May 26, 2021

Dear SFUSD Staff:

SFUSD is working with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and UCSF to expand vaccination opportunities for anyone 12 years and older. Our partnership with UCSF will aim to expand access to COVID-19 information and vaccines to SFUSD families especially in limited English proficient communities and populations that face multiple barriers to access. Refer to the Question of the Week for more information about SFUSD’s vaccination efforts, and keep reading today’s digest for other important updates.

Return Safely Updates

COVID-19 Monitoring Efforts 

There have been no confirmed COVID-19 cases that have originated from a school site, demonstrating that the health and safety protocols in place for school reopenings have been effective. View the COVID-19 Dashboard for daily updates from COVID-19 monitoring efforts.

Summer Digests and Communications

SFUSD remains committed to sharing up-to-date information with staff and families as soon as it becomes available, and will be planning opportunities for the SFUSD community to discuss Fall 2021 plans.

The last issue of this weekly Digest for SY 2020-2021 will be June 2. We will send out and post two Summer Digests on the last Wednesday of June (6/30/21) and July (7/28/21). 

SFUSD will continue to provide regular updates regarding Fall 2021 through website announcements, monthly e-newsletters, social media and at regularly scheduled Board of Education meetings.

We will alert you to urgent and time-sensitive information by email, text and/or phone call. Families are encouraged to sign up for ParentVUE and update contact information as needed to receive critical information.

High School Graduations

Graduations For All will be livestreamed so families of our graduating seniors near and far can watch from home. Livestream links will be available on our district website tomorrow. Your school will also share your Livestream links.

https://www.sfusd.edu/schools/2021-high-school-graduation-ceremonies

For those attending the graduation ceremonies at Kezar and McAteer, no backpacks or large bags will be allowed. Do not leave items in your car as car break-ins are common in San Francisco. Dress warmly and in layers.

Testing Schedule at 555 Franklin

• As we head into the summer months, we are shifting the staff testing schedule at 555 Franklin. 
• Thursday May 27th will be the last Thursday we offer testing at 555 Franklin, and we will not offer testing on Monday May 31st due to the Memorial Day Holiday. 
• We WILL have testing every Monday in June (June 7, 14, 21, 28)
• We will NOT have testing at 555 Franklin for the month of July. Summer school sites have a testing schedule that will allow staff at those sites to continue to be tested throughout the summer. 
• As a reminder, staff who have received the full dose of the COVID-19 vaccine no longer need to be tested unless they are symptomatic. 

Reminder: New COVID-19 Guidelines for In-Person Learning in Yellow Tier 

As San Francisco has moved down into the Yellow tier, there is new SFDPH guidance for COVID protocols & responses regarding close contacts and testing.

Staff and students who have been identified as close contacts and are on a 14-day quarantine may return to work immediately if they are fully vaccinated (two weeks after second dose).

Quarantine and Isolation

• Close contacts must stay in home quarantine for 10 full days after they were last in close contact with the person with COVID-19. 

• Close contacts who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 do not have to quarantine after close contact with someone with COVID-19, as long as they are asymptomatic.

• Close contacts who have had COVID-19 within the previous 3 months do not have to quarantine after close contact with someone with COVID-19, as long as they are asymptomatic.

 

Testing:

• Routine testing of asymptomatic staff and students, especially those who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19, is not recommended. 

• Per the Health and Safety MOU with the Unions of SF:

  • In the yellow tier, 20% of staff across the District should be tested every two weeks.

  • 20% of student testing stays the same

SFUSD Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker - Please complete this form - all information is confidential.

Fall 2021 Return Updates

SFUSD is planning for a full 5-day in-person return for August 16, 2021. Families should plan for a return in Fall 2021 that is similar to pre-pandemic. SFUSD is exploring possibilities related to independent/virtual study options for families, which existed pre-pandemic for unique circumstances. 

New Start and End Times

SFUSD is standardizing school start and end times for the 2021-22 school year. Beginning next Fall, every school in the District will start at one of three times: 7:50 am, 8:40 am, or 9:30 am. End times will vary. Additionally, many schools will add a weekly early release day to support common planning time and professional development for teachers. View a full list of start and end times for the 2021-22 school year.

Health, Safety, and Wellness

Health and safety remains a priority, and Fall return details are contingent on guidelines from local and state health departments. 

Starting Fall 2021, SFUSD will be partnering with the City and County of San Francisco to expand culturally relevant mental health services for SFUSD middle school students. With help from a private contribution provided by an anonymous donor, the initiative will start at three schools in 2021 and gradually expand over the next 4 years to serve 13 middle schools and three K-8 schools with Beacon Centers. Learn more about how this initiative builds upon a growing network of wellness support services for SFUSD students and families in San Francisco. 

Ways You Can Help Support Our Reopening

• Support our community health - get vaccinated!
• Ask State legislators to urge state public health officials to develop and release guidelines now
  • Senator Scott Wiener
  • Assemblymember David Chiu
  • Assemblymember Phil Ting

Distance Learning Updates

SF Loves Learning

SF Loves Learning invites you to explore new segments in our deck celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. You can also explore our new deck with videos on Earth and Space! As the summer approaches, know that you can find all of our segments and full episodes from season 3 on our website and shortly, from seasons 1 and 2. Highlights from this week are below!

This week’s theme is Students’ Questions. Check out these segments that are airing this week:

• Carnivore, Herbivore, and Omnivore (Lesson): Maestra Meza describes how excavating fossils helped paleontologists figure out which dinosaurs were carnivores, herbivores and omnivores. We observe teeth shapes to help us understand how fossil information was used and create teeth models. 05/26/2021. Seesaw Activity
• Hate is like a Virus, Love is the Vaccine (Music): Mr. Ryther sings his song "Hate is Like a Virus, Love is the Vaccine" - a song about stopping the spread of hate with unity and love. 05/24/2021  Seesaw Activity
• Little Red Writing (Read Aloud): A brave, little red pencil finds her way through the many perils of writing a story, faces a ravenous pencil sharpener (the Wolf 3000)... and saves the day. 05/28/2021
• The Dinosaurs We See! (Movement): In this episode, join Ms. Jessica and her friends Theo, Rio and Skyler as they explore the different characteristics of dinosaurs on land, air, and underwater! 5/24/21. Seesaw Activity 
• Native American Flute - Breathing & Meditation (Community): We give a brief background of the flute & who made it. We will then take time to breathe, close our eyes, & then go on a sonic journey w/ the flute as we imagine a calm, relaxing & meditative place to breathe deeply. 05/24/2021.

Next week is our final two episodes! We will be closing the year with amazing content! You can find all of next week’s segments and our full library to support your instruction in three ways:

• Segments Library: Find any segment (read aloud, daily lesson, music, movement, community)!
• Seesaw page: Teachers can adapt any Seesaw activity on our page.
• YouTube channel: Subscribe to this channel, explore the playlists, and receive notifications when new content is published.

SF Loves Learning airs every weekday, 8:30-9am on KTVU Plus and any time at sfusd.edu/sfloveslearning.

Resource Highlight

For Staff in PreK-5th Grade - Please share this information

Continue your child's reading and math learning this summer with a TCM Curriculum Backpack!  Backpacks will be available for PreK, TK/K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th graders.  They are getting delivered and we will notify you by email and text in early June about where you can pick up your child’s backpack. If you are working with PK-5 students this summer you can find teacher resources here.

Tech Tip

Join us for the 6th annual Digital District Day: Equity, Agency & Opportunity!

• The all virtual event will take place on Monday, August 9th, 2021 from 8:30am-4:00pm
• Digital District Day inspires SFUSD educators, staff, and leaders to dig deeper in the design of tech-enabled deeper learning experiences that build the SFUSD Graduate Profile Competencies for all students. Learn more about the day and please share the Digital District Day flyer!
• Sign up to attend at sfusd.edu/ddd.
• Questions? Contact Lindsey Blass (blassl@sfusd.edu), Allison Rothman (rothmana1@sfusd.edu), or Jessica Pederson (pedersonj@sfusd.edu) 

Ending the Year with SFUSD Core Platforms

• Seesaw End of Year Reminders:
  • Explore these great end of year activities to share with your class.
  • For regular classroom teachers, there’s no need to archive your classes or set up new classes in the fall. This will happen automatically in the summer based on your class roster. 
  • Teachers will continue to have access to student portfolios of all students staying at your school. More info on Schoolwide Portfolios. 
  • Your teacher activity library will stay the same over the summer and next year. 
• Google End of Year Reminders:
  • At the end of the school year, you should archive your Google Classroom classes. Archiving “freezes” the class as it currently is, which prevents students from turning anything else in or posting any other class comments. It also cleans up students’ Classroom homepages for their classes next year, and you can reuse assignments from archived classes next year! 
  • Review our Synergy/Classroom Sync Recommendations. If you already created a Google Classroom, watch this video on how to sync to Synergy Gradebook!

Question of the Week

Where can I and my family get vaccinated in San Francisco?

SFUSD is coordinating with San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) to make sure that SFUSD families are aware of vaccination opportunities for anyone 12 and older. Please visit www.sfusd.edu/covidvaccine to access upcoming vaccination events and schedules, review parent/guardian consent information for children between 12 and 18 years old, and get answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccines.

We will continue to actively inform you about upcoming vaccination opportunities where SFUSD families will receive priority as a part of our collaboration with UCSF. We will be sending emails, texts, and autodials.

Bright Spot

At SFUSD, we continue to prioritize anti-racist teaching and learning. Watch this story on ABC7 Bay Area to learn more about how our work in this area has grown since the murder of George Floyd.

Warm regards,

Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews