Dear Members of the Alvord Community,

I hope this week's message finds you and your family safely enjoying the 4th of July holiday weekend. Summer school and the district offices are closed tomorrow, Monday, July 5th, in observance of the holiday. School resumes Tuesday.

This past Friday, we recognized our summer graduates with a ceremony to celebrate their accomplishments. Many of our summer graduates overcame incredible obstacles to reach this milestone. Congratulations to our graduates, their families, and our AACHS staff for a job well done. Click on the image below and scroll through the picture presentation of the event.

Governor Newsom and state lawmakers expect schools to return to full in-person learning in 2021-22. The one-year distance learning bill passed in June 2020 will not be renewed. A comprehensive trailer bill with policy implications and details on education spending in the budget is planned to be released as soon as this coming week. Among the details, the trailer bill is expected to address alternatives to in-person learning in 2021-22, specifically remote learning, virtual academies, and independent study regulations for families who choose to learn at home. Stay tuned for more details as the State releases additional information soon.

Add reflection to optimize the impact of your family's reading habit. The best way to do that is to discuss the story or book after each reading session. If everyone reads together or reads the same book separately, it's fun to discuss it. It can be as simple as what emotions were affected by the reading. Did the story make you smile, laugh, or cry? Why did it affect you that way? Form your own family book club or one with friends.

Reading is fun! Make it a habit. It will be the habit you will never want to break.

On behalf of the Board of Education and our entire team, enjoy your summer and get ready for a great school year when we return on August 6.

Stay positive. Stay safe. Be well.

Sincerely,

Allan Mucerino

California moved beyond the Blueprint for a Safer Economy on June 15, when Governor Newsom fully reopened the economy.

Q: Has new guidance taken effect related to face coverings in schools since the Governor's June 15 announcement?

A: Yes. CDPH provided guidance for the Use of Face Coverings this past Wednesday, June 24.

Q: Are face coverings required during summer school?
A: Yes. Face coverings are required when indoors, even for fully vaccinated individuals. This applies to students and staff in schools, childcare, and other youth settings.

Q: Are face coverings required in outdoor settings for students and staff during summer school?

A: No. Face coverings are not required in outdoor settings throughout the Alvord Unified School District, including summer school staff and students.

Q: If students take a school trip off school campus to an indoors location, do vaccinated students need to wear a mask indoors if the location they are visiting does not require vaccinated people to wear masks?

A: If students are participating in a school event or being supervised by school staff, face mask guidance for K-12 settings must be followed regardless of location.

Q: Do fully vaccinated teachers and staff need to wear masks in school buildings if school is out for the summer and students are not in the building?

A: For district staff in administrative buildings or for teachers on campus when student programs are not in session and students are not in the building, masking guidance is governed by current Cal/OSHA requirements. A district may use any of the options for masking that are provided to businesses to guide masking policies for anyone from the general public who may be entering the District Offices or coming on-campus when student programs are not in session.

Q: Is the State's requirement and Riverside County's requirement the same?
A: Yes. Riverside public health officials confirmed that children and staff do not need to wear a mask outside because we are not an area of high transmission, but must follow all State guidelines indoors.

Q: Will school be fully in-person, five days a week, when the 2021-22 school year begins on August 6?
A: Yes.

Q: Will face coverings still be required when the 2021-22 school year begins?

A: To be determined. Updated K-12 schools guidance from CDPH is expected soon, pending updates for K-12 operational guidance from the CDC. As of this date, face coverings are required indoors in schools for everyone.

Q: Will families have a home-based option if they choose not to attend school in-person?
A: Yes. Principals will survey their families during the week of July 12. Based on our interest-survey in April, we have a small percentage of families interested in a home-based learning model.

Q: What will the home-based learning option be in 2021-22?
A: Unlike last year, when thousands of students learned from home, the home-based option in 2021-22 will rely primarily on an independent study model, utilizing Edgenuity™ for 6-12 students and Accelerate™ for K-5 students.

Q: What is Edgenuity™ and Accelerate™?
A: Both are computer-based, user-friendly learning management systems that structure and monitor learning. Students are assigned to an Alvord Unified School District teacher who monitors attendance and progress, but does not directly teach on a daily basis.

Q: Regarding home-based learning, what if my child has an IEP or is an English language learner?
A: Learning from home is not ideal for many students. Principals, counselors, and IEP teams will discuss each case on an individual basis to determine the best course of action for any family requesting the home-based learning model.

Q: What if I plan for my child to attend in-person but change my mind if face covering restrictions, or other requirements that I disagree with, are mandated when school starts?
A: The option of a virtual program will always be available. After all, conditions and circumstances for families change. But for staffing and learning continuity purposes, we will ask families to make a commitment of no less than a semester in the virtual program, although special circumstances will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

Attending to the physically and emotionally safe return of all students to classrooms is our priority. We are designing for that safe return by bolstering support services and strictly adhering to safety guidelines to ensure that our students have a sense of belonging and feel safe. Given the mental health and trauma that many students, families, and educators have faced these past 15 months, we believe in-person school provides us with the best opportunity to provide the guidance, support, and resources necessary to accelerate learning, recover learning loss, provide social and emotional support, and intervene when students are struggling academically or emotionally.

With that being said, we also have prioritized choice by providing alternatives to in-person instruction in the event conditions change related to COVID or related to family circumstances. We are confident that regardless of the model chosen, we will be prepared to meet the needs of each and every student.