Message from Superintendent Amerson |
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Dear Students, Families, Staff, and Community,
Last week, I met with our Community Education Council to discuss what lies ahead for DUSD in the months to come. There's a lot of important work before us, and I wanted to provide you all with this recap too.
We remain focused on navigating COVID-19 and the path forward by partnering with our public health providers, the Los Angeles County Office of Education, California Department of Education, and federal agencies. It has been shared with us that vaccinations should be available for educators beginning in early February. Currently, Los Angeles County is trying to meet the need of people in Phase 1A and Phase 1B Tier 1 and those over the age of 65. As soon as we are notified when educators can book appointments, we will share it with you. I encourage you to also check the vaccinatelacounty.com website frequently for updates.
Moving forward, supporting the social and emotional health of our students and staff remains of vital importance. A portion of the Professional Development Day we held last week was dedicated to strategies for their mental health and our students' mental health. As I mentioned before, all employees have access to the EASE program. Our students are also benefiting from the 2nd Step Curriculum we have in place and the Community Schools Initiative that provides resources to our Duarte High school students. While these offerings are beneficial, we will continue to monitor our staff, students, and families' needs and provide additional support when necessary. Please find a listing of all our mental health resources here.
In terms of the instructional program, we will remain in Distance Learning through at least March 1. Even though teaching and learning under these circumstances are less than ideal, I have participated in many virtual Learning Walks to observe our classrooms, and I am incredibly proud of both our educators and scholars. The quality of instruction is high, and the engagement of our students is impressive. However, we are fully aware that proactive steps are needed beyond the regular academic year for additional support. Exploring a range of options that can be offered during summer is currently underway.
A comprehensive assessment of our entire district is before us as well. While we have made great strides to overcome the impacts of long-term declining enrollment, the structural and budget challenges that remain must be addressed. To tackle these issues, I have charged our team not to leave any stone unturned that can lead to long-term solutions.
Already in motion is a comprehensive budget review of our entire district operations, including a separate assessment of our Special Education services conducted by the independent evaluation firm, School Services of California, Inc. This transparent review will focus on improving and enhancing processes and the efficient delivery of services.
We also have established the oversight procedures for school bond Measure S. As we assured our community, the allocation of these funds will be done with full transparency and all Measure S projects and expenditures will be monitored by the Citizens Oversight Committee that was Board approved at the meeting held on January 14. The expansion of college and career pathways for our students will be possible due to these funds, and I thank our community again for your support in making this possible.
As you can see, there is a substantial amount of work before us, yet we have a strong governance team guiding us through what lies ahead. Mrs. Reyna Diaz will serve as our President, and Mrs. Ceci Carroll will be our Vice President. Mr. Ken Bell, Dr. James Finlay, and Mrs. Jaqueline Ku will continue as members. Our next Board Meeting takes place on February 11, and I encourage you to tune in and stay engaged.
In the meantime, continue to mask-up, keep a safe distance, wash your hands, and follow the health orders. We need to continue to do our part to keep ourselves and those we love safe. Please also regularly check the district website duarteusd.org and our social media sites @duarteusd on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for updates.
Be well, everyone, and have a great week!
Best wishes,
Gordon
Gordon Amerson, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Duarte Unified School District
#ProudSuperintendent
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Professional Development Day |
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On January 15, our staff participated in a Professional Development Day. Dr. Amerson kicked-off the event with an uplifting message. Seeing our whole team gathered together helped raise our spirits as did the focus on self-care tips provided by guest speaker, Dr. Palomino. |
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Reopening Tier Framework Explanation & Status |
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Every county in California is assigned to a tier based on its test positivity and adjusted case rate. At a minimum, counties must remain in a tier for at least 3 weeks before moving forward. Data is reviewed weekly and tiers are updated typically on Tuesdays. To move forward, a county must meet the next tier’s criteria for two consecutive weeks. In addition, counties must meet the health equity criteria to demonstrate the county’s ability to address the most impacted communities within a county. If a county’s metrics worsen for two consecutive weeks, it will be assigned a more restrictive tier. Public health officials are constantly monitoring data and can step in if necessary. See how tiers are assigned and change, as well as county historical data (California Blueprint Data Chart), at the California Department of Public Health guidance page.
Governor Newsom’s recent 2021-22 State Budget proposal to the Legislature allocates $2 billion for California's Safe Schools for All Plan to support safe returns to in-person instruction with priority for the youngest children and those with the greatest needs first. While all schools will be eligible to apply to receive funds by meeting certain criteria, schools must be in counties with a seven-day average of fewer than 28 cases per 100,000 residents to reopen. Los Angeles County’s adjusted case rate was 65.8 as of last Wednesday. Due to the surge in COVID-19 case counts, the Department of Public Health is not currently approving any applications to reopen under the waiver program. The state is expected to issue additional school reopening guidance in the coming days. Here’s a quick guide to the Safe Schools for All Plan.
The implementation of programs currently by DUSD is listed below:
Grades TK-12: 100% Distance Learning at least through March 1, 2021.
1:1 Assessment of ELL and SPED students: In-person, ongoing as needed.
Full-Day/Full-Year Preschool: In-person instruction for qualifying students.
Learning Centers: Limited in-person enrollment during the school day for students in Grades TK-8 facilitated by Think Together.
High School Sports Conditioning: Return to Play Plan postponed.
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Vaccine Information and Updates |
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Beginning Monday, January 11, COVID-19 vaccination is open to all healthcare workers in Phase 1A. This includes school nurses and other school health services staff. If you are a healthcare worker affiliated with a school who has direct or indirect in-person contact with patients or infectious materials; we encourage you to visit the LADPH Vaccination for Health Care Workers webpage for information on how to access vaccination.
LADPH has also begun Phase 1B vaccinations for all LA County residents 65 and older and long-term care facilities residents.
Click here to book an appointment. Residents with disabilities or without computer access can call 833-540-0473 between 8:00 am and 8:30 pm 7 days a week for assistance with appointments.
They are cautioning vaccine supply is still extremely limited. They urge patience as they work urgently with our federal and state partners to expand capacity and supply in the weeks ahead.
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DUSD Curbside Meals Information |
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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has reversed its decision and will now allow school districts to offer curbside meals for free this school year. This will make it possible for Duarte Unified to once again provide all children who are 18 years old and under a breakfast and lunch combination daily, Monday - Friday.
Children do not have to be students of DUSD and do not have to be in the car at the time of pick-up. The monthly menu options, locations, and times for service previously provided will stay the same as listed below:
TIMES:
Meals will be distributed Monday - Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. except for major holidays. You will be notified in advance as to the days of curbside meals service closure.
LOCATIONS:
Andres Duarte Arts Academy (1433 Crestfield Drive, Duarte, CA 91010)
Maxwell Academy - IB World School (733 Euclid Avenue, Duarte, CA 91010)
Royal Oaks STEAM Academy (2499 Royal Oaks Drive, Bradbury, CA 91008)
Parents can pick up meals from the location that is the most convenient for them.
Any questions regarding the above information can be directed to the Duarte Unified Food Service Department at 626-599-5022 or 626-599-5023 or by email to bvolz@duarteusd.org.
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CSArts-SGV Virtual Preview Day & Live Event |
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Interested in applying to California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley (CSArts-SGV) and DUSD joint program? Prospective students and their families are invited to attend a Live Zoom Info Session to learn more.
CSArts-SGV and DUSD Principals and Administrators will be joined by current students who will share their experiences and answer questions about the 7th and 8th grade arts and academic program.
DATE: January 26, 2021
TIME: 5-6 p.m. | Middle School Informational Session
Zoom details will be emailed to all participants on the day of the event.
The Virtual Preview Day information is also available for you to view at your convenience. Keep in mind, the deadline to apply for the 2021-2022 school year is February 5, 2021.
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Duarte High School Events |
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Free Online Tutoring for DUSD Grades 6-12 |
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Parent University Workshops |
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No-Cost or Low-Cost Health Insurance Information |
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Download the Free WIN APP for Resources |
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Please help us to share that a Mobile App for LA’s Homeless and Struggling Youth, Families and Adults is in the APP Stores TODAY! With it you can search for food, shelter, jobs, and other services near you! |
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Mental Health Support Offered by D'Veal |
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LGBTQIA+ Parent Support Group |
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Mindful Mondays Presented by D'Veal |
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Keep these Distance Learning Tips Handy! |
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Please click on the links below to view the written guides and videos that contain helpful information and instructions to navigate our Distance Learning platforms. |
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Email our Tech Support for IT Assistance |
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100% Distance Learning Website Hub |
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We have created a dedicated section within our website to serve as a hub of information for our 100% Distance Learning Model. Included within this section are the schedules, contact information, technology support and services, Aeries navigation directions, instructional guides and videos for Google Classroom, and much much more. It is our goal to have all of the information you may need for distance learning within just one click. Start by visiting the 100% Distance Learning Hub.
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DUSD Social Media Directory |
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As you know, you can follow @duarteusd on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube. But, we have also put together a DUSD social media directory of all the official sites operated by our district, schools, and staff for your convenience. In addition to following @duarteusd, we encourage you to follow these other sites too for important information and updates during distance learning.
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COVID-19 Safety and Public Health Information |
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The best protection against COVID-19 is to wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, self-isolate if you are sick, practice physical distancing, and wear a clean face mask whenever in public. Also avoid the three C's: crowds, confined spaces and close contact with people outside your own household.
The Reopening Protocols, COVID-19 Surveillance Interactive Dashboard, Roadmap to Recovery, Recovery Dashboard, and additional things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your community are on the Public Health website.
Always check only trusted sources for the latest accurate information about COVID-19:
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Download it Today for FREE |
Stay up to date with everything that is taking place at every school across our district by downloading the DUSD APP. Check your child's grades, attendance, lunch balances, sports scores, notices from teachers, calendar of events and more all in one place! Download our free app from the Apple App and Google Play Stores. |
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Download the ParentSquare APP |
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School Flyers Available Via Email |
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Save Paper & Stay Informed |
DUSD uses Peachjar to send home school-approved flyers digitally, saving our schools time and money while eliminating paper waste. This means that now our parents can opt to receive flyers via email. |
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See Why YOU Belong at DUSD |
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Submit Your Newsletter Ideas |
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Have an idea, information or a suggestion for a story for our newsletter? |
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DUARTE UNIFIED | 626.599.5000 | communications@duarteusd.org |
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