Important Message to Parents and Students of the Rensselaer City School District
The Rensselaer Housing Authority (“RHA”) is proud to announce our partnering with the Rensselaer City School District (“RCSD”) and the Rensselaer Public Library (“Library”) in providing an option for students which will allow them to continue their studies during this COVID-19 pandemic.
Students that do not have internet in their homes will now be able to use the Community Room at Aiken Avenue. RHA will be providing free internet, allowing students to finish their school year via the internet. Parents can rest assure that blocks have been put in place on the internet usage so that no inappropriate websites can be accessed.
Our plan is to open the Community Room, beginning May 19, 2020. The Community Room will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during the hours of 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Mr. Kardash, Superintendent of RCSD, is working with teachers to provide access to students during these times to see that everyone has an opportunity to finish their school year during this difficult time. The Library is partnering with RCSD and RHA by having already provided laptops/Chromebooks to 5 students. The RCSD will provide 5 more to Rensselaer Housing Authority for the exclusive use by RHA resident students.
RHA staff will be sanitizing the room and equipment before and after “classes”. RHA will also provide masks for all students/personnel that enter the Community Room. While the students will be required to keep the social distancing regulation put in place by the Governor, they will at least have the opportunity to see their classmates, which as we all know, is very important during this time of their lives.
Public bathrooms WILL NOT be available for safety reasons. Students will be required to use their home bathrooms during this time. The ideal situation would be that they attend to this issues before and after “classes” so as not to increase the possibility of contaminating anyone by leaving and re-entering the Community Room.
We are currently looking for monitors to oversee that social distancing is met during these times. Any parent/adult willing to volunteer their time, even for short intervals, are asked to contact Marianne at 518-428-2248 to sign up. For safety reasons, no children will be allowed in the Community Room unless they are a student doing work. We ask that all students under the age of 10 that attend “classes” in the Community Room be accompanied by a parent or adult.
To sign up students for this opportunity, please click on the button below and complete the form for each child requiring the use of the Community Room for the internet as soon as possible. Your completed form can be dropped off into our drop box. You can also sign your child up by calling 518-428-2248 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays.
