I hope everyone had a pleasant, relaxing, and fun Spring Break. There are 39 days left in the school year. We look forward to the annual rites of passage as our students promote and our seniors graduate. Our comprehensive high school graduation ceremonies will be held at Zack Earp Stadium. Alvord Continuation High School and Alvord Alternative Education High School graduation ceremonies will be held on the great lawn at Alvord Continuation High School.

We look forward to celebrating this life milestone for our students and their families with traditional graduation ceremonies with all of the pomp and circumstance that our students have earned and deserve. Graduation dates are as follows:

Alvord High School & Alternative Education Center - May 23, 2022
Norte Vista High School - May 24, 2022

La Sierra High School - May 25, 2022

Hillcrest High School - May 26, 2022

As the weather warms up and spring fever sets in, emotions sometimes run high in schools as summer approaches. Our school teams will remind students of our behavioral expectations and how to channel their energy in positive and productive ways. Students will also be reminded to talk to an adult on campus or to a member of the school's student services support team if they are frustrated, angry, or anxious. Please discuss your behavioral expectations with your children. Together we can ensure that all of our students can experience a safe and nurturing learning environment and finish the school year strong.

If your child is uncharacteristically or frequently sad, anxious, or irritable; or, if your child is engaging in risky behavior or becomes aggressive at times, don't automatically assume it's just a typical developmental phase your adolescent or teenager is going through. It may indicate a more serious problem. Like physical health, positive mental health promotes success in life. Join a team of behavioral specialists on Tuesday, from 5 - 6 pm to learn how to communicate with your adolescent or teenager. Find details below.

There appears to be no clear boundaries in the use of social media and often the problems spill out onto schools. Schools everywhere have been experiencing behavior problems and suspensions related to social media, including social media “#challenges” that encourage theft, vandalism and violence. There has also been an increase in cyberbullying and threats of school violence.

Be proactive. Join mental health researcher and Hillcrest High School Principal, Dr. Amanda Bentley, for a discussion about social media tomorrow from 5 - 6 pm. Find details below.

On behalf of your Board of Education, we believe that parents and caretakers are the glue that strengthens the bond between students and schools. The strength of that bond can have an everlasting positive impact on our students. Things may not always be perfect, but if work together in the interest of our students, there are no problems or issues we cannot resolve. We are all in this together.

Let's continue to work together to finish the school year #AlvordStrong.

Stay healthy. Be well.

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.

As of the week prior to Spring Break.

Monday - Friday:

• 13 students (up from 6 the previous week)
• 3 staff members (the same as the previous week)

Contact Tracing:

• 127 students identified
• 4 students placed in full quarantine

Overall, as of March 25, including the first semester, we have had 392 staff members and 3,242 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.

During the week ending April 1, past week in Riverside County, there were 126 new cases (0.02% increase), equating to 2.8 cases per 100K (7-day average), 7 new deaths (0.1% increase), and a 1.6% test positivity (7-day rate), a 0.02% decrease from the previous week. 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 52 COVID-19 hospitalized patients, 3 fewer patients hospitalized from the prior day total (5.5% decrease).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's newly created Community Level COVID-19 rating system, the community level in Riverside County remains Low. 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 April 1, 2022, as reported on the State's tracking web site.