Schools
NUSD: 12.31.21 Community Connections And COVID Update
It is with great appreciation that I acknowledge families for participating in the COVID/BINAX testing prior to returning to school (thi ...
lbenjamin
January 2nd, 2022
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12.31.21 Community Connections and COVID Update
Dear Novato Community,
Happy New Year! You received the communication from Leslie Benjamin, who coordinates all thing COVID for NUSD, on December 29. We received additional information this morning that Marin Public Health is continuing the 10 days of isolation for students and staff who test positive for COVID-19. School Isolation and Quarantine guidance has not changed despite the new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance for the general public. You can find Marin Public Health’s communication here.
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It is with great appreciation that I acknowledge families for participating in the COVID/BINAX testing prior to returning to school (this is voluntary and strongly recommended.) Hopefully all students, 7,186, and approximately 800 employees are participating in the BINAX testing as a preventative measure prior to returning to school on January 4.
As we return to school amid growing COVID-19 cases in the community, you may be wondering what we are doing to keep students and staff safe.
We are committed to continuing in-person instruction and have taken measures to ensure that we are doing that safely. We continue to follow our School Site Specific Protection Plans with requiring face masks indoors, updated air and filtration systems, enhanced sanitation procedures, tracking vaccination rate %’s for staff and students, having rapid antigen testing available, etc.
There is no specific case threshold at which state and local public health recommend a temporary closure of a classroom or school. Guidance from the California Department of Public Health states that “a temporary school closure due to COVID-19 should be a last resort and considered only after all available resources have been exhausted in an attempt to preserve in-person education.”
Should a situation arise where we’re seeing high rates of in-school transmission or experiencing operational challenges (such as our ability to maintain sufficient staff to provide in-person instruction) due to COVID-19, we will work with the Marin County Office of Education and local public health officials to make decisions that support health and safety as well as continuity of learning for our students.
We understand this is a time of uncertainty and concern. We will work through this together to keep our students, families, and staff safe.
You can help by ensuring your child is vaccinated (and boosted if applicable); testing for COVID-19 if they have been exposed or are presenting symptoms; and keeping them home if they are ill. If your child has not yet been vaccinated, please schedule them for one as soon as possible.
As the pandemic continues to evolve, we are trying to respond and adapt quickly in order to keep our schools open in a safe manner. We appreciate your support and understanding, and will continue to keep you updated.
Other District News
We are excited to start the new semester with additional services for students based on one-time funds from the state. There are additional school day tutoring opportunities, after school tutoring, and mental health services. As you are aware, the state has allocated additional funds in the form of 1x funding to support academic and mental health wellness. We are grateful for these opportunities for our students. We know the best learning occurs in the classroom among students, teachers, and support staff. We are appreciative to provide in-person learning and NOVA Virtual Independent Study learning opportunities to keep the student-teacher connections in place.
PTA Budget Meetings Scheduled for State Budget Overview and Potential NUSD Reductions
Our goal is to share as much pertinent information as possible so that parents can become ambassadors for the district as we experience the challenges and triumphs of budget reductions. Trustees are clearly directing us to protect student programs and to scrutinize the budgets general fund to best keep our programs intact and support teaching and learning for our students. Marin County Office of Education continues to oversee our finances and we continue to adhere to the established conditions of budget approval.
I look forward to meeting each PTA as scheduled and having a dialogue to better understand the community concerns and to respond to questions. I look forward to our conversations. Additionally, we will be presenting some community forums after January 20 once we have clearer knowledge of the Governor’s Budget projections for 2022-23.
You may wish to participate in Zoom Annual School Funding Forum on January 20, 2022, from 5-6:30 pm to hear from Michael Fine, Chief Executive Officer of Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team (FCMAT) and Brooks Allen, Executive Director of the California State Board of Education. Here is the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81153319799?pwd=Tzl0dkF3ak8xRHVUbnpDbGsyWXBSZz09#success Webinar ID: 811 5331 9799 with this passcode – 371944. To call in, dial: 1. 408.638.0968
PTA Meetings for Budget Overview
Loma Verde 1/5/22 7 pm
Pleasant Valley 1/12/22 6 pm
Lynwood 1/18/22 6 pm
San Jose 1/20/22 6 pm
Sinaloa 1/20/22 7 pm
Novato High 2/3/22 7 pm
San Marin TBD
(Already held: Olive, Hamilton, Rancho, Lu Sutton, San Ramon)
Looking forward to our time together to discuss the budget. Your input is appreciated.
Respectfully,
Jan La Torre-Derby, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Novato Unified School District
1015 7th Street
Novato, CA 94945
Monday - Friday
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
This press release was produced by the Novato Unified School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
