Important Updates

District Wide Communications

September 25, 2020 - Tech Update, Foodlink, Health Info and More!

Greetings, Braves Family,

I trust this email finds you well while remaining safe. Each day, up until this point at least, there is a growing sense of a feeling of normalcy and settling into a rhythm although admittedly, there is still work to be done and this isn’t the “normal” which any of us truly want.

Today’s Communication will include:

Current Symptom Algorithm (Updated by DOH)
Foodlink Information
Technology Update
Virtual/ Remote Learning For Success
Athletics/ Clubs/ Co-Curriculars
Academic Rigor

Current Symptom Algorithm (Updated by DOH)

As predicted last week, the algorithm has changed and will likely change again in the future but this is the current process for returning to learn and/or work if someone had COVID or symptoms of COVID.

Students: Return to Learn - Department of Health

Employee: Return to Work - Department of Health

Foodlink Information

The SPOT, Canandaigua Churches in Action, and Foodlink have teamed up to supply families with a bag of non-perishable foods for long weekends. If you would like to participate in this program and receive a bag of non-perishable food for holiday weekends, please submit this form to sign up by October 2:

Foodlink Monthly Food Distribution Sign up

Technology Update

We continue to hear about difficulties students are having with their devices when they are working remotely/ virtually. We believe we have isolated the issue. Our filtering system, iBoss, needs an adjustment to the filtering process. Our IT team is working tirelessly responding to literally thousands of work order tickets and late in the day Thursday were finally able to speak with representatives from iBoss to update their filtering protocol in a more streamlined manner so that sites can be authenticated and approved in a more efficient manner. Ideally, this switch can be fully executed by the end of next week. We understand your frustration and we thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through these issues which many districts are struggling with right now as well.

Virtual/ Remote Learning For Success

Virtual and remote learning is new territory for all of us. There is a lot of research out there that suggests approaching home learning in the same manner as a person would approach in-person learning has a positive impact on success. Getting up, eating a healthy breakfast, taking care of your personal hygiene, and getting into your outfit for the day puts a person in the right mindset for accomplishing work. The following suggestions appeared on Today.com and may be of help to students and parents alike:
(https://www.today.com/parents/when-your-child-learning-online-mind-your-manners-t191092)

Everyone who might appear on camera needs to be fully and appropriately clothed.
Let your child be the student. Teachers are great at wait time and engaging students.
Be aware of mics that are on as to not capture any adult conversations in a nearby room.
Remain at your computer and engaged in the lesson instead of multi-tasking and/or doing chores, etc. Similarly, if a parent is going to sit with their child while the lesson is happening, be on the camera and make yourself known in case the teacher does want to request your assistance.

Athletics/ Clubs/ Co-Curriculars

Clubs, activities, and athletics are able to start on Monday, September 28th. Be on the lookout for details specific to any club or activity your child might be interested in. Following our safety protocol strictly is an absolute requirement and if there are any violations of the safety guidelines, activities will be shut down. Let's do our part to keep moving in the right direction with our reopening progress.

Academic Rigor

We’ve heard from a few parents that they believe the academic expectations on remote or virtual days are not lofty enough. We’ve also heard from a few parents that the expectations are too much. Recognizing that every family and child’s capacity is different at this time is an important distinction now more than ever. Our staff is working so hard, carrying a great burden of worry and concern that they are doing things right. The reality is, we are all brand new at this. It is a work in progress but in order to make this work, we need to stick together, as a community. Supporting one another, encouraging one another, and offering feedback in a kind and compassionate way is how a high-quality community such as ours operates.

In Summary

I may be dating myself here but there is a famous episode from the television show The Brady Bunch in which sibling Jan Brady expresses frustration (and perhaps jealousy) over all the attention her sister, Marcia, is receiving and she insists that all she hears all day long is “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia.” For whatever reason, this visual was conjured up when I think about how often everyone seems to be using the word “nimble” these days. I often wonder if all the other words say “All I hear all day is nimble, nimble, nimble!”

I know, it is a silly reference and I suppose it is perhaps how I bring a little levity to the situation we are in, and just when I feel I’ve reached a point of hearing the word “nimble” more than I can possibly take, I relent and find both the humor and parallels.

To be nimble means, by definition, to be quick and light in movement or action; agile. Given our circumstances, staying nimble is actually the perfect word to describe what we must be as a staff, as students, as a learning community, and as a greater community. Guidance changes regularly and we must be nimble. Schools near us have already had to shift to completely remote because of quarantine and being unable to fully staff the operation. It is for these very reasons, I continue to say, we must follow our protocol cautiously but be ready to be quick and light in movement in a moment's notice or as some might say, be nimble, nimble, nimble!

Have a great weekend everyone and thanks for all you do! Stay safe, be well, and Go Braves!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District

September 18, 2020 - Weekly Update

Dear Braves Family,

It felt great to have our students and staff back in our halls and classrooms this week. The recurring theme was that so far it is going much better than anticipated and that everyone was eager to learn and be back together. I was also able to check out teachers leading virtual classes. Watching them bring energy and enthusiasm to their students through Zoom was fun to see. The past few months have been challenging preparing for the reopening, but this week gave us continuous reminders of why we love what we do.

We had some challenges with traffic and technology. There is room for improvement and many people are working hard to create systems and structures that support our students and families. A special thank you to our staff for being nimble and showing grace throughout this week.

Today’s communication includes important information about the following:

Health Information & Protocols- Updated
Tech Information
Open Houses - CMS & Academy Rescheduled
Athletics Sign Up Reminder
Apparel Sales
Smiles

Health Information & Protocols - Updated

The Ontario County and NYS Department of Health adjusted their Symptomatic guidelines for students and staff. This is a mandated process for New York State.

Please review the linked document for the specific details. The critical takeaway is this: if anyone shows a COVID 19 symptom, they cannot be in school until they are symptom-free, have a release from a medical care provider, AND a negative COVID test. The only other way to return is to be out of school for 10 calendar days and symptom-free.

We have received questions on what to do when there is a household member that has tested positive for COVID 19 or a household member who is symptomatic. These charts will guide you on what needs to occur for a student or staff member to return to school in those situations.

The slides have been updated- See 9/25 Communication

Thank you to everyone for completing the daily health screening. We will continue to push out reminders each morning at 7 a.m.

Technology Update

We are aware that this week did include technology glitches for some students and staff. Our IT team has been working tirelessly trying to respond to the many help desk tickets and what they have discovered so far is that some of the issues are vendor dependent and we are at the mercy of the vendor making the update/fix. We continue to press our vendors to make these adjustments. The other issues are very much individualized and there doesn’t seem to be a large scale fix at this point and instead, it takes time to individually solve each issue. Please keep in mind, we are one week in and we knew there would be issues in the opening week or two. We appreciate your understanding, patience, and communication as we work through ironing out these wrinkles.

Open Houses

Open House at the Academy and the Middle School are being rescheduled for dates in October. Stay tuned!

Athletics - Sign Up Reminder

Junior varsity and varsity fall athletics begin on September 28th and modified fall athletics begin on October 5th. Approved fall sports include boys and girls soccer, boys and girls cross country, girls swimming, and girls tennis. Please be sure to sign up if your child wishes to participate. Public Schools have been granted leniency on sports physical deadlines due to the COVID crisis. Here is the link to sign up through Family ID: https://www.canandaiguaschools.org/athletics/registration

Apparel Sales

The Spot/ PTSA: https://stores.inksoft.com/canandaigua_school_store/shop/home
Questions? Contact Sarah Chilson- TheSpotCanandaigua@gmail.com

CA Student Government: https://canandaigua-2020.itemorder.com/sale
Questions? Contact Roberta Bittel- bittelr@canandaiguaschools.org

CA Soccer: https://m3apparel.com/product-category/cdgasoc_fanwear2020/
Questions: Contact Lisa Cooke- cookel@canandaiguaschools.org

Smiles

Check out a few pictures from the first days of in-person school.
First Day- Cherry Cohort
First Day- Gray Cohort

Thank you for all you do, together we CANandaigua! Have a great weekend, stay safe, be well, and Go Braves!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr
Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District

September 11, 2020 - Athletics Update from Jim Simmons

We have been working with the NYSPHSAA and the Monroe County League to determine how we will move forward with our fall sports season. The state has provided very strict guidelines that will need to be followed and were developed by the New York State Department of Health for practices and contests to ensure the safety of all of our athletes and coaches. Specifics regarding mask use, screening, and social distancing will be shared prior to the start of the season. Football, girls and boys volleyball, and competitive cheerleading have been rescheduled to start on March 1, 2021.

Varsity & JV Sports

Low and moderate risk varsity and junior varsity sports (girls swimming and diving, boys and girls soccer, girls tennis, and boys and girls cross country) will begin practice on Monday, September 28. Registration through Family ID for varsity and junior varsity sports are open now.

Modified (7th & 8th Grade) Sports

Modified sports (girls swimming and diving, boys and girls soccer, girls tennis, and boys and girls cross country) will begin practice on Monday, October 5th. Registration through Family ID for modified sports will begin on Monday, September 14.

Registering for Sports

Instruction to complete the registration process using FamilyID on the school district website is located below. Due to the restricted access to physicians by families, NYS has waived the requirement for athletes to have a new health screening on file. To register for any of the fall sports listed above please click the link.

Again, if your son or daughter had a physical for school for the 2018-2019 or 2019-2020 school year, you do NOT need to have a physical for fall 2020 athletics.
First day of practice for the varsity and junior varsity sports above is Monday, September 28th.
First day of practice for modified sports will be Monday October 5th
Students can participate in athletics whether they are hybrid or virtual learners.
Families are responsible to transport athletes who are not participating in in-person classes to campus for practices or to campus to ride the bus to games. If parents are unable to provide transportation for their athletes to practices, please contact your son or daughter’s coach or the Athletic Office at (585) 396-3825 in advance. Practice times for all sports and levels are still to be determined.
Practices and games are not open to the general public.
Per NYS Department of Health Guidance, players, coaches, officials, event personnel and only two spectators per player are allowed in attendance for contests. Canandaigua CSD, in conjunction with Monroe County Public High School Athletic Conference and Section V Athletics will develop procedures to assure that only two spectators per player are in attendance. These procedures will be communicated through our athletic department and coaches. The two spectators per player will be strictly enforced.
In order to alleviate the burden on families and friends of not being able to attend games, the district is considering live-streaming more junior varsity and varsity contests than a typical year.
Sport specific rules and guidelines will be shared with those who register for the sport.

If you need assistance with registration, contact FamilyID at support@familyid.com or call 888-800-5583 x1.

Thank you!

James Simmons

Director of Athletics

September 11, 2020 - Reopening Update


	Friday, at 8 a.m. Good morning, Today, September 11th marks a solemn day for obvious reasons. As the anniversary of a tragic terrorist attack on our nation's soil, I know many of us will never forget that day. I can still remember the entire day vividly and as the towers were struck, I was actually a classroom teacher and had a study hall full of students at the time. I recall gathering around my radio with the students as we listened in disbelief. What I choose to remember the most is how we, as a nation, came together in the wake of such tragedy. That sense of cohesion, care, and support was palpable. Let us collectively remember and strive for such unity every day and pay respect to those lost on this day. Turning our attention to school, many exciting things are happening and we look forward to students returning to our buildings on Monday and beginning synchronous virtual learning on Monday as well. Our entire staff has been working very hard to return to school under these circumstances. I know I have said it before, but thank you to everyone who has made our return possible and thank you to everyone for the patience as we have worked through the closure, drafting reopening plans, reorganizing schedules, and much more. We have called ourselves the One Braves Family and during the past 6 months (and it has been almost exactly six months), this family has supported each other in many ways. Our work is not over and we need to continue to work on following the social distancing guidance and do our best to keep our infection rate low. Additionally, there will still be wrinkles to iron out. Many districts who have already started the year have experienced extreme congestion at drop off and pick up as more parents are driving their children to school. The first few weeks will be a challenge in all likelihood as we work through logistics and we ask for your understanding, patience, and cooperation as we work hard to get it right. Regardless, I am looking forward to the 2020-2021 school year and making it our best one yet! After all, that is what we do! Today’s post includes Information on today’s remote learning day BravesSquare info video Health Screening App - Reminder School Picture Information (Update) Athletics Remote Learning- September 11, 2020 Today is the first official school day for students and the virtual learning activities are accessible. For students in Grades UPK-2, please log in to BravesLink and follow the directions Seesaw. For students in grades 3-12, please access Schoology through BravesLink and follow the directions there. Friday, September 11th Virtual Learning Directions BravesSquare Information Each week, classroom teachers will be sending week at a glance updates at 5 p.m. on Sundays through BravesSquare. This video gives directions about messages and also how to set up your notifications. BravesSquare will continue to be our central communication platform. BravesSquare App & Website Video Daily Health Screening Reminder As part of our return to school process, please remember that the daily health screening must be completed for each student before they get on the school bus or enter school. The health screening is found in BravesSquare and can be accessed on a smartphone or web browser. Please complete this screening and if you answer yes to any question, please keep your child home from school. It takes less than ten seconds to submit the screening once you become familiar with the process and we really need your help because, for every person who forgets to submit it, we have to find them and screen them in school which becomes an inefficient use of time. These screenings only need to be done for your child (or as a staff) on the days you are physically on campus (for academics and/or extracurricular activities). School Picture Summary (update) CA/ CMS Cherry Cohort- Monday, September 14 & Tuesday, September 15 during PE CA/ CMS Gray Cohort- Thursday, September 24 & Friday, September 25 during PE PES Cherry Cohort- Monday, October 26 & Tuesday, October 27 PES Gray Cohort- Thursday, October 29 & Friday, October 30 Virtual students: Clix will be photographing those students who have chosen to learn 100% virtual from home at Canandaigua Academy (in the Field House) on 9/15 and 9/24 from 2:45 pm to 4 pm. Please make your appointment and be certain your child is camera ready when you arrive. Virtual students will have to complete the required health screening before having their picture taken at the field house. All picture information can be found here: https://www.canandaiguaschools.org/district/school-photos Athletics Wednesday evening, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) announced the statewide decision to delay football, cheerleading, and volleyball (fall sports) until 3/1/2021. Winter sports start and end time and spring sports start and end time are being adjusted to accommodate this change. More information is to follow in the coming days and weeks. Late today, students and parents of students in grades 7-12 will receive a message regarding the decision our league has made about modified, junior varsity, and varsity fall sports, not listed above and delayed by the state, and what their status will be for this fall season. Please be on the lookout for that information and prepare to register your student if he or she wishes to participate in any of the other fall sports which we are still able to offer as they are deemed to be lower risk sports by both state and national standards, involving less contact. In Summary Thank you so much for your support, grace, understanding, and togetherness. Our motto remains the same and it is a sentiment I hear over and over again from staff, students, and parents, because as a community, “we’ve still got this!” Stay well, be safe, and GO BRAVES! Sincerely, Jamie Farr Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District

September 10, 2020 - Food Service Update

Food Service Update

On August 31, 2020, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) extended a program allowing us to offer free breakfast and lunch to all Canandaigua City School District students. Students will be able to eat meals at no cost. This program is currently scheduled to run until December 31, 2020 or until federal funding is not available. At this time, this program is temporary. We ask that families who qualify for free and reduced meals still complete the forms and the information is used for different grants for the District and because this program is temporary.

During this school year, students will eat meals in various locations in our buildings due to social distancing guidelines. Only meals will be available this year and students will not have the opportunity for ala carte items.

Meal pick up is grab and go breakfast and lunch. This is available to students on school days they are not attending in our building. Virtual students can pick up meals on all school days, hybrid students can pick up meals on days they are remote learning, and students attending school four days during the week can pick meals up on Wednesdays.

Meal pick up will begin on Friday, September 11th from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Primary Entrance of the PES complex. Please enter off of Gibson Street. Meal pick up will continue each school day from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. When picking up meals, we will need your student’s meal ID# or first and last name.

Any questions, please contact 585.396.3700 or email foodservice@canandaiguaschools.org

September 9, 2020 - Directions for Student Learning on Friday, September 11

Good afternoon,

We are excited to welcome our students back to school. Our first day of school is Friday, September 11 for all students in the Canandaigua City School District. While school will not be in person on this day, all students will engage in activities remotely. These activities are intended to provide students with helpful information to start the school year and is applicable to both students attending in-person or virtually. The activities will not take the entire day to complete and students can complete them at their own pace. Students will find these activities located in Seesaw for grades UPK-2 and Schoology for Grades 3-12.

Directions for Students on Friday, September 11th

On Friday, students will need to login to their district issued device and will engage in self-directed activities designed by our staff. Student login information will be used to take attendance.

All UPK-12 students will need to:

Login to their device
Access BravesLink - Click here for BravesLink Click here: BravesLink Intro Video

Once logged in:

All Students in Grades UPK - 2 will:

Click here to access a video tutorial for how to use Seesaw.
Click on the Seesaw icon on your device in BravesLink.

Activities will be available for students to begin working on starting Friday morning at 8 am. The Seesaw activities for students to complete intend to help prepare them for the start of the school year.

All Students in Grades 3-12 will:

Click on the Schoology icon

Once logged in, look for the course: Welcome Back! The course will look like this:

On Friday, students will follow the directions to complete the activities that are organized inside the course. This will include videos, graphics, and activities intended to help prepare students for the start of the school year. Activities will be available for students to begin working on starting Friday morning at 8 am.

Ipad/Chromebook Pick up/ Exchange- See Technology Schedule for device exchange information

Pick up and drop off is located at the District Office, 143 North Pearl Street

Wednesday, September 10- 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Thursday, September 11- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Friday, September 12- 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tech Support

If you have any questions, please email techhelp@canandaiguaschools.org or call (585) 396-5790.

As a reminder, we begin our hybrid and virtual learning in earnest on Monday, September 14. The cherry cohort reports in-person for the first time on Monday, September 14 and the gray cohort reports in person on Thursday, September 17. On the days in which either cohort is not in person, they will engage in learning remotely on either Schoology for grades 3-12 or SeeSaw for grades UPK-2.

September 2, 2020 - Heath & Safety Update


	Back to School Health & Safety Update - Including Daily Health Screening Information Wednesday, September 2, 2020, Good afternoon, The main purpose of communication is to provide information on our health and safety plans for the 2020-2021 school year. Schedules/ placement information was distributed yesterday through BravesSquare and last week a transportation survey was sent to any family that indicated they would need transportation for the 2020-2021 school year. If you have questions about transportation, please call the transportation department (585) 396-3740. This week- Building Forums Click here: PES Forum Recording (from last night!) Click here: Middle School: Thursday, September 3, 2020 - 7:15 - 8:15 p.m. Click here: Canandaigua Academy: Thursday, September 3, 2020 - 6 - 7 p.m Below is health and safety information about the following topics: IMPORTANT: Daily Health Screening Face Covering Information & Resources Updated Cleaning Protocols Positive COVID Test Protocols Daily Health Screening Each morning before a student or staff member reports to one of our facilities, a daily health screening is required. This is set up through BravesSquare and needs to be completed by the student or parent prior to getting on the bus and/or arriving at school. The health screening needs to be completed only on days the student attends in person. On the web app, the daily health screening will appear at the bottom of the mobile device. The district will have a process for screening those who did not complete the health screening. The district will follow up with families to encourage and support completion at home. The health screening tool is available on both the phone application and the BravesSquare website through ParentSquare. For directions on how to complete the daily health screening, please view this video: Daily Health Screening Video. This feature in BravesSquare is now open and available for you to view. Please start using this for the daily health screening starting Tuesday, September 8 if you are coming to one of our buildings. Face Covering Information Students will be required to wear a face-covering for most of the day. They will remove it while eating breakfast or lunch. There will be mask relief areas where people are appropriately distanced and supervised. Students need to wear a face-covering when entering school each morning. Additionally, please pack an extra mask/ face covering. If they do not come to school with a mask/ face covering, one will be provided. Masks: The Finger Lakes Reopening Schools Safely Task Force ruled on Monday, August 31, 2020, that the following face coverings are *not* allowed in schools: Masks with exhalation valves Gaiters Bandanas Golisano Children's Hospital Mask Resources Click here: Mask Tool Kit- English Click here: Mask Tool Kit - Spanish (Note, Parent Square can translate posts into 105 languages) Cleaning Protocols - 2020 - 2021 School Year Classrooms Each classroom will be provided with a cleaning solution in a squirt bottle and cloths to wipe down surfaces after student or staff use Common Areas Building custodians will clean high touch surface areas in hallways such as doorknobs, railings, hallway bathrooms three times a day Restrooms Each restroom will be checked three times per day while school is in session to prevent garbage overflow, lack of soap, paper towels, toilet paper, or sanitary napkin dispenser overflow. Toilets, sinks, and shower areas will be disinfected three times a day, wearing proper PPE to avoid splashes High Touch Areas Cleaned & Disinfected, three times per day Sinks Faucets Soap dispensers Drinking fountains Door handles and push plates Light switches Handrails Other Cleaning Procedures All trash receptacles emptied and trash removed from the room Floors full mopped Doors and partitions in restrooms and locker rooms cleaned Walls are spot cleaned Check that toilets, faucets, and drains are working Check and empty sanitary napkin boxes Clean exterior of dispensers Make sure all windows are locked Re-stock all paper and soap products WEDNESDAYS & SATURDAYS - DEEP CLEANING = ELECTROSTATIC DISINFECTION Positive Screening/UPK – 12 Staff and Students Staff/Student has a temperature > 100 OR Exhibits symptoms of COVID-19: Fever, chills, shortness of breath, sore throat, loss of taste/smell, headache, cough, nasal congestions, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, fatigue, muscle aches, or body aches. Staff member and/or Student will remain home or be sent home and referred to primary care or other health care provider. HEALTH CARE PROVIDER FINDS ALTERNATIVE DIAGNOSIS: Alternative diagnosis such as strep, allergies, asthma, etc. Provider needs to write a note stating the alternative diagnosis and they believe it is appropriate for child to return to school Child needs to be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing meds and symptoms improving HEALTH CARE PROVIDER DOES NOT FIND ALTERNATIVE CAUSE FOR SYMPTOMS AND NO COVID TEST DONE: Child must be out of school for at least 10 days from first day symptoms appeared and 72 hours (days 8, 9, and 10) without fever-reducing meds Need note from healthcare provider stating that child can return to school TESTED FOR COVID, TEST IS NEGATIVE: Return to school in 24 hours if symptoms improve with no fever and no usage of fever reducing medications in that 24 hour period Need note from healthcare provider stating that child can return to school CONFIRMED POSITIVE COVID-19 TEST RESULT: Ontario County Public Health will place student in isolation, which lasts a minimum of 10 days. Need note from healthcare provider stating that child can return to school Prior to returning to school for any of the above scenarios, please contact the school nurse Find a COVID testing site: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/find-test-site-near-you Click here: Graphics in this slideshow and more: Health & Safety Protocols 2020-2021 Other info: Apparel Sale: Canandaigua Academy Student Government Apparel Sale Closes Sunday, September 27 Mask Sale: Mask Sale Closes Tuesday, September 8 Join PTSA: For just $5 you can join our Canandaigua Parent Teacher Association: Visit https://canandaigua.memberhub.store/ or email canandaiguaptsa@gmail.com for more information. Thank you for your continued patience and cooperation. We look forward to welcoming our staff back to school next week and starting the school year with our students. Caroline Chapman Director of Communications & Advisement

March-June Community Forums Hosted by Supt. Jamie Farr

August 2020 District Communications

August 28, 2020 - Building Forums 9/1 & 9/3 & School Picture Information

Canandaigua City School District Students, Parents, and Staff:

Join our building leaders for an informational meeting about the start of the 2020-2021 school year. The meetings will be a Zoom webinar format and only the district panelists are visible on the screen. The forums will be recorded and posted to the website the following morning: https://www.canandaiguaschools.org/district/coronavirus-info/re-opening-2020-2021.

Building Forum: Primary-Elementary School: Tuesday, September 1, 2020 - 6 to 7 p.m.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83978298327?pwd=d1EzY0RNd3ZwRzk0U1F6aGtuUXd2UT09

Passcode: 0P6fMB

Building Forum: Middle School: Thursday, September 3, 2020 - 7:15 - 8:15 p.m.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84749445127?pwd=RVZYRTVudFM0K0pudmp2SjhtcGdsdz09

Passcode: W6jP9N

Building Forum: Canandaigua Academy: Thursday, September 3, 2020 - 6 - 7 p.m.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83632078536?pwd=U3BrcEhtT2F4d3JlRWs5Rzc4SjN5QT09

Passcode: 3GR4jq

School Picture Day Information

In-Person Students
Click here for flyer: Canandaigua Academy
Dates: In PE on September 14, 15, 24, 25

Click here for flyer: Canandaigua Middle School
Dates: In PE on September 14, 15, 24, 25

Click here for flyer: Canandaigua Primary-Elementary School
Dates: October 26, 27, 29, 30

Virtual Students
Clix Sign up Virtual Student Sign Up Information

Just because your child may not be in the classroom doesn't mean they should miss out on having their picture in the yearbook, class composites, and that photographic memory to share with family and friends. CLIX wants every child represented in the yearbook, class composites, etc. so for those families that have selected on-line learning CLIX is offering to have their students' images taken at our location at no cost. It's simple, fast and Clix will be certain the school receives your child's image to be included in all the photographic keepsakes that the school provides- Sign up Link *

*If virtual students are unable to work out a time with Clix, we will reevaluate at the school year progresses how we can include the virtual students who did not sign up through Clix.

Note: The links listed here are through Clix Portrait Studios and not the Canandaigua City School District. We are not responsible for the content of their site. Clix Portrait Studio - (585) 338-2521; we encourage orders to be placed online. Thank you!

August 24, 2020 - Conference Days/ First Day of School Change and Athletics Update

Today's Communication includes information on two important items:
1. An adjustment to the opening week of school
2. Governor Cuomo's announcement regarding athletics

Good afternoon,

I hope this email finds you well and that you are enjoying these beautiful August days.

An Adjustment to the Opening Week of School

I am writing to update you on a change to our Superintendent Conference Days and the first days of school. Wednesday, September 9, and Thursday, September 10 will now be Superintendent Conference Days. Friday, September 11 is a remote/virtual learning day for all students in the District and the first official day of school. Students will report in person, for the first time on Monday, September 14 for the cherry cohort. Students will report in person for the first time on Thursday, September 17 for the gray cohort.

Due to the continued preparation for the start of the school year and the readjustments to lesson planning caused by the hybrid model, the conference days were reallocated from October and March to allow the two additional conference days at the start of the year. Therefore, the originally planned Superintendent Conference Days on October 23rd and on March 12th are switched to instructional school days.

Students attending either the BOCES FLTCC program begin on Wednesday, September 9. Students who attend an out of district special education program will begin on the start date that has been communicated to families. Hybrid students who are participating in our 8:1:1 or 12:1:1 special classes, English Language Learners (ELL), and students who attend the Canandaigua Academic and Career Center will begin in-person learning on Monday, September 14.

Cherry Cohort- Generally students with last names A-K

Gray Cohort- Generally students with last names L-Z

*Those who requested special cohort adjustments will be notified if we were able to accommodate your request shortly.

I know this change may pose a challenge for some but we simply needed to make the decision to fully prepare for an effective reopening and provide our staff with sufficient training and support. Ultimately, because we moved conference days, no instructional time was lost and many may realize that approaching it this way, instructional time will be maximized as staff will have been afforded sufficient time to prepare. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Governor Cuomo's Announcement Regarding Athletics

Governor Cuomo announced today that lower-risk sports may begin to practice and compete beginning September 21st in all regions across New York State while sports which are considered higher-risk with full physical contact may only begin practicing on September 21st. We are still awaiting much greater detail about this decision (including the comprehensive classification of higher-risk versus lower-risk sports) and hope to be able to share further information with you in the coming days.

In Summary

As we've said all along, information changes continually and we need to remain positioned to be nimble so we can monitor and adjust as more information is made available. Be well and remain safe.

Thank you,

Jamie Farr
Superintendent of Schools
Canandaigua City School District

August 18, 2020 - Updates on Reopening

Tuesday, August 18, 2020

As the Canandaigua City School District continues to plan for the start of the 2020-2021 school year, we wanted to update you on some important information and answer some more questions we have heard from our school community. Please continue to refer to our website for additional information.

Today’s updates include:

Schedules & Placement for the 2020-2021 school year
Calendar Information
The First Day of School
School Supplies Lists
School Hours
Transportation
Athletics
PTSA Meeting- Tuesday, August 25
Questions? Where to look, who to ask

Schedules & Placement

Thank you for completing the preference survey. Our building administrative teams and counselors are reworking the master schedules to set up the virtual classes and to rebalance the hybrid classes. We anticipate that schedules and teacher assignments will be released electronically around Tuesday, September 1. While we realize this is later than ever, many factors go into making our schedule and require the reworking and evaluation of learning plans for over 3,000 students. We appreciate your patience as we work through the changes.

Calendar Information

The District paper calendar is at the printer and should be in mailboxes at the end of next week. The calendar also includes important information related to school policies and the free/ reduced lunch application. We tried to leave as many events as possible scheduled on the calendar. Based on current guidance from the Department of Health, some of these events will not take place. However, if the guidance changes, we want to have our important school events and traditions scheduled. All the events are tentative and subject to change. The most updated calendar will be available on our website’s calendar page: https://www.canandaiguaschools.org/district/calendar

A few major events that will not be able to happen this year and are not listed on the calendar:

The 8th grade Washington, DC Trip- Due to the current social distancing concerns and the need to collect money in advance for the trip, we have decided to cancel the 8th grade Washington, DC trip

Homecoming- Due to the large crowds that gather at all our Homecoming events and the fact that athletics are delayed until at least September 21st, we are unable to have Homecoming this year. We have an outstanding Canandaigua Athletics Hall of Fame class to induct and that will be pushed back to the fall of 2021. This includes not hosting pep rallies and homecoming dance. We realize this is disappointing news for our students and school community. We are disappointed that we cannot celebrate Homecoming and look forward to when we can hold events to celebrate our school and our students.

See the August 24 Communication for this update

~~The First Day of School~~

The First Day of School is Wednesday, September 9. Since Wednesdays are days which no students report in person, all students in Grades 1- 12 will have remote instruction related to the start of the school year on Wednesday, September 9. The first day of school for students in Grades UPK, K is Thursday, September 10.

~~The first-day students who chose the Hybrid model report are as follows:~~

~~Cohort 1- We are going to call this the Cherry Cohort- The first day they report in person is Monday, September 14. Generally, these are students with the last name A-K.~~

~~Cohort 2- We are going to call this the Gray Cohort- The first day they report in person is Thursday, September 10. Generally, these are students with the last name L-Z~~

~~Virtual learners will go through an orientation on Wednesday, September 9 and synchronous virtual learning will begin on Thursday, September 10.~~

School Supplies Lists

While there may be some slight variation in supplies, our teachers are trying to stick to the lists that were distributed regardless if a student is doing hybrid or virtual learning. The lists can be found on our website: School Supplies Lists 2020-2021

School Hours

As we start back to school, we just want to remind families of our school hours. School hours have not changed from last year.

Canandaigua Primary-Elementary School:

8:40 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.

Arrival Window: 8:30-9 a.m / Dismissal: 3:05-3:30 p.m.

Canandaigua Middle School:

7:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.

The building is open at 7 a.m. for drop off/ All students leave the building at dismissal

Canandaigua Academy:

7:35 a.m. - 2:24 p.m.

The building is open at 7 a.m. for drop off/ All students leave the building at dismissal

Canandaigua Academic & Career Center:

7:35 a.m. - 2:24 p.m.

We continue to work out traffic patterns and please look for communications from buildings related to drop off/ pick up procedures.

Transportation

For those who requested transportation as part of the learning preference survey, you will receive the transportation form this week through email. If you have any questions specifically related to transportation, please contact the bus garage directly at (585) 396-3740.

Athletics

All Fall 2020 interscholastic athletics are on 'PAUSE' until at least 9/21/2020. When we receive more information related to resuming athletics, we will update our registration process and you will be notified via BravesSquare. Thank you for your patience. Here is the statement related to Fall Sports Registration from our league: MCPSAC Fall 2020 Information

Canandaigua Parent - Teacher - Student Association

The first meeting of the Canandaigua PTSA is Tuesday, August 25 at 6 p.m. through Zoom- Click here to join the Zoom on August 25; Passcode: 9EULeF

This meeting will be centered around the PTSA’s role for the coming school year and officers will be elected. If you have any questions related to the PTSA meeting, please contact our current PTSA president, Leslie Mast: tetonius@gmail.com. Thank you to the PTSA for supporting our school community!

Questions?

If you have specific questions related to the return to school, please contact your child’s school directly. All information related to reopening can be found on our website: Reopening Page. This page is continuously updated and includes:

Frequently Asked Questions
The District’s Reopening Handbook
Building reopening plans that were submitted to New York State
Links to all COVID 19 Communications, Mental Health Resources, and the 2020-2021 school calendar

Additionally, all past communications can be searched in the toolbar at the top of the BravesSquare app or website. On the app click the magnifying glass to search. On the website, there is a search box in the black bar at the top of the window. You can search by keyword, the date of a post, the name of the sender, etc. Check out this feature of BravesSquare and download the app today.

Have a great day,

Caroline Chapman

Director of Communications & Advisement

Canandaigua City School District

(585) 396-3714

August 18, 2020 - Community Forum Recording

August 13, 2020 - Community Forum Recording

August 11, 2020 - Community Forum Recording

August 10, 2020 - Forum Links & Preference Survey Reminder

Monday, August 10, 2020,

Good afternoon,

I hope everyone enjoyed the nice weather over the weekend. Thank you to the families who have completed the return to learn preference survey. This information is very important as we schedule our students and staff for the fall semester. If you have not completed the survey, please try to do so by Wednesday, August 12 at 1 p.m.

In today’s communication you will find the following information:

Links to Staff & Community Forums
Reminder about resources available
Return to Learn Survey- Please complete by Wednesday, August 12 at 1 p.m.

Forum Links & Information:

Staff Forum: Tuesday, August 11 - 3 p.m.

Parent/ Community Forum: Tuesday, August 11 - 6 p.m.

Parent/ Community Forum: Thursday, August 13 - 3 p.m.

Parent/ Community Forum: Tuesday, August 18- 12 p.m.

For both forums on Tuesday, August 11, Superintendent Jamie Farr will be joined by:

Emily Bonadonna, Canandaigua Primary School Principal
Brian Amesbury, Canandaigua Elementary School Principal
John Arthur, Canandaigua Middle School Principal
Marissa Logue, Canandaigua Academy Principal
Stephanie Knapp, Director of Special Programs
Matt Schrage, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction

Each of these forums will be recorded and linked to our website. During the forum, the panelists will address frequently asked questions and answer questions from the audience.

Resources Available:

Our website is being continuously updated with resources. Check out our reopening page for more information including the frequently asked questions document and the return to learn handbook. If you have any questions related to reopening, please direct them to this form. Sending questions to this form allows us to update the FAQ and direct questions to the building administrators.

Return to Learn Survey:

It is important that we have the reply for the return to learn survey for each of your children by Wednesday, August 12 at 1 p.m. As we plan to reopen schools in about a month, this information is needed to create schedules and for placement. The survey was sent directly to your email on Friday, August 7 and can be accessed through BravesSquare (directions are below).

Thank you for your patience as we continue to follow the guidelines from NYSED and the Department of Health. We look forward to supporting our students in September.

Sincerely,

Caroline Chapman

Director of Communications & Advisement

Canandaigua City School District

Directions for accessing the preference survey:

● You will receive a survey for each of your children.

● The easiest way to access the survey is to click on the link that was sent by email.

● BravesSquare will ask you to re-authenticate your login information when you click on the link to the secure survey.

● If you are looking at the survey on a mobile phone, the survey will be listed under “More and Student Notices” for each of your students.

● If you are looking at the survey on a laptop, Chromebook, or desktop via the website, the survey will be listed under “Secure Docs” for each of your students. It is important you are on the homepage to view the survey. Click home to get back to the home screen in BravesSquare.

● Please make sure to complete the survey for each of your children that attend the Canandaigua City School District by 1 p.m. on Wednesday, August 12. This information is very important as we plan the 2020-2021 school year.

● If you have any questions or trouble accessing the survey, please contact portalhelp@canandaiguaschools.org.

ccsd 20-21 preference survey please complete the survey for each child by wednesday, august 12 at 1 pm the survey is accessed in secure docs in braves square. questions? contact portalhelp@canandaiguaschools.org

August 7, 2020 - Preference Survey Information

Friday, August 7, 2020,

Good afternoon Braves Families,

I trust this message finds you well, having enjoyed such a beautiful week filled with blue skies and comfortable temperatures. Today’s communication will be fairly straightforward and will include:

The Canandaigua City School District Reopening Handbook
20-21 Preference Survey Information
Required Forums per Governor Cuomo

Handbook

Thank you to the many contributors who created this document. There have been many iterations and adjustments made throughout the planning process. In all, we have taken the feedback from hundreds of stakeholders (staff, student, parents, and community members) and created a plan which best meets the needs of our community while simultaneously adhering to the NYS Department of Health and the NYS Education Department Guidance documents.

The Canandaigua City School District Reopening Handbook can be found by clicking here and it is also available on our website now as well. Please keep in mind that while comprehensive, we are aware that the handbook probably does not answer each and every question you may have. There are so many details associated with the work ahead. As we learn more, we will update the document and we will also update our FAQ which can also be found on our website.

Making Your Selection

Please spend time reviewing the handbook and FAQ document so you can make the most informed and best decision for your family and each of your children. You will receive a separate email (similar to the survey you took previously about reopening which helped to guide our decisions) with a survey for each of your children. You will need to fill out the survey for each child. Some of the questions are a repeat from the previous survey but now that the decision is more formal, we need to solidify our data.

Directions for accessing the preference survey:

● You will receive a survey for each of your children.

● The easiest way to access the survey is to click on the link that was sent by email.

● BravesSquare will ask you to re-authenticate your login information when you click on the link to the secure survey.

● If you are looking at the survey on a mobile phone, the survey will be listed under “More and Student Notices” for each of your students.

● If you have any questions or trouble accessing the survey, please contact portalhelp@canandaiguaschools.org.

Remember, you are selecting between fully virtual learning for the first semester of the school year or in-person for that same timespan. In-person could be fully in-person five days a week, or a hybrid with two days of in-person instruction and three days of remote instruction per week, or fully remote five days a week all depending on the guidance documents we must adhere to. Currently if you select in-person, we will be opening the school year in a hybrid model. This could change throughout the course of the semester if the guidance information from the state changes and becomes less or more restrictive. Our goal for the in-person selection is to return students fully as soon as safe and possible.

We ask that you make your selections by Wednesday, August 12th at 1 p.m.. This is important to give our team enough time to make staffing and scheduling adjustments prior to the start of the school year. If we do not hear from you and your selections, we will continue to reach out in other formats however, if we are unsuccessful in reaching you, the default selection will be in-person. Thank you for understanding.

Required Forums

Today, August 7th, of 2020, Governor Cuomo announced that we are now required to host three parent/guardian forums and one staff forum to explain our reopening plans and field questions. Even though we have already hosted several forums, we will schedule more as per his requirement. We will advertise the links to join the forums widely next week but so you can mark your calendars, our forums will take place over Zoom, as we have in the past, at these times and dates:

● Staff Forum - 8/11/2020 at 3 p.m.

● Parent/Guardian Forum #1 - 8/11/2020 at 6 p.m.

● Parent/Guardian Forum #2 - 8/13/2020 at 3 p.m.

● Parent/Guardian Forum #3 - 8/18/2020 at noon

In Summary

We fully acknowledge that none of this is ideal. Ideal would be the safe and complete return to the old normal. Sadly, that is not yet our reality so it is on us, as a community, to make the very best of this challenging situation. My years of experience reveals that the experience children have largely depends on the attitude, perspective, and approach which the adults around the children display towards the situation. Learning happens in many ways. Sometimes it is through explicit, direct teaching and sometimes it is through observation. We have a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate to our students and your children, how a community can overcome adversity, find avenues to improve, and work together with intent, understanding, and compassion even during a difficult and stressful time in our lives. These lessons, perhaps more valuable than most, will be carried with our learners into adulthood. What a great opportunity and responsibility we have.

Go Braves, with Sincerity and the Utmost Respect,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District

August 4, 2020 - Preference Survey Delayed

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Dear Braves Family,

As we continue to work through the many parts of our back to school planning, we have decided to push back the survey asking for your preference of virtual learning vs. in-person learning. This survey will now be distributed on Friday, August 7 and we ask that it is completed by Wednesday, August 12 at 1 p.m. Governor Cuomo is scheduled to release more information this week related to the reopening of schools and since that information could impact a family's decision, we have decided to wait to ask for your preference. A handbook with further information about reopening schools will be distributed with the survey on Friday. At this time, our in-person learning option is the hybrid structure we have previously communicated. This is based on our current interpretation of the Department of Health and New York State Education Department Reopening Guidelines. If you choose the in-person model, students report to school two days a week and learn remotely three days a week until further notice.

Based on feedback from last Friday’s communication and snapshots of our plans, we have developed the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document that is now included on the reopening page of the district’s website. This document will be updated daily when new questions are asked. If you have questions related to reopening, please direct them to this form: Reopening Questions Form.

Thank you for your continued patience as we work to safely reopen schools for our community.

Jamie Farr, Superintendent of Schools

Canandaigua City School District

July 2020 District Communications

July 31, 2020 - Reopening Plans submitted to the State and Snapshots Available

Friday, July 31, 2020

Dear Braves Family,

As we look forward to the weekend and the start of August, I hope this communication finds you well. I’m certain you are aware, much work is happening as we prepare for reopening despite regularly changing guidance interpretations. We will continue to give careful consideration and evaluate the provided guidance information from both the New York State Department of Health / Office of the Governor and the New York State Education Department. Making decisions and keeping an eye on doing what is best for our students, the staff, and our community is our priority.

This afternoon we want to distribute information that will help you make an informed decision related to your preference for your child’s return to learning in September. The District continues to review guidelines from New York State and develop plans to help our students return to learning. This communication includes a great deal of important information, so please review carefully.

Included in today’s communication:

Reopening Plans
Snapshots of what these models will look like for each of our buildings
Information about the upcoming preference survey - the survey will be distributed on August 4 and preferences need to be completed by Tuesday, August 11 and an even more detailed Reopening Handbook will be distributed with the survey on August 4.

Reopening Plans

Today, the Canandaigua City School District submitted our reopening plans to New York State. The detailed plans can be found here: https://www.canandaiguaschools.org/district/coronavirus-info/re-opening-2020-2021

Our families will have the opportunity to pick one of two preferences for each of their children for the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year. The first semester ends on January 29, 2021. The first preference choice is virtual learning. The other preference choice is in person learning, which based on current guidelines is a hybrid model. In the hybrid model, students will come to our school buildings two days each week to learn. The students will learn remotely the other three days each week. Both of these preference choices are outlined in the documents below for each building. Remember, the in person option could be a full return, Monday-Friday for students, a hybrid, or fully remote and this is entirely based on the guidance we must follow coming out of Albany. Again, based on current guidance, if you choose the in person model, it will be hybrid until further notice.

If you have questions about the terminology used in the documents, please refer to these definitions.

Commonly used Terms in our Reopening Plans

Snapshots of Reopening Plans

In an effort to streamline the information, we have created a snapshot of how virtual learning and hybrid learning will be structured in each building. Our hope is that this information helps you select a preference that is right for your child. Click on the link to learn more about the two preference choices in each of our buildings:

Canandaigua Primary-Elementary School

Canandaigua Middle School

Canandaigua Academy

Preference Survey

The survey will be distributed on Tuesday, August 4 through BravesSquare. A detailed reopening handbook will be distributed with the survey which will provide even more information to assist in selecting your preference. Preferences need to be completed by Tuesday, August 11. This deadline is very important as our team will need to relook at placement and student schedules before school starts.

If you should have any questions related to the plans, please submit them through this form:

Reopening 2020 - 2021 Question Form.

I hope you have a great weekend, Braves family.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of Schools, Canandaigua City School District

July 28, 2020 - Draft Reopening Plans Released

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Dear Braves Family,

At our staff and community forums yesterday I shared the status of our draft reopening plans and fielded questions for the nearly 900 people who attended. Our administrative team continues to review the guidance from New York State and adjust our plans to create a learning environment both in compliance with the guidance documents while at the same time, trying to make a plan which is responsible for our students, families, and staff. Included in today’s post:

Draft Reopening Plan
Option 1- Virtual Learning
Option 2- In-Person Learning
More information & Future Updates

Draft Reopening Plans

Last night, we released our initial draft plan to our school community and while I wish we could all return in person, based on how our district can meet the guidelines provided by New York State, that is not possible at this time. In the graphic above you will see that families have two choices. Below are explanations about these choices. At the end of the week, we will release more information to help you make your choice for the 2020-2021 school year and we will ask you to make your choice next week through a separate communication. Families can choose which option will work best for each of their children.

Option 1: Virtual Learning

In the Virtual Learning Model, a student opts into online learning for the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year. The semester ends on Friday, January 29, 2021. In this model, 100% of instruction is done remotely and there will be increased rigor from remote learning during the COVID closure last spring. Any student/family that selects this option will have the same expectations for daily attendance, assignment deadlines, grading, and assessments aligned with in-person instruction as those selecting the in-person option. Our plan is to reallocate teaching staff to facilitate learning in a virtual environment. This will include a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning for students.

*Students/families selecting this option may not have the same course offerings available to them, as those that choose the in-person learning option. Students who choose a virtual option can participate in extracurricular activities, provided they occur.*

Option 2: In-Person Learning

Option 2, In-Person Learning, represents a range of options for families that are intended to be responsive to changes related to the status of COVID-19 in NYS. While our goal is to provide students with daily instruction in person, the current Department of Health (DOH) and New York State Department of Education (NYSED) guidelines call for the use of masks for students and staff and social distancing measures or barriers in all buildings.

In order to meet the guidance provided to us by DOH and NYSED, we need to engage in a hybrid model of attendance and instruction to ensure that we are meeting these expectations (area highlighted in yellow in the above graphic). In this model, students will attend school on set days of the week and engage in remote learning on the other days of the week and will be divided into cohorts.

Students will be divided into cohorts and will attend school and engage in learning as outlined below:

UPK-12 students last name A-K:

Attend school on Monday and Tuesday each week and will engage remotely Wednesday-Friday

UPK-12 students last name L-Z:

Attend school on Thursday and Friday each week and will engage remotely Monday-Wednesday

When learning remotely on specified days, students will engage with teachers and peers using a combination of asynchronous and synchronous activities and will access learning from home.

For those selecting the in-person learning option, our model will change if guidance changes at the state level. For example, we could return to daily in-person instruction if expectations for mask-wearing and social distancing are relaxed. However, much like last spring, the Governor may direct school buildings to close as a result of increased infection rates.

*NYSED has indicated that districts make special accommodations to support certain populations of students. Specifically, those in self-contained models of Special Education and students designated as English Language Learners will attend in person more frequently than those students without these specific designations.*

More Information & Future Updates

We will continue to communicate through BravesSquare and update the reopening page on our website. At the end of this week, we will share more information about what virtual learning and in-person learning will look like when we return in September.

Slides from Last Night’s Draft Reopening Plan Presentation- July 27, 2020

Community Forum Zoom Recording from Draft Reopening Plan Presentation- July 27, 2020

If you have any specific questions related to our reopening plans and would like them answered during tonight’s board meeting which you can watch on our Youtube channel, please email: TalktotheBoard@canandaiguaschools.org in advance. The Board of Education is having a special meeting today, Tuesday, July 28 at 4:30 p.m. During this meeting, the Board of Education will answer questions submitted through to the email address. For the meeting link and more information, please visit:

Canandaigua City School District Board of Education Webpage

In Conclusion

Please know that while this plan is a draft and we will need to be nimble moving through the different models of in-person learning, We will provide more information about the two options later this week that will help families learn more information to help them reach an informed decision for each of their children. I know this plan provides challenges and your continued patience, feedback, and support are greatly appreciated.

Thank you, be well, stay safe, and Go Braves!

Jamie Farr

Superintendent, Canandaigua City School District

July 23, 2020 - Survey & Community Forum Information

Thursday, July 23, 2020

Greetings, Braves Family,

I hope this email finds you well and remaining safe. We wanted to share important updates with you. This email contains important information as the Canandaigua City School District continues to plan for the 2020-2021 school year. Included in today’s email:

Survey Information- Please complete for each of your children who attend CCSD by 12 p.m. on Monday, July 27, 2020
Community & Staff Forum Links for Monday, July 27, 2020
Mask / Neck Gaiter order link
Commencement video release information - Thursday, July 30 at 7 p.m.

Survey

Over the past week, our Canandaigua City School District administrative team has been reviewing documents from the New York State Education Department and the Department of Health-related to reopening school for the 2020-2021 school year. As we continue to determine the plans for our school community, we need your input on a survey related to some important topics. The surveys will be distributed in a separate email through BravesSquare Secure Docs. Please complete the survey for each of your children that attend the Canandaigua City School District by noon on Monday, July 27.

Directions for accessing the survey:

You will receive a survey for each of your children
BravesSquare will ask you to re-authenticate your login information when you click on the link to the secure survey
If you are looking at the survey on a mobile phone, the survey will be listed under “More and Student Notices” for each of your students.
If you are looking at the survey on a laptop, Chromebook, or desktop via the website, the survey will be listed under “Secure Docs” for each of your students.
Please make sure to complete the survey for each of your children that attend the Canandaigua City School District.

The first question asks about your preference for the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year related to your child’s return to learning. We understand that you will have questions about what in-person learning and virtual learning look like. However, at this time we just need to know what you would be leaning toward if you were given the opportunity to choose. Please know that you are not making this decision nor committing to it at this time for the fall, we are simply looking to gauge where the community stands on this topic should we be able to provide a choice. Additionally, our opening plans will be directly related to the guidance from Governor Cuomo, the New York State Department of Health, and the New York State Department of Education. As I have noted before, this guidance continues to change.

Our goal is to see where our school community stands overall to help guide our planning. Additionally, we are asking important questions related to transportation and technology/connectivity as well. Thank you in advance for completing this important survey.

Community Forums

On Monday, July 27, I will host two forums related to reopening in which I will share the information I have about the 2020-2021 school year.

Staff Forum Link - Monday, July 27 - 3 p.m.

Community Forum Link - Monday, July 27 - 7 p.m.

Mask / Gaiter Orders

Lastly, we had many requests about ordering masks and neck gaiters therefore, the store has been reopened until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, July 27. Neck gaiters may be preferred by some as when not in use, they go around a person’s neck and are much easier to keep track of and not easily lost.

CA Masks/ Neck Gaiters Link

If you have questions about the masks, please direct them to the vendor, BSN Sports, orders@fastlaneaa.com. Please allow four to five weeks for delivery due to high demand.

Commencement Video

In other exciting news, our graduation video will be released Thursday, July 30 at 7 p.m. on the District’s YouTube Channel. I look forward to sharing more images and a video of our celebrations for the Class of 2020 with our school community.

Thank you for your continued support, patience, and flexibility as we plan for the upcoming school year. Be well, stay safe, and Go Braves!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr, Superintendent of Schools

Canandaigua City School District

July 16, 2020 - NYSPHSAA Update on Fall Sports

July 16, 2020

Dear Braves Family,

I write today to give an update related to fall sports. We learned just this afternoon that the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) officers announced plans to prepare for condensed fall athletic seasons beginning on September 21st of 2020 and cancelled all fall regional and state championships. Here is a link to the press release from NYSPHSAA:

July 16- NYSPHSAA To Delay Fall Sports Start Date & Cancel Fall Championships

I share in the disappointment which this news brings many of you and I remain hopeful for the day we can safely return to play and competition. A sure sign of the new school year, and a highlight for me, is taking in all the wonderful competitions which occur in late August / early September along with the excitement associated with the return of our student-athletes, coaching staff, and parents. The Canandaigua City School District has long stood for educating the whole-child and a large part of that also includes extracurricular activities.

Our athletic director, Jim Simmons, also shares in the disappointment related to this news, “Our student-athletes and coaches have worked tirelessly to prepare for the fall season. We are hopeful that our coaches and athletes can begin training and competing as soon as possible. We continue to follow the guidance from NYSPHSAA and the Governor and will keep you posted on any changes.”

Although our facilities remain closed for athletics and extracurricular activities, including organized outside groups, we evaluate, on an ongoing basis, our plans based on guidance and recommendations which come to us from the Governor’s office.

We continue to seek guidance and develop draft plans on the reopening of school in September. This process includes Zoom meetings with hundreds of district stakeholders occurring this week. A presentation of our draft plans to the community and staff will occur on Monday, July 27th. Please stay tuned for information specific to how you can watch the forum presentation.

We thank you for your patience and understanding during these challenging and emotional times. Until our next communication, stay safe, be well, and Go Braves!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District

July 9, 2020 -Planning for the Fall of 2020

Greetings, Braves Family,

I trust this communication finds you well and staying safe. I wanted to communicate with you to provide an update specific to the developments associated with our reopening planning for the fall of 2020. You may have recently heard Governor Cuomo state that he has asked school districts to submit their reopening plans for approval. Like many events of the past few months, I learned about the submission of plans during the Governor's press conference. At this point, what was stated at the Governor's press conference is all I know. We have received no guidance on where to submit plans and what should be included in these plans to this point.

Regardless, we have been compiling thoughts specific to reopening plans. As you may recall, in early June, we sent all students, staff, and parents a Thoughtexchange and asked for your feedback specific to what went well during the closure, what challenges you faced during the closure, and what ideas you might have to improve upon should we need to operate in a remote learning environment again in the future. We had thousands of thoughts shared and well over twenty thousand interactions with those thoughts which provided valuable and useful information.

From there, our leadership team has begun to brainstorm reopening plans, concepts, thoughts, and concerns based on four contingency levels:

Contingency Plan 1 - Full reopening with in-person instruction

Contingency Plan 2 - Full reopening with in-person instruction with provisions for immunocompromised students and staff

Contingency Plan 3 - A hybrid model with a combination of in-person and remote learning with a reduced capacity of people in our school buildings

Contingency Plan 4 - Remote learning

In theory, our movement between each of these contingency plans would be nimble and based on data specific to hospitalization and infection rates. Not having any direction from the Governor’s office specific to what he may or may not be looking for in reopening plans caused us to want to cover all possible scenarios. In fact, this approach, developed by the Canandaigua City School District, has now been adopted by the entire Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES region consisting of 26 school districts.

With each of these contingency plans, we must analyze all parts of our programming, along with adding additional cleaning and safety protocols plus much more (transportation, extracurricular activities, food service, etc.). Our current planning is nothing more than brainstorming as we were hopeful we would be given guidance. We will need your help as we understand that our plans for the fall will have a significant impact on our community. We learned yesterday that on Monday, July 13th, we will receive some state-level guidance and we will have until July 31st to create and submit our plans. As you might guess, this does not leave us much time so we will need to move quickly yet thoughtfully. To that point, the following is our planning process in chronological order:

The Board of Education reviews ThoughtExchange feedback and provides input on draft contingency thoughts created by the administrative team.

The central office management team meets with union leadership to review what we have at this point to receive their feedback.

Focus groups will be set up to provide input on the plans (staff, students, parents, community members) Click here to sign up for a focus group.

Staff: If you signed up for the Return to Learn committee through Matt Schrage, you are already signed up to participate. If you are a staff member who is interested in participating in a focus group and did not sign up for the Return to Learn committee, please click the link above. Students, parents, and community members can sign up using the link above as well.

Administrative leadership team creates a draft plan based on feedback from steps 1-3.

Community forum presentations on draft plans through Zoom Webinar.

Finalize and submit plans to New York State by July 31st.

The Governor’s office did also announce that they plan on giving specific communication about if schools are reopening by the week of August 7. At that time, we will use his announcement and our plans to move forward for the 2020 - 2021 school year.

We are aware that other school districts are sending detailed surveys. We have held off a little because we want to be certain we are asking the right questions. As you can see, there will be opportunities for input. Please stay tuned to BravesSquare as that is how we will be communicating this additional information.

Please also understand that this is a very heavy lift during unusual circumstances. No matter what decisions are made, it will be nearly impossible to please everyone. For example, if we return to school fully, someone will be upset. If we don’t return to school, someone will be upset. If we are required to wear masks, someone will be upset. If we are not required to wear masks, someone will be upset. Regardless, it is important to know that we continue to listen intently, make decisions with care, and always do what is best for our students given the information we have.

Until our next communication, be well, stay safe, and Go Braves!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District

Welcome Kindergarten & UPK Families- be sure to download the BravesSquare to your phone. Contact portalhelp@canandaiguaschools.org if you have any questions.

July 1, 2020 - Summer Meals, School Supplies, and more!

Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Good afternoon, Braves Family,

I hope you are well and ready for the holiday weekend. As a disclaimer, we understand this information is going out to our graduating seniors and their families as well. Our BravesSquare program rollover is next week and seniors and their families (if they have no more children in our school) will be removed from District-wide communications at that time. We will still be able to send targeted communications to the Class of 2020 if needed. Additionally, incoming UPK and K students are not uploaded yet and we will send this message to them separately next week after the rollover.

The 2019-2020 school year is in the books and is surely one we will not soon forget. We have made it to July and I hope everyone is enjoying the nice weather. I had a few updates I wanted to share with you related to events over the summer.

Summer Meal Information
Summer Meal Volunteer Information
Welcome new staff/ new roles in the District
School Supplies & The Spot School Supplies Event
Summer Communication

Summer Meal Information

The Canandaigua City School District is participating in the Summer Food Service Program. Meals will be provided to all children without charge. Grab and go meals are available on weekdays between July 6 and August 14 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Note- this is a time change from when we served meals during the school year. Pick up of breakfast and lunch is available at the Primary-Elementary School entrance off of West Gibson Street. If you have any questions about summer meals, please call (585) 396-3742.

If you responded yes to the previous meal survey about delivery, please click here to finalize your delivery information at this link- Meal Delivery Form.

Summer Meal Distribution Volunteers

We are looking for two volunteers to help distribute the meals each weekday from July 6 to August 14 from 10:45 a.m. to 12 noon. Click here to sign up: Meal Distribution Sign Up

New Positions / Welcome to Mrs. Marissa Logue!

Today, July 1, we welcome Mrs. Marissa Logue as the principal of Canandaigua Academy. A member of the Canandaigua Academy Class of 1996, Mrs. Logue returns to CA with experience as a math teacher and administrator in Florida, Massachusetts, and most recently the Rush-Henrietta School District. We are excited for our school community to meet Mrs. Logue and if we cannot meet in person, we will hold a community forum online to introduce her. Mrs. Logue’s email address is loguem@canandaiguaschools.org.

Here is a short video introducing Mrs. Logue to our students, parents, staff, and community!

Congratulations to Mr. Vern Tenney as he transitions to his new position at District Office as the Director of Student and Administrative Services. Mr. Tenney has served as the Academy Principal for the past eight years and has worked for the district for 20 years. As Director of Student and Administrative Services, he will oversee many important operations at the Canandaigua City School District, including working as the District Safety Administrator, Coordinator of Student Registration, DASA Coordinator, coordinating our Mental Health Staff, leading our Equity and Inclusion initiatives, and more. Mr. Tenney is the main contact for mental health moving forward. Mr. Tenney can be contacted at tenneyv@canandaiguaschools.org.

We are excited to announce that Dr. Katie McFarland will be the Director of the Canandaigua Academic and Career Center. Dr. McFarland will lead the CACC and also is the Director of Professional Development and Instructional Technology. Dr. McFarland can be reached by email at mcfarlandk@canandaiguaschools.org.

Both Mr. Tenney and Dr. McFarland are not new faces here in the Canandaigua City School District however, they are both moving into new roles as a result of a retirement and a slight re-alignment of duties among the administrative team. Our leadership team remains the same size as it was this past year.

School Supplies

The 2020 - 2021 School Supplies information is available on our website. As we start to plan for the 2020-2021 school year, we know there is obviously some uncertainty. The supplies lists reflect the needs at each grade level and if you have any questions, please contact the building your child attends directly. Click here: School Supplies Lists 2020-2021

The Primary-Elementary School and the Middle School have worked with the company School Kidz to set up supply kits. Orders are due by July 10 and the boxes will be delivered directly to school. This is an easy, convenient, and more cost effective way to purchase school supplies if you so choose. Click here to order: School Kidz School Supplies

Code for the Primary-Elementary School: 39231

Code for the Middle School: 75763

The Spot Back to School Bash

The Spot continues to help support our school community in many ways. We are so thankful to have this resource for our families. They go above and beyond to support our students, parents, and teachers!

Registration for The Spot Back to School Bash is now open! This free event will take place on August 22 at the PES and is open to Canandaigua UPK-12 students in need of assistance with back to school supplies. Please visit www.thespotcanandaigua.org for more information and to sign up. Registration is required and limited to the first 400 students. This will be a drive through event and there are many differences from last year so please read the registration and event details thoroughly prior to registering your household. The deadline for registering is July 17th. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you in August!

If you are interested in donating to The Spot or finding out more information about The Spot, please visit their website: www.thespotcanandaigua.org. 100% of your donation to the Spot goes directly to support our students and families.

Summer Communication

Lastly, over the summer, the best way to get in touch with our staff is through calling the buildings directly or sending an email. Our 12-month staff members are transitioning back to being in the offices more and working remotely less. We will continue to use BravesSquare to send district-wide communications and when we know more about the 2020-2021 school year, we will send updates.

Other links/ information:

Students in grades 7-12- Sign up for the free virtual National Student Council Conference

Pomp & Circumstance performed by 90 Academy Musicians

2020 - 2021 School Calendar

Have a great 4th of July and congratulations to the Class of 2020! Be well, stay safe, and Go Braves!

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of Schools

June 2020 District Communications

June 17, 2020 - Final District-Wide Communication for the 2019-2020 School Year

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Greetings, Braves Family,

What a beautiful week the meteorologists have dialed up for us! We certainly have earned it in my humble opinion. As the school year draws to a close I can’t help but think about how grateful we are. We are grateful for your patience, your partnership, and your support. As the saying goes, times of difficulty really have a way of bringing out the best in people. If there is a silver lining in all of what we are experiencing it is the fact that Canandaigua has some of the best people around. We are grateful for you!

Today’s communication (and last regularly planned communication) will cover:

Budget Vote Results
Extended School Year Information
ThoughtExchange Feedback
Important Reminders/ Updates- Including Academy Yearbook Pick Up June 19

Budget Vote Results

A sincere thank you to the Canandaigua Community for supporting our students and our schools. We find joy and comfort in knowing that we serve a community so committed to our profession, our youth, and our future. I am proud to serve this wonderful community and school district.

2020 - 2021 Canandaigua City School Absentee Ballot Vote
	YES	NO
Proposition #1 Budget	4,325	1,511
Proposition #2 Capital Project	3,881	1,933
Proposition #3 Transportation	4,168	1,644
Proposition #4 Wood Library	4,143	1,792
Board of Education - 1 Seat, 5-year term
Julianne Miller*	3,057
Kevin Collea	2,128

ThoughtExchange Feedback

We received a great deal of feedback from our ThoughtExchange survey. While no survey tool is perfect, we received valuable information about what worked well during the closure, what challenges our students, staff, and families faced, and we also received many great ideas to move forward. We did receive many thoughts multiple times, which meant that many people were thinking the same thing and that the repeated thought was important. We have taken a preliminary look at the data and will dive deeper into the information with our administrative team and “Return to Learn” committee over the summer.

We had 608 participants, who shared 1,140 thoughts and provided 21,604 ratings (stars). Of those who participated, 48% were parents, 24% were employees, 14% were students, 10% were employees with students in the district, and 4% listed themselves as “other.” Thank you to everyone who contributed their ideas to the ThoughtExchange. Once more information is available about the ThoughtExchange data, we will load it on our website.

The results can be viewed at the original exchange link:
Canandaigua City School District ThoughtExchange

Extended School Year Information

After much discussion and planning, we have made the difficult decision to continue with a remote program during Extended School Year (ESY) as are most districts across the state. This is largely due to the time needed to comply with all Department of Health safety regulations and guidelines. The health and safety of our students and staff were the most important factors in making this decision. Although the Governor did allow for some necessary in-person special education services, we believe that remaining remote during the summer months is in your child’s best interest. We understand that this may not be what some of you had been hoping for and we share in your disappointment. We miss seeing your children in our hallways and classrooms and are eagerly anticipating the day we may welcome them back.

Click here: Extended School Year Letter

If your child is registered for the ESY program, you will receive this communication directly from Stephanie Knapp, Director of Special Programs through email.

Important Reminders

Canandaigua Academy News

Class of 2020- If you have not signed up for a graduation time at Bristol Mountain, please click here to sign up: Graduation Sign- Up Times

Commencement for the Canandaigua Academy Class of 2020 will be streamed live at Bristol Mountain. The first graduates will board the chairlift at 8:50 a.m. and the last graduates will load the chairlift around 1:30 p.m. To access the stream from Bristol Mountain, check out our YouTube Channel- Canandaigua City School District YouTube

The Commencement Parade will start at 6 p.m. The parade will assemble at the CMAC parking lot and the route is Lakeshore Drive to Main Street to Chapel Street. The parade will end at Canandaigua Academy.

Academy Yearbook Distribution/ Senior Materials Drop Off- Friday, June 19, 12 pm -3 pm Seniors (and siblings) pick up their yearbooks & drop off Chromebooks, books, and concert attire. Underclassmen pick up their yearbooks from 3 pm-6 pm.
- Yearbook Distribution will take place in the Academy Bus Loop:
- Beginning of bus loop near the pool doors: Last names A through G
- Middle of bus loop near the flag pole: Last names H through O
- End of bus loop near the art room doors: Last names P through Z
- Students on the waitlist will be contacted to let them know if there is a book available for them. Those books will be $65 cash.
Senior Chromebooks & Loaned Graphic Calculators - If you do not plan on purchasing your Chromebook or if you have a graphic calculator from the school district, please return those at the yearbook pick up times above. If you would like to purchase your Chromebook for $30, click here: Chromebook Store. This is only an option for the Class of 2020.

Middle School News

The Middle School hopes to have the 8th-grade walk to the Academy in conjunction with Link Crew. Once we have more information, it will be communicated. If you are interested in purchasing a middle school yearbook, please email MSYearbook@canandaiguaschools.org.

Primary-Elementary School News

UPK registration materials are due on Friday, June 19, 2020. It is important that all registration materials are completed as we currently have a waiting list for UPK.
We continue to register students for Kindergarten. More information about Kindergarten Registration and the parent forum video can be found here: Kindergarten Registration. We ask that families have the registration materials completed by Friday, June 19.

Other

If you have any questions about student registration, please email studentregistration@canandaiguaschools.org.
If you are moving away from the District or not attending Canandaigua City School District and need to return your Chromebook or Ipad (and charger), please call the main office of your child’s school or email portalhelp@canandaiguaschools.org.
Our first day of school for students is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9 (grades 1-12), and for our kindergarten students, the first day is Thursday, September 10. We continue to work on plans for the 2020-2021 school year, and if something important arises during the summer, I will send out a communication.
Report cards will be distributed via BravesSquare on June 29.

In Summary

Today marks the end of our scheduled communications for the 2019-2020 school year. While this school year presented many great challenges, I could not be more proud of our school community for the work they did throughout this unprecedented time. Last year we created a new vision statement, “One Community, Transforming Lives.” I truly believe this community transforms the lives of our students and I look forward to continuing our work together, hopefully in person.

Have an outstanding summer, Braves Family, you have certainly earned it!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr
Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District

June 15, 2020 - Commencement, Report Card Info, 2020-2021 Calendar, Community Summer Events & More

Monday, June 15, 2020

Greetings and Happy Monday Braves Family,

I hope you enjoyed the weekend and found some fun. With so much hefty work being completed, seeking fun is necessary to remain sharp, energized, and focused. As we enter the last week of school for the 2019-2020 school year, let's be sure to finish strong!

Today’s communication covers:

Commencement
Absentee Ballot Information
Report Cards - Secure Docs in BravesSquare
2020 - 2021 Calendar
Community Summer Events
Other events

Commencement

Seniors and parents/guardians of seniors, please be on the lookout for a separate post at 4 p.m. today, just for the Class of 2020, specific to commencement logistics. It is important that you engage with the communication and sign up for a time to partake in the ceremony. Details in that communication will include:

-Sign up for Bristol Mountain

-Link to FAQ (update FAQ)

-Parade Information

-Live Stream Information

Absentee Ballot Information

All ballots must be received through the mail by 5 p.m on Tuesday, June 16. The opening of ballots/ results will be live streamed on the District YouTube Channel starting at 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Due to social distancing concerns, we ask that everyone watch the live stream and check the website for the results. Please contact Deb Sundlov, District Clerk at sundlovd@canandaiguaschools.org or (585) 396-3710 for more information.

Report Cards

All reports cards (K - 12) will be sent as Secure Docs via BravesSquare the week of June 29th. BravesSquare will ask you to re-authenticate your login information when you click on the report card link to the secure document. Here are the directions to access secure documents through BravesSquare.

If you are looking at the report card on a mobile phone, the report card will be listed under “More and Student Notices” for each of your students.
If you are looking at the report card on a laptop, Chromebook, or Desktop via the website, the report card will be listed under “Secure Docs” for each of your students.
The report cards will remain in those locations for you to reference in the future.
If you have problems accessing your child's report card, please contact: portalhelp@canandaiguaschools.org

2020-2021 Calendar

The District will set up the 2020-2021 schedule of events like we have in the past. Paper calendars will be delivered in mid August. If we need to monitor and adjust the calendar, we will. However, we will have all events scheduled as normal. Here is a link to the 2020-2021 one page calendar that includes all vacations/ days off.

Community Summer Events

Canandaigua Community Summer Information

This site includes information the community has shared about events this summer from camps (and virtual camps), FoodLink opportunities, and more. If you have more information to share and add to this page, please contact Caroline Chapman, Director of Communications, chapmanc@canandaiguaschools.org

Other Events

Virtual Flag Day Recording

4th Grade Awards Ceremony Recording

5th Grade Awards Ceremony Recording

Tuesday, June 16- 8th Grade Awards Ceremony - 9 a.m.

Tuesday, June 16- 7th Grade Egg Drop Challenge- Live Stream on YouTube

CMS Yearbook Pick-Up- See BravesSquare post from Mr. Arthur, yearbooks are still available

CA Yearbook - We are hoping for shipment of the yearbooks this week and once we have them, we will coordinate a distribution plan.

Don’t forget to order your CA Mask: https://camask.itemorder.com/sale- the online store closes at Midnight, tonight!

In Summary

Wednesday of this week will be our last Emergency Closure planned communication for this school year. We will, of course, continue to communicate as more information becomes available and there will be opportunities for staff and community forums as well, as new information is known. Thank you so much for your continued support and involvement as we work through these challenging times together. Be well, stay safe, and Go Braves!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District

June 12, 2020 - Robocall with the weeks updates

Friday, June 12, 2020

Good afternoon, this is Jamie Farr, superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District with your Friday robocall recap of the week and updates.

Today will be the last scheduled Robocall for this school year. As important information comes up over the summer, I will communicate as needed.

The District internet servers will be updated from 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 13 to 6 a.m. on Sunday, June 14. Most district services including Infinite Campus, BravesSquare, Schoology and Remote Access will be unavailable during this time. The Google Suite will still work.

We have two activities set up for commencement for Saturday, June 27. The rain date will be Sunday, June 28. First, students will receive their diplomas at Bristol Mountain. Today a two question survey went out to the class of 2020 about Bristol Mountain. Please complete that survey by Monday morning at 9 a.m.

That same night our graduates will participate in a vehicle parade through the community starting at 6 p.m. Seniors and families of seniors, be on the lookout for information on this through BravesSquare.

We continue to seek feedback regarding what went well, what challenges existed and what ideas you have to improve specific to our closure time period, through a tool called ThoughtExchange. Final thoughts and feedback can be shared until 5 p.m. tonight. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback. This information will be helpful as we evaluate remote learning should we find ourselves in this same situation again in the future.

Absentee ballots are due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16. At this point, according to law, ballots must be received by mail and can no longer be dropped off.

Final report cards will be delivered to families through BravesSquare after the conclusion of the school year.

We continue to plan for next year. We seek guidance from the state. I hope we can return to school as much as normal in the fall and we will continue to communicate over the summer what the plans and requirements are.

These words will never do it justice but “THANK YOU!” Thank you students, parents, community members and staff. The true spirit of this wonderfully compassionate and giving community was on display and continues to be on display during such turbulent times. As ballerina, Misty Copeland stated “Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.” Thanks to all of you for being the “right people” here to support one another. Until we are together again, be well, stay safe, and Go Braves!

June 10, 2020 - Many updates

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

Braves Family,

Greetings, I hope this communication finds you well, staying safe, and staying cool! The school year is quickly winding down and we are so proud of the effort of our students, staff, parents, and this community. There are no other people I’d rather navigate this challenging time with than all of you!

Today’s communication will cover the following items:

Absentee Ballot Vote
ThoughtExchange reminder
Graduation
Community Forum
Meal Sign Up - through June 26
Pandemic
Yearbooks
Other News

Absentee Ballot Vote

Governor Cuomo extended the deadline for collecting absentee ballots through the mail until Tuesday, June 16 at 5 p.m. Ballots cannot be dropped off at district office any longer by law. If you have any questions, please contact Deb Sundlov, District Clerk, at sundlovd@canandaiguaschools.org or (585) 396-3710.

ThoughtExchange

Please continue to provide us feedback through ThoughtExchange. If you have already replied, please go back to the exchange and star more questions. The ThoughtExchange is open until 5 p.m. on Friday, June 12. So far we have received hundreds of valuable thoughts and thousands of ratings.

Question: During the COVID-19 Closure, what worked well, what was challenging, and what ideas do you have if this were to happen again in the future?

ThoughtExchange: https://my.thoughtexchange.com/#220470007/leader

Graduation

Our commencement concept has been overwhelmingly supported and positively received. What a relief. We truly want to make this special. In fact, I just received an email from a high school graduate’s parents out of the Chicago area, who have a vacation home in Canandaigua, and they wish they could take part in our ceremony as it sounds so amazing and much better than what their large suburban district did. It feels good to know our seniors will be experiencing a commencement so special.

The one concern we have heard from seniors and their families is the limit to three guests for each graduate is challenging. We hear you loud and clear but understand, all commencements in other districts are limiting guests as well due to the cap on the number of people we can allow in attendance. I just hung up the phone with Bob Duffy and this morning a small team of us went to Bristol Mountain and planned the logistics. We may have an answer to allowing a couple more guests. It won’t be perfect but I hope everyone understands how hard we are working/advocating and how creative we are getting to try to make this happen in the best possible way.

Stay tuned, communication on this topic will begin going out to senior families only over the coming days.

Forums

This week will mark the last scheduled forum. We may have some different events over the summer that we invite our school community to, however, tomorrow’s forums are the last for this school year. Thank you for tuning in. Our attendance at these forums has been outstanding. Tomorrow we plan to share some of the usual information but give a glimpse into the work we are planning over the summer and preparations we are taking into the fall.

Thursday, June 11- Staff Forum 3 p.m.

Thursday, June 11- Community Forum 6 p.m.

Meal Distribution

Thank you to everyone who volunteered at meal distribution. Each time we published the sign-up genius, it was instantly filled with volunteers. Our community continues to rally and support each other and thank you to all who helped. Our last day of serving meals will be Friday, June 26. We are still deciding whether or not this meal program will continue through the summer.

Sign Up: Meal Distribution - June 15 - June 26

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 authorized the payment of Pandemic Electronic Transfer (P-EBT) benefits to households with children who have received free or reduced-priced School meals under the National School Lunch Act, if not for a school closure. These temporary food benefits are to help cover the costs of meals children otherwise would have received at school.

https://otda.ny.gov/SNAP-COVID-19/Frequently-Asked-Questions-Pandemic-EBT.asp

You do not need to apply for Pandemic Electronic Transfer (P-EBT) benefits. If your family receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and/or Temporary Assistance (TA) benefits and you have school-age children (ages 5-18), you will automatically receive P-EBT food benefits for each eligible school-age child in your household. The benefits will automatically be issued to your family’s current EBT card.

If you have children who receive free or reduced-price school lunch but your family does not receive SNAP or TA benefits, you still will automatically get P-EBT food benefits for each school-age child in your household. More information about how children who do not live in households that get SNAP or TA benefits will be mailed to you. Begin checking your mail for this P-EBT notice beginning in mid-June.

P-EBT benefits are not SNAP benefits. P-EBT food benefits are being issued by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Email inquiries about P-EBTbenefits may be directed to: otda.sm.eisp.PEBT@otda.ny.gov.

Yearbooks

Academy- The Academy Yearbooks are being shipped from the printer on June 15. There is currently a waiting list for additional yearbook purchases. If you have any questions or if you are unsure if you ordered a yearbook, please contact Krista Coleman colemank@canandaiguaschools.org or Lisa Bellis bellisl@canandaiguaschools.org.

Middle School- We anticipate the yearbooks being delivered to the middle school early next week. If you would still like to purchase a yearbook, please contact MSyearbook@canandaiguaschools.org.

Elementary School- The yearbooks have arrived. Fifth grade will be mailed since we already have a mailing going out to fifth graders and a pick up will occur for third and fourth grade. Contact Mr. Amesbury, amesburyb@canandaiguaschools.org, if you would like more information.

Other News

What the World Needs Now Video

11th Grade Awards

Kindergarten Parent Information Recording (Learn more about entering Kindergarten)

In Summary

Thank you, for being you! Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District

June 8, 2020 - Commencement Announcement and MUCH MORE

Monday, June 8, 2020

Dear Braves Family,

Well to say there was a lot of news over the weekend is an understatement. In education, we are always taught to stay flexible and nimble. The last few days are truly testing that sentiment. The Governor changed his stance on three substantial items (graduation, absentee ballots, and summer school) since Friday night and has sent all of us into overdrive trying to respond and figure out what all this means since these decisions lacked, and still lack, any explanation nor detail. There is a lot of important information in this communication so please read the details below carefully.

Letter on Equity & Inclusion
Commencement Announcement
Absentee Ballot Information Update
Extended School Year Summer School Information
Seeking Feedback: ThoughtExchange
Mask Order
Events this Week

Letter on Equity & Inclusion

Over the weekend, Board of Education President Jeanie Grimm and I sent the linked letter to the Daily Messenger and distributed it on our social media platforms and website. The letter outlines the work we have started to meet the goal from our strategic plan to, “Cultivate an Equitable and Inclusive School Environment.” While the district took steps to make changes in the 2019-2020 school year, we certainly have more learning and work to do. This goal will remain for the future as we seek to make our schools safe and inclusive learning environments for all students.

June 6, 2020 Letter on Equity & Inclusion

Commencement of 2020

Yesterday, Governor Cuomo announced that “outdoor, socially-distanced graduations of up to 150 people will be allowed. This is subject to any outbreaks or significant changes.” As we previously announced, we had many plans for graduation. With the Governor’s ruling, having a socially distanced graduation at CMAC is not possible due to the crowd limitations. Plus, we want to make a memorable event for the Class of 2020. Many shared that small group, socially distanced commencement concepts in a traditional format (at CMAC, in an auditorium, etc.) would only conjure up sad thoughts when they think back on their time specific to commencement so we set out to devise a plan that would be fun and memorable in a positive way. As you will see, a tremendous amount of planning and work has and will continue to go into the events below and we are confident that collectively, it will be a closure to a UPK-12 school experience unlike any other.

The following events are scheduled for Saturday, June 27 with a rain date of Sunday, June 28

Specific logistics and detail will follow in the coming days. Here is the start of a FAQ document about commencement- FAQ Commencement 2020

Bristol Mountain Chair Lift Diploma Ceremonies - During the morning and early afternoon, graduates and up to three guests (parents/siblings) will ride the chairlift to the top of Bristol Mountain. At the top, graduates, wearing their cap and gown, will receive their diploma from Superintendent Jamie Farr and Canandaigua Academy Principal Vernon Tenney and a photo of each graduate will be taken at the scenic overlook of the mountains and a bit of Canandaigua Lake. If you prefer not to ride the chair lift, there is access to the top of the mountain by car. A sign up for times will be distributed. During this event, social distancing will be maintained.

Commencement Parade 6 p.m. - The same evening as the Bristol Mountain Ceremony, graduates will be asked to gather, in their vehicles, with their family, at the CMAC parking lot by 6 p.m. where there will be a Graduate Parade, led by City Police and Fire, from CMAC, along Lakeshore Drive, up Main Street and to the Academy where the parade and our senior’s time as a senior, will commence. This will replace the originally planned senior parade for June 10th.

Commencement Viewing Party - At a date to be announced (mid-July), there will be a viewing party where graduates along with family and friends can watch a video which we will create from photos of these events as well as the speeches and musical performances as well.

Senior Ball / Senior Sunset - Additionally, we still hope to host a Summer Senior Gala where we can bring all the seniors together at a fun outdoor venue to replace the Senior Ball and Senior Sunrise. Draft planning has begun for this concept. Essentially, we hope to host an event at Lincoln Hill Farms with music, food trucks, and outdoor games for our seniors. This is all dependent on what we are permitted and able to do.

Absentee Ballot Information

The deadline for the District to receive the absentee ballots for the budget vote, capital project proposition, transportation proposition, Board of Education election, and Wood Library proposition has been extended to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16. Ballots can only be accepted by mail after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9. If you have questions or did not receive an absentee ballot and are a registered voter, please contact Deb Sundlov, District Clerk- sundlovd@canandaiguaschools.org or (585) 396-3710.

Summer School (ESY)

Another change that has been made by the Governor is related to summer school for students with IEP’s, otherwise known as our ESY (Extended School Year) program. The Governor signed an executive order to allow in-person special education services over the summer. There is no detail or guidance on this and we will be on the lookout for it and ready to do whatever we can to do what is both safe and best for students.

Seeking Feedback: ThoughtExchange

We need your input on remote learning. To gather your feedback, we're using a tool called Thoughtexchange. All of our voices matter, so your participation is crucial and valued.

You'll be asked to respond to one open-ended question in each exchange linked below, consider and assign stars to some of the ideas shared by others (20 to 30 is ideal), and learn what's important to the group. You will also be asked a demographic question. The same demographic question is asked in each exchange.

Question: During the COVID-19 Closure, what worked well, what was challenging, and what ideas do you have if this were to happen again in the future?

Click here: https://my.thoughtexchange.com/220470007

Your thoughts and stars are confidential. You can come back as often as you'd like to participate and, in fact, we ask that you do come back to star some of the new ideas shared since you first participated. The ratings will help us understand the most important areas to focus on with remote learning. While we hope an extended closure like this is not in our future, it is important for us to reflect on the past eleven weeks and prepare for the next school year. Participation will be open until 5 p.m. on Friday, June 12.

If you need technical help, please call Thoughtexchange at 1-800-361-9027 ext. 4 or email help@thoughtexchange.com or contact Caroline Chapman, Director of Communications or Advisement, chapmanc@canandaiguaschools.org

Thank you in advance for your feedback on this important topic.

Order a CA Mask

Order a CA mask! Orders are due by 5 p.m. on Monday, June 15- https://camask.itemorder.com.
Masks will be shipped to your home. Since these are a custom order, we need a minimum of 50 masks ordered and they will take 3-4 weeks for delivery. The price is $9.95.

Events this Week - Zoom links have been sent to families via BravesSquare or Email

Tuesday, June 9- 6:30 p.m. Kindergarten Forum for incoming Kindergarten parents
Thursday, June 11- Staff Forum 3 p.m. Staff
Thursday, June 11- Community Forum 6 p.m.
Friday, June 12- 9:30 a.m. Virtual Flag Day for the Primary School
Friday, June 12- 7th grade Egg Drop Competition- 10 a.m. to 12 Noon- drop off designs at CMS
Monday, June 15- 7th Grade Undercoffler Award Ceremony- 9 am- Info in Schoology
Tuesday, June 16- 8th Grade Awards Ceremony- 9 a.m.- Info in Schoology
Tuesday, June 16- Live Stream of the 7th Grade Egg Drop

Last Days of the 2020-2021 School Year

Thursday, June 11 is the last day for new content across the District. Friday, June 12, Monday, June 15, and Tuesday, June 16 are makeup days. As this school year comes to an end, we all know it has been one we will never forget.

Thank you for all you are doing to make the very best of this challenging situation. Let’s finish strong and have a great week. Stay safe, be well, and Go Braves!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr, Superintendent of Schools

June 3, 2020 - Absentee Ballot Information & Community Forum Link

Emergency Closure Update - 6/3/2020 at 3 p.m.

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Dear Braves Family,

Good afternoon, friends. I am not sure about all of you but I have enjoyed watching updates on social media specific to our visitor in the city last night and today, a black bear. Growing up in the Adirondack region, black bear sightings were regular, if not daily for me in the spring and summer. I was always fascinated by their speed, power, and playful nature.

Perhaps, in a symbolic sort of way, our friendly little cub here in Canandaigua is bringing all of us strength and a reminder of the power of playful joy. We are, collectively, navigating heavy topics and issues these days as a society and it is important to remain strong and not forget the importance of finding joy.

Today’s communication includes information on the following:

Community Forum Webinar Link - Thursday, June 4
Absentee Ballot Information

Community Forum Webinar Link

On Thursday, June 4 at 3 p.m. I will host my weekly community forum. As usual, this webinar will be recorded and posted to our Coronavirus page on our website. This community forum will focus on events for the end of the year and our usual updates. I hope you can join me!

Community Forum - Thursday, June 4 - 3 p.m.

Absentee Ballot Information

Absentee ballots should have arrived at the homes of registered voters. If you have not received your absentee ballot and you are registered to vote, please contact Deb Sundlov, District Clerk, at sundlovd@canandaiguaschools.org or (585) 396-3714. When filling out the ballot, make an x or an ✓ in your choice. Ballots are due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9. Ballots cannot be accepted after this time.

I want to also provide clarification on signing the envelope/ the names on the return envelopes. Here is a brief clarification on this topic from the New York State School Board Association:

Essentially, the Education Law provides that an envelope containing a returned absentee ballot is not to be opened until a determination is made that there is no reason for rejecting the ballot, which could happen if, for example, the voter fails to provide the signature required by law to appear on the envelope containing the ballot. Once such a determination is made and the envelope opened, the ballot is withdrawn without unfolding and deposited into the proper ballot box. As a result, at the time of counting, the ballots will not be linked to the envelope in which they were returned.
Second, regarding the requirement that the ballot is withdrawn from the envelope without unfolding, NYSSBA also wants to correct a contrary suggestion found in the answer to question 17:32 in its School Law 37th Edition publication, and which some might be relying on. That question asks "How are absentee ballots counted? The answer states that "[a]bsent any grounds for rejecting such ballot, the election inspectors will open the envelope containing the absentee ballot, withdraw the ballot and deposit it unfolded in the proper ballot box…" Pursuant to the express language of the Education Law, absentee ballots must remain folded until they are actually counted. It certainly was not our intention to create any confusion.

In Summary

That is all for today. As we set forth each day, remember, our differences are what make us great, interesting, and healthy. Our collective care and tenderness for one another regardless of our differences have the ability to change the world. I hope everyone is safe, well, and cared for today and always.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr
Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District

June 1, 2020 - Events this week, Voting Information, New Robocall System, UPK/ K Regisration

Monday, June 1, 2020

Dear Braves Family,

The 2020 calendar year has ushered in a tremendous amount of challenge. Whether it is the global pandemic, a budget which is more challenging than the last Great Recession, or most recently, the heartbreaking issues surrounding social justice and civil unrest which we continue to face as a society. Among each of these issues, one theme emerges. Those who have been marginalized are oftentimes those who are harmed the most. We are responsible to rise to the challenge and perform a significant lift. It is our duty.

To begin the 2019-2020 school year, we, as a full staff, convened and spent time on one of our district priorities; Creating an Inclusive and Equitable Environment. That day and the sessions which followed each month brought attention to implicit bias. To some, these conversations were uncomfortable and we began to embrace the notion of getting comfortable with the uncomfortable.

The recent events around the nation are a stark reminder that our work has only begun. If nothing else, we can lead the change in our own community. We do have a wonderful and nurturing community but like with everything, opportunity for improvement is present. We can ensure that a kinder, gentler, and more inclusive and equitable society exists right here in our home of Canandaigua. It starts with each one of us. After all, we are One Community, Transforming Lives.

Today’s communication includes a few reminders:

Events this Week
Graduation Decision- announced next Monday, June 8
Vote!
New system for emergency calls
UPK/ Kindergarten Registration

Check out BravesSquare for specific details about these events:

Wednesday, June 3 - Class of 2020 CAps & CArs - Between 3 p.m. & 6 p.m. at the Academy

Thursday, June 4 - Senior Music Recognition/ Awards Presentation - Live Stream 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, June 4 - 7 - 8 p.m. Pajama Story Time with Mrs. Keyes via Zoom

Friday, June 5 - PES Virtual Field Day including virtual 5th-grade cross country race

All Week: CMS & Academy Student Locker Clean Out based on distributed schedule

Commencement

We will decide on graduation next Monday, June 8, 2020. During the Community Forum on Thursday, we shared five concepts that are now being considered for Commencement. A traditional commencement at CMAC, a restricted traditional commencement at CMAC, a small group commencement at the Academy, a senior parade commencement, and lastly, a commencement at Bristol Mountain are the five concepts we are considering.

Absentee Ballots

Absentee ballots should be arriving or have arrived in mailboxes. The ballot includes the district budget vote, board of education election, our proposed capital project, our transportation proposition, and the Wood Library proposition. These ballots are due back by June 9 at 5 p.m. The ballot comes with a return postage-paid envelope. Please be sure to place an ‘x’ or a check in the box as that is, by statute, the only way a vote can be accepted. Your vote counts, your voice matters. Be sure to vote and place the ballot back in the mail immediately. If you have questions, please contact Deb Sundlov, District Clerk at sundlovd@canandaiguaschools.org, or call (585) 396-3710.

BravesSquare Call

On Friday, we'll use our BravesSquare system to make our robocall. Since we are changing this system, if you do not receive a call on Friday, please contact portalhelp@canandaiguaschools.org. We are consolidating systems, and we will use BravesSquare for our emergency alert system, including winter snow day calls. You do not need to have the app on your phone to receive the call. Again, this will start Friday, June 5.

UPK/ Kindergarten Registration

Materials to complete the registration process for UPK are being distributed by email today, and Kindergarten registration materials went out last week by email. On Tuesday, June 9, at 6:30 p.m., Interim Principal Heidi Robb will host a Kindergarten Information Zoom for parents/ guardians of incoming Kindergarten students. If you need more information about UPK or Kindergarten, please visit our website https://www.canandaiguaschools.org/district/student-registration or email studentregistration@canandaiguaschools.org.

While we continue in phase 2, please remember that our facilities remain closed. This includes our athletic facilities. Also, check out the new community banners designed by our students, working with our visual arts department. The banners are now displayed on Lakeshore Drive and feature the work of students of all ages!

We have made it to June! While this June feels very different from other Junes, many things remain the same. June is a time to enjoy beautiful weather, wrap up the school year, honor our retirees, and send our graduates to the world beyond Canandaigua. Our country continues to face many challenges, and I am proud of our community's work, supporting each other and supporting our students!

Have a great week, Braves!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District

May 2020 District Communications

May 29, 2020 - Robocall- Updates from the past week

Robocall Script

Friday, May 29, 2020

Good afternoon, This is Jamie Farr, Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District with your Friday robocall highlighting weekly updates and any new information we’ve learned.

The student locker clean out process starts next week at the Academy and Middle School. Check BravesSquare for the schedule and important information about locker cleanout.

Wednesday, June 3rd, will be the Caps and Cars event for seniors. This event will be between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Please approach the Academy from Chapel Street and enter at the South Lot. Follow the directions to the different stops and also pick up your caps and gowns from Jostens. Information can be found in BravesSquare.

We will make a decision about graduation on June 8, 2020. During the Forum on Thursday, we shared five concepts that are now being considered for Commencement. A traditional commencement at CMAC, a restricted traditional commencement at CMAC, a small group commencement at the Academy, a senior parade commencement, and lastly a commencement at Bristol Mountain are the five concepts we are considering.

Absentee ballots should be arriving in the mail today or any day now. The ballot includes the district budget vote, board of education election, our proposed capital project, our transportation proposition, and the Wood Library proposition. These ballots are due back by June 9 at 5 p.m. The ballot comes with a return postage-paid envelope. Please be sure to place an ‘x’ or a check in the box as that is, by statute, the only way a vote can be accepted. Your vote counts, your voice matters. Be sure to vote and place the ballot back in the mail immediately.

Phase 2 of the Governor’s reopening plan is going into effect in the Finger Lakes Region today. Governor Cuomo, during his press conference this afternoon made this announcement. Phase 2 includes the careful and cautious re-opening of items such as office-based work, real estate services, in-store retail, barbershops, hair salons, vehicle sales, leases, and rentals, etc. Continue to proceed with caution and do a great job, Braves!

Next Friday we'll use our BravesSquare system to make this phone call. Since we are changing this system, if you do not receive a call next Friday, please contact portalhelp@canandaiguaschools.org. We are consolidating systems and we will use BravesSquare for our emergency alert system, including winter snow day calls. You do not need to have the app on your phone to receive the call. Again, this will start next Friday, June 5th.

I hope you have a safe and wonderful weekend! Thanks for your continued support and expressed pride in our incredible community. Be well and Go Braves!

Also, check out the pages below about the future plans for our spring senior CA athletes!

Girls Lacrosse

Boys’ Tennis

Softball

Boys’ Lacrosse

Baseball

Track & Field

Unified Basketball

Golf

May 27, 2020 - Last Days of School, Community Forum Links and more

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Last Days of School June 2020
Weekly Forum - Budget Forum at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday, May 28
Meal Distribution Sign Up
Virtual Memorial Day Video from CA Music
Information about Senior celebrations, awaiting information from the Governor about commencement

Greetings Braves,

I trust this email finds you well, having enjoyed the beautiful weather this past weekend as well as having an opportunity to pay respect and honor those who sacrificed it all for our freedoms. Our fallen veterans are truly heroes worthy of appreciation and celebration not only on Memorial Day but every day.

In today’s communication we are including several important pieces of information so please read it carefully.

The Last Day of School June 2020

This is tentative, pending the Governor should he make any unforeseen executive orders. For our students, the last day of school is Tuesday, June 16th. The last day of new instruction will be Thursday, June 11th. This means June 12, 15, and 16 are scheduled as makeup workdays for students who need it. The last day for staff is Thursday, June 18th. Again, please note these dates remain tentative.

Weekly Forum (Budget Edition)

This week’s community forum will focus on the budget vote. As you will learn, this year’s budget is incredibly challenging for all schools. With the struggling economy and the state government pulling back funding from an already underfunded budget has caused all districts to get creative, find savings, and brace for what is being projected as the most difficult budgeting stretch we have ever faced. All registered voters will receive an absentee ballot which was mailed on Tuesday, May 26th. The ballot is due back by 5 p.m. on June 9. The first forum will be at 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, and will be for staff. The second forum will be at 6 p.m. on May 28 and is open for the community to join.

Thursday, May 28 - 3 p.m. Staff Forum: Budget Presentation

Thursday, May 28 - 6 p.m. Community Forum: Budget Presentation

Meal Distribution Volunteers Needed

The District continues to serve grab and go meals on weekdays from 11 a.m . to 1 p.m. at the Primary-Elementary School. These meals are open to all Canandaigua City School District students. We are seeking volunteers to distribute these meals. The sign up is linked here:

June 1 - June 12, 2020 Meal Distribution Sign Up

Virtual Memorial Day Tribut

Living in this new virtual world has certainly changed the way we operate but I am amazed at the creativity and level of involvement that still remains. Please enjoy this short video put together by our music department to honor our fallen soldiers on Memorial Day.

CA Music Virtual Memorial Day 2020

Senior Celebrations

We continue to work on concepts for our commencement and recently we have learned that the Department of Health, State Education Department, and the Governor’s office are working collectively on guidance information specific to commencement exercises and will share that guidance with us “soon.” We continue to work on various concepts for commencement and will have a final decision on June 8th.

Cap and gown pick up will be on Wednesday, June 3 between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Canandaigua Academy. The event, called CA CAps & CArs. We ask that on Wednesday, you approach the Academy from Chapel Street and enter at the South Lot (near the athletic wing of the Academy). During the entire event, you will remain in your vehicle. In addition to cap and gown pick up, there will be some exciting surprises and stay tuned for more details.

The June 10th Senior Parade remains tentative pending approval to convene in such a manner. In the meantime, we continue to honor our seniors and show them how incredible they are. Below is a link to a brief video about yard sign delivery. Enjoy the smiles!

All Seniors Received a Free, Personalized Yard Sign

Senior Sign Delivery

That is all for today. Please stay safe, well, and cool! Go Braves!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District

May 22, 2020 - Robocall- No Summer School, last day of school information

Emergency Closure Update (Robocall Script) - 5/22/2020 at 3 p.m.

Robocall Script
Friday, May 22, 2020

Good afternoon,

This is Jamie Farr, superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District with updates from the week. Today, progress reports were delivered through BravesSquare to parents and guardians with students in grades 6 - 12. This progress report will simply be a comment associated with an approximated, associated grade range based on the level of consistency a student is completing work thus far during the fourth quarter for each course.

Yesterday, Governor Cuomo announced that in-person summer school would not be taking place this summer. We continue to seek guidance on virtual summer school, driver’s education, what this means, and when more information is available, we will let you know as soon as we know more.

For parents of incoming Kindergarten students and UPK students, information will be sent out next Tuesday about the remainder of the registration process.

I’d like to share information about the last days of school. All of this is tentative, pending the Governor should he make any unforeseen executive orders. For our students, the last day of school is Tuesday, June 16th. The last day of new instruction will be Thursday, June 11th. This means, June 12, 15, and 16 are scheduled as make up work days for students who need it. The last day for staff is Thursday, June 18th. Again, please note these dates remain tentative.

We continue to celebrate the Class of 2020 and while our virtual activities cannot replicate the events our students are missing out on, we continue to be proud of their accomplishments. Senior yard signs were delivered this week by Canandaigua Academy staff members and we continue to work on graduation plans. We will have a final decision on graduation on Monday, June 8 and we are hearing guidance will be coming soon from the Governor’s office regarding what is allowed for commencement activities therefore we are extremely interested in seeing this information.

The District continues to serve grab and go meals at the Primary-Elementary School on weekdays. There will be no meal service on Monday, May 25th as we observe Memorial Day. Also, a reminder that our facilities remain closed and we must continue to practice social distancing.

Lastly, I hope you and your family enjoy this Memorial Day Weekend. We remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. During these challenging times, let’s not lose sight of our great nation and those who serve and defend our country. Be well, stay safe, and Go Braves!

May 20, 2020 - UPK/ K Registration Update, Forum this week, Senior Events

May 20, 2020

Good afternoon, Braves Family,

I hope you are finding time to enjoy this beautiful weather. This weather reminds me of the spring events we are missing out on, collectively. Everyone might have a different favorite springtime tradition, but it is challenging and heartbreaking to know that these will not happen in their traditional fashion. I know many great things are being planned, and while they cannot replace the live events, we do have the opportunity to celebrate our successes and look forward to a bright future. Today’s communication focuses on a few brief updates. On Friday, I will do the weekly robocall and there is no planned communication from me on Monday, May 25, as we honor Memorial Day.

Today’s Information:

UPK / Kindergarten Registration Information
Community Forum Link
Senior Activities Update

UPK/ Kindergarten Registration Information

Families who completed the Kindergarten registration form and families who received a spot in UPK for the 2020-2021 school year will receive an email on Tuesday, May 26 with instructions on how to complete the remainder of the registration process. We are excited to welcome our youngest Braves! If you still need to start the Kindergarten registration process, follow the directions here: https://www.canandaiguaschools.org/district/student-registration.

Community Forum

Hosted by the Canandaigua Chamber of Commerce with Dr. Robert Nye & Jamie Farr Thursday, May 21, 3 p.m.

Due to popular demand, we had to change our link to allow in more participants. There is no need to register in advance.

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86272712747?pwd=b1Q2cmZ5Q2ZIVC9vNnF5NGFIUDFXQT09

Senior Activities Update:

As a District, we continue to celebrate the Class of 2020. A few more events have been added to the calendar and they are listed in the graphics below. Today, the personalized senior yard signs were delivered across the District. Over 65 Academy staff members, divided into teams and given strict social distancing guidance, drove across our community, with their cars decorated and delivered the signs to almost 300 seniors! Additionally, across our social media platforms, we are celebrating our senior athletes and spotlighting our seniors future plans. We continue to prepare for the different graduation options and will make the final decision on graduation on Monday, June 8.

In Summary

This is all for today. Please stay safe and be well. I continue to try to share a decision about the end of the school year and am waiting on a piece of information from the state level which I am told is coming this week, so lets hope Friday’s robocall will include that information.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District

May 18, 2020 - Memorial Day Update, 6-12 Progress Reports, 5/21 Forum

MMonday, May 18, 2020

Dear Braves Family,

I trust you enjoyed the nice weekend, soaked in a bit of sunshine amidst the warmer weather, and found peace. We remain in Phase 1 of the Governor’s Reopening Plan overseen by Bob Duffy here in the Finger Lakes. Yesterday, Bob Duffy held a meeting intended to check in on how things were progressing here in the Finger Lakes and noted that already there are signs of people not wearing face coverings and not maintaining social distancing in public.

In my opinion, it is probably the result of warmer temperatures and so many people outside in addition to a bit of a false sense of security being that we have begun reopening. Please remain vigilant and cautious as the last thing any of us want is a setback and implementation of greater restrictions.

Today’s communication includes:

Memorial Day Weekend
Thursday’s Forum
Progress Reports

Friday, May 22- Make-Up Day
Monday, May 25 - Memorial Day- Federal Holiday

Our original school schedule called for Friday, May 22nd to be an additional day off for Memorial Day weekend. That day will now be an academic day but it will be a makeup day for students who need a little more time to catch up on back work. No new academic work will be assigned for Friday, May 22nd and if students need to complete assignments, they can use Friday to make up that work. We will not have scheduled work on Monday, May 25th as it is a federal holiday.

Thursday’s Forum - Slightly Different Format

On Thursday, May 21, at 3 p.m. I will be a panelist as part of a conversation facilitated by the Canandaigua Area Chamber of Commerce. The forum is titled “In Session, At Home,” and is a dialog about the changing landscape of education in light of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. I will be joined by Finger Lakes Community College President, Dr. Robert Nye and the forum will be hosted by the Chamber of Commerce Director, Ethan Fogg. To receive the Zoom link and to reserve your free spot, visit: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MuckHkpiSMmLVzXrIvqMQg

Progress Reports - Grades 6-12

Fourth-quarter progress reports will be sent to students and families this Friday, 5/22/2020 through BravesSquare. As a reminder, this progress report will simply be a comment associated with an approximated, associated grade range based on the level of consistency a student is completing work thus far during the fourth quarter.

In Conclusion

There have been a lot of questions from students, staff, parents, and community members about when the last day of school will be this year. I hope to share that specific information with you this week once the details are finalized. Keep in mind, since we lost our spring break, we will have to gain those days back at the end of the school year, therefore, the end of the school year will be earlier than originally planned.

Stay safe and have a great week!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent - The Canandaigua City School District

May 15, 2020 - Friday's Robocall Announcements

Good afternoon,

This is Superintendent Jamie Farr from the Canandaigua City School District with your Friday robocall recapping communications from the week and sharing new information.

Governor Cuomo has started to re-open our region using his Phase 1 plans. Construction, manufacturing, and select curbside retail are opening as well as safe recreational activities such as tennis, pickleball, the skate park, and the dog park are spaces reopening in our community. Our school facilities remain closed at this time.

This week, I communicated a series of graphics related to the end of the year events at each of our buildings. Check those out on our website or in BravesSquare. There is a tremendous amount of detail and it answers many of your frequently asked questions.

I also shared in Monday’s BravesSquare communication information related to how we will issue grades for the progress report, final report card, and overall course average in all classes in grades UPK-12. In UPK-5, students will be rated on standards taught over the closure, and teachers will note what standards they were unable to cover. This information will be helpful for next school year so that those standards can still be taught. In grades 6-12, students will receive a numeric grade for the 4th quarter using a rubric based on how consistently effort is demonstrated. Overall, course grades will consider the grade for the 1st, 2nd, and 4th quarter and students will receive benefit from a score of “credit” for the 3rd quarter as well. Please see the specifics about grading which has been emailed through BravesSquare both last Friday and this past Monday.

Our original school schedule called for Friday, May 22nd to be an additional day off for Memorial Day weekend. That day will now be an academic day but it will be a makeup day for students who need a little more time to catch up on back work. No new academic work will be assigned for Friday, May 22nd and if students need to complete assignments, they can use Friday to make up that work. We will not have scheduled work on Monday, May 25th as it is a federal holiday.

Today we posted a video on social media and our youtube channel highlighting the seniors with their yearbook photos. Throughout the coming weeks, we will celebrate the success and accomplishments of the Class of 2020. Please see our plans for our seniors on our website, social media outlets, and in BravesSquare.

Next week is Transportation Appreciation Week. Our bus drivers and transportation staff go above and beyond for our students each and every day. I know they are missing our students during the closure and I thank them for their dedication to transporting our students safely.

As we look towards the weekend, the warmer temperatures, and our Phase 1 reopening, please remain safe and vigilant. What we do now will determine what happens in the future and we do not want any setbacks. We are all eager to return to normal as soon as possible. Be well!

May 13, 2020 - End of Year Events Update, Webinar Link


	Emergency Closure Update - 5/13/2020 at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 13, 2020 Good afternoon, Braves Family, I trust this communication finds you feeling a sense of peace and calm as we begin to rise from these uncertain times and slowly begin to return to a sense of normalcy. The news that the Finger Lakes Region will soon begin the re-opening process is both exciting and unnerving. I’d ask that everyone proceeds with caution and follows the phased re-opening closely so that we can safely return to business as usual. Today’s communication addresses: Governor Cuomo’s Phased Re-Opening Activities for the Class of 2020 Building Events for the End of the School Year Meal Distribution Sign Up - May 18 - May 29 Thursday’s Forum Link Information about the Phased Re-Opening On May 11, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the Finger Lakes Region met the seven criteria to begin re-opening. This means that as of this Friday, aspects in our region will begin to re-open. During the re-opening phase, should the infection or hospitalization rates trend upward, restrictions would return. Pacing out the Governor’s phased plan for re-opening, if everything went well, the final phase would be sometime near the end of June or beginning of July. Educational systems are in the last phase of his plan. End of the Year Activities As you will see, there is a tremendous amount of detail below. Please read it carefully. All dates are tentative and dependent on what we are allowed to do. Specific times for events will be shared by each building principal and/or director as the event nears. Other events are in the works as well, therefore this is not a comprehensive list. Seniors Athletics C.A.C.C. Middle School Elementary School Primary School Meal Distribution Sign Up - May 18 - May 29 Thank you to all who have volunteered for meal distribution. We are looking for more volunteers (see the link below). Please note, the District will not be serving meals on Memorial Day, which will be observed on Monday, May 25. Sign Up Genius: Meal Distribution Thursday’s Forum Link Our weekly Community Forum will be on Thursday, May 14 at 3 p.m. The link to join in is below. Community Forum Link: Thursday, May 14 In Summary: As you can see, a great deal of time and coordination has gone into outlining the details and plans. Watching the news, you may have also noticed events occurring in surrounding communities to recognize seniors for example. I have called the superintendents from those communities so my thinking could be confirmed. Many of the items were community created and community-driven. Our community has been and continues to be amazing. Should you have ideas beyond what has been listed above, please email me and the relevant building principal to share your idea and we can let you know how we might be able to support your efforts. In the meantime, I wish everyone a safe and productive week and I cannot wait until we are all back together soon. Sincerely, Jamie Farr Superintendent - The Canandaigua City School District

May 11, 2020 - Grading Update & Academy Student Schedules for 2020-2021

Monday, May 11

Good afternoon, Braves Family,

I hope this communication finds you well. I also hope that the weather will start feeling like May, rather than March. As we continue to work through the different logistics of being closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, we will follow the same communication schedule that we have been using throughout the closure. As we operate remotely, communication is crucial. Information will be shared via BravesSquare, on our website, and through social media.

Today’s communication includes the following:

Grading Updates- Grades UPK - 5
Grading Updates- Grades 6-12
Academy student schedules for 2020-2021 distribution

Grading Update

Since we closed, I have written and discussed grading many times, and we continue to focus on what is most supportive of students while acknowledging their hard work during these challenging times. For the third quarter, students in grades 6-12 received credit/ no credit marks. Since school buildings are closed for the rest of the academic year, we are shifting to the information below to assess our students and calculate their grades. Please know we did many analyses on the model we adopted, using grades of many of our actual students, and our analysis proved that this structure was not punitive and benefited students. I encourage each student to continue to work hard, try their best, and engage with the content as much as possible.

UPK-5 Grading

The instructional period will conclude in June per the direction of the Governor. Teachers have prioritized specific learning standards at each grade level during the closure period and will provide families with information regarding this learning. Teachers will continue to monitor student progress and will provide narrative comments.

Standards covered during the closure period will be noted on the report card. Standards not covered for the year will be prioritized for additional practice and review in the fall of 2020 for all students. In the event that a student is not engaging in instruction or meeting standard(s), classroom teachers will work with building counselors and/or administrators to use this information to support instruction for the 20-21 school year.

Grading 6-12

Mr. Tenney, Academy Principal, and Mr. Arthur, Middle School Principal, sent BravesSquare messages to students today about the 4th quarter grading rubric and how to calculate a student’s overall grade for a course. These slides below outline our grading procedures for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year.

Canandaigua City School District- Grading Grades 6-12

These slides include information on the following topics:

The Grading Rubric
Progress Report Information
4th Quarter Grade Calculation
2nd Semester (Half Year) Course Calculations
Overall Course Calculations for the 2020-2021 school year

Please contact your child’s teacher about specific assignments and grades. If you have further questions, please reach out to the principal.

Academy Student Schedules

The Academy will distribute 2020-2021 course schedules to students in 8th, 9th, 10th, and 11th grade on Tuesday (5/12) morning. These schedules will be delivered the same as report cards, through Secure Documents in BravesSquare. Please review the list of classes when you receive it. These are courses for which your child was recommended by their current teachers as well as any electives they selected while meeting with their counselor. Students have until May 22 to make any changes.

In Summary

As stated, the grading process we have adopted is both fair and equitable. Through our analytics, students were not harmed, only benefited by these calculations, and we were careful to place safeguards that would demonstrate care and compassion for this unusual circumstance. All we ask is that students try their best, and if they do that, they will be well served. Of course, if at the conclusion of the academic year, you believe your grades were negatively impacted by our closure status, please reach out to your principal and explain the situation. We are prepared to evaluate individual circumstances if there is a need.

In Wednesday’s communication, we will share a detailed outline of both senior and building specific events for the remainder of this school year. A special thanks to the so many of you who are helping to coordinate these events. As you likely see, every community is doing a variety of things to recognize seniors. Some of those items are coordinated by the school and some are coordinated by parents and businesses in the community who have a desire to assist. We certainly can’t do it alone, and we thank the many of you who are willing to take the lead with making the end of this school year special.

Until Wednesday, be well, have a great week, and stay safe.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District

May 8, 2020 - Robocall Script- Grading, Voting Information, Commencement Info

May 8, 2020
Emergency Closure Update (Robocall)

In today’s communication:

Teacher and Nurse Appreciation Week
Memorial Day weekend and the end of the school year
Budget / Board Elections / Capital Project Vote
Commencement / Senior Recognition
Grading

Community Forum Webinar on YouTube

Slides from last night’s Community Forum

Good afternoon, this is Jamie Farr, Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District, calling with your Friday recap and update.

This week was both teacher and nurse appreciation week. While both of these groups of people deserve recognition throughout the year, during these challenging times we would like to thank them for all they do for our school community. So thank you to our teachers, those who teach students no matter what unimaginable circumstances are thrown their way. And thank you to our dedicated school nurses who provide compassionate care to our students (and occasionally to our adults) each day.

For Memorial Day Weekend we are scheduled to have both Friday, May 22nd, and Monday, May 26th off for Memorial Day. We continue to seek guidance on this topic and likely will have school Friday and will have Monday, the 26th off as it is a Federal Holiday. We will let you know when we learn this officially. Additionally, we still do not have information about when the last day of school will be this year. Please stay tuned on this and overall information about what the last day of school is.

Our budget vote, capital project, and board of education election will be conducted completely through absentee ballots. The ballots, with a postage-paid return envelope, are due back by 5 p.m. on June 9th. We will be distributing more information about these topics in the next few weeks.

Many questions have come up about Commencement for the Class of 2020. We have three plans, all taking place on June 28, so listen closely.

Plan 1- Commencement as scheduled with some limitations at CMAC

Plan 2- Commencement at CMAC with many significant restrictions in place. This ceremony would be for graduates and their immediate families only.

Plan 3- Completely virtual graduation. We would work on recording parts of the traditional ceremony in advance and piece it together for a complete and final product.

On June 8th, a decision will be made based on what is allowed by New York State and our public health department at the time. We are also considering input from seniors as they complete a survey at this time.

The last topic, grading. Please check out our website and recent BravesSquare posts regarding information related to grading. For students in grades UPK-5, we will focus on standards-based grading and it won’t look much different than it typically looks other than not all standards will be measured during the closure. For students in grades 6-12, we have developed a rubric for the 4th quarter. The rubric is out of 12 points and based on the student's effort, work productivity, and participation during the 4th quarter, their grade on the rubric will give them a numeric score. The details for our entire grading plan, including how final grades will be calculated for students in grades 6-12 are available on our website and on BravesSquare. Please familiarize yourself with this but also please understand we have put a lot of safeguards in place and are certainly erring on the side of students.

That is plenty for this week. Please stay safe and be well and to all the mothers out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

May 7, 2020 - Slides from Webinar- Grading, Commencement, & More

May 6, 2020 - Nurses Appreciation & Webinar Links

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Good afternoon, Braves Family,

I hope you are well and safe. Our leadership team has been working incredibly hard, trying to formalize and finalize plans to close out the school year. What we are learning is the intensity to the level of detail which is required in order to get it right is significant. Kudos to the leadership team for their thoughtful, persistent, and continual efforts. In the coming days, we will share details related to safety, grading, commencement and senior activities, events/traditions/recognitions, and other considerations. We will begin releasing this information this Thursday during our staff and community forums. Please tune in if you can. If you can’t, you will be able to view a recording of the forum, which we will also share.

Today’s communication will address a couple of items:

National Nurses Appreciation Day
Forums links for Thursday, May 7

National Nurses Appreciation Day

During a time when we celebrate and honor our health care workers for all their selfless acts during this global pandemic, it also seems very important to celebrate and recognize our school nurses, some of whom are also helping with this health care crisis during our school closure.

School nurses continually provide care and attention to our students in need of medical assistance. Whether it is responding to an injury, providing comfort during times of illness, maintaining and distributing necessary medications, performing health-related services, or any of the wide array of duties which they so skillfully perform, we thank them for their professionalism and treatment for all of us, as though we are their own. Concisely stated, school nurses keep us safe and for that, we commend, and thank you!

Forums

This week we will return to our prior format and break the forums up into two separate presentations. One will be for staff and the other for parents and students. Forums take place on Thursdays of each week and will be at the following times (click the link to join the forum):

Thursday, May 7
Staff- 3 p.m.
Community- Parents & Student- 6 p.m.

During the forum this week, I will be joined by our Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Matt Schrage, as a panelist and we will begin to share some of the details behind our logistics to close out the school year. Specifically, on Thursday, we plan to share information regarding grading, commencement, senior events, and students and staff retrieving items from their classrooms and lockers.

I do hope you can join us, but remember, we will record the forums and share the link to watch the recording if the timeframe doesn’t work for you as is.

In Conclusion

Just like anything a person sets out to do, it is typically easy to start strong with focus and determination. A true test of a person’s resilience and drive is an ability to persist throughout. Take this closure, for example, it was easiest to rise to the challenge in the first week or two but as time goes on, and frustration, anxiety and other feelings begin to mount, will we continue to put forth our best effort? And how about the end, will we finish strong? I challenge all of our staff, students, and parents to continue to do your very best until the very end of the school year. You’ve all come this far, so demonstrate your drive and resilience and finish the year in a manner that will make you proud when one day you look back at this time in your life.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr
Superintendent - The Canandaigua City School District

May 4, 2020 - Teacher Appreciation, Voting, and End of the Year

Monday, May 4, 2020

Greetings, Braves Family,

I trust this email finds you well, having enjoyed a beautiful weekend that ushered in warmth and sunshine, both of which were a welcome diversion from the cloudy, cool temperatures, and our quarantine lifestyles.

Today’s communication addresses some of the most commonly asked questions over the last few days. We do not have all the answers to these questions, but for the sake of transparency, we are sharing what we do know.

Today’s Communication Covers:

Teacher Appreciation Week
Budget Vote / Board of Education Election / Capital Project Vote
Memorial Day Weekend / End of the School Year

Teacher Appreciation Week

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and I have long asserted that all staff members who work for a school system are teachers in their own rights. Some teach directly and explicitly in front of classrooms full of students, while some teach through leading by example, performing their duties with pluck and integrity so that our young, impressionable learners have even more positive role models.

This year, we anoint more “teachers” - parents/guardians/grandparents/etc. have all assumed a teacher style role, helping their loved ones with their educational progress. Thank you to all of you for the role you are playing in helping children learn. I’ve long felt that teachers walk on water. They do incredible, selfless work for the benefit of others, for the benefit of our community, for the benefit of society. Teachers are heroes, and when I think about Teacher Appreciation Week, I immediately think of this cartoon:

To you, the teachers, my heroes, THANK YOU for making a difference! I am eternally grateful.

Budget vote/ Board Election/ Capital Project Vote

On Friday, May 1, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an Executive Order related to the School Board Election, the Budget Vote, and our Capital Project Vote. The vote that was originally scheduled for May 19, 2020, will now take place on June 9, 2020, remotely. Qualified voters will vote by absentee ballot, and the district will send an absentee ballot to all qualified voters, with a postage-paid return envelope. We plan to mail these out around May 26, 2020 (still trying to confirm this date), and your ballot needs to be filled out and returned to district office and received by June 9th of 2020 at 5 p.m. to be counted. We will share this information as soon as we know it.

Memorial Day Weekend and End of the School Year 2020

Our calendar this year had Friday, May 22, and Monday, May 25 scheduled for the observation of Memorial Day. Monday the 25th is a Federal Holiday. We have asked for clarification from the Governor’s office about these days recognizing that he did require us to work over April Break; we just want to be sure we are sharing accurate information.

Additionally, since we did not have a Spring Break, we are aware that the end of the school year may be earlier than what was previously on the calendar. Based on contractual agreements, we believe the end of the school year should be on or around June 15. Again, similar to the Memorial Day weekend situation, we have asked for clarification from the Governor’s office. At this point, we do not have an answer on either of these items, but as soon as we do, we will be sure to let you know.

In Conclusion

Since the news of our distance learning remaining in place for the rest of this school year and buildings remaining closed, I have been amazed by our community. So many tears have been shed, from students, parents/guardians, and staff. We would do almost anything to just return to normal and finish the school year, just like we do every single year. There is real sadness, which is further evidence of the care for one another, which exists among our One Braves Family.

Students, especially the seniors, handling the news with amazing perspective and maturity, have demonstrated their disappointment while sharing hope and appreciation for all the great memories they will always have. This is a perspective all of us can learn from. Please know, our administrative team is working hard, even as I type this, planning activities and events to celebrate and recognize our seniors and our students, our retirees, and finding avenues to support students and families at all grade levels, especially grades where students are transitioning to another building. We plan to share these details later this week.

Thank you for your time and please, have a great week.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

May 1, 2020-Governor announces school facilities closed for the 2019-2020 school year

Dear Braves Family,

Difficult times do not define a person; however, how an individual responds to difficult times can define a person. We received disappointing news today, and now, we must continue to showcase our Canandaigua resiliency and compassion. Today Governor Cuomo announced that New York State Schools are closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, and academic instruction will continue remotely until the end of the school year. The specific end date has not yet been identified. As a District, we are saddened by this announcement and want our students, staff, and this community to know we had hoped for better news.

We miss you and want to make certain we appropriately honor and uphold our traditions as best as possible, given this new reality. As a team, we are solidifying our plans for academics, honoring seniors and retirees, maintaining traditions, and supporting students as they transition to new grade levels and buildings, and much more. Please stay tuned for detailed information on these topics next week but understand, we cannot do it alone. To do this properly, it will take all hands on deck and a community-wide effort. And in true Canandaigua fashion, when we set out to do something, we do it with a focus on excellence.

As a result of the Governor’s Executive Order, we believe that also means that spring sport seasons and other school-sponsored events will not take place in person this spring. As of now, significant events such as the senior ball are postponed as we explore alternative options. We may also have to postpone commencement and look at a later date and/or alternative options, and we are preparing for that as well. The District continues to work through plans for hosting (in person, live, or virtual) events, and more information will be coming related to these important, postponed events next week.

The District facilities, including athletic fields, remain closed. As part of our planning, we are determining when and how students and staff can retrieve personal items, fundraising purchases, and yearbooks. We will continue to serve grab and go breakfast and lunch on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Primary-Elementary School. Meal distribution is open to all students in the Canandaigua City School District.

The District mental health staff continues to work, and if there are any mental health needs, please contact John LaFave at (585) 396-3739. If technical support is needed, please email portalhelp@canandaiguaschools.org.

The administration team has been planning for the challenges ahead and will continue to provide clarity for our school community in response to this public health crisis. We know that there are a variety of questions and issues to resolve in the days and weeks ahead, and we ask that everyone remain patient, be kind to one another, and focused on the health of our Braves Family.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr, Superintendent of Schools

April 2020 District Communications

District Communication

April 29, 2020 - 6-12 Report Cards, Tech Resources, 4/ 30 Webinar Link

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Dear Braves Family,

Good afternoon and I hope you are well. Each day we are watching Governor Cuomo’s press conferences intently, believing that this week he will decide whether we will return on May 18th or the closure will be extended. As the school year draws to an end, each extension in the closure hints at the reality that we may not return to school at all this year. I sure do hope we can return this year, so long as it is safe.

Today’s communication addresses the following items:

6-12 Report Card Distribution
Technology Video Resources
Community Forum- Thursday, April 30 - 3 p.m.

Grades 6 - 12 Report Cards - 3rd Quarter

Third quarter reports cards will be delivered through BravesSquare to parents/ guardians on Thursday, April 30th. As we have discussed, the report card will indicate credit/ no credit for the third quarter. If you have a question about a specific course, please contact the teacher of that class directly first before contacting the building principal.

BravesSquare will ask you to re-authenticate your login information when you click on the report card link to the secure document.
If you are looking at the report card on a mobile phone, the report card will be listed under “More and Student Notices” for each of your students.
If you are looking at the report card on a laptop, Chromebook, or Desktop via the website, the report card will be listed under “Secure Docs” for each of your students.
The report cards will remain in those locations for you to reference in the future.

Students have started work for the fourth quarter, and we continue to move forward with new content. Once we know the Governor’s decision about the future of the closure, we will have more information related to the fourth quarter grading procedures as well as overall class/course grades.

Tech Support Video Resources

Remote learning continues using our iPads and Chromebooks. Linked below are some commonly asked questions related to troubleshooting Chrome updates, turning in Schoology Assignments, and Kami Assignments via Schoology. If your child is not having any issues with these items, feel free to skip these links, which are intended to assist families having challenges with submissions in Schoology.

Video: Chromebook apps not working? Directions for a Power Restart

It is important to power down your Chromebook each week, if not nightly, which is recommended.

Video: How to turn in Schoology Assignments

This video shows the student view of how to submit a Schoology assignment and a Google Drive assignment through Schoology.

Video: Submitting a Kami Assignment through Schoology

Some teachers are using Kami for assignments. Kami allows students to draw/ highlight/ annotate a PDF. This link will explain how it works and how to submit the assignment.

If you have any questions related to Chromebooks, Schoology, or need technical support, please email any questions to portalhelp@canandaiguaschools.org.

Community Forum

Welcoming the four principals to last week’s Community Forum was very well received. Therefore, in keeping with that theme, I will again invite a guest, Board President Jeanie Grimm, to this week’s forum.

Thursday, April 30th - 3 p.m.

Join via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83625793397

Next week’s forum will return to the original format, one forum on Thursday afternoon for staff, and one forum Thursday evening for the community. Several people have reached out to ask for this switch for a variety of reasons, and next week, depending on what we hear from the Governor about our closure status, it will make sense to host two separate forums as the information we share will likely be more specific to the audience. Please stay tuned on those details on next week’s forums.

That is all for today; please enjoy your afternoon/evening as it is supposed to be a warm one, albeit windy. Until the next time, stay safe and well.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent - The Canandaigua City School District

April 27, 2020 - Update on Athletics, Chromebooks, and Meal Distribution

Greetings, Braves Family,

I trust this email finds you well and in good spirits. In this communication, you will find a quick list of updates on a variety of topics.

We continue to wait for an update from the state
Chromebook updates
Athletics update
A few key date reminders
Meal distribution sign up
BravesSquare

Awaiting Updates from NYS

Saturday gave us a glimpse of summer, while Sunday reminded us that it is still April. As we begin the seventh week of the extended school closure, we continue to seek guidance from New York State. As of now, we continue to be closed until May 15, and Governor Cuomo hinted that he might have more information specific to school closures this week. As always, we will continue to update you.

Chromebook Updates

Chromebooks operate using the Chrome Browser. Google is continuously making updates to the system, and for Chromebooks to update, the device needs to be completely powered off from time to time. Closing the top of the Chromebook is not powering it off. Our recommendation is to power down the device at least once a week. To do this, hold the power button on the side of the device and choose power off from the screen. If a device is not updated, some of our most commonly used apps, such as Schoology, will start experiencing issues. If you run into challenges, please email portalhelp@canandaiguaschools.org.

Athletics

Today, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) announced the cancellation of the 2020 spring state championship events. The announcement also stated that the regular seasons for spring sports remain on hold as are the sectional championships at this point. The statement relayed by NYSPHSAA stated that for student-athletes to return to athletic participation this spring, schools need to be reopened by Governor Cuomo. We will continue to keep you posted on any changes.

Upcoming Dates/ Deadlines

Class of 2020 Yard Signs- Due by April 29, 2020
Order Free Yard Sign Here

Kindergarten Registration- Video about Kindergarten & Form - complete by May 8, 2020
Kindergarten Registration Information

Placement Information- Complete the linked form by May 15, 2020
Current UPK, Kindergarten, 1st-Grade Parents- Click here for Placement Form
Current 2nd, 3rd, 4th-Grade Parents- Click here for Placement Form

Meal Distribution & Volunteer Sign Up

We continue to offer meals to our school community on weekdays from 11 a.m - 1 p.m. at the Primary-Elementary School. We are seeking volunteers to help with distribution from April 28 to May 15. Please sign up using the link below.

Sign Up: Meal Distribution Volunteers

Updating Contact Information with the District

If you need to update your contact information (email, phone number, home address) with the District, please email studentregistration@canandaiguaschools.org.

Thank you, everyone, for all that you are doing. Staff, students, parents, and this community have really risen to the occasion, and I am in awe of each of you. Please have a great week.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr
Superintendent - The Canandaigua City School District

April 24, 2020 - Robocall Script

Good afternoon, this is Jamie Farr, Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District calling with your Friday update. I hope you are all doing well and being safe.

I’d like to remind everyone of the power of social distancing. I know that the weather has not been great, and that has helped to keep people home, but eventually, the sun will shine, and the warm temperatures will be here. Be sure to remain safe and socially distanced during that time as well, until the restrictions are lifted. We can all do our part to keep ourselves and others safe.

Although the number of hospitalizations and fatalities related to COVID-19 is on a decline in New York State, it is important to note that in our region, we haven’t begun the decline yet.

Governor Cuomo has mentioned several times this week about the concept of reopening regionally, although he also stated we aren’t ready for that yet, when the time comes, he is willing to look at it through a regional lens. In fact, he has created regional task forces around the state who will guide the reopening when it is safe to do so. The chairperson of the Finger Lakes Region Task Force is former Lieutenant Governor and Mayor of Rochester, Bob Duffy. This is something we will need to keep an eye on.

There is still no clarity about when the budget vote and board elections will be. Additionally, we had hoped to have the community vote on a capital project during this vote as well. Since we usually present these items several times around the district and community and we are unable to do so given our situation, we are creating a video of the budget and the capital project and will share that on our website, our regular BravesSquare communications, and our social media outlets. We will also host a community forum on both topics if we remain closed.

As we continue to use BravesSquare for communication, please make sure your cell phone number and email address are updated in our system. Email studentregistration@canandaiguaschools.org with updates.

Lastly, due to the closure, we have digitized some of our practices. Kindergarten registration, student placement, and more are being distributed through BravesSquare and our website.

That is all for today and this week. Please have a great weekend, and stay safe.

April 22, 2020 - Updates, Webinar, Contact Information

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Updates in this communication

State & National Updates
Thursday’s webinar information- including special guest panelists
How to update your contact information with the District

Around the State and Nation

Many of you are likely tuned into various media outlets and are perhaps confused by some of the conflicting messages you may be seeing and hearing. Some speak of re-opening our state, nation, and our economy while others caution that opening too quickly could indeed cause a resurgence in COVID-19 cases.

What appears to be happening at this time, is a lifting of self-quarantine orders based on different states or regions of states across the nation. The lifting of the orders, where it has happened, has been done for areas where there are low infection rates. Governor Cuomo has alluded to possible regional openings in New York State when the time is right but also that it is his desire to coordinate openings with border states.

It is believed that when the time comes for re-opening, there will likely be social distancing guidance remaining in place as well as reduction of occupancy like we saw happening right before the state shut down. Therefore, it is likely safe to assume, when we do re-open, it will include a gradual release of restrictions.

At this time, there is no timeline for a re-opening, I simply share the information above as it appears to be a very hot topic both locally and across the nation, so it is something to keep an eye on.

Thursday’s Forum - WITH GUEST PANELISTS!

This Thursday, April 23, we will continue to present a State of the State forum as we have done each week since the closure. This time we will add a fun new twist and invite several guest panelists. Each building principal- Heidi Robb (PS), Brian Amesbury (ES), John Arthur (CMS), and Vern Tenney (Academy)- will join me (virtually) and present information specific to their building and be available to field questions from folks watching the forum.

Participation in these forums has been great so far, and we do hope you can continue to join us. As always, we will record the forum and post it for your access at a later time if the 3 p.m. time frame won’t work for you. Anyone can participate in the forum by following the link below.

Click here: Webinar: Thursday, April 23, 2020 - 3 p.m.

Updating Contact Information

Next week we will be moving to communicate exclusively through BravesSquare for these communications. It is imperative that your contact information is correct. If you have been receiving these communications in BravesSquare (or by email from the company ParentSquare) in the last few weeks, then you are all set. If you need to update your contact information, including email and cell phone numbers, please email studentregistration@canandaiguaschools.org.

Thank you, everyone, for your continued display of resiliency and togetherness. Maintaining a sense of hope and optimism is essential at a time like this. Until we are together again, stay safe and be well.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent - The Canandaigua City School District

April 20, 2020 - Kindergarten Registration, Mental Health & More

Monday, April 20, 2020

Happy Monday,

Today’s communication includes:

Kindergarten Registration Information
Social media highlights from the past few weeks
Mental health resources

The District adjusted our Kindergarten registration process due to the closure. This link will take you to our website where you will find a video with important information about registering for Kindergarten and a form to complete to start the process. Students born on or before December 1, 2015 are eligible to enroll in Kindergarten. We look forward to meeting our youngest Braves!

Kindergarten Registration

I began my day early Monday morning, enjoying a cup of coffee as I watched the sunrise and five deer grazing in the field behind my house. Since this closure, as I am sure has been the case with all of you, it has been so hard to turn off my mind which has been preoccupied with trying to anticipate what is next, worried about people and programs, and simply trying to plan for a closure which has no known end date. But at this moment, this morning, watching nature and my surroundings just a bit more intently than I usually do, brought me a sense of calm and peace. Today, I hope you find your inner peace, as well. So much is out of our control, but what we can control is our outlook and our resolve.

When we are at school and life is “normal,” I have the privilege of spending time in the various buildings and seeing amazing things happening every day. That is easily a favorite part of my job. Now, in this closure, that is one of the things I miss the most. Being able to see staff and students in action always energizes and inspires me. But if I look closely, I can see evidence of the great things happening around our learning community even now, just in a different form.

The last time we did a communication focused on a few pictures and videos, the feedback was positive, and people asked for more. So here you go; here are a few of the amazing things our staff, students, and parents are doing so that connections remain and wellbeing is sustained.

Here is a video compilation of some of the great pictures which have been shared with us:

Animoto: remote learning & collection of tweets

Our girls’ lacrosse team put together a great video to keep them connected and working on their skills:

Girls JV Lacrosse

Some of our boys’ lacrosse players are working on their skills and here one student athlete teamed up with a member of our girls’ lacrosse program- their twin sister! Thanks to all the lax players who are producing these great videos:

Lax Skills Video

Both the primary and elementary school staff collaborated on a video to show how much they miss their students:

Elementary School

Primary School

Mr. Kane worked with some of our Academy music students to perform Joey Johnson’s original song; I Hate Quarantine. We are blessed with such amazingly talented staff and students:

I Hate Quarantine

Our transportation department is really missing our students. Some bus drivers even wondered if they could Zoom with some of their students. We joked and said Zooming would be a great way to reenact a bus trip...the driver could even put everyone on mute if the virtual ride got too loud:

Canandaigua City School District Transportation Team: We Miss Our Students

Remember, if you are stuck and need help academically, please email your child’s teacher or message them in BravesSquare. If you are still in need of academic assistance, please email your child’s building principal, and he/she will assist or connect you with someone who can. All we are asking is that you try your best. Teachers have posted the academic outline for the week in BravesSquare.

Additionally, if your child is in need of emotional assistance, our contact for this is John LaFave, and he can connect your child with one of our amazing professionals. Mr. LaFave can be reached at 585 396-3739.

Mental Health Resources

Have a wonderful week, and Go Braves!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent - The Canandaigua City School District

April 15, 2020 - Census, Webinar, Kindergarten

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Greetings, colleagues, and neighbors,

I hope this email finds you doing well. Today’s communication includes the following:

Kindergarten registration update
Important information related to the 2020 Census
The link to tomorrow’s community forum webinar - 4/16 at 3 p.m.

Kindergarten Registration

Kindergarten registration was supposed to be today and tomorrow. However, due to our closure situation, it has been pushed to a later date and we plan to provide you with further information on this in the coming week. Please stay tuned.

Census

At this time, specifically, in the year 2020, the United States is in the process of conducting its ten-year Census. This survey of the U.S. population is required by our Constitution and we need your help.

We ask that you take the time to participate in the Census which is now due August 15, 2020. The Census is an important part of our governmental operations. Information from the Census helps to fund aspects of communities such as fire and police departments, it determines representation in state and federal legislative branches, and, yes, it provides funding to schools.

We want to take a moment to explain a little more about it and to answer some common questions.

Why else is the Census important?

Participation by American Indians helps to inform the funding programs to these communities.
Results determine the allocation of funding for programs in this community, including Medicaid, Head Start, mental health services, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Determinations for infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, and water treatment systems are made from Census data.

Do I have to participate?

Yes. The Census is required of all people living in the United States. The information you share is kept private by law.

How do you participate?

If you have not already received the information in your postal mailbox about taking the Census you will soon. Additionally, clicking this link will take you to more information. http://www.co.ontario.ny.us/425/2020-Census

We thank you for your assistance as we support our federal government’s duty to complete the census every ten years.

Weekly Webinar:

Our weekly webinar is tomorrow at 3 p.m. Below is the link to the Zoom webinar.

Webinar Information

Thursday, April 16, 2020 - 3 p.m.

Webinar: Thursday, April 16 - 3 p.m. (linked)

The webinar will be posted on the website as soon as it is available. We ran into some technical difficulties last week that delayed the posting.

Thank you for your support, dedication and compassion for one another during these turbulent times. Please stay safe and well.

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of Schools, Canandaigua City School District

Zoom Directions

Webinar via Zoom Directions: (Could be a link to the directions or listed below the communication in a separate section)

Computer (Chromebook/ Laptop/ Desktop) Instructions: If you have never used Zoom before, you will need to click download and run Zoom. Your computer will ask if you want to Open Zoom? Choose Open Zoom. Enter your email and name when prompted and click join the webinar.

Mobile App Instructions: After you have downloaded the free app from your app store, go to the app, and choose to join a meeting. Enter this Meeting ID for 3 p.m. chat: 459 982 343; Click Join Meeting. After you join the meeting, you will be asked to input your name and email address, then press OK. Or if you already have the app, you can click on the links in this email to join.

Note: This communication was sent to staff and families in the Canandaigua City School District via BravesSquare. Download the app in the Google Play/ Apple Appstore.

April 13, 2020 - Moving forward with new content

Monday, April 13, 2020

I hope this email finds you well, having enjoyed a peaceful weekend among family within your home. I hope you also found a way to connect with loved ones, perhaps those you haven’t been able to see due to social distancing and our quarantine status. A text, email, written letter, or phone call goes a long way towards raising spirits and maintaining a sense of normalcy.

Today’s update includes:

Closure status
Academic updates related to new content & BravesSquare communication

Closure Status

At this time, our closure remains through April 29th (returning on April 30th). Stay tuned, Governor Cuomo and his team assess this situation daily and could issue an extension any time between now and then. As soon as we know more, we will communicate it. Over the weekend, the Governor indicated that it is his desire to have a coordinated effort. When the time comes to reopen, his goal is a coordinated effort between schools and businesses reopening as well as coordinating with both New Jersey and Connecticut, especially as it relates to New York City and downstate.

Weekly Learning Expectations

Staff are now entering a stage of communicating their weekly expectations during remote learning. All teachers will be posting a weekly outline for their course in BravesSquare so that parents (and students in grades 6-12 since they can download the app too) will know precisely what the work expectation is for the week, where the work is located, and how they can demonstrate that they have completed it.

Content Delivery

Staff will be unable to cover the same amount of material in a distance learning format as they would in a traditional format where students are in school. To that point, we have asked that teachers deliver material in small, bite-sized amounts. Anywhere from 10-15 minutes (on average) of new content per day, per course is ideal, followed by some independent practice or an opportunity to engage in the work for each student.

As a general outline, we know that every family has a different capacity to engage in the work. We simply ask that you try your best. Many students and parents have asked what a reasonable amount of time to do school work is per day. Although I can’t give an exact length of time, it is reasonable to say that a range below would suffice:

Grades UPK-5: 1-2 hours of work in total per day
Grades 6-12: 2-4 hours of work in total per day

Some students might be able to do the assigned work in less time than what is outlined above, and I would say if it is taking more than what is outlined, it would not be what any of us would want so this is permission to use your judgment and not overdo it to the point of frustration. Trying your best is all we are asking.

As a reminder, BravesSquare posts from each teacher will outline the work to be completed by students each week. The work to be completed will almost always be accomplished in Schoology (and a few other learning programs the district utilizes). If parents or students have questions about the school work, their first contact should be emailing the teacher or messaging them through BravesSquare. If the question remains, the next step would be to email the building principal. BravesSquare posts from a teacher go to the entire class. Messages are communications directed at individuals and small groups.

Our intent is always to work collaboratively, demonstrate compassion, and unity during this difficult time, and err on the side of the student as the last thing we want to do is to be punitive during a global pandemic when health and wellbeing are clearly the priority.

Lastly, we are looking for volunteers for meal distribution for the rest of this week and next week. Sign up here if you are interested, willing and in good health:

April 15 - April 24 Meal Distribution

Have a great week, everyone and as always, be well and stay safe.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent, Canandaigua City School District

April 10, 2020 - BravesSquare

Friday, April 10, 2020,

Dear Braves Family,

The Canandaigua City School District is transitioning to a new school communication tool called BravesSquare, which has email, text, and app notifications. Each parent has an account in BravesSquare, using their preferred email address and phone number. We encourage parents to access their accounts so they can download the mobile app and update their preferences on when and how they are notified. The goal of this app is to streamline all the District, class, club, and sports communication.

Our goal as a district is to focus on three tools - Infinite Campus, which hosts student information, Schoology, which organizes academic content for students to access, and BravesSquare, powered by ParentSquare, will support streamlined communication throughout the District. We are unrolling this during the extended closure in efforts to deliver updates to parents and students from teachers and the District using one tool.

Here’s what you can do with BravesSquare:

Receive messages from the school via email, text or app notification
Choose to receive information as it comes or all at once at 6 pm daily
Communicate in your preferred language
Comment on school postings to engage in your school community
Sign up for conferences, complete forms & permission slips, receive report cards, sign up to volunteer, and more all from your phone or web portal

Setting up your Account

You can set up your account at www.parentsquare.com or by downloading the free app in the Android/ iOS app store. You will need to enter the email address that the District has on file for you.

BravesSquare & Students

At this time, during the extended closure, our focus is to communicate with parents using BravesSquare. Students should continue to check their Schoology messages and work on transitioning to using this new tool. BravesSquare is available for students in BravesLink for students in grades 6-12. Students in grades 6 -12 have the option of downloading the app. We will open more app features to students once we return to school. I encourage you to ask your child to download the app from the Android/ Apple store.

BravesSquare Resources for you to Access

We have created a central location for resources related to BravesSquare. Linked here you will find resources on application set up, changing your notifications, how to use the app, and much more.

https://www.canandaiguaschools.org/district/braves-square

Our goal is to simplify. We know people are overwhelmed. By clearly defining the three platforms (Infinite Campus, Schoology, and BravesSquare), which we will be using and their purpose, we hope to bring more clarity. Additionally, we are asking teachers to share with parents, a simple template, outlining what each teacher and/or subject area is looking for each week from your child. We hope by doing so, this will again, lessen the confusion and act as a better means for communication.

We continue to try to stay flexible and nimble during these unprecedented times, and we thank you for your support and understanding. We are all doing our very best. Until we connect again, please enjoy your weekend and be safe!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District

April 8, 2020 - Next webinar & Updates from NYS

April 8, 2020 Communication

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Good afternoon,

What a brilliant couple of days we have had. The warm sun feels great and more and more, I am smelling the aroma of fresh cut grass. A welcome sign of our summer season which is just around the corner. I hope you are doing well. Today’s communication will focus on a few pieces of information we are learning at the state level.

Graduation / Course Credit

Since our last communication, we have learned new information, specific to graduation requirements now that Regents Examinations have been cancelled. Essentially, students will be exempted from taking the regents exams for courses they are currently enrolled in and would have otherwise needed to take in June of this school year, 2020. The guidance from the state is that credit will be achieved for each class, determined on a student's understanding of the content according to the classroom teacher which is, in essence, achieving a passing or mastery level grade in the course.

The New York State Education Department released the following guidance on this topic and it is very well done, concise and clear. Pay particular attention to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section. In this document, it will also discuss the various pathways to graduation. Take for example, a student in a Vocational Program, will need to have been deemed to have mastered the skills of the trade prior to receiving BOCES endorsement. Many of the students will achieve this endorsement despite our closure. Some of the students may still need to master skills and that might be able to be accomplished in the summer, through BOCES, to achieve BOCES endorsement but it will not prevent them from graduating.

For further information, please do not hesitate to read the following documents or call your child’s principal and/or guidance counselor.

APPR- Teacher Evaluation

We have also learned that now that the NYS ELA and math assessments are not occurring as well as the recent cancellation of the Regents examinations, that the annual principal and teacher evaluation program (APPR) has been impacted. There is still not a lot of clarity around this topic but the State Education Department has requested an APPR waiver for this school year. As more information becomes available, we will share what that means exactly.

Social Distancing

We continue to encourage and request that everyone practices social distancing. Governor Cuomo just increased the fine, this week, for violating those orders from $500 to $1,000. This order is enforced first through the code enforcement offers and then if the issue persists, police enforcement would issue the fine. Our numbers of COVID-19 cases in Ontario County continue to climb so let's do our part and remain socially distanced.

Forum Webinar Thursday, April 9

This week, our community and staff forum will occur on Thursday, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. I believe we will have the capacity to take all attendees at once and since it is the same presentation and oftentimes the same questions, it makes sense to try it in this format. We will record the forum and post it on our website as well for folks who cannot make it.

Thursday, April 9 - 3 p.m. Join us via Zoom https://zoom.us/j/459982343

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent - Canandaigua City School District

Zoom Directions

Webinar via Zoom Directions: (Could be a link to the directions or listed below the communication in a separate section)

Mobile App Instructions: After you have downloaded the free app from your app store, go to the app, and choose to join a meeting. Enter this Meeting ID for 3 p.m. chat: 459 982 343;Click Join Meeting. After you join the meeting, you will be asked to input your name and email address, then press OK. Or if you already have the app, you can click on the links in this email to join.

Note: This communication was sent to staff and families in the Canandaigua City School District via BravesSquare. Download the app in the Google Play/ Apple Appstore.

April 6, 2020 - Extended Closure to April 29, Communication Update

Monday, April 6, 2020,

Happy Monday Braves,

I trust this email finds you well and hopefully rested after a nice weekend with favorable weather allowing for fresh air activities and perhaps even a little yard work. I must say, it is heartwarming when I am driving around and see so many people out, spending time as a family or simply getting in some exercise by walking, riding a bike or jogging. Making the best of our situation is all we can aspire to do at this time.

Before I jump into the communication, I wanted to share the significant news that came out today and is a significant update which many of you have been asking about:

Governor Cuomo just extended all school closures in New York State until April 29th (return on the 29th). This includes the Canandaigua City School District.
Chancellor Rosa announced today that the June Regents Examinations are canceled. She indicated that guidance for graduation requirements will be coming out tomorrow. Once we know the details, we will share it. Please stay tuned.

Today’s communication intends to focus on two tools that staff, students, and parents may be using: Schoology and BravesSquare. Schoology is a learning management system that most of our teachers and students are currently using. BravesSquare is, among other things, a communication app which can allow for easy communication and collaboration between the school and home.

Schoology

The learning management system allows teachers to upload videos and materials into individual courses so that students can access to learn and interact with content. Lessons, assignments, and assessments can all occur in Schoology, along with integration with Google Drive and other applications so that students may complete assignments. Students and staff can communicate with one another within Schoology to create clarity and understanding, using the messaging feature.

We understand that essentially the entire country has moved to remote learning, which has led to Schoology running slowly. Its capacity is being tested by so many users. Locally, we did make a change on how staff devices connect to our network and we are hoping this will increase the connectivity power of both staff and student devices.

If you have been using Schoology often, you’ve also likely noticed that it runs slower during certain times of the day. This is also likely because most people tend to be on it at the same time. I’d suggest trying to find times in which it is a little easier to use and fewer people are on. For me, I have found it to work best in the early morning or early evening. Schoology is aware of the issue and is attempting to problem solve. While Schoology offers a central location for assignments, we have faced some challenges with how parents can utilize its features and communicate with staff.

BravesSquare

Remind, Infinite Campus Messenger, Team App, Class Dojo, School Messenger, Twitter, Facebook, etc. The list could go on and on and I think you all know what I am talking about. With a desire of communicating regularly with families, as a District, we have used many different communication platforms and this can be overwhelming and confusing.

Our District Technology Committee has been working behind the scenes on rolling out a new app to solve communication problems throughout the spring semester. We had started with a few teachers piloting the app after February break and we will use this moving forward during the extended closure and into the 2020-2021 school year.

BravesSquare, powered by the company ParentSquare, syncs with our student management system, Infinite Campus. Parents and teachers will see the information, courses, and groups that pertain to them. All email addresses that receive our current school messenger emails, will receive the District-wide communications. Additionally, you can download the app in the Google Play Store or the Apple App store- search BravesSquare; once you download the app you can add your cell phone number to receive text message notifications and app notifications. You can determine which of these settings works for you. While you might find the app to be most convenient, BravesSquare is available for students in BravesLink or for parents on a web browser by visiting https://www.parentsquare.com/signin. Our staff can visit the same link and sign on with Google. Students in grades 6 -12 have the option of downloading the app as well.

During this extended closure, BravesSquare will provide quick and easy access to communication and important information. We will continue to post information to the website and information sent via BravesSquare will go to your email. Moving forward, BravesSquare has many features that we hope our staff and families find useful: calendar RSVPs and reminders, photo albums, online permission forms, secure document delivery, asking for items for class or volunteers, conference sign-ups and more! Lastly, BravesSquare translates into 105 languages.

Linked below is a video from Parent Square introducing the application.

Video: What is Braves Square? (Powered by Parent Square)

This communication is being sent by both BravesSquare and School Messenger email to all of our staff and parents. In the future, I will transition to only sending messages via BravesSquare. If you run into any challenges with BravesSquare or Schoology, please email portalhelp@canandaiguaschools.org. We are choosing to transition to this tool during this newly extended closure because many of its features will be incredibly useful for our staff, students, and parents and it is our intention, in the near future, that it will be our one point of communication such that things are streamlined for all involved. Our staff will learn more about this during faculty meetings this week.

Thanks again, for your support, understanding, patience, and flexibility. Together, “We’ve Got This!” Stay safe and well.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent - Canandaigua City School District

April 3, 2020 - A few highlights from social media

Friday, April 3, 2020

We have made it through three weeks. Three weeks of significant change. Three weeks of uneasiness and three weeks of seeing how amazing our District is from a new perspective. In today’s edition of our staff and community communications, we want to keep it light and fun, highlighting but a few of the wonderful things happening and pride points. As you head into the weekend, do so with a smile noticing the beauty of our One Braves Family!

What is not to love about this short video collection created by our softball team? I see more and more like this in the works.

Softball Video

Because law enforcement is discouraging “teacher parades” due to the fact that it violates no unnecessary travel restrictions and because it does encourage social gatherings, videos like this will have to meet that sentiment...and this one definitely does it!

Team Seneca Video

Streaming our recorded dress rehearsals from Mamma Mia! this week was truly a unifying event. The hundreds of students and adults who came together to get the students to this point was completely worth it. Literally, thousands of people tuned in to watch the stream and enjoy a beautiful moment together.

Friday Cast on YouTube

Saturday Cast on YouTube

Our music department is so impressive and so talented, as evidenced by this clip, which 13Wham aired after seeing it on the Facebook circuit. Great job, Joey, very catchy, skillful, and creative.

Joey Johnson TikTok

These days, any kind of birthday party or birthday get together is a big no-no, so the baseball team surprised one of their teammates on his birthday in a safe way.

Happy birthday, Luke!

A couple of our staff members helped to spread the message around social distancing (one of whom hammed up the spotlight a little bit).

Finger Lakes Visitor’s Connection

We have so many teachers creating videos for students to use at home, and not only is it practical, it offers a glimpse of normalcy during these abnormal times.

Mr. Fronczak

And there are many more examples of this sort of thing happening every day around our district and our community. Sometimes it is our students who can offer us the most accurate outlooks and change our perspective. One of our fifth graders wrote this to her teacher this week:

I think that doing online learning is a way for us to grow as a school family in a way. Like we have zoom meetings to keep us in touch, and we are learning to work independently (sort of). Change is a way for us to learn too. Want to know how I am thinking of this pandemic? Well, this has NEVER happened before, so we are living in a time that might be in history books - we are making history!!! Maybe I have given you reasons to change the way you think about COVID-19.”

If you want to choose hope and optimism, all you need to do is look for it...it is all around us. Stay safe and be well!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent - Canandaigua City School District

This email was sent to staff and families in the Canandaigua City School District.

April 1, 2020 - Next webinar and other important updates

Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Braves Family,

There are so many aspects of this extended closure that we find challenging, and the postponement or cancellation of scheduled student activities, games, and events is particularly tough for so many of us. Our students have worked so hard, and the spring is the time when many of these activities culminate. While I hope we can be back in time to celebrate many of these accomplishments, we will also continue to develop creative ways to showcase the work and achievements of our students (especially our seniors). Last night, we were able to share a recording of Mamma Mia! from Saturday night’s cast on the District’s YouTube channel. It is still available at this link: https://youtu.be/DZLSrolPkgs. Thousands of people tuned in and were able to see the outstanding performances of our students. Thank you to everyone who made this possible. You have another opportunity to stream Mamma Mia! on Thursday, April 2 at 7 p.m. featuring Friday night’s cast- https://youtu.be/oEMu_yIQVtk. These performances were recorded a few weeks ago, before the closure, during the last two dress rehearsals which we also opened to family members of students involved in the musical.

As I communicated yesterday, Governor Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order which mandates that instruction continues over what was scheduled as our spring break. For the period of April 6 to April 10, our staff will continue to provide instruction and a focus on preparing for the transition to delivery of new content by Monday, April 13, 2020. As we prepare for this shift and think of academics during this challenging time, we need all students to engage in the work to the best of their ability, given their own individual circumstances. What this last sentence means is that we understand the level of engagement will vary by household depending on each individual’s circumstance. What we are asking is that you try to the best of your ability, and that is all.

Teachers will guide instructional activities and tasks that support daily learning, but we will not attempt to replicate a 6-hour school day. With many adults working from home and juggling other responsibilities, we want to provide flexibility for students to complete assignments. We are still working on finding balance, and I hear from some families that they are overwhelmed, and I hear from others that they need more academics. We haven’t completely found the secret to this balance yet, but we are trying.

Ultimately, we know levels of engagement will vary home to home, given individual circumstances. Again, what we are asking is that people try their best to engage. That is all. Moving forward with content is important as we are not completely sure when guidelines on social distancing will be lifted, and when we can return to our traditional school setting. Understand that we are well aware that when students do return to school, there will be various levels of readiness and knowledge. We will fill in those learning gaps for students; it is what we do. Our staff is fantastic at their craft, and together, we’ve got this!

We have been working hard to keep up with changing circumstances and shifting guidance from our state leaders about educating students during the current public health crisis. Based on the latest guidance from the state, we have built a plan to continue instruction to the extent possible. We will modify this plan as necessary based on any new guidance. I also continue to encourage everyone to focus on their health and overall well-being, as that is always most important.

Here is some other important information about webinars, meal distribution, and donation opportunities:

Webinars

I will host two webinars on Thursday, April 2. Like the last webinar, I will give an update on important information for the first half of the webinar. After I finish my presentation, I will ask the audience for questions. The webinar is accessed through Zoom, a video conferencing platform. I will start with the current state of what the District knows related to the extended closure. I will utilize the Q and A feature in Zoom. We have increased the capacity of the webinar, and both webinars will be recorded. Further directions are linked below. I hope you can join me on Thursday!

Webinars: Thursday, April 2, 2020

Staff Forum- 1-2 p.m.- https://zoom.us/j/814845850

Community Forum- 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. - https://zoom.us/j/864421375

Meal Distribution

Bagged meals will continue to be served on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Primary-Elementary School during the closure. Meals are open to all Canandaigua City School District students, and limited meal distribution is available by calling 585-396-3989.

If you are interested in assisting with the distribution of meals, please sign up here. To volunteer, you need to be healthy and not have a compromised immune system, as we want to be safe. Meal Distribution Sign Up Genius: Click here: Weekdays April 6 to April 14

Gift Cards

We continue to collect gift cards during meal distribution (11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Primary-Elementary School). We have had a generous outpouring from the community already, and we will collect these gift cards through Friday, April 3. Gift cards will be distributed to families next week as part of meal distribution. The concept of these gift cards if you forgot is, if you have the means and want to participate, purchase gift cards of $25 to local restaurants who are offering pick up and delivery services and donate them during our meal distribution. We will pass the cards out next week to the families who pick up food during our meal distribution. This concept helps families who may benefit from meal gift cards and it helps our local restaurants who have supported so much in our community for so long. Thank you for considering.

Be well, Braves Family and we will talk again soon.

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of Schools

Canandaigua City School District

Zoom Directions

Webinar via Zoom Directions: (Could be a link to the directions or listed below the communication in a separate section)

Mobile App Instructions: After you have downloaded the free app from your app store, go to the app, and choose to join a meeting. Enter this Meeting ID for 5:30 p.m. chat: 864 421 375; Enter this meeting ID for the 1 p.m. staff chat: 814 845 850. Click Join Meeting. After you join the meeting, you will be asked to input your name and email address, then press OK. Or if you already have the app, you can click on the links in this email to join.

Note: This email was sent to staff and families in the Canandaigua City School District.

March 2020 District Communications

March 31, 2020- Spring Break update based on Governor's Executive Order

Although previously communicated that April 6 to April 10 would serve as our typical spring break, Governor Cuomo has clarified that his executive order mandates instruction to continue during the entire closure period through April 15th. This means that we must proceed with our remote learning during April 6 - April 10.

For the period of April 6 to April 10, staff will continue to provide instruction and a focus on preparing for the transition to delivery of new content (as previously communicated) by Monday, April 13, 2020. Instruction during this time period (previously spring break) can still look like a blend of practice/review.

We will send additional information later in the week to staff regarding guidelines for grading and new instruction that is scheduled to begin April 13, 2020. We are working to share information as we learn of it; however, this poses a challenge as information changes frequently. We continue to face unprecedented challenges, and I thank you for your patience during this time.

March 30, 2020- Academic Update

March 30, 2020

I hope everyone was able to enjoy a safe weekend. For the most part, we had favorable weather, which hopefully provided an opportunity to open your windows or perhaps even spend some time outside while keeping in mind the need for social distancing. Each day we are learning more and more about the spread of COVID-19 and our government’s response to it. Most predictions indicate that the peak is still approximately 2-3 weeks away. I share this because Governor Cuomo stated last week, when he extended the closure by two weeks, until April 15th of 2020, that he would re-evaluate a need to extend closures every two weeks. Additionally, during President Trump’s press conference on Sunday evening (3/29/2020), he extended his order for social distancing nationwide until April 30th of 2020. We do not believe that means we have to remain closed until then at this point, but it is further evidence that the return to “normal” may be further down the road than we had hoped.

Knowing that we are at least closed until April 15th and perhaps likely longer, we want staff and students preparing themselves to engage in a shift in our approach to remote learning. Coming out of April break, starting on Monday, April 13th, all teachers will begin to present new content. As we prepare for this shift, it is important that new content is chunked into small, manageable, organized segments. Given the current circumstances, lessons with new content should not exceed 15 minutes of “direct instruction” per content area followed by independent practice. “Direct instruction” may be via Zoom sessions and/or the use of Schoology to deliver these learnings, determined by the teacher, department, and/or grade level.

Once we make this shift, there will also be an increase in accountability. Your health is still of primary importance. However, with not knowing how long we will actually be closed, we need to place a value on academic learning as well. We need all students to engage in the work to the best of their ability given their own individual circumstances, and the good news is, most students already are engaging in online content. As we make this shift, students will, at first, be graded on a pass/fail concept. Engaging and giving effort to accomplish what is being asked will result in a pass. Submitting or completing work, attending virtual sessions if your teacher offers them and you have connectivity, and/ or responding to feedback or prompts from your teacher is evidence of engagement and effort. This accountability structure may change over time and evolve a bit more, but this is where we are starting. The Continuity of Learning Plan may be updated or revised during this extended emergency closing based on guidance or mandates from the New York State Education Department as well.

We understand that it is hard to recreate what happens in school, and that is why we will continue to err on the side of the students. If students and/or parents are struggling to engage, please email the classroom teacher first. If the struggle persists, email your child’s school counselor or building principal. Conversely, staff, if you have reason to believe a student is not engaging, please connect with the family to see what barriers may exist so we can work with them to remove the barriers. If your concern over the student’s engagement continues, please notify your principal who will call home or assign a counselor to connect with the family. We will not issue a score of failing unless we know with certainty that all barriers were removed, and we did everything we could, as educators, to cause engagement. Being isolated/separated and working remotely is indeed challenging for collaboration between the school and home, but this communication process should help and the intent is for ultimate collaboration between the school and the home.

As we enter our last full week before spring break, let's use this time to assess where we are (staff and students), and seek assistance if we need any support. Perhaps that support is in the form of professional development for staff. We understand this is a monumental shift in how we do things given our current pandemic situation, and in all likelihood, we all, as a staff, could use professional development to sharpen our remote learning skills. Possibly the need to remove barriers for students/families such as connectivity or clarifying points of confusion will be the focal point this week. As always, work with your building administration to be guided to the correct place. More information directly related to moving forward with content and pass/ fail grading will be distributed to our instructional staff by the Office of Instruction on Wednesday.

Lastly, I also want to share with you a piece of information we are trying to get clarity around. Currently, there is conflicting information coming out of Albany about spring break next week. Some indications state that spring break is indeed a break, and access to learning can take a one-week hiatus. In contrast, other information states the opposite, indicating that learning and teaching still must occur over spring break. There are many implications and considerations which need to be sorted out if spring break is not actually a break, but I suspect we will have an official ruling from state officials on that in the next day or two, so please stay tuned.

I continue to be so impressed with the work I see our students and staff engaging in online each day. It certainly does not replicate the value of traditional instructional practices and in-person learning. Still, we are making the best of our current situation, and I am proud of your efforts. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that this is still all very new, and we are only two weeks in, but we are two weeks in, together. Stay safe, and be well!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent

March 27, 2020- Closure Extended until April 15, Community Donations Update

March 27, 2020

Greetings, Braves Family,

I wanted to thank so many of you who were able to join our Community and Staff Forums yesterday. The feedback was that it was beneficial, so for that reason, we plan to do more forums to provide a status check and field questions from all of you. And I will be honest, and the forum was kind of therapeutic for me as well. During a time of such isolation, it truly felt like I was able to gather with hundreds of friends. Thank you for that. For those of you who missed the forum but wanted to catch it, we did record it and you can watch the evening forum here:

Recording: Community Forum- March 26, 2020

One of the things we talked about last night during the forum was the Governor overruling local decisions in that he closed schools back on March 18th through April 1st (14 days) and that up until yesterday, he had not updated that order which actually superseded our closure until April 13th. Today, Friday, March 27, 2020, during his press conference, Governor Cuomo did extend the school closure statewide until April 15th. This extension includes us. I truly believe this was the right decision, even though I sincerely wish to return to normal as soon as possible. The Governor also stated that school closures will be reassessed every two weeks, and if the trajectories continue as they are, he will likely extend another two weeks.

Today’s communication is brought to you by our Board of Education president, Jeanie Grimm. In a recent email exchange that I had with one of you, our community members, an idea was pitched, which had a great deal of promise. I shared this idea at our most recent board meeting this past Monday, and Jeanie felt inspired to help this idea come to fruition. From Board President, Jeanie Grimm:

“In the last two weeks, since we closed our schools in response to COVID-19, community members have been asking how they can help our students. Our response has always been that a donation to The Spot helps many - and that is still true!

Now, with the closure of small businesses, may we humbly suggest that, if your finances allow and you are so inclined, please purchase a gift card from a local eatery. Drop it off during our meal distribution (M-F, Primary Link entrance, 11AM - 1PM) and we will distribute them. You can just drive up, state you are here to drop off a card, and leave. Additionally, a local Facebook group focused on bringing our community together and other community organizations are also collecting gift cards for this same purpose. We will help distribute these cards.

Our local businesses have always been faithful and enthusiastic supporters of our schools and families. By placing ads in our programs, donating goods and services, volunteering time, and showing up, the people who own, operate, and work for our local businesses have been valuable members of this Braves family. Over 200 meals were given away on our first day of operation. Your contribution will make a difference.

If this is not for you, please simply do not participate! There is a role every single person can play in fighting this pandemic, and every effort counts. Wash your hands, stay home, practice social distancing, maintain compassion for yourself and for others. We can do this!

We are all in this together. Thank you for being the best partners any school district could possibly have.”

We plan to begin collecting these cards on Monday, 3/30/2020 through Friday, 4/3/2020. The suggested amount for each card is $25. Donate as many or as few as you see fit. This is one more piece of evidence that we are a remarkable community, and some might even suggest we are One Community, Transforming Lives during a time of incredible hardship. We thank you for all you are doing to help fight this pandemic.

Today, I leave you with this. I find a great amount of joy in listening to music (yet have zero musical talents of my own, sadly). I have a very eclectic taste and readily listen to many various genres. As I returned home yesterday, Jimmy Buffett was singing the song Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On. Jimmy went on to explain that during times of difficulty, it is important to remember the most basic of things; to breathe and keep moving forward because sometimes that is all we can do. I felt that it was particularly poignant in relation to our current reality. Don’t forget to be mindful, find your inner peace, and continue to move forward.

Additionally, last night, as I prepared for the Community Forum, I was playing music for participants to hear as they entered the room. The very first song that came on was Bob Marley’s One Love. The lyrics hit me. I am a fan of Bob Marley’s music, and I decided to google and read what the song meant to him. One Love is a song of unity, equality, and peace, regardless of who a person is, among other things. How relevant, as I see that very much reflected in our community, especially right now. Yes, there still remains many inequalities and injustices, but I see so many of you working to erase them. I am so thankful for that.

So, breathe, keep moving forward, and know we are here for one another. One Community, Transforming Lives. Be well, Be Brave, Be Kind.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent

This communication was sent to the families and entire staff of the Canandaigua City School District. Additionally, all of our communications related to the extended closure and COVID-19 can be found at: https://www.canandaiguaschools.org/district/coronavirus-info

March 25, 2020- Community Forum Webinar to be held Thursday, March 26

March 25, 2020

Dear Braves Family,

At the midpoint of week two, I can’t help but feel like it has been so much longer than that. If I could return us to normal, I would do it instantly, yet sadly, that isn’t our reality. It can be said that in times of crisis, we truly test our merits. Each of us has likely felt that sentiment over the last week. Can we maintain a sense of calm when it feels like so much is out of our control? Can we continue to be kind to one another, even to those who live within our own homes, when the stress levels mount? Do we continue to provide and care for others in need? And most importantly, are we doing our part by socially distancing and staying home? We must continue to do all of these things, even with such uncertainty. I know this is challenging.

Equally challenging is the fact that parents are doing their very best to support their child’s education at home, many of whom have no formal training to do so. On the flip side of that, our instructional staff is working hard learning new technologies to best serve our students and this community, and many are learning it as they go, also with little to no formal training with these new tools. For me, I have had very little training on the product Zoom. Zoom is one of a variety of virtual meeting platforms being used commonly around the globe. My new reality consists of 4-5 Zoom meetings per day, sometimes more. I’m so thankful for this product as it allows us to keep in touch and work collaboratively even when we can’t be together. Many teachers have begun using this product here in Canandaigua as well to connect with their students.

We are working incredibly hard, trying to communicate regularly, and be accessible to meet your needs. To that point, I will yet again, venture into something brand new by hosting a virtual “Community Forum” meeting for students, families, staff, and community members. The way it will work is I will begin the session by providing Canandaigua City School District’s State of the State, and then I will open it up to questions. You, as attendees, can type questions, and I will see them and be able to respond to as many as I possibly can. Attendees will be able to see me, but I won’t be able to see attendees. The time and date for the forums are below as well as the links. You can join and listen by phone, or you can use your smartphone, tablet, or computer to join the meeting. The community forum will be recorded and linked to our website for anyone who cannot join live.

Zoom can be accessed through a phone app in either the Google Play/ Apple App Store or on a computer/ Chromebook/ laptop.

Thursday, March 26 - 7 - 8 p.m.

Parents/ Students/ Staff/ Community members- Join our Community Forum

Click on the link here: Community Forum Zoom- Thursday, March 26 - 7 - 8 p.m.

Thursday, March 26 - 1 - 2 p.m.

Canandaigua City School District Employees- Join our Staff Update

Click on the link here: Staff Update Zoom- Thursday, March 26 - 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Mobile App Instructions: After you have downloaded the free app from your app store, go to the app, and choose to join a meeting. Enter this Meeting ID for 7 p.m. chat: 339 898 326; Enter this meeting ID for the 1 p.m. staff chat: 429 120 518. Click Join Meeting. After you join the meeting, you will be asked to input your name and email address, then press OK. Or if you already have the app, you can click on the links in this email to join.

If you log in before 7 p.m., it will direct you to please wait for the host to start this meeting. A webinar is different from a Zoom meeting, as your video feature will not be utilized. I will appear on your screen/ phone and lead the community forum. I will start with the current state of what the District knows related to the extended closure. I will utilize the Q and A feature in Zoom. This feature is at the bottom of your screen.

You can try accessing this in advance. The forum is already set up, no information will be there, but you are able to do a test run on the technology in advance. Please direct any additional questions related to technology to portalhelp@canandaiguaschools.org.

Thank you all for your continued support. Please stay safe and well.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent

March 23, 2020- Mental Health Resources & An Update on Academic Expectations

Monday, March 23, 2020

2 p.m.

Greetings Braves Family,

I really hope this email finds you well and putting first things first.Your and your family’s health and well-being are of the utmost importance at this time. As I am certain you have heard, Governor Cuomo has issued more restrictions, calling for all non-essential employees across New York State to stay home. This will, now, limit the workforce of the Canandaigua City School District employees significantly. Everyone will work from home when and where possible with a few exceptions to that rule.

All staff are expected to work from home during regular business hours or are on call to come in should an emergency need exist. There may be urgent needs of the district, which may cause us to have to pull staff in, in a systematic way to help control the exposure risks. This means the best way to contact anyone at our school is through email.

As we enter week two of our closure, I have two items I hope this communication addresses. Mental health and academic expectations appear to be the two most prominent themes we are hearing from the staff and community right now.

Mental Health:

As social isolation continues, coupled with the anxiety and fear of the unknown about what is next, it can be very difficult to manage alone. Please know that for students, we do have a call center. If a parent feels their child would benefit from or a student feels he/she would like to connect with one of our mental health staff members, please call Mr. John LaFave, Director of Pupil Support Services and the CACC at 585-396-3739. He will be sure to coordinate either a phone session or a Zoom session with your school counselor, psychologist, social worker, or prevention specialist.

Additionally, this time can be stressful for adults. There are several services available for your benefit as well (these services are for students as well). Please do not hesitate to reach out and request assistance:>

Ontario County Mental Health - 585-396-4363 ext. 3019 http://co.ontario.ny.us/99/Mental-Health

County Complex Drive Walk-In Times: Monday 8-10:30 a.m., Tuesday 8-10:30 a.m. and 1-3:30 p.m.

Clifton Springs Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) - Mobile Crisis Option 1-877-354-9211 / Emergency Department 315-462-1926

Suicide Prevention Hotline - Lifeline: 1-800-310-1160 / Text Helpline: 741-741

For more information about resources available in our region, call 211 or visit https://211lifeline.org

For any staff member in need of assistance, you have available to you a free Employee Assistance Program (EAP): 1-800-225-2527 or 1-800-252-4555 where a professional counselor can be reached 24/7 or visit EducatorsEAP.com

Ultimately, we want everyone to know, students, staff, and community members; there are resources readily available during this unusual and unprecedented time. Please don’t hesitate to use any of them.

Academic Expectations:

From the beginning of this closure, guidance coming from the State Education Department outlined a need, should districts close and move to more of a virtual learning protocol, for access to learning. Access, during a shorter closure, meant for us to focus on academic review and preparation around content previously taught this year. However, as we continue to remain closed with a projected return date of April 13th, it is time to begin to shift our thinking around our new reality with remote learning and perhaps even plan as though we are not sure when we will actually be returning.

With that in mind, our instructional staff should begin to think about how they will use our available technology to progress learning and move the content forward with students in the near future. Many staff already are, but all staff should begin to consider what it will look like to offer virtual mini-lessons loaded into Schoology or Zoom classes as well as offer “office hours” via Zoom and/or email.

This also means that we will need to accurately gauge which students are and are not engaging in the learning. We will reach out to our families and determine what barriers exist for engagement for those who are not engaging. If it is internet access, for example, we will endeavor to help solve that problem or whatever other barrier exists. Principals will begin to create the process which we will use to determine who to reach out to with their staff in the coming days.

This shift to remote learning, and specifically, progressing the content, is not a slight nor easy one, and we know it won’t be immediate, but it is something we should indeed begin to prepare for. For some teachers, this shift will occur sooner, while for others, they will need more support. This is why we are also planning and coordinating virtual professional development to help staff make this shift.

Again, keep in mind, this is unprecedented, and we are all doing our very best to maintain a continuity of instruction while given very little time to prepare. In the meantime, students and staff should continue to progress with the plans already in place.

Things are changing daily due to state and federal announcements. Here are a few things we have learned since Friday. The following assessments will not happen this year:

New York State Grades 3-8 English Language Arts Test;
New York State Grades 3-8 Mathematics Test;
New York State Grade 4 Elementary-Level Science Test;
New York State Grade 8 Intermediate-Level Science Test;
New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) in Grades K-12;
New York State Alternate Assessment (NYSAA) for students with significant cognitive impairments in Grades 3-8 and high school;
IB examinations (IB diploma or course certificate will be awarded based solely on the student’s coursework and what they registered for)

At this point, there has been no word on Regents exams. We will let you know if any of that changes. Additionally, Gemini courses are moving forward as planned, only in a virtual environment. Gemini teachers were just informed of this over the weekend and will be connecting with their students any time now if they haven’t already. All AP examinations have modified their testing protocol. For the 2019-20 exam administration only, students can take a 45-minute online exam at home. The exam will only include topics and skills most AP teachers and students have already covered in class by early March. Students will be able to take these streamlined exams on any device they have access to (computer, tablet, or smartphone). Taking a photo of handwritten work will also be an option. More information to follow.

If students (and parents/guardians), should have any questions about your (your child’s) academics, please send your teacher a message through Schoology or email your teacher: https://www.canandaiguaschools.org/staff-directory

If you still have questions after emailing your teacher, please email your building principal

Primary School: Heidi Robb - robbh@canandaiguaschools.org
Elementary School: Brian Amesbury - amesburyb@canandaiguaschools.org
Middle School: John Arthur - arthurj@canandaiguaschools.org
Academy: Vern Tenney - tenneyv@canandaiguaschools.org
CACC: John LaFave - lafavej@canandaiguaschools.org

After that, academic questions should go to our Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Matt Schrage at schragem@canandaiguaschools.org, and then me, at farrj@canandaiguaschools.org. Staff, should you have questions, please direct them to your supervisor first, then Matt and then me. We are trying to remind everyone of the order of communication specific to instruction for the sake of managing the volume coming in.

I want to again thank everyone for your continued support, selflessness, and unity. It is said, a crisis can bring out the best or worst in people, and I am so proud to see the best of Canandaigua on display each and every day. I am grateful for you. Please stay safe and be well.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr
Superintendent - Canandaigua City School District

March 19, 2020 - 4:50 p.m. Press Release Ontario County Public Health- Confirmed Case

From the Ontario County Department of Public Health

(District's response below)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: March 19, 2020
Contact: Mary Beer, Public Health Director
Telephone: 585-396-4343
Covid-19 Update

Ontario County Reports a Total of Three COVID-19 Positive Cases

Hopewell- Ontario County Public Health announces a total of three confirmed COVID-19 cases in Ontario County. The first case was travel acquired. The second and third cases were community acquired.
One positive COVID-19 case is a student at the Canandaigua Middle School. Canandaigua School officials are aware. The student and family are currently under quarantine and being monitored by Ontario County Public Health. The teen is recovering and feeling better at this time. Ontario County Public Health is in the processes of completing contact investigations of both community-acquired cases.

Due to the sheer number of people gathered in school settings, a case of COVID-19 in an Ontario County School district was expected at some point. All community members and families of the Canandaigua School district should be alert to COVID-19 symptoms such as cough, fever and shortness of breath.

Our recommendations remain the same. Please continue social distancing. Staying home will help slow down the spread of COVID-19. Please remember, most people do NOT need to be tested. Only sick people who have severe symptoms or certain risk factors should be being tested. COVID-19 testing must be ordered by a healthcare provider.

If you are sick, please STAY HOME. Most cases of COVID-19 are mild and can be managed at home. Call your health care provider if you think you are too sick to stay home or if you have questions. Do not go to the hospital, urgent care center or doctor’s office without calling first. If you are very sick and need medical care, call your health care provider or emergency room before leaving your house if possible. If help is needed immediately, call 9-1-1 and tell the dispatcher that you have COVID-19 symptoms.

For more information on COVID-19 visit:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html
New York State Department of Health:
https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/
Ontario County Public Health: https://www.co.ontario.ny.us/101/Public-Health

Canandaigua City School District

Statement in response To The Ontario County Department of Public Health

Press Release on 3/19/2020

Re. Confirmed COVID-19 of Canandaigua Middle School Student

First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family impacted by the information released by the Department of Health this evening confirming one of our middle school students has tested positive for COVID-19. It is believed, but not confirmed, that the case was contracted when the student traveled to another part of the state a couple of weeks ago and was then in attendance at schoolfor two days after traveling. I am happy to report that I did spend a little time on the phone with the family this afternoon and they all remain in great spirits and the student with the confirmed case is feeling much better and is nearly fully returned to good health.

It seems as though today’s communication which I sent a few hours ago to students, parents, and staff was timely and pertinent. That was not by coincidence. As you might guess, rumors are circulating of various members of our community being ill. Most of these are rumors and until just a short time ago, none of them were confirmed. The point we are trying to express now and from the earlier communication is that none of us should find this news surprising. It is likely that every community, as well as everyone in our own beloved community, might have or will have, at some point, an exposure to COVID-19. We will continue to be diligent and communicate as we realize this kind of news can create concerns and anxiety during a time of such uncertainty.

I am unable to go into specifics out of a matter of confidentiality and privacy. The statement from the health department shared all the information we can share at this time. What I can share is that it is important to follow preventative guidelines (getting plenty of sleep, eating healthy, washing your hands, avoiding touching your face, etc.). If you are feeling ill, seek the attention and care of a medical professional. Most importantly, please, practice social distancing. The virus has now entered our community and we each need to do our part to, “flatten the curve.”

Flattening A Pandemic’s Curve: Why Staying Home Now Can Save Lives

Since the district closed, our custodial and maintenance crews have disinfected our entire district and all of our facilities. At this time, any questions should be directed to the Ontario County Department of Public Health or your personal physician. We continue to share resources on our website. Please be safe and care for one another.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr
Superintendent

March 19, 2020 - 1:20 p.m. Update: COVID-19, Meals, Tech Support

March 19, 2020- 1:12 p.m.

Good Afternoon, Braves Family,

While there have been bumps along the way, it is so heartening to see everyone making lemonade out of lemons. I’d like to first address something which seems to be a recurring theme from staff, students, and parents/guardians. I’ve stated from early on in our preparations, this will not be perfect. A lot is happening in a short period of time and it is a very heavy lift. But, it will be good and we will continue to improve and learn as we go.

We understand that there are nationwide issues with connectivity, bandwidth, and internet access. We knew something like this was a possibility as the world is transitioning into a virtual reality. The message we want all staff, students, and parents/guardians to hear with clarity is that our expectation is that everyone tries their best academically but their top priority is their and their family’s health, and their well-being.

Please do not stress nor become overly anxious when things don’t go as planned because you know what? It is bound to happen. This is all new. Please do know that it will be okay. We will not allow our current reality to negatively impact students and their grades regardless of individual situations. We will figure this out together and make it work one way or another. All we are asking is that you try your best, allot an appropriate amount of time to academics per day and accomplish what you can in that amount of time but then spend the rest of the day remaining or getting healthy and taking care of your mental and emotional well-being.

Another question which is out there and is natural given our current reality is “do we have any students or staff who have been diagnosed with COVID-19?” This is a complex situation as we must be cautious to follow and adhere to FERPA and HIPAA guidelines. In other words, for the sake of confidentiality and privacy, the school district is unable to confirm or deny this information. We continue to follow the guidelines and recommendations from the Ontario County Department of Public Health.

If a case is confirmed, linked to our school district, the Department of Public Health would be the entity which deploys staff to investigate the case, determines and communicates with those who may have been exposed, and releases pertinent information to the community via press releases and/or press conferences. We will assist the Department of Public Health in whatever way we can.

It is not a matter of ‘if’ but a matter of ‘when’ someone associated with our school gets COVID-19. What I can share is that it is important to follow preventative guidelines (getting plenty of sleep, eating healthy, washing your hands, avoiding touching your face, etc.). If you are feeling ill, seek the attention and care of a medical professional. Most importantly, please, practice social distancing. We need to do our part to, “flatten the curve.”

graph of time since first case withour protective measures high above the health care system capacity. with protective measures below health care system capacity from cdc drew hame

Click here to learn more: Flattening A Pandemic’s Curve: Why Staying Home Now Can Save Lives

Meal Information

The Canandaigua City School Nutrition Program is participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s School Closure Meal Program, which provides free meals to students during the school closure.

All Canandaigua City School District students can participate (Grades UPK - 12);Questions please call: 585-396-3989.

What: Free meals to go

When: Weekday breakfast and lunch beginning March 23rd, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Main Entrance of the Primary-Elementary School (Gibson Street Parking Lot). This is curb-side pickup, you will not need to get out of your car.

Meal services during the school closure could change. Please pay attention to your email or the District website for updates on this program. Limited meal delivery is available for individuals who cannot pick up the meal. Call 585-396-3989 and leave a message with the student’s name, address, and phone number.

We are touched by the number of staff and community members who have reached out to offer to volunteer. We are looking for volunteers to assist with handing out bagged meals. You can click the appropriate link below (one for staff and one for community) to sign up.Obviously, you need to be healthy and not have a compromised immune system to do so, as we want to be safe.

Volunteer: CCSD Staff- Week of March 23-March 27

Volunteer: Community Members: Week of March 30 - April 3

Once you sign up, more information will be sent to you with details.

Technology Support

Our technology integrators will be available on Zoom sessions for students/families on Monday, March 23 to answer questions you have about remote learning. Zoom is a video conferencing tool accessible on a computer or smartphone. The document below includes links to each session.

Parents & Students: Click here for Technology Help Sessions

If you have any questions related to technology, please direct them to portalhelp@canandaiguaschools.org. Academic questions should be directed to your child’s teacher(s).

For our staff, we are working on creating online office hours to connect with technology integrators to answer questions. Our staff will receive more information about online professional learning opportunities in an email from the Office of Instruction on Friday, March 20.

At this time, we remain under closure until April 13th and we truly hope to return at that time. We miss our staff and students tremendously, already. We want to also express our sincere thanks to all of you for your continued support, understanding, nimbleness, calm, and patience. These traits are essential for us to act as a community in the most responsible and logical manner.

You should be aware that we are in the early stages of trying to coordinate a virtual Question and Answer segment for our community, hosted by me. Once we figure out the best format to do so, we will communicate how you can join the chat. Until then, stay safe and be well folks.

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr
Superintendent

March 17, 2020 - Chromebook Info & Academic Update

March 17, 2020

4:00 p.m.

Good afternoon,

We continue to thank you for your patience as we navigate the extended closure. The most current and updated information is on our website- https://www.canandaiguaschools.org/district/coronavirus-info. Included in today’s communication is information about social distancing, expectations for academic work, and Chromebook information.

Social Distancing

To stop the spread of the Coronavirus, you have probably heard the term social distancing being used. The federal government has advised people to avoid gathering in groups larger than ten people. With COVID-19, the goal of social distancing is to slow down the outbreak to reduce the chance of infection among high-risk populations and to reduce the burden on the health care systems and workers. Do everything possible to avoid congregating in settings, avoid mass gatherings, and maintain six feet distance between people. This includes avoiding hugs and handshakes. It is also important to continue practicing preventative steps, especially hand-washing.

General Guidelines for Students and Families for Academic Work

The nature of the work provided to students will primarily focus on additional practice and review, as opposed to an emphasis on new content. We realize that this will not take the place of regular classroom instruction. Rather, these learning experiences are intended to supplement student learning at home. Assignments will not be graded during the prolonged closure of schools.

Parents and students can expect that teachers are logging into Schoology daily (Mon-Fri.). In addition, all instructions and learning materials have been posted to Schoology or have been picked up by families in paper form. Teachers will continue to provide updates to families via email or Schoology. Staff will check email and will do their best to respond to email within 24 hours.

Given the shift in teaching and learning, we have asked staff to focus on the use of feedback and virtual interaction/discussion (via Schoology) to monitor student learning, as opposed to traditional grading practices. This switch to remote learning obviously happened very quickly, so there will be some challenges. We appreciate your flexibility and welcome your questions.

Chromebook Information

All students in grades 1-12 have a Chromebook, and the easiest way to access information and resources is through BravesLink. BravesLink is located on the banner of the website, and students are able to access many apps with a single sign-on. Class-specific resources have been added to Schoology, our learning management system, and Schoology is located in BravesLink.

Here are some resources to help guide you through the use of a Chromebook, BravesLink, and some navigation tips for Schoology:

Instructions: Logging into a Chromebook & setting up wi-fi

Video: Directions on Logging into BravesLink & Schoology

iPad Information

We understand that families are not able to connect iPads to their home network. We are looking into a solution to this and will provide instructions once a solution is determined. We understand that Schoology does not work without an internet connection on the iPad. Please follow the guidance and materials sent home by your child’s Kindergarten teacher.

Technology Related Questions

If you have an academic question, please directly contact your child’s teacher via email. Here is our staff directory: CCSD Staff Directory

If you require technical support, please contact portalhelp@canandaiguaschools.org

We will continue to communicate with you using email, and updated information is available on our website. All school facilities are closed, and again, please follow guidelines related to social distancing.

Although this situation will likely cause some angst and concern, there can also be a silver lining. First and foremost, take care of yourself and your family’s health and well-being. Whatever bumps we encounter along the way, we will tackle it together. Another positive is that during times such as these, the true character of the human spirit is revealed. Time and again, I have been in awe at the way our staff, our students, and this community has come together and went way above and beyond to support one another in a time of need. It is strange while undergoing a strategy of social distancing and quarantines, I believe it has also, in many ways, drawn our nation closer. Out of difficulty and crisis, we can emerge stronger and more equipped for the future. There is no other place I’d rather navigate these unchartered waters than right here alongside our #OneBravesFamily. Stay safe and be well.

Sincerely,

Jamie M. Farr

Superintendent of Schools

March 16, 2020- No School - March 17

March 16, 2020

12:30 p.m.

Dear Braves Family,

Plans continue to change and for this, I am incredibly sorry. I really have no option at this point, due to the recent developments in our county and orders released today (within the last hour) by Governor Cuomo related to COVID-19. The District has decided to cancel the half-day scheduled for March 17, 2020. There is no school scheduled in the Canandaigua City School District until Monday, April 13, 2020 for students or staff (unless you are part of our critical essential staff team). Between now and then, the District will continue to monitor the situation and we will share important information on our website, via email, and with robocalls.

Materials and medicines can be picked up by parents/caregivers at each building during the following times:

Canandaigua Primary-Elementary School

Monday, March 16 - 3-7 p.m.

Pick up locations:

Kindergarten = Primary Cafeteria (closest to Link Entrance)

Grade 1 = Primary Main Gym

Grade 2 = Primary Cafeteria (closest to Primary Auditorium)

Grade 3 = Elementary LGI

Grade 4 = Elementary Cafeteria

Grade 5 = Elementary Link Gym

Tuesday, March 17 - 9 a.m -12 p.m.

Pick up locations:

Kindergarten = Primary Cafeteria (closest to Link Entrance)

Grade 1 = Primary Main Gym

Grade 2 = Primary Cafeteria (closest to Primary Auditorium)

Grade 3 = Elementary LGI

Grade 4 = Elementary Cafeteria

Grade 5 = Elementary Link Gym

Canandaigua Middle School

Pick up location: CMS Cafeteria

Tuesday, March 17 - 9 a.m. -12 p.m.

9 a.m. - 10 a.m. A-H

10 a.m. - 11 a.m. I-P

11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Q-Z

Tuesday, March 17 - 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

For Middle School families unable to pick up in the morning

Canandaigua Academy

Pick up location: Atrium

Tuesday, March 17 - 9 a.m. -12 p.m.

9 a.m. - 10 a.m. A-H

10 a.m. - 11 a.m. I-P

11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Q-Z

Tuesday, March 17 - 5 p.m. - 6 p.m.

For Academy families unable to pick up in the morning

Canandaigua Academic & Career Center

Pick up location: Canandaigua Academic & Career Center

Tuesday, March 17 - 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.

All District communications and updates will be posted at: https://www.canandaiguaschools.org/district/coronavirus-info. We understand there is a lot of uncertainty and will be communicating more in the future. We have worked out plans to serve meals during the extended closure.

The Canandaigua City School Nutrition Program is participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s School Closure Meal Program, which provides free meals to students during the school closure. All Canandaigua City School District students can participate; you do not need to be a Canandaigua City School District resident. Questions please call: 585-396-3732.

What: Free meals to go

When: Monday-Friday: Breakfast and lunch beginning March 23rd 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: Main Entrance of the Primary-Elementary School (Gibson Street Parking Lot). This is curb-side pickup, you will not need to get out of your car. Meal services during the school closure could change. Please pay attention to your email or the District website for updates on this program.

This is indeed an unprecedented time and I know this news is incredibly disappointing. I share in your disappointment as well. We are going to learn so much in the next few weeks. Please understand, this won’t be perfect but we are going to do our very best. More academic information will be forthcoming. Our first priority is your health and your safety. No matter what happens, we will be here for you via phone or email during this closure. Until we are together again, be well, be kind, and be BRAVE!

Sincerely,

Jamie Farr

Superintendent of Schools

March 14, 2020 - 8:30 p.m. - Extended Closure Information

March 14, 2020

Dear Braves Family,

We have been following the guidance of the Ontario County Public Health Department and implementing preventative and responsive strategies related to COVID-19. Today, March 14, 2020, Ontario County declared a state of emergency. To stop the spread of COVID-19, the Canandaigua City School District, along with other districts in Ontario County, have determined the following schedule:

Monday, March 16 - Instructional staff, clerical staff, buildings and grounds staff, paraprofessional and aides report to prepare for an extended closure - There is no school for students as well as monitors, food service, and transportation staff on Monday.
Tuesday, March 17- Half-day of school for all students and staff for material distribution and instructions. The Middle School dismisses at 10:40 a.m.; Dismissal at the Academy is at 10:45 a.m.; Dismissal at the Primary-Elementary School begins at 11:40 a.m. There is no UPK.
Wednesday, March 18 - Sunday, April 12 - Canandaigua City School District is closed.

As of right now, classes resume Monday, April 13. While no Ontario County resident has been diagnosed with COVID-19 at this time, it is with an abundance of caution, that we close our schools to prevent the potential spread of the virus. This is an unprecedented situation, and we truly appreciate your patience and understanding during this challenging time.

All athletic and extra-curricular activities are postponed starting immediately. It is our hope that these activities can proceed once we return to school. The district facilities may not be used by any outside organization starting Sunday, March 15, 2020. All district field trips scheduled during the closure are canceled/postponed. Decisions related to future events are still being determined.

Our staff worked tirelessly to prepare plans for instruction to continue remotely during our Superintendent’s Conference Day on Friday, March 13. This work will continue on Monday, March 16. On Tuesday, our goal is to distribute materials and instructions to students before the extended closure.

On Tuesday, March 17, 2020, you will receive further communication related to how to access academic resources and continue instruction as much as possible at home. All updates from the District will be posted at https://www.canandaiguaschools.org/district/coronavirus-info.

The decision to close the Canandaigua City School District for an extended period of time was extremely difficult. We know that closing our schools will impact our families, and we recognize that families depend on the consistency and predictability of the supports and services our schools offer. We are working with community partners to determine how to best mitigate the impact of closing schools.

Our district offers so many opportunities for our students, and it pains me to pause these great experiences. My hope is that this closure and similar efforts around the county, state, and nation will lead to a return to quick return to school. I know there are a lot of questions and uncertainty. Our administrative team is meeting tomorrow, Sunday, March 15, to try to answer more of these questions.

I have always been proud to work with our students and staff; however, during this past week, I have seen so many of them go above and beyond to make the best of this situation. We are truly blessed to be in a community that values education and supports our students in so many ways.

Sincerely,

Jamie M. Farr

Superintendent of Schools

Canandaigua City School District

March 14, 2020 - Brief Update

The Canandaigua City School District continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely. We are fully aware of decisions being made in neighboring counties. A meeting is scheduled between district leadership and Ontario County Public Health related to COVID-19, tonight, March 14, 2020. This is an unprecedented situation, and we truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we respond to this situation in a thoughtful and thorough manner. Should we have further information tomorrow, we will update our website and if needed, send a robocall.

March 13, 2020 - Mamma Mia! Postponed

Important Update- March 13, 2020 - 9:30 a.m. - Mamma Mia!

For precautionary reasons, the Canandaigua City School District has made the decision to postpone the musical, Mamma Mia! If you have purchased tickets, please hold on to them as we hope to hold the shows in the future. For those of you who might seek refunds, further information will also be communicated in the future.

There will be one additional dress rehearsal open to families and relatives, tonight, Friday, March 13, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. in the Canandaigua Academy Auditorium. No tickets are required to attend the dress rehearsal, and donations are appreciated. The Governor’s order regarding crowd size will be followed.

Should further changes take place, we encourage you to continue to visit www.canandaiguaschools.org and our social media feeds. Thank you for your support!

March 11, 2020 - Communication from Superintendent Jamie Farr

March 11, 2020

Dear Canandaigua City School District Community,

Since our last communication, the number of Coronavirus cases around the nation continues to rise. Rest assured, we are working closely with the Ontario County Department of Public Health and following guidance from the New York State Department of Education. The District continues to closely monitor COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus and I write to share with you some of the proactive steps we are taking.

The Canandaigua City School District has:

Disinfected each of our buses and school vehicles
Increased our regularity of cleaning protocol district wide
Resupplied the disinfectant hand soap in bathrooms district wide multiple times a day and deployed hand sanitizer stations across the District
Organized tiered emergency education plans in the event of the disruption of instruction
Set up a central communication location for important information and resources on the District’s website- https://www.canandaiguaschools.org/district/coronavirus-info
Facilitated collaborative conversations with community partners

As of now, we plan to continue with events as scheduled. Our students were excited to get outside during the warm weather, varsity and jv spring sports started this week, our robotics team is about to start competition, and we are busy celebrating Music in our Schools Month. This weekend the Academy musical, Mamma Mia, has three shows! We are constantly monitoring the many activities our students are involved in, particularly off campus. Some events have been cancelled such as the 6th-grade RPO trip because of guidelines from the University of Rochester and I am certain we haven’t seen the last of cancelled trips.

Additionally, the Ontario County Department of Public Health is hosting a community forum at Canandaigua Middle School on Thursday, March 12 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the auditorium. This event is open to our students, staff, families, and the community to discuss preparations from the County and answer any questions from the public.

Please continue to follow the preventative steps for limiting the spread of the Coronavirus, or any communicable illness for that matter, by having students stay home if they are exhibiting symptoms, practicing thorough hand washing, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, and avoid close contact with people who are sick.

On Friday, as part of the Superintendents’ Conference Day, our teachers will meet to discuss contingency plans to deal most effectively with the situation. The District will continue to actively monitor the progression of the Coronavirus and follow the guidance of the Ontario County Department of Public Health. The health and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff continue to be our focus. I thank you for your support and patience as we continue to navigate this evolving situation.

Sincerely,

Jamie M. Farr

Superintendent of Schools, Canandaigua City School District

March 1, 2020 - Communication from Superintendent Jamie Farr

Dear Canandaigua City Schools Community,

As I am sure you are seeing in various media outlets, there is a new Coronavirus called 2019 Novel (new) Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) first found in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. This virus had not been found in humans before. This Coronavirus can lead to fever, cough and trouble breathing or shortness of breath. There are thousands of diagnosed cases in China and new cases being diagnosed in a number of countries including the United States.

The Canandaigua City School District has been in contact with the Ontario County Health Department for regular updates around the Coronavirus. The District will continue to share updates when new information or guidelines need to be communicated and we will follow the lead of the Health Department should the need exist.

What do we know?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working hard to learn as much as possible about this new virus, so that we can better understand how it spreads and causes illness. The CDC considers this virus to be a serious public health concern. Based on current information the CDC recommends avoiding travel to some areas of the world. Updated travel information related to 2019‐nCoV can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html.

Prevention

Health experts believe the virus probably spreads from animals to humans and from person to person. It’s not clear yet how easily the virus spreads from person-to-person.There are currently no vaccines available to protect against this virus. The New York State Department of Health (DOH) recommends the following ways to minimize the spread of all respiratory viruses, including 2019-nCoV:

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing. If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.
Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
CDC recommends that travelers avoid all travel to China.

Symptoms

Information to date suggests that 2019-nCoV causes mild-to-moderate illness and symptoms like the flu, including fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.

This is an emerging, rapidly changing situation. For questions please contact your local department of health or the NYS DOH Novel Coronavirus hotline at 1-888-364-3065.

We encourage you to keep up to date about 2019-nCoV, its treatment and prevention by visiting the following websites:

Additional Resources

CDC’s dedicated 2019-nCoV website at https://www.cdc.gov/nCoV. and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html

NYSDOH’s dedicated 2019-nCoV website at https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/

NYSDOH directory of local health departments https://www.health.ny.gov/contact/contact_information/

New York State Center for School Health website at www.schoolhealthny.com.

The Canandaigua City School District will continue to be advised by the Department of Health. As we receive more information and guidance from the New York State Health Department, we will pass it along to our school community and share it on the District website, www.canandaiguaschools.org. We thank you for your involvement and attention to the growing global health concern.

Sincerely,

Jamie M. Farr

Superintendent of Schools

Canandaigua City School District