Dear Parents/Guardians:
In preparation for a proposed school opening to LIVE in-person instruction, the most important detail that our school needs to know for planning purposes is the following:
How many of you want to send your children back to in-person instruction, and how many will opt to remain in the distance learning virtual format? (In-person instruction could begin as early as October 26, 2020, for students in Transitional Kindergarten through 2nd grades (TK-2).
Here are some important details to help with your decision-making:
Our District and school will be enforcing the Core Four principles for prevention of Covid-19:
1) Daily Health Screenings
2) Mask Wearing
3) Physical Distancing
4) Frequent Hand Washing
Our youngest and most vulnerable students who do not do well in distance learning will be offered in-person instruction first. This includes Transitional Kindergarten through Grade 2 students.
In-person instruction could begin as early as October 26, 2020, which is the start of the second quarter of our academic year. Again, county and local Covid-19 case rates will be a determining factor in our reopening plan.
Depending on parent responses, and scheduling considerations, there is a possibility that your child may have a different teacher than he/she currently has.
Students would attend school four days a week (M-Th), possibly on a modified schedule.
Fridays will be reserved for distance learning from home.
Our goal is 16 students per cohort for most classes, and no more than 18 in order to maintain social distancing.
Consistent with guidance from the California Department of Public Health, all staff and students will be required to wear a mask or face covering (TK – Grade 6), unless a medical issue necessitates an adaptation or alternative. Students will be provided a face covering if they do not have one.
YOUR DECISION TO EITHER RETURN TO IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION OR TO REMAIN IN DISTANCE LEARNING IS A COMMITMENT FOR THIS QUARTER ONLY – October 26-December 2020.
*I will send out another survey in December if you are interested in in-person learning for January – March.
The deadline for the commitment form is October 9th so you have the opportunity to attend the Superintendent’s Virtual Town Hall Meeting on October 5th at 6:00 pm. If you would like to revise your response after the Town Hall, you may do that.
A similar survey would be sent out each quarter. Again, we want to reiterate that any opening is based on transmission rate data that will be continuously examined. Please tune in to the October 5 District Virtual Town Hall meeting see link below.
Town Hall Meeting:
The Chula Vista Elementary School District will hold a Virtual Town Hall meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, October 5. Join us to hear more about plans for a proposed phased reopening of schools to in-person instruction. The time and date of the meeting were moved up in response to parent and staff feedback, and to accommodate the inclusion of two medical professionals with extensive experience and knowledge of the health and care environment, especially in regard to our local community. Superintendent Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D., will be joined by Jeannette Aldous, M.D., and Shaila Serpas, M.D., in this informational and educational presentation.
Dr. Aldous is the Clinical Director of Infectious Disease at San Ysidro Health. She was awarded the “Live Well San Diego Public Health Champion” award for the Individual category, which honors an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the prevention of disease or injury, and/or the promotion of health, in the San Diego County community.
Dr. Aldous has more than 10 years of experience in public health and gives a valuable community provider perspective as an expert in infectious diseases.. She has an impressive resume that includes local, state, and international public health experience, especially in infectious disease treatment and prevention.
Dr. Serpas has a passion for obstetrics and adolescent health, working to continually enhance residency curriculum as associate director of Scripps Family Medicine Residency Program. She was instrumental in establishing and maintaining three school-based adolescent clinics as core residency teaching sites. Since 1994, she has provided care in federally-qualified health centers. Dr. Serpas completed her Master of Public Health through the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health.
Dr. Serpas partners with Scripps residents to implement community-based research projects, school-based programs, and advocacy activities. Her clinical interests include reducing health disparities in the areas of childhood obesity, lactation, and migrant health and improving access to healthy environments.
To access the meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, please click on the link below:
For parents that work outside of the home and have adjusted to distance learning and will now need to readjust to in person learning it would helpful to know how long each school day will be BEFORE committing to in person. Thank you.
Do not commit until we find out what the school day looks like.
We need to know what the school day looks like and will there be before and after care with YMCA. My son is currently at the YMCA as my husband and I work in military/medical. He does distance learning from campus at McMillin daily from 0730-1500 daily.
I would 100% send him back if the YMCA has a care option. If not, I would keep him distance learning via YMCA assuming that is an option still.
Can’t commit either way until we have the following answers:
1. What will the in class model look like? Masks, Social Distancing, Frequency of testing.
2. What happens when students start showing up sick with cough, fever, runny nose, etc..
3. How will this affect the distance learning model? Can we keep the same teachers?
4. Will the teachers be shared between in class and distance learning? If so, how to manage that everyone is given the same preference for participation?
5. What happens in case of an increase in cases? Does the whole in-class model come to an end?
My son has adapted very nicely to the distance learning, and is participating much more that when he was in class. I worry that he would feel excluded if we decide to stay on distance learning. We also worry that the in class could be unstable if students start showing up sick.
These are great questions. Please attend the Town Hall Meeting tonight to get more information. You will be able to ask these questions directly. I believe you can ask in the chat. If the superintendent does not have time to finish all questions they will answer them in a FAQ and I will send it to all parents.