Press Release, Kendall Central School

KENDALL – Kendall Central School is accepting PreK and kindergarten registrations for the 2020-21 school year.

If you are interested in enrolling your child in the Kendall universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) or kindergarten program and would like a registration packet mailed to you, please email Registrar Terri Kroth at tkroth@kendallschools.org with your name, address, phone number and the program your child is eligible for.

Parents are asked to mail the completed registration packet back by April 30. The mailing address is Kendall Elementary School, Attn: Registration, 1932 Kendall Rd, Kendall, NY 14476.

Copies of birth certificates, proof of residency, immunization records and any applicable custodial paperwork will be collected at a later date.

If you have any questions and cannot email, please feel free to contact Elementary School Principal Heather Eysaman at (585) 659-8317, ext. 1401.

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KENDALL – The school district beginning today will be delivering all meals to students by bus, with a pickup at the Junior-Senior High School no longer an option.

Kendall will deliver bagged breakfasts and lunches by bus to children age 18 and younger who reside in the district. Children do not have to be enrolled in the district to receive meals, according to a notice from the district.

All meals will be delivered via school bus to homes between 10:30 a.m. to noon according to the following schedule:

• Meals delivered on Mondays will be for Monday and Tuesday.

• Meals delivered on Wednesdays will be for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

• For Spring Recess Week, four meals will be delivered on Monday only.

“Please place a bin by your front door so our staff can safely leave meals in it,” according to a letter to the community from Julie Christensen, Kendall school district superintendent. “Please monitor delivery so food temperatures are maintained safely.”

Kendall parents picking up meals will have them delivered to their home beginning today. For families already on the distribution list no action is necessary.

To be added or removed from the meal distribution list, email Cindy Wolck at cwolck@kendallschools.org or call at 585-659-8317.

School instructional materials will be delivered on Wednesdays to students.

“Thank you for your patience as we modify our practices to keep our school family safe while school is closed. We miss our students!” Christensen said in her letter to the community.

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Students, teachers also welcomed chance to connect – at 6 feet apart

Photos by Tom Rivers

KENDALL – Lucas Jones, his sister Mary and their mother Karen decorate their vehicle with a Happy Birthday sign.

They were part of a caravan of vehicles that drove through Kendall today sharing birthday greetings with children who have been homebound much of the past two weeks and haven’t been able to have a typical birthday party. There haven’t been any birthday recognitions at the school, with it being closed, and kids also are encouraged not to have friends over.

The Kendall school district, like the others and Orleans County, announced on March 14 they would be closed until further notice due to health concerns with the spreading coronavirus. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Friday that public schools in the state would be closed until at least April 15.

Mary Jones, 15, a freshman at Kendall said she misses her friends and being in class in person. She has been doing her schoolwork at home, and connecting with some of her teachers and classmates online through Zoom.

“Being at home without your friends it lonely and boring,” she said.

Jones was preparing to be in the school’s musical production of Annie. She hopes the show can go on, somehow.

Her brother Lucas, 13, is an eighth-grader. He was going to help with the musical in stage crew. He also was on the tennis team, which hasn’t been able to practice the past two weeks. The season is very much uncertain right now.

Lucas and his sister said they are trying to keep up with their friends through social media but it’s not the same as seeing them in person.

Their mother Karen Jones has been a Kendall bus driver the past seven years. She is still driving bus for the school during the closure, delivering meals and even schoolwork to students.

Kolby Primmer, left, and Eric Warren are both seniors at Kendall. They hadn’t seen each other in a couple weeks. They maintained social distancing at the Kendall Elementary School parking, where the vehicles gathered for the birthday caravan.

Kolby said the uncertainty with when school could reopen is hard for seniors.

“We don’t know what will happen with the senior trip or graduation,” he said.

The senior class is planning a trip to Philadelphia in late May. Commencement is scheduled for June 26.

Eric Warren, the other senior, said he welcomed the chance to see some classmates today.

“All of my friends go to school and that’s the only time I can see them,” he said.

Kolby Primmer and this mother Margaret decorate their vehicle for the processional.

Patty Longrod, a substitute aide at Kendall, decorates her vehicle with a birthday greeting. Her husband, Dana Longrod, is a fifth grade teacher at Kendall. He joined his wife in the caravan today, eager for a chance to see students and other community members.

Mr. Longrod, a teacher for 34 years, a couple weeks ago prepared a packet of schoolwork to last a month for his students who are at home. Longrod said he’s never experienced any kind of prolonged shutdown like this during his career, with a return date unknown.

“It’s sort of a work in progress,” Longrod said. “None of us have ever dealt with this situation. We’re seeing what works and what needs to be improved.”

Longrod said the spring is usually a highlight of the year with field trips and many engaging activities for the kids.

“I can’t wait to get back to class,” he said. “It’s a fun job.”

These people brought some school pride for the trek around town.

Kadence Schoonmaker, a Kendall third-grader, helps decorate her family’s vehicle for the trip around town today.

“It’s a great opportunity for the kids to see each other,” said her mother, Lindsay Schoonmaker. “She has been inside the past two weeks and has been losing her mind.”

The vehicles head north on Route 237. They traveled along several roads in town.

To see a video of the cars heading out of Kendall Elementary School, click here.

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Photos courtesy of Kim Corcoran

KENDALL – The electricity was fully restored in Kendall at about 1:40 a.m. in Kendall after several utility poles snapped on Kendall Road at 1 p.m. on Friday due to powerful winds.

National Grid had new poles in place and the power back on for all of its customers about 12 hours later, although many customers came back on line much sooner.

About 1,500 National Grid customers initially lost power.

Kim Corcoran took these photos. The poles came down near the Kendall Elementary School.

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Provided photos

KENDALL – The powerful wind gusts snapped a series of utility poles on Kendall Road this afternoon at about 1 p.m., knocking out electricity for about 1,500 National Grid customers. This is near the Kendall Elementary School.

The power company said 1,490 customers were without electricity after the poles were snapped. The outage was down to 983 at 3:30 p.m.

National Grid is estimating a full restoration at 4:30 p.m.

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Photo by Tom Rivers: Kendall teachers Tonya Lustumbo (left), a fourth grade teacher, and Amy Conine, a high school math teacher, helped distribute meals on Tuesday at Kendall Junior-Senior High School. The school district served 200 meals on Tuesday.

KENDALL – Three school district provided meals for 800 students on Tuesday. That number will grow today when Holley and Albion start meal programs for students who are home due to schools across the state being shutdown for at least the next two weeks.

Medina on Tuesday provided 490 breakfasts and 490 lunches. Lyndonville served 100 breakfasts and lunches, while Kendall provided 200 “grab and go” meals.

The two Kendall teachers worked together to distribute the meals to families who pulled up in vehicles. Kendall delivered 70 meals to residences while the rest were picked up by parents.

Kendall delivered 70 of the meals, while the other 130 were picked up at the school. The meals are available for any child under the age of 18 who resides in the school district.

“We are taking it day by day in the number needed,” said Julie Christensen, Kendall Central School superintendent. “Families who did not pick up a meal today may do so at a later time. I want to thank our outstanding staff who assisted with preparing the bags, distribution of the bags and managing the planning. We had volunteers from our food service staff, bus drivers, teachers, aides, nurse, clerical, custodial and administrative staff on site assisting with smiles and true compassion for our families.”

In Kendall, families can contact Cindy Wolck at cwolck@kendallschools.org with questions about delivery.

ALBION – Students in the school district (or a parent of an ACS student presenting ID) may pick up meals beginning today. Parents need to fill out a short form available by clicking here so the district can have the right number of meals ready for each location.

Meals will be available Monday through Friday beginning Wednesday at the following locations:.

• Albion Elementary School (9 a.m. to 11 a.m.)

• Oak Orchard Estates (11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

• Lydun Drive Extension-Canal Town Commons (11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

• Elks’ Lodge (11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

• Barre Center Presbyterian Church (11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

• Carlton Recreation Hall (11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

HOLLEY – Beginning today Holley is providing free “grab and go” meals (breakfast and lunch) to all children ages 18 and under. This food distribution plan will continue for the duration that schools are closed.

Breakfast and lunch meals will both be available at the same time for pick-up from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. our five distribution locations. (Click here to fill out a survey to help the school district prepare meals for each site.)

For questions or concerns about getting access to food, please contact the elementary or junior-senior high school, or the food service office (638-6318 Ext. 2566).

The food distribution sites include:

• Holley Elementary School (back bus loop)

• Clarendon Town Hall (parking lot)

• Thomas Estates (bus stop loop)

• County Line Trailer Park (Gulf Road & County Line Road)

• Fancher-Hulberton-Murray Fire Hall (parking lot)

Look for the Holley school bus at each pick-up site. Staff will be there to assist.

LYNDONVILLE – The district on Tuesday started offering grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches available for all Lyndonville students at no cost. Families may pick up meals via the drop-off loop off Housel Avenue on the campus from 8 a.m. to noon this week. Beginning next week, meal service hours will be from 9 to 11 a.m. If families have transportation needs or questions, call 765-3101 or email Llamay@lcsdk12.org.

MEDINA – The school district has breakfast and lunch available to students between 11 a.m. and noon each day at the following locations:

• Pine Street Park: corner of Pine Street and Park Avenue

• MAAC Thrift Depot: corner of Starr Street and Orient Street

• Orleans County YMCA Parking Lot: 306 Pearl Street

• Former Towne School Parking Lot: 181 Bates Road

• Shelby Fire Department Parking Lot: 4695 S. Gravel Road

• Knowlesville Volunteer Fire Company Parking Lot: Knowlesville Road

• Oak Orchard Elementary Bus Loop

Students must be present, when possible, to receive their meals, Marc Graff, assistant superintendent, said in a letter to the community.

“We will monitor the distribution process and make any necessary adjustments as needed,” Graff said. “We wish to thank all of our students, families and staff for their understanding and patience as we work through these unprecedented times.”

For more information, click here to be directed to the district’s website.

Provided photo: Kendall staff are pictured in the school cafeteria with meals that were prepared for students on Tuesday.

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KENDALL – The school district is closed until further notice but beginning today will continue to provide meals to students age 18 and younger who reside in the district.

Bagged breakfasts and lunches will be available to all students between 10 a.m. and noon each weekday at the Junior/Senior High School Cafeteria.

Parents are asked to remain in their vehicles and drive around to the back of the school (closest to the varsity soccer field) where a school representative will deliver the meals directly to the vehicle, Julie Christensen, the district superintendent, advised the community in a letter on Monday.

If a parent or guardian is unable to pick up the breakfast/lunch, contact Cindy Wolck at 659-8317 to have meals regularly delivered to a residence.

Kendall will have a school representative be responsible for recording the family name and the number of meals issued to each family. Christensen said parents need to be prepared to share their child’s name at the time of pickup.

“On behalf of the staff at KCSD, we are thankful for the support of our families and students during this challenging time,” Christensen wrote in her letter. “The district will monitor the distribution process throughout the week and make any necessary adjustments as needed.”

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From Tony Cammarata, Kendall Town Supervisor

KENDALL – Due to the rapidly escalation of the COVID-19, coronarvirus, the Kendall Town Hall and highway department offices will be closed to the public.

The Kendall town clerk will be available by appointment only. Please phone (585) 659-8721 or email: clerk@townofkendall.com.

Town meetings will temporarily be closed to the public as permitted by Governor Cuomo’s executive order 202, which modifies the rules of open meetings.

Please deposit any necessary documents in the drop box, located by the front door. Include your name and phone number so we can contact you if necessary.

We regret this decision. In the best interest of our community it has become necessary to help prevent the spread of the virus. This is a routine precautionary measure and not a cause for panic.

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All 22 school districts in Monroe County will be closed

Photo by Tom Rivers: Kendall Central School will be closed beginning on Monday.

Kendall Central School will be closed beginning Monday until further notice.

The closing also means no sports practices or extracurricular events. Kendall announced the news in automated phone calls to the community at 3 p.m.

The district said it will provide updates on its website and through social media.

All 22 public school districts in Monroe County also will be closed until further notice, Monroe County Executive Adam Bello said this afternoon.

He made the announcement following the second confirmed case of coronavirus in Monroe, this time involving an employee at the Greece arcadia Middle School.

Here is the statement issued by Bello this afternoon:

“After consultation with Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mike Mendoza and the Superintendents of all 22 Monroe County School Districts, all Monroe County public schools will be closed to students beginning Monday, March 16, until further notice.

“Staff may be asked to report depending on the individual district needs.

“This closing includes all school-related activities, including sports and other extracurricular activities.

“Each individual school district will share more specific information regarding their plans for food, social supports, remote instruction, and other operational procedures with their individual communities.

“The Monroe County Health Department and school leaders will be reviewing this on a week-to-week basis — and providing an update by midday Friday.

“The City of Rochester will be announcing its efforts regarding food distribution and support for children and families tomorrow morning at a 10 a.m. press conference at the Emergency Operations Center.”

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