District and building staff are working tirelessly on specific plans to reopen if we are able. The planning started before this week and will continue when we return from break on April 5th. I would anticipate that if we have clearance from the state and our COVID cases are limited we would either shift to every day, in-person instruction toward the end of the week of April 19th or Monday, April 26th. The reason for not opening on April 19th is the extended time gives us further ability to monitor COVID rates after April break while also preparing for reopening.

3) If we do receive revised guidance from NYSDOH that follows the new CDC 3 foot rule, and we are able to return fully, there will still be challenges. As I said at the Town Hall this week if our community is labeled a "High Transmission Zone" during April our VJH and VSH students would not be able to come back to full
in-person because the state says they need to be 6 feet apart. Elementary students would still be allowed to be in-person at 3 feet. If we are able to return every day, in-person and we end up with additional COVID 19 cases, then the likelihood for significant quarantines by the County Health Department is greater than at present since more students will be in close proximity with each other. In short, we will need to monitor the time between mid-April and mid-May very carefully to check COVID rates.

4) We will follow up with parents the week of April 5th regarding both transportation choices and a check of the choice between 100% virtual and in-person learning. We would ask that once you make your choice you make a commitment to this choice for the rest of the school year.

5) VCS has created an in-depth Question and Answer document that is available here (LINK). This will likely grow and change in the coming days, but it is a great resource as we attempt to reenter this potential new phase of learning. As always, individual building leadership will also be reaching out to parents after break with more specific developments from a building level.

The coming weeks are sure to bring us continued challenges, however, I am confident that they will also bring us many more moments that we can be proud of. Please enjoy time with your family during break and stay safe. We will continue to communicate with you, both from the District as well as the building level, regarding updates to our plans.

Please reach out to me if you have questions or concerns.

With gratitude,

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday, March 19, 2021
 
Hello Everyone,
 
I know many have heard the news that the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) today decreased the social distancing requirement from 6 feet to 3 feet in schools across the country. We have been advocating for  weeks for clarification about this possible shift. The specific guidance from the CDC says,

Between students in classrooms

• In elementary schools, students should be at least 3 feet apart.
• In middle schools and high schools, students should be at least 3 feet apart in areas of low, moderate, or substantial community transmission. In areas of high community transmission, middle and high school students should be 6 feet apart if cohorting is not possible.

We currently reside in a community that qualifies for 3 feet social distancing. Ontario County Leadership sent the following message today based on the CDC guidance: 

Ontario County is encouraged by the recent announcement by CDC making modifications to their K-12 operational guidelines. The County is fully supportive of any local school district that decides to implement these new guidelines after consulting with their Medical Director, School Board, staff, and community.

While Ontario County does not have the authority to issue guidance itself, we continue to be supportive of scientific-based guidance implemented by the CDC, and we stand ready and eager to work closely with our local schools to help them implement the new CDC operational guidelines in any way we can if they choose to do so.

Christopher DeBolt
Ontario County Administrator

Our leadership staff has been proactively working on logistics for a possible reopening for the past few weeks.  We still have much work to do to determine how to safely follow the new CDC guidance. This includes, but is not limited to, clarifying the allowable procedures for lunch and buses, and getting direction from the NY State Department of Health regarding this process. 

Our first priority is to receive feedback from you regarding your intentions to allow your children back for in-person learning five days a week. We will also have a 100% online option for students. Please fill out the following survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdlPk6gV77zKgE2LQt_HmsanU9Ion_JtnBDdZMQ3K7sbCQ3OA/viewform by Friday, March 26th so we know how many students will be returning to in-person instruction and how many students need transportation to and from school. This information is critical for future decision making. 

Next week we will send you a question & answer document clarifying many of our procedures that will be used to reopen.  In addition, we are having a Community Town Hall, via Zoom, about the reopening on Wednesday, March 24th from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. We are also utilizing our Reopening Committee from the summer, which includes faculty, staff, parents and students, to review our procedures. 

We are targeting the second half of April for a safe return to full time, in-person instruction with a 100% virtual option for students. We will continue to send updated information as we receive it. Please let me know if you have any questions. 
 
With gratitude,

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday, March 12, 2021

Hello Everyone,

I hope you and your families have enjoyed the fantastic change in weather this week. We are definitely getting closer to spring!

First of all, I want to thank all of our staff for their incredible dedication this school year. They have gone above and beyond to not only navigate the new normal of COVID 19, but to master it! One of the challenges for everyone during this pandemic is health. From staying home if they feel rundown, to becoming quarantined based on contact with infected individuals, to dealing with their own family's health needs, our staff continues to meet today’s challenges with extraordinary empathy and enthusiasm. It goes without saying that there is so much more accountability for our staff not to attend school because of symptoms of illness. Despite increased accountability, I am grateful to announce that today we can also celebrate increased COVID prevention and protection as the vast majority of our staff is now becoming fully vaccinated. As many of you know, the side effects of the second vaccine – fatigue, chills and fever – can make it difficult for some staff to come back to work right away. 

With that said, I appreciate our community's patience as they face classrooms that may have substitutes. I also appreciate our substitute staff who are helping us continue to remain open while staff are out sick. Finally, many of our staff are helping tremendously when others are absent, supporting substitutes and/or doing other jobs to help the building run smoothly. I am hopeful that between spring and the continued progress with vaccinations we can see a light at the end of the tunnel. 

Speaking of a light at the end of the tunnel, we will soon be providing you with new advocacy letters for reopening to send to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). We are hopeful that we can give the NYSDOH more specific examples of how successful our school community has been with COVID positivity rates and other data that supports a decision to safely decrease the social distancing requirement. Our building leaders continue to work on reopening plans for when/if we get the green light to reopen this spring. In the meantime, we will be sending parents and guardians a brief survey asking about interest in coming back five days a week vs. going 100% online if we are able to open full time. This will give us more specific information on potential class sizes and other considerations necessary for a smooth transition. As I have said numerous times before, we will need between two and three weeks to prepare our schools for a full reopening if the state relaxes requirements. 

Finally, we have a total of 5 active COVID-19 cases as of this afternoon- zero staff members and 5 students. This is down from 23 in mid-January. We hope for continued good news as we move into mid-March.

Thank you for your continued support through these challenging times. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

With gratitude,

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

March 5, 2021

Hello Everyone,

We have had another successful week at VCS. Highlights include preparation for the VHS musical, VIPE and Winter Guard practices, athletics (both winter athletics and the start of volleyball, cheerleading and football), and numerous other experiences for students in club and extracurricular activities. In addition, our Girls Indoor Track team won the Sectionals on Thursday and our Girls Bowling Team was also crowned league champion last weekend. What a fantastic achievement for a talented group of student athletes.

While students and staff continue to make incredible strides under difficult circumstances, VCS administrators and the Board of Education continue to advocate to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) for guidance on decreasing the social distancing requirement from 6 feet to 3 feet or less, a change which would allow us to make preparations for students to return to in-person instruction five days a week. As of this afternoon we have 6 active cases in our District (4 students & 2 staff members), which continues to be a low number. Our updated chart of total and active COVID cases is on our website at: https://www.victorschools.org/district/2020-reopening-process/vcs-covid-cases

As we navigate a return to traditional in-person instruction five days a week, many people are wondering who makes the final decision to lower the social distancing requirement. While it is true that the District could make the choice to lower social distancing requirements against the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NYSDOH and our Ontario County Department of Health, such a move would not be prudent or safe. We need these experts, especially the NYSDOH, to give us criteria for lowering the social distancing requirements, which would allow us to fully reopen in the safest manner possible. If you haven’t already, please consider sending a letter to your state legislators and Governor Cuomo advocating for lower social distancing expectations. We have sample letters for your use on our website. Finally, I want to remind you that the Superintendent’s Conference Day originally scheduled for March 12th was shifted to this past September so students will have school on Friday. Have a great weekend.

With gratitude,

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

February 26, 2021 

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all had an outstanding week. As you know we have been advocating for criteria from the state to allow us to decrease the social distancing requirement from six feet to three feet or less. Until we either get permission from the state to reduce the social distancing requirement or the state gives us criteria that we can meet to reduce this distance, we do not have the space to bring everyone back to VCS at one time. 

There are two important facts about our current situation worth noting:

1. Between January 29th and February 12th we held steady at seven active COVID cases for students and staff. Since February 12th we have decreased the number of active COVID cases to a point where we have three as of this afternoon- one student and two staff members. 
2. By the beginning of March all staff members will have had the opportunity to complete at least the first round of vaccinations. This means that by the end of March all interested staff should be fully vaccinated. The combination of vaccinated staff and extremely low active case numbers is very encouraging. I believe this data, along with our ability to hold high risk sports (again- a state decision) without incidents of COVID transmission up to this point, speak to our ability to safely have all of our children sit three feet apart in classrooms. 

While I am not in the position to redefine guidelines for 100% attendance, I am encouraged that the Commissioner of the NY State Department of Health has said publicly that his department is looking at the six foot distancing requirement and it is a high priority. If you haven’t already, please consider sending a letter to your state legislators and Governor Cuomo advocating for criteria to lower social distancing expectations. We have sample letters for your use on our website. 

The need to continue to advocate to safely return to school full time was never more apparent than after this week’s Town Hall Meeting where we listened to eight incredible students articulate how important school is to them. Jonathan, Isabel, Sophia, Grace, Cody, Kevin, Almina, and Liam spoke eloquently about what they love about school and also about challenges that they face. If you haven’t had a chance, I encourage you to watch the Facebook recording of this Town Hall. Seeing these amazing kids in action is not only a tribute to them but also to our teachers, staff and parents who continue to guide and support them.

Speaking of support, VCS lost the immeasurable support of two amazing staff members who passed away this week. Carolyn Strahs, secretary at the Primary School, and Barry Johnson, bus driver, were mainstays in our District and impacted thousands of students, staff and parents during their time at VCS. Our hearts go out to their family and friends. They will be sorely missed but will never be forgotten.

With gratitude,

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

February 12, 2021

Hello Everyone,

First, I want to thank all of the families for your patience and resilience as our District battled the Malware attack. I know it added even more stress to a very stressful school year. We were fortunate to have experts like Ms. Angela Affronti, our Director of Technology, and the Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES EduTech group who worked tirelessly to get us back online. This crisis pointed out the need for our District to take a close look at our technology infrastructure and the money needed to support a stronger infrastructure as we move through this year and beyond. We will have updates on our work in this area at future budget presentations.

Second, at last night's BoE meeting I discussed the need for our state and local leaders to give school districts guidance on a safe way to return to having in-person school five days a week. We need metrics from the state that will safely allow us to reduce the social distancing requirements in schools, which will allow us to return to in-person school five days a week. In addition, more of us are choosing to become vaccinated and the availability of the vaccination is increasing.

We posted a sample parent advocacy letter (please click on this link) to our Facebook page as well as our website. This letter can be used by our parent community to advocate for the state to give us the metrics that we must meet to reopen schools. In addition, the Board of Education and I will send an advocacy letter to state and local officials in the next few days. Again, I am not minimizing the dangers of COVID-19, nor the impact it has had on our community. We are advocating for the state to provide us with the criteria, based on credible medical science, to allow us to safely reopen. Once we have this criteria, we will work together to attempt to meet it.

Finally, our weekly COVID-19 numbers are on the next page. We have had an increase of five total cases since last week, but the number of active cases stayed the same.

Please reach out if you have any questions and have a wonderful February break.

With gratitude,

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday February 5, 2021

Hello Everyone,

First, I want to thank all of you for your patience and resilience as we deal with the Malware attack on our District computers. We had a very successful first day back for our PreK through 3rd grade students. It was fantastic to see them in their classrooms. We have set up a schedule for staff to have their computers re-imaged this weekend. Special thanks to our technology staff as well as countless volunteers who will be on campus on Saturday and Sunday to help with this re-imaging.

I will receive an update on our progress from our EduTech leadership on Sunday afternoon. As soon as I know the status of Grades 4 through 12, in-person school for students in the Blue Cohort I will let you know. This will most likely be late in the afternoon on Sunday. Pre-K through 3rd grade students in the Blue Cohort will be in person on Monday.

Our updated COVID-19 numbers are below. Since my last communication on Friday, January 29th we have had six more cases of COVID-19. The increase includes two students at VSH, two students at VJH, one student at the ECS and one student at VIS. The total number of active cases has stayed the same at seven. This continues to be good news. 

We will update the chart again on Monday on our website.

Thank you and have a great weekend.

With gratitude,

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday January 29, 2021

Hello Everyone,

It was a busy week in the Victor Central School District. Not only did we have in-person and virtual instruction along with a variety of after school activities, but we also had a Budget Workshop with our Board of Education last evening. You can view the workshop either on our District webpage at victorschools.org or our Facebook page. Highlights of the budget workshop include details about the Tax Cap that will be higher than last year’s cap due to debt from the Capital Project, and state aid numbers that are in flux but trending slightly positive based on the restoration of state aid for this school year. The concern over state aid is that a significant part of the aid projected for 2021-22 is from federal money, not state money. The federal money is a one-time revenue source. This could lead to a drop in state aid for the 2022-23 school year if the state does not replace the federal money. 

In addition, the presentation goes in depth regarding revenue beyond taxes and state aid as well as projected expenses for next year. We also discuss our plan for staffing efficiencies that do not impact essential programming but will help us reduce the current gap between expenses and revenue. Our goal remains to offer a high quality, comprehensive education to all students comparable to surrounding districts while balancing the financial needs of our community. We have two more budget presentations in February. We encourage you to watch.

Our updated COVID-19 numbers are on the next page. We have been updating the chart on a daily basis on our website. Since my last communication on Friday, January 22nd we have had 7 more cases of COVID-19. However, the total number of active cases has decreased from 17 to 7. We continue to show a decrease in active cases in our District, which is good news.
 

We will update the chart again on Monday on our website.

Thank you and have a great weekend.

With gratitude,

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday January 22, 2021

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone had a fantastic week. I have two updates. First, I want to give you information on a new process for our food service starting in February.

Starting on February 1st, the Victor Central School District will be sending home one complete breakfast and lunch FOR FREE at the end of each in-person school day. Provisions made by the USDA because of the pandemic will provide all students with FREE nutritious meals on the days they are not in-person regardless of household income. This program is in addition to the breakfast and lunch meals students are already receiving while in school.

Our first distribution day is Monday Feb 1st. Our junior high and senior high students will have carts at the exits for them to pick up their food while our elementary students will have food delivered to the classrooms to take home at the end of the day. Elementary families can opt out of the meal program if they wish. Secondary students simply pick up the food if they choose.

English Elementary Opt Out Form
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsELNE24amPLqH84UIdnDqrsZZfx5XMwkIGjOVxIm8DKGoiQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Spanish Elementary Opt Out Form
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfSxAxsHSklEOKnnMkYOvc4jywc1UGgi6rcx6aq-lnEKs17vQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

For our 100% remote learners, we will be offering a home delivery service on Wednesday only. The home delivery will contain five breakfasts and five lunches and will follow the school calendar. Home delivery will not occur over holiday breaks or when school is closed. Our 100% remote learners will need to Opt In to the food deliver program by going to the following link:

English 100% Remote Learners Opt In Form
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScFNbyxcFnGirmuLetmUG0w5d7dQj_vRTv9Gm5EOT7k5JS5Dg/viewform?usp=sf_link

Spanish 100% Remote Learners Opt In Form
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScMdaZhnXDDqBAJxqZMZdioNz1iHIwGh5LnEiLQDNELPD6K2A/viewform?usp=sf_link

If you have any questions about this new process please reach out to our food service department.

Second, our updated COVID-19 numbers are below. We have been updating the chart on a daily basis on our website. Since my last communication on Friday, January 15th we have had 13 cases of COVID-19. However, the total number of active cases has decreased from 23 to 17.

We will update the chart again on Monday on our website.

Thank you and have a great weekend.

With gratitude,

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

January 19, 2021

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Every five years, the New York State Health Department requires all public school districts to test drinking water for lead contamination and to take action if lead levels are above their accepted 15ppb (parts per billion) threshold. 

This winter, Stohl Environmental sampled all VCS faucets in student occupied buildings where someone could potentially drink from the tap and their results showed we have 34 out of 692 outlets above the accepted threshold. Per Health Department guidelines VCS has shut down those 34 outlets for remediation. For more information on testing results by building please go to the following link.

https://www.victorschools.org/district/departments/facilities-and-operations

If you have any further questions on this mandated testing policy, please contact Chris Marshall, VCS Director of School Facilities at 924-3252, ext. 7125 or email him at marshallc@victorschools.org.

With gratitude,

Superintendent Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

Friday, January 15, 2021

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone had an excellent week. I have a small number of updates. Last evening the
Board of Education approved Mr. Derek Vallese as our new Assistant Superintendent for
Business starting in mid-February. You can read about Derek’s qualifications on our website and
Facebook page. Derek currently works as the School Business Official in the Albion Central
School District. He has a strong accounting background as well as experience as both an auditor
and a school treasurer. The combination of exceptionally strong financial acumen, excellent
interpersonal skills and high character makes him an outstanding addition. We are looking
forward to having him as part of the VCS team.

The Board of Education also approved Mr. Matthew DeAmaral as our District Treasurer. Matt
takes over for Lynn Lubaszewski, who has done amazing work for our District and is retiring in
March. Matt comes to us from the Churchville Chili School District with over four years of
experience as Treasurer. The hiring of Mr. Vallese and Mr. DeAmaral solidifies a financial team
that will do great work for the school district and community for years to come.

Since our last COVID update we have had seven people test positive. Six are students- three
from VHS, two from VIS, and one from VJH. One staff member from VPS also tested positive.
The chart below shows our current COVID cases.

As I said earlier this week, we will not send daily COVID updates after today. We will keep a
daily record of COVID cases on our website at victorschools.org. Please refer to our website if
you would like daily updates. We anticipate having the chart updated by 4:30 on weekdays. I
will still send a weekly update to the community that includes the updated number of COVID
cases each Friday.

Finally, this Monday there is no school in session because of Martin Luther King, Jr Day. Dr.
King sought to raise the public consciousness of racism and to end racial discrimination and
segregation in the United States with a goal of racial equality. His message is as important now
as it was in the 1960s.

Clayborne Carson, founding director of the King Institute, said the following, “If you
realize that Dr. King was a human being just like the rest of us, who was caught up in a
great movement and did extraordinary things, then people begin to understand that they
can do extraordinary things, too.” Please enjoy the long weekend as we reflect on Dr.
King’s legacy.

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Dear Families,

Six people have tested positive for COVID-19 since yesterday’s update. Five are students- two from VSH, one from the ECS and two from VIS who are remote learners. In addition, one staff member from VIS tested positive.

Below is an updated listing of cases as of this afternoon:

Starting the week of January 18th I will shift to sending a COVID-19 update to staff and the community once a week, typically on a Friday. We will continue to update our daily COVID cases on our website utilizing the above format. If you are interested in keeping track of our daily numbers please go to our website www.victorschools.org for the information starting next week. We will continue to work with the health department to contact specific families when contact tracing as necessary.

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing the four pillars of health and safety:

• Don’t come to school when you feel ill
• Wear a mask properly
• Socially distance
• Wash hands

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Dear Families,

Five people have tested positive for COVID-19 since yesterday’s update. Four are students- three are from VSH and one is from the ECS. In addition, one staff member from the Transportation Department tested positive.

Below is an updated listing of cases as of this afternoon:

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing the four pillars of health and safety:

• Don’t come to school when you feel ill
• Wear a mask properly
• Socially distance
• Wash hands

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Monday, January 11, 2021

Dear Families,

Nine people have tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update on Friday. Eight are students- five are from VSH, two are from VPS and one is from VJH. In addition, one staff member from VPS tested positive.

Below is an updated listing of cases as of this afternoon:

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing the four pillars of health and safety:

• Don’t come to school when you feel ill
• Wear a mask properly
• Socially distance
• Wash hands

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Friday, January 8, 2021

Dear Families,

I hope everyone is healthy and looking forward to the weekend. I am pleased that we completed a successful first full week of school for 2021.

As we move through January, please note that we have made a commitment to offer a variety of experiences for our children including VSH Jazz Ensemble, VJH Jazz Band, VIPE, and Winterguard, along with many other activities, including multiple interscholastic sports. We are emphasizing safety while promoting experiences, both inside and outside the classroom, that are critical to our children’s academic and social-emotional needs. The week’s events in our nation’s capital speak to the importance of what schools do to support these needs, ultimately improving our ability to educate our future leaders.

As of today we have not had any guidance from the state regarding testing for COVID-19 in schools. I know some districts in Monroe County are beginning to test students and staff again because of their status as a micro cluster zone. VCS is not considered to be in a micro cluster zone as of today. In addition, we are working with local hospitals and medical facilities to find ways to have our nurses and health office workers vaccinated as soon as possible along with designated student services personnel approved for vaccination by the state. I will continue to update you on this work.

Five people have tested positive for COVID-19 since the last update. Three are students- one from the ECS, one from VIS and one remote learner from VJH. In addition, two staff members tested positive-one from the VIS and one from the District Office.

Below is an updated listing of cases as of this afternoon:

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing the four pillars of health and safety:

• Don’t come to school when you feel ill
• Wear a mask properly
• Socially distance
• Wash hands

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

January 7, 2021

Hello Everyone,

As Superintendent, I am very concerned about the events that occurred in Washington DC yesterday. I
reached out to our principals to give them the latitude to work with their staff on potential developmentally appropriate ways in which to interact with students today and throughout the next few days. After consulting with our principals, some of the priorities they have within these conversations include:

• Listening and allowing children to talk about what they are worried or wondering about
• Emphasizing the concept of a peaceful transfer of power in relation to US history
• Emphasizing respectful and polite discourse, particularly when opinions differ
• Refraining from taking a side and imparting personal political beliefs

As I said in a previous letter from last June, as a school district and as parents and guardians, we must never forget that our kids are watching us. In my opinion, very often they are more perceptive than we are and have the ability to understand more than we think they do. Today’s students are the future leaders of a society that will need strong leadership, especially as it pertains to understanding and appreciating our differences - racially, culturally, physically, or economically. While there is no doubt our children have what it takes, it is our job to help them learn how to effectively problem solve in order to make lasting change.

I trust our staff to have these important conversations with our students in an age appropriate way. I continue to be amazed by the VCS staff’s ability to create a learning environment grounded in acceptance, care, kindness, and compassion.
 

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Dear Families,

Five people have tested positive for COVID-19 since yesterday’s update. Three are students- one from VPS, one from VIS and one from VSH. In addition, two staff members tested positive-one from the ECS and one who works between VJH and VSH.

Below is an updated listing of cases as of this afternoon:

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing the four pillars of health and safety:

• Don’t come to school when you feel ill
• Wear a mask properly
• Socially distance
• Wash hands

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

Dear Families,

Four people have tested positive for COVID-19 since yesterday’s update. Three are students- one from VIS, one from VJH and one from VSH. In addition, one staff member from VIS tested positive.

Below is an updated listing of cases as of this afternoon:

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing the four pillars of health and safety:

• Don’t come to school when you feel ill
• Wear a mask properly
• Socially distance
• Wash hands.

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the
website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Monday, January 4, 2021

Dear Families,

Six people have tested positive for COVID-19 since my last update on January 2nd. Four are students- one from the ECS, one from VIS, one from VJH and one from VSH. Two are staff members- one from VJH and one from District Office.

Below is an updated listing of cases as of this afternoon:

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing the four pillars of health and safety:

• Don’t come to school when you feel ill
• Wear a mask properly
• Socially distance
• Wash hands.

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the
website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Saturday, January 2, 2021

Dear Families,

I hope you are having a wonderful start to the New Year. In preparation for our return to school on Monday I wanted to give you an update on our COVID cases since my last correspondence on December 22nd.

Below is the chart as of this morning, which includes all of the cases since the last update.

Since December 22nd an additional 27 staff and students tested positive for COVID-19. However, the number of total active cases that we know of as of our return to school on January 4th decreased by nine (17 to 8). This number may change over the weekend as we find out about more cases.

In terms of the 27 additional cases, 20 were students (9 from VSH, 4 from VIS, 3 from ECS, 2 from VPS & 2 from VJH). Seven were staff (3 from VSH, 2 from VIS, & 2 from ECS). It is my understanding that all of the individuals impacted, including individuals who needed to be quarantined based on these positive cases, have been contacted.

One unique development over break involves the positive cases at the ECS. Although we only had 3 students and 2 staff members test positive from the ECS since the update from December 22nd, the individuals who tested positive had interaction with one another in the same classroom or same area of the school. Because of this, the Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) quarantined 17 ECS staff members over break as a precaution. During this time the OCPH shortened the quarantine period from 14 days to 10 days. Because of the shortened quarantine period, all of our quarantined ECS staff members are slated to return to school January 4th unless they develop symptoms between now and then.

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing the four pillars of health and safety:

• Don’t come to school when you feel ill
• Wear a mask properly
• Socially distance
• Wash hands.

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health. .

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that three students and one staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Two of the students were from VSH, with one being a remote student, and one student is from VIS. The staff member is from the ECS. The OCPH is still deciding on whether any quarantines are necessary from these cases. Our updated numbers are below.

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing the four pillars of health and safety:

• Don’t come to school when you feel ill
• Wear a mask properly
• Socially distance
• Wash hands.

This will be the last update until the weekend before January 4th. As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the
website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health. Happy holidays and please stay safe.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Sunday, December 21, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that one student and two staff members tested positive for COVID-19 today. The student is from VJH. One staff member is from VPS and one works at both VJH and VSH. We are not aware of any school related quarantines from these cases. Our updated numbers are below.

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing the four pillars of health and safety:

• Don’t come to school when you feel ill
• Wear a mask properly
• Socially distance
• Wash hands.

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Sunday, December 20, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that two students and one staff member tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. One student is from VJH and one is from VSH. There are no school related quarantines from these two cases. The staff member is from the ECS. The OCPH is still investigating any potential quarantines from this case. If the OCPH has further questions they will contact individual families. Building administrators may also call individual families if quarantining is necessary. The numbers below also reflect the addition of two transportation staff members who were already noted in previous letters. Our updated numbers are below.

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing the four pillars of health and safety:

• Don’t come to school when you feel ill
• Wear a mask properly
• Socially distance
• Wash hands.

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the
website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that a student and two staff members tested positive for COVID-19. The student is from VJH. One staff member is from the VIS and one is from the ECS. The OCPH is still investigating any potential quarantines from these cases. If the OCPH has further questions they will contact individual families. Building administrators may also call individual families if quarantining is necessary. Our updated numbers are below.

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing the four pillars of health and safety:

• Don’t come to school when you feel ill
• Wear a mask properly
• Socially distance
• Wash hands.

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the
website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that two students and three staff members tested positive for COVID-19. One student is from VJH and one is from VPS. Two of the staff members are from VJH and one is a bus driver in the Transportation Department. The OCPH has determined that no quarantines are necessary related to the bus driver. They are still investigating any potential quarantines from the other cases. If the OCPH has further questions they will contact individual families. Our updated numbers are below:

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Previous Superintendent Messages

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that three students tested positive for COVID-19. One student is from VJH and is a remote student and two are from VIS. The OCPH has determined that no quarantines are necessary related to these students. Our updated numbers are below.

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Monday, December 14, 2020

Dear Families,  

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that two students tested positive for COVID 19. One student is from VSH and one is from VIS. The OCPH has determined that no quarantines are necessary related  to these students. Our updated numbers are below.

 

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are  asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing  outside of school. As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please  contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the  website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health. 

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Sunday, December 13, 2020  

Dear Families,  

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us this weekend that two students and three staff  members tested positive for COVID-19. The students are both from VHS. One staff member works at both the ECS &  District Office, one works at VJH and one is a bus driver from the Transportation Department. The OCPH has determined  that no quarantines are necessary related to the bus driver. They are working on the other cases and determining if any  quarantines are necessary. If the health department has questions regarding contact with any of these individuals they  will call. Our updated numbers are below.  

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are  asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing  outside of school. As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please  contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the  website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health. 

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Friday, December 11, 2020

Dear Families,

It has been a very busy week. As we move toward another weekend I would like to thank everyone for their continued diligence with safety procedures, both in and out of the school setting. Not only have we remained open but we are also supporting an abundance of school related activities beyond the school day. Examples include a variety of sports, such as bowling, swimming & diving, and alpine skiing, along with specific training programs for sports like basketball, hockey, cheerleading and wrestling that are occurring five days a week following strict guidelines including daily health screenings. In addition, our Winterguard as well as our VIPE percussion groups are practicing in preparation for future performances. Finally, our VJH Musical, Schoolhouse Rock, is set to present. The students have practiced for hours and have set up an incredible taped performance that can be seen on December 18th and 19th by clicking on the link https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/42314. It takes the strong collaboration between a school district and a community to enable these critically important experiences for our students to continue during this complex time. 

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that two students, one from VJH and one from VPS, tested positive for COVID-19. We do not believe there will be any quarantines necessary. However, if the health department has questions regarding contact with any of these individuals they will call. Our updated numbers are below.

 
The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Thursday, December 10, 2020 

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that two students and two staff members tested positive for COVID-19. One of the students is from VSH and is fully remote and one is from the ECS. One staff member is from VIS and one is from VJH. We do not have any quarantine information at this time. If the health department has questions regarding contact with any of these individuals they will call. Our updated numbers are below.

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that three students and two staff members tested positive for COVID-19. Two of the students are from VSH, one being fully remote, and one is from VJH. The two staff members are from VIS. We do not have any quarantine information at this time. If the health department has questions regarding contact with any of these individuals they will call. Our updated numbers are below.

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Monday, December 7, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that a student from the VIS who is currently in the 100% remote cohort tested positive for COVID-19. We have no school quarantines from this positive case. Our updated numbers are below.

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Sunday, December 6, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that a student from the ECS tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. The student who tested positive is from a classroom that is currently quarantined. In addition, we have two staff members, one from VPS and one from VIS, who have also tested positive. We continue to monitor health department recommended quarantines from these positive cases. Our updated numbers are below.

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https:www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Friday, December 4, 2020

Dear Families,

We have gone through our first full week since the Thanksgiving holiday. Overall, it was extremely successful. Not only have we been able to remain in school via the hybrid model but we have also made great strides with being prepared if our region ends up in a Yellow Zone, requiring testing of a portion of our students and staff. Special thanks to all of the families who have filled out the testing permission form. Currently, the form is closed. If we are directed to test students at a greater rate than currently anticipated, then we will open the form for more families to fill out. As of today we are not required to test.

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that a student from the VPS tested positive for COVID-19. The OCPH is recommending the quarantine of a cohort of students and the teacher from one classroom. The students and staff member did nothing wrong. The quarantine is for precautionary purposes only. The VPS leadership staff will notify families this evening if quarantining needs to occur. Our updated numbers are below. 

Our ability to continue to remain open is directly related to your continued diligence as a community. The OCPH has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. Schools are safe and we believe it is critical for us to remain open if we are going to continue to support not only our children’s academic needs, but their social-emotional needs as well. We would love to be open for in-person learning five days a week. However, from a safety perspective, we are maximizing our in-person time as much as practical under the guidance of our state and county health departments. Please continue to partner with us to make sure our children are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. This partnership will go a long way to getting us back to normal. Please have a safe and enjoyable weekend. 

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that two staff members, one from the VIS and another from VSH, tested positive for COVID-19. The OCPH also informed us late yesterday that a student from VSH tested positive. The OCPH is currently checking to see if any quarantines related to contact in school are required from these positive cases. If quarantines occur, families will be notified. I will also update any future quarantines in a follow up letter. Our updated numbers are below.

In addition, a group of students along with a classroom teacher from the ECS were quarantined starting yesterday. The quarantine is a result of further contract tracing related to a student who tested positive at the ECS on Monday. The students and teacher did nothing wrong. The quarantine is precautionary in nature.

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that two students, one from VSH and another who attends BOCES off campus full time, tested positive for COVID-19. One staff member from the ECS also tested positive. None of the three positive cases require any quarantines related to school.

Our updated numbers are below.

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Monday, November 30, 2020

Dear Families,

I appreciate the large number of you who completed the survey, either granting or denying permission to have your child tested in school for COVID-19. We currently do not have a yellow designation as a micro-cluster for COVID-19 but we are preparing in case this happens. I would encourage you to click on the link to the permission form if you have not yet filled it out. It is important to have as many students approved for in school testing for COVID-19 as possible in case we need to shift to significant amounts of testing to remain open for in-person instruction in the future. Again, we are not required to test students at this point.

In addition, the Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that three students, one from VSH, one from VIS, and one from the ECS were confirmed to have contracted COVID 19 since our last update yesterday. In addition one student who was previously on our list for testing positive has not tested positive and is still quarantined.

Our updated numbers are below.

Using an abundance of caution, the OCPH has advised us to place multiple students as well as a small number of staff from one classroom from our VPS (from a previous positive case over break) into Mandatory Quarantine starting today based on interaction between students at school before the break. The students did nothing wrong in terms of health and safety protocols. This decision was based the structure of the classes, which included lunch, and the proximity between the students and the student who tested positive. The students and staff who are quarantined will not return to in-person learning until being cleared by the OCPH. Unless a quarantined individual tests positive for COVID-19 and is placed in isolation, other members of their households are not considered “close contacts” by the OCPH and can continue with in-person instruction at school. Families were notified last evening.

The OCPH has also advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school.

As we continue to mention, the next few weeks will be critical to determining if we can stay with in-person learning as we move through December and into 2021.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Sunday, November 29, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us that five students, three from VSH, one from VJH, and one from the VPS were confirmed to have contracted COVID 19 since our last update on November 24th. It is doubtful that anyone will need to be quarantined from any school related contact with these students. If individuals need to be quarantined they will be notified by the OCPH. Our updated numbers are below.

The OCPH has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. The next few weeks will be critical to determining if we can stay with in-person learning as we move through December and into 2021.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Dear Families,

As you know Governor Cuomo announced that the town of Victor (area code 14564) may be designated a Yellow Zone, meaning we have a micro-cluster of COVID-19 cases in this area. As of now, we have not heard official word that this is occurring. In anticipation of the possible Yellow Zone designation, we need to have a plan. As we’ve discussed, schools are some of the safest places in our community. Although we have had almost 50 students test positive for COVID-19, none have caught it in school or in a school related activity. We must remember this fact as our community prepares for this possible designation.

Below is a general guideline of steps our District will take if our zip code is designated a Yellow Zone.

1. If we end up with a Yellow Zone designation, we will still have school open for in-person learning. The Yellow Zone designation adds testing requirements during the school day but keeps our schools open.
2. Please click on the following link for a Parent/Guardian permission letter asking permission for your child/children to be tested.

We will not test students without parent consent. We are sending the permission slip now so that if we move into a Yellow Zone, we will have a head start with the required testing. We will not administer the test without letting you know first.

3. According to the Yellow Zone designation, we would need to randomly test 20% of our students and staff the first week in order to stay open for in-person instruction. This is why we are sending the permission form with this note. We can only remain open for in-person learning if we have enough students and staff to test to meet these requirements .
4. The rapid tests being used in schools are nothing like the tests that have been used in the past. They take a few seconds and only probe in the shallow area of a person’s nostrils. There is no pain associated with these tests and we will have trained individuals administer them.
5. We will create videos similar to neighboring districts to show everyone how easy the test is to administer.
6. We will have more specific information about the process for testing, how we record the results, how we communicate with families, and other next steps if the state designates the Victor community as a Yellow Zone.

Again, our preparation, along with collaboration between home and school is key to our success. We appreciate your flexibility and continued efforts to help us keep school open for in-person learning.

In addition to this information, the Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us that two students from VSH were confirmed to have contracted COVID 19. We do not believe anyone will need to be quarantined from any school related contact with these students. Our updated numbers are below.

The OCPH has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. The next few weeks will be critical to determining if we can stay with in-person learning as we move through December and into 2021.

Finally, I hope that you and your family have a safe and restful Thanksgiving holiday. I could not be prouder to be the Superintendent of this resilient community that has constantly put our children first. We are all in this together.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Monday, November 23, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us that two Victor students, one from VJH and one from VSH, were confirmed to have contracted COVID 19. We do not believe anyone will need to be quarantined from any school related contact with these students. Our updated numbers are below.

We heard today from Governor Cuomo that the town of Victor is close to being labeled a town in the Yellow Zone, which means the state would consider our area a micro-cluster for COVID-19 and our school district would have a mandatory testing requirement for our students and staff. Parents would have the option of allowing their child to be tested. Again, our District has not had official word that we are under this requirement, only that the town of Victor is very close to being designated a micro-cluster. I will give you an update tomorrow regarding our status and what this means going forward.

Regardless of the above news, the OCPH has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. The next few weeks will be critical to determining if we can stay with inperson learning as we move through December and into 2021.

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Sunday, November 22, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us that a Victor Primary School staff member was confirmed to have contracted COVID 19 over the weekend. The staff member was last in school on Tuesday November 17th . There will be limited, if any, quarantines from this case. The Health Department will contact individuals if they have further questions. Our updated numbers are below.

Currently, geographic locations such as the towns of Victor and Farmington are not considered “micro-cluster focus areas,” which means there is no mandatory testing required for our students and staff. We will inform you if anything changes. The OCPH has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. 

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Friday, November 20, 2020 PM

Hello Everyone, 

I hope you had a fantastic week. I am pleased that our COVID-19 active cases for our students and staff have decreased from 17 to 6 since last week’s update. I am even more pleased that none of our students or staff, to my knowledge, have become seriously ill. Regardless, this is still a very serious situation. 

We may still encounter an ebb and flow with cases moving forward. Our best chance at mitigating future micro  outbreaks is to continue to follow our four pillars- mask up, socially distance, wash our hands, and do not come to  school feeling ill. Following these pillars along with staying away from large gatherings will make a significant difference  in our ability to continue to stay in school. We cannot say it enough-our ability to prevent the spread of the virus in  school and in school related activities is exceptionally high. In other words, schools are extremely safe and we are able  to offer a comprehensive education despite the pandemic.  

An example of this comprehensive education was exhibited at the Town Hall Tuesday evening. Students participating in a variety of experiences such as girls and boys soccer, girls tennis, girls golf, orchestra, the fall play, marching band, girls swimming and diving and boys and girls cross country were highlighted. We are thrilled that they had these  opportunities and I appreciated the honest discussion with our student leaders at the Town Hall and their thoughtful  shout outs to faculty and staff who have made a significant difference in their lives. If you have not seen the program I encourage you to watch it on the VCS Facebook page. It is worth noting that there were no documented cases of COVID 19 that were spread within any of these nine separate programs during the fall season. 

Finally, I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. I know it is a difficult time and many challenges still await us. However, in my nine months in Victor I have been extremely impressed with this community and the way people pull  together and help one another deal with challenging situations. Please enjoy the holiday and have fun with your kids.  

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Previous Superintendent Messages

Friday, November 20, 2020 AM

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us that a VIS staff member was confirmed to have contracted COVID 19. The staff member was last in school on Friday, November 13th. It is unlikely that any quarantines will result from this case. The Health Department will contact individuals if they have further questions. Our updated numbers are below.

Currently, geographic locations such as the towns of Victor and Farmington are not considered “micro-cluster focus areas,” which means there is no mandatory testing required for our students and staff. We will inform you if anything changes. The OCPH has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school.

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Previous Superintendent Messages

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us that a VSH student was confirmed to have contracted COVID 19. The student has been quarantined for a long period of time and can return to school. We just recently were told the student was positive. Our updated numbers are below.

Currently, geographic locations such as the towns of Victor and Farmington are not considered “micro-cluster focus areas,” which means there is no mandatory testing required for our students and staff. We will inform you if anything changes. The OCPH has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school.

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us that we had three additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 that we need to report. One is a student at VSH who is a 100% remote student. No one from school needs to be quarantined based on in school interactions with this student. One is a substitute teacher who works in both the VJH and the VSH who has been quarantined for a long period of time and can now return to work. We just recently were told the substitute teacher was positive. The third person is a staff member from VJH. We believe all three individuals caught the virus outside of school. There will be minimal if any quarantines related to the adult cases. These recent cases follow the consistent pattern of positive cases being transmitted to others outside of school related activities. Our updated numbers are below.

Currently, geographic locations such as the towns of Victor and Farmington are not considered “micro-cluster focus areas,” which means there is no mandatory testing required for our students and staff. We will inform you if anything changes. The OCPH has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. 

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Monday, November 16, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us this weekend that we have four additional confirmed cases that we need to report. Three are students- two from the VSH and one from the VJH. The two students from the VSH have been on quarantine for the past two weeks and are just now considered positive by the OCPH based on previous symptoms. The VJH student is a 100% remote student. No one from school needs to be quarantined based on in school interactions with the three students. The fourth is a staff member from the ECS who has not been in school since Tuesday, November 10th. The staff member caught the virus outside of school. We believe there will be minimal if any quarantines related to this staff member.

These recent cases follow the consistent pattern of positive cases being transmitted to others outside of school related activities. Despite these cases, our active numbers have significantly decreased this week as our VSH students return from quarantine. As you can see, active cases have dropped from a high of 24 last week to 8 today. This is a good sign headed into the Thanksgiving holiday. Our updated numbers are below.

Currently, geographic locations such as the towns of Victor and Farmington are not considered “micro-cluster focus areas,” which means there is no mandatory testing required for our students and staff. We will inform you if anything changes. The OCPH has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school.

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Friday, November 13, 2020

Hello Everyone,

As of the writing of this update we have had one new case of COVID 19 reported to us today. A student at the VSH tested positive earlier in the week. We were notified this afternoon. The student was already quarantined and did not interact with any students at school during the transmission period. In addition, our active COVID-19 cases have dropped between Tuesday and today (24 to 17).

We are beginning to have our students who tested positive safely return to school and will have more return next week. We are grateful that at this time no one from our staff or student population has become seriously ill from this virus. We are also aware that serious complications can happen and we are thinking of those families who have loved ones who have needed to be hospitalized.

We must continue to be vigilant this weekend. Please continue to collaborate with us by practicing social distancing, proper mask wearing outside of the home, and not having large gatherings. These practices are difficult but necessary if we are to continue to weather this storm and provide in person education to the children of the Victor Central School District.

As you know we are currently not under the expectation from the state to test 20% of our students and staff on a weekly basis like many of the Monroe County school districts. If this expectation changes we will communicate with you and be as transparent as possible about next steps.

I am hopeful that we can continue with in-person learning. We are doing whatever we can to increase this hope moving forward. We must also be proactive in case we have to shift to 100% online learning for all of our children. If we do, please be assured that all students will have live, synchronous instruction on a regular basis (four days per week at grades 7-12; five days a week at grades Pre-K-6). The transition to daily, synchronous instruction will take between one and two weeks once we are notified of the need to shift to 100% online learning. The time periods for live instruction may be different than for in-person instruction based on the needs of the classes and the age of the students. However, children will have a regular schedule. We are currently working on the specifics of this schedule so that we are prepared in case we have to shift our students completely online.

As always, please enjoy the upcoming weekend and stay safe. We are all in this together.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Thursday, November 12, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that a staff member at the Victor Senior High school (VSH) tested positive for COVID-19. The OCPH has determined that there is no need for anyone from school to quarantine. Per privacy guidelines, no additional identifying information can be shared. The chart below shows our updated COVID numbers.

Currently, geographic locations such as the towns of Victor and Farmington are not considered “micro-cluster focus areas,” which means there is no mandatory testing required for our students and staff. We will inform you if anything changes. The OCPH has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school.

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that three students at the Victor Senior High School (VSH) tested positive for COVID-19. All three students have been absent for a number of days and there is no need for contact tracing for two of them. The OCPH is investigating whether the third student needs contact tracing. Per privacy guidelines, no additional identifying information can be shared. The chart below shows our updated COVID numbers.

Out of the 24 active student cases, 21 are from the VSH. All of the 21 cases at the VSH were contracted outside of
school. In addition, based on OCPH directives, approximately 65 students and 15 staff members have been quarantined over the past two weeks. Please remember that just because someone is quarantined does not mean they are positive for COVID-19. The quarantines are for precautionary purposes. We are working collaboratively with the OCPH to manage them in an effort to minimize future positive cases and ultimately decrease the number of people needing to quarantine. We continue to show evidence that schools are some of the safest places in our community.

Currently, geographic locations such as the towns of Victor and Farmington are not considered “micro-cluster focus areas,” which means there is no mandatory testing required for our students and staff. We will inform you if anything changes. The OCPH has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school.

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Monday, November 9, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that a student at the Victor Junior High school tested positive for COVID-19. Per privacy guidelines, no additional identifying information can be shared. The chart below shows our updated COVID numbers.

The OCPH will contact individuals regarding contact tracing. If you are not contacted then the OCPH does not believe anyone in your family should be quarantined.

The OCPH has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school.

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Sunday, November 8, 2020  

Dear Families,  

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us this weekend that seven Victor Senior  High school students tested positive for COVID-19. In addition, a student from the Early Childhood School also tested positive as did a student from the Intermediate School. Per privacy guidelines, no additional identifying information can be shared. The chart below shows our updated COVID numbers.

The OCPH told us the high school students contracted the virus from outside of school because of parties that  occurred in our community during Halloween weekend. We are not sure if the two additional elementary students tested positive because of an in-school contact or out of school contact. The OCPH is being very careful with quarantining students and staff from the ECS just in case. The SHS also has a substantial number of students quarantined. Families impacted have either already been notified or will be notified this evening. If you  are not contacted then the OCPH does not believe anyone in your family should be quarantined.  

The OCPH has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. Large gatherings/parties are a danger to everyone and are increasing the spread of  COVID.  

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s  building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health. 
With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Friday November 6, 2020  

Dear Families,  

It has been a challenging week regarding COVID-19 exposure outside of school. Today, the Ontario County  Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us that six more Victor Senior High school students tested positive for COVID-19. Per privacy guidelines, no additional identifying information can be shared. The chart below shows our updated COVID numbers. 
 

Using an abundance of caution, the OCPH has advised us to place multiple students from the high school into  Mandatory Quarantine based on interaction between students at school. The students did nothing wrong in  terms of health and safety protocols. This decision was based the structure of the classes, which included lunch,  and the proximity between the students and the students who tested positive. 

In addition, the OCPH is recommending the Mandatory Quarantine of additional high school students because  of close contact with students who tested positive during large gatherings/parties that were held in our  community last weekend. The students who are quarantined will not return to in-person learning or participate  in any athletic or extracurricular activities until being cleared by the OCPH. Unless a quarantined individual  tests positive for COVID-19 and is placed in isolation, other members of their households are not considered  “close contacts” by the OCPH and can continue with in-person instruction at school. Families impacted are  being notified throughout this evening.  

As I said yesterday, our students are not contracting the virus during school activities. Our students are  contracting the virus because of activities that occur outside of school. I firmly believe our schools are one of  the safest places for people at this time. Because of our safety protocols, the OCPH has advised us that classes,  athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking the community to work  together to make sure our students are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. As we  move into another weekend, please be aware that large gatherings/parties are a danger to everyone and are  increasing the spread of COVID.  

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

You also will find helpful resources posted on the COVID-19 Reopening section of our website.

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Thursday, November 5, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that four Victor Senior High school students tested positive for COVID-19. In addition, a teacher at the Early Childhood School also tested positive. Per privacy guidelines, no additional identifying information can be shared. The chart below shows our updated COVID numbers.

Using an abundance of caution, the OCPH has advised us to place multiple students from both the high school as well as the Early Childhood School into Mandatory Quarantine based on interaction between students at school. The students did nothing wrong in terms of health and safety protocols. This decision was based the structure of the classes, which included lunch, and the proximity between the students and the students who tested positive.

In addition, the OCPH is recommending the Mandatory Quarantine of approximately 25 other high school
students because of close contact with students who tested positive during large gatherings/parties that were held in our community over the weekend. The students who are quarantined will not return to in-person learning or participate in any athletic or extracurricular activities until being cleared by the OCPH. Unless a quarantined individual tests positive for COVID-19 and is placed in isolation, other members of their households are not considered “close contacts” by the OCPH and can continue with in-person instruction at school. Families impacted are being notified throughout this evening and tomorrow.

If you child attended one of the large gatherings/parties over the weekend they should not attend school tomorrow per the Ontario County Health Department. The OCPH is mandating the quarantine of any student who attended these large gatherings/parties over the weekend because there were multiple students who tested positive for COVID-19 who attended them. In addition, if your child is quarantined, please do not call the OCPH to try to have your child released from quarantine. The Health Department does not have the time to dialogue about this as they need to get in contact with others who may need to be tested or quarantined.

Our students are not contracting the virus during school activities. They are contracting the virus because of activities that occur outside of school. Because of our health guidelines and follow through, the OCPH also has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. Large gatherings/parties are a danger to everyone and are increasing the spread of COVID.

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

You also will find helpful resources posted on the COVID-19 Reopening section of our website.

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that two Victor Senior High school students tested positive for COVID-19. Per privacy guidelines, no additional identifying information can be shared. The chart below shows our updated COVID numbers.

Using an abundance of caution, the OCPH has advised us to place three students from one of our high school classroom periods into Mandatory Quarantine. The students did nothing wrong in terms of health and safety protocols. This decision was based the structure of the class, which included lunch, and the proximity between the students and the student who tested positive.

In addition, the health department is recommending the Mandatory Quarantine of several other high school students because of close contact with students who tested positive during activities that occurred outside of school over the weekend. The students who are quarantined will not return to in-person learning or participate in any athletic or extracurricular activities until being cleared by the OCPH. Unless a quarantined individual tests positive for COVID-19 and is placed in isolation, other members of their households are not considered “close contacts” by the Public Health Department and can continue with in-person instruction at school. Families and staff impacted are being notified later this afternoon and tonight.

Because of our safety and health guidelines and follow through, the OCPH also has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled and that you do not need to take any further action unless contacted directly by them. We are asking that all families work with your children to make sure they are practicing social distancing and mask wearing outside of school. Large gatherings are a danger to everyone and are increasing the spread of COVID.

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

You also will find helpful resources posted on the COVID-19 Reopening section of our website.

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Monday, November 2, 2020

Dear Families,

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that a Victor Junior High school
student tested positive for COVID-19. The student last attended school on October 23, 2020, which means no
further contact tracing or quarantining needs to occur. An updated chart of total and active COVID cases is
below:

Please continue to practice health and safety precautions with fidelity and take our daily health screens so that
we reduce the chance of infection to others.

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s
building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the
website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

You also will find helpful resources posted on the COVID-19 Reopening section of our website.

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Friday October 30, 2020

Hello Everyone,

As you know, it has been another busy week as we navigate COVID 19. We had one new reported case today- a student in our Junior High School. We were just notified of this case and do not have any information regarding quarantining at this time. The most important points moving forward are a) we continue to successfully have in-person school and in-person school related activities as much as we safely can, b) our schools are one of the safest places in our community for students and staff, and c) we will continue to be transparent with you as we successfully navigate this health crisis.

While we emphasize community safety we must consider how we deal with Halloween. I thought the comments made at our Wednesday Town Hall by our Director of Public Health for Ontario County, Mary Beer, are critically important. She said, “Please be thoughtful how you celebrate Halloween. We must be really careful {…} normal trick or treating is not safe and either is having Halloween parties. Sticking our hands in bowls of candy is not practical. Please find ways to be creative, have fun, but be safe this year.”

In the spirit of transparency, we are shifting the way we report COVID cases in our District. The most up to date COVID 19 numbers are reported through the letters that I send every time we receive word from the Health Department that we have a positive case in our District. These letters are sent via a Blackboard Connect email as well as posted on our website (victorschools.org).

The positive numbers from these reports will be greater than the positive numbers reported on the
state dashboard because the state dashboard only allows for cases that are within a school building that has classrooms. Therefore, we cannot report staff from our Transportation Department who tested positive in this dashboard. In addition, our updated letters also report cases that the Health Department considers positive but for some reason, did not test. These are rare, but we do have three cases that fit this description. We are not allowed to report these cases in the dashboard but they are reported to you through our District communication.

This chart is a revised reporting system that is aligned with the way other organizations
are reporting COVID cases.

We appreciate the collaboration between school and community as we continue to successfully educate our children. Please have a wonderful and safe weekend.

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Hello Everyone,

Today we received word that a staff member from our Transportation Department as well as two
students, one from the Junior High School and one from the Senior High School, tested positive for
COVID 19. The Ontario County Public Health Department is not recommending that anyone
associated with the students in a school setting be quarantined because they were not in school
within 48 hours of displaying symptoms. We have not been given any information yet on the need for quarantining based on the transportation worker.

As you know, we have been dealing with confirmed positive cases in the District since October 13th. As of today, we currently have 11 active cases, including six students. The total number of cases is still less than this past weekend, which is good news.

We firmly believe the school setting is an extremely safe place. Please remember to continue to
consistently practice our health and safety measures while outside of school. These measures are
directly impacting our ability to stay open.

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please
contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the Health Department at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

I will continue to keep you updated as events unfold. Please stay safe and have a good evening. 

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Hello Everyone,

Today we received word that a bus driver from our Transportation Department as well as a student from the Intermediate School tested positive for COVID 19. We believe the cases are unrelated. The Ontario County Public Health Department is not recommending that anyone associated with the bus or the Transportation Department be quarantined.

The Intermediate School student became symptomatic over the weekend but was in school on Friday. Therefore, the Health Department is recommending six students be quarantined. The students did nothing wrong in terms of health and safety protocols. The Health Department’s recommendation is based on a cohort of students who were in a lunch period together followed by a recess period. This is a precautionary measure. These individuals will not return to in-person learning until being cleared by the Health Department. Unless a quarantined individual tests positive for COVID-19 and is placed in isolation, other members of their households are not considered “close contacts” by the Health Department and can continue with in-person instruction at school. Families impacted are being notified this evening.

As you know, we have been dealing with confirmed positive cases in the District since October 13th . As of today, we currently have 15 active cases, including nine students. The total number of cases is down from this weekend, which is good news.

We firmly believe the school setting is an extremely safe place. Please remember to continue to consistently practice our health and safety measures while outside of school. These measures are directly impacting our ability to stay open.

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the Health Department at 585-396- 4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

I will continue to keep you updated as events unfold. Please stay safe and have a good evening.

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Hello Everyone,

This weekend we received word that four more people tested positive for COVID-19, including two transportation workers, a grounds worker, and a high school student. This brings the total number of positive cases to 20 since October 13th. The most important news is that, to the best of our knowledge, no one who tested positive has been hospitalized. We currently believe that no additional staff or students other than those in the households of the most recent cases will need to be quarantined. We still have zero cases where students have transmitted to students during a school related activity. If we can keep the cases to a very small number this week and limit the number of cases in the Transportation Department then we are hopeful that we can remain open. Some of our drivers are returning this week, which is good news, and we are receiving additional drivers from outside agencies such as WFL BOCES. If we do run short of bus drivers we will adjust bus routes with the smallest number of students first. We will call these families if we need to make any adjustments.

We firmly believe the school setting is an extremely safe place, which is why the spread of the virus between students has been limited to outside the school setting. Please remember to continue to consistently practice our health and safety measures, while in school or in the community. These measures are directly impacting our ability to stay open.

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please
contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803
or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health.

I will continue to keep you updated as events unfold. Please stay safe and have a good evening.

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Friday, October 23, 2020

Hello Everyone,

This is Tim Terranova, the proud Superintendent of the Victor School District.

Since my Wednesday update, we have had no additional confirmed cases for either staff or students in the District. Most importantly, to the best of my knowledge, all of the individuals who have tested positive are recovering nicely. In fact, some of our staff members will be able to return early next week. Although this is great news, we certainly could still see new cases in the future and we must be vigilant with our health and safety procedures. Please remember the importance of staying away from large gatherings of people outside of a school setting and the need to use health and safety procedures at all times.

As we have said repeatedly, the Ontario Department of Health has quarantined everyone they believe needs to be quarantined, and, at the time of this letter, no students have contracted COVID-19 through a school related experience. 

We continue to prepare for the possibility of shifting to 100% online learning, however, we are optimistic that we can stay in the hybrid model as we attempt to weather the storm of this cluster of cases in our area. 

In the spirit of transparency and communication we are hosting our monthly Virtual Town Hall this Wednesday, October 28th, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm via our Facebook page. Our special guest will be the Director of Ontario County Public Health, Mary L Beer, RN, MPH, who will be able to give us up to date information on the situation regarding COVID 19 in our County. 

I will continue to keep you updated as events unfold. Please stay safe and have a fantastic weekend.
 
With gratitude,

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Wednesday, October 21, 2020
 
Hello Everyone,
 
This is Tim Terranova, the proud Superintendent of the Victor School District. I wanted to give you an update on our situation involving COVID-19 positive cases. 
 
We have an uptick in cases in Ontario County which has impacted an increase in cases at VCS. This uptick is not a spread in the school district as much as a community spread that is impacting our school district. The Ontario County Health Department has traced the vast majority of the cases to separate events that either occurred in our community or in a neighboring community. 
 
As of this afternoon, we have ten confirmed student cases in our District. None of these cases were spread in school; all were spread out of school. This is a great reminder about the dangers of large gatherings outside of school and the need to use health and safety procedures at all times. 
 
We also currently have six confirmed staff cases. Five of these cases are staff members who work out of our Transportation building.  
 
So far no one who is considered positive is seriously ill. There are also family members not associated with school who have tested positive. We are thinking of all of you during this uncertain time. The Health Department has isolated and quarantined everyone they believe needs to be quarantined at this time. 
 
In addition, we are taking the following proactive measures:
 
-We are increasing cleaning and safety measures at our Transportation Building, including taking certain buses off their routes and closing break rooms. 
-We continue to apply consistent safety measures in our school facilities and at our school events. Again, as of today, no students have contracted COVID-19 through a school related experience. 
-We must continue to partner with you to emphasize students not coming to school when feeling ill, wearing a mask appropriately, social distancing, and washing hands. 
-We have had to cancel transportation to two athletic events today due to a shortage of available drivers. Our athletic office is working diligently to problem solve ways to collaborate with other districts to attempt to remedy the need to cancel events.
 
As you know, this is an evolving situation and the Health Department is monitoring it very closely. Our administration team has also been proactively meeting to discuss a possible shift of everyone to 100% online learning if the Health Department recommends closure in the future. We hope we do not get to this point, but we are prepared if we need to.   
 
I will continue to keep you updated as events unfold. Please stay safe.
 
With gratitude,

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Tuesday, October 20, 2020 

Dear Families, 

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that two additional staff members who were assigned to a building that does not have classrooms tested positive for COVID 19. Based on a thorough review of our mask wearing and social distancing practices, the OCPH is not quarantining anyone at this time. 

This brings the total number of staff members who tested positive to four. Three of the adults are from a building that does not house classrooms. We continue to put in place social distancing and mask wearing requirements as well as stringent cleaning and disinfecting requirements, not only in this building, but in all of our facilities. Please remember to continue to consistently practice our health and safety measures while in school or in the community. These measures are directly impacting our ability to stay open. 

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health. 
 
With gratitude,

Tim
--
Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Monday, October 19, 2020 

Dear Families, 

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that a staff member as well as a student from the District tested positive for COVID-19. These two individuals were already quarantined because of positive cases in their households. Because they were removed from the school environment for multiple days the OCPH does not believe any further follow up with individuals regarding contact in school is necessary. 

This brings the total number of students who have tested positive for COVID-19 to six, in addition to two staff members. We firmly believe the school setting is an extremely safe place, which is why the spread of the virus so far has been limited to outside the school setting. Please remember to continue to consistently practice our health and safety measures, while in school or in the community. These measures are directly impacting our ability to stay open. 

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health. 
 
With gratitude,

Tim
--
Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Sunday, October 18, 2020 

Dear Families, 

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us on Saturday that a third Victor Senior High school (HS) student tested positive for COVID-19. The student last attended a school related event on Tuesday, October 13, 2020. Per privacy guidelines, no additional identifying information can be shared. 

In addition, the OCPH also informed us that a District staff member tested positive this morning. The staff member is not tied to a building with classrooms. The staff member last attended work on Thursday, October 15, 2020.  This brings the total number of students who have tested positive for COVID-19 this past week to five in addition to the one staff member. Based on the new HS case this weekend, a single HS class that included the student who tested positive on Saturday was recommended to be quarantined. The OCPH initiated contact tracing today for the staff member who tested positive. 

As of this afternoon, the number of quarantined students and staff is approximately 24 to 28, mostly at the HS.  These individuals will not return to in-person learning until being cleared by the OCPH. Unless a quarantined individual tests positive for COVID-19 and is placed in isolation, other members of their households are not considered “close contacts” by the Public Health Department and can continue with in-person instruction at school. Families and staff impacted are being notified this weekend. Please remember that you will only be contacted if the OCPH believes you had close contact with an infected person. The following are important points to consider:

1. To the best of our knowledge, none of the five students or the staff member who have currently tested positive caught the virus because of school related activities. All of them were infected because of close contact with other infected people outside of school. This is a great reminder to everyone to follow social distancing and mask wearing guidelines when outside of school and in the community. 
2. None of the individuals who tested positive were symptomatic when they came to school. They all did their due diligence and stayed home once they had any symptoms. However, some of the individuals showed symptoms within 48 hours of being in school; therefore, the OCPH needed to contact trace for school related activities.
3. The reason the two high school classes need to be quarantined is precautionary in nature. The teacher and students did nothing wrong. The fact that a cohort of students and a teacher are in one room for longer than 60 minutes and the time period includes a short lunch period where students have to take masks off to eat is what the Health Department is being careful about. This does not mean that every class in this situation would be quarantined. It means that the health department will look more carefully at these classes. Another factor is that we had three students test positive in one week at the Senior High. The Health Department has advised us not to change our practice with regard to lunches because they are utilizing the quarantine process as a test. If no one from the two classes test positive for COVID then it shows that even in a situation where we have longer periods of time with students that include a lunch, our health and safety procedures are working. This would most likely result in the Health Department having less concern with these types of classes in the future.
4. The Health Department has told me on numerous occasions that VCS is doing their due diligence with safety procedures and is a model for other schools. As of this evening we are a go for all school activities that are currently in practice. These include classes, athletics, extracurricular activities, and music and performing arts. Please remember that our continued emphasis on our 4 Pillars of Health (don’t come to school when ill; social distance; wear a mask; wash our hands) is what is keeping us safe and allowing us to stay open. 

As always, if you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health. 
 
You also will find helpful resources posted on the COVID-19 Reopening section of our website. 

With gratitude,

Tim
--
Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Friday, October 16, 2020 

Dear Families, 

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that a Victor Senior High school student as well as a Victor Junior High school student tested positive for COVID-19. Both students last attended a school related event on Tuesday, October 13, 2020. Per privacy guidelines, no additional identifying information can be shared. This brings the total number of students who have tested positive for COVID-19 this week to four.

Using an abundance of caution, the OCPH has advised us to place staff and students from one of our high school classroom periods into Mandatory Quarantine.  The staff member and students did nothing wrong in terms of health and safety protocols. This decision was based on the cumulative impact of having multiple cases in our District in one week and the structure of the class.  These individuals will not return to in-person learning until being cleared by the OCPH. Unless a quarantined individual tests positive for COVID-19 and is placed in isolation, other members of their households are not considered “close contacts” by the Public Health Department and can continue with in-person instruction at school. Families and staff impacted are being notified later this afternoon and tonight. 

Because our District and community partner with reinforcing a) not coming to school when ill, b) social distancing, c) using a protective mask, d) significant hand washing, and e) significant cleaning and disinfecting of facilities, the OCPH also has advised us that classes, athletics, and extracurricular activities should continue as scheduled and that you do not need to take any further action unless contacted directly by them.  

Please continue to practice these safety precautions with fidelity and take our daily health screens so that, as in this case, we reduce the chance of infection to others.

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health. 
 
 You also will find helpful resources posted on the COVID-19 Reopening section of our website. 

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent

Thursday, October 15, 2020 

Dear Families, 

The Ontario County Public Health Department (OCPH) informed us today that a Victor Senior High school student has tested positive for COVID-19. The student last attended a school related event on Monday, October 12, 2020. Per privacy guidelines, no additional identifying information can be shared. 

The student, their family and any individuals in close proximity of the student have been quarantined. The OCPH has initiated contact tracing procedures. Again, similar to earlier this week, our mitigation protocols, such as face coverings and physical distancing implemented throughout our buildings and grounds have helped decrease the chances of spreading the virus. The OCPH also has advised us that classes should continue as scheduled and that you do not need to take any further action unless contacted directly by them.  

Thank you for continuing to practice proper hand hygiene, physical distancing and wearing face coverings. In addition, please remember that staff and students should stay home when they are not feeling well. We greatly appreciate the diligence that specific families impacted this week by the virus showed in keeping kids home when there was any sign of illness. Please continue to practice these safety precautions with fidelity and take our daily health screens so that, as in this case, we reduce the chance of infection to others.

If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You can also contact the OCPH at 585-396-4803 or email them through the website https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health. 
 
You also will find helpful resources posted on the COVID-19 Reopening section of our website. 

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova
Superintendent

Tuesday, October 13, 2020 

Dear Families, 

The Ontario County Department of Public Health (OCDPH) informed us late this afternoon  that a Victor Intermediate school (VIS) student has tested positive for COVID-19. The student last attended school on Wednesday, October 7, 2020. Per privacy guidelines, no additional identifying information can be shared. 

The student and their family have been quarantined. In reviewing our COVID-19 Safety Plan with the OCDPH and based on its contact tracing, the OCDPH determined a very low risk of transmission. This is the result of a longer period of time between in person attendance at school and the first display of symptoms, and our mitigation protocols, such as face coverings and physical distancing implemented throughout our buildings. The OCDPH also has advised us that classes should continue as scheduled and that you do not need to take any further action unless contacted directly by them. VIS is the only school in our district impacted. 

Although this is the first known case of COVID-19 occurring in our student population, we can expect that it won't be our last. If we continue to practice proper hand hygiene, physical distancing and wearing face coverings, we will minimize risk of spread and exposure. Safeguarding the health and safety of our schools and their programs starts with everyone. Please continue to practice these safety precautions with fidelity and take our daily health screens so that, as in this case, we reduce the chance of infection to others.

 If you have any questions regarding this or other COVID-19 related concerns, please contact your child’s building principal or me. You also will find helpful resources posted on the COVID-19 Reopening section of our website. 

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova
Superintendent

Friday, October 9, 2020

Hello Everyone,

We had a very successful week at VCS. Not only did we complete our fourth, full week of school but we also started more activities, including modified sports and marching band. If you stop by the campus during a typical day, it is starting to look like VCS used to, with the added requirement of social distancing and wearing masks. Our kids are extremely resilient, and each day that I walk through our schools I see them becoming more acclimated to this unique environment. I also continue to see our incredible faculty working hard every day to do what is best for our kids. I am lucky to be a part of VCS!

Part of being part of a fantastic community is thanking those that help us. One such group is our traffic control workers who you see working all over our campus in the morning and afternoon. They work tirelessly to keep everyone safe while making sure traffic flows as efficiently as possible. We could not function without them.  Please thank these unsung heroes when you get a chance.

Finally, we know it has been difficult managing the attendance checks, health screens, and food service orders while many of you are acting as teachers in your homes. We are continuing to look at our process for these required tasks and will try to make them more efficient over time. Here's one example. On Tuesday morning you will notice some changes to the health screening form for staff and students.  These changes reflect recent guidance we received from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH).  Thanks to the leadership of our nursing department and Office of Educational Support Services, we have revised the health form based on this guidance. You will still access the form the same way you always have and the link to the form will remain the same. The only difference will be some slight adjustments to the questions. 

We continue to look for your input on how school is progressing. We are planning on having another Town Hall later in October. Please feel free to reach out to me at any time with questions. Enjoy your family and have a wonderful long weekend.

With gratitude,
Tim

Tim Terranova 
Superintendent Victor Central School District
Phone: 585-924-3252 ext. 1402 
Twitter: @VictorCSD_Super

OUR MISSION:To Teach, To Learn, To Support, To Improve, To Achieve!

Friday, September 18, 2020

Hello Everyone,

We have finished our first full week of hybrid/online school. I want to thank all of you for your commitment to our children and their learning. It sounds cliché, but I’m not sure we could have had a smoother first seven days of school in this incredibly unique environment. I have two announcements

We will be having a Virtual Town Hall this Wednesday, September 23rd from 6:30 to 7:30 PM via Facebook Live. We are hoping to send a ThoughtExchange Question to you this weekend for you to utilize to give us feedback on the first few days of school. I will then use this information as discussion points for the Town Hall.
 
Based on state guidance, we have to implement a revised attendance taking policy, which means all students in the hybrid model must check in once a day via the child’s School Tool account on the days they are not in person learning.

For students in the 100% online model, PreK-6th graders will check on once a day via their School Tool account every day. For secondary students (grades 7-12) you will check in on the days that your cohort is not in person learning. See below.

Hybrid Model     
Days In School
• Complete Health Screening Form
• Complete Food Order

Days Learning Remote
• Submit Attendance on Schooltool
• If Desired: Complete Food Order for Pick up at Senior High School Concession Stand

100% Online Model     
PreK-6
• Submit Attendance on Schooltool on days your cohort is not in school.
• If Desired: Complete Food Order for Pick up at Senior High School Concession Stand.

7-12
• Attend classes virtually on days your cohort is in session.
• Submit Attendance on Schooltool on days your cohort is not in school.
• If Desired: Complete Food Order for Pick up at Senior High School Concession Stand.

We are not starting this revised attendance process for another week (the week of September 28th). We will send you more specific directions during the upcoming week so you are prepared for doing this check in. We understand that this is another step that you have to take during this unprecedented time.

Hopefully the chart makes things clearer. We are continuing to work on streamlining our communications processes so you are not overwhelmed with information, but at the same time get the information you need.

As always, please reach out to me if you have questions. I look forward to hearing from many of you at next week’s Town Hall.

With gratitude,
Tim

Tim Terranova
Superintendent

Superintendent Victor Central School District
Phone: 585-924-3252 ext. 1402 
Twitter: @VictorCSD_Super

Friday, September 11, 2020

Hello Everyone,

This is Tim Terranova, the proud Superintendent of the Victor Central School District. First, I want to recognize today's solemn history as the 9-11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. For those that were old enough, 9-11 2001 will never be forgotten for its tragedy and loss. It has also been memorialized to remember those we lost, including our incredible first responders, and a day of commitment to our fellow citizens.

With this spirit I want to thank all of you for your commitment to your children and our school district. It was an incredible first two days and fantastic to have our children back, whether in person or online.  We are looking forward to next week and a full week of instruction. A special thanks to our staff for their commitment to the critical work of educating our children. 

Thank you so much for following through with the health screening form every day. I know it can be cumbersome, but it is critical to our ability to stay open. We will continue to review the expectations of this form and will make adjustments if we are able based on health department guidelines. 

Thanks also for your patience with transportation and traffic. We will continue to look at ways to safely speed up the pick up of your kids as we become accustomed to traffic patterns over the next week.

Please continue to look for updates on our website, both on the district as well as our building websites. We are planning on having a Town Hall to listen to feedback from you the week of September 21st. 

Have a great weekend.

Take care,
Tim 

Tim Terranova
Superintendent

Superintendent Victor Central School District
Phone: 585-924-3252 ext. 1402 
Twitter: @VictorCSD_Super

Friday, August 28, 2020

Hello Everyone,

This is Tim Terranova, the proud Superintendent of the Victor Central School District. We are getting closer to our opening on September 10th and we cannot be more excited for the return of our students! Our staff returns next week so we will be ready for our students the following week. Just a small number of reminders:

• Thursday September 10th will be the first day for the Blue Cohort of students. Friday, September 11th will be the first day for the Gold Cohort- so, every child who is in the hybrid model will attend school that week. We will then start the regular Blue/Gold schedule the week of September 14th. 
• If you are still in need of a chromebook please email your child's school. We cannot promise everyone that they will receive additional chromebooks; however, we will do our best to accommodate your needs. 
• It is imperative that you fill out a health screening form on a daily basis for your children starting September 10th in order for your children to be able to attend school safely. The link for filling out the form is attached to this message. If a form is not filled out we will need to call your child down to the office to monitor his/her temperature. We do not have the staffing to do this in large numbers. Your cooperation with this process will be greatly appreciated. 

https://conta.cc/32P65Gb

• Please do not send your children to school when they have a fever or have symptoms of illness such as chills, aches or a sore throat. Keeping our children home when they do not feel well will go a long way toward keeping our schools open. 
• The only acceptable masks students can wear are cloth masks. Our county and state health departments have determined that gaiters and bandanas do not offer the appropriate protection from COVID droplets that masks do. In fact, gaiters may do more harm by creating smaller droplets that spread easier. Therefore, gaiters and bandanas will not be allowed to be worn as a substitute for masks. We will provide masks for students who need them. 

I would encourage you to continue to go to our website at victorschools.org and then either go to the District reopening page or the individual building pages for specific information on our reopening. We are updating these sites on a consistent basis. 

I hope you have a fantastic weekend. Again, we are looking forward to seeing the children soon.

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova
Superintendent

Superintendent Victor Central School District
Phone: 585-924-3252 ext. 1402 
Twitter: @VictorCSD_Super

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Hello Everyone,

We have made a decision to shift the start of the school year for students from Tuesday, September 8th to Thursday, September 10th. 

By moving the student start date to Thursday, September 10th it would allow for two additional days for teachers to prepare their initial virtual lessons and gain valuable PD during this experience. It would also allow us to work on  processes regarding cleaning, sanitizing and health and safety procedures that are so important to the welfare of our students and staff. Many school districts have either moved to a similar start date or had a similar start date already on their schedule. 

We would accomplish this change by moving our October and March conference days to September 8th and 9th, which would not impact our total number of in person, instruction days. I believe it's more important to use these days now than later in the year. Please note that the previous conference days in October and March will now be instruction days. We will update our District calendar accordingly. 

On Thursday, September 10th students in the Blue group will attend school in person. Students in the Gold group will attend in person on Friday, September 11th. This way all students in the hybrid model will attend one day the first week of school. We will move into our regular, hybrid schedule the week of September 14th.  Principals will have more information on the structure of the week of September 8th as we get closer to it.  

I appreciate your patience and flexibility with this change. I know it may cause some difficulty with adjusting your child's schedule for the week of September 8th. We do believe this is the best decision for our District as we look forward to our opening on September 10th. 

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova
Superintendent

August 6, 2020

Hello Everyone,

Last week, the Victor Central School District submitted its reopening plan to Governor Cuomo. You can review this plan in its entirety on our NEW Reopening Page on the VCS website at victorschools.org. As of the writing of this letter we are still waiting for the Governor to give permission for schools to open in person in the fall. As always, we will adapt as necessary based on this decision. 

The following is a brief overview of some key information you will find on our reopening page:

SCHOOL SCHEDULES: 

Hybrid Learning Model: The hybrid model provides students with a combination of in-person instruction and on-line learning. Some at home support may be required from parents/guardians (especially for our youngest learners) when students are not in school. You should receive a letter from your child’s principal by the end of this week explaining what days your child will be attending school in-person via the hybrid model.

On-line Learning Option: In addition to a hybrid learning model, VCS is offering a 100% on-line learning option for families who have members with compromised health conditions or other situations that may impact their child’s ability to return to in person learning.  This option is best suited for students who are self-directed, independent learners. On-line learning requires at home support from parents/guardians, particularly for our young learners. 

• Due to VCS’ hybrid model and in-person instruction expectations for teachers, we will not utilize synchronous (live instruction) for students who have opted into a full on-line digital learning model. Teachers will use asynchronous materials (recorded lessons and instructional materials) via Google Classroom and will be available for direct communication with your student during the week regarding assignments. Students utilizing this model will not have the same interaction with teachers as students in the hybrid model.
• Students and their parents/guardians must make the commitment to this on-line model for an extended period of time (at least 10 weeks at the 7-12 level and at least one trimester-13 weeks- at the elementary level). Students will be graded based on engagement and student performance on instructional materials. 
• If you are interested in signing up for the on-line learning model, please fill out the on-line learning option form by the end of the day, August 14, 2020.  (link below).

TRANSPORTATION:

Parents/guardians will have the option to transport their students to and from school. If you are interested in opting your child out of either the am, pm or both the am and pm bus runs please fill out the Transportation Opt Out form by August 14, 2020 (link below). 

CHILD NUTRITION:
Families in need will be provided access to daily meals. To order meals for children who are learning remotely, please fill out the Ford Service Meal Request form (link below).

MASK & FACE COVERING PROCEDURES:
All students in Pre-Kindergarten through the 12th grade shall be required to wear a mask or face covering:

• when at school or at a school function in any school building, facility or other area of a school campus, including while traveling in hallways; 
• while waiting outside school buildings before and after school; 
• while waiting at bus stops; and 
• when riding in District-provided transportation. 

All masks and face coverings must cover the nose and mouth of the student. Students may remove masks and face coverings for eating or drinking or during mask breaks as designated by the teacher or school administrator. The frequency of mask breaks will be proportional to the developmental level of the students. Our youngest students will have more frequent mask breaks than our older students.

More specific information on our procedure for mask wearing for students and staff can be found in the Health and Safety section of our Reopening Plan located on our website at www.victorschools.org. 

REOPENING PLAN FACT SHEET: 

The VCS Reopening Plan Fact Sheet  breaks down key components of our plan. On one side, you will find instructional model descriptions and important links to critical forms, including signing up for the 100% on-line learning option, the transportation opt out form, and the food service meal request form.  On the flip side of the sheet you will find Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (link below).

Please know that we will continue to work through details related to this plan. We are having another Re-opening Task Force meeting next week and a Virtual Town Hall the week of August 17th. As always, please reach out to your child’s principal or me if you have any questions.

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova
Superintendent

IMPORTANT LINKS:
On-line Learning Option Application
Transportation Opt-Out Form
Food Service Meal Request Form
Reopening Plan Fact Sheet

Friday, June 5, 2020

Hello Everyone,

This is Tim Terranova, the proud Superintendent of the Victor Central School District. I will make two quick points as we head into the weekend. 

First, as you know, it's been a very difficult week for all of us watching the situation in our community and in our country. I will reiterate what I said earlier in the week- the Victor Central School District stands against racism and discrimination. We must react to instances of racism and discrimination quickly and in a way that changes this behavior. We must also proactively work with our staff and children to understand one another, our varying perspectives, and ways to continue to gain an appreciation of our differences. This will be ongoing work and can never be taken for granted. Our recent graduates who joined me on Wednesday's Town Hall spoke eloquently on this subject and are wonderful role models for all of us moving forward. If you have not seen it, we encourage you to watch the recording of this Town Hall on the district's Facebook page. 

Second, budget voting ballots are due to District Office by 5:00 PM on Tuesday. If you have not mailed your ballots yet we encourage you to wait and drop them off in the lock box that will be in front of the main doors of District Office Monday and Tuesday from 8:00 until 5:00 pm. The counting of the ballots will take time. We may not have the full vote count until later in the week.

This week's Thought Exchange is asking for your input on where you see the Victor Central School District heading in the next 5 years in terms of educational opportunities? Regardless of the outcome of the vote we will need your input on this important question. Ultimately we must involve the public and be strategic with our planning for the future.

Please stay healthy, both physically and mentally, take care of each other, and have a fantastic weekend.
  

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
585-924-3252 x1402
Twitter: @VictorCSD_Super

Friday, May 22, 2020

Hello Everyone,

This is Tim Terranova, proud Superintendent of the Victor Central School District. Three quick announcements:

-Please remember the last day of distance learning for all grades, K-12 is Tuesday, June 16th. You will have more specific information of what this looks like from your school's principal. There will be no distance learning this Monday because of the holiday. In addition, pick up of any personal materials will also be coordinated by your building principal over the next few weeks. 

-This Wednesday evening's Town Hall will be devoted to the Budget Hearing, where we will discuss the BoE's adopted budget in depth and answer questions from the public. This starts at 6:30 PM. Please also remember that you still have time to register to vote. Please go to the Department of Motor Vehicles website to register. You can still register to vote this weekend as well as next week. 

-Finally, we are wishing you a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day is a special holiday that honors the men and women who died while serving in the US Military. We pay respect to these heroes dating back from the start of our country to now who have given their life for our freedom. I know that we will take a moment on Monday to reflect on their sacrifice. 

Please stay safe and enjoy the holiday. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. 

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova, Ed.D.
Superintendent 

Friday, May 15, 2020

This is Tim Terranova, proud Superintendent of the Victor Central School District. It's been a very busy but productive week for our school district. On Thursday, the Board of Education adopted the 2020-21 School Budget. I want to thank the BoE for their tireless work to collaborate with district office leadership to prepare a budget that we feel is fair to the community while also meeting the needs of our children. The budget does exceed the tax cap, which will require a 60% super-majority to pass. The budget maintains current programming while adding a small number of mandated positions tied to special education and social-emotional health. The budget also protects critically low Savings. Although the District does have significant staffing needs in many areas, this budget does not look to address these issues; it simply looks to maintain current programming while preserving jobs in a community that is hard hit by the economic ramifications of the COVID-19 crisis. Despite the budget increase, Victor Central School District is on track to still have the lowest per pupil expenditure as well as lowest tax rate of any comparable district its size in this area. 

Because of the situation with COVID-19, our Budget Vote will be by mail this year. Households that include registered voters will receive ballots between May 27th and May 29th. Ballots must be returned to the District Clerk by 5:00 PM on June 9th to count toward the vote.

All qualified individuals who wish to vote in any voting matter of the District must be registered and be listed on the District’s voter registration at the time of the vote. We encourage all Victor School District residents who are 18 and over to vote. In order to register to vote with the Board of Elections please fill out an application online with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (“DMV”). Information is available at: https://dmv.ny.gov/…/electronic-voter-registration-applicat….

We encourage all unregistered voters to register by May 22nd in order to be eligible to vote on the school budget. For more information on voter registration you can contact the District Clerk, Maureen Goodberlet at (585) 924-3252 ext. 1402 or by email at goodberletm@victorschools.org.

Please stay safe and continue to communicate with us if you have any questions or concerns.

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova, Ed.D.
Superintendent 

Friday, May 8, 2020

Hello Everyone,

This is Tim Terranova, proud Superintendent of the Victor Central School District. I hope everyone had a great week. 

I want to thank Mr. Siesto, Mr. Gee and Ms. Banaszak for their insightful comments regarding secondary education at our last Town Hall meeting. This coming Wednesday we will be featuring our outstanding elementary principals, Ms. DiAngelo, Ms. Check, and Mr. Schwartz, who will discuss important details tied to our virtual learning as we move through the month of May. We will post a ThoughtExchange prompt this weekend. 

I also want to remind everyone that the Board of Education will be adopting the 2020-21 Budget at the Thursday, May 14th Board of Education meeting. We encourage you to watch this meeting virtually. Please go to our website or our Facebook page for details on how to watch the meeting. 

Because of the situation with COVID 19, our Budget Vote will be by mail this year. Households that include registered voters will receive ballots between May 27th and May 29th. Ballots must be returned to the District Clerk by 5:00 PM on June 9th to count toward the vote. 

All qualified individuals who wish to vote in any voting matter of the District must be registered and be listed on the District’s voter registration at the time of the vote.  We encourage all Victor School District residents who are 18 and over to vote. In order to register to vote with the Board of Elections please fill out an application online with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (“DMV”).  Information is available at: https://dmv.ny.gov/more-info/electronic-voter-registration-application. We encourage all unregistered voters to register by May 22nd in order to be eligible to vote on the school budget. For more information on voter registration you can contact the District Clerk, Maureen Goodberlet at (585) 924-3252 ext. 1402 or by email at goodberletm@victorschools.org. 

Please continue to practice social distancing. Continue to wash your hands on a regular basis and wear a mask when you leave your house and go around people. Take care of your mental and physical health and reach out to someone if you need help.

Tace care,

Tim Terranova, Ed.D.
Superintendent 

Friday, May 1, 2020

Hello everyone. 

Today was a tough day. We found out that school buildings will be closed through the end of the school year. We also found out that spring sports are now officially cancelled. These are two major losses for us. 

Despite this news, we will persevere. We will get through this together! Here is what I can tell you this afternoon.

• We will continue our distance learning initiative through the end of the school year. The final date for the end of the school year in June still needs to be finalized by the Governor. 
• We will work with both staff and students to make sure we have a plan in place to pick up any personal belongings from school. We will have details of this process in the near future. 
• No decisions have been made regarding summer programs. The Governor should give us guidance on summer activities in late May or early June. 

Grading practices for our students for the fourth quarter as well as for the year will be sent in a separate email. Rest assured, we are doing what we can to minimize the negative effects this pandemic has on their school work. We are also in close communication with our colleges and universities to make sure we are advantaging our high school students with appropriate transcripts moving forward. 

We feel terrible for our seniors who have worked so hard during their career in the Victor Central School District. We will make sure to honor them in many ways, including having a graduation. Right now, we are working on three different plans- including holding graduation at the regular time and place in June, which is becoming more unlikely based on this closure. Plan B is to hold graduation on campus toward the end of July. We will finalize a date for this plan in the near future. If we cannot use our facilities in the summer, then plan C is to have a virtual graduation. We will remain flexible with all of these plans as we move forward. Final decisions on the Senior Ball, Senior Day and awards ceremonies will also be made in the near future. 

This pandemic has been challenging for all of us. Despite the challenge, I continue to marvel at the amazing acts of kindness from our community members. From food distribution by our dedicated food service and transportation staff (which will continue through the end of the school year), to countless groups of students and staff raising money, having can and bottle drives, and donating food and books, we are so lucky to be in the midst of such a caring community.  Thank you to everyone who is making a difference for our children. 

We will have another Virtual Town Hall this Wednesday at 6:30 PM. We will have some special guests who will tell us more about how we can approach the next few weeks. Stay healthy.

With Gratitude,

Tim Terranova, Ed.D.
Superintendent 

Friday, April 24, 2020

Good afternoon everyone,

This is Tim Terranova, Superintendent of the Victor Central School District. I hope everyone had a solid week. Just a couple of reminders. We are finalizing decisions on grading for the 3rd Trimester for K-6 and the 4th quarter for the 7-12 level this coming week. You will hear specific information on these decisions next week. In addition, we will have a decision on local finals for the 7-12 level by early next week. Hopefully we will also have more information from the state regarding the extent of our closure.

I greatly appreciate the work our faculty and staff are doing to teach virtually as we move farther into the realm of distance learning. Students and parents, please continue to connect with your teachers if you have any questions and stay virtually connected to your friends and family as we continue to build community.

We appreciate the tremendous participation in the ThoughtExchange on Wednesday regarding our budget. Please continue to offer us feedback at vcsbudget@victorschools.org. This coming week’s thought exchange will be focused back on our present situation with school building closures. We will have a ThoughtExchange prompt for you to respond to this weekend. We will have future Town Halls focused on the budget.

Thanks again to all of our staff helping our district run smoothly every day. Take care of yourselves and your families and continue to practice social distancing. We are all in this together.

With Gratitude,

Tim Terranova, Ed.D.
Superintendent 

Friday, April 17, 2020

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone is having a great Friday. I continue to be greatly impressed with the work our community is undertaking to make this the best possible situation for learning under the circumstances.  I have heard from countless parents and guardians who appreciate the work our teachers and staff are doing for their kids. It's well deserved. We appreciate all that you are doing as parents/guardians to keep your kids safe, help teach them from home, and continue to take care of your families. We are in this together.

A reminder that school buildings and grounds are closed through May 15th. We will provide distance learning experiences during this time as well as food pick up and delivery where needed. If you have any questions about the food delivery or pick up please email or call us. 

In addition, we had our first live, virtual BoE meeting last night. Please go to our website at victorschools.org to see the entire meeting. We also gave a 2020-21 Budget update which is on our website and Facebook page. The Board of Education and I are asking for your feedback about our budget situation. This weekend we are emailing you a  link to a ThoughtExchange question. If you are able, please fill out the link and give us feedback on our budget proposal. We will use the information from the ThoughtExchange question to shape the conversation for our next live Virtual Town Hall on Wednesday night, April 22nd at 6:30 PM.  Your feedback is critical to this process. 

To our students, please stay safe and healthy, both mentally and physically. Don't forget to reach out to someone if you need them- remember, we are all in this together. Continue to practice social distancing, wash your hands, and don't touch your face.  
 

With Gratitude,

Tim Terranova, Ed.D.
Superintendent 

Tuesday, April 14, 2020

Dear Parents or Guardians, 

As we move through our fifth week of distance learning the Victor Central School District is committed to continuing to partner with you for the benefit of our children. We know balancing your health as well as the health of your family, family responsibilities, work responsibilities and supporting your children’s schooling at home is extremely challenging. Therefore, we wanted to outline our District philosophy regarding distance learning and this partnership. Please know our most important goal is to stay connected with your children as we move through this unique time. With this in mind, the VCSD is focused on three major areas of “distance learning”; 
1.) Continuing to build personal relationships between faculty members and students, including maintaining personal connections during this time period with every child.
2.) Teaching essential content to our students, which includes both review and new material.
3.) Obtaining work from students based on the essential content, then giving feedback to students on the progress of this work.

The VCSD Faculty will utilize a variety of distance learning methods to achieve the three areas 
of focus. Currently, we are focused on teaching essential content through pre-recorded as well 
as on-line videos, interactive experiences such as Google Classroom, and other platforms that support effective communication. The District is promoting these types of instructional practices for large groups of students rather than live video instruction for the following reasons:
a) It allows students to go back and review information multiple times.
b) It gives students and families flexibility to access instruction when it is best for them, potentially minimizing conflicts over home devices.

The District is using live audio/video to promote personal relationships and community building. Tools such as Zoom, Google Hangouts Meet and other platforms are used by our faculty for this purpose. We need your help to ensure these tools are being used appropriately by students and ask that you support the following:
    • Parents/guardians should be mindful about the students’ use of video conferencing.  These are helpful tools to keep students connected, but please be somewhere near so you can monitor and support your child if necessary.  
    • Students/parents/guardians should not take photos, screenshots, or record any video, or audio, from these conference sessions. You do not have permissions to do so.  
    • We may be adding new tools as needed and will remain mindful about data privacy and safety for all.   
    • Lastly, the same rules of conduct and behavior that apply in the classroom, apply in our new distance learning setting. 

Thank you for partnering with us as we navigate this complex time. If you have questions or 
concerns about your student’s use of online tools, please contact your child’s principal. Please 
stay safe. 

With Gratitude,

Tim Terranova, Ed.D.
Superintendent 

Friday, April 10, 2020

I hope all of you are healthy and taking care of each other. Just a few announcements:

A reminder school buildings and grounds are closed through April 29th. When we have further updates we will let you know. Regents exams are cancelled. We have updated information on our website, victorschools.org, which explains the specifics behind this cancellation. In general, no students are negatively impacted by this cancellation as long as students are passing and continue to pass the Regents courses they are currently taking. 

We will have a decision on local finals in the very near future as well as decisions on how the 4th quarter will be graded at the secondary level. 

I want to thank everyone who participated in our 3rd Virtual Town Hall this past Wednesday. The information we gain from you is incredibly important as we continue to navigate this unique time. We will have another opportunity for you to add your feedback to our ThoughtExchange site for this week and will discuss your thoughts at our regularly scheduled Town Hall this coming Wednesday at 6:30 PM. In addition we will have a virtual Board of Education meeting this Thursday evening starting at 7:15 PM. More details will follow.

As always, thanks to the great people who are making a difference for our kids. Your efforts are greatly appreciated by the Victor School community. Happy Passover as well as Happy Easter to all those celebrating these holidays. Make sure to practice social distancing, wash your hands and don’t touch your face. Most importantly, please take care of yourselves, both physically and mentally. Please know that you are not alone. The Victor/Farmington community is special and takes care of one another. Reach out to someone if you need support. 

With Gratitude,

Tim

Monday, April 6, 2020

Hello Everyone,

We have two important announcements from New York State today. 

1. School buildings and grounds will be closed through April 29th as per the directive of the Governor. Distance learning, food distribution, and daycare for health workers will continue to be provided during this time. 
2. Regents Exams have been cancelled for this year. Detailed guidance on what schools will need to do regarding graduation requirements is supposed to be issued by the  NYS Education Department late tomorrow. 

Please remember to practice social distancing and please do not congregate on the VCSD grounds. The grounds continue to be closed. 

We will have more information on graduation requirements and the impact of the cancellation of the Regents exams when we hear specifics from the state. We will also discuss any updated information during the Virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, April 8th starting at 6:30 pm.

With Gratitude,

Tim

April 3, 2020

Hello Students and Victor parents/guardians. This is Tim Terranova, Superintendent of Victor Central School District. Hope you have had a solid week of learning different things and spending time with your family while we deal with this unique situation across our world.

Reminder to our students that based on our Governor’s directive, we will have distance learning activities set up for next week, which was spring break. We will also have food pick up as well as deliveries on Monday and Wednesday from 12-1 as is typical.  We are closed through April 14th and probably longer. I will let you know if we hear anything specific on closings. 

I want to thank all of our helpers out there who are either coming to school to keep our district running or helping from a safe distance in so many ways I can’t even count. Remember what makes Victor School District special are the people. It’s our community that fights off isolation in these challenging times. 

Students, make sure you are a part of this community. Keep a routine, set goals for the day, call or connect via social media with a friend or loved one who could use some encouragement. Take care of your mental health. Reach out to someone if you are feeling stressed, isolated or need some support. We are all in this together. Also, stay physically active but do it safely- at least 6 feet apart. Wash hands and don’t touch your face. 

We will update you next week if we have any new information. We will also continue with our weekly Facebook Live town hall this coming Wednesday. Have a great weekend, listen to your elders, and stay safe.  Take care.

With gratitude,

Tim
 

March 31, 2020

Good Afternoon,
 
Late yesterday afternoon Governor Cuomo issued the following directive:
 
"Districts must continue to provide remote instruction for students, meals for students, and child care every weekday between April 1, 2020 and April 14, 2020, even if the district is scheduled to be on spring break during that time."  
 
As a result of this order, the Victor Central School District will continue to provide remote instruction for students, as well as meals for students in need, all next week, during what was considered spring break. Our focus for your children will continue to be a) maintaining connections between our staff and our children and b) continuing to provide classwork, primarily review work. 

As of now, the Governor’s current order states that schools will be closed through April 14th. Our staff is continuing to plan for distance learning and meal delivery for April 14th and beyond in the likely event that the Governor decides to close school buildings for a longer period of time. If distance learning occurs after April 14th, it will include more of an emphasis on “new” learning than is currently in place. Our principals are working closely with teachers and the Office of Instruction to support this potential shift. 
 
Thank you for your continued support and your patience during this unprecedented time. I will have more information on these topics as well as an update on grading practices and other areas of focus during the Live Town Hall Meeting tomorrow night starting at 6:30 pm on the VCSD Facebook page. 

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova
Superintendent 

March 27, 2020

Hello Everyone,

The latest Governor's Executive Order, which was just issued today, closes school until 4/15/2020.  As you know, when the Victor Central School District announced our building closures, we planned for a possible return of 4/14/20. This date has now been replaced by 4/15/20. Given the uncertainty of this situation, we do not know if this timeline will be extended. I will continue to inform you of any updates. 

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
585-924-3252 x1402
Twitter: @VictorCSD_Super

March 23, 2020

Hello Everyone,

As we navigate this unprecedented public health crisis, I hope that everyone is staying safe and managing this unique time as best as they can.  Practicing social distancing can be extremely difficult. As a husband and a father of two teenagers, I am challenged by not only the lack of social contact but also my concern for the welfare of my family, loved ones, friends, and, of course, our children and staff in the Victor school community. 

One way to combat feelings of concern and uncertainty is through community participation in a worthwhile event that emphasizes communication and dialogue. This week, I am inviting you all to participate in a Virtual Town Hall meeting with me on Wednesday, March 25th from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. As your Superintendent, I value community input. This input is vital as we continue to work together to support our children. 

Starting today, we would love your feedback on the following question: 
During this extended school closure, what can the Victor Central School District do to best support you and your family as a member of our school community?

We have set up a link to a social media platform called ThoughtExchange, which will save your responses to this question and make sure we save this input for our Town Hall meeting on Wednesday. The link is below:

https://my.thoughtexchange.com/497414114

Please click on this link and follow the directions to share your thoughts. Your important feedback will be saved to the site. We will keep the link open until Wednesday afternoon. I will then answer questions and discuss comments from the ThoughtExchange site during the live Town Hall Meeting. The goal will be to listen to the community so that we can build on the many strengths of our school district to offer even better ways to support your children. 

I will continue to update you on this event as we move closer to Wednesday. Please let us know if you have any additional questions or concerns.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
585-924-3252 x1402
Twitter: @VictorCSD_Super

March 18th, 2020

Hello Everyone,

Thanks so much for your unbelievable adaptability in the face of this unprecedented situation involving the Coronavirus. I most appreciate the calm way you and your children went about collecting supplies from school on Monday and Tuesday and the kindness you showed staff members who were helping facilitate the process. Moving forward, our top priority is to provide continued transparent communication to you regarding your children's education, and make sure you maintain as strong a connection to your children's teachers as possible during this time. 

The following is a brief update/overview of where are at this point in time: 

• On Tuesday evening, 3/17, we closed down all of our buildings. Our outstanding maintenance crew will deep clean each of them, from top to bottom, from Wednesday, 3/18, to Friday, 3/20. This means NO staff or community members are allowed in buildings from Wednesday, 3/18, through Sunday night, 3/22.  The plan is to deep clean all of our buildings, then keep the vast majority of the rooms locked throughout the closure period. We will then clean the small number of rooms used during the shutdown on a regular basis. Please do not attempt to enter buildings during this time.
   
• Beginning on Monday, 3/23, only Essential Personnel (staff members who cannot do their job remotely and their job is paramount to keeping the District running while it is closed) will be working on campus.  Each of our principals and directors have prioritized this list. No students or community members are allowed in the buildings for safety reasons. We need to limit the number of people entering our buildings so we limit the chances of spreading the virus. The vast majority of staff will work from home. 
   
• On Tuesday, 3/17, Distance Learning started for all of your children. Our teachers are poised to give your children consistent communication regarding all assignments.  You should also have consistent ways to communicate with your child's teachers if you have questions and/or concerns. Teachers and administrators have done an impressive job creating assignments and working to build communication structures that allow for children, teachers, and parents to interact. While this type of instruction cannot replace a face-to-face education, we are working very hard at supporting your child’s learning as best as we can during the closure. 
   
• Based on the fluidity of this situation, we have created a designated space on our Website dedicated to Coronavirus updates: https://www.victorschools.org/parents/health-information/covid-19-coronavirus-update
  
  Here, you will see updates on our distance learning approaches, meal distribution process, a Frequently Asked Questions page, and the archived updates that I have written to the community from the past two weeks. We expect to have more space devoted to special education and enrolling new students to the district in the near future. 

Communication will continue to be key, not only to support our school district running as best as we can during this challenging time, but also to counter the negative impact of the isolation and uncertainty we are all currently facing. If you have any questions, concerns, or comments regarding ANY of our communications, please feel free to email me directly or contact your child’s principal. We appreciate the feedback. In the future, I will be attempting to set up virtual town halls where community members can give me live feedback on the District’s approach to this unforeseen situation, and ways to possibly improve these approaches. 

Thanks again for your continued collaboration and incredible commitment to our children. On behalf of all VCS staff, we cannot wait to have them back with us in our classrooms, lunchrooms, gymnasiums and outside facilities!  Please stay safe and let me know if you have any questions.  

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
585-924-3252 x1402
Twitter: @VictorCSD_Super

Hello Everyone,

As you know the situation in front of us changes by the moment. Based on the fact that a resident of the town of Victor has tested positive for the Coronavirus, we are cancelling the half day for students tomorrow (Tuesday). No students should report to school. As mentioned, we hope to be back in session April 14th but this will depend on approval by our County. Our talented staff is working today to finalize plans for distance learning and other critical items necessary for the business of the district to continue to operate. Tomorrow, only essential staff will report. As of Wednesday, March 18th the school buildings will be closed to the public. The following are important items that we need to clarify:

PICKING UP SCHOOL/INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPLIES
We are adjusting the times for parents and students to pick up instructional materials from school. Because of this and the need for social distancing, we are staggering the pickup times based on alphabetical order. Please try to accommodate this schedule as we do not want large groups of people congregating in one area today or tomorrow. 

Today (Monday March 16th)- Primary, Intermediate, Junior High, and High School (ECS does not have any instructional materials for parents to pick up)
-Last Names A through H  –  3:00 to 4:30 PM
-Last Names I through P  –  4:30 to 6:00 PM
-Last Names Q through Z  –  6:30 to 8:00 PM

Tuesday March 17th
8:00 to 3:00 PM (individuals who could not pick up materials on Monday)
Please do not come on campus to pick up personal items that are not absolutely necessary. We will continue to hold shirts, shorts, and other non-essential items until your children return. 

LUNCH PICKUP
Tomorrow (Tuesday), we will have meal distribution at the parent drop off location at the Primary School. This will be for Tuesday’s lunch and Wednesday’s breakfast. Then, starting on Wednesday, we will have three distribution sites: Mertensia Park, Finger Lakes Race Track (changed from Fire Station No 2 on Hook Road), and the serving line at the Primary school for breakfast/lunch service during the days we are out of school.  Any student qualifies to receive these food items. The parents and/or students can come in and receive their lunch for that day and their breakfast for the next day. Hours of Operation will be from 12 to 1 p.m. for all sites. If you are unable to pick up the meals from the distribution sites please call your child’s principal as soon as possible. 

DISTANCE LEARNING
Teachers and administrators have done a great job working to create learning opportunities for your children. Because we are not having any students on campus, your child’s teacher/s will communicate with your children via distance learning starting this week. You should have a clear idea of what your child’s expectations are for distance learning by the end of the week. We will also send you an overview of staff responsibilities during the school closure so you are aware and have the ability to communicate with staff throughout the closure. We cannot duplicate classroom instruction. However, we can support their learning as best we can.  

As I said, parameters are constantly changing. Please know that with social media and remote learning we will be able to work together on a consistent basis to support the needs of your children. I know this is an extremely difficult time for families. We will continue to partner with you as we deal with this situation. 
Please email me or call with any questions. 

With gratitude,
Tim

Update on picking up supplies- many students already have all of their instructional materials since most of the teaching will be through distance learning. If you already have materials, then you do not have to go to school. If you need a textbook in your locker, a musical instrument to practice, or have a packet from your teacher to pick up, then you would go to your child's school either today or tomorrow. Please go to the main office to collect the materials.  

Hola a todos,

Como saben, la situación frente a nosotros cambia por el momento. Basado en el hecho de que un residente de la ciudad de Víctor ha dado positivo por el Coronavirus, cancelaremos el medio día para estudiantes mañana (martes). Ningún estudiante debe reportarse a la escuela. Como se mencionó, esperamos volver a la sesión el 14 de abril, pero esto dependerá de la aprobación de nuestro Condado. Nuestro talentoso personal está trabajando hoy para finalizar los planes de aprendizaje a distancia y otros elementos críticos necesarios para que el negocio del distrito continúe operando. Mañana, solo el personal esencial informará. A partir del miércoles 18 de marzo, los edificios escolares estarán cerrados al público. Los siguientes son elementos importantes que debemos aclarar:

RECOGIDA DE LA ESCUELA / MATERIAL INSTRUCCIONAL
Estamos ajustando los horarios para que padres y estudiantes recojan materiales de instrucción de la escuela. Debido a esto y la necesidad de distanciamiento social, estamos escalonando los tiempos de recolección basados ​​en el orden alfabético. Intente adaptar este horario ya que no queremos grandes grupos de personas que se congreguen en un área hoy o mañana.

Hoy (lunes 16 de marzo) - Primaria, intermedia, secundaria y preparatoria (ECS no tiene ningún material de instrucción para que los padres lo recojan)
- Últimos nombres de A a H - 3:00 a 4:30 PM
-Últimos nombres I a P - 4:30 a 6:00 PM
-Últimos nombres de Q a Z - 6:30 a 8:00 PM

Martes 17 de marzo
8:00 a 3:00 PM (personas que no pudieron recoger materiales el lunes)
Por favor no venga al campus para recoger artículos personales que no sean absolutamente necesarios. Continuaremos sosteniendo camisas, pantalones cortos y otros artículos no esenciales hasta que sus hijos regresen.

RECOGIDA DE ALMUERZO
Mañana (martes), tendremos una distribución de comida en el lugar de entrega para padres en la Escuela Primaria. Será para el almuerzo del martes y el desayuno del miércoles. Luego, a partir del miércoles, tendremos tres sitios de distribución: Mertensia Park, la estación de bomberos n. ° 2 en Hook Road y la línea de servicio en la escuela primaria para el servicio de desayuno / almuerzo durante los días que estamos fuera de la escuela. Cualquier estudiante califica para recibir estos alimentos. Los padres y / o estudiantes pueden venir y recibir su almuerzo para ese día y su desayuno para el día siguiente. El horario de atención será de 12 a 1 p.m. para todos los sitios Si no puede recoger las comidas de los sitios de distribución, llame al director de su hijo lo antes posible.

LA EDUCACIÓN A DISTANCIA
Los maestros y administradores han hecho un gran trabajo trabajando para crear oportunidades de aprendizaje para sus hijos. Debido a que no tenemos estudiantes en el campus, los maestros de su hijo se comunicarán con sus hijos a través del aprendizaje a distancia a partir de esta semana. Debe tener una idea clara de cuáles son las expectativas de su hijo para el aprendizaje a distancia al final de la semana. También le enviaremos una descripción general de las responsabilidades del personal durante el cierre de la escuela para que esté al tanto y tenga la capacidad de comunicarse con el personal durante todo el cierre. No podemos duplicar la instrucción en el aula. Sin embargo, podemos apoyar su aprendizaje lo mejor que podamos.

Como dije, los parámetros cambian constantemente. Tenga en cuenta que con las redes sociales y el aprendizaje remoto podremos trabajar juntos de manera consistente para satisfacer las necesidades de sus hijos. Sé que este es un momento extremadamente difícil para las familias. Continuaremos asociándonos con usted mientras lidiamos con esta situación.

Por favor envíeme un correo electrónico o llame con cualquier pregunta.

Con gratitud,
Tim

Actualización sobre la recogida de suministros: muchos estudiantes ya tienen todos sus materiales de instrucción, ya que la mayoría de la enseñanza se realizará a través del aprendizaje a distancia. Si ya tiene materiales, entonces no tiene que ir a la escuela. Si necesita un libro de texto en su casillero, un instrumento musical para practicar, o tiene un paquete de su maestro para recoger, entonces iría a la escuela de su hijo hoy o mañana. Vaya a la oficina principal para recoger los materiales.

Hello Everyone,

There is no school for students on Monday but all staff will report. Staff will work on finalizing plans for remote learning opportunities. We are having a half day for all K-12 students on Tuesday, March 17th. There is no school for Pre-school age children on this day. We will have the normal pick up time from your homes in the morning. Grades 7-12 students will then be dismissed at 11:00 on Tuesday. The Early Childhood School will be dismissed at 11:50 while the Primary and Intermediate Schools will be dismissed at 12:00. We are asking parents not to change bus routes for Tuesday. Please have your child ride home on their regular bus. Adjusting routes to different locations will be extremely difficult for a half day schedule. 

We are also opening the buildings for students and parents/guardians on Monday and Tuesday evening from 6-8 PM in case you need to pick up materials, or have any questions for the principal. Not every family has the ability to come in to school in the evening to pick up needed supplies and we know many students need more details from specific teachers about how to learn remotely, which is why we are having students report on Tuesday for the half day. Our public health director continues to say we are a low risk area at this time because we do not have any confirmed cases in Victor. However, if this changes, we will update our plan. Any child absent on Tuesday for medical reasons or concern over the virus will be marked excused, as long as they have a note from their parent. 

School will be closed starting Wednesday, March 18th. Teachers and administrators are working very hard on creating plans for learning opportunities that will effectively support your child’s academic progress when they are not in school. Teachers will share their plans with your children on Tuesday. As mentioned before, we cannot duplicate classroom instruction. However, we can support their learning as best we can. You will be a strong partner in this education. Please continue to communicate with your child’s teacher/s during this time period. 

All interscholastic athletics as well as extracurricular activities are postponed as of this past Saturday until after April break. We will receive guidance from proper authorities regarding next steps after the break. 

Students who need lunch and/or breakfast can pick up their lunch as well as the next day’s breakfast at the end of the half day on Tuesday. In addition, we are setting up three distribution sites: Mertensia Park, Fire Station No 2 on Hook Road, and the serving line at the Primary school for breakfast/lunch service during the days we are out of school. Any student qualifies to receive these food items. The parents and/or students can come in and receive their lunch for that day and their breakfast for the next day. Hours of Operation will be from 12 to 1 p.m. for all sites. 

Please remember that schools are closed until April 14th. The County will then re-evaluate our situation to determine if we can open at this time. Please go to our website, www.victorschools.org for more details and information.

I know this is an extremely difficult time for families. Please know we are here for you and your children. We will continue to work with you as a partner in your child’s education. We look forward to the time in the near future where your children will be back at school learning from our incredible staff.

With gratitude,

Tim Terranova, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Message from the Superintendent

Under the direction of the Ontario County Department of Health, along with regional agencies and state officials, the Ontario County School Districts, including the Victor Central School District, have unanimously decided to close all schools and cancel all school-related activities (including athletics and extracurricular activities) beginning Wednesday, March 18, 2020 (through April Break) as a mitigating and precautionary measure for COVID-19 (coronavirus). We will utilize the Ontario Health Department’s guidance regarding our ability to resume normal school activities after April break.

Staff is asked to report on Monday (March 16th) to continue to prepare for the extended absence of students. We are having students attend on Tuesday (March 17th) for a half day (AM) in order to meet one more time with teachers, pick up materials, and allow for any medication to be distributed. We are also going to have Monday and Tuesday evening (6-8 PM) available for parents to pick up materials from school. School will then be closed for everyone except essential personnel as designated by the Superintendent starting on Wednesday March 18th.

At this time, it is very important to note we are not aware of any confirmed cases of COVID-19 related to anyone associated with the Victor Central School District. If something changes we will adjust the schedule for Monday and Tuesday.

I want to assure you that the health and safety of our school community continues to be a top priority. Our administration and staff will work collaboratively with you to support our children as best we can during this extended absence. We will communicate further updates as they become available.

With gratitude, 

Tim Terranova, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

https://www.health.ny.gov/

https://www.schoolhealthny.com/coronavirus

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/novel-coronavirus-hubei-province--china.html

The Victor School District is cancelling all outside group activities including events that occur in the Aquatics Center until further notice. This includes off-season training for athletics.

In addition, Superintendent Terranova is meeting with the Ontario Health Department and Ontario County Superintendents tomorrow to discuss the situation in light of recent events in neighboring counties. He will have an update to the community later in the weekend.

Letter from Dr. Terranova,
Superintendent of Schools.
COVID-19 Update, March 13, 2020

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for everyone’s patience as we work through the Coronavirus situation and its implications. 

As of this afternoon, schools are still open for Monday. I attended a Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES Superintendent’s conference on the implications of the virus and also consulted with Monroe County Superintendents. Our district will remain open unless the Ontario County Health Department or state or national leaders decide our district should close. We are in constant contact with these organizations. If anything changes with this situation we will update you. 

Because today was a conference day, our teachers and staff were able to focus on contingency plans in case school is closed for an extended time. I applaud the teachers and staff for their work today. If we do need to close for an extended time we are ready to implement a plan that would support, to some extent, your children’s education. We will not be able to duplicate the same level of instruction that occurs in school. 

If nothing changes and students come back to school on Monday we will reinforce proper hygiene as well as implement increased cleaning practices, including giving teachers disinfectant spray to use in their rooms and utilize regulations that allow bleach to be used in certain areas like bathrooms. 

We are currently cancelling any overnight trips through April break. As I’ve said before, we are working with administrators and travel agents to do whatever we can to recoup money for the children impacted.

Athletic practices are occurring as planned. We are working closely with Section V regarding scrimmages, games, and meets and whether they will occur. We will have information as soon as it’s available. 

We are cancelling the vast majority of events run by outside organizations for safety reasons. Please communicate with the advisor or person in charge of the event if you need more information. The SAT Test Prep session will go on as scheduled this weekend. 
We continue to look at websites that may be helpful. The sites listed below were recommended by the WFL BOCES. Thanks again for all you do for our children and their well-being. Please let me know if you have any questions. 

With gratitude, 
Tim Terranova, Ed.D.

https://www.health.ny.gov/

https://www.schoolhealthny.com/coronavirus

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

https://travel.state.gov/…/novel-coronavirus-hubei-province…

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  New York State Department of Health

  Home page for the New York State Department of Health

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  New York State Department of Health

  Home page for the New York State Department of Health

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  New York State Department of Health

  Home page for the New York State Department of Health

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  New York State Department of Health

  Home page for the New York State Department of Health