March 10, 2021

March 10, 2021

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Dear SFUSD Families:

With a heavy heart, I want to share the news with you that I plan to retire from SFUSD on June 30, 2021. I am eternally grateful to the SFUSD School Board and the SF community for allowing me to have had the opportunity to serve the community that raised me and made me who I am.

For the remainder of my time as superintendent I am committed to the critical work in front of us: Bringing students back to in-person learning, continuing to provide distance learning and planning for the summer and fall.

Please keep reading today’s digest for important updates about our work to prepare for in-person learning and more.

Return Safely Updates

SFUSD is committed to reopening as many schools as possible for in-person instruction as soon as all the necessary and agreed upon conditions are met. 

Here are some current events related to the preparation process:

  • SFUSD is on track to offer in-person learning options at a select number of schools for our youngest students (those in Phase 2A) starting on April 12, 2021. Additional students will be offered in-person options before the end of April.
  • All SFUSD staff have been offered numerous ways to get vaccinated over the past two weeks. SFUSD has sent out thousands of priority access codes just for SFUSD staff and this week is providing on-site vaccinations at 555 Franklin Street in collaboration with Walgreens. 
  • The Department of Public Health approved all Wave 1 schools and will begin inspecting Wave 2 schools for return to in-person. Preparations for Wave 3 site inspections are underway.
  • SFUSD and the teachers union, United Educators of San Francisco (UESF), reached a tentative agreement on a schedule for in-person learning for the remainder of this school year ending in June. After months of meeting, the agreement reflects a compromise and is a direct result of the District’s effort to maximize instructional time for students while also maintaining the same teacher for students for the remainder of the school year, a big priority for the teachers union.
  • SFUSD shared an updated Return Safely Together Plan, which includes a new timeline and additional details.
  • On March 9, students in Phase 2B and Grades 3-5 received an in-person learning interest survey. The survey is due on March 16. To learn more about the surveys sent to Phase 2B and Grades 3-5 families, review the Did You Know section below.
  • Phase 2A families can still update their in-person learning preferences during parent teacher conferences and up until March 12. 

Distance Learning Updates

SF Loves Learning

Your child can decide what science we cover in May! What science questions do your children have? Help them submit any science question they would like Maestra Meza to focus on by filling out this short student science questions form by Friday, March 26. Maestra Meza and other segments will build the show based on their questions!

This month’s science theme is “What do engineers do?” and our cultural theme is Women’s History Month. You can find segments on both of these themes throughout the month.

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

  • Making Shadows (Daily Lesson): Maestra Meza shows us how to trace shadows. We determined that only the outline of our objects create the shadow and that we need to cut out details so the light can change the shadow. (March 11)
  • Shadow Puppets & Wednesday (Music):  How can we explore light and shadow through art?  Let's create shadow puppets!  Shadow puppetry is an important art form for storytelling - it was the first step to inventing animation and film! (March 9)
  • Photo/foto Synthesis (Music): Ms. Peña-Govea and family sing a bilingual song in English and Spanish about photosynthesis. (March 10)
  • Little Oink (Read Aloud): Little Oink is a neat little fellow. Clean, clean, clean, that's all he wants to do. But Mama and Papa won't have it! (March 11)
  • Moving Like an Electric Circuit (Movement): Ms. Genoa and Scout use movement to help remember the components of an electrical circuit. (March 9)
  • Earth’s Creatures (Community): Quick turtle facts and a quiz. (March 10)

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, 8:30-9:00 a.m. on KTVU Plus and any time at sfusd.edu/sfloveslearning.

School Meal Updates

Mission High School Grab & Go Meals Now Open 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

  • The Grab & Go meal service at Mission High School is now open 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays. Pick up meals at a convenient central location! All other locations still have the same schedule.
  • Find an updated schedule and map on sfusd.edu/schoolfood
  • See what’s on the menu at sfusd.edu/menus

SNS has served more than 5.5 million meals since schools closed last March.

Food Resources

Are you in need of food for your kids?

We encourage you to visit any of our SFUSD Free Grab & Go meal sites. See locations at sfusd.edu/schoolfood. Meals are free for everyone and include breakfast, lunch, supper, fresh fruits and vegetables, and milk is available.

  • Tuesdays are open to SFUSD students & siblings. Pick up 5 days worth of food.
  • Thursdays are open to all children 18 or younger. Pick up 2 days worth of food.

SFUSD families can pick up free meals one or both days! Please bring your student’s barcode or other type of documentation listed under “What to Bring” at sfusd.edu/schoolfood.

Resource Highlight

The SFUSD High School Student Newsletter contains information and resources for high school students in the district. Read our March issue and please share with your high school students!

Did You Know?

SFUSD is actively preparing to offer in-person learning options for students in Phase 2B and Grades 3-5, and we have sent out family surveys to determine in-person learning interest and preferences for this school year ending on June 2, 2021. 

How will SFUSD use this survey information?

SFUSD will use this information to plan the instructional schedule based on each school site’s capacity and family interest. Selecting in-person learning as your preference doesn't guarantee that you will be assigned an in-person placement this spring semester 2021. Your child will be put on a waitlist and contacted if a space becomes available.

Watch this video for more information about some of the health and safety steps our students, families and schools will take: 

To learn more about the survey for Phase 2B students and 3-5th graders, read this FAQ.

Bright Spot

SFUSD schools are celebrating Women’s History Month in all sorts of creative ways. Check out what the Tech Queens are doing at Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8!

Warm regards,

Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthew

This page was last updated on March 10, 2021