Roslyn High School principal condemns actions of students in letter to parents
Roslyn High School's principal has issued a letter condemning the behavior of about a hundred teenage students, mostly seniors, who were photographed at a private weekend party sharing drinks and not wearing masks.
With classes scheduled to start Thursday, Principal Scott Andrews told families in his Aug. 31 letter that the partying students' failure to take precautions against the spread of the coronavirus put at risk "not just our schools, but our entire community."
A copy of the letter was obtained by Newsday.
Andrews, an experienced and widely respected educator, went on to say his office had been inundated with calls, emails and pictures from angry and worried parents and students. Further violations of social-distancing precautions would make it impossible for schools to continue in-house operations and lead to the cancellation of traditional student events, the principal warned.
"If seniors continue to behave in the thoughtless manner that was brought to our attention this past weekend, they should expect to miss out on many of the milestones that come with senior year," Andrews wrote in the letter addressed to Roslyn families. "Additionally, if a percentage of the community chooses not to practice social distancing protocols, all parents should expect school closings to be an inevitability."
Andrews added that the district superintendent, Allison Brown, had been notified of the incident, described as a senior party, and was evaluating the circumstances "as actions have consequences." Cynthia Younker, the district's director of community relations, told Newsday the administration would make no further public comment.
Roslyn enrolls about 3,200 students, drawn from the Island's affluent northern Gold Coast straddling the North Hempstead and Oyster Bay town borders. The district's reopening plan, like many, calls for elementary students to attend school daily, while students in the middle school and high school attend on alternating days.
The Roslyn community has experienced 154 cases of COVID-19 infection since the pandemic began, according to health department records compiled by Newsday.
Reaction to the partyers' behavior has been overwhelmingly negative, though there is some disagreement over the question of whether the 12th-graders or participating parents were most responsible.
"We've got to remember what we're talking about — these aren't grown-ups," said Cary Ratner, a longtime Roslyn resident and business owner. "I think the parents are the ones that need the talking to."
Gail Silberman, a former district PTA president, took a somewhat different view.
"I'm hearing people say kids will be kids," Silberman observed. "That's not acceptable. We all have a responsibility to keep our neighbors safe."
Andrews, in his letter, addressed both students and parents.
"We are ALL in this together," he wrote. "The way you conduct yourself in the world directly impacts others. The way you parent your child directly impacts our schools. I implore you to keep this in mind as we attempt to open our schools this week."
John Hildebrand is Newsday's senior education writer and has covered school news and policy issues affecting Long Island for more than 40 years.
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