San Lorenzo USD Reopening Updates
Welcome Back Covid Information Letters August 2022
Revised COVID Contact Tracing, Isolation and Quarantine Process for SLZUSD Students
Dear San Lorenzo USD Community,
We would like to thank you for your continued support as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic together. As always, our primary objective has been to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff while at the same time, providing the best environments for academic and social-emotional success.
Even during the recent surge in COVID-19 cases amid the Omicron variant which is in decline, research continues to show that schools remain among the safest places for children. Through masking, air purification systems in all classrooms and libraries, effective hygiene practices, encouragement of vaccinations and boosters, and more, we have created a community that is as safe as possible.
The primary drivers of our COVID mitigation strategy have been the recommendations and guidelines provided by our state and county public health departments. As their recommendations change, based on an increasing amount of available data, so do ours. To that end, we want to make you aware of changes in the contact tracing approach we will be adopting based on state and county recommendations. These changes will start on Tuesday, February 22, 2022.
NEW - GROUP CONTACT TRACING FOR STUDENTS EXPOSED TO COVID-19
On January 12, 2022, the California Department of Public Health and Alameda County Public Health Department announced the Group Contact Tracing Approach designed to keep all students, who may have been exposed to COVID-19, but have no symptoms, in school.
Group Contact Tracing means that schools will notify all individuals who spent more than a cumulative total of 15 minutes (within a 24-hour time period) in a shared indoor airspace (e.g., classroom) with someone with COVID-19 during their period of infectiousness.
Exposed students, regardless of vaccination status or prior infection, who are NOT exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19:
- May remain at school and continue participating in all classroom based activities and sports/extracurricular activities
- Should get tested within 3-5 days after exposure
- Any FDA-approved antigen diagnostic test, PCR diagnostic test, or pooled PCR test is acceptable for evaluation of an individual's COVID-19 status. Our District currently offers PCR testing for all students. View the testing schedule here.
- For students who have been recently infected (within the past 90 days), antigen testing is strongly recommended as PCR results may remain persistently positive and not be indicative of a new active infection.
STUDENTS WITH SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19
If any student, regardless of vaccination status or previous infection, is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, they must remain home for at least ten (10) calendar days unless ALL of the following requirements are met:
- Your child is feeling better AND
- Your child has been fever free for 24 hours without taking fever reducing medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), or ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin)
AND
- Submit a Negative COVID Test Student Self Attestation Form stating a negative antigen test. This form is also on the Reopening Updates page.
OR
- Provide proof of a negative PCR test. PCR testing is available through SLZUSD. Please see the website for current hours and locations.
OR
- Your child’s medical evaluator (Doctor, Nurse Practitioner, Certified Physician's Assistant) provides a letter indicating that symptoms are NOT due to COVID-19
All requests for return prior to the 10 day isolation time frame are subject to review of the information above by our School Site and District COVID-19 Liaisons.
STUDENTS WHO TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19
If your child tests positive for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, previous infection or lack of symptoms, they must follow the below protocols:
- Inform the school office immediately
- Isolate at home for at least 5 days
- Isolation can end after day 5 if symptoms are not present or are resolving
- Need to have a negative test collected on day 5 or later before returning to school (on day 6 or later). In order for a student to return to school, three elements must be present:
- Isolation for 5 Days
- Resolving or no symptoms (fever-free for 24 hours without medication)
- Negative COVID test - Parents/guardians will submit a Negative COVID Test Student Self Attestation Form as proof of the negative result to the school office.This form is also on the Reopening Updates page.
- If unable to test or choosing not to test, and symptoms are not present or are resolving, isolation can end after day 10 and the student can return to school on Day 11.
- If symptoms, including fever, are still present/not resolving, continue to isolate until symptoms are resolved or until after day 10 (regardless of how many days are left in isolation).
- Wear a well-fitting mask around others for a total of 10 days, especially in indoor settings
MASKING GUIDANCE
While Alameda County has changed guidance on wearing masks indoors, this does not apply to us in K-12 school settings.
“Masking must continue in early education (preschool and childcare) and K-12 school settings;”
The full text of last week's release is linked to here.
Please know that while the news and trends around COVID have continued to be positive in recent weeks, masks are still required to be worn on campus. Please remember to continue to take precautions by observing and practicing all health protocols (wearing a mask, washing hands, avoiding crowded public spaces) to help each one of us protect ourselves and others.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to do our best to keep everyone safe during this ongoing pandemic.
Sincerely,
San Lorenzo Unified School District
Community Letter - March 9, 2021
March 9,2021
Dear San Lorenzo Unified School Community,
We hope this letter finds you well in this unprecedented time. Similar to last year at this time, change is happening quickly, but now we have much more information in comparison to before.
We do hope all of our families are safe and in good health. This letter is to inform our community about two items: Reopening Plans and the status of our District Budget.
Reopening Plans:
Thank you for completing the community survey last November. There were a little over 1000 responses and at that time. About 40% of those that responded said they would like to stay in Distance Learning; another approximately 40% said they would be open to a Hybrid schedule; and the other 20% said they would want to come back to in person learning full time. This survey closed right before Alameda County went back into the Purple Tier. The Reopening Committee continued to meet to design Hybrid schedules (a combination of distance and in person learning), using the appropriate safety guidelines from the county and state health departments. These tentative plans have been shared at Board Meetings and our last Town Hall on February 23rd. We will continue to share them at our upcoming Town Hall meetings on March 11 and March 17. As of now, no date has yet been set for SLZUSD students to return to hybrid learning, though with the recent legislation signed by the Governor, we are working towards a date in the near future. A Reopening Plan has been created that addresses safety protocols. We are working with our labor partners to ensure the safety of our students, families, and staff. Another survey will be sent out next week to gauge how families feel about returning to school. It is important that all families take the survey so we have accurate information to base our decisions on.
Status of our District Budget:
Our district has been in declining enrollment for a number of years. This is a phenomenon that many California districts, especially Bay Area districts are experiencing. Since the 2012-13 school year, our enrollment has decreased by 2,000 students. Funding for districts is based on the number of students enrolled in a district. Currently, we have approximately 9500 students. Over the years, we have used one-time funds to avoid making more drastic budget reductions. Due to recent concerns expressed by the Alameda County Office of Education regarding the fiscal condition of our school district, the Board of Education recently approved the possible reduction of various teaching, counseling and administrative positions. We acknowledge that this decision resulted in a myriad of emotions in our community. We have heard and understand our community’s concern and are currently working to find the best solutions to provide the best education possible, yet keep our district financially stable. While our school district will need to make some difficult decisions in the upcoming months and years, recently passed legislation signed into law by Governor Newsom is expected to bring some much-needed revenues into our school system. The revenues are likely to allow the temporary restoration of many positions for the 2021-2022 school year.
We will continue to provide weekly updates in regards to reopening plans and our district budget status. Please join us at our next Town Hall meetings on March 11 and March 17.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Tracie Noriega
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
Community Letter - March 15, 2021
March 15, 2021
Dear San Lorenzo Community,
Thank you all for attending the last Town Hall on Thursday, March 11th. We had over 600 attendees. We appreciated all of the feedback and questions presented. As mentioned in the last letter, we will continue to provide weekly updates on Reopening Plans and the status of our District Budget.
Reopening Plans:
In order to get up to date, accurate data from our families, please fill out the Family Survey linked here by Friday, March 19. We know that many families’ opinions have changed since November and may have continued to change over the course of these months with going back into the purple tier, and now being back in the red tier as of Wednesday, March 10th. We received approximately 1200 responses from our November survey, so we ask all families to complete a survey for each of their children. This information will provide us some very important feedback towards our planning.
The recent legislation AB/SB 86 provides for revenues that districts could receive if students return to in person instruction between April 1 and May 15th. We continue to work with our labor partners to come to agreements on the plans for reopening. With the feedback that we received from parents and teachers, we showed an updated draft elementary schedule that shows students attending school 4 days a week, for 2 hours a day, in the morning or afternoon. We also presented information on safety protocols. This week we opened up a Tech hub at Bohannon Middle School to provide a safe space and stable wifi for our most vulnerable students. Our other secondary schools are finalizing plans and parents may be hearing from school sites to see if there is interest in participating.
The Board of Education will likely consider returning to in person instruction or remaining in distance learning at a special board meeting the week of March 22, 2021.
Please visit our Reopening Updates page on our district website that will have the most recent news as we move forward.
Status of our District Budget:
As our district continues to decline in enrollment, a statewide issue, we continue to analyze causes and effects. Please join us at our Board meeting tomorrow night as we hear a Demographics Study Report. Here is the Board agenda/packet for more information. With the recent legislation passed at the State and Federal level, we will be receiving one time revenues to support our district expenses. These one time dollars can support us with providing funding, thus restoring some positions. While this opportunity provides us a reprieve, it is temporary and we will continue to have challenging conversations to come.
We will continue to provide weekly updates in regards to reopening plans and our district budget status. Please join us at the Board meeting tomorrow night, and our next Town Hall meeting on March 17.
Please remember to complete the Family Survey linked here by Friday, March 19.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Tracie Noriega
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
Community Letter - March 23, 2021
March 23, 2021
Dear San Lorenzo Unified Community,
Though these community letters have been opportunities to provide our district with updates on our reopening plans and the status of the budget, as a Filipina- American, I be would be remiss if I did not address the Anti-Asian violence that has increased over the last year and was exemplified by the murders of six Asian Americans in Atlanta last week. My heart was heavy as this incident was yet another one in the rise of attacks against Asians, especially Asian elders. Through this pandemic, our District has maintained that the safety of students, staff, and all families is priority in the decision making process. Our Anti Bias Guiding Principles serve as our “Call to Action” so that our students receive the best education possible. As I monitored the family surveys last week, there was a marked difference between the results of the Chinese survey, the Spanish survey, and the English survey. An overwhelming majority of those that responded in the Chinese survey preferred to stay in Distance Learning and I could not help but wonder if our Asian families felt safe in returning to our schools amidst the increased violence towards our community. As a school district, we will continue to work towards creating students who will become “creative, collaborative, compassionate, resilient, well-informed and socially responsible advocates for equity and social justice as a result of their education, experience and support from educators, families and the community.” I ask that as a District Community, we commit to learning more about one another, finding the commonalities, and building a better world together.
Reopening Plans:
Thank you all for completing the family surveys last week. With approximately 9500 students enrolled, we did receive over 4000 responses. We will be presenting the results of this survey to the Board Trustees at a special meeting tonight, March 23rd at 6:30 pm. Please join us as we discuss the possibility of reopening into a hybrid learning program for our school district. Our Reopening Plan has been submitted to the Alameda County Office of Education. Currently, several school districts in Alameda County have begun to return their students to in person instruction.
We appreciate all of the feedback we have received at the Town Hall meetings, Board meetings, various Family meetings, and via email. We have taken this feedback into account as we refine our plans. Please visit the Reopening Updates page on our District website.
Status of our District Budget:
With the recent legislation passed at the State and Federal level, we will be receiving one time revenues to support District expenses. These one time dollars are likely to allow the restoration of some positions during the 2021-22 school year. Again, while this opportunity provides us a temporary reprieve, we must continue to have challenging conversations about where we will need to reduce. We must make decisions that bring our District to a place that matches the numbers of students we have, yet also allows us to provide the best learning environment possible. The Supplemental Early Retirement Plan (SERP) was approved by our Board at last week’s meeting. This decision brings us some savings and allows us to also restore positions. The Board has also decided to reopen the enrollment window to see if there are additional staff members that would like to take advantage of this opportunity. We are currently working on notifying staff whose positions were to be affected by the Particular Kinds of Services (PKS) Resolution.
We will continue to provide weekly updates in regards to reopening plans and our district budget status. Please join us at the Board meeting tonight.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Tracie Noriega
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
Community Letter - March 25, 2021
March 25, 2021
Thank you to all of the families who responded to the Community survey, as well as those who sent emails and attended the Town Halls and Board meetings.
At our last Board meeting on Tuesday, March 23rd, our Trustees voted to reopen schools on April 19th to In Person instruction.
We have heard the concerns regarding schedules, not changing students’ teachers, and overall safety. We are working with our labor partners to finalize the schedules for all levels, as well as updating details in our safety plan according to more recent guidelines.
We do anticipate a registration process where families will choose distance learning or hybrid learning. The information on safety, schedules, teachers, transportation, and after school care needs will be included with the registration link.
More information will be provided in the days and weeks to come.
We are looking forward to having our students safely back on campuses on April 19th.
Thank you!
Community Letter - April 6, 2021
April 6, 2021
Dear San Lorenzo Unified Community,
Thank you for your continued support and patience as we work towards reopening our schools for in-person instruction. This letter will include the details I have so far in regards to our reopening process. I would like to highlight a few exciting pieces of information. SLZUSD is currently exploring offering summer school opportunities for grades Transitional Kindergarten through 12th grade. Also, our secondary schools are planning for in person promotion and graduation ceremonies based on county guidelines. More information on these two items will be coming soon!
I’d like to reiterate, we have heard the concerns regarding schedules, not changing students’ teachers, and overall safety. We continue to meet with our labor partner organizations to finalize the details of reopening.
We understand that this week is Spring Break, yet we will need ALL families to complete the registration process to choose Distance Learning or On Campus ( In Person) instruction. Please see directions attached here for registration in Aeries.
The information for applying for Bus Transportation was sent out to families earlier this week. Here is the link for the application.
Though the schedules are being finalized in collaboration with our teacher’s association, here are the main details for each level.
Elementary School
- Each teacher will have two groups of students: Distance Learning Group and an On Campus Group
- Monday: Distance Learning for all students
- Tuesday-Friday: On Campus Group in the morning for two hours; Distance Learning Group in the afternoon for two hours
- Start and End times for each school will differ due to bus transportation schedules
Middle and High School
- Each teacher will have two groups of students: Distance Learning Group and an On Campus Group
- Monday: Distance Learning for all students
- Tuesday - Friday: All Students will continue to have online classes in the morning from home; On Campus Group will come to school for class according to their assigned period in the afternoon.
As soon as schedules are finalized, they will be posted on the Reopening Updates website and sent out in a letter to families.
In order to provide increased support to students transitioning into On Campus learning, as well as allow for staff to prepare, we will stagger grades across a few days. The tentative timeline for students returning to On Campus instruction is as follows:
Monday, April 19:
- Transitional Kindergarten
- Kindergarten
- 1st grade
- All Special Day Classes: PreK - Adult Transition
Tuesday, April 20:
- 2nd grade
- 3rd grade
- 4th grade
- 5th grade
- 6th grade
- 9th grade
Wednesday, April 21
- 7th grade
- 8th grade
- 10th grade
- 11th grade
- 12th grade
At this point in time, we are receiving requests from staff members that are unable to return to On Campus instruction. Principals will notify families of students who may be affected.
Please visit the Reopening Updates page on our District website for more information.
The amount of COVID-19 cases in our County continues to decrease as we are now in the orange tier. The weather is nicer and Spring break is upon us. I urge all families to continue to stay safe, practice social distancing, and wear a mask. Please take care!
Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Tracie Noriega
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
Community Letter - April 8, 2021
April 8, 2021
Dear San Lorenzo Unified Community,
I hope you all are enjoying the Spring Break! Please be safe by continuing to wear masks and practicing social distancing. Alameda County numbers of positive Covid cases are dropping and we would like to continue that trend in order to ensure a safe reopening for our students the week of April 19th.
All families should complete the registration process via the Aeries Family Portal. Families should choose Distance Learning or On Campus Instruction for each student. Please see directions attached here for registration in Aeries.
If you are unable to see the options illustrated, you may have not completed the Data Confirmation process in August/September. Directions are here. Please complete this process first.
If you know you have completed the Data Confirmation process, have logged in to the Aeries Family Portal, and still do not see the option to register, please use this form linked here.
Registration is due for all students on Monday, April 12th by 11:59 p.m.
Please call your school office on Monday, April 12th, for further assistance. Please also visit the Reopening Updates website and the Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Tracie Noriega
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
Community Letter - April 15, 2021
April 15, 2021
Dear San Lorenzo Unified Community,
Thanks for your patience and understanding as we continue to make progress in returning our students to in-person learning as soon as possible. Our initial plan to return to in-person instruction has changed from April 19 to April 26.
The average number of positive cases in Alameda County continues to improve and moves our county closer from the orange to yellow tier. Vaccines are now more widely available and we are excited about having students return to campus in a safe way.
I hope everyone enjoyed the Spring Break and I thank all of our families for registering their student(s) for Distance Learning or On Campus instruction. All families should complete their choice in the Aeries Family Portal or via this google form by tomorrow, Friday, April 16th at 9 am.
In order to ensure that all safety measures are in place, school sites are ready, and all staff are prepared, we are postponing school reopening to the week of April 26th. The timeline for students returning to On Campus instruction is as follows:
Monday, April 26:
- Transitional Kindergarten
- Kindergarten
- 1st grade
- All Special Day Classes: PreK - Adult Transition
Tuesday, April 27:
- 2nd grade
- 3rd grade
- 4th grade
- 5th grade
- 6th grade
- 9th grade
Wednesday, April 28
- 7th grade
- 8th grade
- 10th grade
- 11th grade
- 12th grade
School sites will provide parents with more information. Please visit the Reopening Updates website and the Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.
We thank you for your continued support and patience as we work towards reopening schools in a safe way.Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me via email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Tracie Noriega
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
Community Letter- April 19, 2021
April 19, 2021
Dear San Lorenzo Unified Community,
We are so excited to announce that we will be reopening schools on Monday, April 26th! Thank you all for your patience and understanding. Our staff has been working hard all year to support students. The endeavor to reopen schools has been an arduous task, but we are confident that it will be rewarding to see our students in person. Thank you to our labor partners (CSEA, SEIU, SLEA, and SLMA) for working collaboratively with District leadership on the details of reopening. Safety for our students, staff, and families was maintained as the highest priority during our negotiations process and we appreciate the partnership.
The timeline for students returning to On Campus instruction is as follows:
* For TK, K, 1st and Prek- 5th grade Special Day Classes, students choosing On Campus Instruction will come on to campus on Monday- Thursday for the week of April 26th only. Friday, April 30th will be the full Distance Learning Day. This will allow our youngest students and students with special needs a day on campus with fewer students and time to adjust.
The school schedules are linked here for Elementary, Middle, and High School.
Registration for On Campus Instruction or Distance Learning has been closed. Students who did not have a specific choice have been defaulted to Distance Learning.
School sites will provide families with more information on schedules and safety requirements. Principals will also inform families of students who may be affected by any teacher leaves.
Please visit the Reopening Updates website and the Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.
We thank you for your continued support and patience during this time as we have been working towards reopening schools in the safest way possible. Should you continue to have any questions or concerns, please contact your school site.
We look forward to seeing our students on campus!
Sincerely,
Tracie Noriega
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
Community Letter- June 9, 2021
June 9, 2021
Dear San Lorenzo Unified Community,
It is an understatement to say that we have had a challenging year, yet we have had numerous bright spots along the way. Those bright spots include a huge shift in educational technology that our students, staff and families had to adapt to; the opportunity to choose coming to in person learning or remain in distance learning; and the numbers of positive COVID cases decreasing.
With the pending announcement from Governor Newsom on June 15th about the reopening of California, San Lorenzo Unified School District does plan to return to full in person instruction this coming school year. Our first day of school will be Thursday, August 19th. More information on the data confirmation process for all of our families will be forthcoming. In the meantime, we are excited to see some students during our Summer programs.
Though we plan to return to full in person instruction in August, we may be offering enrollment in a Virtual Learning Academy for students who may have medical needs that prevent them from returning to school campuses. Please save the date for a Family Information Night on Wednesday, June 16th. We are waiting for more guidance from the California Department of Education to provide families with information on this option. More information on the time of the meeting and the Zoom link will be sent in the next few days.
Congratulations to our Graduating Seniors! We wish them all the best in their future endeavors. We wish you all a wonderful Summer break and look forward to seeing our students again on August 19th!
Sincerely,
Tracie Noriega
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
ur text here...Community Letter -August 13, 2021
August 13, 2021,
Dear San Lorenzo Community,
We are so excited that our District will be opening up to full time in person instruction, 5 days per week, on August 19, 2021. As we begin school in person, we will continue to consider the guidance for schools provided by the County and the State. Currently, this includes wearing masks indoors. We’ll be asking families to complete self assessments for students daily to screen for any possible symptoms. Though recent evidence states that physical distancing may not be required as long as other mitigation strategies are being implemented (ex. Masking, ventilation, handwashing, etc.), we will be encouraging physical distancing, as practicable, as well as the utilization of outdoor spaces.
San Lorenzo USD will continue to partner with local agencies to provide vaccination clinics. Our next clinic will be next Thursday, August 19th from 3-6pm at our Lewelling Campus (750 Fargo Ave, San Leandro).
AB/SB 130 was recently passed that provided guidelines for a virtual learning option via Independent Studies. San Lorenzo USD provides an Independent Study option through our District Independent Contract Education (DICE) Program. Families that need a virtual learning option due to medical reasons can request an application by calling their student’s school office. Information on the program and possible student schedules can be found at this link. The applications will be processed by our DICE Staff, who will also be arranging meetings with families and students to create and sign learning agreements. The learning agreement will determine the student’s start date.
Please consider the academic and mental health needs of youth when making decisions about the learning conditions this school year. A number of studies have indicated the negative consequences of not being in school in-person.
Principals will be sending out further information to families regarding site specific safety protocols and other pertinent information.
We are looking forward to seeing your students on August 19th!
Sincerely,
Tracie Noriega
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services