April 14, 2021

April 14, 2021

Back to All Updates

Dear SFUSD Families:

Thank you for the care and support that you are providing your child as we continue to navigate unprecedented times. We are thrilled to celebrate this week’s milestone of welcoming our youngest learners back into school buildings. No matter if you are learning in-person or staying in distance learning for now, your students are important members of their classroom and school communities. 

At SFUSD we remain committed to a full return to in-person learning for the Fall 2021 semester as long as public health guidance allows it. Please continue reading today’s digest for important updates.

Return Safely Updates

SFUSD is welcoming our youngest students back to in-person learning while maintaining health and safety as our priority. Here are some of the latest updates:

  • On April 12, SFUSD welcomed students back at 36 schools (early education, elementary and county schools). Check out a few of the snapshots we captured in the Bright Spot section below.
  • Preparations continue for students returning to in-person learning on April 19 and April 26. 
    • Families with students receiving an in-person placement will be notified about their student’s placement information. For more information on how to prepare, visit How Families Can Prepare.
    • School sites will contact families returning to in-person learning about participating in a mandatory orientation.
    • Families can log onto ParentVUE to complete required forms and review important health and safety information by the first day of school. Placement information has been mailed to families who do not have an email on file with SFUSD. Visit Placement Packets and review the FAQs for more resources and support with completing the required forms.

For In-Person Families: Possible Schedule Shifts Due to Limited Substitute Availability

  • We currently have a limited pool of substitute teachers who will be prioritized to cover classroom teachers who have been granted remote work accommodations. 
  • We will make every effort to assign a substitute teacher, but there might be a shift from in-person/hybrid learning to distance learning for the days when a substitute teacher will not be available to cover an in-person classroom teacher’s absence.
  • If we are unable to confirm coverage for the next day’s class by 4 p.m., site administrators will contact families of students who are impacted to inform families that they will be in distance learning that day.
  • We will strive to provide as much notice as possible, and appreciate your patience and understanding while we navigate these unprecedented times.

Secondary Priority Populations In-Person Placement Information

The in-person learning start date for secondary priority populations is April 26. Students in this group who have been placed in-person will receive their Spring 2021 placement letter starting Monday, April 19. Log into ParentVUE on April 19 to see your school placement letter. A hard copy letter will also be mailed to your address on April 19 (expect 1-3 days to receive mail). To start preparing today for your return to in-person learning, visit our website sfusd.edu/howtoprepare to find important information on submitting required forms, attending a mandatory orientation, and other ways to prepare.

Student COVID Testing for In-Person Learners

Testing is a very important part of keeping our schools safe by caring for ourselves and others and helping to stop the spread of COVID-19. Regular testing helps us to support students and school staff to know when to isolate if they test positive for COVID-19. 

SFUSD has partnered with Color, a COVID-19 testing company, to provide student and staff testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Testing is not mandatory, and all students will be able to access in-person learning even if a family chooses not to have them participate in the COVID-19 testing. 

Students who have received an in-person placement may access testing even before their child returns to the school site. For students returning on April 19, student testing will be offered Wednesday, April 14 through Friday, April 16 at four locations throughout the City. 

Visit COVID-19 Student Testing Locations and scroll to the bottom for the 4 temporary testing sites. 

Review the Question of the Week section below for more information about student testing.

Reminder: Summer Together 

  • SFUSD is partnering with the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, and Their Families (DCYF) to provide SFUSD families free in-person and virtual summer opportunities.
  • There is an early registration period between April 19 and May 7. Eligible families will receive targeted outreach and communications through existing programs.
  • General enrollment for SFUSD families begins on May 8. While space is limited, SFUSD families will be prioritized over non-SFUSD families. SFUSD families will have to provide their student’s SFUSD student ID number for verification.
  • SFUSD will continue to provide updates and enrollment information for Summer Together programs. For more information, visit DCYF’s Summer Together website.

Distance Learning Updates

SF Loves Learning

Would you like to use science videos with your child? Here’s another deck of videos from SF Loves Learning about Recording Data with a Notebook! You can find all of our science and cultural decks so far in this deck.

This week’s theme is Changing Sky. Check out these segments that are airing this week:

  • Ancient Astronomers (Lesson): Maestra Meza discusses astronomers from the past and their contribution to science. She explains how the astronomers observe the sky for different purposes and how their observations were used to explain and understand the world around them. (April 15)
  • Cariño como el sol (Music): Ms. Peña-Govea and family sing a bilingual song about a friend on the other side of the world. (April 14)
  • Little Sister (Read Aloud): Read along as big brother, Malik, and big sister, Nia, teach their little sister, Imani, about responsibility. Join all three kids on an exciting, fun-filled journey together! (April 12)
  • Exploring Velocity Through Movement (Movement): Learn about velocity by exploring different speeds and changes in direction in two styles of dance called Hip Hop and Capoeira. Ms. Jessica invites 2 of her students to help show us how we can use speed and level changes to connect science to dance. (April 12)
  • Did you know? (Community): Help expand your child's vocabulary by asking questions. (April 13)
  • Details of a leaf (Community): Our video is of us doing an activity where students can follow along. We color over a leaf with a piece of paper to reveal the details of a leaf. (April 14)

You can watch any content from the show in these ways:

  • Segments Library: Find any segment (read aloud, daily lesson, music, movement, community)!
  • YouTube channel: Subscribe to this channel, explore the playlists, and receive notifications when new content is published.

SF Loves Learning airs every weekday, 8:30-9am on KTVU Plus and any time at sfusd.edu/sfloveslearning.

School Meal Updates

Reminder: Free Meals from SFUSD’s Student Nutrition Services

  • Free lunch and snacks are available daily for students returning to in-person learning. School breakfast will be replaced with a hearty snack. More information available at sfusd.edu/inpersonmeals
  • Starting Tuesday, April 27, the Grab & Go meal site at A.P. Giannini Middle School will be closed due to construction plans. Please visit any of our other Grab & Go sites listed at sfusd.edu/schoolfood.

New Bill Could Provide Free School Meals for All

  • The Senate Bill #364, referred to as the “School Meals for All Act of 2021” passed in the California Senate Education Committee with unanimous support and now must be voted on by the full senate. 
  • This bill could make California one of the first states to offer universal free meals for all students. 
  • We have been able to offer free meals for all students this school year, because of temporary flexibilities granted by USDA during the COVID-19 pandemic. We need new laws like Senate Bill 364 to continue providing 100% free meals for 100% of kids!
  • Voice your support for free school meals on social media using the hashtags #SB364 #SchoolMealsForAll.

Resource Highlight

Vaccine Eligibility Now Open for Ages 16+

All people age 16 and over in San Francisco are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Newly eligible people age 16 and over should visit SF.gov/getvaccinated to learn about options for receiving the vaccine and to find links to schedule appointments at different vaccination sites.

People under 18 can only get the Pfizer vaccine and need permission from a parent or guardian to be vaccinated. However, not all sites will have the Pfizer vaccine. Check when you book.

Personalized Tech Support for Families 

  • With school sites reopening, we know that a lot of parents are still supporting their children with distance learning, and we’re here to support you!
  • You can book a personalized session with a trained volunteer, to learn more about Zoom, Google Suite, Chromebooks, even the Multipurpose Family Income Form (MFIF) and the SFUSD Online Enrollment Form.
  • Sessions are offered in multiple languages. Go to bit.ly/sftechtutors to book a free, 30-minute session!

Question of the Week

Which students can be tested for COVID-19 at SFUSD?

Testing is available for any SFUSD student who is currently or scheduled to be learning in person this spring. Testing is not mandatory.  All students will be able to access in person learning even if a family chooses not to have them participate in the COVID-19 testing. 

For more Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) or to register for student testing, visit the COVID-19 Testing for Students webpage.

Did You Know?

SFUSD SEL/Culture Climate Survey Window Is April 19-May 4

SFUSD measures school quality by looking at the school’s climate in addition to academic performance and social emotional skills of the school’s student body.  Even in distance learning, we want to hear about you and your child’s experience of your school’s culture and climate. Next week SFUSD will launch the annual Social Emotional Learning/Culture Climate Survey.  Results of this survey will be used to help assess our school programs and are used in our district and school site level planning.  

There will be three surveys: one for students in grades 4-12, one for all staff and one for all families. The survey is voluntary and confidential and survey reports use summary aggregate data, not individual level data.

Families should be receiving their link to their school’s Culture Climate Survey from their school.

Bright Spot

We love seeing the excitement of our school communities as we’ve started to reopen our school sites for in-person learning this week. Here are some of our favorite snapshots found on social media this week (without recognizable student faces for privacy reasons). 

We can’t wait to welcome back more students this spring and hope to see everyone next fall. Whether you’re returning to in-person learning or continuing distance learning, we’re excited to see your photos, videos, and stories! Tag us and use the hashtags #WeAreSFUSD and/or #SFUSDReturnSafelyTogether.

Warm regards,

Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthew

This page was last updated on April 14, 2021