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  • UPCOMING SCHOOL BOARD STUDY SESSION THURSDAY, SEPTEM...

    School Board Study Session Thursday, September 23   The Board of Education Study Session on Thursday, September 23 at 6:00 p.m. will be held in person  and broadcast live at:  www.lbusd.org/liveboardmeeting ( please select open-session ) .   The full agenda has been posted here. Location:  Thurston Middle School Library 2100 Park Ave. Laguna Beach, CA 92651   Mask Protocol All in-person attendees are required to wear masks. Those without a facemask will not be permitted into the meeting room, regardless of vaccination status. - Source CDPH Guidance for the use of Face Coverings 7/28/21   Public Comments Public Comment is accepted in writing prior to the meeting, or in person (Thurston Library).   Public comments will be accepted during agenda items 4.A. and 4.B. Speaking time will be limited to three (3) minutes per speaker, twenty (20) minutes per topic.   Public Comment via electronic submission may be submitted no later than Thursday, September 23, 2021, by 12:00 p.m. via the  September 23, 2021, Public Comment Form.     * Please note that public comment will not be accepted via Zoom during the meeting so please plan accordingly.   [Tuesday, Sep 21 at 12:55 PM] Please note the link to the agenda has been updated.

    Tuesday, Sep 21 2021

  • Laguna Beach Unified Launches Year Two of Our Partne...

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LAGUNA BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT  CONTACT: SHELLEY SPESSARD Ed.D. PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER (949) 497-7700 EXT. 5232   September 20, 2021   Laguna Beach Unified Launches Year Two of Our Partnership With Education Elements   (Laguna Beach, CA) Laguna Beach Unified School District eagerly announces year two of our partnership with Education Elements, a  K - 12 company that consults with schools, districts, and learning organizations on diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) matters. In March 2021, LBUSD partnered with Education Elements to work to ensure every student has a voice in their school and classroom including communities of color, students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students, and multilingual learners.    The purpose of the District’s DEI work is to make safe spaces for all of our students and to support them in becoming citizens and leaders in every context. Ultimately this work is for all students to ensure that they have the support to be successful in their classrooms and beyond.    As we enter year two of implementation, we are guided by the work of our year one steering committee composed of parents, staff, students, and board members. That committee engaged in a variety of workshops to help LBUSD evolve and align its definition of equity, identify equity gaps, and examine policies and practices to ensure high outcomes for all students.    “LBUSD is leveraging the ability of Education Elements to create safe spaces for listening and collecting input, synthesizing data, and acting as a process guide and expert facilitator,” shared Education Elements. “As to what we choose to do for the Laguna Beach community, and the extent to which we prioritize equity and inclusion, these decisions are for Laguna’s educators, leaders, and Board - all of whom are entrusted with this primary responsibility.”   “We look forward to engaging students, staff, parents, and community partners in the discussion around equity in our schools this fall as we set up listening and learning tours,” said Dr. Jason Viloria, Superintendent of Schools. “I appreciate the school board's focus on ensuring our schools are inclusive and meet the needs of all learners.”   “Equity, fairness, and inclusiveness are important priorities for the district,” said Board President Carol Normandin. “Students, parents, employees and community members of both the  Open Letter to the  Board  and the steering committee, affirmed the importance of this decision by sharing powerful stories on the issues of inclusiveness and marginalization, as well as the importance of community allies in supporting equity, fairness, and inclusiveness.  We look forward to supporting all of our students in being leaders on these issues in their communities, the nation, and the world.  We also ask that all be on the lookout for opportunities to participate.”   For more information, visit  https://www.lbusd.org/about/equity .     ####    

    Monday, Sep 20 2021

  • The Board of Education Will Hold Two Special Board M...

    The LBUSD Board Of Education will hold two special meetings next week. Details for each meeting are listed below. Please note that both meetings will be held in person.   Special Meeting - Closed Session - Superintendent Goal Setting   Details: This meeting will be held on Monday, September 20, 2021, in person.  The full agenda has been posted here. Location:  LBUSD Board Room 550 Blumont Street Laguna Beach, CA 92651   The meeting schedule is as follows: Closed-session is scheduled for 1:00 PM.   Mask Protocol All attendees are required to wear masks. Those without a facemask will not be permitted into the meeting room, regardless of vaccination status. - Source CDPH Guidance for the use of Face Coverings 7/28/21   Public Comments Public Comment is accepted in writing prior to the meeting, or in person (LBUSD District Office). Public comments will be accepted during closed-session agenda item 1.E. Speaking time will be limited to three (3) minutes per speaker, twenty (20) minutes total.   Public Comment via electronic submission may be submitted no later than Monday, September 20, 2021, by 10:00 a.m. via the following link:  September 20, 2021, Public Comment Form.     Special Meeting - Open Session - Board Policies Details: This meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 21, 2021, in person.  The full agenda has been posted here. Location:  LBUSD Board Room 550 Blumont Street Laguna Beach, CA 92651   The meeting schedule is as follows: Open-session is scheduled for 3:00 PM. Mask Protocol All attendees are required to wear masks. Those without a facemask will not be permitted into the meeting room, regardless of vaccination status. - Source CDPH Guidance for the use of Face Coverings 7/28/21 Public Comments Public Comment is accepted in writing prior to the meeting, or in person (LBUSD District Office).  Public comments will be accepted during open-session agenda item 3.A. Speaking time will be limited to three (3) minutes per speaker, twenty (20) minutes total.   Public Comment via electronic submission may be submitted no later than Tuesday, September 21, 2021, by 12:00 p.m. via the following link:  September 21, 2021, Public Comment Request Form            

    Friday, Sep 17 2021

  • LBUSD Launches New Podcast Series: Inside LBUSD

    NEW podcast alert! Inside LBUSD will feature episodes that cover topics based on our core commitments of every student, every day; continuous improvement; and relationships matter. Episode 1 dives into an LBUSD Covid update with Dr. Michael Keller and Nurse Kelly Schultz. You can listen to Inside LBUSD at https://www.lbusd.org/resources/podcast and on Podbean . Coming soon to other platforms; you don't want to miss it!

    Wednesday, Sep 15 2021

  • School Board Meeting: Thursday, September 9, 2021

        The regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Thursday, September 9, 2021, in person and via Zoom.  The full agenda has been posted here. Location:  Thurston Middle School Library 2100 Park Avenue Laguna Beach, CA 92651   Zoom Links:   www.lbusd.org/liveboardmeeting .     The meeting schedule is as follows: Closed session is scheduled for 5:00 PM. Open session is scheduled for 6:00 PM. All in-person attendees are required to wear masks. Those without a facemask will not be permitted into the meeting room, regardless of vaccination status. - Source CDPH Guidance for the use of Face Coverings 7/28/21   Public Comments Public Comment is accepted in writing prior to the meeting, or live in person (Thurston Middle School Library).  Live public comments will be accepted during the designated public comment periods of the meeting. Speaking time will be limited to three (3) minutes per speaker, twenty (20) minutes per topic.   Public Comment via electronic submission may be submitted no later than Thursday, September 9, 2021, by 12:00 p.m. via the following link:  September 9, 2021, Public Comment Request Form   * Please note that public comment will not be accepted via Zoom during the meeting so please plan accordingly.   In-person speakers will be called upon at the appropriate time during the meeting: a. Topics on the agenda may be addressed during the Board’s consideration of the item. b. Topics not on the agenda that are within the Board’s subject matter jurisdiction may be addressed during the public comment, non-agenda items section.    

    Tuesday, Sep 07 2021

  • Welcome Back LBUSD Families

    August 22, 2021 Dear LBUSD Families, I hope you had a memorable and safe summer break. As we move into the 2021-2022 school year, I want to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to all of our families, students, staff, and community members who united together through the pandemic to recharge, renew, and reimagine teaching and learning in LBUSD. If the pandemic taught us anything, it was that there is no greater force than students, staff, and families working together to help our students persevere. This past year and a half, we discovered the importance of reimagining what teaching and learning look like at Laguna Beach Unified. Our staff, students, and families came together to implement new learning techniques to support all students. Our community and staff played integral roles in the success of our students to help keep them engaged and connected, allowing them to thrive in the face of the challenges this past year. The resiliency I have seen throughout our district is incredible and I am proud to be a part of such an amazing community. The 2021-2022 school year will have a renewed energy surrounding equity and the importance of accessibility for all students across LBUSD. Together we remain focused on every student every day, continuous improvement, and strong relationships.  Our passion for ensuring ALL students gain the knowledge, experience, world perspectives, and skills needed to become lifelong learners and producers in a competitive and interconnected world has never wavered. We look forward to this new school year with excitement, confidence, hope, and high expectations for students and staff alike. The District will be returning to full-time, in-person instruction with the first day of school starting on Monday, August 23, 2021. Sincerely, Jason Viloria, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools

    Sunday, Aug 22 2021

  • Important COVID-19 Information for School Opening Au...

    Dear LBUSD Families: As we embark on the new school year, we wanted to share some important information and reminders about COVID-19 safety and mitigation practices in LBUSD. The  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ,  California Department of Public Health (CDPH) , and the  Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA)  provide us with the most updated scientific information and guidance to minimize the risks associated with COVID-19 in the school setting. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your site administration or school nurse with any additional questions or concerns. Your Child is Highly Encouraged to Complete COVID-19 Testing August 23 - September 3, 2021 One of the most important and effective public health strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19 is testing and contact tracing close contacts to help isolate individuals who are positive and quarantine close contacts. The Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) has partnered with Ambry Genetics to support COVID-19 testing of students and staff at all schools.  We are encouraging all students to complete COVID-19 testing between Monday, August 23, and Friday, September 3 for our return to school testing drive.  Parents/guardians can access COVID-19 test kits in multiple ways: Pick up a free test kit from the District Office (550 Blumont Street, Laguna Beach, CA 92651) between 7:30am-4:30pm Monday-Friday.  Follow the administration directions for each child submitting a test and be sure to select LBUSD from the drop-down list of school districts.  Return the sample via Fed-Ex and get your child’s results in 1-3 business days.   FedEX drop off location :  1100 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach 303 Broadway, Laguna Beach, or  1278 Glenneyre, Laguna Beach Pick up a free test kit from your child’s school office during normal business hours Monday to Friday. Follow the administration directions for each child submitting a test and be sure to select LBUSD from the drop-down list of school districts.  Return the sample via Fed-Ex and get your child’s results in 1-3 business days.  FedEX drop off location :  1100 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach 303 Broadway, Laguna Beach, or  1278 Glenneyre, Laguna Beach Request a free COVID-19 home testing kit from:  https://oc.care.ambrygen.com/#/cit/landing Connect with your child’s healthcare provider for local testing referrals. In addition to this effort to test as many students as possible in the first two weeks of school, free test kits are available at any time from the District Office or your child’s school site during the regular school year. COVID-19 Vaccinations for Eligible Students Reduces the Risk of Serious Harm Youth 12 years and older are eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and there is ample evidence that vaccinated individuals reduce the risk of serious harm from infection. Vaccination status for close contact exposure to an infected individual is important in the recommendation for quarantine. If a vaccinated child is identified as a close contact exposure to a COVID-19 positive individual, and they are asymptomatic, they do not enter quarantine and are cleared to continued school enrollment without restriction and full participation in extracurricular activities. They should continue to monitor symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days and immediately isolate and test if they become symptomatic. The CDC recommends testing between days 3 and 5 from the date of exposure for vaccinated individuals only. Please contact your healthcare provider if you have any questions about your child's health or safety in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine. More information can be found here: California My Turn for Vaccination OCHCA Vaccine Information Masks Matter to Keep Students and Staff Safe and In School All students and staff are required to wear masks while indoors on campus, regardless of vaccination status to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Masks are optional outdoors. The school maintains a regular supply of personal protective equipment, including masks, and will furnish a new mask for your child, if needed.  When students consistently wear masks indoors at school, they are far more likely to meet the requirements for a “modified quarantine” in the event of an identified close contact with an infected individual. The modified quarantine enables an unvaccinated and asymptomatic student to continue to attend school while on quarantine only if both the infected individual and the close contact were both wearing masks at the time of exposure. In the event of a close contact exposure, your child’s school nurse will provide detailed information about quarantine requirements. The LBUSD COVID-19 Reporting Dashboard is Live Please visit our  COVID-19 Reporting  page for up-to-date information about current student and staff COVID-19 case counts, quarantine, and isolation data. Additionally, this page provides information about the contact tracing procedures, communication process in the event of a site exposure or close contact with an exposed individual, and how and when to contact your child’s school nurse.   The LBUSD COVID-19 Resources Page is Updated Please visit our  COVID-19 Resources  page for up-to-date resources. If you are in need of support in accessing non-health-related community resources, please contact: Ivonne Redard, School Counselor Community Liaison at  iredard@lbusd.org . School Nurse Contact Information Please contact your child’s school site administrator or school nurse with any questions related to COVID-19. Our nurses’ names and email addresses are provided below: Kelly Schultz, RN, MSN   kschultz@lbusd.org  Top of the World Elementary School Thurston Middle School Pam Majd, RN, MSN   pmajd@lbusd.org El Morro Elementary School Laguna Beach High School In closing, we are enthusiastically approaching the opening of school on Monday! Given the dynamic nature of federal, state, and local guidance evolving as the COVID-19 conditions on the ground change, we anticipate regular adjustments to the information shared in this communication. We will continue to provide families and staff with regular updates as new information or student-related procedures change. We appreciate your partnership, patience, and support as we work to ensure a safe and healthy return to school.  Sincerely, Michael Keller, Ed.D. Director, Social Emotional Support Nursing Services Supervisor

    Friday, Aug 20 2021

  • UPCOMING BOARD OF EDUCATION VIRTUAL MEETING: THURSDA...

    School Board Meeting: Thursday, August 19, 2021   The regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education on Thursday, August 19 at 6:00 P.M. will be held VIRTUALLY  via Zoom and broadcast live at:  www.lbusd.org/liveboardmeeting . The full agenda has been posted here.   The meeting schedule is as follows: The closed virtual session is scheduled for 5:00 P.M. The open virtual  session is scheduled for 6:00 P.M.   Public Comment is accepted in writing prior to the meeting, or by phone or webinar during the meeting. Live public comments will be accepted during the designated public comment periods of the meeting. The time for live comments will be limited, so prepare your remarks accordingly.   Written Comments Written public comments may be submitted electronically no later than Thursday, August 19, 2021, by 12:00 P.M. via the following link:  August 19, 2021, Public Comment Request Form.  Written comments will be shared with the entire Board, but will not be read aloud during the meeting.   Calling in by phone: Members of the public may call in using the Zoom meeting phone number: (669) 900-6833.   Closed Session Public Comment Via Phone at 5:00 P.M: Members of the public may call in using the Zoom meeting phone number: (669) 900-6833; Webinar ID is 942 4483 4065.  Press *9 on your phone if you would like to comment during the designated comment period. Once recognized to make your comment, press *6 to un-mute your phone. When you hear "your phone is un-muted," please proceed with your comment.   Open  Session Public Comment Via Phone  at 6:00 PM:  Members of the public may call in using the Zoom meeting phone number: (669) 900-6833; Webinar ID is 949 9061 4789 . Press *9 on your phone if you would like to comment during the designated comment period. Once recognized to make your comment, press *6 to un-mute your phone. When you hear "your phone is un-muted," please proceed with your comment.   Commenting via Zoom: If you would like to make a comment and you are viewing the meeting via Zoom webinar, raise your hand during the public comment period, and unmute your microphone once recognized to do so.   Speakers will be called upon at the appropriate time during the meeting: a. Topics on the agenda may be addressed during the Board’s consideration of the item. b. Topics not on the agenda that are within the Board’s subject matter jurisdiction may be addressed during the public comment, non-agenda items section. Speaking time will be limited to three (3) minutes per speaker, twenty (20) minutes per topic. With Board consent, the Board President may modify the time allowed for public presentation.  

    Tuesday, Aug 17 2021

  • Updated Guidance For LBUSD School Employees

    Dear Laguna Beach Families, We are a few short days away from the start of the 2021-22 school year and are beyond excited to have our students in-person in school full-time. Our staff has been working diligently to ensure a safe return to school, and we continue to closely monitor and implement all required updates from state and local health officials. The following information provides an essential update on recent COVID-19 state and local requirements to promote student and staff safety while in school. On August 11, Governor Newsom announced that the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a new public health order requiring all school staff to provide full vaccination status or take a COVID-19 test at least once per week. The new CDPH state public health order for school staff will take effect on August 12, 2021, and schools must fully comply by October 15, 2021. The state public health order is part of the CDPH’s efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect Californians from severe illness or death. As an additional staff COVID-19 mitigation safety measure, on August 10, 2021, the LBUSD Board of Education directed District staff to mandate vaccines for all LBUSD employees. This directive requires all district staff to provide proof of vaccination or complete weekly testing for those individuals who meet the medical or religious exemption criteria allowed by law. We will work closely with our associations to determine how to address these new requirements. “The best way to ensure live education for our students is a robust vaccination and testing program for our teachers and staff combined with expansive use of masks, particularly indoors,” shared Carol Normandin, Board President. "We want students who want to attend live classes to be able to do so while keeping themselves, teachers, staff, and their families safe.” As a reminder, all students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, will continue to be required to wear masks while indoors on campus. Robust and free testing resources are available to K-12 schools through the CA K-12 schools testing program . In addition, parents may pick up COVID-19 tests at the District Office or any one of our school sites. The Laguna Beach Unified School District continues to follow all health and safety requirements from the California Department of Public Health, Cal/OSHA, Orange County Health Care Agency, CIF, and duly executed public health orders from the governor. As we receive new or updated guidance throughout the year, we will inform all families promptly. If you have any questions or concerns about student safety measures related to COVID-19, please contact your child’s school principal. Sincerely, Laguna Beach Unified School District [Friday, Aug 13 at 11:39 AM] For COVID information, protocols, and updates visit https://www.lbusd.org/resources/covid19.

    Friday, Aug 13 2021

  • Updated Bus Pass Information

    Dear Laguna Beach Unified Families,   Thank you for your interest in our transportation program. We understand the challenges that are created by limitations in bus transportation. In a good faith effort to allow for social distancing, we started with reduced capacity on our bus routes. The demand in initial bus pass sales exceeded available seats and we recognize that adjustments need to be made in order to ensure students are able to get to school.  The latest CDPH guidelines provide some flexibility related to distancing that allows us to increase the capacity for total available ridership, while still conforming to the safety recommendations and requirements. In response, we are pleased to inform you that we will be able to have additional seats available on our bus routes.    Additional passes will become available on Thursday 8/12 at 12:00 pm (noon). The pass purchase system will go off-line for the hour prior. Please do not be alarmed that the link will be temporarily unavailable. When purchasing a pass online, first select a quantity and then a designated bus stop for your desired route. Select both an AM and a PM route for round trip transportation. Available routes and stops for each school site are posted online. To avoid error messages, please double-check to make sure all areas with a red asterisk have been completed, including a small checkbox to agree to the terms and conditions.   The CDPH requires that all students be masked while on the bus.    Additional information is available on our  transportation webpage .   Thank you for your understanding and support, Business Services

    Monday, Aug 09 2021