Op-Ed: Rockland Country Day School On Vaccines

From Rockland Country Day School

There has been a great deal of publicity, especially focused on Rockland County, about the measles outbreak and the requirement for everyone in a public space to be vaccinated.

Rockland Country Day School requires that all children are vaccinated. As an independent school, it is our choice to require vaccinations. We are not obligated to do so, but our policy for years has been to mandate that all of our students have completed the appropriate vaccination schedule in order to attend our school.

We have followed these requirements to ensure that all members of our school community come to school with the security that these types of outbreaks will not jeopardize their health. We have respected parents’ rights to choose whether or not to vaccinate their children, but have turned families away if they could not comply with this policy.

Jocelyn Feuerstein, Head of School at Rockland Country Day School, has said, “While we hope all families will see the wisdom of taking these precautions, we recognize that not all families will agree with us that prevention is a responsibility that we all share.” This vaccination policy, and many others that we have in place to protect our students and families, closely align with the Rockland Country Day School mission to provide a safe, inclusive and individualized program in which our students can thrive and achieve their academic, social and leadership potential.

MISSION STATEMENT: Rockland Country Day School brings forth the best in every student by knowing and educating each of them as an individual. The pillars of our college preparatory program are critical thinking, creative expression, and the cherishing of diversity. Our unique environment enables every child to thrive, both academically and socially. For more information visit http://www.rocklandcds.org or call us at 845-268-6802 Ext. 206 for Admissions.