Gardner-Dickinson alumna Brigid Mack is currently working on her Girl Scout Gold Award for the Wynantskill Community Special Education Parent-Teacher Association (SEPTA). 

The Gold Award, the highest achievement within the Girl Scouts, can be earned by Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts. Those who earn the Gold Award take on matters that are close to the heart and drive lasting change in their communities.

For Mack’s Gold Award, she has implemented “COVID Sense.” The project focuses on helping special needs children with COVID-19 regulations. Mack created sensory bags that include social stories/visual aids about mask wearing and hand hygiene and sensory toys for calming when frustrated or upset. 

“Keeping a mask on in public and always staying six feet away from others can be difficult for anyone to always remember, and it’s even harder for children with disabilities who are used to a normal routine,” said Mack. “With the use of social stories, kids can be reminded of the rules they need to follow in a fun and useful way. If they are in a stressful situation, they have sensory toys they can rely on to cope with their surroundings.”

Mack noted the importance for children with anxiety or sensory needs to have their own set of sensory toys since toys cannot be shared in schools at this time due to the ongoing pandemic. 

For the project’s launch, Mack held a bag distribution event at a community playground, which she says was her favorite part of the project. She believes the bags brightened kids’ spirits.

“It was a way for me to connect with (the kids), and I think I was able to reach them through kindness and concern for their wellbeing during this pandemic,” said Mack. “I think it was also inspiring to SEPTA because they now have a mission to continue this project after my part is done. They now see that the sensory bags are making children in the community happy, and hopefully more efforts like this will be made as people are being vaccinated and society may return to a degree of normalcy.”

If you or someone you know is interested in receiving a COVID Sense sensory bag, please email Brigid Mack. For more information on the Wynantskill Community SEPTA, please email Darcy Mack. 

More information on COVID Sense sensory bags.

Dear G-D Community,

One year ago today, the Gardner-Dickinson School closed due to COVID-19. On March 16, 2020, students and staff alike packed their belongings in the midst of uncertainty the then-new virus brought. Little did we know March 16 would be the last day our students and staff were in the building during the 2019-20 school year.

We quickly assembled Google Classroom, Google Meet, Seesaw and more to make remote learning a reality and worked to ensure each of our students had food to eat and children of essential workers were cared for during the shutdown last school year. 

During summer months, there was much trepidation. The unknowns of what lay ahead for the 2020-21 school year left our team wondering how we would possibly make this school year work. Though there were many questions, our staff buckled down and stepped up to the plate for our students, working together to create a plan. 

In partnership with our families, we were able to create a safe learning environment for students this school year when many districts could not. Our families played a pivotal role in our return to in-person schooling.

Today, one year later, we reflect on all that has occurred during this unparalleled year. Our hearts go out to each and every family across the globe that has dealt with hardships during the pandemic, whether that hardship was losing their job or the loss of a loved one. 

We must remember that Wynantskill is a strong community, and we can lean on one another in times of need. The one positive trait that stood out this year was our district’s unity. We have worked as a team with those we may not have worked with toward a common goal in the past. Collaborating with individuals within our school community whom we may not have known so well beforehand has in turn developed indestructible bonds. We have shared experiences and gotten through a difficult time together. Our already tight-knit school became even stronger than ever before.

We have all worked harder than ever before this year with very little relief. I acknowledge this hard work, and I thank you each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. 

Sincerely,

Dr. Mary Yodis
Wynantskill UFSD Superintendent

New York State has implemented a micro-cluster strategy to designate areas with high COVID-19 infection rates as Yellow, Orange or Red Zones, based on positivity rates and daily new cases. If a zip code, census tract or region is placed in one of those Zones, there will be restrictions for schools.

Please review our communication regarding Yellow, Orange and Red Zones.

With the holiday season quickly approaching and celebratory plans underway, Wynantskill UFSD strongly encourages its families to do everything they can to celebrate the holidays in a way that prevents further COVID-19 spread and allows to keep schools open. Keeping our students safe and providing the healthiest school environment possible is a team effort. Each community member plays a vital role in protecting our students’ education. 

Gov. Cuomo recently updated his travel guidance on October 31, and guidance went into effect on Nov. 4. Please review our travel advisory letter to better understand the new guidance and what it means for us at Gardner-Dickinson.

Dear Parents,

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has developed a Parent Dashboard to increase transparency and make information about school performance and other school-level data easier for parents and the public to access. The Parent Dashboard is part of New York’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan, which emphasizes equity in education for all students and expands measures of school accountability and student success. This new dashboard will provide parents with information about their child’s school. The Parent Dashboard is now available in addition to the New York State School Report Card on NYSED’s public data site. The Parent Dashboard offers information on all public schools including charter schools.

In 2019, NYSED gathered feedback from parents and stakeholders to guide the work of developing the Parent Dashboard. The data elements that parents ranked highest on the survey are available on the Parent Dashboard.

NYSED is now gathering additional feedback from parents and stakeholders to guide further enhancements to the Parent Dashboard. We invite parents and other stakeholders to explore the Parent Dashboard and then provide feedback via an online feedback survey available in 17 languages. NYSED will use this feedback to identify the data that is most useful to parents and the public and to make improvements to the website.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please visit the Parent Dashboard, which includes frequently asked questions and contact information.

Thank you for your feedback and for your continued commitment to your child’s education.

The Royals Web Store is now open through November 29 at 11:59 p.m. A variety of items are available for you to show your Royals pride. Check out the store and grab your gear.