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Updates Related to School Reopening » Updates Related to Schools Reopening

Updates Related to Schools Reopening

 
Elementary student in multi-purpose room
 
Schools Reopening Update #19: Wednesday, April 21, 2021
 
Dear FVSD Families:
 
In our message last week, we provided an updated from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) regarding changes in physical distancing for schools.  The new guidance allows for a minimum of three feet of physical distancing, student to student, inside a classroom, instead of six feet.  This change in physical distancing guidelines from six feet to three feet allows us to accommodate more students on campus at one time, and also allows us to find ways to increase valuable in-person instructional time.
 
As shared in our initial Reopening Schools Plan in August, 2020, as well as in ongoing communications this year, our goal has always been to provide as much in-person instructional time for our students in our Hybrid Programs.  In addition, we have also shared that the Board of Trustees recent direction to "engage, with great urgency, on expanded plans to bring all elementary and middle school students on campus to either a full-modified traditional schedule or "fuller" days by the end-of-April/early-May."  In alignment with our original goal as well as the Board's directive, please see the following updates below.
 
Middle School Update
Beginning Monday, May 3rd - Current students in our Middle School Hybrid Program will begin attending a Modified Traditional Schedule.  The Modified Traditional Schedule is extremely similar to the regular schedule our middle school students attended prior to COVID-19, but it continues to included enhanced safety measures.  The Modified Traditional Schedule is provided in PDF format following this message, but the table below provides a snapshot of the instructional day.
 
Days Grades Arrival Dismissal
Mondays - Teacher Planning  All (6-8) 8:15 AM 12:15 PM
Tuesdays - Fridays All (6-8) 8:15 AM 2:45 PM
 
 
Once again, please know that the implementation of the Modified Traditional Schedule has many complexities that need to be communicated.  One of the issues we need to work through is the reconfiguration of some of our larger class rosters to support the minimum three feet physical distancing requirements, which means some middle school students may have to move teachers.  Principals are currently looking at all options and will communicate with students/families who may be impacted in the coming days.  Please know that every effort will be made to prevent disruptions for students.
 
In addition, as part of this shift to a Modified Traditional Schedule, the interventions, enrichment and club opportunities planned for the afternoon times during the hybrid schedule will be adjusted to after-school opportunities.  Our site administrators will work with site teams to communicate these adjustments in the coming days.
 
Middle School Special Day Class (SDC) Update
We are also pleased to announce that our middle school SDC students will return to the Modified Traditional Schedule with their peers on Monday, May 3rd.  Please know that this is a change from our message last week that allows our SDC students to transition one time, instead of two.
 
Elementary School Update (Grades TK-5)
As a reminder from last week, beginning on Monday, April 26th, current students in our Elementary Hybrid Program will begin attending a Modified Traditional Schedule.  The Modified Traditional Schedule is attached to this message, but the table below provides a snapshot of the instructional day.
 
Day(s) Grades  Arrival Dismissal
Mondays - Teacher Planning All (TK-5) 8:00 AM 12:00 PM
 
Tuesday - Fridays

 TK - 2 8:00 AM 1:45 PM
3-5 8:00 AM 2:15 PM
 
FVSDConnected Update
Our FVSDConnected students will remain in their current remote/virtual program for the remainder of the school year.  However, we understand that with this shift to a Modified Traditional Schedule for our students, there may be some interest from our virtual families to move to in-person instruction.  Please know that due to space and capacity constraints, there will be limitations to make any moves at this time.
 
Safety Guidelines
Fountain Valley School District will continue following all of the health and safety guidelines established by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA).  These measures include face coverings, daily health screenings, physical distancing, enhanced ventilation systems, plexiglass shielding, handwashing/hand sanitizing protocols, and increased cleaning and disinfecting practices.
 
We are thrilled to return to a more normal school day for our students!  On behalf of the Board of Trustees and our entire District, we want to thank you for your patience and understanding as we adjust to the newest health and safety guidelines that allow us to increase the number of students in our classrooms.  FVSD greatly appreciates its teachers, support staff and administrators who continue to work diligently and collaboratively to bring students back to school for more in-person instruction.
 
The Board of Trustees will be holding a special meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, April 21st to approve an updated COVID-19 Safety Plan wit the new guidance from CDPH, as well as the Modified Traditional Schedules.
 
Thank you for everything you do to support teaching and learning!

Kindly,
 
Mark Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Fountain Valley School District
 
 
Schools Reopening Update #18: Tuesday, April 13, 2021
 

Dear FVSD Families:

As many of you already know, The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recently issued updated guidance on physical distancing in classrooms.  The new guidance allows for a minimum of three feet of physical distancing, student to student, inside a classroom, instead of six feet.  This change in physical distancing guidelines from six feet to three feet allows us to accommodate more students on campus at one time, and also allows us to find ways to increase valuable in-person instructional time.  

As shared in our initial Reopening Schools Plan in August, 2020, as well as in ongoing communications this year, our goal has always been to provide as much in-person instructional time for our students in our Hybrid Programs.  In addition, we have also shared the Board of Trustees recent direction to “engage, with great urgency, on expanded plans to bring all elementary and middle school students on campus to either a full-modified traditional or “fuller” days by the end of April/early May.”  In alignment with our original goal as well as the Board’s directive, please see the following updates below. 

Elementary School Update (Grades TK-5)

Beginning Monday, April 26th – Current students in our Elementary Hybrid Program will begin attending a Modified Traditional Schedule.  The Modified Traditional Schedule is extremely similar to the regular schedule our elementary school students attended prior to COVID-19, but it continues to include enhanced safety measures.  The Modified Traditional Schedule is attached to this message, but the table below provide a snapshot of the instructional day.  

 

Day(s) Grades Arrival Dismissal
Mondays - Teacher Planning All (TK-5) 8:00 AM 12:00 PM
Tuesdays - Fridays TK - 2 8:00 AM 1:45 PM
3 - 5 8:00 AM 2:15 PM
 
Please know that the implementation of the Modified Traditional Schedule has many complexities that need to be communicated.  One of the issues we need to work through is the reconfiguration of some of our larger class rosters to support the minimum three feet physical distancing requirements, which means some students may have to move teachers.  Principals are currently looking at all options and will communicate with families who may be impacted in the coming days.  
 

Middle School Update

With regard to our middle schools, there are a number of additional factors and complexities that need to be considered and finalized before implementing more in-person instructional time for our students.  Some of these factors include: potential changes to the Master Schedule, class roster reconfigurations, class sizes (typically larger than elementary classrooms), lunch schedules, etc.  Although our teams have made tremendous progress on our plan, we do need additional time to work out all of the logistics, and anticipate finalizing those details on April 19th.  Please know we are fully committed to adding more in-person instructional time for our middle school students that meets the Board’s timeline for implementation in late April/early May.  We will communicate all updates as they become available.


In the meantime, beginning next week, Tuesday, April 20th, all middle school sites will provide additional in-person opportunities for intervention, enrichment, and/or clubs during afternoon “office hours.”  Principals are finalizing details with their staff members, and will be communicating details in the coming days.

 

Special Day Class (SDC) Update

 

Elementary SDC Students

  • In order to support a return to a Modified Traditional Schedule, all SDC elementary students will start one week early on Monday, April 19th, and follow the attached Modified Traditional Schedule.  Additional information will also be shared later this week from our Special Education teams with families.

Middle School SDC Students

  • We are also pleased to announce that our middle school SDC students will return to additional days of in-person learning starting the week of Monday, April 26th.  Additional information will also be shared later this week from our Special Education teams with families.

FVSDConnected Update

Our FVSDConnected students will remain in their current remote/virtual program for the remainder of the school year.   However, we understand that with this shift to a Modified Traditional Schedule for our TK-5 students, there may be some interest from our virtual families to move to in-person instruction.   Please know that due to space and capacity constraints, there will be limitations to make any moves at this time.  

 

Safety Guidelines

Fountain Valley School District will continue following all of the health and safety guidelines established by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA).  These measures include face coverings, daily health screenings, physical distancing, enhanced ventilation systems, plexiglass shielding, handwashing/hand sanitizing protocols, and increased cleaning and disinfecting practices.

 

We are all excited to return to a more normal school day for our TK-5 students and look forward to sharing an update on our middle school schedules in the near future.  On behalf of our Board of Trustees and our entire District, we want to thank you for your patience and understanding as we adjust to the newest health and safety guidelines that allow us to increase the number of students in our classrooms.  FVSD greatly appreciates its teachers, support staff and administrators who continue to work diligently and collaboratively to bring students back to school for more in-person instruction.

 

Thank you for everything you do to support teaching and learning!

 

Kindly, 

Mark Johnson, Ed.D. 

Superintendent

 
Schools Reopening Update #17 (Revised): Return to In-person Hybrid Program on January 19, 2021
 
Dear FVSD Families:
 
Tonight, our Board of Trustees held a special meeting to discuss a date for the return to in-person learning for our hybrid program. While we understand there was a previous announcement sent out earlier this week, we received a tremendous amount of input from our constituents, and wanted to take the time to fully evaluate this new information and most up-to-date data. We want to express our deep gratitude to the entire FVSD community for their patience and understanding, as we continue to work through one of the most challenging times of this pandemic. Based upon the emails, phone calls and comments we have received over the last several weeks, we know there are great variances in how our stakeholders feel regarding an appropriate time to return to an in-person hybrid program, and take each of these sentiments into consideration as we make our decisions.

In preparation for our return to in-person instruction, we have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 dashboard on the Orange County Health Care Agency’s website to observe COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations.  In addition, over that time, we have continued to collect data on the number of positive COVID-19 cases and quarantine numbers, for both our staff and students, to better understand how the COVID-19 virus is directly impacting our district.  As we have shared in previous communications, one of our biggest goals is to provide a contiguous learning environment for our students, staff and families.  To ensure a contiguous program, we must be vigilant in implementing the appropriate safety measures, while also ensuring we have backup staff to support the changing needs.

Therefore, tonight, after carefully considering of all of the various input, new information, latest data, and out of an abundance of caution, direction was given to staff to remain in a Remote/Virtual program for all students for one more week, with a return to our in-person hybrid program for all students on Tuesday, January 19, 2021. 

We understand that any shift in our programs has an impact on our students, staff and families. We would like to, once again, thank each and every one of you for your patience, as we navigate this dynamic situation in order to make the best decisions possible for our district. Please continue to look for more communication from our site principals, teachers, and district in the coming days and weeks as we remain committed to keeping everyone connected as this situation progresses.

We hope everyone has a safe and restful weekend.

Kindly,
 
Mark Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent
 
 
Dear FVSD Families:
 
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are proud of our thoughtful, measured approach to maintaining our instructional programs, while also protecting our students and staff.  We have closely monitored conditions in the County and community, and we have followed - or exceeded - all guidance from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA).  This has allowed us, working in partnership with families, to safely resume in-person instruction, provide a rigorous full-time virtual program, and meet the diverse needs of our students.  By implementing these measures, we have been able to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on our school campuses and demonstrate that schools continue to have low case transmission rates.  However, since the return from Thanksgiving Recess, we have seen an increase in the community spread of the virus and its impact on our school sites.
 
After carefully analyzing our local COVID-19 situation, and after many hours of deliberation, we have made the decision to transition all FVSD students to a remote/virtual instructional program with their regular classroom teacher(s) for one week, beginning January 4, 2021.  Our current goal is to return to in-person instruction on January 12, 2021, but please know that we may need to extend it one additional week to January 19, 2021, based on positive case and quarantine numbers wihtin our school district during this time.  While in remote/virtual learning, all students and instructional staff will participate in live daily virtual instruction, following the same schedule as our FVSDConnected program (see PDFs below this message).
 
Why Are We Moving to Remote/Virtual Learning?
  • The safety of our students and staff is our top priority and we have an obligation to mitigate the spread of the virus at a critical time during the pandemic.
  • We have experienced an increase of positive COVID-19 case numbers for students and staff in our local school community.
  • Health experts anticipate a surge in case numbers due to large gatherings during the holiday season, which could greatly impact our schools.
  • We have experienced an increase in the number of students and staff on quarantine, due to a "close contact" with a positive or presumed positive individual.
  • We have experienced an increase in the number of students absent from school, due to "self-quarantine."
  • We have experienced a decrease in our ability to attain the number of substitute teachers and support personnel needed to cover staff members needing to quarantine or isolate due to COVID-19.
 
Daycare and Fee-Based CDC Program Will Remain Open
  • Our Extended School and fee-based CDC programs will remain open to serve families who need us most.  Please know that our State-funded preschool program is required to move to remote/virtual instruction anytime our TK-8 programs make this transition.  Our Director, Mrs. Mona Green, will be in communication with families by Monday, December 21, 2020.
 
Drive-Thru Grab n' Go Meal Services Available
  • Similar to the spring, meals will be available through our drive-through grab n' go program beginning Monday, January 4, 2021.  Please look for information coming out over winter break for exact times and locations.
 
School Site Communications
  • All FVSD Staff Members were informed of the transition to remote/virtual instruction today, and are working to ensure a contiuguous learning program for students.  Please be on th lookout for additional communications from your site principal over Winter Recess.
 
We know the decision to transition to remote/virtual instruction for all FVSD students impacts each family differently.  And, we also strongly believe that this decision gives us our greatest opportunity for a longer-term continuity of learning for our students and staff in our hybrid programs.  More importantly, it gives us a chance to use our own local data to determine how the holiday break directly impacts our ability to ensure a safe and healthy school environment for all.
 
As we have said so many times over the past nine months, this pandemic is a constantly shifting challenge that requires us to be agile and ready to adjust our operations to maximize the safety of our students and staff.  I am deeply grateful for your patience and partnership as we continue to meet this challenge together.  FVSD is a special place that consists of over 6,100 students, 4,000 families, and 700 staff members who continue to work together to ensure our kids have the very best, during this unprecedented time.
 
Please rest assured that we will be sharing additional communication in the coming days via ParentSquare.
 
Gratefully,
 
Mark Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent  
 
 
 
Dear FVSD families:
 
I hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and well!
 
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and current case numbers throughout the state, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has changed its guidance on face coverings.  Effective tomorrow (12/14/2020), all students, including our preschool and TK-2nd grade students, are now required to be in a face covering that covers the nose and mouth at all times while on campus.  The new guidance, "mandates that face coverings be worn state-wide at all times when outside of the home, unless one or more of the exceptions outlined below apply."  To read the face covering guidance in its entirety, please visit the CDPH's website or the COVID19.ca.gov. website for more information.  We have reached out to the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA), and they have reinforced these changes for all Orange County schools.  In addition, please know that exemptions for special circumstances and individuals remain in place.
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your site principal.
 
Kindly,
 
Mark Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent
 
 
 
Dear FVSD Families:
 
We hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and well!
 
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and increase in case numbers throughout the state, Governor Newsom held a press conference today, Thursday, December 3, 2020, announcing a new Five Region Stay at Home Order that will be triggered when a region has less than 15% ICU bed capacity.  The Southern California Region includes the following counties: Orange, Los Angeles, Imperial, Inyo, Mono, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.  We are advised this could happen in the Southern California region in a matter of days, given the current trajectory of virus case numbers and hospitalizations, according to the Governor.
 
We have received specific assurances from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) and the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) that this order will not apply to schools that have already opened for in-person instruction and are following the CDPH COVID-19 safety guidelines.  This means that all FVSD schools will remain open, and our in-person instructional programs will continue.  Please click here to access the OCDE News Release, which includes a quote from Dr. Clayton Chou of the OCHCA.
 
State and local health officials have cited a large body of evidence that schools' health and safety measures, which include physical distancing, face masks, ventilation enhancements, smaller cohorts, timely contract tracing and notifications, and enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols have been effective in combating COVID-19.  As a result, Dr. Ghaly, Secretary of California's Health and Human Services Agency, has said schools are not the source of the recent COVID-19 surges and continue to have low case and transmission rates and may remain open during the pandemic.
 
While the stay-at-home order will not alter our school operations, I want to encourage us all to personalize the overall message the Governor communicated today.  The virus is spreading faster and farther throughout the state than it has since the pandemic began.  We must come together as a community to take the necessary actions to counter the COVID-19 threat.
 
On behalf of our Board of Trustees and the entire FVSD Family, we want to extend a heartfelt thank you to each of you for the patience, understanding, support, determination and grit you have demonstrated in working through the COVID-19 pandemic.  This is an extraordinary community of students, teachers, support staff and families who have worked together to ensure that our students' ongoing educational needs are met at the highest levels, and we should all take pride in what is being accomplished.
 
We will continue to provide you with regular updates as new information becomes available.
 
Kindly,
 
Mark Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent
 
 
 
 
 
Dear FVSD Families:
 
We hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe and healthy as we approach Thanksgiving Break next week.
 
As you may have heard today, November 16, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that Orange County has been placed back in the Purple Tier (most restrictive tier) because of an increase in COVID-19 transmissions.  The California Blueprint for a Safer Economy outlines a four-tiered, color-coded system to show the status of COVID-19 infections and restrictions in each county.  
 
Even though the Purple Tier designation imposes restrictions on businesses and various social activities, it does not change the instructional program in our District.  According to California Department of Public Health guidelines, schools that have already resumed in-person instruction can remain open with the necessary precautions we already have in place (see attached framework for school closures below this message).  It is important to keep in mind that this guidance could change, based on any future state directives.  We will, of course, promptly communicate any changes.
 
We are confident in the stringent health and safety procedures our teachers and staff have worked hard to implement at all our campuses.  We also greatly appreciate your efforts to screen your student(s) for symptoms of COVID-19 at home, each day, before arriving at school.  This shared responsibility is critical to our ability to keep our schools open for in-person hybrid learning.
 
Here are some steps you can take to slow the spread of COVID-19:
  • Wear a mask whenever you leave your home.
  • Avoid gatherings and maintain a physical distance of 6 feet from anyone not in your household.
  • Wash your hands often.  Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
  • Keep your child(ren) home if s/he is sick.
 
Thank you for your ongoing support, patience and understanding!
 
Kindly,
 
Mark Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent
 
 
 
Dear FVSD Families:

Happy Monday!!  We hope you had a relaxing weekend, and that this message finds you safe and well!  As we begin our fifth full week of school, we want to continue to thank our students, staff, families and community for their ongoing efforts to support teaching and learning.  The FVSD community is a special place with people who are dedicated to supporting each other, and I am extremely proud of the work we are doing!

Orange County COVID-19 Update
Using the guidance from the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) and the criteria set in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, Orange County remains in the Red Tier.  Currently, CASES PER 100,000 Residents is at 5.2, and our POSITIVITY RATE is at 3.2%.  We continue to follow the COVID-19 data rates for Orange County, as all decisions we make in FVSD will be based on these metrics. Please click here to follow this data on the Orange County Health Care Agency’s website.  

Launch of New COVID-19 Dashboard for FVSD
Recently, many of you may have read that school districts have been developing a COVID-19 Dashboard to provide the community with real numbers related to confirmed COVID-19 cases on any campus.  Our Board of Trustees continues to emphasize communication and transparency, and we have developed our very own COVID-19 Dashboard in FVSD that went live today!  We want to send a giant thank you to our Educational Services Division who has been working on this in the background, allowing us to be ready to post this new webpage. This is a wonderful step forward in making sure our staff, parents and community have the most accurate and current information available!!

Ongoing Safety Practices
As we move forward with a strong launch of the school year, we want to continue to remind everyone to be vigilant in exercising safety practices within our schools. If we all commit to doing the following things, we have our best chance to keep our students, staff and families safe.
  • Face masks are one of the best ways to limit the spread of COVID-19.  We appreciate the commitment to this practice!
  • Stay 6ft away from other students and staff.  A close contact is defined as closer than 6ft for more than 15 minutes.  
  • Wash your hands throughout the day for at least 20 seconds.  Use hand sanitizer when not able to wash your hands.

Once again, we would like to extend a very special thank you to our teachers, support staff and administrators for their tireless efforts in educating our students and caring for our families!  We also want to thank all of our families for their ongoing support at home.  This truly is a remarkable partnership!
 
Kindly,

Mark Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent
 
Dear FVSD Family:

We hope this message finds you safe and well! As we close out the second week of school, we want to continue to thank our students, staff, families and community for their ongoing efforts to support teaching and learning. In addition, we want to provide you with an important update regarding our revised Reopening Schools Plan that was approved by our Board of Trustees at tonight’s meeting (see attached).

Orange County COVID-19 Update
Using the guidance from the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) and the new criteria set in the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, Orange County remains on the Red Tier for reopening.  As you know, when a county is in the Red Tier for 14 consecutive days, schools may return for in-person instruction.  Like you, we continue to follow the COVID-19 data rates for Orange County, which continue to trend in the right direction for reopening schools.  Today’s data shows that Orange County’s Daily Positive Cases Per 100,000 remains in the Red Tier at 4.7, and the Testing Positivity data is at 3.9%.  Please click here to follow this data on the Orange County Health Care Agency’s website.  

Return for In-Person Instruction and New Start Date for Middle School Hybrid Program
Schools continue to finalize preparations for the implementation of our Hybrid Program for families who chose to return for in-person instruction, when it was safe to do so under the guidance of the California Department of Public Health. Please see the important information below regarding our start dates for both our elementary and middle schools.
 
  • All elementary schools will reopen in an AM/PM Hybrid Schedule on Tuesday, September 22nd. 
  • The reopening dates for our middle schools have been revised. All middle school Students on the A Schedule will begin school on Tuesday, September 29th, and Students on the B Schedule will begin school on Wednesday, September 30th.  
 
Revised Schedules for Hybrid Programs
Two other important updates to our Schools Reopening Plan are the revised schedules for our Hybrid Program at both the elementary and middle school levels. The newly adopted schedules are attached to this message for your convenience.

Elementary Schools
  • For our elementary schools, the biggest change is in the drop-off and pick-up schedules.  Instead of implementing staggered start and end times, we made the decision to develop multiple drop-off locations, which will minimize the number of students entering campus at any given location, while also making transportation more manageable for families.  
 
Middle Schools
  • At the middle school level, the biggest change is in the dismissal time for students attending school.  With a goal of maintaining high safety standards, we will no longer have lunch served during the instructional day on our middle school campuses.  Instead, students will finish their in-person hybrid day at 12:40 PM, and students who need lunch will take a grab’n’go bag home with them.  Grab’n’go lunches are also available to all students at our normal lunch pick-up locations.  
 
School Site Preparations and Communications
As shared previously, FVSD team members continue to work around the clock to implement and prepare for the transition to in-person instruction. Please be on the lookout for multiple communications from your site principal or supervisor regarding important updates and guidelines for returning to in-person instruction.

Once again, we would like to extend a very special thank you to our teachers, support staff and administrators for their tireless efforts in educating our students and caring for our families!

Kindly,

Mark Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent
 
Dear FVSD Families:
 
We hope this message finds you safe and well!  As we close out the first week of the 2020-21 school year, I want to send a very big thank you to the students, staff, families, and our community for making it through a reopening that was like no other we have ever faced.  And while there were definitely lessons learned this week, I am extremely proud of the entire FVSD Family for their tireless efforts to virtually connect with the 6,200-plus students we serve.
 
As we celebrate this week's accomplishments, we have created a brief video that captures so many aspects of the first week of school.  The smiling faces, the first day photos, and the intentional moments to establish routines, structures and relationships say it all.  Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this week and this video one to remember!
 
Return to In-person Instruction Progress
As expected, earlier this week, the California Department of Public Health announced that Orange County has successfully moved from the Purple Tier to the less restrictive Red Tier of the State's color-coded Blueprint for a Safer Economy, which tracks COVID-19 data for each county.  Please see the information below for our tentative reopening dates.
 
  • All elementary schools will reopen in an AM/PM Hybrid Schedule on Tuesday, September 22nd.
  • All middle schools will reopen in a Rotating Day Hybrid Schedule.  Students on the A Schedule will begin school on Thursday, September 24th, and students on the B Schedule will begin school on Friday, September 25th.
 
School Site Preparations and Communications
In addition to planning throughout the summer, FVSD team members continue to work around the clock to implement and prepare for the transition to in-person instruction.  Please be on the lookout for multiple communications from your site principal regarding important updates and guidelines for returning to in-person instruction.
 
In closing, we would like to extend a very special thank you to our teachers, support staff, and administrators for working together to launch another successful first week of school!
 
Have a terrific weekend!
 
Gratefully,
 
Mark Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent
 
 
 
Dear FVSD Families:

We hope this message finds you and your family safe and well! In the interest of ongoing communication with our staff, families and community, we want to provide you with an important update on the reopening of FVSD schools. As a friendly reminder, all students in FVSD will begin their school year virtually on Wednesday, September 9, 2020, and principals will be sending more details in the coming days.

California Department of Public Health Update - Blueprint for a Safer Economy
As you may have heard on Friday, August 28th, during Governor Newsom’s Press Conference, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has created a new Four-Tier Framework, titled the “Blueprint for a Safer Economy” (see attached). This new framework will guide the reopenings of various sectors throughout the state, based upon local COVID-19 data in each county.  Although this information is new to all of us, we have been working with local and state agencies to better understand how it impacts schools in Orange County (OC).  This week, we received notification from Orange County Health Care Agency that schools in OC must wait until September 22, 2020, to reopen for in-person instruction, as long as OC continues to meet the criteria to move from the Purple Tier to the Red Tier in the framework. Please know that Orange County's COVID-19 data is trending in the right direction, and that the change in reopening dates is due to a new framework, not a negative trend in the data.  

How Does This Impact the Timeline for Returning to In-Person Hybrid Instruction
As shared in our last update, we set tentative reopening dates of September 15, 2020 for our seven elementary schools and September 22, 2020 for our three middle schools.  This new information prevents us from reopening on September 15, 2020 for elementary schools, and impacts our phasing plan for middle schools. Due to the change by the state, we are now setting new tentative reopening dates for our elementary and middle schools.  We will still maintain the staggered approach we described last week to manage the re-opening in the most effective manner:

  • All elementary schools will reopen in an AM/PM Hybrid Schedule on Tuesday, September 22nd. 
  • All middle schools will reopen in a Rotating Day Hybrid Schedule on Thursday, September 24th.
The decision to stagger the reopening dates between our elementary and middle schools will allow us to provide additional staffing and resources at each level during their reopening days, ensuring a more successful transition from virtual learning to in-person learning.

Please keep in mind that our reopening dates are tentative and depend on OC moving to the Red Tier on September 8th, and remaining there for 14 days. A new state website, www.COVID19.ca.gov, tracks the metrics for the virus and posts current tier status for each county.  

Despite the schedule adjustment, we are greatly encouraged by the continuing improvement in the COVID-19 situation in OC and remain confident in our overall plan to reopen classrooms safely. We all must do our part by following the health and safety recommendations to limit the spread of the virus, especially as we approach the Labor Day Holiday.

Thank you again for your patience and support as we take time to process the impacts of these new state guidelines for reopening counties. Rest assured that we will send additional updates as more information becomes available.

Kindly,

Mark Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent
 

 

 

 

State's Monitoring List Update and Tentative Return to In-Person Instruction

 

As shared in last week’s update, all students in FVSD will begin their school year virtually on September 9, 2020.  We made the decision to begin virtually as we strongly believe that students, staff and families needed to begin preparations for the first day of school, and holding off on a decision for how we would reopen would have hindered our ability to successfully launch the school year.  

State Monitoring List for COVID-19 and Its Implications
Over the last several weeks, we have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 dashboard on the Orange County Health Care Agency’s website to see when Orange County (OC) would be removed from the State's Monitoring List.  The two biggest data sets for OC have been the Case Rates (less than 100 per 100,000 people) and Testing Positivity Percentages (less than 8%). The County will need to remain off of this list for 14 consecutive days for schools to be authorized to reopen for in-person instruction.  Today, August 25, 2020, is Day Three of OC being removed from the Monitoring List.  If OC continues to work hard to reduce the spread of COVID-19, for another 11 days, totaling 14 days off of the Monitoring List, schools in OC will be able to reopen for in-person instruction.  

Transition to Hybrid Instructional Model
As part of our reopening plan, we would like to communicate the next steps regarding a return to in-person learning for those families that selected this model during registration.  If COVID-19 cases continue to remain static or decrease and we meet the 14 day threshold, FVSD will reopen for in-person instruction in a Hybrid Model:

  • All elementary schools would reopen in a AM/PM Hybrid Schedule on Tuesday, September 15, 2020. 
  • All middle schools would reopen in a Rotating Day Hybrid Schedule on Tuesday, September 22, 2020. 

 

Please know that our reopening dates are tentative and will require us all working together to reduce the spread of COVID-19.  The decision to stagger the reopening dates between elementary and middle schools will allow us to provide additional staffing and resources at each level during their reopening week, ensuring a more successful transition from virtual/remote learning to in-person learning.  In addition, our middle school students will continue to participate in a large part of their education virtually, and the extra week students and staff spend virtually will allow for a better implementation.  At this time, we do not have an answer as to how long we will remain in the hybrid setting.  We will use our time in a hybrid model to evaluate the conditions in OC and the successful execution of our systems, routines, and procedures detailed within our Reopening Schools Plan.

This is a lot of information to process and I do not want any of us to get ahead of the science and metrics. Please know that any return to in-person instruction will be based on the guidelines specific to schools dictated by the California Department of Public Health and the Orange County Health Care Agency.  That being said, we wanted to share this update tonight, as many of you have already inquired about this data, possible dates and scenarios.

Moving forward, we remain committed to providing ongoing information and updates via email and our websites, so please continue to check them regularly.

 

Kindly,

Mark Johnson, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Fountain Valley School District

 
Schools Reopening Update #7 - Tuesday, August 18, 2020
 
Dear FVSD Families:
 
We hope this message finds you and your family safe and well!  In the interest of ongoing communication with our staff, families and community, we want to provide you with an important update on the reopening of FVSD schools. 
 
As of today, August 18, 2020, we have a little over three weeks until the first day of school on September 9, 2020.  Yesterday, August 17, 2020, Governor Newsom shared that Orange County is one of the 42 counties currently on the State’s Monitoring List for COVID-19, which means that if FVSD schools were to reopen today, all schools in the district would be required to open in a virtual/remote model for all students.  Please know that we regularly monitor COVID-19 cases in Orange County, and remain hopeful that our community will continue to work together,  to reduce the spread of COVID-19, allowing Orange County to be removed from the Monitoring List as soon as possible. 
 
Update for In-Person Instruction  

 

Last night, we provided an informational update to our Board of Trustees regarding our Reopening Schools Plan and shared a decision to implement the Hybrid Model when we are able to return for in-person learning.  In addition, we selected the Elementary AM/PM Cohort Hybrid and Middle School Rotating Day Hybrid Schedules for this year.  Any considerations for pivoting to a Modified Traditional Schedule, if possible, will be made later in the school year. We strongly believe that reducing the number of students on campus at any given time will provide us with the best chance to keep students and staff attending school regularly.  We also believe that elementary age students, especially our youngest students, have their best learning opportunities when they are able to attend school in-person as much as possible, and that middle school age students are more capable of learning in and navigating a virtual environment.

Update on First Week of School

In addition to the update above, we also recognize the need to provide more information related to the first week school.  As noted above, at this time, Orange County remains on the State’s Monitoring List for COVID-19.  Based upon this information and as stated in the California Department of Public Health’s Guidance for Schools, Orange County must be off of the Monitoring List for 14 consecutive days for schools to reopen for in-person instruction.  If Orange County came off of the Monitoring List today, the earliest we would be able to return for in-person instruction would be September 2, 2020, a date that is too late and unfair to our stakeholders to make a decision on the first week of school.  With there being 22 days until the beginning of the school year, we know that one of the most important things we can do at this time is provide concrete information that allows staff and families to make the necessary plans and arrangements related to ensuring a successful kick-off to the school year. Therefore, today, we made the decision to reopen schools on September 9, 2020, in a virtual/remote model for all students.  When we are able to do so, we will make the transition to an in-person Hybrid Learning Model for our families who selected the in-person model during registration.  

As a parent of school-age children myself, I know how challenging the recent decisions you have had to make regarding the upcoming school year have been, and I also know how these decisions keep you up at night.  One thing we have always promised our families in FVSD is that we are committed to making the same decisions for your children that we would hope others would make for our own children.  And while we realize that there are varied beliefs on how schools should reopen within our community, we also know that our recent decisions are in alignment with the guidance from our state and local health officers, as well as our ongoing commitments to providing a safe environment for our students and staff, and a meaningful educational experience for all of the 6,300 children we have the honor of serving!  

Please rest assured that FVSD has been preparing for the possibility of reopening virtually, and has invested in a dedicated online curriculum, offered extensive professional development opportunities for our instructional staff, and will provide Chromebooks to any/all students who need one.  We understand that while nothing replaces the importance of being on-site, and in-person with a teacher, we are confident your child(ren) will be provided with a rigorous, consistent, and engaging instructional program.

Moving forward, we remain committed to providing ongoing information and updates via email and our websites, so please continue to check them regularly. We have attached the Sample Daily Schedules and Reopening Schools Plan to this email for your reference.

Kindly,

Schools Reopening Update #6 - Friday, August 14, 2020
 
Good Afternoon FVSD Community -

Thank you for your patience as we have been working to address the many questions from our community over the past weeks.  Below this letter, you will find our Parent FAQ #1 which attempts to answer many of the various questions that have come in via survey, phone calls, and emails.

We understand this situation continues to be dynamic and fluid, but please rest assured that FVSD is being guided by the most up-to-date health and safety information, along with ongoing input from our employees and community.

Additionally, we intend to continue to listen to our entire FVSD community as we work towards a successful reopening of schools, either virtually or in-person, on September 9th, which is almost four weeks away.

Thank you for taking the time to read this important information. If you would like more clarification, resources or support, please feel free to contact your site principal, or email or call the District Office us at webmaster@fvsd.us or (714) 843-3200.

Thank you and have a wonderful evening.

Sincerely,
 
Steve McLaughlin Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent Educational Services
 
 
 
 
Schools Reopening Update #5 - August 6, 2020
 
Dear FVSD Families:

I hope this message finds you safe and well! As of today, August 6, 2020, we have a little under five weeks before our first day of school on September 9, 2020. 
 
At tonight's regular Board of Trustees Meeting, the Board formally approved the Reopening Schools Plan (English / Vietnamese) for the upcoming school year. We are excited to share this plan with our families and community, as it offers another layer of detail to the video we shared in late July with all staff and families.
 FVSD 2020-21 Reopening Schools Plan
In addition, we are opening our Aeries online registration platform tomorrow (you should have heard from your site principal this evening), and we want to highly encourage families to read through our Reopening Schools Plan in its entirety, prior to completing the registration process. To help families make the best program choice for their child(ren), Dr. McLaughlin and I will be sharing a brief video with you tomorrow that works through some of the details related to the three programs in the Reopening Schools Plan (Modified Traditional, Blended/Hybrid, and a 100% Remote/Virtual). Moreover, based upon the recent parent survey we conducted, which also included an opportunity for parents to share their comments and questions, we will be sending a FAQ early next week to answer any additional questions that are not included in the Plan. 

We appreciate you taking the time to review the plan to make this important decision for your family. We understand that there are a lot of factors that will be weighed, and we are here to support you throughout this process!
 
Stay safe and well!!

Mark Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent
 
 
 
Video - Three Instructional Models included the FVSD Reopening Schools Plan
 
 
 
 
 
 
Schools Reopening Update #4 - July 24, 2020
 
Dear FVSD Families:
 
We hope you continue to be safe and well!
 
This week, we created a video presentation that shares a draft of our reopening plan for this fall.  The video and slide deck on the three instructional models are included in this message, and we are grateful to each of you for taking the time to view them both.  Click to View the Video presentation .  Please know that we highly recommend watching the video presentation and reading through the slide deck prior to taking the parent survey, which you can read more about below.
 
As you know, we are about six and a half weeks from the start of the 2020-21 school year in FVSD, and we want to provide our families with an opportunity to view, process, and provide input on our draft plans.  Please know that your feedback is important, and will be used in making decisions regarding our programs and services.  Click here to access the parent survey.  Also, we would greatly appreciate it if you could complete the survey for each student who will be attending an FVSD school next year.
 
One of the most important aspects of this survey includes ranking the three instructional models shared in the video as well as the slide deck, based upon how you want schools to reopen.  That being said, please remember that as of today, July 24, 2020, Orange County remains on the State's Monitoring List - meaning that we are only permitted to reopen in a remote/virtual model for all students.  We remain hopeful that Orange County will be removed from the Monitoring List for 14 consecutive days prior to the first day of school.  Being removed from the Monitoring List means that our local COVID-19 situation has improved and we can implement both an in-person and a remote/virtual model, allowing each family to make their own decision(s) for their child(ren).  In case you were not able to read the State's new guidance, please see the revised guidance and framework, which was also shared last Friday.  I highly encourage you to read each document at your convenience.
 
Thank you again for your ongoing patience and support, and please know that we will send additional updates as more information becomes available.
 
Stay safe and well!
 
Mark Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Fountain Valley School District
 
 
Schools Reopening Update #3 - July 17, 2020
 
Dear FVSD Family,
 
I hope this message finds you well!  As you may have heard today, California Governor Gavin Newsom, in partnership with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), provided revised guidance and a detailed framework for reopening schools this fall.  The Governor stated that, in order to reopen schools for in-person instruction, counties must be off of the California Department of Public Health's COVID-19 Monitoring List for 14 consecutive days.  Currently, Orange County is identified as one of the counties that does not meet the criteria to reopen schools within an in-person format.
 
Our Reopening Schools Advisory (RSA) has been working diligently for the past several weeks to develop a thoughtful school reopening plan.  As shared in previous updates, we have worked toward the goal of having both an in-person as well as full-time remote/virtual model for students, allowing each parent/family to make the decision that is in the best interest of their child(ren).  However, based upon this new information, all schools in Orange County as well as all schools in 30+ other counties are only permitted to provide a virtual/remote learning program for all students, at this time.  Please know that the remote/virtual program we are currently developing will be much more rigorous and robust, with increased live instruction and interaction between students and teachers.  Our RSA is currently investigating a new online learning platform and management system, which will better equip students and teachers in a virtual learning environment.
 
That being said, it is important for us to keep in mind that our 2020-21 school year start date is still over seven weeks away, as we begin on Wednesday, September 9th.  We will closely monitor Orange County's ability to meet these new requirements, as outlined by the state for an eventual return to in-person instruction.  We remain committed to meeting the needs of our students, staff, families and community, given the current health scenarios and state directives.  In alignment with the Governor's announcement, we will continue creating our reopening plan to comply with these new directives, while keeping in mind potential forthcoming changes from the state and county.
 
Thank you again for your patience and support as we take time to digest these new state guidelines for schools and school districts, accordingly.  Rest assured that we will send additional updates as more information about our reopening plans become available.
 
Be safe and well!
 
Kindly,
 
Mark Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Fountain Valley School District
 
 

Schools Reopening Update #2 - June 29, 2020

Dear FVSD Families: 

With school beginning a little over 10 weeks away on September 9, 2020, we wanted to send our second update regarding FVSD schools reopening this fall. As shared in our last update, our number one priority is to safely have all students back in traditional classrooms with their teachers every day. However, if necessary, we must also be diligent in planning for the implementation of a blended learning program, as the COVID-19 pandemic is constantly changing and we may not be able to bring all students back every day. A blended learning program allows for students to attend school physically for part of the week and attend 'virtually' on other days.  Additionally, we know from a recent survey that 22% of our parents would prefer a full-time distance/virtual learning model, which is another option we are building for this fall.

As we work to bring students and staff back to our campuses safely in September, we want to commend the efforts of our Reopening Schools Advisory, made up of over 55 stakeholders, including parents, teachers, support staff and administrators, who are working collaboratively to answer the hard questions about safety and protocols. The topics below are guiding our intensive planning efforts and conversations, and will be included in our final reopening plan (intended to be completed by the first week of August).

  • Entering School Buildings
  • Transitioning & Recess
  • Elementary School Program
  • Middle School Program
  • Health, Hygiene, Protocols and Education
  • Serving Meals
  • Transporting Students
  • Special Populations and Programs
  • Preschool & Childcare
  • Maintaining Healthy Operations
  • Considerations for Partial or Total Closures
  • When a Student or Staff Member Gets Sick

In addition to the topics above, please know that reopening of schools will depend on all of these factors coming together successfully, and that our plan must also follow the guidance released by the California Department of Public Health and the Orange County Department of Education.

In true alignment with the FVSD Way, we have always known of the tremendous benefits of studying, collaborating, planning and communicating, all of which are necessary to reopen schools safely. This approach, as well as our partnership with local health care officials and our neighboring districts, will allow us to develop the best model for our students, staff and community.

Moving forward, we will continue to provide ongoing and regular updates throughout the months of July and August, via email and on district/school websites. On behalf of our Board of Trustees and the entire FVSD staff, thank you for your continued support and ongoing commitment to our students and our community. Together, we ensure that our students will continue to receive the necessary focus, resources, and attention they need to learn and grow even in these uncertain times.

Thank you for taking the time to read this message. I hope you and your families have a wonderful, and safe, 4th of July weekend!

Kindly,
Mark Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Schools Reopening Update #1 - June 12, 2020
 
Dear FVSD Families:
 
With the school year coming to an end, we want to send a heartfelt thank you to the students, staff, and parents/guardians throughout Fountain Valley School District for their ongoing efforts to ensure that learning continued during this very unique time.  This was a trying period for everyone, and we need each of you to know how much we appreciate you!
 
Moving forward, continued efforts to keep students, staff, and families safe against COVID-19, and providing a high-quality education for our 6,300 students, will be our mission for the 2020-21 school year.  The first day of school for FVSD students is September 9th, which is nearly 13 weeks away.  Because the COVID-19 pandemic and health related orders are changing over time, what next year will look like is subject to change, based upon new information.  The reopening of schools will depend on several factors coming together successfully, including: implementing public health recommendations for schools, countywide efforts to ensure COVID-19 is under control, and progress along the Governor's multi-phased roadmap for ending the stay at home order.  Additionally, the California Department of Public Health and the California Department of Education have both provided guidance documents over the last week.  We are still working with the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) to make decisions regarding the reopening of schools locally, and we will share that guidance as it is available.
 
At this time, our goal is to have all students back in traditional classrooms with their teachers every day; however, this may not be possible.  Therefore, we must prepare for alternative instructional models that seek to reduce the number of students on campuses at any given time, wherein students physically attend school part of the week and attend 'virtually' on other days.  Moreover, we have heard from some of our parents who would prefer a full-time distance/virtual learning model, and we will provide this option for families who feel it is best for their child(ren).
 
To help guide our plan in FVSD, our Reopening Schools Advisory, consisting of various stakeholder groups, will meet through summer to engage in the important conversations about our collective future.  Please know that we will provide ongoing and regular updates through July and August, via email and district/school websites.
 
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to our students, our community, and to each other.
 
Kindly,
 
Mark Johnson, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Fountain Valley School District