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Dear Students, Staff, and Families,

Tomorrow marks the third week of the new school year. The improved level of comfort with technology and distance learning has been observable in many ways. As I respond to phone calls and emails and visit virtual classrooms, I am encouraged and inspired by how our students, teachers, support staff, and parents have leapt into the world of virtual learning. Some have spent years immersed in the world of technology, so it wasn't as significant a leap to adapt to learning in the COVID-19 era. For others, however, it's been a big leap and a big learning curve.

The learning curve is unique to each and every person. Everyone learns and progresses at their own rate. We will continue to provide technology support and work closely with students, staff, and families to solve problems related to distance learning. But based on what I've learned from our students, staff, and families these first two weeks, we are all making great strides, regardless of our respective starting points. We will continue to respond as quickly as we can to our student's and their family's needs.

Our latest instructional "How To" video teaches parents how to follow their children's attendance, assignments, and academic progress by setting up weekly notifications through Aeries. Click on the images below to watch the videos.

The most frequently-asked questions I've received this week have to do with technology, information systems, laptops and connectivity. Here's your questions and my answers:

Q: Who can I contact if I need help with my computer or if I have a question about technology?

A: Call the Technology Help Desk: (951) 509-5180 or email: Chromebook Support.

Q: How can I get connected to the Internet or improve my connection to the Internet if multiple users are all sharing the same bandwidth?

A: If your technology needs are not being met, please contact your principal immediately. Verizon is our partner for the connectivity service and we do rely on them to connect our Internet hot-spot devices. In some cases there were delays and troubleshooting that needed to be done, but the service is up and running and all hot-spots are activated.

Q: Who can I contact if I need more help to support my children?

A: For general questions related to technology and other student services, contact our Family Engagement Coordinator, Alejandro Cisneros, by phone 951-396-0126 or email. For specific questions about your child, please contact your school's principal, counselor, and teacher(s).

Q: Where can I learn more about the services offered by the Family Engagement Office?

A: Visit the Family Engagement Office web site here for details. Also, visit Alejandro's YouTube channel for instructional videos here.

Q: What is Aeries?

A: Aeries is the district's student information system. All information about students is securely stored in this database, including contact information, grade history, transcripts, health information, and attendance.

Q: Should parents have an Aeries account?

A: Yes. Parents use their Aeries account for the following purposes:

• Complete the annual data confirmation process
• Update contact information and health information
  
• Check attendance in real time
• Check academic progress in real time
• See progress reports and report cards

Q: Should students have an Aeries account?

A: All students are issued an Aeries account using their Aeries-issued email. Student email addresses use the first two letters of their first name and up to the first four letters of their last name, and the last five digits of their student ID. For example, for Allan Mucerino, if my ID number is 1234567, my email will be almuce34567@alvordschools.net.

Q: Why are parents asked to complete the data confirmation process every school year?

A: To ensure schools have the most current student information and to confirm parents have read the annual notification, parents are asked to:

• Confirm contact information for communication purpose is current
• Confirm residency status, including if a family has been displaced, is current
• Confirm health information is current
• Confirm parents understand and have read the annual Parent Notification with details and information about parent rights and responsibilities under certain provisions of the Education Code.

Q: How do I update my contact information in Aeries?

A: Contact information can be updated anytime by logging in to the Aeries parent portal. Follow instructions in English here or Spanish here.

Q: How do parents set up an Aeries account?

A: If parents provided the school with an email address, a portal account was automatically created. If you have not provided the school with your email address, please provide it so the information can be entered into Aeries. Once your email has been entered into Aeries, the system will automatically create your account. You will then receive an email with your login information. Find more details on Aeries here or in Spanish here. Or click on the images below to access the information.

A: Contact Quyen Nguyen, Director of Information Services and Research & Evaluation. Call (951) 509-5197 or email here.

Q: What do I do if I forgot my Google account information. Who can help me?

Students who have opened Google in the past may have created a unique password. If you don’t remember your password, you will have to request the password to be reset. Please email your school principal to reset your password or you can submit a password reset request here.

I've also received questions related to teaching and learning in the virtual environment. Here's the most frequently asked questions and my answers:

Q; What is Blended Learning?

A: The short answer is blended learning combines in-person teacher-student interactions with online learning tools to support overall instruction for both the teacher and student. Blended learning offers more personalized learning experiences for students.

Q: What is the The "Flipped-Classroom" model of instruction?

A: The short answer is the flipped-classroom is an instructional strategy used in both the virtual classroom and the traditional in-person classroom. It provides the opportunity for students to review new learning material prior to class. In most cases, the strategy improves a student's learning confidence and academic engagement during live discussions. It is also a strategy that promotes processing new material independently. Many teachers report the flipped-classroom strategy has been a gift for many students, including students with learning differences or those who are introverted.

Q: Can I blend virtual learning with more traditional paper and pencil learning?

A: Yes. Parents should communicate with their teachers and principals about their child's learning style and how schools can best support learning.

In closing, I've also been asked when sports will resume. Depending on the conditions at the time, the first competitions are planned for December. The Alvord Board of Education will consider reopening athletic facilities for on-site training and conditioning to prepare for the competition at an upcoming Board Meeting sometime after Labor Day. When student-athletes do return for training, they will be expected to social distance, wear face covering when appropriate, and follow all safety guidelines. See the entire sports calendar and other details from the California Interscholastic Federation here.

On behalf of the Board of Education, thank you for your continued partnership as we continue to navigate this challenging period in our school district and for many of our students and their families.

Stay healthy. Be well.

In partnership.

Allan Mucerino

DAILY PICK-UP TIMES:

• 7:15 am to 8:15 am at Hillcrest, La Sierra & Norte Vista
  
• 7:30 am to 8:00 am at Arizona, Villegas & Wells

Parent also have the option of picking-up five meals once per week on Fridays at the sites and times below:

FRIDAY 5-MEAL PICK-UP TIMES:

• 7:15 to 8:15 am or 12:00 to 1:00 pm at Hillcrest, La Sierra, and Norte Vista
  
• 7:30 to 8:00 am or 12:30 to 1:15 pm at Arizona, Villegas, and Wells
• 12:30 - 1:15 at Loma Vista

IMPORTANT NOTICES:

• Only Alvord students can receive meals during the school year.
• Parents may pickup with student ID. Students do not need to be present.
• School site safety protocols include face covering & temperature taking for all who enter our campuses.