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The following message from District Superintendent, Suzanne Guntlow, was emailed to all Ichabod Crane families on Friday, February 12. It contains information and reminders to review as students begin their Winter Recess (February 15-19)

All previous school reopening news and COVID-19 updates can be found on the district’s Reopening Information page here.


Dear Ichabod Crane Families,

As your students start their well deserved Winter Recess (February 15-19), I wanted to quickly check in about some recent changes and reminders. 

First, you may have heard earlier this week that our board of education approved resuming high-risk sports after being given permission by state and local departments of health. We are excited to welcome back our athletics programming but also know there is some disappointment that other activities cannot resume at this time. It is important to remember that we could only bring back our athletics programming because of recent state and county decisions that specifically allow districts to resume high-risk sports under strict safety guidelines. 

At this time we are still required to follow the New York State guidelines for reopening schools released in July 2020 and that means many school activities still cannot resume right now. We are closely monitoring local COVID positivity rates which continue to go down after a post-holiday surge. As that rate hopefully continues to drop and as the weather starts to warm, we are optimistic about resuming more activities by moving them outside and will keep a close eye on state guidelines to monitor whether or not they begin to further loosen. 

Second, a reminder that even with positivity rates falling, please do not let your guard down. Please minimize potential future school closures by following state travel and health and safety guidelines over the break. According to the most recent guidance all travelers entering New York from a noncontiguous state (any state not directly bordering NYS), must quarantine for a period of 10 days upon return with some exceptions. We know many traditionally go on vacations or visit relatives during this time of year but take proper precautions if you are considering traveling during break. Please do your part in preventing further COVID-19 spread by following CDC guidelines for avoiding small gatherings, mask wearing and social distancing.  

Finally, the CDC recently announced new quarantine guidelines for vaccinated individuals. New York State has aligned with this updated CDC guidance by eliminating quarantine requirements for those who are fully vaccinated and exposed to a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case. Individuals must meet the following criteria to avoid quarantine:

  • Are fully vaccinated (two weeks after their final dose) 
  • Are within 3 months of receiving their final dose
  • Have remained asymptomatic since the COVID-19 exposure

Individuals who fail to meet all three criteria must continue to follow current CDC quarantine guidance after exposure to a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case. Vaccinated individuals must also continue to follow the state travel advisory according to the updated CDC guidance. 

Have a wonderful, relaxing and safe break. As always, thank you for providing your continuous support during these times.  

Suzanne Guntlow
Superintendent of Schools