January 27, 2021

January 27, 2021 Link to this section

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Dear SFUSD Families:

As a district we continue to prepare for a return to in-person learning as well as to improve the experience of students while in distance learning.

Please keep reading today’s digest to learn more about this and other important updates.

Updates

COVID-19 Updates

The Bay Area will exit the state’s stay-at-home order and move into the Purple tier this week. Outdoor dining and museums/zoos/aquariums and indoor personal services will be allowed to resume services with limitations(link is external).

Healthcare workers and people aged 65 and older are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine remains in very limited supply. Even if you are eligible, there may not be a dose available right now. Read more(link is external) about how to get notified about vaccine availability and more about the prioritization plan.

Preparing for In-Person Learning for Phase 2A Students 

As a district we continue to prepare for a return to in-person learning as well as to improve the experience of students while in distance learning.

This week the Department of Public Health began school site inspections to finalize approval for our first schools to reopen once all of the conditions on our dashboard have been met. Principals and other district staff led the public health inspectors through classrooms to show ways they have been set up for physical distancing and checked to ensure functional ventilation. They also checked for signage, safe entry and exits, health check protocols and more. 

Considerations for In-Person Learning for Middle and High Students

At last night’s Board of Education meeting we discussed what is involved with planning for middle and high school students’ possible return to in-person learning as well as how the district is expanding  support for students while still in distance learning. 

As we think about any return to in-person learning, we have to think about the intersections between safety, students, staff and space. Also, the public health guidelines for middle and high in-person learning are different than for younger students. 

With the community spread of COVID and our current timeline for returning any students in Phase 2A, it is unlikely that we’ll be able to offer most middle and high school students the opportunity for in-person learning this school year.  

Some middle and high school students are in the first groups of students we’re aiming to offer in-person learning—these include students with special needs, newcomers, students in foster care, those experiencing homelessness, living in public housing and a few other student populations. 

Tomorrow! Free Grab & Go Meals Available

SF Loves Learning Updates 

Are you celebrating Black History Month? Would you like to share how you’re celebrating on the SF Loves Learning TV show? Email sfloveslearning@sfusd.edu(link sends email) to share your ideas or submit your video using this submission form(link is external).

Living or nonliving, How do you know?” is next week’s theme on SF Loves Learning. Check out these segments that will air next week:

Families can search for any content from the show to watch any time:

SF Loves Learning is now airing every weekday, 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. on KTVU Plus and any time at sfusd.edu/sfloveslearning.
 

Bright Spot

Mark your calendars: On Friday, Feb. 5 at 10:00 am, SFUSD Libraries(link is external) is hosting a livestream(link is external) with Caldecott honoree LeUyen Pham ("Princess in Black," et al.) about her new book Outside, Inside, a moving picture book tailored to our youngest readers. The book celebrates essential workers and the community coming together to face the challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic. This author visit is another in the series of visits we've organized for early elementary students this year. To learn more about this book, you can listen to this podcast interview(link is external) with LeUyen Pham (start listening at 09:15). 

Warm regards,

Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews

This page was last updated on January 27, 2021