AAPAC Updates

It is a new year, but our goal remains the same, to cultivate the power in the lives of all Black children and their families by providing the knowledge and skills necessary to advocate for a high-quality educational experience for our children. We will continue to listen, educate and advocate with and for each of you. We are also interested in your continued partnership and ongoing feedback for ways we can grow and better serve our community.

As we move into this new year, let's remember the words of our ancestors, "Each one, teach one." Share this newsletter, invite fellow parents of Black children to our meetings, and let us all know when there are resources that will benefit the collective. In the meantime, we invite you to stay connected with us and what's going on in the San Francisco Unified School District. Please continue to read our monthly updates, attend monthly general AAPAC meetings and tune into the activities and opportunities at your child(ren)'s school site.

As always, we invite you to reach out with any questions, concerns, or shareable information by contacting us at sfusd.edu/aapac.

Wishing you continued health and wellness,

AAPAC

Please join us THIS THURSDAY, January 13th at 5:30pm for our monthly AAPAC meeting. This month we have invited Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA), the search firm responsible for selecting the new Superintendent of SFUSD for the upcoming school year. We will have the opportunity to provide input on what characteristics we as parents of Black children think are essential in the next Superintendent. We will also spend time discussing updated Covid-19 guidelines and sharing ways to keep our children safe. Click here to get the Zoom Link.

How To Pay for College: A Black Family Financial Aid Workshop

The African American Achievement and Leadership Initiative (AAALI) in partnership with AAPAC and a host of college access community partners are offering a financial aid workshop on Monday, February 3rd at 6pm. REGISTER NOW! AAPAC will be offering a gift card raffle for attendees.

Black History Month

Although we celebrate Black History 365(6) days a year, February, the official month dedicated to the honoring of the contributions of Black and African Americans, is quickly approaching. The AAPAC urges you to work with your school sites to ensure that Black History is being celebrated and taught. Additionally, we encourage you to continue exposing your children and family members to our rich history and those who contribute to it both past and present.

We will keep you updated as virtual and in-person events and activities across San Francisco are calendared. In the meantime, here is last year's SFUSD Black History Month Resource Guide to inspire discussions and creative ideas. An updated version will be released soon. You can also check out the January events at the SF Public Library for their More Than A Month Celebration.

Black Excellence

As we prepare for our Annual Black History Month Celebration we are seeking photos or short videos showcasing our child(ren) being EXCELLENT! This includes them participating in any academic, sporting, or extracurricular activities. For example, if your child is a poet or spoken word artist, do you have pictures/videos of them reciting their poem? If your child builds, do you have a picture of them in action? Or, what about painting? Have a picture of their masterpiece? All approved submissions emailed by parents to aapac@sfusd.edu will be added to a Black Excellence slideshow. Please submit no later than Friday, February 4th.

Staying Up to Date with SFUSD

Every Thursday, families who have included their email addresses in ParentVUE will receive the Family Announcement Bulletin (FAB), an email summary of all public website announcements posted in the past week. Learn how to update your contact information in ParentVUE. Interested community members can also sign up to receive FAB.

This week's FAB includes information about: (click links for more information)

• New COVID-19 Guidelines from SF DPH: Public health officials have recently updated their guidance regarding isolation and quarantining. SFUSD will follow the updated guidance.
  
• At Home Covid Test Kits: At-home test kits provided by the California Department of Public Health are scheduled to be distributed to school sites 1/10-1/13.
  

• Transition to Adulthood Series: An Overview of SFUSD's Access Program: Come learn more about the district’s community-based Access program for students with disabilities aged 18-22 on January 12th at 4pm.

• Family Workshop: Best Practices for Effective Communication in Special Education: Join a Parent Education Institute Workshop sponsored by SFUSD’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program, in partnership with Support for Families of Children with Disabilities January 12th at 6pm.

• Superintendent Search Survey: Provide input on what characteristics you think are essential in the next superintendent by filling out this survey.

• Tutors Needed: The Citywide Tutorial Program is hiring credentialed teachers to help tutor and bridge the achievement gap for Black students enrolled in the SFUSD, grades K-12.

• Dr. Matthew's Returning to School Safely Letter

COVID-19 Testing and Vaccinations

Anyone 5 and older is now eligible to get vaccinated in San Francisco. At this time only Pfizer is approved for those ages 5 to 17 years of age. People under 18 need permission from a parent or guardian to be vaccinated, except under certain limited circumstances. Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine in San Francisco from sf.gov/covidvaccine. For testing, visit SFUSD's COVID-19 Testing Locations and Dates Page or San Francisco's Get Tested site.

SFUSD School Enrollment:

If you have a student entering kindergarten, middle school, or high school next year, you must apply for a new school. The online application for the Main Round of Enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year is now available and must be completed on ParentVUE. For families new to SFUSD, you can create an account without an activation code at sfusd.edu/onlineapp. Step by step guides for families are available at sfusd.edu/ola. Applications are due February 4, 2022.

Visit sfusd.edu/schools/enroll to learn more.

Southeast Education Placement Center Office

A new EPC office is now open at Leola Havard. The office will offer the same services as the 555 Franklin location including school enrollment, placement counseling, change of information forms, referrals to alternative programs, and language assessment, and more.

The EPC Southeast office located at 1520 Oakdale Avenue will open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday and closed every 3rd Thursday of the month from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Annual African American Honor Roll 2022

The SF Alliance of Black School Educators will present its 28th Annual African Honor Roll Celebration via ZOOM for ALL SFUSD students of African American descent in Grades 3-12 who have earned a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) or higher in Fall of 2021.

This year's ZOOM Event Will Be Held Over Three (3) Days at 5:00 pm:

• Elementary School Students - February 15th
• Middle School Students - February 16th
• High School Students - February 17th

Elementary Principals/Teachers will select six (6 students of African American descent based on their academic performance) in Grades 3rd - 5th. Middle and High School students are automatically included if they earned a 3.0 or higher in Fall of 2021.

Please be on the lookout for invitations and certificates by mail to the address on record. Click here to update your address.

Board of Education Meetings

Unless otherwise noticed, meetings are held every 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at 4pm and are open to the public. To tune in, visit the BOE Webpage the day of and follow login instructions. Agendas are posted the Friday prior to each meeting.

The next regular meeting will be Tuesday, January 11th at 5pm. Use this Zoom link at the noticed meeting time. Webinar Password: 285386. To listen to the meeting by phone, please call (669) 900 9128, then enter Webinar ID 897 8466 7955 then press “#”. Password: 285386. If asked for a participant id or code, press #.

To Make Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items (for regular board meetings only):

The Board President will introduce the allotted period of time for Public Comments, organize the comments, and staff indicates who will be speaking next.

• To comment by video conference, click on the Participants button at the bottom of your screen and select the “Raise Your Hand” button to request to speak when Public Comment is being asked for. When called upon, you will be unmuted. After the allotted time, you will then be re-muted.

• To comment by phone, you will be prompted to “Raise Your Hand” by pressing “*9” to request to speak when Public Comment is asked for. When called upon, you will be unmuted.

Again, sign up or look out for the Thursday Family Announcement Bulletin or visit sfusd.edu for additional resources and information.

African American Reparations Advisory Committee (AARAC)

Per the January 4, 2022 SF Human Rights Commission Media Advisory- The African American Reparations Advisory Committee was established by City ordinance to examine the possibilities of reparations for descendants of enslaved persons in San Francisco, a community impacted by historic and continued harms. Detailing the Committee’s mission and goals, this Report serves as the body’s first milestone, delivered six months after its initial convening.

The AARAC meets on the 2nd Monday of every month at 5:30pm. To tune in, register at bit.ly/SF-Reparations. Public comment is highly encouraged.

Kindergaten to College

K2C is a college savings initiative for kindergartners entering the San Francisco Unified School District. Each eligible child starts kindergarten with a savings account, containing an initial deposit of $50 from the City and County of San Francisco. Children and their families can contribute to the account throughout grade school and high school. Currently, over 22,000 students in all 74 public SFUSD elementary schools have K2C accounts, including all K-3 grade students (and select students in 4th-5th grade at K2C pilot year schools).

Norcal MLK Foundation

The Northern California Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Foundation is a public charitable organization dedicated to helping unlock the promise in every person through programs and events that advance civil and human rights; promote social, economic, and environmental justice; support health, wellness, and preparedness; and increase the joys of learning. The NorcalMLK Foundation hosts northern California's premier federal holiday celebration in honor of Dr. King. Check out this year's celebrations!

Monday, January 17th is the National Day of Service in honor and memory of Dr. King. Consider volunteering with a local organization or commit to a community clean-up. Whatever you choose to do, do in service with love.

Foster SF

Help a child in foster care stay in the city. Click on the above link to learn more about fostering, adopting, hosting or mentoring. For current foster parents, learn your rights.

COVID-19 Resources for the Black Community

Looking for local resources in your community by Black-led Organizations? Browse Covid-19 Black's directory of San Francisco Bay Area Agencies.

Black to the Future SF

Black to the Future is committed to enhancing educational and economic opportunities for our community by instilling the necessary tools to become successful. Black to the Future’s goal is to engage youth and young adults ages 14 to 35 around a continuum of culturally competent services that consider their role in family, community, and the overall landscape of San Francisco. Learn more or complete a family intake by clicking on the above link.

MegaBlackSF

MegaBlack SF is a collective of Black-led organizations and Black individuals fighting for visibility, sovereignty, dignity, and justice for Black San Franciscans. For more information on MegaBlack SF, to be added to their newsletter, or to join the weekly meetings, visit their site linked in the title.

Dream Keeper SF

The Dream Keeper Initiative is a new, citywide effort to reinvest $120 million over the next two years from law enforcement into San Francisco’s Black and African American community. This Initiative is part of Mayor London N. Breed’s roadmap for reforming public safety and addressing structural inequities in San Francisco. The Dream Keeper Initiative aims to break the cycle of poverty and involvement in the criminal justice system for the families in City programs and ensure that new investments, including in youth development, economic opportunity, community-led change, arts and culture, workforce, and homeownership, are accessible to San Francisco’s families who are most in need.

Learn more about partner organizations and activities by visiting the linked website.

*AAPAC is an honored partner and recipient of DreamKeeperSF Funds.

Rafiki Coalition

Rafiki's goal is to improve people’s lives by reversing the history of health inequalities that affect the Black community and other under-served groups in San Francisco. Rafiki provides a safe, supportive environment where people can find a path to wellness by understanding their health issues, becoming more physically active, and eating a healthy diet. Rafiki is also spearheading covid vaccine and testings sites as well as free food giveaways.

Mo’Magic

Mo’ MAGIC is a collaborative, San Francisco neighborhood-based, nonprofit organization whose mission is to transform the community and youth through the MAGIC of collaboration.

Magic Zone

a comprehensive program for K-12th graders that provides after-school and summer programming that focuses on literacy, STEAM, and sports activities. Also included in the Magic Zone program is our workforce development and job readiness services through the Community Safety Initiative and partnership with Mayor London Breed's Opportunities for All initiative.

B’Magic

BMAGIC is a network of San Francisco neighborhood-based nonprofit organizations whose mission is to facilitate, coordinate and develop community resources and opportunities that support service providers and community members in Bayview Hunters Point (BVHP).

The YMCA of San Francisco

Our neighboring YMCAs offer a variety of resources and opportunities that are free or low-cost to the community. The YMCA offers wellness groups, fitness classes, academic support, and more for the entire family.

Community Advisory Committee for Special Education (CAC)

The purpose of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for Special Education is to advocate for effective Special Education programs and services and advise the Board of Education on priorities in the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA). CAC meets every 4th Thursday of the month. Visit their linked site for more information.

SF Beacon Initiative

Grounded in the community schools model/framework, Beacon Centers are committed to a cohesive, comprehensive, and collaborative approach that creates pathways to lifelong learning and transformative experiences for youth and the adults who support them through advocacy, leadership, networking, and program support.

100% College Prep

Our mission is to create a cadre of college and career-ready students from San Francisco's underserved communities to begin and complete post-secondary education or vocational training. 100% offers academic support, college readiness resources, leadership opportunities and more. Programming is free. To sign up complete this form.

Email: aapac@sfusd.edu
Website: sfusd.edu/aapac
Location: 1551 Newcomb Avenue, Rm. 101 San Francisco, CA, USA
Phone: (415) 241-6121
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aapacsf