Please click here to view the public forum for the ARP (American Rescue Plan) Federal Grant. If you have any comments, please contact the Assistant Superintendent at mvanyo@pocanticohills.org.
To view the PowerPoint presentation, please click here.
The attached is the application for the CRRSA ACT for Federal Funding. If you have any questions or comments, please contact the Assistant Superintendent, prior to July 22, 2021 at mvanyo@pocanticohills.org.
On July 6th our swim team will hold it's first in-person competition at Pocantico Hills Pool. Due to the scheduled meet, the pool will be closed to all residents from 3 pm - 8 pm on July 6th.
Thank you for your support and the best of luck to the team this season!
Pool Management
Visit our Facilities Improvement Projects page to view our presentation recordings and future presentations!
An Important Message From Superintendent Calkins
Pre-K/K registration for the 2021-2022 school year opens on Monday, March 15th on a rolling basis.
Please visit our registration page for more information.
Visit our Pocantico Hills Day Camp Page for exciting news about Summer 2021!
Stay up to date with the latest news on our Tennis Courts & Energy Performance Projects and Facilities Improvement Projects
POCANTICO HILLS CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
In the event that we are forced to close or delay the opening of the district or school you will receive a notification explaining the situation and providing specific guidance.
School/District Delays and Closures:
In general, emergency notifications are categorized into two main areas: delays and closures.
Delays:
When a school is delayed this will impact both the start of school and associated transportation times. For example, if there is a 2-hour delay, school will start 2 hours later than normal. Additionally, for students that receive transportation services either to Pocantico or other schools, your pick-up time will be impacted by 2 hours. Students who would normally be picked up at 7:00am would now be picked up at 9:00am, etc.
Closures:
When the Pocantico Hills Central School DISTRICT is closed, all activities, including all transportation services are cancelled.
If there is an event that is localized, such as a power outage on our campus, school will be closed, but transportation services to partner schools might still occur. When this happens, you will receive specific information regarding pick-up and drop-off times directly from Pocantico.
Partner schools will communicate directly with impacted families if they are delayed or closed.
How Will You Receive The Message?
When an emergency occurs, you will be notified of the situation through a variety of communication channels. You will receive an automated call, as well as an e-mail, directly from the school, and the information will be posted on our website. Additionally, if you have opted to receive text messages and/or if you have the Pocantico Hills app, you will receive the notification through those channels as well. District specific weather-related closing information is also shared with News 12 Westchester, WABC-tv7, the Patch, WHUD 100.7. and Instagram: “superintendent.calkins” forgive the shameless promotionJ.
When Will Closing Information Be Disseminated?
This information will be communicated to families in as timely a fashion as possible. Sometimes it may be feasible to notify you the night before the event takes place. Other times you will receive notifications in the morning. We will try to communicate this information to you between 5:30am and 6:00am.
Other Emergency Situations:
We will also utilize the aforementioned communication methodologies to communicate other emergency information to you. A good example of this would be if we were forced to close school and send our students home early.
September 17, 2021 - WCDOH Free COVID-19 Testing Program Memo
August 23, 2021
Dear Team POCO Families-
We hope that this outreach finds you well and enjoying a restful and restorative summer spent with family and friends! Lots has been going on here at POCO in anticipation of the 2021-2022 school year and we wanted to take this opportunity to provide you some updates. We will be sending out our “Welcome Back to School Packet” next week.
Re-Opening Plan:
We are all aware that this pandemic is far from being over and that it is vital that we do not relax when it comes to the safety of our students, staff and community! While I do expect some guidance from the state, we are not waiting for it to arrive!
While districts across the country and state continue to struggle to formulate a plan for the safe return of their students and staff members, this is not the case when talking about Pocantico Hills. Last year, we were able to achieve something that few districts were able to emulate: a school that was safe and open from day 1! We were able to achieve this because of the support of our community and commitment of our staff! Additionally, this was accomplished by not cutting corners and by focusing on safety as our number one priority. There was not an aspect of wellness that we did not address; from air control, ventilation, social distancing, tents and cleaning protocols to the utilization of PPE (masks, etc.) and everything in between; if it could help to keep us safe we did it. So, when looking at this year, the approach that is being taken is one of: “don’t recreate the wheel”. We have tried and true procedures in place that served us well, lets keep them going with any need changes based upon regulations, science and common sense.
At a meeting of the Re-opening safety committee last week we agreed to the over-arching philosophy outlined above and to adhere to the proven guidelines provided by NYSED, the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Specifically:
Instructional Model:
We are supporting an in-person instructional model. We clearly understand that there may be times when remote instruction is a necessity and we are prepared to shift to this model if/when necessary. Some examples of “going remote,” include:
I am so excited for this school year and appreciative of all of your support, contributions and commitment to all things POCO. GO Hawks!
With great respect,
Rich
Q. I believe it’s only UVC that is shown to kill micro-organisms. Please check which units are sold to you.
A. Great point! We believe that we are good in this regard, but we have not completed this purchase yet, and will double-check to ensure that we purchase the correct equipment. Thanks for the FYI.
Q. What about water testing to ensure there is no legionnaires or mold in the water?
A. Our water is tested weekly by Mount Pleasant. Additionally, we undergo bi-yearly lead testing.
Q. What about the faucets; they have not been used regularly since March?
A. All faucets, toilets, and drinking fountains are run nightly as part of the cleaning process. Classroom sinks have been run on a weekly basis.
Have any questions or concerns? Please email Superintendent Calkins at rcalkins@pocanticohills.org.
Informacion de cuando y como lavarse las manos / Video - Como lavarse las manos
Cómo ponerse y quitarse adecuadamente un respirador desechable
Como usar y quitarse las mascarillas / Video - Uso de cubrebocas para niños
Departamento de Educacion de Nueva York
Centro para el Control y la Prevencion de Enfermedades
Colorin Colorado - Para Familias Bilingues
VIDEOS:
Universidad de William & Mary - Apoyando a Nuestros Estudiantes en Casa
Instituto de la Mente Infantil - Enfrentar la crisis del coronavirus
Para ayuda en español sobre cualquier asunto por favor envia un e-mail a Carolina Reason - creason@pocanticohills.org
DIRECTORIO DE DISPENSAS DE ALIEMNTOS LOCALES - Haz cliq aqui
POCANTICO HILLS 5-DAY MEAL KITS - Please contact Chef Kassie (914)631-2440 ext. 116 or kkeehn@pocanticohills.org
POCANTICO HILLS CHILDCARE FOR ESSENTIAL EMPLOYEES - Please send your request completing this form and a staff member will contact you for further assistance.
NYS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (NYSED) - COVID-19 RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
Information is available in most languages (Bengali, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, etc.) - Click here for website and select preferred language from the TRANSLATE dropdown box (as shown below).
OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH - MANAGING STRESS & ANXIETY PDF
Bengali / Chinese (Simplified)
NYS DEPARTMENT OF LABOR - UNEMPLOYMENT INFORMATION
Information is available in most languages (Bengali, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, etc.) - Click here for website and select preferred language from the TRANSLATE dropdown box (as shown below).
