May 13, 2020 - Family Digest

Back to All Updates

Dear SFUSD Families:

We know that everyone is wondering when schools will reopen. In addition to public health, there are many factors to consider when reopening school buildings for in-person instruction. Let me assure you that we are actively working to create and implement a plan that considers the best available expert guidance and input from all of our community, including our staff and our families. We will continue to share updates on our process for reopening school buildings. Please keep reading today’s digest for other relevant updates.

Summer Learning 2020

In addition to remote learning summer programs for credit recovery and eligible students with IEPs, SFUSD will be providing summer programming for current Pre-Kindergarten families (who have a year round contract), as well as TK-5th grade students who currently are enrolled in Out of School Time (OST) Programs. Programs will be offered remotely and have a digital and non-digital format.

No Meal Pickup on Memorial Day, May 25

On Monday, May 25, SFUSD meal sites will be closed for Memorial Day. To ensure families receive the same amount of food, a box with meals for 5 days will be distributed on Wednesday, May 20. These boxes will be 22x18x6 inches, and may be heavy. One box per child will be provided, up to 4 boxes per person picking up meals. Families are encouraged to plan in advance so they can transport their May 20th box with meals for 5 days home.

Ensuring Meals for Children at SFUSD Meal Sites

Student Nutrition Services is committed to ensuring that no child goes hungry and will provide free meals to all children in San Francisco while schools are closed. We will now be asking adults to provide the child's date of birth OR school and age/grade when picking up meals. This verification step will help us to ensure that we are providing meals to children only. 

Eligible Families will Receive Additional Support through P-EBT

Families with children eligible for free or reduced-price school meals can receive additional support to purchase groceries through California’s Pandemic Emergency Benefits Transfer Program (P-EBT). Families with P-EBT eligible children that receive CalFresh, Medi-Cal, or Foster Care benefits do not need to apply for P-EBT benefits and will receive a P-EBT card with up to $365 for each eligible child. Other families receiving free or reduced-price school meal benefits but not on public benefit assistance will need to complete a short online application, which will be available starting May 22. The deadline to apply is June 30, 2020. These benefits do not replace emergency school meals. Families who receive these benefits can continue to pick up free meals at our school sites. Please email SchoolLunch@sfusd.edu with any questions.

Technology Support

Does your student have a lost, stolen or non-working SFUSD device? You can exchange your device by appointment only.

Until the end of the school year, if students in grades 3-12 have a lost, stolen, damaged  or non-working device, families can submit a ticket through the Family Resource Link or call 415-340-1716. Once the ticket is received, a Department of Technology team member will assist with scheduling an appointment and next steps. Families must bring their damaged/non-working device to the appointment for exchange. SFUSD cannot accept walk-ins for technology support or device replacement as our buildings are currently closed to the public. 

Reminder - TODAY is the Deadline for New Technology Requests

Tonight at midnight is the final deadline for new technology requests for students in grades 3-12. Submit your request for a Chromebook and/or hotspot for wifi access by midnight at sfusd.edu/device. Starting tomorrow, the district will focus on preparations for summer school technology needs and the 2020-2021 school year.

Reminder - Continuity of Learning Technology Resources

The Family Technology Tutorials playlist contains videos to guide students and families in getting started with Google Classroom, Seesaw, Zoom, Family Portal, and more! You can discover additional resources for SFUSD families at: sfusd.edu/familytechnology. Need Help? Visit sfusd.edu/familytechnology to get support with the technology resources that support your child’s learning, including:

• Stay connected via Family Portal (ParentVUE)
  • If you need help with ParentVUE, please submit a request at bit.ly/familyportalhelp.
• Get your child’s Google account - Your child’s SFUSD-provided Google account gives them access to a variety of learning and collaboration resources.
• Virtual Meetings - Find information about online learning and how you can use Google Hangouts Meet and Zoom (the district-approved conferencing tools). 

Reminder - Food Resources

• Pickup times and locations for SFUSD meals: sfusd.edu/schoolfood
• City information on where to get food resources. You may also call 311.

Reminder - Family Resource Link

The Family Resource Link can help families find information related to school closure in three ways:

• Go to familylink.sfusd.edu to complete an online request form
• Email request at familylink@sfusd.edu
• Call 415-340-1716. Hours of operation for the phone are Monday through Friday from 9 am - 1 pm. Callers can leave a voicemail at all hours.

Let’s fight against this pandemic together with knowledge. Misinformation can cause fear and may even be potentially harmful. Publicly available information is often difficult to understand or is only available in a select few languages. To address this challenge, a group of medical students at UCSF have partnered to create this COVID-19 Fact Check, which provides credible information about the coronavirus in seven different languages.

SFUSD is joining the City and County of San Francisco in celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month throughout the month of May. Check out our list of ideas to celebrate during this time of sheltering in place, from exploring Asian food and cuisine to paying a virtual visit to the Asian Art Museum.

Warm regards,
Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews