COVID Update and Quarantine Count from the Scarsdale Schools

Scarsdale High School is all remote today, November 12 after a report of a positive case on Wednesday November 11. The school contacted the Department of Health to do interviews and contact tracing. The school notified any students who were contact with the individual by email to let them know if they need to quarantine.

The school will return to the normal hybrid schedule on Friday November 13.

Also on Wednesday November 11 the district reported a positive case at Quaker Ridge Elementary School. That student was last in school on November 5 and already quarantined due to a non-school contact. The Westchester County Department of Health is requiring the cohort and staff associated with that case to quarantine including the teachers, aides and the PM cohort. As a consequence, both cohorts had to move to remote instruction as the teachers and aides were not able to come to school. Those affected will be quarantined until November 19 with a return to in person learning on November 20. The balance of the school returned to the hybrid schedule on November 12.

Quarantines

As of Thursday November 12, the district reports that 118 students and 21 staff members are quarantined. According the NYS Department of Health COVID-19 Report card, as of 11/10/2020 here is the positive case count:

Positive Cases by School

-Edgewood Elementary School – 1 Student
-Fox Meadow Elementary School – 1 Student
-Scarsdale Middle School – 2 students
-Scarsdale High School 4 Students, 1 Teacher or Staff Member

Kindergarten-Second Grade to Return to Full Time in Person Learning

On Friday November 6, the district announced that all students in the kindergarten through second grade hybrid program will return to full days of instruction in school as of November 30, 2020. Wednesdays will also include a full day of school.

Why? The email says, “We see these changes as providing a significant improvement for our students’ socialization, developmental, educational, and well-being needs. They also increase in-school hours by providing a full day for K-2 students and making Wednesdays full school days (K-2) or AM/PM days (3-5) creates more opportunities for student:teacher connection and student:student connection."

In order to have all the children in the school and maintain social distancing, large group spaces are being reconfigured to create more classroom space. There will be a 30-minute lunch period and students will eat at their desks. See more details on the district website.