LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — On Thursday, March 18, the Sullivan West Central School District Board of Education held its monthly meeting via Zoom.

The top topic of the superintendent’s report was that the district might be on the verge of getting back to some sort of normal in-school scheduling, as the rate of teacher vaccinations is increasing and educators nationwide are gaining a better understanding of how to cope with the pandemic.

In a letter dated March 11 to parents and guardians (and further clarified at the board meeting), superintendent of schools Stephen A. Walker explained how the district is moving forward to end the existing hybrid model of instruction.

“Over the past few months, we have learned a great deal, through experience and research, about both COVID-19 and schooling during the pandemic,” said Walker, noting that schools across the country, “are not significant sources of spread.” He continued by stating that, “despite everyone’s best intentions and efforts ‘hybrid learning’ does not meet the needs of the vast majority of young people.”

Walker said that, with the majority of staff members who wish to be vaccinated having received their shots or are scheduled to get them by the end of this month or early April, the district is “moving forward rapidly with a plan to return all students who are currently in the hybrid school model to in-person instruction four days per week... and would have all students learn in-person on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday of each week.” Wednesday would still remain a remote learning day for all students. 

“Students whose parents choose for them to learn through a completely at-home (remote) model would remain in the fully at-home model,” he added.

On March 19, the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidelines for returning to in-person classes by relaxing recommendations for physical distancing from six feet to three feet, while stressing that school districts use other preventative measures such as “universal masking and contact tracing.”

David Eggleton, the Bulldogs first-year athletic director, was honored to receive the district’s monthly Sullivan West Standout Award.

“For the past seven years, Dave Eggleton has been a part of the faculty at Sullivan West. This year, he took on the additional leadership role of athletic director,” said Walker.

“Despite the challenges that COVID-19 has brought to physical education and athletics programs, David has taken on each issue with a positive approach and a focus on making the best decisions for our students. [He] worked tirelessly to... implement all of the rapidly changing requirements... often coming from different sources. Due to his efforts, our district has continued to offer a range of athletics opportunities for our students.”

And then it was time for Eggleton to take his turn at the plate as he shared a PowerPoint presentation that outlined the accomplishments of the recently concluded winter sports agenda at Sullivan West, consisting of 14 programs: basketball cheerleading, modified and varsity alpine skiing, modified and varsity boys’ and girls’ indoor track, boys’ basketball (seventh and eighth grade, junior varsity and varsity levels) and girls’ basketball (seventh and eighth grade, jayvee and varsity).

The “Fall 2” sports season (March 1 to April 18) also includes 14 programs—cross country, cheerleading, volleyball, football and soccer—but there will be “no wrestling or tennis this year due to COVID and merged teams.”

Looking ahead to the spring sports season (April 19 to June 13), Eggleton said that 12 programs will be offered, including baseball, softball, track and field, and golf.

In the 2020-2021 school year, the district presented 40 programs for interscholastic athletics.

At present, student-athletes are issued two badges each, which they can then give to parents so they can attend home games. These “tickets” cannot be used for away games.

According to the NYSPHSAA, OCIAA and the folks at Section IX, members of the press are still barred from covering high school games in the immediate area.

Selected Sullivan West games are live streamed on the Sullivan West Athletics YouTube channel: www.bit.ly/3sfmcs2.

“We plan to have some virtual sports ceremonies for the winter,” added Eggleton.

In other matters:

• Two elementary school second graders were recognized as students of the month: 7-year-old Alliah Lopez and 8-year-old Braydan Levine.

“Braydan is someone who is always helpful with his classmates, and Alliah is really helpful with things like helping her classmates tie their shoelaces and pick up their belongings,” said Supt. Walker, noting that on the way to his office recently, both youngsters assisted a classmate after their books, pens and pencils got away from them in the hallway.

• Student board member and Class of 2021 Salutatorian Abigail Gaebel reported that she hoped that returning to four days of in-person learning “will transform learning in the classroom... Hopefully [it] will allow students to feel more involved in their education and connected to their peers. I believe this is much needed as we have all endured a year and a half of pandemic and haphazard learning and instruction.”

Gaebel continued by noting that the school’s National Honor Society is gearing up for end-of-year ceremonies and organizing a litter-pluck along the Delaware River scheduled for Saturday, April 24.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the SWCSD Board of Education will be on Thursday, April 15 at a time to be announced.

For information on how to attend via Zoom, call the district office at 845/482-4610.