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WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. DECEMBER 21, 2021:
Happy Holidays from the WPCSD!
Yes, as you know, we are still addressing the lingering challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Still – we are winning!
We know that COVID-19 will continue to be a fact of life into the future, and we will not allow that to hinder our progress as we continue to educate our 7,000+ students. Although as predicted, we are seeing an increase in case numbers, our students are producing excellent results and we are so proud of our school community! \
In collaboration with White Plains Hospital, we are now hosting vaccination clinics for 5-11-year-old students, family members and those in need of initial vaccination. In fact, one of our first graders was the winner of a full scholarship to any SUNY/CUNY college/university in a statewide lottery of children who are being vaccinated! Imagine that – 1st grade and our Tiger already has a ‘full ride’ to college!
This has been another complex year.
There can be no doubt that we live in difficult times, and in the interest of continued transparency, we want to share a message with you that we delivered to our school community recently, affecting the safety and security of our children.
We have experienced two instances of students making threats on social media.
Although neither of these were a credible danger to our community, we, in conjunction with the White Plains Police Department, will always take any threat seriously and we will intervene immediately.
We urge you to help us deliver the message that the responsible use of social media is critically important. Safety and security are our first priorities and disciplinary consequences will be severe.
These decisions to misuse social media can impact a child’s entire lifetime. Our message to our Tigers can be found HERE.
You may also be interested in watching a documentary, “The Social Dilemma,” on this topic. Here’s the link: https://www.netflix.com/title/81254224
Of course, it’s December and that means college acceptances are starting to roll in. So far, our students have been admitted to St. John’s University, SUNY Buffalo, Yale University, SUNY Albany, Indiana University, Cornell University, Temple University, Iona College, Penn State and more. We congratulate our seniors and look forward to learning of more acceptances as we move through the academic year.
Our student athletes are also keeping us #WPProud, with 172 students named Scholar-Athletes for the fall season at the December Board of Education Meeting. Teams honored include Football, Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country, Field Hockey, Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer, Girls’ Tennis, Girls’ Volleyball, Girls’ Swimming & Diving and Cheerleading. Several teams won League championships and five swimmers, one diver, and one cross-country runner represented White Plains in the State Championships. One swimmer placed first and was named All American. We have a whole lot to be proud of in the WPCSD!
Finally, we wish you a wonderful, safe, and healthy holiday season! As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments and/or concerns!
Respectfully,
Joseph Ricca