After a thorough review with all 15 elementary school principals and direction from the school board members during last night’s board meeting, we will be instituting minimum days for all elementary schools when rain is forecasted. The reason for this adjustment to the school schedule is due to the increased risk of the spread of the virus if students eat their lunch inside their classrooms during a rainy day. Our school board members and principals feel that it is very important to maintain the continuity of daily instruction rather than pivot to virtual school; however, on days that are forecasted for rain, students will only attend school for three hours and fifteen minutes. The principals will provide all parents with details about the minimum day dismissal time for their school. Upon dismissal, students will be able to collect a sack lunch from the cafeteria and bring it home to eat. This new schedule adjustment will ensure the safety of our students and staff. All extracurricular programs, including AM/PM and ASES, will be canceled during the minimum day schedule. Please assist your school staff and pick your child up on time. We very much need your help on these inclement weather days to keep people safe. The COVID-19 virus is very pervasive in our community at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience that this schedule change may cause families; however, we need your help to continue to be vigilant with our health and safety efforts. To assist families to prepare for these minimum days, you will receive a notification from your school principal (both email and phone call) 48 hours prior to a minimum day. We will be using the local NOAA forecast for Vista, CA showing 30% or more chance of rain. We would like to thank families again for their grace, understanding, and most importantly, flexibility during these challenging times.
On January 14th, the California Department of Public Health released the COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Instruction Framework & Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year. This new guidance provides schools and school districts with a set of guidelines for offering in-person instruction in a way that decreases health risks to students, staff members, and the general public. It is intended to update and supersede the CDPH guidance for schools that was released in July 2020. The guidance reflects an evolution of understanding and evidence related to the virus that causes COVID-19 and is based heavily on successful mitigation strategies that have been used in schools nationally and internationally.
Key mitigation strategies for schools offering in-person instruction include:
Require all students, staff members, and visitors to a campus to wear a face covering
Place students in stable groups that stay together
Ensure physical distancing between students and others by maximizing distance between desks and in no case allowing students to sit closer than four feet from one another
Provide adequate ventilation in classrooms and other rooms on campus
Require all students, staff members, and visitors to practice good hand hygiene
Quickly identify and exclude symptomatic individuals from campus, and exclude those who have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19
Encourage all students and staff members to be tested for COVID-19 on a regular basis whether they are symptomatic or not
All schools currently operating for in-person learning were given until February 1st to review their current operations and make adjustments where necessary. For the most part, Vista Unified elementary school classrooms were already in compliance with the new guidance. In cases of non-compliance, schools have already made the necessary adjustments to comply or will do so by the end of next week. This work has included moving or removing classroom furniture and hiring additional classroom teachers to reduce class sizes. Operating a robust in-person instructional program for our students while minimizing health risks has, and will continue to be, a priority for our school district.
School Social Worker Support
Our School Social Work team will be available via phone weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to talk with parents and students regarding behavioral and/or social emotional concerns for students. The team is here to help support students during this challenging time. Please call 760-726-2170 ext. 92190.
Vista Unified School District
