May 26, 2021

Dear SFUSD Families:

Thank you to the hundreds of middle and high school students and their families who came out to get vaccinated last week. SFUSD is working with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and UCSF to expand vaccination opportunities for anyone 12 years and older. Our partnership with UCSF will aim to expand access to COVID-19 information and vaccines to SFUSD families especially in limited English proficient communities and populations that face multiple barriers to access. Refer to the Question of the Week for more information about SFUSD’s vaccination efforts, and keep reading today’s digest for more important updates.

Return Safely Updates

COVID-19 Monitoring Efforts 

There have been no confirmed COVID-19 cases that have originated from a school site, demonstrating that the health and safety protocols in place for school reopenings have been effective. View the COVID-19 Dashboard for daily updates from COVID-19 monitoring efforts.

Summer Digests and Communications

SFUSD remains committed to sharing up-to-date information with staff and families as soon as it becomes available, and will be planning opportunities for the SFUSD community to discuss Fall 2021 plans.

The last issue of this weekly digest for the 2020-21 school year will be June 2. We will send out and post two summer digests on the last Wednesday of June (June 30) and July (July 28). 

SFUSD will continue to provide regular updates regarding Fall 2021 through website announcements, monthly e-newsletters, social media, and at regularly scheduled Board of Education meetings.

We will alert you to urgent and time-sensitive information by email, text and/or phone call. Families are encouraged to sign up for ParentVUE and update contact information as needed to receive critical information.

High School Graduations

Graduations For All will be livestreamed so families of our graduating seniors near and far can watch from home. Livestream links will be available on our district website tomorrow. Your school will also share your livestream links. 

For those attending the graduation ceremonies at Kezar and McAteer, no backpacks or large bags will be allowed. Do not leave items in your car as car break-ins are common in San Francisco. Dress warmly and in layers.

Reminder: New COVID-19 Guidelines for In-Person Learning in Yellow Tier

As San Francisco has moved into the Yellow tier, there is new SFDPH guidance for COVID protocols & responses regarding close contacts.

Quarantine and Isolation

• Close contacts must stay in home quarantine for 10 full days after they were last in close contact with the person with COVID-19. 

• Close contacts who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 do not have to quarantine after close contact with someone with COVID-19, as long as they are asymptomatic.

• Close contacts who have had COVID-19 within the previous 3 months, they do not have to quarantine after close contact with someone with COVID-19, as long as they are asymptomatic.

• Staff and students who have been identified as close contacts and are on a 14 day quarantine may return to work immediately if they are fully vaccinated (two weeks after second dose).

Fall 2021 Return Updates

SFUSD is planning for a full 5-day in-person return for August 16, 2021. Families should plan for a return in Fall 2021 that is similar to pre-pandemic. SFUSD is exploring possibilities related to independent/virtual study options for families, which existed pre-pandemic for unique circumstances. 

New Start and End Times

SFUSD is standardizing school start and end times for the 2021-22 school year. Beginning next Fall, every school in the District will start at one of three times: 7:50 am, 8:40 am, or 9:30 am. End times will vary. Additionally, many schools will add a weekly early release day to support common planning time and professional development for teachers. View a full list of start and end times for the 2021-22 school year.

Health, Safety, and Wellness

Health and safety remains a priority, and Fall return details are contingent on guidelines from local and state health departments. 

Starting Fall 2021, SFUSD will be partnering with the City and County of San Francisco to expand culturally relevant mental health services for SFUSD middle school students. With help from a private contribution provided by an anonymous donor, the initiative will start at three schools in 2021 and gradually expand over the next 4 years to serve 13 middle schools and three K-8 schools with Beacon Centers. Learn more about how this initiative builds upon a growing network of wellness support services for SFUSD students and families in San Francisco. 

Ways You Can Help Support Our Reopening

• Support our community health—get vaccinated!
• Ask state legislators to urge state public health officials to develop and release guidelines now
  • Senator Scott Wiener
  • Assemblymember David Chiu
  • Assemblymember Phil Ting

Distance Learning Updates

SF Loves Learning invites you to explore new segments in our deck celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. You can also explore our new deck with videos on Earth and Space! As the summer approaches, know that you can find all of our segments and full episodes from season 3 on our website and shortly, from seasons 1 and 2. Highlights from this week are below!

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

• How did dinosaurs get so big? (Lesson): Maestra Meza tries to answer the question "How did dinosaurs get so big?" She uses a height chart to graph heights of living things, including dinosaurs. She shares some hypothesis about why dinosaurs maybe have grown so big including lower amount of gravity, the air was warmer and there was more oxygen, and that there were no predators hunting dinosaurs. 05/27/2021
• Marie Curie Song (Music) Heron Lundeen, Ruth Asawa School of the Arts freshman student, sings a song she wrote about Marie Curie's life and what she discovered. 5/26/2021
• The Quickest kid in Clarksville (Read Aloud): It's the day before the big parade. Alta can only think about one thing: Wilma Rudolph, three-time Olympic gold medalist. 05/26/2021
• Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage month with Bollywood Dance! (Movement): Ms. Joti and Mr. Bongo explore Bollywood dance from India to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage month! 05/27/2021.
• Native American Flute - Breathing & Meditation (Community): We give a brief background of the flute & who made it. We will then take time to breathe, close our eyes, & then go on a sonic journey w/ the flute as we imagine a calm, relaxing & meditative place to breathe deeply. 05/24/2021

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.

Resource Highlight

For PreK-5th Grade Families

Continue your child's reading and math learning this summer with a TCM Curriculum Backpack!  Backpacks will be available for PreK, TK/K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th graders.  They are getting delivered and we will notify you by email and text in early June about where you can pick up your child’s backpack. Information about what is in the backpacks may be found here.

Wellness Tip

Creating Tiny Habits Over the Summer for You and Your Family

Good habits can really help us look after ourselves, but it can be tough to create change. Try starting with a tiny habit. A “Tiny Habit” is a behavior:

• you do at least once a day
• that takes you less than 30 seconds
• that requires little effort

Here’s the recipe:  After I _______, I will ______, and then celebrate.

After I do a habit that I am already doing (like brushing my teeth), I will drink a glass of water, and I will celebrate (putting a star on a calendar). 

It’s a simple concept. Here are some quick tips, videos and audio links to support you:

• Kids Tiny Habit Videos    
• Adults Tiny Habit Video  
• Tiny Habit Podcast  
• Family Recipe Cards

Tech Tip

Return Your Borrowed Technology If You Are Leaving SFUSD

• All students who are not returning to SFUSD for the 2021-2022 school year must return their borrowed technology with charging cables before leaving. Unreturned devices will be deactivated and will be a lost resource for your school.
• Look for announcements from your school to find information on how to return items at your site. 
• If you cannot make it to your site’s collection events, please use one of the alternate options for technology returns only (no textbooks, instruments, etc.):

1. Drop box at 555 Franklin St open Monday, 5/24 — Friday, 6/4. Accessible inside lobby, Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
2. Collection events open to all SFUSD students on Wednesday, June 2nd from 3:00-5:00 PM at
   1. Martin Luther King, Jr. MS (350 Girard St)
   2. Lawton Alternative K-8 (1570 31st Ave)
   3. Gordon J. Lau ES (950 Clay St)
   4. Cesar Chavez ES (825 Shotwell St)

Question of the Week

Where can I and my family get vaccinated in San Francisco?

SFUSD is coordinating with San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) to make sure that SFUSD families are aware of vaccination opportunities for anyone 12 and older. Please visit www.sfusd.edu/covidvaccine to access upcoming vaccination events and schedules, review parent/guardian consent information for children between 12 and 18 years old, and get answers to frequently asked questions about COVID-19 vaccines.

We will continue to actively inform you about upcoming vaccination opportunities where SFUSD families will receive priority as a part of our collaboration with UCSF. We will be sending emails, texts, and autodials.

Bright Spot

At SFUSD, we continue to prioritize anti-racist teaching and learning. Watch this story on ABC7 Bay Area to learn more about how our work in this area has grown since the murder of George Floyd.

Warm regards,

Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews