Oneida City School District

Greetings Oneida City School District Community. This week’s Superintendent’s Video Blast is in celebration of the district-wide art show and all of our talented student artists! It's also a reminder that next Tuesday, May 17th from 12pm to 9pm is the district budget vote at Oneida High School and Durhamville Elementary. Thank you!

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs, and unique enrichment opportunities in our monthly newsletter. We hope you enjoy the May 2022 Budget edition of our district newsletter.

As you are aware, the statewide universal mask mandate for schools was lifted as of March 2, 2022. This means that most students, staff, and school visitors are no longer required to wear a mask in our school buildings or school buses. Of course, mask wearing continues to be optional for everyone. As you also know, health and safety guidance from the state and local health departments related to COVID-19 continues to evolve. While the latest state guidance removes the mask requirement, the following health and safety protocols remain in place:

Yesterday afternoon, Governor Hochul announced that the state-wide mandate for wearing masks in school will be lifted beginning Wednesday, March 2. The Governor’s announcement is based on data regarding declining positivity and hospitalization rates. However, while the school mask mandate will be lifted, counties and cities with high rates of transmission may still require masks in schools depending on local conditions. We understand that the New York State Department of Health and the State Education Department are preparing a final guidance document for schools. Pending the release of new guidance, OCSD will maintain our other Covid-19 protocols including social distancing, hand washing and sanitization.

Greetings Oneida City School Community, I joined several local Superintendents to express our interest in getting clear communication and guidance for safely lifting Covid-19 mandates in schools. Attached is a copy of a letter that was sent to the Governor’s Office, State Health Department, and the State Education Department. I will keep you updated as we receive any information from the Governor’s Office, NYS Health Department, and NYS Education Department.

The Oneida City School District is proud to celebrate and share the news of student achievement, innovative programs, and unique enrichment opportunities in our newsletter. We hope you enjoy the February 2022 district newsletter!

Online Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration for Fall 22-23 NOW OPEN! For children residing in the Oneida City School District who have turned 4-years old on or before December 1, 2022 for Pre-K or 5-years-old on or before December 1, 2022 for Kindergarten. *Students previously enrolled in the OCSD Pre-K program in the 2021-2022 school year will not need to re-register for Kindergarten, but will need to submit updated health information.

Tickets for the Spring Musical “Crazy for You” are now available for purchase! This year’s ticket sales will be completely on-line. Performances are scheduled for 7:30 on March 11 and March 12. To place your order go to http://www.bit.ly/oneida-events, visit the Oneida District Homepage or scan the QR Code. You can print out your tickets to be scanned by the ushers the night of the performance or you can have an “E Ticket” delivered to your email. Tickets are reserved seats and can be purchased for $10 plus fees. There will be an open dress rehearsal on March 10 at 7:00. All seats are general admission and can be obtained at the door the night of the dress rehearsal for a suggested donation of $10 each.

New York State requires schools to track each student’s Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight status category, as reported on the physical examination form. Every year, the NYS Department of Health will survey 50% of schools for the number of pupils in each of six possible weight status categories. This year, Oneida City School District has been selected to participate in this survey. The information sent to the New York State Department of Health will help health officials develop programs that make it easier for children to be healthier. If Oneida is surveyed by the state, the district will share summary group data only, not individual names or information. Parents who wish to exclude their child’s data from such group calculations may contact the nurse in their child’s school by January 12th. The information sent to the Department of Health will help health officials develop programs that make it easier for children to be healthier.