I am hopeful the past week provided each of you some moments for rest and gratitude. In just three and half more weeks, we will be moving into our winter break. While the holiday season can be hectic for a multitude of reasons, it remains a wonderful opportunity to help make the season just a little brighter for others.

Until we arrive at our winter break, we have many important things to focus on in FUSD. First and foremost, the social/emotional and academic growth of our students remains at the forefront of our efforts. Additionally, we are aware of a new COVID strain emerging across the globe and this also serves as a timely reminder of how important our universal actions to mitigate the spread of COVID are for our students, staff, and community. In a year that has presented challenges and much change, I am proud that FUSD is continuing on a steady path forward. We have much to look forward to, and with that in mind, I ask that we all renew our commitment to following FUSD’s COVID-19 protocols.

Please continue following the protocols we have in place to protect our students and staff:

• consult the home-based COVID-19 Daily Screening prior to arriving at school,

• wear a face mask while on campus,

• wash hands or use hand sanitizer frequently, and

• keep distance as much as possible.

Optional testing for FUSD students is available on school days, find more information here.

FUSD encourages all eligible individuals to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible, including getting booster vaccinations as recommended. Please contact your healthcare provider or visit myturn.ca.gov for appointments; find additional links and resources at www.fremont.k12.ca.us/vaccine.

FUSD is presenting the latest updates from our district in town hall sessions hosted by Superintendent CJ Cammack.

Join one of the sessions to hear more about the support FUSD is offering our students, facilities work around the district, and a financial overview:

• Monday, December 13 from 6 to 7pm

• Tuesday, December 14 from 10 to 11am

• Wednesday, December 15 from 6 to 7pm

Please find more information and submit your questions on these topics at www.fremont.k12.ca.us/series.

This school year FUSD has enrolled more than 60 students who are refugees from Afghanistan.

FUSD's Federal and State Programs and Student Support Services are coordinating efforts to welcome these students to our schools, including a resource fair for newly arrived families from Afghanistan on Friday, December 10, 2021 from 10am to 1pm. Contact: Catrina Aguilar, caguilar@fusdk12.net.

Please note that all FUSD schools and offices will be closed December 23 through January 7 for winter break. We will reopen on Monday, January 10, 2022.

If you plan to travel, FUSD encourages you to review the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for international and domestic travel. The Alameda County Office of Education and Alameda County Public Health developed an overview of the recommendations as a quick reference for families.