October 21, 2020

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Dear SFUSD Families:

Now that the City is reopening many businesses, our community is eager for schools to offer in-person learning options. 

As long as schools can reopen following public health guidelines, SFUSD is planning to begin offering in-person instruction—starting with approximately 10 to 15 schools—no sooner than January 2021. 

The following student populations will be the first to be offered in-person learning options: PreK-12 students who are assigned to moderate/severe special education classes (SPED), Early Education students, selected County Schools programs, and students enrolled in deaf and hard of hearing classes. Students in Transitional Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and First Grade will be offered in-person learning options following the aforementioned groups of students. 

The reopening dashboard for Phase 2a shows what work is in progress as we prepare for students to return to in-person learning. The dashboard can be found on the SFUSD website.

Please keep reading today’s digest for more important updates.

Updates

Digital Agency Week 2020

This week is Digital Agency Week. Digital Agency (formerly Digital Citizenship) focuses on maintaining the safety, security and well-being of SFUSD’s students, which is essential to creating opportunities for effective teaching and learning for every student, every day.

The learning we facilitate for students must also give them the tools to thrive in college and career, and also in interactions that are increasingly digital.

SFUSD has created Digital Agency guides by grade-level span to help teachers launch Digital Agency lessons relevant to distance learning in virtual environments.

The Digital Agent Doodle Design Challenge is accepting rolling submissions for students to design their own digital agent to be used in district materials.

Translate Your SFUSD Apps for Easier Use!

Google Classroom: Guardian email summaries can be viewed in your preferred language by changing your Chrome browser settings to automatically translate web pages. More information can be found on the Google Classroom guardian email summaries page. 

Seesaw: On your family member account, you can view notes, comments, announcements and other text in your preferred language. Click on “See translation” underneath text that is in a different language than your device setting. Learn more about translations on Seesaw.

ParentVue: Select your preferred language by clicking “Current Language” in the mobile app or by clicking “English” on the bottom right corner when using a web browser. Visit sfusd.edu/parentvue for more information.

Zoom Tip! Improve the sound quality on your Zoom calls!

Too much or too little microphone volume on Zoom calls and/or Chromebooks can be a quick fix with these steps on how to adjust microphone volume.

Find answers to a lot of other common technology questions in the Troubleshooting Help for Families guide.

Get Live Support for Tech Apps

Join us for Family Webinar #3: “Diving Deeper with SFUSD Technology Apps for Distance Learning,” 5:30 - 6:30 on Tuesday, October 27; or Thursday, October 29. 

Visit sfusd.edu/family-webinars for more information, slide decks, recordings, and a link to the webinar livestream.

Receive personalized support on SFUSD distance learning technology at a free, 30-minute session in 20 languages! For more information and to sign up, visit bit.ly/sftechtutors.

Update your contact info in ParentVUE to stay informed 

Click “My Account” to update or add a new phone number and/or email address to ensure you are receiving school and district notifications. Visit sfusd.edu/contactinfo to see how you can update your contact information when using the ParentVUE mobile app or the web browser. 

Learn more about school notifications here!

Learn About Proposed Changes to the Elementary Student Assignment Policy 

Community Information Sessions: October 27, 28, 29 & November 7

You are invited to a Community Information Session to learn about the proposed Student Assignment Policy that the Board of Education will vote on in December.

• This is an opportunity to ask questions about the policy, understand its key features, and provide input on how we implement the policy in the coming years. 
• The policy changes will impact elementary schools only, and will not affect incoming kindergarten students any sooner than SY 2022-23. 
• To learn more and register, visit bit.ly/SFUSD-assignment-info.

Celebrating Farm to School Month with Free Grab & Go Meals!

This month, SFUSD grab and go meals have featured seasonal, local produce sourced from California farmers: persimmons, plums, strawberries, peaches and grapes. Next week, meals will include local pears and baby pumpkins! Grab and go meals are free for all SFUSD students. Visit sfusd.edu/schoolfood for details.

Volunteers Needed! Help Students Access School Meals

SFUSD employees and community members can volunteer at any of our 18 grab & go sites every Wednesday. Volunteers assist with setup, line control, and breakdown. Sign up to Volunteer!

SFUSD employees can volunteer to deliver food to students with disabilities and special dietary needs. Drivers pick up and deliver boxes of school meals to student’s homes every Wednesday. Sign up to Drive!

PreK-12 Virtual Enrollment Fair - New Info About School Town Halls

Our PreK-12 Virtual Enrollment Fair is less than three weeks away! We have added new information to the school town halls to help you better plan your enrollment fair participation. Each town hall is now listed by hosted language, program focus (such as Special Education), and ADA services provided. See our website for updates and RSVP for the fair.

Reminders

Education Funding Measures on November Ballot

Election Day is less than two weeks away! As a reminder, San Franciscans will vote on Proposition J, which addresses a legal loophole to continue providing funds to SFUSD, and California Proposition 15, which would increase revenue for public education and other services. Learn more about these measures and remember to make a plan to vote and urge your family and friends to do so.

Submit the Multipurpose Family Income Form!

Completing this form helps provide essential funding for your school. Submit today at sfusd.edu/MFIF. 

In collaboration with SFUSD, San Francisco Education Fund volunteers are providing multilingual phone and video support to families submitting the Multipurpose Family Income Form online through SchoolCafe. Sign up for a SchoolCafe appointment!

Bright Spot

SFUSD school librarians hosted a Zoom read-aloud with author Kate Messner today, featuring the book “Over and Under the Rainforest.” There was even a surprise visit from a crocodile! Get information about upcoming read-alouds hosted by SFUSD school librarians here. 

Warm regards,

Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews