Oct. 20 Supt Letter

October 20, 2021

Dear Onteora Community,

Onteora Central School began COVID screening testing for faculty and staff in our schools on September 20, 2021, in adherence with New York State requirements.

We have partnered with Dr. Neal Smoller of the Village Apothecary and the Ulster County Department of Health (UCDOH) to do staff testing.

Onteora will now begin the process to start screening testing students in school.  We will utilize Dr. Neal Smoller and his staff to conduct this testing. All students will have the opportunity to be screened weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly with consent from a person in parental relation.

We ask that all district families fill out the following form to let us know if you would like your child (ren) to be screened for COVID-19 in school.  Please fill the form out for each child that you have who attends school K-12.  If you need assistance with this form, please contact your school nurse.  Please fill out this form even if you do not want your student screened for COVID-19 in school. It is imperative that we hear from all families. https://forms.gle/K5bynUMU8UFHy2Hq6

Who will be screened tested?

Only students whose parents/guardians have provided this signed consent form to the school will be tested.

Who will do the testing?

Dr. Neal Smoller of Village Apothecary and his trained staff

What type of test will be used?

Nasal Swab using the Abbott Binax NOW  (rapid antigen test) collected by trained healthcare personnel

How do I know if my child tested positive?

If your child screens positive, you will be notified right away and your child will need to be picked up from school.

NOTE: Rapid antigen tests may produce incorrect negative results (called “false negatives”) in people who have COVID-19. If your child tests negative but has symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have concerns about your child’s exposure to COVID-19, you should follow-up with your child’s healthcare provider.

Sincerely,

Marystephanie Corsones
Interim Superintendent