ALVORD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
JANUARY 24, 2021
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A Message from the Superintendent
Dear Members of the AUSD Community,
In last week's message, I announced the Board of Education planned to discuss both the Governor's new reopening schools proposal and our reopening schools timeline during our January 21, 2021 Regular Meeting of the Board of Education. Watch the discussion and the entire board meeting on our YouTube channel in English here or in Spanish here.
Earlier in the day on January 21, at the Senate Education Committee and Senate Budget Subcommittee hearings on the Governor's new reopening schools proposal, State senators expressed strong reservations about the plan, which aimed to reopen elementary schools as soon as mid-February, if the counties in which the schools reside meets the adjusted case rate of 25/100,000. The proposal requires schools to COVID-test staff and students every other week while in the Red or Purple Tier, to meet the reopening requirements of the California Department of Public Health. The cost and logistics of COVID testing are among the reservations expressed by both committees. At this time, the plan remains a proposal while we await additional information. Our next board meeting is on February 4. The Board of Education will continue the discussion then.
Locally, the case rates in Riverside County and the City of Riverside continues to increase. Our schools and offices will continue to operate with a minimum of staff and remain closed to the public except by appointment and for daily food/meal pick-up. As of Friday, the case rate rose to 148.4 (from 127.5 last week). On a positive note, both the positivity rate (25.7% to 23.5%) and the adjusted case rate (107.2 to 95.9) decreased. The positivity rate and the adjusted case rate are the key metrics for color-coded tier assignments. Find all of the latest data and current projections below in the News section under COVID Update. While a variety of factors could improve local conditions and accelerate our transition to the Red Tier, the best estimate at this point in time to reopen for in-person instruction for students and staff in the hybrid model ranges from mid-March to mid-April. We are physically prepared to reopen once we enter the Red Tier. We meet or exceed all of the State's safety guidelines.
When the time comes that we are eligible to reopen schools, the following dates will be taken into consideration in the interest of transitioning with the least amount of disruption for our students, staff, and families.
President's Week is 2/08/21 to 2/15/21. Schools closed.
First 2nd Semester Progress Reporting ends 2/19/21
Spring Break is 03/29/21 - 04/02/21. Schools closed.
Second 2nd Semester Progress Reporting Period ends 4/9/21
Last Day of School is May 28
Among the factors that could improve our conditions are vaccinations. Below are two detailed videos about vaccinations from Riverside County Public Health. The first video is the same video from last week's Round-Up, in case you missed it. It's is about 20 minutes long. The second video is newly released. It's about 3 minutes long. Stay current by visiting the county's vaccination web site here.
Find a January 22, 2021 update and new safety guidelines, by sport, from the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) here. Earlier in the week, CIF canceled the fall sports playoffs and championships for football, girls’ volleyball, water polo and cross country for the CIF Southern Section (CIF-SS). The CIF-SS is not canceling the entire season for the above-mentioned fall sports, but they will not have postseason. Commissioner Rob Wigod still hopes that a shortened season for those sports is possible if conditions significantly improve.
As I mentioned in my recents messages, we are in the process of developing a robust summer intervention and engagement program for our students at all grade levels. We would like your input to assist us in creating our programs to meet the needs of our students. We will be sending out surveys at various times throughout the remainder of the school year to collect your feedback. Elementary and middle school families will receive a survey on Monday from your principals. Please take a few minutes to provide us with some preliminary information. High school students will soon be meeting with their counselors to choose courses for next year and receive applications for the credit recovery summer program. Our high schools will also design a summer program to provide support and engagement in addition to the credit recovery program.
We are also gathering your family's and our student's input on our Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP). We have launched a Thought Exchange to collect thoughts and opinions on our plan, which is updated annually. Find the Thought Exchange link here. It's anonymous and does not require a log in. Thank you in advance for providing us your thoughts.
It's time to nominate our incredible students for Riverside’s annual 25 Most Remarkable Teens awards. The event is organized by the Riverside Youth Council. Awards are given by the Youth Council, Mayor, and City Council to celebrate high school students’ various accomplishments. To be nominated, a teen should excel in one or a combination of these areas: academics, visual & performing arts, athletics, community involvement, leadership, courage to overcome, or any other remarkable trait(s) that deserve recognition. Nominees must be in grades 8 to 12 and live in the city of Riverside. Learn more about it and nominate your teen here.
AUSD has partnered with Riverside City College and Norco College to offer a variety of college courses starting this Spring at no cost to students through a unique College & Career Pathway program. See more information in News section below under College & Career. Contact your counselor or visit our web site here for more details.
The Great Kindness Challenge is this week. Many of our schools are participating. This year's theme is "Kindness Unites." The healing and unifying power of kindness cannot be underestimated. Even the smallest and most random acts of kindness make a difference in the lives of our children and our society as we confront bullying, hate, bigotry, and racism. Let's make kindness the norm.
This week's Parent Engagement Office presents Supporting Elementary Students' Learning in English Language and Mathematics, featuring the extraordinary Dr. Sharon Bennett from McAuliffe Elementary School. The virtual workshop is this Wednesday, January 27. English Language Arts is from 4-5 pm and Mathematics is from 5-6 pm. Participate via Zoom or watch on our YouTube channel. Details below in the News section under Parent Engagement.
On behalf of the Board of Education, please continue to reach out to us if you're experiencing food or home insecurity, physical or mental health challenges, or any other adverse condition that your children and family are experiencing. Email our Student Services department here or call (951) 509-5139, Monday - Friday, from 7:30am - 4:30pm. We are here to serve you.
In closing, we learned that a member of our Alvord family lost their third immediate family member to COVID this past week. Our hearts and prayers go out to her and her family. Many of us can count family members and friends among the 2,777 people in Riverside, the 417,000 people in the United States, or the two million people across our borders and around the world who have lost their lives to COVID. Our hearts go out to everyone who has lost a loved one.
Let's stay strong. Together we can end this horrific pandemic.
Stay healthy. Stay positive.
In partnership,
Allan Mucerino
Ms. Lizeth Vega, President
TRUSTEE AREA 2
Arlanza K-5
Terrace K-5
Norte Vista 9-12
Child Nutrition Services
Dr. Joanna Dorado, Vice President
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, Clerk
TRUSTEE AREA 3
Collett K-5
Foothill K-5
Myra Linn K-5
Wells 6-8
La Sierra 9-12
Mrs. Carolyn Wilson, Trustee
TRUSTEE AREA 5
Lake Hills K-5
Promenade K-5
Villegas 6-8
District Office
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
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