The second semester gets underway tomorrow, Monday, January 3, 2022, amidst yet another wave of COVID infections. I understand how the latest surge is causing a great deal of anxiety about returning to school, given the highly transmissible variant and its potential spread by people who do not know they have the disease.

We have to assume transmission will occur. But, according to local public health officials, if we diligently follow healthy hygiene practices, stay home when sick, practice physical distancing, securely wear a well-fitted mask, and test frequently, we can slow the spread and manage the current surge of cases. As we have been doing this entire school year, we will continue to distribute rapid-result, home antigen test-kits and encourage everyone to test weekly. The governor announced last week that the state will help support schools by providing test-kits moving forward.

As I had written in my COVID Update message on December 29, 2021, we are prepared to manage this latest challenge and safely reopen our schools. But we need everyone to do their part. Recall that following last year's holiday season, we saw the highest peak in COVID-19 cases. But unlike last year, public health officials have considerably more information and data and subsequently a greater ability to update guidance and educate the community.

Our COVID-response infrastructure has been successful thanks to everyone strictly adhering to all of our protocols and safety practices and not attending school with symptoms or until a negative test confirms COVID is not responsible for those symptoms. Also, students and staff are expected to continue to test if they have a known exposure to COVID, whether in or out of school, and particularly in the home since it's more likely there would be close contact and increased risk of exposure.

Our COVID Call Center will continue to contact-trace and ensure all students and staff who have been exposed to the virus are provided home test-kits and instructions on next steps. Our COVID team works closely with the Riverside Public Health School Response Team to track and monitor local conditions and school outbreaks. During the first semester we had two outbreaks that led to classroom closures. Both were in kindergarten. Even in our athletic programs, weekly testing proved to be highly effective. We had a low incidence of spread and cancellations.

Overall, during the first semester we had 131 staff members and 513 students report a positive test for COVID-19. But the case rate currently is 43.4 cases per 100K, roughly twice the case rate from before the holiday. Keeping our classrooms and schools open depend not only on controlling outbreaks, but also on our ability to keep our staff healthy. Staffing shortages, particularly related to finding willing substitutes for a variety of roles on a campus, are expected to be more of a challenge than last year given the latest surge in cases.

We have overstaffed our schools, increased our rate of pay, and continue to openly recruit substitutes in all areas, but the challenge remains. If you or someone you know are interested in substituting, learn more about it below in the news section or see what's currently available on our employment home page here.

Bottom Line: Please test weekly and do not send your children to school if they exhibit any symptoms or if they have been exposed to a positive case (in school or at home) until a negative test confirms they do not have COVID. Reach out to our COVID Help Center for assistance and testing.

At our annual organizational meeting of the Board of Education on December 16, 2021, Mrs. Julie A. Moreno was unanimously elected President and will lead the Board of Education this coming year. Also unanimously elected were Dr. Joanna Dorado as Vice-President and Mr. Robert D. Schwandt as Clerk. Mrs. Moreno, Dr. Dorado, and Mr. Schwandt join Trustee Mrs. Carolyn M. Wilson and Trustee Ms. Lizeth Vega in governing the Alvord Unified School District.

Also on December 16, outgoing Board President, Lizeth Vega was recognized and celebrated for her outstanding leadership this past year during an unprecedented and extremely challenging time in education.

Among those agencies, Care Space provides mental health services for Riverside County students, families, schools, and the community at no cost. Care Space is sponsored by the Riverside County Office of Education in partnership with the Riverside Latino Commission and Riverside University Health System Behavioral Health.

Contact the Care Space team at 951-276-CARE (2273) or visit their web site here to learn more about the services they offer. They provide one-on-one counseling and family counseling services.

Total Positive Cases the Last Week before Winter Recess:

• 28 students (down from 42 the week before and 29 the prior week)
• 5 staff members (up from 4 the week before and down from 8 the prior week)

Students Identified Through Contact Tracing:

• 158 students assigned modified quarantine (which means they can continue to attend school in-person as long as they don't develop symptoms and test twice weekly for two weeks)
• 24 students assigned full quarantine (home for at least 10 days)

Overall, as of Friday, December 17, the end of the first semester, we have had 131 staff members and 513 students report a positive test for COVID-19. Stay current with our case rate by regularly tracking our COVID-19 Data Dashboard and FAQ here. Cases recorded on the Dashboard are confirmed by Riverside County Public Health officials and remain on the Dashboard for 14 days.

This past week in Riverside County, there were 4,135 new cases (1.1% increase) equating to 43.4 cases per 100K (7-day average), 15 new deaths (0.3% increase), and 21.6% test positivity (7-day rate). There are currently 494 COVID-19 hospitalized patients, 30 more patients hospitalized from prior day total (6.5% increase). This data is as of January 1, 2022, as reported on the State's tracking web site.

On behalf of your Board of Education, we look forward to serving our students and their families, as well as our community, in 2022. Together, we can manage this current COVID surge and keep the focus on learning.

Thank you in advance for doing your part to keep our schools open and our community safe.

Be well. Test Weekly. Stay healthy.

Sincerely,

Allan Mucerino

Our two after-school programs are HALF-Time (K-5) and PRIME-Time (6-8). They are available M-F from school dismissal until 6:00 PM. The programs provide FREE academic support, homework assistance and enrichment activities like art, crafts, music, sports and STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, and Math) along with a nutritious meal. Please register your Kindergarten through 8th grade students soon as space is limited. Sign up here in English and here in Spanish.