Serving Williston Park, East Williston, Mineola, Albertson and Searingtown
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Friday, August 28, 2020
Vol. 69, No. 35
HEALTH, WELLNESS AND BEAUTY
GYMS CAUTIOUS IN REOPENING
CUOMO EASES VOTING RULES
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Districts unveil plans for students to return Herricks, Mineola high schools will use hybrid model BY E LL I OT W E L D The East Williston school district will bring all of its students back to full-time inperson instruction starting Sept. 8. Superintendent Elaine Kanas said all students will be wearing masks at all times and keep six feet apart in their classrooms. The district offered the option to students to take classes fully remotely. “The district is finalizing the numbers in the fully remote program. The numbers presently are about 177 stu-
dents,” Kanas said. Kanas said the district athletic department is awaiting guidance from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association on fall sports. Beginning Sept. 3, the Herricks school district will welcome students in grades K-5 back to in-person learning five days a week and students in grades 6-12 into a hybrid learning model in which they will be split into two groups, according to the district’s reopening plan. The middle and high school cohorts will alternate
days in school in a four-day school week. Siblings will be kept in the same cohort so they can attend school on the same day. “The school district considers in-person services a priority for our youngest and high needs students,” the district reopening plan states. Superintendent Fino Celano said approximately 25% of the student body has opted for remote learning and the district has received positive feedback from parents and staff on its plan. Continued on Page 43
Schools vote to cancel fall high school sports season PHOTO BY THERESA GREINER
The Mineola Volunteer Ambulance Corps gave a “wet down” to its new ambulance Saturday – a tradition in which surrounding fire departments spray a new piece of equipment in a good-luck ceremony. See story on page 2.
Hopes to hold three seasons from January to June BY E LL I OT W E L D The state’s COVID-19 infection rate hit a new low of 0.66 percent, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday from Clinton G. Martin Community Center in New Hyde Park. Because of this low rate, one of the best in the country, Cuomo will al-
low some “lower-risk” school sports to be played this fall. However, on Wednesday morning, Nassau County school superintendents voted to postpone the fall high school sports season until 2021 at an emergency meeting, according to Newsday. They hope to play all three sports seasons between
January and June in hopes that COVID-19 will be more under control at that point. Suffolk County plans to go ahead with the plan to hold “lower-risk” fall sports including soccer, cross-country and field hockey. Sports involving full physiContinued on Page 44
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