A Thanksgiving message from the Acting Superintendent

November 24, 2020

Dear Parents and Guardians, 

It is hard to believe that our fall season is coming to a close and the Thanksgiving holiday is only two days away.  For many of us it is tradition to take time this week to reflect upon what we are thankful for with our family and friends. We all know that 2020 has been a challenging year and unfortunately those challenges are growing as we enter the holiday season. Many of us will not be able to be with our family and friends this year for a variety of reasons, but I believe it is still important to share with others the reasons why we are thankful, even if this exchange is virtual this year! 

Personally, I am thankful for all of the sacrifices our healthcare workers and first responders have made during this time to assist all of those in need.  I’m also extremely grateful that our District has been able to keep our schools open for in-person instruction. This has been no small feat. We are able to keep our buildings open because of our devoted staff and students.  From the dedication of our transportation department staff to the determination of our custodial workers, everyone has worked together to achieve our goal of safely keeping our buildings open. I’m so grateful to the commitment of our students and staff to maintain social distancing, wear face coverings, and implement hygiene practices conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease, especially through cleanliness.  Everyone has sacrificed something for the benefit of the common good!  That being said, it is clear that we all need to continue to make sacrifices over this short holiday break so that we can reduce the spread of COVID-19 and remain open for in-person instruction.

We know how important it is for our students to experience as much normalcy as possible - at home and at school. But in order to continue the normalcy of attending in-person classes, participating in extracurricular activities and playing sports, we have to continue to make safe decisions at home. We may have to modify our holiday plans this year so that we can keep our friends and family healthy. Please remember we are all still in this together, and together we can keep our schools open and our community safe.    

So, as my family celebrates the Thanksgiving holiday, in a very different way through Facetime, GoogleMeet, and Zoom, I’ll be sharing what I’m grateful for and I’m grateful for all of you!

On behalf of the Baldwinsville Central School District Board of Education, building and District leadership, as well as instructional and non-instructional staff members, we would like to say “Thank you!”  We are grateful for your continued support.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Joseph M. DeBarbieri, Acting Superintendent of Schools