Tomorrow, Monday, May 2 kicks off Teacher Appreciation Week. Tuesday, May 3, is National Teacher Appreciation Day. Teachers have always been national treasures, but the last two years have raised awareness in just how incredible teachers are and how important they are in the daily lives of our children. This year's theme is, Teaching is a Work of Heart. Please take the time this week to thank your favorite teachers.

Mr. Perry, RIverside City Council Member for Ward 6, has been a tireless advocate for our students and our schools. He has introduced us to many of the community partners that support Alvord schools, including Northgate-Gonzalez Markets. Regarding Saturday's event, Mr. Perry said, "It was great to partner with, and a huge thanks to, Don Miguel Gonzalez and Northgate-Gonzalez Markets in presenting this student program."

Thank you in advance for taking the time this week to thank your favorite teachers. Many more teachers than usual are retiring this year after distinguished careers in education. Others are leaving California to teach elsewhere. Across the nation, teachers are retiring or leaving the profession at record numbers. Consequently, the teacher shortage nationwide is worsening....but thanks to our wonderful and appreciative students, parents, and community, Alvord continues to attract quality teachers, though the shortage is being felt here as it is everywhere in California.

On behalf of your Board of Education, thanks for continuing to support our teachers and our schools. We couldn't do what we do, if you didn't do what you do. Thank you!!!

Stay healthy. Be well.

Sincerely,

Allan Mucerino

California has established an Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, authorized by Senate Bill 129 and Assembly Bill 130, as amended by AB 167. It is the intent of the Legislature that expanded learning programs are pupil-centered, results driven, include community partners, and complement, but do not replicate, learning activities in the regular school day and school year. Expanded learning will include before school, after school, summer, and intersession learning programs that focus on developing the academic, social, emotional, and physical needs and interests of pupils through hands-on, engaging learning experiences. Look for additional information and a parent survey in the coming weeks.

Data for the week ending Friday April 29:

• 19 students (up from 8 the previous week)
• 8 staff members (up from 6 the previous week)

Contact Tracing:

• 221 students identified
• 20 students placed in full quarantine

Overall, as of April 29, including the first semester, we have had 3,285 students and 408 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 April 29, in Riverside County, there were 568 new cases (0.1% increase), equating to 6.0 cases per 100K (7-day average), 4 new deaths (0.1% increase), and a 3.8% test positivity (7-day rate), a 0.6% 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 44 COVID-19 hospitalized patients,1 fewer patient hospitalized from prior day total (2.2% 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 29, 2022, as reported on the State's tracking web site.