District News

This week, the District launched a new survey of families, staff and students. The survey launched this week is part of the district’s desire to be an Organization of Excellence through continual improvement.  Your feedback will support us in reaching that goal.

Here’s an example of why your participation makes a difference in your student’s school experience.

“Feedback from our stakeholders is essential to our planning process and partnerships with our families is essential in meeting the needs of all learners,” said Whitney Holton, associate superintendent of instructional services. “Results from sources such as Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) ThoughtExchanges, Panorama school climate surveys, feedback from numerous advisory committees, school-based meetings, and community partners influence our programmatic decisions and help us determine how we are meeting our overall LCAP goals.” 

The results of the ThoughtExchange about State and Federal funds to address pandemic-related learning loss allowed the district to quickly prioritize funds for Accelerated Learning support. 

The community told us their priorities:

• Small group learning support
• Extending learning time
• Additional academic services and progress monitoring
• Additional support services (health, counseling, mental health)
• Staff training to address pupils' social-emotional and academic needs
• Community learning hubs (access technology, academic supports)

In response to the data and feedback, the District expanded after-school programs and services; social-emotional learning and mental health and wellness supports for students, such as expanded counseling services; and academic, behavioral, and wellness supports for students. A full list of school and district actions taken is part of a mid-year update to the Governing Board at its Feb . 3 meeting.

Transitional Kindergarten, the two-year bridge program between preschool and kindergarten, is expanding. Under California’s Universal TK program, which was part of the legislative changes of AB 130, children who turn 5 years old between Sept. 2, 2022 and Feb. 2, 2023, will be able to enroll in CUSD’s Transitional Kindergarten (TK) for the 2022-23 school year.

Plans for the 2022-23 implementation include following the same full-day schedule as its current TK and Kindergarten programs. The TK staffing ratio will be 12 students to 1 adult. The District hopes to offer a TK-only class at each elementary school. However, as is always the case, final locations and class make up will depend on the number of students who enroll in TK before the 2022-23 school year begins.  The district is prioritizing TK only classes but may need to have TK/K combination classes depending on actual enrollment. 

• Enroll Today (TK, Kindergarten and all other grades)
• What’s the Prek/TK/K Difference?

Early education experts say 90% of brain growth happens before kindergarten, so the expansion is a key strategy for closing achievement gaps.

“We’re excited to be able to extend our high-quality TK program to more young students,” said Superintendent Shelly Viramontez. “The opportunities for socialization and learning are critical at this stage of their development.” 

The TK program will gradually expand over the next few years until it includes all 4-year-olds by the 2025-26 school year. Download the Jan. 13 Board presentation about TK.

Our relentless effort to effectively manage COVID-19 has taught us all to expect change. This week, another guidance update was released due to the Omicron variant surge.

On January 18th the District sent updated information to all families about California Department of Public Health’s revised guidance for TK-12 settings which identifies alternative approaches to contact tracing and quarantine. (If you  did not receive the notice, please contact your child’s school for a copy.)

Under this update, state and county public health officials tell us that, once-weekly testing may be implemented in lieu of traditional exposure notification and contact tracing. 

Our schools have offered weekly testing on campus since September. Through our partnership with Grapefruit Testing, the process is streamlined and provides quicker notice of COVID-positive test results for students enrolled in the program. Families who wish to enroll their students in the Grapefruit’s testing program will find the consent form here in English, and here in Spanish. 

Our primary aim is to keep schools open for students to attend and learn safely. According to our public health officials, for the majority of children, the risks from COVID-19 infection are outweighed by the known social and mental health harms of remote learning, even during the current Omicron surge.

We remain committed to protecting the health and well-being of our students and staff. We continue to  follow safety protocols, including masking and proper ventilation, to further reduce the risk of in-school COVID-19 transmission. We will continue to update our COVID-19 online dashboard and will provide updates to families when guidance from health officials changes. 

While the community spread continues, we appreciate your diligence in monitoring your students, keeping them home if they are symptomatic, and having them participate in weekly testing.

FIRST 5 of Santa Clara County offers calming kits for families. A calming kit is a set of tools to support children and families with understanding and regulating emotions and decreasing stress.

To register and schedule a time to pick up a calming kit, call 1-888-479-0837. For more information about FIRST 5 Santa Clara County, visit www.first5kids.org.