ALVORD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
DECEMBER 6, 2020
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A Message from the Superintendent
Dear Members of the AUSD Community,
On December 3, 2020, California health officials announced a regional Stay Home Order triggered by intensive care unit (ICU) capacity in response to the accelerated rate of new cases and its impact on the state’s hospital system. Three days later, the Southern California Region became one of two regions (along with San Joaquin Valley) with less than 15% ICU availability, and consequently the Stay Home Order was executed and is now in effect in Riverside County, among others. The Order prohibits private gatherings of any size, closes sector operations except for critical infrastructure and retail, and requires 100% masking and physical distancing in all others.
In response to the Stay Home Order, we have taken the following actions:
- Reverted our current in-person instruction for small cohorts of students with exceptional needs to distance learning only, until at least January 19, 2021.
- Suspended after school conditioning until further notice, but no sooner than January 4 (join a live Q & A with the CIF commissioner on Wednesday at 2 pm. Details under the News section below).
- Closed all district facilities to the public (except to pick up daily meals or by appointment only to pick up necessary materials for the continuity of learning).
The current Stay Home Order will not impact our second semester plan to provide distance learning only beginning January 4, 2021, and then transition to in-person instruction for students and staff in the hybrid program on January 19, 2021, depending on the conditions at that point in time. To reopen for in-person instruction on January 19, 2021, Riverside County would have to be out of the Purple Tier and the Southern California Region Stay Home Order lifted.
We remain optimistic about reopening for in-person instruction at some point this school year and have planned accordingly. Our principals and their teams are in the midst of scheduling students for the second semester. As I've mentioned in my recent messages about it, we will honor all student/parent requests for either virtual or hybrid. Our primary objective remains minimizing the disruption to student schedules and teacher assignments. Since each school has unique scheduling challenges given the number of student/parent requests to change from hybrid to virtual or from virtual to hybrid, we are scheduling on a school-by-school basis, honoring each school's student/parent requests. You can expect to hear from your school's principal with details as the process unfolds over the next couple of weeks.
Please rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to meet the needs of our students and their families. We recognize that practically everyone's life has been turned upside-down, our families and employees alike. Given our responsibility to educate our students while ensuring their safety and the safety of our employees, we rely on expert advice from public health officials to inform our decisions and guide our work. And while the disproportionate impact of the pandemic and its politicalization has complicated our work, it hasn't stood in the way of it. As we drive through the last couple of weeks of the semester towards its conclusion, please encourage your children to finish the semester strong. If they need extra help, encourage them to attend office hours daily to get the academic assistance and support they need.
For assistance and support for students struggling with mental health problems, including substance use, suicidal ideation, anxiety and depression, please contact our mental health services coordinator Tanya Gillick via email or call her at 951-509-5139. You can also contact your principal or school counselor. The crisis among children struggling with mental health problems is a growing concern as the pandemic worsens. Adults with mental health problems or substance use is a growing concern too. For family resources and support services, please contact our family engagement coordinator Alejandro Cisneros via email or call him at 951-396-0126.
On behalf of the Board of Education, we are thankful and in awe of Alvord parents and caregivers for the incredible job they are doing working with us to support their children. As the adults in our children's lives, we must continue to be positive and remind our children that while learning is not happening in the traditional way, it's still happening. Instead of looking at this experience as the worst thing in the world, we must focus on the growth that is occurring because of it. Parents and caregivers and others who are modeling resiliency and overcoming adversity are teaching their children the greatest lesson of all.
Many students report improving their self-regulation and independence skills in the absence of the usual structures in their lives. Others report improved communication skills with family members given the increase of family time. Many students are better at taking care of themselves and others, now that many of them are taking on more chores or cooking. Not only has there been a heightened sense of family obligations, but a heightened sense of civic duty has also emerged as an outgrowth of pandemic schooling as the world as we knew it continues to change before our children's eyes.
Let's stay united. Let's support each other. Let's keep the lines of communication open.
Stay healthy. Stay positive. Be well.
In partnership,
Allan Mucerino
Mrs. Carolyn Wilson, Board President
TRUSTEE AREA 5
Lake Hills K-5
Promenade K-5
Villegas 6-8
District Office
Ms. Lizeth Vega, Vice President
TRUSTEE AREA 2
Arlanza K-5
Terrace K-5
Norte Vista 9-12
Child Nutrition Services
Dr. Joanna Dorado, Clerk
TRUSTEE AREA 1
La Granada K-5
RMK K-5
Twinhill K-5
Valley View K-5
Loma Vista 6-8
Alternative Ed Center
Mrs. Julie Moreno, Trustee
TRUSTEE AREA 3
Collett K-5
Foothill K-5
Myra Linn K-5
Wells 6-8
La Sierra 9-12
Mr. Robert Schwandt, Trustee
TRUSTEE AREA 4
McAuliffe K-5
Orrenmaa K-5
Stokoe K-5
Arizona 6-8
Alvord High 11-12
Hillcrest 9-12
Dr. Allan Mucerino, Superintendent of Schools
Board Meetings Are Audio-Streamed
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Our last Regular Meeting of the Board of Education in 2020 is on December 17. It's our annual reorganization meeting to elect new officers. Find the agenda and all agendas here on Agenda On-Line.
Board Meetings Are Conducted in Zoom
Family Engagement Coordinator
Call 951-396-0126 or email Alejandro
Child Care for Essential Workers
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Alvord Unified School District
Email: 2Superintendent@alvordschools.org
Website: https://www.alvordschools.org
Location: 9 Kpc Parkway, Corona, CA 92879, USA
Phone: 951) 509-5000
Facebook: facebook.com/alvordunified
Twitter: @AlvordUnified