On Wednesday, November 4th from 6:00-7:00 p.m. we will be holding a virtual session to answer questions and address concerns regarding our virtual instruction test run on November 12th and 13th.  You may access the live feed on November 4 by clicking on the following link.

Live Stream Parent Meeting

Please submit any questions you may have regarding the planned virtual instructional days via the survey link below by Monday, November 2 at 3:00 p.m.  We will compile the list so that we aren’t answering the same questions multiple times and building specific questions can be answered by the building administrators.  Thank you in advance for your participation and valuable feedback.

Virtual Test Run Survey

Oswayo Valley has been notified that we have been awarded a forfeit in the quarterfinals of the upcoming District IX Volleyball Tournament.  Oswayo Valley will play next on Thursday, November 5.  We will play the winner of the A/C Valley/Coudersport/Clarion match.  That winner will not be determined until November 3 and we will be able to make plans on November 4 for the team we will meet.  There is a possibility we could be playing at home on November 5 or playing at Clarion High School.  Regardless of where the match is played, tickets for the match will be presale only and will cost $6.00 for adults or students.  With the Governor’s mandate of 20% occupancy, we will not know the number of tickets available until the site of the match is determined.

Go Green Wave!

Virtual Instructional Days Scheduled for November 12 and 13, 2020

The Oswayo Valley School District will be holding a 2-day virtual test run in case we would have to shut down to address Covid-19 restrictions. The entire reason behind this is to prepare the OV Family for the projected increases in the case count in Potter County.

Instruction will be completed through live video conferences in each classroom and will follow the attached schedule for students. There will be no live classes from 11:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.  as those class periods have been moved as you can see in the schedule below. We did make some adjustments to the scheduling so everyone can make it to the school to pick up lunches on Thursday, November 12^th from 11:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. Lunch pick-up will be in the cafeteria loop as it was throughout the summer and previous school closure for all children birth to 18 years old. Enough meals will be provided on Thursday, November 12^th to cover breakfast and lunch for both days.

• Paper packets are not available for students as technology has been provided to all students. Students have the right to use their personal device.  We currently have not received our final Chromebook order to take us to a complete 1:1 school for grade Pre-K-2.
• Teachers will report to the building on the day of instruction.
• Students will have to complete their work online and attend their classes in real time while their teacher is instructing.
• Wireless access is available in both parking lots for parents of students who are lacking internet services.
• Instruction will not take place from 11:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.  The new instructional period schedule is listed below.
• CTC students will be sent to the CTC and will be picked up at the High School Parking lot at 11:20 a.m. and will return to the high school for parent pick up at 3:00 p.m.

There will be a survey sent after the two days of instruction to all who participate for feedback on the experience.  This will assist the district in staying ahead of the virus and prepare us to be able to virtually instruct our students to the best of our ability if we need to do so.

Middle & High School Schedule

Elementary School Schedule

November 12^th – Day 3

8:15 – 11:00

• Morning Instruction
  • Each grade level will follow their normal schedule, with some modifications to include RTI and their normal special rotation. Please check with the classroom teachers for further details of actual instructional times.

11:00 – 12:45

• Lunch pick up for students

1:00 – 3:00

• Afternoon Instruction
  • Each grade level will follow their normal schedule, with some modifications to include RTI and their normal special rotation. Please check with the classroom teachers for further details of actual instructional times.

November 13^th – Day 4

8:15 – 11:00

• Morning Instruction
  • Each grade level will follow their normal schedule, with some modifications to include RTI and their normal special rotation. Please check with the classroom teachers for further details of actual instructional times.

11:00 – 12:45

• Lunch break for students – No instruction

1:00 – 3:00

• Afternoon Instruction
  • Each grade level will follow their normal schedule, with some modifications to include RTI and their normal special rotation.  Please check with the classroom teachers for further details of actual instructional times.

Middle/High School Principal

The Oswayo Valley School District has an immediate opening for a highly motivated Middle/High School Principal to serve students in the OV district. This is a full-time, permanent position following a 250-day contract. Applicant must possess valid PA Principal certification, have experience in scheduling, observation using PA teacher effectiveness model, and student learning objectives (SLO’s).  Candidate should have excellent leadership, communication and organizational skills, interpersonal skills, and knowledge of PA Core and Academic Standards.   A strong foundation in literacy, experience with IEP’s, and PIAA rules is a plus.  Experience as an Assistant Principal or Principal preferred.  Interested applicants should apply online at www.oswayovalley.com and include a letter of interest, resume, transcripts, copy of certificate, three (3) letters of recommendation, and copies of Act 34, Act 151, and Act 114 clearance certifications.  Applications will be accepted until November 11, 2020.

Substitute Employees

Substitute employees are needed in the following areas for the 2020-21 school year:

• • • Cafeteria
    • Custodial
    • Instructional Aide
    • Secretarial
    • Teacher

Interested individuals should visit http://www.oswayovalley.com and complete an online application.

If you have any questions or need assistance completing the online application, please contact Mrs. Christi Stedman in the District Office at 814-260-1700 or by email at christi@oswayo.com.  Applications will be accepted until positions are filled.

Senior Class,

As a reminder, senior portraits must be submitted by Thursday, December 10.  Portraits may be submitted one of two ways:

Digital:

• Digital is ideal because all images we submit are digital. Either you or your photographer may email the digital file to lpoirier@oswayo.com or ewilson@oswayo.com. Alternatively, the senior may bring Mrs. Poirier a disk or portable drive and she will upload the image.
• The digital file size should be in MB, not KB, and the file should be JPG. Please be aware of the clarity, sharpness, and resolution of any phone shots.
• Please send original images, not screenshots.

Hard copy:

• Either you or your photographer may submit a print; we will scan the print as a JPG and return the print to you.
• While the scans are good quality, they cannot improve the quality of the original image. Phone shots must be clear and sharp. Additionally, high-gloss or gloss prints do not usually scan as well as low-gloss.

While on the topic, please note that the district and the yearbook do use the senior Interstate photos; therefore, students who missed the first picture day will need to have their photos taken on makeup day (October 22).  Additionally, we suggest that although dressing up is not necessary, nice shirts or blouses for girls and polo shirts, button-down shirts, or plain t-shirts are best for these school portraits.

More information will be forthcoming as the yearbook develops.  In the past, we have asked for more than one senior portrait as well as a child or baby portrait.  At this time, the senior section is not planned, but baby/child photos have been a popular inclusion.

Senior tributes (spaces in the yearbook for family or friends to honor their seniors) are available.  Tribute spaces should also be reserved and paid for by December 10th.  More information regarding senior tributes will be forthcoming.

Yearbooks can be ordered until FEBRUARY.  As always, students may pay $5 down to reserve their books.

Have a wonderful senior year!

Check out OV’s Walk at School Day 2020!

OV’s Walk at School Day 2020

The Oswayo Valley Elementary School is excited to announce that we will still be able to hold our annual Halloween Parade this year.  However, to follow the PA Department of Health and the CDC guidelines, the operation of this event will be different than last year.  Families who wish to participate in this event are asked to utilize the MS/HS parking lot and stand, socially distanced, around the MS/HS bus loop sidewalk.  Students will walk to the MS/HS as normal and parade around the bus loop.  This event may take longer than normal due to having to spread out the classes and grade levels to maintain social distancing. 

Students can wear their costume to school, or bring it with them and change if necessary.  If your child’s costume has a mask that covers their face completely, they do not need to wear another face covering.  However, if their costume does not have a mask, they MUST wear a face covering during the event.  This event will take place on October 30, 2020 at 8:30 A.M. 

Winter sports and trap sign-ups are currently underway! All students in grades 7-12 who are interested, please click on the link below and sign up today! The last day to sign up is Friday, October 23, 2020. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Unverdorben in the Athletic Office at 814-260-1701.

2020 Winter Sports and Trap Sign-Ups

As a reminder, the program is also available to all children ages 0-18. If your child is not currently attending Oswayo Valley and you wish to participate, please contact Mrs. Sharron Gustin at 814-260-1701 to make arrangements to pick up the week’s worth of free meals.

During the morning drop off time at the Elementary School, there should be only one lane of traffic around the building at each drop off point.  No car should go around any stopped vehicle to move up in line.  We understand that this new procedure may add time to the morning drop off routine, but student safety is our number one concern.  Parents should allow more time in the morning to combat any possible issues that would increase their time at the school for the morning drop off.  This procedure is to ensure the safety of all students, parents, and van/ bus drivers.  It is important that everyone follows this procedure to help the school keep everyone safe.

On October 1, 2020, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay order on Governor Wolf’s limits regarding group gatherings, including sporting events. After careful consideration and review, it is in the best interest of the Oswayo Valley School District to comply with the guidelines immediately. Due to our capacity restrictions, each Oswayo Valley athlete will have 4 tickets available for indoor sporting events moving forward starting on Friday, October 9. Outdoor sporting events will continue at the 250 person capacity including all people in attendance. As per the District’s Health and Safety Plan, we are required to comply with legal actions, orders, and recommendations set forth in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The Oswayo Valley School District apologizes for all of the changes and reminds everyone that games are being streamed live through our Facebook page.  We thank you for your continued support of our students and schools.

Please review the following for more information:

         Third Circuit Court of Appeals – Stay Order on Gatherings

       Governor Wolf’s Crowd Limits Remain for Weekend’s High School Football Games

Registration for the Strengthening Families Program is open!  Please click on the following link for additional information and the registration form.

Strengthening Families Program Registration Form

The Oswayo Valley Elementary School is happy to announce our new reading incentive program!  OV is partnering with Fox’s Pizza of Shinglehouse to reward students for good reading habits.  The program begins in October and runs through March.  Be looking for information from your child’s teacher.

Governor Tom Wolf filed a Motion for Stay of the District Court’s Order in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which would restore the 25/250 person indoor/outdoor crowd limitations during the pendency of the appeal. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals issued an Order this afternoon granting Governor Wolf’s Motion to Stay. This Order restores the 25/250 person limitations at the current juncture. As such, The Oswayo Valley School District must reduce capacities for indoor and outdoor events to 25 and 250 persons respectively until further notice. Unfortunately this means we cannot have spectators at our indoor events effective immediately and must limit our outdoor events to 250. We will continue to livestream our indoor home events when possible.

As a reminder, all activities listed in the Elementary and Middle/High School calendars/handbooks are being reviewed on an ongoing basis.  All activities and events will take place as planned unless further information about the event is provided.  Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Please see attached a revised transportation plan.  The changes are highlighted and will begin on Monday, September 28, 2020.

Revised Transportation Plan

For the safety of all students at the Oswayo Valley School District, please only send prepackaged snacks for birthdays or any special events. The risk of allergies for students and the current Covid 19 situation have forced us to limit what can be brought into the district for students. This is not saying that we don’t want to be able to celebrate special events for the students, we just have to do our part in limiting the exposure to food allergens and Covid 19 possible exposures.

Good afternoon OV,

Yesterday’s court decision has provided ample amounts of confusion for all of us.  Our goal in the bubble was to preserve educational opportunities for our students.  We did not address spectators at the formation of our bubble, yet now we need to come to a consensus on a direction as this legal battle continues.  Each district’s perspective is important and should be respected.  Bubble administration supports the following:

School Districts in the four-county IU9 sports bubble do not support participating school districts opening sporting events to the general public.  There is support for permitting home teams to allow parents and families to attend events in limited numbers.  School districts reserve the right to cancel participating in a contest that is open to the public.

School districts have worked so hard to open schools.  Mass gatherings promote the (increase risk) spread of the COVID-19 virus.  4 or 5 cases of the virus may result in shut down of our in person learning models, disrupt the educational process and inconvenience all of our families and their daily lives.  We must reduce the risk of a school shut down as much as possible for safety and educational reasons.

Due to the risk of mass gatherings, we will be issuing one (1) ticket per student athlete who would participate for indoor sporting events.  Each ticket will permit two (2) individuals to attend the event.  Students will be issued their ticket today before dismissal.  I am aware that many other spectators would like to attend, but the two (2) person limit will continue and families will have to consider rotating who can attend each of the indoor events. For those who cannot attend, we will also be conducting live streaming of the games on our Facebook page.   Public comments may be made on the Facebook page, but please be advised school policies apply and must be adhered to.  I would regret to be forced to shut down the live feed due to public comments being inappropriate.

Doors will be open for spectators for 25 minutes prior to the start of the game. For example: a 6:00 p.m. game time, doors will be open from 5:30 p.m. – 5:55 p.m.  No other spectators will be permitted to enter the building after 5:55 p.m. due to the screening procedures. Spectators will be permitted to bring only water bottles into the building.  There are designated fountains where bottles can be refilled.  The concession stand will be closed.

Outdoor sporting events will not be issued tickets due to the low number of visitors that are attending our outdoor events. Yesterday’s cross-country meet was at 174 people total in attendance including staff, students, and spectators. We will continue to only allow home team spectators to attend all of our events.

All other mandates still apply:

• Spectators will be prescreened at the door
• Masks are required
• 6 ft. of social distancing is required
• Families will have marked areas to sit together in the bleachers to maintain social distancing.

Jed Hamberger

Superintendent

Please be advised that the Elementary School playground and surrounding fields are closed to the public during normal school business hours.

Please click on the following link to view the CDC’s Back to School Planning for In-Person Classes.

CDC Back to School Planning for In-Person Classes

Following the PIAA’s vote on Friday, August 21, 2020, to allow fall sports to be a local decision and in the absence of a response from Governor Wolf and Secretary Levine, the Superintendents of the public schools in the McKean, Elk, Cameron, and Potter counties will propose to each of their respective School Boards, a regional fall sports schedule with the first week of competition being September 14, 2020.  The athletic directors and high school principals are in the process of revising schedules in preparation for the individual District’s proposals. The pandemic coordinators are revising fall sports health and safety plans and moving those plans forward for approval to each School Board. Per the PIAA’s position, if each school’s coaches, athletes, officials, and parents/guardians strictly adhere to the school district’s health and safety plan for athletics, student athletes and coaches should be reasonably safe to play fall sports.

Regardless of the precautions in place, there is an increased risk of an exposure to COVID 19 for participants in fall sports. Ultimately, it is the parent/guardian’s decision regarding whether their child will participate.  The Superintendents and School Boards wish to provide student athletes with every opportunity to have a fall sports season in the safest manner possible.

We believe the opportunity for students to participate in athletic and extra-curricular activities is important to their overall mental health and well-being and such experiences create an overall positive school climate. We also recognize the balance between physical health and mental health during a global pandemic. School organized events that include strict adherence to protocols, wellness screenings of participants, and district to district communication affords a balance between ensuring physical health and mental health.

Each school district’s pandemic coordinator will carefully monitor the extent of community spread in their counties and school districts and will cancel games in order to ensure not risking an exposure beyond an athletic team’s membership in a specific school district.  School districts will not exceed the participation guidelines per Governor Wolf and Secretary Levine.  Specifically, at outdoor venues there can be 250 participants and at indoor venues there can be 25 participants. Those participants include: student athletes, band members, cheerleaders, coaches, directors, officials, game management/help, and ambulance staff (football). Spectators will not be permitted.  There will be no concessions. Further, senior nights will be planned for very early in the season to ensure that seniors are properly honored. Each District will make every effort to live stream Fall athletic events to their communities, to the extent that they are capable.

UPDATE – The issues with the new account creations in the Parent Portal have been resolved.    Please contact your child’s school for their Student ID number to complete the registration. We are still working through the accounts that have been disabled and hopefully will have that resolved soon.  Thank you for your patience and understanding during this transition.  

Please click on the link below to view the instructions for the new Focus Parent Portal.  If you have any questions or need additional assistance with your Parent Portal account, please contact Mrs. Christi Stedman in the District Office at 814-260-1700 or by email at christi@oswayo.com.

Parent Portal Login Instructions

Please click on the following links for important information from UPMC Cole physician, Dr. Mary Ann Rigas and the American Academy of Pediatrics Guidance for School Opening.

UPCM Cole Mask Exemption

American Academy of Pediatrics Guidance for School Opening

Please click on the following link for important information on cyber enrollment and online learning.

Cyber Enrollment and Online Learning

We are very excited to announce that our Student Information System has recently been upgraded!  The new platform will offer new features for students, staff, and parents.  As a parent, the only difference you will see is in the Parent Portal.  Please stay tuned for instructions on how to access the new portal which will be made available on our website on Monday, August 24, 2020. The Middle/High School student schedules will be available via the Parent Portal as soon as you activate your account.  As a reminder, there will be a window of opportunity for changes to be made to the schedules.

We thank you for your patience as we move to this new platform.  After reviewing the instructions, if you have any questions or need additional assistance with access to the portal, please contact Mrs. Christi Stedman in the District Office at 814-260-1700 or by email at christi@oswayo.com.

Due to our changes in transportation procedures at the school, we are going to have to limit public parking for track use to the blacktop parking lot at the Middle/High School. All student transportation vehicles will be using the gravel parking lot and will need the space to make the turn without other vehicles restricting the buses.

Please click on the following link to view the revised Phased School Reopening Health and Safety Plan as amended on August 18, 2020.

Revised Phased School Reopening Health and Safety Plan

The Pennsylvania Department of Education in cooperation with the Department of Health announced today, the requirement of all students to wear face coverings at all times, while in school. This is an update from the prior recommendation, in that, the requirement extends to instances when students and staff are able to maintain an appropriate six-foot social distance. The update is based on the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) updated guidance strongly recommending children age two and older should wear face coverings at all times to help mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

For additional details, go to the PDE webpage – Answers to FAQs: Universal Face Coverings Order

Please click on the following link for important information regarding the reopening of our schools.  If you have any questions, please call the office at 260-1701 (MSHS) or 260-1702 (ES).  We look forward to getting the 2020-21 school year started on August 27!

2020-21 Return Procedures Plan

Due to the state mandate, all personnel and players are required to wear masks while participating in school events including athletics. This was not Oswayo Valley School District’s choice, but was mandated from the PA Department of Health. We at OV are as unhappy with this mandate as all of you, unfortunately this is out of our hands.  

In light of the Order Requiring Universal Face Coverings announced July 1, 2020 by the Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, a list of answers to questions you may have regarding the application of this order in school settings is included below.  Please reference this guidance as you plan to keep your students, staff, and school communities safe.

Does the Order of the Secretary of the PA Department of Health Requiring Universal Face Coverings apply to children and adults while in schools?

Yes, this Order applies to all individuals while in school entities, including public K-12 schools, brick and mortar and cyber charter schools, private and parochial schools, career and technical centers (CTCs), intermediate units (IUs); educational programming for students in non-educational placements such as residential settings (boarding schools), residential facilities, detention centers, and hospital settings; PA Pre-K Counts, Head Start Programs and Preschool Early Intervention programs; and Private Academic Nursery Schools and locally funded prekindergarten activities.

 For the safety of students, staff and families, and to avoid community spread of COVID-19, students and staff are considered to be members of the public who are congregating in indoor locations. As such, they are required to adhere to this Order.

 The Order is effective immediately and applies to all children aged two and older.

Why did the Secretary of the PA Department of Health issue this Order?

The Secretary issued this Order to continue to protect all in the Commonwealth from the spread of COVID-19, mindful of the need to slow the increase in the number of cases as the Commonwealth reopens and in order to avoid the resurgence that is overwhelming the health care systems and public health systems in other states who have been less successful in reopening than the Commonwealth.

Is this Order temporary?

This Order remains in effect until further notice.

What type of mask complies with this Order?

The Order requires individuals to wear a “face covering.”  “Face covering” means a covering of the nose and mouth that is secured to the head with ties, straps, or loops over the ears or is wrapped around the lower face.  A “face covering” can be made of a variety of synthetic or natural fabrics, including cotton, silk, or linen, and, for the purposes of the order, can include a plastic face shield that covers the nose and mouth.  “Face coverings” may be factory-made, sewn by hand, or improvised from household items, including but not limited to, scarves, bandanas, t-shirts, sweatshirts, or towels.  While procedural and surgical masks intended for health care providers and first responders, such as N95 respirators, would meet these requirements, these specialized masks should be reserved for appropriate occupational and health care settings.

Under what circumstances are students permitted to remove their face coverings (e.g. masks and face shields)?

Schools may allow students to remove their face coverings when students are: 

1. Eating or drinking when spaced at least 6 feet apart;
2. Seated at desks or assigned work spaces at least 6 feet apart; or
3. Engaged in any activity at least 6 feet apart (e.g. face covering breaks, recess, etc.).

Do students with disabilities need to wear face coverings?

Any student who cannot wear a mask or face shield due to a medical condition, including those with respiratory issues that impede breathing, a mental health condition, or disability, and students who would be unable to remove a mask without assistance are not required to wear face coverings.  Individuals who are communicating or seeking to communicate with someone who is hearing impaired or who has another disability, where the ability to see the mouth is essential to communication, are not required to wear a mask; however, individuals should consider using another type of face covering such as a plastic face shield.

Do schools need to update/amend their Health and Safety Plans if they have already been submitted to PDE?

 Health and Safety Plans must reflect this Order. Understanding the volatility and uncertainty of the COVID-19 virus, plans should be flexible enough to contemplate any future change in conditions.

Do updated/revised Health and Safety Plans need to be re-approved by local school boards?

Yes. While the Order must be implemented immediately, plan approval, if necessary, should occur at the next board meeting.

Do updated/revised Health and Safety Plans need to be resubmitted to PDE?

Yes. PDE should always have the most recently approved Health and Safety Plans on file for each Local Education Agency (LEA).

Does the Order apply to athletes and sports activities?

Yes. Everyone must wear a face covering, such as a mask, unless they fall under an exception listed in Section 3 of the Order.  Coaches, athletes and spectators must wear face coverings unless they are outdoors and can consistently maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet. Athletes are not required to wear face coverings while actively engaged in workouts and competition that prevent the wearing of face coverings, but must wear face coverings when on the sidelines, in the dugout, etc. and anytime 6 feet of social distancing is not possible.

Must an individual provide evidence that they qualify for an exception to the Order?

No. Per the Order, students are not required to show documentation that an exception applies.

At their June 15, 2020 board meeting, the Oswayo Valley School Board of Directors approved the School Reopening Health and Safety Plan and Athletics Return to Play Guidelines.

School Reopening Health and Safety Plan

Athletics Return to Play Guidelines