California's expanded early childhood education program was further strengthened this week when the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing announced a new teaching credential for pre-kindergarten through third grade. The credential supports California's focus on teaching all kids to read by the third grade. The credential also supports the expansion of California's transitional kindergarten (TK) program, which phases in TK for all 4-year-olds between 2022 and 2025.

We have expanded all of our early-childhood programs in recognition that pre-school is critical in literacy development for many students. The ability to read at grade level is the strongest indicator of future success in school. To that end, we have partnered with Norco College to develop the next generation of early-childhood educators to ensure a highly-qualified early-childhood education workforce in our school district and region. Norco College students completing the early-childhood education program will now be able to pursue the new pre-kindergarten through third grade teaching credential upon completion. Universal preschool is becoming a reality.

Supporting California's 41st Congressional District

Yessica Mox earned an International Baccalaureate diploma at Norte Vista High School in 2018 before attending the University of California, Berkeley. She has since graduated from Berkeley and is working as an intern for Congressman Mark Takano. Mr. Takano is an Alvord Unified School District product too, having graduated from La Sierra High School before attending Harvard College. Ms. Mox, pictured below with Alvord parent Mrs. Milkie in the United States Capitol Building, begins a masters degree program this coming autumn. Thanks to Mrs. Milkie for sending the picture and for bringing to our attention another Alvord student making a difference.

Join the CSUSB Entrepreneurship summer camp and explore the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. It's four days filled with video instruction and live interactive sessions. You will receive 20 hours of intense entrepreneurial insights, develop skills to learn to think like an entrepreneur, discover how to launch your dream venture, and what it means to live and breathe innovation. It's from June 21st - June 23rd and either June 24th live on the CSUSB Campus or June 25th live at the Palm Desert iHub. Watch the brief video below. Learn more about this program or sign up here.

On behalf of the Board of Education, we look forward to serving our students and their families, and our community during the 2022-23 school year.

How can we serve you? Let us know.

Stay healthy. Be well.

In partnership,

Allan Mucerino

Data for the week ending Friday, June 17:

Reported a Positive Test:

• 8 students (same as the previous week)
• 6 staff members (up from 2 the previous week)

Contact Tracing:

• 80 people identified (up from 75 the previous week)
• 5 people placed in full quarantine (up from 2 the previous week)

Overall, as of June 17, including the entire 2021-22 school year, we have had 3,458 students and 456 staff members 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.

During the week ending June 17, in Riverside County, there were 1,176 new cases (0.2% increase), equating to 27.9 cases per 100K (7-day average), 6 new deaths (0.1% increase), and a 13.7% test positivity (7-day rate), which is a 0.9% increase from 7-days prior. Since many people are now testing at home with antigen rapid tests, the positivity rate is estimated to be much higher since all cases are not reported. There are currently 105 COVID-19 hospitalized patients, 4 fewer patients hospitalized from prior day total (3.7% decrease).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Community Level COVID-19 rating system, the community level in Riverside County has risen from Low to Medium for the first time since the color-coded system was introduced in March, 2022. Learn what a Medium Level means here.

The Community Levels are a new tool to help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data. Levels can be low, medium, or high and are determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions, and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.

This data is as of June 17, 2022, as reported on the State's tracking web site.