Hello Parents and Guardians, I want to remind everyone that while BPS is still closed, we are OPEN all 5 days for all students at all levels. Students at both schools may now use the water fountains to refill water bottles. Clear see through water bottles must be clean and empty when they come to school to get refilled within the building. We have passed our water inspections so student are free to use the fountain for refilling purposes only, no direct drinking from the fountains will be allowed.
For the health and welfare of our staff and community we will not be hosting our annual Open House in the building. Please view our page beginning Friday, 2/5/21 to be a part of our very first online Open House! Check it out to see what Maritime is all about!
Parents, Please be sure to complete the COVID-19 testing permission slip, either online on our website under the COVID 19 button or the copy that was mailed home last week. No student will be permitted into either building on their first day back without a signed consent form. Any student arriving for school without the signed consent will be sent back home immediately and will need to remain at home until the current 5 week grading period is over at the end of January. This is in accordance with New York State guidelines. We appreciate your help to allow us to bring the children back to school safely. Thank you, stay safe, and stay healthy.
I hope that this letter finds you in good health and able to enjoy the holidays as we end a very unique year. I think we all hope that 2021 will mark a return to a year where we will be able to stay in school and our lives return to normal.
We are planning on returning to school starting Monday January 4th. Mondays will continue to be remote learning. Students will follow the schedule they had in November. If they are four day a week students they will attend Tuesday through Friday. If they are hybrid students they will attend Tuesday/Thursday or Wednesday/Friday. If they are remote students they will not be on site at all. If parents have any questions or wish to make changes to their cadet’s schedule they may call through December 23.
Statistics have shown that schools have not been spreaders of COVID due to the many protocols in place which is why NY State has allowed schools to go back to in-person learning so long as they continue to maintain COVID spread mitigation protocols and engage in a COVID rapid testing regimen. In-person learning is extremely important for our students both in terms of learning and social and emotional support. We at Maritime are dedicated to provide that while maintaining all necessary protocols to help keep your children and our staff safe during this pandemic.
In order for your student to return to in-person learning you must fill out and sign the enclosed COVID 19 testing permission form and make sure that the school has this form no later than January 5/6th. Your student cannot return to in-person learning without this permission form. They may turn it in at the office themselves their first day back. The reason is that we must conduct random testing on site in order to conduct in-person learning per NYS directive. Therefore if your student arrives on January 5th or 6th and we do not yet have the permission form we will send the student home or you may come in to sign the form. While in an Orange Zone we must test 20% of our students over the course of a month (approximately 70 students) and 30% (approximately 105 students) over the course of a month if designated a Red Zone.
Testing materials have been ordered and we will begin testing as soon as they arrive. If you wish your child to be tested we will start with volunteers and test others randomly until we have the required percentage. Testing will be done by qualified individuals utilizing rapid tests provided by NY State. All data resulting from testing will be handled with confidentiality. Results will be submitted to the Erie County Department of Health. Any students who test positive will be immediately isolated and the parents will be contacted to pick the student up. Any staff who tests positive will be immediately sent home. In both cases tracing determinations will be made to determine quarantine of those potentially exposed defined under current state guidelines.
If you had borrowed a computer during the full-remote period please have your student return it the first day back to school with the computer and charging cord. It is vital that they do so because that is the same computer they need and use daily for all classes while attending in-person learning.
Please remember to have your student fill out the Covid questionnaire before coming to school. Please do not send your child to school if he/she is not feeling well. All staff and students will wear masks, practice social distancing, and practice healthy hand cleaning. Due to diligence in these three schools have remained relatively safe.
Best wishes for a healthy and happy holiday season, Catherine Oldenburg, Commandant Western New York Maritime Charter School
Due to NYS regulations, we are now required to test a random sample of students to reopen our buildings. Please read our plan, the details for testing, and find the parental consent form on our COVID-19 Response page.
Western New York Maritime Charter School has instituted all remote learning as of 11/19/2020. Maritime has shifted its instruction to remote due to the fact that we are located within an Orange Cluster Zone. WNYMCS will remain remote through January 4, 2021. We hope that all of our candidates/cadets and their families continue to follow social distancing and stay safe. Our students are expected to follow their schedules Tuesday through Friday, the scheduled times are on our website.
If you have any questions please call the respective schools which will have personnel to answer phones from 8:00 till 3:00. Middle School - 898-2130 High School 842-6289.
Parents, if you would like to give your consent to have you child COVID-19 tested, please go to our COVID-19 page, download the file, and return it with your child or email it to Ms. Oldenburg. We have also posted our Middle school plans in the event we are forced to go to a fully remote learning model due to the continuing pandemic.
Maritime is in a designated yellow zone and will follow all protocols as identified for yellow zones. We are not closing as yet and will keep the lines of communication open as we develop our strategy. Please remain vigilant, wearing masks, maintaining social distance, washing your hands with soap and water, and using hand sanitizer.
Stay safe and thank you for everything you are doing to help us meet the needs of your kids.