Dear Pine Bush parents and staff,

Tonight’s message is about a special survey we have designed about our free meals for kids program. As I hope you all know, we have been distributing meals (breakfast and lunch) for any child in the district under the age of 19 for several weeks now. So far, we have handed out over 140,000 meals from three distribution sites. And we still have several more weeks to go.

We want to make sure we’re doing as much as possible to nourish our children while they learn remotely. The survey we designed has just six brief questions. It opens today, Wednesday, May 13, and will remain open through next Tuesday, May 19. The link to the survey is posted at the very top of our website, and will also be in this evening’s email message sent to you as part of this update message. Please take two minutes to complete the survey sometime over the next week. It will help us serve you better.

 

Here is the link: PBCSD Food Distribution Survey

 

Two last pieces of news: one about Orange County reopening and the other about Memorial Day.

1.      Today I had the chance to speak with Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus and Orange County Health Commissioner, Dr. Gelman. Although Orange County has so far only met four of the seven criteria needed to begin re-opening, County Executive Neuhaus informed me that elective surgeries will now be permitted and that he feels we will get to all seven criteria within the next week or two. I’m not sure what additional restrictions this will allow him to lift, but Dr. Gelman did say that we will need to continue to provide for social distancing and wearing masks in public even as we may be allowed to shop and interact with commercial establishments and that those establishments will likely have to operate with reduced capacity.

 

2.      I’ve also received several questions about Memorial Day. Even though Memorial Day has no reference in New York state law, it is a federal holiday, and it is my intention to recognize it as a holiday for all Pine Bush staff and students. There will be no lessons posted, no virtual learning on that day. It will be a day off, just as it would be if we were still in regular school. I encourage everyone to take Monday, May 25, as a day to remember the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives defending our country, our democracy, and our way of life.

 

I don’t currently have a plan for when my next call will be coming your way. That will depend on how and/or what things unfold over the coming days.

Thanks to all of our parents working hard to support their kids with their virtual learning and thanks to all of our staff as well. I can’t wait to be able to see you all again.

Have a great evening,

Tim O. Mains, Pine Bush Superintendent