Please click on the link below to access the March 31, 2020 Educational Update from Mr. Jed Hamberger, Superintendent.

March 31, 2020 Educational Update

We received the following information from Mr. Jim Young, Director of Seneca Highlands CTC regarding CTC students and the current school closure.

Seneca Highlands CTC students will be offered planned instruction and enrichment activities aligned with their Program of Study. Your teacher will communicate with you through your CTC Gmail account. Your primary contact will be your teacher. I will be your contact for technical issues. If you cannot respond to your teachers’ email please contact me one of the following ways.

jyoung@IU9ctc.org

School phone message: 814-642-2573 ext. 2, leave message

Mr. Young

To see Governor Wolf’s latest announcement regarding extending the school closure indefinitely, please click on link below.

Governor Wolf Update

Please click on the link below to access Oswayo Valley’s Continuity of Education Plan.

OVSD Continuity of Education Plan

Please click on the following link regarding an update for school guidance and answers to common questions from the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

PA Department of Education Q&A

Report cards are now available on the Parent Portal.  Please log in to your account and select “Reports” and then “Subject Report Card.”  If you have any questions or need assistance, please email Mrs. Nedra Gross at n.gross@oswayo.com.  If you need a printed copy of your child’s report card, please contact the Elementary School at 260-1702 or the Middle/High School at 260-1701.

Please click on the links below for important information regarding Oswayo Valley’s plans for Enrichment and Review during the school closure.

Superintendent Update on Google Classroom

Parent/Student Device Agreement

Staff Open Hours

The Department of Education (PDE) announced today all schools in the Commonwealth will remain closed through at least April 6, 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 response efforts. The closure order could be extended beyond April 6 if necessary to save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19.

Under the new timeline, school buildings would reopen on April 7, 2020 for two days to allow school administrators, teachers, and other staff time to prepare classrooms, set up cafeterias, schedule transportation, and arrange other business operations. Students would return to school on April 9, 2020, unless extending the closure is needed in response to the situation with the virus at that time.

Governor Wolf’s order calling on all non-life-sustaining businesses in Pennsylvania to close their physical locations as of 8 p.m., March 19, does not prohibit school districts from continuing to offer food services to children during the statewide school closure. It does require schools to not let administration or staff work in the buildings. Administration will continue to work from home and be present during the lunch time between 11:30-12:30 LEAs may continue to bring in essential employees involved in the preparation and distribution of meals for children.

Dear Oswayo Valley Parents and Community Members,

Later today, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) will be announcing a cancellation of statewide assessments for the 2019-2020 school year. This cancellation includes the PSSA, PASA, and Keystone Exams.

We understand that during these unprecedented circumstances, school communities across the state are managing more pressing issues on the education landscape, like providing access to food and nutrition, and putting appropriate systems in place to continue student learning.  Assessments should not be the focus of school leaders right now.

The Department is monitoring emerging federal guidance, working with other states to advocate for flexibility, and will pursue appropriate waivers to the fullest extent allowable as soon as the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) guidance is clarified.

Please continue to monitor your email and PDE’s website for ongoing updates and guidance as it becomes available.

Pedro A. Rivera II | Secretary of Education

We are pleased to announce that Oswayo Valley received the Outstanding Creativity Award as part of the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing Video Contest!  We would like to thank Napoleon Engineering Company in Olean, New York for partnering with Oswayo Valley and being featured in this year’s video.  This event would not be possible without the support from Evelyn Sabina, Western NY Coordinator of Dream It Do It.  We would also like to thank the OV community for their votes and continued support of our students and programs.  Congratulations on your outstanding video and well-deserved award, OV!

Today, Governor Tom Wolf announced that all K-12 Pennsylvania schools will be closed for 10 business days including all before and after school activities, effective Monday, March 16.  All District activities are canceled effective immediately and will continue through the ordered period.  The Wolf Administration will continue to monitor Covid-19 in the Commonwealth, and at the end of 10 days will reevaluate and decide whether continued closure is needed. More information will be coming soon on lunch options for the Oswayo Valley School District. For more information from Governor Wolf, please see the link below.

Dear Oswayo Valley Community,

The Oswayo Valley School District Administrative Team have been in constant contact with each other as well as other state agencies to determine a best course of action to proceed to ensure the safety of our students and our communities during this pandemic. The health, safety, and well-being of our students and staff are our top priorities. With the recent actions taken regionally and nationwide regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), we want to be sure our public is aware of the planning considerations underway in our public schools.

As a school district, we are closely monitoring the situation and taking guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As the days and weeks progress, we will keep the community informed of any potential changes to our calendar, our processes, and our educational programming. The impact of any school cancellation must be considered carefully. The safety of students and staff at home, as well as at school, are our priority. The feasibility of online learning options across our region is limited due to the lack of adequate broadband access. We want to stress that any changes for any district will be shared via webpages, social media sites, and mass notification systems in place.

As we prepare for a multitude of possibilities, we are asking for parents’ cooperation with the following:

As information related to COVID-19 continues to be released, please be sure to act with only factual information. The unintended consequences of rumors or false claims on social media can severely impact our ability to appropriately respond.

If children are feeling sick, please keep them home from school. Allow them some time to feel better so that they do not risk infecting others. If a fever is present, students should stay home from school. Please contact your primary care physician to receive appropriate guidance to return to school.

Reinforce the need for good hygiene habits at home. Everyone at home should wash their hands regularly and cover mouths when coughing or sneezing.

Families that have traveled outside of our immediate area are asked to notify school officials. School nurse offices can monitor those students for any symptoms that require additional precaution.

School events that require student travel outside the immediate area will be considered carefully by each school district. Notice by each school district will be provided in the event of any change.

Each school is aware of our “high risk” populations as it relates to their risk of any illness. Schools will be in contact with parents as needed to assess needs for those individuals.

Schools may potentially need to close for an undetermined length of time. Please start making plans now for childcare in the event this should occur.

School meal programs can continue during any school cancellation. Information would be provided through your specific district.

School districts will provide an appropriate level of flexibility, to be determined at the local level, as it relates to student absences. (Primary focus should be on health, not perfect attendance awards.)

If you have any questions, please contact your local school district or building office.

Sincerely,

The OV Pep Band recently traveled to St. Bonaventure University to join the SBU Pep Band during a home men’s basketball game!  We would like to thank the Bonnies for providing this exciting opportunity for our students and the OV Music Boosters for funding the transportation for the trip!

Oswayo Valley was recently featured in an article in the Potter Leader Enterprise.  The article detailed some of Oswayo Valley’s traditional electives available to students.  To view the article, please click on the link below.

Oswayo Valley High Offer Traditional Electives

On February 22, 2020, Sophia Komenda, Madison Taylor, and Rylee Thompson traveled with Mrs. Kathy Cook to Eaton Power Systems in Warrendale, PA to compete in the annual IndEEE 500 cm Robot Car Race.  The competition required them to program an autonomous robot that would detect the finish line, turn around, and follow the track back to the starting line.  The students created their own NXT Robot, successfully programmed it, and fulfilled all the requirements to compete, ultimately earning an award for the  People’s Choice.  Congratulations, OV!