Parentsquare Logo

  • Reopening Update and Thanksgiving Wishes

    Dear SLUSD Community, Earlier this week Governor Newsom announced that Alameda County has moved into the Purple Tier under the State of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy . Alameda is one of 41 California counties that have moved into this most-restrictive tier, which shows that we now face a new, troubling stage of this pandemic. Fortunately, as you remember from my message last week, SLUSD has already moved our anticipated timeline for phased reopening to mid-March, so this new development will not directly affect our current planning. We have put an enormous amount of energy into creating a plan that will allow us to safely reopen when we are able to do so. While that cannot happen as long as Alameda county is in the Purple Tier, there will come a time when conditions have sufficiently improved. We will continue to complete the items on our Reopening Readiness Dashboard so that we are ready when that time comes. I also shared that we are planning to offer targeted, in-person support for small cohorts of students in mid-January. This new development will not affect that planning, but in all transparency, that timeline could change as we move forward. We will continue to plan, prepare, and keep you well informed. Much depends on how well we work together to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community. This brings me to our shared responsibility to one another to do our part to reverse this concerning trend. I’m sure you share our excitement at the prospect of our coming week off, with plans to celebrate this joyous time. I would like to share  guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC ) regarding the best way to celebrate the upcoming holiday safely. I hope that you will join me in honoring our commitment to our community by being safe and responsible during our break. In honoring the traditions of this season, I must share how humbled I am to serve you all - especially now. Every time I prepare an update for you, I reflect on how fortunate I am to be working with the stellar employees in SLUSD, and the beautiful families of San Leandro. My family and I send love and gratitude, with a wish for peace and rejuvenation for you and everyone you hold dear. Dr. Mike McLaughlin Superintendent Reference Documents 1. State of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy 2. SLUSD Reopening Readiness Dashboard 3.  CDC - Celebrating Thanksgiving

    Thursday, Nov 19 2020

  • No Food Distribution During Thanksgiving Break

    There will be no meal distribution during the upcoming break next week to give our hard-working nutrition staff some time off. Friday, 11/20 will be the last distribution day until Monday, 11/30. Please join us in giving thanks to our Food Services family, who have been working almost non-stop since March 13, even while awaiting new family members of their own! Have a safe holiday break!

    Wednesday, Nov 18 2020

  • Reopening Update and Happy Veterans Day

    Dear SLUSD Families, At last night’s school board meeting, my team shared an update on reopening planning and preparation for January 2021, which included more details on our projected phased reopening in the coming months. As I have said before, we will be taking a careful, measured approach to bringing students back on campus to ensure we are staying safe in this dynamic environment. I will also continue to emphasize that the timelines we share are targets and subject to change.   Our partnership and communication continue to be absolutely essential as we work together to return safely. We anticipate starting a key phase of reopening in mid-January by offering targeted, in-person support for small cohorts of students after the end of the student school day.  You’ll hear more about our progress towards this target and learn how to participate in this optional program in December as we continue to prepare our facilities and work closely with our staff on the necessary details. Along the way, we will continue to plan for a more expanded phase of reopening in mid-March, with a tentative return to in-person instruction in a blended model, offered in conjunction with distance learning, for those students and families ready to return. This projected date is being planned to coincide with the start of the third trimester in our elementary schools and the 4th quarter in our secondary schools, to minimize disruption to the school year for our students and staff.  This phased approach will help us keep an eye on concerning upticks in COVID-19 cases that are occurring in the Bay Area, while also letting us slowly onboard students and staff who are able to come to campus. This will also allow us to build upon the success coming from our current in-person programming, which includes: In-person enrollment appointments for incoming families Athletic conditioning for fall sports at San Leandro High School Small, cohorted after school ASES programs at three of our elementary schools One-on-one in-person assessments for some of our Special Education students We will continue to update you regularly as we move closer to our next phase of reopening. As we approach the various school holidays and breaks in the coming months, my hope is that this tentative timeline will help you and your family plan accordingly. November is always a wonderful time to pause for gratitude, and I am so grateful for our entire community for their ongoing support. I would like to especially thank our teaching staff for their incredible efforts in providing high-quality distance learning. The strong connections they have created with our students are the one certainty in this uncertain time. Enjoy this day of rest and join me in thanking our veterans for their service to our country. Sincerely, Dr. Mike McLaughlin

    Wednesday, Nov 11 2020

  • SLUSD Community Forum TONIGHT at 6:30 pm! Share Idea...

    Join us tonight from 6:30 to 7:30 pm to share your ideas before we start designing the new gymnasium for San Leandro High school. These improvements are made possible by the generous support of San Leandro voters through the approval of Measure N. Spanish and Chinese translation will be provided. Join the forum HERE at 6:30 pm If you can't make the meeting, you can leave your thoughts at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/SLHSgym Hope to see you there! SLUSD Communications [Wednesday, Oct 28 at 6:20 PM] This event is starting in 10 minutes! If you have ideas about what we need to consider in designing a new gym at San Leandro High School, this is the meeting for you! Hope to see you there!

    Wednesday, Oct 28 2020

  • Family Learning Series TONIGHT at 5 pm! Learn How to...

    Tonight's presenters Trisha Park and Christina Pandolfo, SLUSD Occupational Therapists, will present a functional overview of how to help set up a distraction free and sensory friendly environment for distance learning at home.  This session applies to all families TK-12th grade, with translation provided. Join us at 5pm here! Meeting ID: 248 145 6436 Passcode: 276798 [Wednesday, Oct 28 at 4:50 PM] This event is starting in 10 minutes! Learn how to set-up your home learning spaces to reduce distraction and increase learning. [Wednesday, Oct 28 at 5:15 PM] Corrected link for meeting: Join Zoom Meeting https://slusd-us.zoom.us/j/85846936953?pwd=ZTk2YkVRbzB1SnVDYTkzd1pjVTRmUT09

    Wednesday, Oct 28 2020

  • SLUSD Board of Education Announces January 2021 Targ...

    Dear SLUSD Families, This evening, I shared with the school board our current progress in preparing our schools to return to in-person learning. That review is showing that the many months of planning, alongside improved local health conditions, have brought us to the point where a projected reopening date is coming more clearly into focus. Because of this, the board unanimously approved my recommendation to establish January 4, 2021, as a target date to resume in-person instruction.  By establishing this date, we can realistically finalize the following key elements for reopening: Schedules for blended, in-person learning at all grade levels A distance learning option for families and staff who may not be able to return to our classrooms Agreements with our labor partners Safety precautions and protocols necessary to reopen our schools safely A phased reopening timeline by grade band/program As we learned from our October Family Survey results, there are many in our community who are not yet ready to return to in-person learning. Knowing this, we will soon be asking our families to make a choice between staying in a distance learning model for the remainder of the school year, or returning to in-person learning so we can plan our staffing accordingly. In order to provide you with the necessary information to make that informed decision, we will be sharing our projected reopening plans shortly. Additionally, at the November 10th board meeting, you will hear more information about our progress towards these goals. I have greatly appreciated your patience and understanding during these many months. As we get ready to turn our clocks back (don’t forget daylight savings time is this weekend) and prepare for the holiday season, I hope you and your families are safe, well, and taking care of one another.  Dr. Mike McLaughlin Superintendent

    Wednesday, Oct 28 2020

  • SLUSD Curriculum Adoptions - We Need Your Feedback!

    The adoption process is underway for new TK-12th grade Social Studies-History , TK-12th grade Science , and 6-12th grade World Language curriculum, and we need your voice! Your input will help our adoption committee of teachers and administrators make recommendations to the Board of Education on October 27th. The deadline for feedback has been extended until 9:00 am Monday, October 19th! Please review the curriculum and submit feedback HERE .   For more information please contact Joanne Clark, Senior Director of Educational Services at joanneclark@slusd.us.

    Friday, Oct 16 2020

  • SLUSD Family Survey Results - See the School Board P...

    Dear SLUSD, At last night's school board meeting, Dr. Sonal Patel, our Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, shared a summary of the feedback we received from our families on how distance learning is working for them, and their current preference for returning to in-person instruction. Dr. Patel also discussed our ongoing preparations for a return to our classrooms. See the presentation here: Thank you to our families for providing rich, insightful details about the lived experience of distance learning. Your feedback drives our continued efforts to deliver the highest quality educational experience possible, despite our current challenges. As many pointed out, the hard work from our staff - especially our teachers - is seen, felt, and deeply appreciated. As a reminder, there will be no SLUSD Family Learning Series this evening, but the program will return next Wednesday at 5 pm with the Family Learning Pad from Blaze Consulting. The session will provide for families to talk to each other and build connections and communities to bridge our current distance. Thank you for all that each and every one of you is doing to keep us #SLUSDstrong!

    Wednesday, Oct 14 2020

  • SLUSD is adopting new curriculum! Learn more about h...

    Dear SLUSD Community, As part of our curriculum adoption process for the new TK-12 Social Studies-History, TK-12 Science, 6-12 World Language curriculum, we want to hear from our community. Check out the material we are reviewing at our website HERE .  If you’d like to give us your input, you will also find a feedback form on that site. Your input will help our adoption committee of teachers and administrators make recommendations to the Board in late October. Please complete your feedback by October 15. Know that our committee has worked to select the best materials that support the following goals: Align with state learning standards Support research-based, powerful instructional practices Elevate the values and goals of our SLUSD graduate profile    While curriculum materials are one important piece of student learning, no curriculum is perfect - despite the claims of the publishers. All curriculum requires critical, selective use in order to meet the diverse needs of all students. Knowing this, our adoption committee will list other work, and the next steps we will need to take alongside adopting a new curriculum. For more information please contact Joanne Clark, Senior Director of Educational Services at joanneclark@slusd.us  

    Monday, Oct 05 2020

  • Statement on NEW Alameda County Public Health Order

    Dear SLUSD Community, With the reduced spread of COVID-19 in Alameda County, our public health department issued a new health order last night with a timeframe for the limited, phased reopening of elementary schools, without the need for the waiver process required previously. This is encouraging news for our community’s health, but likely brings up questions for you and your family. As with each of these new developments, I will translate what this means for us. Do these dates mean that our elementary schools are required to open? No. There is no immediate effect on SLUSD schools. The Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE) made clear in their statement from yesterday that all of the stringent safety protocols required for elementary school waivers are still in place. This means contracting with a private testing provider to provide frequent, rapid COVID-19 employee testing. As I said in my update last week, this is the largest barrier we face, and the primary reason we did not apply for a waiver. However, the State and ACOE have both pledged support for this, with details still pending. Is there a timeline for the reopening of SLUSD elementary schools? Although we have made significant readiness progress, SLUSD elementary schools will remain in distance learning until all safety requirements are met. Once we have all of these elements in place, we will discuss and share reopening timelines with our staff and families. Our many months of preparation have rendered important progress, including: Testing our databases for daily student and staff health screening/contact tracing Upgrading ventilation and air filtration systems in our classrooms Finalizing clear protocols for on-campus activity Acquisition of additional PPE for students and staff that remains in short supply Is there a timeline for reopening our middle and high schools? Not at this time. This new order only applies to elementary schools. With that being said, we are still working daily to plan for necessary accommodations at our middle and high schools for a phased return to in-person instruction. Realistically, with the later time frames being discussed by public health, that will not happen before January 2021. What should we do to prepare for a return to in-person learning? Right now, our shared focus is ensuring quality distance learning for your children. A return to in-person instruction will still have a large component of distance learning as we will have to greatly limit the number of students on campus. With that in mind, feedback from our family survey will help us strengthen this format for the months to come. The family survey closes today, so if you haven’t yet, give us your thoughts at this link: Family Feedback Survey . I remain deeply grateful for your ongoing support and I look forward to updating you soon. Dr. Mike McLaughlin Superintendent Reference Documents NEW Alameda County Public Health Order 10.1.20 Statement from Alameda County Office of Education 10.1.20

    Friday, Oct 02 2020