TVUSD Reopening Staff Update
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
A Message from Superintendent McClay
Dear Colleagues:
As I shared with you last week, our county-adjusted case rates are dropping at a rapid pace and making way for us to return to on-campus learning. California has established a new target for TK-5 of less than 25 cases per 100,000 residents. The secondary target is less than 7 cases per 100,000. Both require remaining at that level for five consecutive days. Yesterday, Riverside County's rate dropped to 28.8, and we see this as excellent news!
It has been an incredibly long journey, and I know this news may also prompt concerns and trepidation. We are moving into another unknown, and we will not be returning to school as usual. My goal for the 8 to 10 weeks that our students and staff are back on campuses is to reconnect and provide a 'dress rehearsal' for the Fall. We need to focus on decreasing anxiety levels and ensuring that everyone feels safe at school. Providing 'care over content' is my heartfelt request and will be the focus of our discussions, staff development, and energy. Though I predict a natural inclination to 'pick up speed' to recover lost instructional time and/or learning, we will need to force ourselves to do just the opposite. Our students have suffered trauma during the pandemic. Our community and parents have suffered trauma during the pandemic. And we, the staff, have suffered trauma during the pandemic. It will take time to heal, and we will need to rely on each other to ensure we provide our students, families, and selves the necessary supports to properly grieve and recover. I am confident we will rise to this challenge, as we have every other challenge presented during the past eleven months, and we will be even stronger in the end. But it will take us all!
Below is a summary of our anticipated timeline. While we are extremely optimistic and hopeful about welcoming students and staff back to our campuses (even in a hybrid, part-time model), please know that the new target re-opening dates are contingent upon changes at the Federal, State, or County levels.
Target Dates to Resume In-Person Learning:
- Grades TK-5 - Beginning March 15, 2021
- Grades 6-12 - Beginning April 5, 2021
Next Steps - Elementary:
- Friday, 2/19 - elementary families will receive site-specific information to help them visually understand what the return to on-campus learning will look like.
- Monday, 2/22, elementary families will receive electronic communication to confirm their previously selected online or on-campus learning choices. The communication will ask them to reconfirm or change their choices by Friday, 2/26.
- Monday, 3/1 through Wednesday, 3/3 - Sites will revise class lists as necessary, align staffing, and notify families. The goal will be as few class assignment changes as much as possible.
- Thursday, 3/4 through Friday, 3/12 - Staff and families will have time to make daycare, drop-off/pick-up, and work schedule modifications as needed.
- Thursday, 3/11, and Friday, 3/12 - These will be asynchronous learning days, so teachers will have time to prepare classrooms.
Childcare for Staff and Families:
- Detailed information about childcare options for staff and families of elementary students will be provided by Friday.
Secondary site-specific information will be distributed to all grades 6-12 families and staff within the next few weeks. Due to the current alignment with the second-semester schedule, we do not anticipate significant adjustments for grades 6-12.
Vaccines for Staff:
Though opportunities continue to be available through local providers, we recognize availability is limited, and it has been very difficult to secure appointments. We encourage you to continue to schedule with community and county providers, but please know we are continuing to work with local providers to increase staff offerings. Based on availability, we believe we will have an opportunity to host a vaccine clinic for staff who wish to participate in early March.
This communication was intended to give you a quick summary of the dates planned for reopening. Additional information will be forthcoming. I encourage you to reach out to your site administrator if you have any specific site-related inquiries.
Warmly,
Jodi McClay, Ed.D.
Temecula Valley Unified School District
Email: lboss@tvusd.us
Website: https://www.tvusd.k12.ca.us
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TVUSD