Dear South Bay Community,
As we previously shared with you, South Bay, along with Superintendents in San Diego County, are taking a safety-first approach and immediate action to extend the school facility closures through the end of the school year. However, in the future, if the stay-at-home order is lifted and the COVID-19 situation improves, we will certainly do our best to open school facilities.
We understand this information is troubling, and that you may have questions that are not addressed in this letter. Please continue to visit the District Website for updates, news, Frequently Asked Questions, and the Let’s Talk application, which provides a way for you to contact a District staff member. I would like to share updates on the following high priority topics:
- Family wellbeing remains a top priority, along with continued learning for students. While nothing can replace the daily, in-person interactions between students and teachers, it is our sincere desire to provide distance learning that helps students remain connected to their teachers, their school and their learning. In addition to the Google Classrooms currently on our website, we will soon launch a comprehensive Distance Learning Plan. This plan will provide opportunities for students to interact with their teachers, receive online lessons, and spend time working independently. Teachers will receive training the week of April 6 and will begin connecting with students, with the full launch of distance learning on April 20. In addition, technology devices will be issued to families in grades TK-2 who do not have another District-issued device at home already on April 7-10. Further details on this device distribution will be provided soon. If your family has limited or no Internet connectivity, please see these resources being offered at no/low cost to families.
- The District has begun enrolling students for the 2020-2021 school year through an online registration website. If your children attend school in South Bay (Pre-K-7), and you are planning to re-enroll them for the new school year, please request your ParentVue activation code from the Student Support and Accountability team. You will need to indicate your children’s school, student names, grades, teacher names, parent names, and address on file. Once that information is received, the team will send you an activation code with directions on how to access online registration. Please note that this process is for all currently enrolled students, and will provide you the opportunity to update emergency contact information, review annual parent notifications, and provide permission related to technology use and media release. If you have family or friends who are enrolling their children for the first time in South Bay, they can find directions on how to create a new ParentVue account on our online registration webpage. Please note that current families should not create new accounts as this will delay their reenrollment for the 2020-2021 school year. Online registration is for TK-8 grades only. We are currently developing the registration process for VIP Preschool and will share details on the District website. For any questions, concerns, or support needed during the registration process please reach out to our registration team at onlinereg@sbusd.org. Staff are responding to emails throughout the day and evening, including weekends.
- We are also extremely concerned about the social and emotional well-being of all of our students, and are working on ways to stay connected even at a distance. The Live Well @ Home website provides a place where people of all ages can go for resources on staying physically fit and mentally healthy over the coming weeks. The materials – organized by grade level so it’s easy for families to find age-appropriate resources – were designed with parents and caregivers in mind to support their children’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being at home. The website also includes resources to help parents and caregivers stay active and navigate emotions that come up during this challenging time.
We encourage you to stay informed of the situation by regularly checking updates from San Diego Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
We appreciate your patience, understanding, and partnership during this difficult time for our community. Our highest priority is the health and wellbeing of our students, families, and staff. We encourage you to continue to practice social distancing and preventative measures.
Sincerely,
Dr. Katie McNamara, District Superintendent
Questions, Concerns, or Comments?
School Closure Resources
