Superintendent's Friday Update
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Hello Alta Loma School District
Our Top Three Updates for the Week:
- Superintendent Search is Underway
- CAASPP - Starting Smarter
- COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for California Students is Delayed
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From Board of Trustees President Brad Buller:
Alta Loma School District’s search for the next Superintendent is underway
with the Board expected to make a selection by June 2022.
The Alta Loma School District initiated a search for a new Superintendent, soon after the announcement that Superintendent Karen Hendricks would be leaving on June 30.
The District has secured the support of advisors Education Support Services (ESS), a consulting firm that assists school districts with superintendent searches, governance training, human resources, and more.
In the coming weeks, ESS will spend time conducting focus groups with a variety of stakeholders, including principals, parents, employees, civic/community leaders, and District staff.
All employees and members of the community are invited to complete the online survey to enlist community views about the opportunities and challenges facing the District, along with qualities and characteristics essential for success for the incoming Superintendent. A link to the survey will be on the District website at www.alsd.k12.ca.us. The survey will open Monday, April 18 and close on April 29 at 5:00 PM.
The trends and findings from the interviews and online survey will be presented to the Board at the regular meeting on Wednesday, May 4, 2022. The information will be used to develop a Leadership Profile that will guide the recruitment, screening, interview, and selection process.
After all applications are submitted, ESS consultants will do a full screening of each qualified candidate, which is expected to take a few weeks. A list of applicants who most closely match the Leadership Profile will be presented to the Board, who will decide which applicants to interview in an extensive confidential process.
The new Superintendent’s contract is expected to be on the agenda of a regular Board meeting in June, with an anticipated start date to be July 1, 2022.
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CAASPP - Starting Smarter
From: Associate Superintendent Chris Deegan
Our ALSD students are off to a great start with the End of Year CAASPP Assessments. We appreciate the support of our families to ensure that our students are well-rested, have a good breakfast each day, arrive on time for school, and are relaxed and prepared to show what they know on this test. We are proud of all of our students, and know that you are, too! Let’s encourage them to continue to do their best everyday!
Special thanks to our amazing teachers, staff and administration at all of our school sites for all of the hard work and dedication that goes into spring testing. Beyond the high quality teaching and learning that is taking place throughout the year, there is a great deal of work and logistics that take place to administer the CAASPP Assessment to all of our students in grades 3-8 each year. We are grateful for all of you!
Follow us on Twitter
@AltaLomaSD
@ALSD_EdServices
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COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement for California Students is Delayed
Senator Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) announced yesterday that he is dropping SB 871; this bill that would have added the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of vaccinations required for students to be admitted to school, and would have eliminated the personal belief exemption that currently exists under Governor Newsom’s student vaccine mandate. In a prepared statement, the Senator said:
“… COVID vaccination rates, particularly among children, are currently insufficient, and the state needs to focus its effort on increasing access to COVID vaccinations for children through physicians and other health providers who care for children and on education efforts to give families accurate information about the COVID vaccine. Until children’s access to COVID vaccination is greatly improved, I believe that a state-wide policy to require COVID vaccination in schools is not the immediate priority, although it is an appropriate safety policy for many school districts in communities with good vaccine access.”
Shortly after that action, Governor’s Newsom's office announced they will further delay the implementation of the current student COVID-19 vaccination requirement.
This means the soonest the new requirement would take effect is July 1, 2023, effectively pushing back implementation to the 2023-24 school year.
Below is the Administration’s full statement:
Statement on Timeline for COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements in Schools
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today issued the following statement regarding a new implementation timeline for adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of vaccinations required to attend school.
SACRAMENTO – The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet fully approved COVID-19 vaccines for individuals of all ages within the 7–12 grade span. The State of California announced last October that full approval by the FDA was a precondition to initiating the rulemaking process to add the COVID-19 vaccine to other vaccinations required for in-person school attendance—such as measles, mumps, and rubella—pursuant to California’s Health and Safety Code. To ensure sufficient time for successful implementation of new vaccine requirements, California will not initiate the regulatory process for a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for the 2022-2023 school year and as such, any vaccine requirements would not take effect until after full FDA approval and no sooner than July 1, 2023.
Vaccines are the most powerful weapon against hospitalization and serious illness due to COVID-19. California’s response to conditions in schools has adapted to the dynamic challenges of the pandemic, based on science. As outlined in Governor Newsom’s SMARTER Plan, the State has maintained vaccine supply, operational readiness, and access to education and resources about COVID-19 and vaccines with focused engagement to ensure younger Californians are taking opportunities to get vaccinated.
“CDPH strongly encourages all eligible Californians, including children, to be vaccinated against COVID-19,” said California Department of Public Health Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás J. Aragón. “We continue to ensure that our response to the COVID-19 pandemic is driven by the best science and data available. Under the Governor’s SMARTER plan, California is making informed decisions on how to further protect students and staff, to keep children safely in classrooms.”
Upon full approval by the FDA, CDPH will consider the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians prior to implementing a school vaccine requirement.
Please visit myturn.ca.gov or call (833) 422-4255 to make your vaccine or booster appointment today.”
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Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead,
Karen Hendricks
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Board of Trustees Meeting
- Wednesday, April 20, 2022 - This Board of Trustees Regular Meeting will begin at 5PM for Closed Session. Open Session will begin at 6PM. The Board of Trustees may return to Closed Session at the conclusion of the Open Session Meeting if it is necessary in order to complete those agenda items.
The meeting will be held at the District Support Center (DSC), located at 9390 Base Line Road, Alta Loma.
Other Important Upcoming Dates:
- Thursday, April 21 - Transitional Kindergarten Parent Information Night, 6:00 PM, District Support Center
- Tuesday, May 3 - Open House at Deer Canyon Elementary, 5:00 PM
- Thursday, May 5 - Open Houses at Alta Loma Elementary, Stork Elementary and Victoria Groves Elementary, 5:00 PM
- Thursday, May 12 - Open Houses at Hermosa Elementary, 4:30 PM TK / Kinder; 5:30 PM Grades 1-6 and Alta Loma Junior High at 6:00 PM
- Thursday, May 19 - Open Houses at Carnelian Elementary, 5:30 PM and Jasper Elementary, 5:00 PM
- Wednesday, May 25 - Last day of school for Grades K-7: Modified Day for Grades 1-8; PM Kinder students attend with AM Kinder students
- Thursday, May 26 - Last day of school for Grade 8 students (Modified Day)
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Great Things Happening At Our Schools |
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From Principal Val Bires:
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Life at Hermosa is always exciting and inspirational! A few weeks ago, our 4th graders showed us their amazing talents and skills with their Wax Museum projects. Each 4th grader selected a famous individual, researched facts about them and created a poster to present at our Annual Wax Museum.
Our quad was full of students presenting and sharing facts about their famous individual to Husky parents, families and community members. Our students did an amazing job! We are so proud of them!
A special thanks to our awesome 4th grade team of teachers, Ms. Goebel, Ms. Little and Ms. Teune for teaching, guiding and leading our 4th graders.
#huskystrong
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From Principal Guadalupe Berzunza:
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All year Stork staff and parents have been working together to build a community of care for all of our students. This week we want to feature an exceptional student who day in and day out exemplifies kindness and true friendship towards his peers.
Brady is a 5th grader who has shown kindness and respect towards his friend Eli. Eli is one of our wonderful Superstars who was diagnosed with Friedreich's Ataxia, which is an inherited disease that damages the nervous system. The damage affects the spinal cord and the nerves that control muscle movement in the arms and legs.
Brady has been there for Eli since he returned to Stork. Brady meets Eli in the morning and ensures that he gets to class. He helps him during recess, lunch and after school. Eli loves coming to school and participating in all of our school activities because he feels safe and knows he has the support of his peers and staff. Eli enjoys being in the GATE and STEM program.
Recently he participated and did great in the District’s Spelling Bee and Brady was right there to support and encourage him. Eli’s perseverance exemplifies what being a Stork Superstar is all about. The bond that these boys have formed is a true testament to what kindness and friendship looks like. It gives me great pride to see such amazing acts of kindness throughout our school.
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From Principal Kristy Johnson:
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This week students from Mrs. Collins and Mr. Shinn’s classes were honored and celebrated at the annual Art and Writing Showcase hosted by the West End Selpa Community Advisory Committee. Participants ranged from preschool through high school and had an opportunity to highlight their artistic talents.
The theme this year was “Count on Me” and our VGS students were recognized in the area of Visual Arts. San Bernardino County Superintendent Ted Alejandre was there to hand out awards to our amazing artists. Our very own Mrs. Collins received a Parent Appreciation award for her dedication to her students. We are so proud of our Grizzlies!
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From Principal Michele Rachielles:
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Our Keystone class entered the West End Selpa Art and Writing Contest! Wednesday night, they were celebrated at the showcase at Chaffey High School and they received a certificate for their art entries. Pictured are James, Chloe, and teacher Ms. Garcia. We are so proud of the work of our Keystone class and we so appreciate Ms. Garcia’s hard work as well. Congrats, kids!
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From Principal Sandy Rose:
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It was exciting to see so many GATE students around the District participate in the Alta Loma School District's GATE Spelling Bee and to have the community back together in person for this fun event.
We are so proud of our VJH GATE students who participated last week. Saraya C. was not only on the winning team at the ALSD GATE Spelling Bee, she took first place at our site Spelling Bee and placed 8th at the County Spelling Bee.
#VineyardGATEStudentsRock!
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From Principal Dolly Bentley:
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Last week, Alta Loma Elementary GATE students participated in the District GATE Spelling Bee at Alta Loma Junior High. Mikaela O., Zebastian L., and Jacob B. did a fantastic job representing our school and spelling like champions!
Congratulations to Jacob for contributing to the winning team and for receiving a trophy!
Nice Work Chieftains. We are so proud of you!
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From Principal Khaleelah Lewis-Wilkins:
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Last week Banyan welcomed the Cambio group to our site for Equity Walks. Our team of teachers and staff excitedly visited classroom and non-classroom environments to observe the equitable experiences that our students and staff engage in daily. There were many insights and fruitful takeaways from the observations.
Our school continues to demonstrate strong school wide physical environments that encourage a sense of belonging for our students. Our embedded school wide rituals and lessons, exercise inclusivity and love for ALL of our students! We are so thankful for the acknowledgement of hard work and perseverance that our school community has embarked upon this year.
Thank you to the Cambio Group and our ALSD leadership for providing opportunities this year to have reflective and thought provoking discussions that will continue to impact our Banyan students and community.
#GoBulldogs #BulldogPrideSchoolwide
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From Principal Autumn Williams:
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Many of our Carnelian 6th grade students spent the week at Three Oaks Outdoor Science Camp in Lake Arrowhead. The students got to experience lessons in Astronomy, ORTology, Zoology and Biology while out hiking the trails. We had a rainy drive up to camp, but now the weather is beautiful and it is the perfect backdrop for outdoor learning! We are excited for our 6th grade students and the incredible experience they are having and the great memories they will bring home!
Carnelian Cardinals will always “Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Proud” and have a great Cardinal day!
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From Principal Andrew Carter:
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This week Grades 3-5 started their California state testing and were ROCKING it!
All we asked of our students was to do their personal best and reassured them they were prepared to SOAR! We are so proud of them.
Each day we raffle prizes for students who are earning tickets for being on time, focusing on their test, and using their strategies for success.
We look forward to our 6th graders starting next week and know that they are focused and ready to succeed as well.
Our teachers have done an amazing job this year and our students have risen to each and every challenge with a positive mindset. I am so appreciative of Mrs. Rice for the job she has done preparing our site for the test and for setting up the raffle. She is incredible! We will keep this momentum going for the next three weeks! I am so proud of the students, staff, and community!
#EaglePRIDE
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From Principal Curtis Quanstrom:
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The hallways might be quiet but the students are focused. State testing has officially begun at Jasper. Students in grades 3-6 are giving their best selves for the CAASPP and CAA.
As students work their way through the week they can earn Scholar Tickets for prizes for all their hard work while taking the test. At lunch time we choose Scholar Tickets and students come and pick their prizes. All prizes were donations given to the school for our Champions.
We are very grateful for the hard work our teachers have poured into the students this year as well as the parents who set them up for success. We know our Champions are going to soar through.
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From Your COVID-19 Safety and Information Team
Updates to Public Health Guidance for K–12 Schools
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