Updates Related to Schools Reopening

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 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.

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 here 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

Instructional_Models_Draft

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