POUSD 2020-2021 School Year UpdateA message from Steve Charbonneau, Superintendent
Dear Piner-Olivet Community, We are excited to return to a more normal school year in 2021-22 and to seeing your student on August 12 for the first day of school! This year, we return to pre-pandemic bell schedules with classrooms at pre-pandemic occupancy. This was confirmed last week, when we received some additional public health guidance from the CA Department of Public Health (CDPH) for K-12 schools going into the 2021-22 school year. CDPH’s guiding statement for that bulletin was, “The foundational principle of this guidance is that all students must have access to safe and full in-person instruction and to as much instructional time as possible.” I summarize some additional takeaways from that bulletin here: • Masks will be required for students (unless legally exempted) indoors • Staff working directly with students, will be required to wear masks indoors • Masks will be optional outdoors • With the wearing of masks, classrooms can run at pre-pandemic occupancy CDPH intends to facilitate student vaccinations this fall. I want to encourage POUSD families to consider vaccinations for their children when the opportunity arises in order to promote the safest school environment possible and to prevent disruptions to your student’s educational experience. We continue to be required to send symptomatic students home and to follow Public Health protocols in order to facilitate their return to the classroom this coming school year. As previously shared, a key focus for 2021-22 will be the implementation of our Learning Recovery Plan, an initiative designed to help students recover any learning that may have been lost during the pandemic. In early Fall, teachers will be proctoring a summative assessment that will allow us to establish a baseline literacy and math competency level for students. With that data, we will create a learning plan for each student and use assessment data to monitor their academic growth over time. Indeed, we are determined to help students achieve tremendous academic growth in 2021-22! For families interested in a Distance Learning/Independent Study program for 2021-22, we have two potential options. Northwest Prep is expanding its Home Study program for the 2021-22 school year to serve students K-12. In addition, Northwest Prep is launching an Online Academy that will also serve students K-12. Both of these programs are an excellent way to facilitate home-based learning. More details, specifically related to your student’s schooling, will be forthcoming directly from your student’s school site. Respectfully, Steve Charbonneau |