Reopening My School
Message from Superintendent Dr. John Baker
Dear RCSD community,
As our school district gets ready to welcome additional students to their school campuses starting on Monday, I’d like to remind you of the Board Beliefs in our school district as set by our Board of Trustees, specifically the belief that reads, “Children learn and succeed … in a community that respects diverse backgrounds and treats everyone equitably.” It is important to remember that in RCSD, we teach and learn together with children from all backgrounds, including Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) children.
In the last few weeks, we have witnessed a rise of incidents of anti-AAPI hate and violence across the United States, including the targeted attacks that have taken place recently in the Bay Area. These kinds of hateful actions and behaviors are disheartening and deserve acknowledgement and denouncement. On behalf of the RCSD Board of Trustees, RCSD stands in solidarity with our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students, families, and employees and we condemn these acts of racism, hate, and xenophobia against the AAPI community.
We teach our students to acknowledge and respect our differences and appreciate the diversity that differences bring to our rich community of learners. We will continue to work as a school district and greater community to promote mutual respect, understanding, and tolerance for all RCSD students, families, and employees.
John Baker
Superintendent
Schools to Welcome Additional Students Starting Monday, March 22 as Part of District’s Spring Reopening Expansion
During the week of March 22, Redwood City School District (RCSD) will begin implementing the Spring Expansion of the District January Reopening, which is scheduled to be fully implemented Thursday, April 8.
As the district welcomes additional students starting next Monday, here are some highlights to keep in mind for a successful return to school campuses:
Four Pillars:
Students will find new protocols they’ll need to follow, which were implemented in order to keep them, their teachers, and support staff safe at all times. The district has implemented the San Mateo County of Office of Education’s Four Pillars (Health & Hygiene, Face Coverings, Physical Distancing, and Limiting Gatherings) as outlined in the Pandemic Recovery Framework for Schools.
During the first days back on campuses, school staff will provide an overview to students helping them get adjusted to these new protocols. All students returning this spring will wear masks unless they are eating, will need to physically distance, and will need to frequently wash their hands. Students will also need to participate in the daily health checks before walking to their classrooms. It’s important to know that younger students may need parental assistance on site during the morning check-ins. Parents should check with their child’s school for specific morning drop-off time and process.
Physical Distancing:
The district is pleased to learn the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its social distancing guidelines reducing the 6ft requirement to 3ft for elementary school students inside classrooms. The district will work with both San Mateo County Health and the San Mateo County Office of Education for implementation guidance. As the district moves forward with this updated requirement, the district will update all RCSD families.
Nutritional Needs:
All students returning to their school campuses will be served free breakfast and lunch provided by Child Nutrition Services. The meals are free for all children regardless of economic need. Child Nutrition Services, a federal program, continues to work under this school year’s federal waiver of offering free meals to all children and youth 18 years old and younger. Parents should check with their child’s school for a specific schedule.
As Child Nutrition Services is also providing free snacks and supper, students can also take home free meals and snacks as well as meals for when they are on asynchronous learning. Please check with your child's school or call 650-482-2279 for more information. Menus can be viewed here.
After School Programs:
Families will find a limited number of spaces in the after school programs, depending on the school site and the partner organization running the program. The district appreciates the interest in the after school programs as they provide both academic and enrichment opportunities. The district continues to work with its partners for the possibility of offering additional opportunities based on need.
Parent Volunteers:
The district continues to follow public health guidelines currently in effect, including the need for social distancing. The district values parent volunteers, but at this time is not able to schedule volunteers at the school sites and it is awaiting direction from the state. Once the district has approval to welcome volunteers to sites, school principals will send out information about future possibilities to volunteer.
School Break Guidelines:
There is no school Monday, March 29-Friday, April 2 as the district will be on Spring Break. The School Instructional Calendar was approved by the Board of Trustees in March 2019.
During the break, public health officials advise the public to stay home; it is the best way for a person to protect themselves and others from the spread of COVID-19.
The California Department of Public Health and San Mateo County Health recommend:
Avoid High Risk Activities. High risk activities include: Large social gatherings (such as weddings, funerals, or parties), mass gatherings (such as sporting events, or parades), being in crowds, or traveling to areas experiencing high levels of COVID-19.
Avoid Non-Essential Travel. Avoid non-essential travel to any part of California more than 120 miles from home, or to other states or countries. Avoiding travel reduces the risk of virus transmission or introducing new strains of the virus to the community.
Self Quarantine if Choosing to Travel. All persons arriving in or returning to California from other states or countries, should self-quarantine after arrival. Watch carefully for any symptoms.
Individuals who travel outside the Bay Area are strongly recommended to self-quarantine for 10 days after the return if the activities while travelling put the person at higher risk of getting COVID-19.
These higher risk activities include:
Spending time within 6 feet of people they do not normally live with, while the person or anyone around the individual was not wearing a face mask – especially if they were indoors.
Traveling on planes, buses, trains, public transportation, or other shared vehicles, if face masks were not worn at all times by both the individual and the other people in the vehicle.
Redwood City School District
Website: www.rcsdk8.net
Location: 750 Bradford St, Redwood City, CA
Phone: 6504822200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedwoodCitySchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @RWCSchools