School Year to Start in Distance Learning Model

Dear Parents/Guardians and Staff Members:

I hope your summer is off to a great start and that your families remain healthy and safe. Since March, our community has stood together to combat the COVID-19 pandemic by staying home. This time with family reminds me that “Education Starts in the Home.” And given today’s reality, so does safety. Last year, our theme was “Nurturing Relationships Through Grit” and our staff, students and community persevered throughout a difficult period completing the school year in previously unimagined ways. For the coming school year, our theme calls on our community again by “Nurturing Relationships Through Greatness.”

Since our schools closed on March 13, 2020, the Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD) staff supported our students and community through many initiatives. Child Nutrition Services team members provided food service to our families in need. District teachers adapted education to provide distance learning to finish the 2019-20 school year while providing meaningful social emotional support for our students. I am so thankful for the professionalism and effort provided by our employees!

We are anxious to bring students and staff back to school for in-person instruction, but we must do so in a safe manner. Reopening campuses requires a great deal of planning and preparation, and many expenses that would not have been necessary under normal circumstances.

When the 2020-21 school year begins on August 31, it will be in a distance learning format. We will continue to work towards transitioning to in-person instruction but will only do so when guidance from local health officials supports a safe transition back to learning on site in classrooms. We know that many parents, students, staff, and community members are disappointed by this decision and we understand that this will complicate many individual family situations.

When students return to campus for in-person instruction, learning will look much different than previous years because of new health and safety measures. With safety goals always in mind, our leadership team, teachers, bargaining group representatives, parents, and community members are actively collaborating on a school reopening plan that will guide us on how to safely reopen our 46 campuses. At the suggestion of Board Members and a request from Board President Armando Farías, a Task Force on Reopening Schools was established to help us gather input and suggestions on guidelines and protocols in order to provide a strong continuity of learning for our students.

Even though the 2020-21 school year will begin with distance learning, it is important to know that our District will continue developing plans to transition into either a hybrid learning model; which is a combination of in-person instruction and distance learning, or into a full in-person instructional model. In fact, there are three learning models CVESD could possibly offer during the 2020-21 school year, which are:

• Distance Learning: During High Risk Level
  • 100% of the learning occurs while the teacher and the student are in different locations.
  • Includes many new components such as daily live interaction with the teacher, and instruction that is aligned to grade level standards, provided at a level of quality and intellectual challenge substantially equivalent to in-person instruction.
  • Other criteria for delivering instruction in a distance learning model has been outlined in Assembly Bill 77, which also includes a requirement for a minimum number of daily instructional minutes, depending on the student’s grade level.
• Hybrid Learning: During Medium Risk Level
  • A combination of in-person and distance learning. There are many variations of what a hybrid model could look like. Hybrid instructional scenarios would be designed to reduce the number of students on campus up to 50%.
  • 100% distance learning would also be an option offered to students who feel safer learning at home.
• In-person Instruction: During Low Risk Level
  • 100% of the learning occurs at school, in the classroom with the teacher. Distancing norms and safety protocols would be in place.
  • 100% distance learning would also be an option offered to students who feel safer learning at home.

If at any point in the school year, conditions worsen and Public Health orders the closure of schools, CVESD will be prepared to move back into a distance learning or hybrid model at any time.

Again, all students will start the coming school year in the 100% Distance Learning model. To address circumstances in which families cannot sustain 100% distance learning at home, and have no other option other than to send students to school for the entire school day, CVESD will need to be advised in advance by the parents/guardians. We are actively exploring childcare options for families who must have students in school full time.

Once it is safe to transition into a hybrid model or an in-person instructional model, CVESD will need to determine how many students would prefer to remain in a 100% distance learning model. Therefore, on Friday, July 17, 2020, the District will send registration information to families so that they may choose the educational option that best fits their needs and comfort level.

In addition to the above options, the District is working to develop enrichment materials for all of our students to reduce any lost education opportunities during this health emergency. For parents who are concerned about the impacts of the virus on their student(s), we hope the distance learning model provides a level of comfort. We know that the process of returning to school while adapting to either in-person or online instruction, along with a host of new procedures, will be challenging for everyone in our school communities. But, as we have done throughout this ordeal, we will work together, persevere, and ensure our students are supported in every way possible.

When schools do reopen their doors, up-to-date safety protocols set forth by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) will be in place. Guidelines and protocols adapt frequently based on the status of the local community. Based on what is known at this time:

• Students are fully expected to wear face coverings; employees are required to wear face coverings. We plan to provide supervised breaks and outdoor time where students can temporarily remove their masks.
• Handwashing and hygiene will be regularly enforced.
• Daily disinfection of classrooms will occur.
• Daily health screenings and temperature checks will occur.
• Physical distancing will be in place within the classroom to the extent possible and following state/local guidelines.

Between now and the beginning of the school year, the District will be communicating frequently. Additional information on changes to our school environment will be shared with you prior to the start of school.

I want to reiterate the pride I have for our community and its response to the ongoing epidemic. The events that began to unfold in March and have continued have created enormous challenges and we as a school district are here to help support our families, staff, and community during this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Your Grit Inspires Us!

Dear Parents/Guardians and Staff Members:

As we see the 2019-20 school year come to a close, I want to thank you and your children for your flexibility and adaptability as we quickly transitioned to distance learning and instruction. Everyone showed a true level of grit that was both inspiring and uplifting. Congratulations on a successful school year and best of luck to those moving on to the next stage of their educational pursuits.

Our attention turns now to the work of finalizing plans for the 2020-21 school session. At this time, we have targeted Monday, August 31, as the proposed date that school will begin. While we traditionally align our calendar with the Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD), we also understand that the challenges and considerations regarding safely reopening schools and providing meaningful instruction via distance learning are different for elementary schools and secondary schools. It is our intention to align our future calendars with SUHSD once this pandemic is over.

The direction our reopening takes will depend on several important pieces: implementing school guidance and public health recommendations, countywide efforts to ensure COVID-19 is under control and cases are on the way down, progress along the Governor’s multi-phased roadmap for ending the stay-at-home order, guidance from the newly released Guidebook for the Safe Reopening of California’s Public Schools, and, just as importantly, input from our stakeholder groups.

Survey Says…

Recently, the Chula Vista Elementary School District reached out to our community and asked for input about the coming school year and the design of school reopenings. Over 9,000 responses were received and that input has been critical to our work in crafting our plan for teaching and learning. Three specific results are worth noting.

When surveyed about potential learning models, our families indicated:

• 36% would prefer on-site instruction
• 19% would prefer virtual school
• 55% would prefer some form of blended learning model.

During the summer, our staff will create both online virtual school as well as live sessions to help recover lost learning. Starting July 15, we will send an update every two weeks regarding the status of these learning platforms. We want to keep you as informed and up to date as possible so that we start the new school year off on the right foot.

No matter what form instruction and learning take in the coming school year, CVESD remains committed to protecting the health and safety of our entire school communities. Getting back to school is critically important, as you know, but doing so responsibly and with a focus on preventing the spread of this virus is paramount.

Challenging Times

There is no doubt we find ourselves in challenging times and I would be remiss if I did not also comment on the events of the last few weeks with regard to social justice, protesting of police brutality, and demands for significant and meaningful change in our country. As protests continued for another weekend, I concentrated on listening. I listened to African-American school leaders in our District. I listened to African-American colleagues and friends. I also listened to teachers, staff members and school psychologists who were not African-American, as they shared with me their horror in watching video capturing the death of a bound George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. This was the latest in a string of killings and racial injustices targeting black Americans.

Like those from all walks of life and many sectors of industry, we as a District proudly acknowledge Black Lives Matter.

Many of our families are deeply hurting right now. We as educators and members of the larger community have a moral obligation to create safe spaces for discussion and learning so that we don’t miss the lesson in these recent events. We need to listen to the voices crying out for change and understanding. We need to listen to our children’s questions about the difficult images they are seeing on their screens. Together, we need to take action and assist in the process of developing strategies that will make a difference.

Our students need us now more than ever. They need guidance that is informed, authentic, and filled with compassion and understanding. Sometimes, additional resources can be a bridge when we don’t feel fully equipped to assist our young people. Two valuable resources you might refer to come from our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Director and our District’s social workers, as well as the San Diego County Office of Education. These are excellent resources that may assist in facilitating conversations between students and families.

I am hopeful we are ready to move forward as a District, a community, and a nation united in the belief that we can and will do better. Only then can we live up to our belief that each and every child is an individual of great worth.

Sincerely,

Francisco Escobedo, Ed.D.
Superintendent

It’s the beginning of your summer break. We hope all is well and staying safe as you slowly begin to venture out.

As per our school district directions, students will continue to have access to their KidBiz accounts throughout the summer break. AR will be available until July 21st. Also, students still have access to their ‘Single Sign On’ online programs throughout June and July. Students can still use TEAMS to communicate with each other for social and emotional support and encouragement.

South Bay Youth Basketball FREE ONLINE Summer Camp STAY MENTALLY AND PHYSCIALLY HEALTHY DURING COVID-19

FOR: Students/Athletes entering Kindergarten thru 12th grade

What: Virtual Summer Sports/Health CAMP

Mental Healthy training integrated with fundamental basketball drills promoting physical fitness.

Free Live Virtual BASKETBALL AGILITY/CONDITIONG WORKOUTS. (If you can’t make the live session it will be recorded for participants to do on their own time)

Weekly handout workouts and/or videos

Skills to help make healthy decisions that allow them to stay active and safe.

When: June 15 -July 24, 2020 On registration please select 2020-2021 Track F (7/01/2020-8/29/2020)

REMINDERS: • Registration CLOSES on JUNE 12th • MUST be done on a computer, online registration does not work with tablets • If need assistance with online registration or scanning documents, please contact Coach Janet Eleazar at 619 948-1276

Thank you for your interest in our Summer Program associated with Phirn20.

Your Pre-Enroll 1 Code for registration is: “SM10”.

PLEASE read and follow the directions of the PDF attached to this email to ensure your registration is done successfully.*
Please have the following documents ready before beginning registration: • Birth Certificate • Proof of Residency • Immunization Records (Incoming Kindergarteners & 7th Graders ONLY) • In the registration portal you will Complete & Sign the Master Agreement, IEP Waiver, and Course Selection Form.

REGISTRATION LINK https://scaleeast.parentstudentportal.com/mod.php/public/registr ation/wizard.php

From Mrs. Paranada:

Hi 4th grade classes, I am coaching with my sister who is the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Southwestern College. We are super happy to able to offer a free virtual summer camp to you, your siblings and friends who would like to participate. We have partnered up with a summer school program that is the Premiere Virtual Summer Academy. Signups are this week and classes will be conducted by my sister/Coach Janet. Also, the Piranhas director and coach. Classes will be one hour a week and recorded. If your child can make it, he/she will be grouped by grade level.

A free camp T-Shirt will be given to the first 50 students to register. All campers get printed workouts and there will be lots of giveaways and prizes.

Once again, this is 100% free………………nothing to pay!

Good day, Wolf Canyon Families!

I hope this message finds you well.  While I am saddened that we were not able to complete the 4^th quarter and celebrate the end of the school year as we normally do, I am confident that we will return to Wolf Canyon for the 2020-2021 school year with a renewed passion for learning and appreciation for human connection.   I am so proud of our students, staff, and community.  During school closure, we demonstrated great grit and creativity and continued to persevere through the many challenges that we are all facing.  I look forward to seeing you all when we reopen for the 2020-2021 school year.

Ending the 2019-2020 School Year

As you may know, our last day of distance learning is Wednesday, June 3^rd.  Rest assured that students, including promoting sixth graders, will continue to have access to all online programs including Achieve 3000 and Smarty Ants over the summer break.  Students who checked out a laptop from Wolf Canyon will return the device when school reopens.  CVESD is also working on creating grade level summer learning plans that families can use over the summer break if they choose.  You can visit www.cvesd.org for more information.

Over the summer, I will continue to post updates on our Parent Blog.  The link to the Parent Blog is https://wordpress.com/view/wolfcanyontimberwolves.org.  Subscribe by clicking on the right side of the screen.

Wolf Canyon Front Office

At this time, the Wolf Canyon office and school remains closed to the public.   The Wolf Canyon front office staff will be working diligently to end the 2019-2020 school year and prepare for the 2020-2021 school year.  During the school closure, we have been checking and responding to voicemails and emails.  We will be in the office and available to receive phone calls and e-mails over the next two weeks before closing for summer break.

Information on the 2020-2021 School Year

The question that we are all asking is, when will schools reopen?  The date for schools to reopen for the new school year has not been determined by the District. Please check for updates on the District website www.cvesd.org or sign up for the Wolf Canyon Parent Blog

CVESD is seeking parent input on reopening schools.  If you have not done so yet, please visit the following link to provide your input.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=DG566I7Aska7c0XdByuqMzdF7s-p4KtAj7LfXpOysfdUM0NCWkVOMlAzVUlPSVVKWkhGV0ZHNU81Si4u

More Important Information Pertaining to the 2020-2021 School Year:

• Verification of Residency is on hold for now. The date and process will be communicated when the District confirms that schools are able to reopen safely.
• Existing students currently enrolled at Wolf Canyon do not need to complete a new registration packet or re-register online. You will need to supply annual Verification of Residency and inform us of any changes to health or emergency contact info when requested to do so.

Registration Information for New Students

If you are an existing Wolf Canyon family enrolling a new student or know a family wishing to enroll their child at Wolf Canyon, the information below is for you:

• New students who have not yet enrolled to start at Wolf Canyon for the 2020-2021 school year should register as soon as possible using the District’s online enrollment system http://www.cvesd.org/parents/welcome_to_enrollment.
• We encourage parents of new students to enroll online. We will follow up with you to request supporting documents.
• For parents unable to complete registration online or unable to submit documents by email, please contact the Wolf Canyon Office at 619-482-8877, or e-mail Ms. Vicky Bowman at victoria.bowman@cvesd.org. We have a process in place to distribute and collect registration information while maintaining safety.

Thank you,

Mathew Shy

Principal

Kinder – Gr. 5 Students

• Classroom rosters for the 2020-21 school year are currently being created.
• Parents, please complete a brief electronic survey to let us know if your child WILL or WILL NOT be returning to Wolf Canyon for the 2020-21 school year.
  • Click here to complete the survey.
    • Thank you to those families who already completed the survey.

May 17, 2020

Good afternoon, Wolf Canyon Families.

It’s hard to believe our unprecedented 2019-20 school year is starting to wind down. With a little over two weeks remaining, there are several important items I want to share with you.

Do you currently have a student enrolled at Wolf Canyon in Kindergarten – Gr. 5?

• If so, it’s very important that you complete a brief electronic survey to let us know if your child WILL or WILL NOT be returning to Wolf Canyon for the 2020-21 school year.
  • Click here to complete the survey: Required Enrollment Survey
• Please complete this survey ASAP, so we can accurately plan for enrollment and classes.
  • A big thank you to those of you who have already completed this survey!

Gr. 6 Students

• Wednesday, June 3, is your official promotion day!
• While we’re unable to celebrate in the traditional face-to-face format, our Gr. 6 teachers are preparing an alternative digital promotion ceremony for you.
• Look for more details from your Gr. 6 teacher!

Did you order a yearbook?

• Yearbooks will be delivered to the school this Friday.  We will be distributing yearbooks Wednesday, May 28th and Thursday, May  29th.  More information to come.
  • We do not have any extra yearbooks.  Yearbooks will be distributed to students who already purchased them.

VAPA

• The District VAPA team has been working collaboratively to provide students with VAPA related content.  Please consider checking out the following resource.
  • District YouTube 
  • Mrs. C’s YouTube Chanel
  • Vapa web site 
  • Pinterest

     

Month of the Military Child:  Thanks to all the students who participated in our Month of the Military Child Sprit Days.  Enjoy the short video below of some of our students showing their school spirit and appreciation for our military connected school.

Enrollment Survey:  We need your help in planning for our NEW school year in 2020-2021. To assist us in planning our classes and enrollment numbers, it is always helpful if we know whether your child (ren) will be returning to Wolf Canyon.

Please click the link below and take a moment to complete the online form.  Your assistance is greatly appreciated!

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=DG566I7Aska7c0XdByuqM7H-5SELPqpPhc3YawMBO1hUODhBMllSVThTWjRPMVBRUDVRWTFZTDVCWC4u

Packet Pickup

We were able to distribute the majority of classroom packets last week.  Thank you to those families who were able to make it.  We will have one final day for packet pickups.

Tuesday, May 12th from  10:00-12:00pm.

Today is your last chance to pickup classroom packets.  If you missed out earlier in the week, please stop by today between 3:00-4:00pm.

Due to our current circumstances, the Kindergarten Assessments originally scheduled for May have been cancelled. At this time we do not have a new date for assessments.

Thank you for your understanding!