A Note from the Principal 1/14/22

Happy 79th day of in-school instruction!!! Can you believe January is almost halfway over? As I write this, our registration is well under way. I am so happy to report that our auto-re-registration forms are steadily streaming in, and we will have close to a 100% student return for next year! Please return these forms by Friday, January 21 to receive a dress down pass for each of your children!

We received great news yesterday! Our 2022-2023 6th grade has been approved for next year! Every year we must demonstrate that we have family interest in having a 6th grade and once again we were able to do so! Thank you to the families who have shown their dedication to Seton by registering for 6th grade!!!

We are continuing to get requests for openings for the 2022-2023 school year and waiting lists are in the near future. As those lists grow, we will open new sections. Spread the word! More students mean smaller classes for all of us! Don’t forget about the Ambassador Program! You benefit financially with every family that you bring in! See the flyer.

Today we celebrated good sportsmanship with the wearing of Bills gear, red and blue or the student’s favorite sports team gear. The focus isn’t so much on the Bills winning but on the ideas of good sportsmanship and how we celebrate our sports heroes. Though I do have to confess to being a Bills fan! If you watch any of the games this weekend with your kids, spend some time talking about what it is to be a good sport and how professional treat each other both on and off the field. Hearing your opinion supporting positive behavior goes a long way.

Finally, I’d like to thank each and everyone of you for your kindness shown in the form of Christmas gifts to me and the whole staff. Your financial gift and your gifts of appreciation were incredible and much appreciated by all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

GO BILLS!

Patty

UPCOMING IMPORTANT DATES

 01.17 NO SCHOOL – Martin Luther King Day

• 01.21 Completed Registration forms returned by this date receive family dress down pass
• – Milk order forms due
• – Chess Club begins
• 01.31 Catholic School Week begins
• 01.24 Seton Tubing Night @ Greystone
• 02.18 Automatic Registration deadline

 PLEASE UPDATE YOUR CALENDARS!

A decision was made to change the following scheduled half days to full days. Our website calendar has been updated and District Transportation Offices have been notified.

Seton will have regular school hours on the following dates:

Wednesday 1/26

Wednesday 2/16

Wednesday 3/16

Wednesday 5/11

 FROM THE OFFICE

Please send in a note whenever there is a change in the regular dismissal schedule for your child. For the safety of the students, we can not dismiss children outside of their existing/current status of dismissal without a note from a parent.

A few examples when a note is needed:

• If your child takes the bus, but today they are not
• If your child is a walker/rider but will take the bus today
• Your child is going home with a friend
• Will be picked up rather than go to extended day

You DO NOT need a note if your child is participating in an after-school club such as Chess or Speedball.

Without a note, we will dismiss the student per their usual dismissal schedule for that given day. For your convenience, there is an all-purpose note on our website for your use:

https://www.setoncs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Walker-Rider-Absence-Late-Form.pdf

And it is attached below.

Thank you for your cooperation.

 FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE

Student COVID Test Kits

Recently NYS Department of health provided our school with additional at-home test kits. If you would like one for your child (1 per Seton student) please email Andriana Scott [email protected] and we will send one home with your child. Without your written request, we will not send them home.

Help us keep our kids safe!

2021-2022 Seton’s Consent for Student Rapid Covid-19 Rapid Testing

Seton continues to seek your consent to have your child participate in our random testing for COVID-19 infection. If you have already given consent through this form for the 2021-2022 school year, you do not need to do so again. If you have not yet had a chance to help us keep our community free of COVID-19, go to this link to give your consent for your child to be part of our preventative random testing. https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=6kx4-Nx9wkuTitcb1bSeOgxkd4MgiGtIu8ceGTcLRgJUM1pVUEkxTDhGSUcwQk1FOFZUQUNZWlJXNy4u

Navigating the Rapidly Changing COVID Protocols

All the information we are given can be confusing, cause fear and anxiety, along with frustration and stress. To add to that, this deluge of information seems to change daily. Let’s remember to give everyone around us, and ourselves, a pat on the back for how far we have come. There is no doubt that parents, faculty, and staff all have the best interest of one another and the children in mind as we continue to charge forward. Expect changes.

Fully Vaccinated Students:

The Monroe County Department of Public Health has stated that any student who is fully vaccinated – 2 weeks or more from their 2nd vaccine dose – does NOT need to quarantine if they do not exhibit any symptoms. Our health office will perform a visual/in person symptom check for 5 school days past an exposure.

If they exhibit symptoms, they should quarantine and seek a COVID -19 test. Parents must fill out the Mandatory Quarantine Order request form at www.MonroeCounty.gov. Home tests do not qualify as proof of no infection. If the results are negative, the student may return to school and our health office will perform a visual/in person symptom check for 5 school days past an exposure.

Not Yet Fully Vaccinated Students:

Any student who has not yet had both of their vaccinations and/or is not yet past the two-week window from their second vaccination, is considered to be unvaccinated.

Any student falling into this category who has a known COVID exposure, must quarantine for 5 days whether they have symptoms or not. Parents must fill out the Mandatory Quarantine Order request form at www.MonroeCounty.gov. Home tests do not qualify as proof of no infection. The student may return to school after 5 days. It is highly advised that these students receive a COVID test on Day 5.

Students with NO known exposure but has a temperature >100 or exhibits new or unusual symptoms of COVID-19

Regardless of vaccination status, these students must stay home or return home. Parents must seek an assessment from a health care provider to determine appropriate care. Students can return to school with a note from their health care provider explaining the alternate diagnosis.

Isolation/Quarantine * UPDATE *

Seton will follow the MCDOH and NYSDOH guidelines updated 1/4/22. This shortens isolation and quarantine to 5 days in most instances.

Tests Permitted for Return to School

Home tests are still not permitted for return to school purposes. However, guidance has been modified to allow the use of a negative, laboratory-confirmed Rapid Antigen test for return to school. NAAT/PCR Tests are no longer required.

REMEMBER that this continues to be modified and may change again. We continue to stay updated to the latest information and communicate it to you.

 THANK YOU DR. DILORETO!

A very special thank you to Dr. Dave DiLoreto! Dr. DiLoreto helped to make it possible for Seton to obtain a Limited-Service Laboratory License. He has volunteered to provide technical and clinical direction if needed in order to do our COVID testing. Thank you!

2022-2023 AUTO REGISTRATION

As hard as it is to believe, it will soon be time for our 2022-23 school year registration. Once again, this year, this is an automatic re-enrollment process. As current families, you will have access to our priority enrollment until January 31, 2022. Your children, whether they are returning or new enrollments, will have the first slots for their grade level. On February 1, 2022, we will open our enrollment to new families who are currently on the waiting list and those coming in to register. Forms were sent home last week with the youngest sibling in the family. Current families that return their form by Friday 1/21/22, will receive a dress down pass for each of their children.

If we do not receive your form, we will assume you are returning, and you will be charged a registration fee of $150 on or around March 15th through your FACTS account. Do not send in a registration fee check. Please note, that we are receiving many inquiries and to ensure your child’s place for next year, please return this form as soon as possible.

 SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY

BUILDING A BRIGHTER FUTURE SCHOLARSHIP

The window for applying for the Building a Brighter Future Scholarship began on January 3, 2022. This is a highly sought-after scholarship and fills up quickly. Last year, five of our Kindergarten – 6th Grade families qualified for assistance. To see if your family qualifies click the following link: https://www.dorschools.org/financial-aid.

MILK ORDERS DUE

Milk orders for the second half of the year are now available. This is for January 31 – June 17. Please return order forms to the office by Friday, 1/21.

Please, please, please be sure your child wants milk before you order! We have noticed that many students do not want their milk! Want not, waste not!

 LET’S GO SNOW TUBING!

Seton Tubing Night at Greystone – Monday, 1/24. Take a look at the Greystone website here: https://www.greystonetubing.com/. This is a private group event for Seton Families and their friend who might be considering Seton for next year. The cost is $10.00 to ride down the hill but free to just come and watch! A smaller hill is available for the younger boys and girls at no cost. Bring some of your friends so they can experience our Seton community!

Watch for an email coming soon with more details!

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS – KEEPING CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS POSTER CONTEST

Congratulations to 3rd grader Elena Perez-Rivera! Elena won overall first place with her poster for Keeping Christ in Christmas! Several schools in the dioceses participated and Seton had many runner-up winners! Great job everyone and congratulations Elena!

B&N UPDATE

Thank you to everyone that turned out for the B&N Book Fair and Art Show! It was a great, fun filled event and it was nice to see everyone getting together as a Seton community! The event raised $388.79 for us to use to purchase books for our library! Thank you to all our parent organizers that made it possible.

A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL SETON FAMILIES FOR ALL OF YOUR VERY GENEROUS GIFTS FROM ALL OF US!