Superintendent's Newsletter
January 28, 2022
1/28/22 Superintendent's Newsletter | Mensaje del Superintendente | 總監的話
Hello FUSD Staff and Community,
I like to start with gratitude, and with the amazing efforts happening across FUSD every day, there is much to be grateful for: teachers preparing for 100th day celebrations on February 1, our Maintenance, Operations and Grounds team ensuring our facilities are safe and clean, our substitute employees supporting students and schools, and each of our dedicated staff throughout all of FUSD supporting our students. Thank you all.
I also have immense gratitude for each of us sharing in the responsibility of keeping our students, staff and community safe. What happens in our community affects our schools, and we protect ourselves and others with our decisions when we notice symptoms, our consistency with masking, and other proactive steps we take to prevent the spread of illness.
Through our established health and safety protocols at the district and site level, which emphasize a layered approach and multiple strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we have demonstrated a strong ability to mitigate the impacts of COVID in our schools. FUSD offers resources and tools to support these efforts:
FUSD encourages participation in the PCR testing for students and staff each week at each school site in FUSD, and every school day at the District Office.
FUSD is providing N95s masks for staff. Disposable masks for students and staff are available as needed at each site. The CDC continues to recommend that you wear the most protective mask you can, that fits well and that you will wear consistently.
Completing the student COVID-19 screening or self-check for staff is required every day before entering campus.
These measures, combined with personal responsibility from each individual, will remain vital as we continue to navigate the Omicron surge.
Thank you for your continued support for our students, staff and schools.
Positive Case Notifications
FUSD strives to provide timely notifications of on-campus exposures, and is reporting information as the District is informed of positive cases.
We ask each member of our community to support this effort by reporting positive cases for students (by parents/guardians) or themselves (for staff) as soon as possible. When sites receive this information, FUSD’s COVID Response Team helps those individuals determine the date they may return to school/work, and initiates notifications.
We recognize and understand frustration with notifications that arrive well after exposure, and we apologize for delayed notifications in the first days after winter break. Our goal and current standard is to provide notifications within one workday of receiving a report of a positive case, even if that case is reported to us well after the fact. FUSD’s COVID-19 District Safety Plan outlines our commitment to notifying our community of every positive case that was on campus during the infectious period, regardless of when it is reported. Therefore, as has been the case in some examples, notifications come late when there is a delay in the school site and/or the district being made aware of a positive case.
FUSD issues the following notices when we receive a report from a site that an employee or student has tested positive:
General/Site Notices to Staff: FUSD will send out an all staff notice when there is a case identified. This broad notice will not have specific details or information about the case. This letter will inform employees that an individual was at a worksite during their infectious period. These notices are sent at the end of each day, with the number of COVID cases provided to the COVID team for that day.
Site-Specific Notices to Parents/Guardians: FUSD sends a notice to parents/guardians of students in a school community of any positive COVID-19 case on their student’s school site while maintaining confidentiality as required by local, state, and federal laws. These notices are sent at the end of each day, to the entire parent/guardian community of school sites where an exposure took place, based on the COVID cases sent to the COVID team for that day.
Close Contact/Exposure Notifications for Staff: Employees determined to be a close contact (within 6 feet for 15+ minutes over 24 hours) of an individual who is positive or presumed positive will receive an email notification with next steps, instructions for potential quarantine and testing information. These notices are generally sent the same day, or within 24 hours, of the COVID team receiving the report of COVID case.
Close Contact/Exposure Notifications for Students: In January 2022, FUSD shifted from individual close contact notifications to group tracing for students, a more rapid notification process which results in more individuals receiving a notification of possible exposure with next steps and testing information. These notices are sent at the end of each day, to the entire parent/guardian community of school sites where an exposure took place, based on the COVID cases sent to the COVID team for that day.
At-Home Rapid Antigen Tests
Every home in the U.S. is eligible to order 4 at-home COVID-19 tests at https://www.covidtests.gov/. The tests are completely free, and orders will usually ship in 7-12 days.
COVID-19 Vaccine
Individuals 5 and up are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, and certain individuals are eligible for a booster vaccination. FUSD encourages all eligible individuals to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
FUSD partners with community healthcare providers to host school-based clinics, information on these and other vaccination opportunities are posted to www.fremont.k12.ca.us/vaccine as scheduled.
FUSD thanks the schools and staff that have supported recent school-based clinics in FUSD:
American High School hosted a vaccine clinic in partnership with Bay Area Community Health (BACH) on January 20. More than 300 doses were administered in three hours.
Cabrillo Elementary hosted a clinic with BACH on January 7 that vaccinated 470 individuals.
2022-23 Enrollment Information
Priority registration for transitional kindergarten (TK), kindergarten, and siblings is open now. Find information on priority and other new student enrollment for the 2022-2023 school year at www.fremont.k12.ca.us/enrollment.
If your student is currently attending an FUSD school, there is no need to re-enroll.
Free Digital Books & News: Extended to February 28
All pre-K to grade 12 students in California have unlimited access to digital books and news articles in English and Spanish through February 28, 2022 under a recently launched partnership between the California Department of Education and Renaissance. Downloaded resources will remain available after the close of the program.
To access resources, go to www.myon.com, click on “myON login” and use this account:
School Name: Gift of Literacy
Username: myon
Password: read
myON is compatible with computers, Chromebooks, and tablets, and low-bandwidth and offline reading options.
Click here for resources to help with access to myON.
Sincerely,
CJ Cammack
Fremont Unified School District
Website: www.fremont.k12.ca.us
Location: 4210 Technology Drive, Fremont, CA, USA
Phone: 510-657-2350
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USDFremont/
Twitter: @USDFremont