Dear Parents & Guardians,

As you know, we are living in unprecedented times.  In education, it is no different.  Students face unique challenges.  Yet, I am confident they will overcome these challenges by our working together to ensure their success.

Recently, you received your child’s 5-week progress report.  The report gave you a snapshot of how your child was performing in their EMCC program at that time.  Here is our concern; we had over double the number of students not passing their class when compared to the same period in previous years.

In trying to figure out the root cause for the increase in failures, we have learned that it is directly attributed to students not participating in or submitting work assigned on their remote days.  This is alarming, and it is not something we can fix in isolation.  I am asking us to work together to ensure students are participating in their classes both when they attend EMCC in person and when they attend remotely.  Students also need to be completing and submitting the work assigned to them.

The first quarter ends on Friday, November 13, 2020.  It would be extremely helpful if you would check with your child to make sure they are caught up on their assignments.  All students have access to and have been shown how to log in to SchoolTool.  When they log in, they are able to see their assignments and grades.  After reviewing the information together, feel free to reach out to their teacher if you have any questions.

We have a dedicated team of teachers and support staff here to help your child find success.  At the same time, given the challenges we face, we need your support now more than ever.  Whether it is your child’s teacher, academic and/or special education consultant teachers or his or her administrator, we are all here to help.  Please reach out to us if you have questions.

Sincerely,

Mike Ehret, Principal

Eastern Monroe Career Center &

Multi-Occupational/FOCUS Programs

Dear Parents and Guardians,

In the links below, you will find important information about our transitioning from our current system of automated commucation to ParentSquare, which will be the platform we use moving forward.

Please review and the documents in the links provided below.

ParentSquare Introduction for Families

ParentSquare FAQ's

If you have questions related to ParentSquare, please email our Communications department at:

communications@boces.monroe.edu

Thank you for your patience as we make this much needed transition.  Ultimately, it will help us communicate more effectively with you.

Monroe One families-

Governor Cuomo recently discussed the infection rate in Monroe County, and the concern of ‘micro-clusters’ with higher-than-average COVID-19 cases.

Monroe One BOCES now falls under a yellow zone designation under the NYS Micro-Cluster Strategy. 

The requirements are complex, but we want to share some key points with you.  Click here for details.

What this means for schools:

 In order to continue in-person instruction, schools in a yellow zone will be required by the state to test 20% of their students and staff for COVID-19 every week. 

What this means for students:

•  The testing requirement is for our hybrid (in-person) learners and staff
• Parents will have the option to opt-out.  Information on this process will be sent out by the end of the week
• Testing must be conducted weekly for as long as we remain in the Yellow Zone (at minimum 14 days - NYS will review our designation after 14 days)
• We will be required to rotate students and staff being tested to meet the 20% mark each week
• Testing could begin as soon as next week. You will be notified ahead of time if your student is selected for the randomized testing
• The rapid test will be a less-invasive nasal swab, and will not be as involved as the standard testing you’ve seen elsewhere.

What is happening this week:

• The state is deploying rapid-testing kits to specific counties that are seeing an uptick or cluster in COVID-19 cases. 
• We are working closely with the Monroe County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) to create a procedure for testing and reporting to the state. 
• We will communicate this plan, as well as the groups for testing, as soon as possible.

Actions we can all take now:

On Monday, the Commissioner of Public Health, Dr. Michael Mendoza, said schools remain one of the safest places to be during this pandemic. This is due to our health and safety protocols in place. 

We continue to urge students and staff to help control the spread of COVID-19 by adhering to the following guidelines at all times: 

• When interacting with individuals who are not part of your household, wear a mask and stay six feet apart 
• Avoid large gatherings, especially inside a home or other enclosure 
• If you have any symptoms of COVID-19, stay home and consult with your health care provider 

If you have ongoing questions about the Coronavirus, please call the Monroe County COVID-19 Hotline at 753-5555 or email them at covid19@monroecounty.gov. 

What happens next?

We are working to put a plan in place to begin testing next week, which will most likely occur on campus with trained staff members. Dr. Mendoza explained that these will be less invasive tests than commonly seen. 

We will continue to update you with the latest information on what to expect as we work to comply with these newest requirements. 

Thank you for your ongoing cooperation as we all continue to keep our school community safe and healthy.

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Welcome to the Eastern Monroe Career Center!

This is just a quick message to let you know that we have been working collaboratively with your child's high school in order to provide a smooth start to the 20-21 school year.  As you may already be aware, all of the districts we serve have been able to accommodate sending their students to EMCC following a hybrid schedule.  Students will attend EMCC in person on Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday.  Students will attend their program virtually on the other three days of the week.

[The exception to this is our New Vision Medical Careers program at Rochester General Hospital and St. Ann's Community.  Parents of students accepted in the program have already been contacted about changes.]

Please be aware that EMCC does not open for students until Monday, September 14, 2020.

To see our program locations, along with start and end times, click here.

Transportation is provided by the district in most situations.

In the meantime, EMCC teachers will be reaching out to you and/or your child by Friday, September 11, 2020 in order to provide you with program specific information such as supply lists and other requirements.  

If you have specific concerns about your child's schedule, we recommend contacting your child's high school counselor or administrator.

We are looking forward to meeting our new students and catching up with those who are returning to complete their program!

We wish you a happy and safe holiday weekend.

Sincerely,

Mike Ehret, Principal
Eastern Monroe Career Center 
& Multi-Occupational/FOCUS programs

• View EMCC - Parent Resource Guide