San Bruno Park Journal
March 2021
Letter from the Superintendent
It has been an extraordinary few weeks, with the accelerated efforts to prepare our schools for the return of students, and - something we have been longing to see for a year - our students back for in-person instruction! This week, additional good news: San Mateo County has moved into the Orange Tier this week.
Once again, I would like to thank our staff, families, and community for working together to support each other through a year-long, uncharted journey through a pandemic and distance learning. I also thank and appreciate our students. From our very youngest students to our 8th graders, they have been resilient, have done their best to adapt to being in a virtual classroom, and deserve a great deal of credit. Our goal is to return to 100% in-person learning ultimately. Our phased reopening will be instrumental in helping us assess and evaluate our instructional and business operations to ensure our students and teachers are safe, supported, and engaged.
Below you will find the latest information about our return to campus and other items. Our goal is to maintain a clear and strong focus on academics while also providing our students the social-emotional support necessary to transition back to the classroom.
Please be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @SanBrunoParkSD to see what's happening through the week!
With appreciation,
José Espinoza
Superintendent
SCHOOL REOPENING UPDATE
As we have shared with your prior, for schools in San Mateo County to reopen, they were required to do the following:
- Develop a reopening plan that follows the County’s Pandemic Recovery Framework
- Have a testing plan in place for staff
- Use an incremental approach to reopening
Our reopening plan, using our Responsive Reopening Model, fully meets the County's criteria, including the Four Pillars of the Framework intended to reduce the likelihood of spread within the school setting:
- Health and Hygiene
- Face Coverings
- Physical Distancing
- Limited Gatherings
The complete Plan for Return to In-Person Instruction is available here. As a reminder, extensive work has been done to help us have our campuses well-equipped and prepared to welcome students and staff to a safe environment. We detailed much of this in our last Reopening Update. The additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and air purifiers have been received and are in every room since this update. An update on our first week back is available here.
We thank all our families and staff for their participation in and support of the daily symptoms check. We monitor the tracking data and will report any confirmed cases of the coronavirus among staff, students, vendors, and contractors. We also appreciate our families' cooperation with new pick-up and drop-off routines. This is an important part of our overall campus safety efforts!
COMMUNITY INFORMATION
COVID-19 TESTING IN SAN MATEO COUNTY
Regardless of vaccination availability and the total number of COVID-19 cases, health experts say people who exhibit symptoms consistent with the coronavirus infection - cough, fever, congestion, fatigue, headache, loss of sense of smell or taste, to name a few - should continue to get tested. Testing is important for two reasons. It warns the person and provides data to help public health officials find out more about the disease and the new, possibly more contagious variants spreading through the country.
Testing for COVID-19 continues to be available for everyone who lives or works in San Mateo County regardless of symptoms. Please click here to learn more and make an appointment.
A reminder that the San Mateo County Office of Community Affairs continues to work hard to ensure that the community has easy access to important and updated information about COVID-19. Their COVID-19 Resources and Services webpage offers information, resources, and materials in numerous areas, including:
- The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act
- Employee (& worker's rights information) and Unemployment Resources
- Health/Mental Health Services
- Housing, Rental & Mortgage Assistance
- Volunteering & Donating Opportunities
The State of California has also put together a COVID-19 Resource Page for California residents. It includes tracking data on county tier status, cases, tests, and vaccines administered.
The San Bruno Community Foundation (SBCF) invites our community (including teachers, staff, parents, and students) to participate in a survey as part of the Foundation's Community Listening Campaign 2.0. Over the past six years, SBCF has committed nearly $55 million in Crestmoor Scholarships, Community Grants, and strategic initiatives, including $50 million for the new San Bruno Recreation and Aquatic Center in San Bruno City Park and which breaks ground this year.
The Foundation asks for your input to identify current community needs and help shape its future program and investment strategies. Their community survey will be open through March 31, available in both English and Español. You can also request a paper survey by emailing info@sbcf.org or calling (650) 763-0775.
You are also invited to attend one of the Foundation's Virtual Town Hall meetings:
- Tuesday, April 20, 2021, at 5:00 p.m.
- Monday, April 26, 2021, at 6:30 p.m.
The Zoom registration links will be posted on the SBCF website before the virtual meetings. For more information, download the flyer - English | Spanish
Please participate and encourage the Foundation to make San Bruno public schools a priority!!
HOLIDAYS AND COVID-19
CDPH guidance encourages you to:
- Have the "COVID Chat"
- Check restrictions in our area and those of neighboring counties
- Follow travel advisories
- Follow tips for healthier holidays
State officials release COVID-19 updates daily. Click here to review. San Mateo's County Health Officer also posts regular updates. Click here to see current and past orders.
FACILITIES UPDATE
As part of the District's "Schools with Tomorrow Inside" initiative, six aging and under-enrolled elementary schools in San Bruno Park will be consolidated into four large, modern centers for teaching and learning, strategically located to respond to projected enrollment trends. The first major project under this initiative is the rebuild of Allen Elementary School.
The planning and design for the replacement of Allen began in early 2019. The updated campus will include:
- 13 regular classrooms
- Three kindergarten classrooms
- Two small Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL) classrooms with moveable dividers
- Two breakout/specialty spaces
- One pres-school classroom
- One dedicated classroom each for the Special Day Class (SDC), the Resource Specialist Program (RSP), and Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) programs
- Library
The project is currently being reviewed by the Division of the State Architect (DSA), which must approve plans for all K-12 and community college district projects. The tentative timeframe for construction is May 31, 2021, through 12/30/2022, over two phases.
The video recording of the presentation is available here, starting at about 22:06. The final presentation is available here. It includes updates on rebuilds for other campuses.
BOARD UPDATE
- SBPSD Enrollment Forecast Presentation
- Residential Development Research Report
- Annual Enrollment Projection Report
The Board approved the 2020-2021 Second Interim Budget Report and accepted the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 Audit Report.
We will have a Special Board Meeting on March 24, 2021, and will send out the agenda as soon as possible. The next regularly scheduled Board meeting is April 14, 2021, via Zoom, with Open Session beginning at 7:00 p.m. Register here. Meeting materials will be posted here.
SCENES FROM SCHOOLS
DATEBOOK
March 26 - 31, 2021
Minimum Days for Elementary School Parent Conferences
April 2, 2021
Minimum Day - All Schools
April 5 - 12, 2021
Spring Break - NO SCHOOL
April 14, 2021
Regular Meeting of the Board of Education (via Zoom)
Open Session 6:30 p.m.
Meeting materials will be posted here.
May 12, 2021
Regular Meeting of the Board of Education (via Zoom)
Open Session 6:30 p.m.
Meeting materials will be posted here.
May 31, 2021
Memorial Day Holiday - NO SCHOOL
Be sure to review our 2020-2021 School Year Calendar for other important dates, including holidays and non-student dates.
About Us
Email: jpeponis@sbpsd.k12.ca.us
Website: www.sbpsd.org
Location: 500 Acacia Ave, San Bruno, CA, USA
Phone: 650-624-3100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanBrunoParkSD/
Twitter: @SanBrunoParkSD