MBS MEMO

March 24, 2021

Updates

Dear Mt. Baldy School families,

A reminder that there will not be school for students on this upcoming Monday, March 29th. This will be a pupil-free day during which our staff will receive COVID-19 training and prepare to have students back on campus safely.

On Site Instruction Details:

We are planning to have students back on campus starting Monday, April 19th. Students will be attending from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Students are asked to wear a clean mask , and bring a clean filled water bottle and snack daily. Lunch will not be served at school, but families that receive free and reduced lunch may have their children take lunches home (Amy, the office clerk, will be contacting these families personally).

Health check: Families are being asked to conduct a health check on their child every morning before arrival to school. More information on this will be sent to you prior to April 19th. Bottom line -- to keep our school open, please keep your child home if he or she have any signs of illness. Schools that have opened and remained case-free have been diligent in sending home students with any symptoms, along with all the other layers of spread prevention.

Students will have a structured break mid-morning. The level of structure needed during these breaks is contingent upon COVID-19 tier levels and CDPH guidelines.

Morning drop off will look different this year. Parents will need to remain in their cars and be prepared to have their children escorted to the front gate of the classroom. We are very concerned about a long back up of cars on Mt. Baldy Road and are going to need everyone's help in getting students out of cards quickly.

Pick up at the end of school will also look different. The students will be lined up by class outside, and an adult will be calling each student to come to their adult's car. Parents are not to park and come up to the gate. Again, this will require everyone's cooperation in making sure the line goes quickly.

Other Information:

If your chld attends Mt. Baldy School on an Interdistrict Transfer Permit, you received an "Intent to Return" form at the last instructional material pick up. Please fill out this form and send it in as soon as possible. We need this information in order to plan for next year.

Teachers are starting to create their schedules for in-person/remote instruction.

Students who remain home will receive live streaming video instruction through Google Meet from their teachers to the greatest extent practicable during the in-person day (8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with breaks) and then will meet with their teachers for an additional half hour or so between1:00 and 2:30 p.m. to assure these students have received adequate instructional minutes.

The google classroom will still be used to to relay assignments and instructions as needed for students learning remotely. Materials will be distributed by teachers on instructional material pick up days that will be determined by individual teachers.

Save The Date -- on our next whole school Instructional Material Pick Up day teachers will be scheduling opportunities for you to bring your child in to return classroom materials and text books and visit their classroom. This is like the first day of school for our students, and we want to make sure they (and you) are feeling comfortable and can see all the things that are still the same in their school, along with a few things that are different this year.

The next couple of weeks teachers will be introducing the idea of transition back to on campus instruction with their students. We encourage you to start readying your children for a smooth transition back to school by assuring that they have a reasonable bed time and get back into the habit of waking early enough to have breakfast and get dressed in real clothes (sort of like what parents usually do in August before the start of school).

We recognize that coming back onto campus can be stressful for students. Please assure your children that the first couple of weeks will be about getting to know each other and learning the routines of being back in school with a few new twists.

Parents of Kindergarten and first grade students (only) will be permitted to walk their students to their classrooms for the first few days of on campus instruction. Ms. Cate and Ms. Camacho will provide information to these parents. As well, there will be a staggered start for the 1-2 classroom only. Second graders will be coming onto campus starting Monday April 19. First graders will continue remote learning for Monday and Tuesday of that week, and will come onto campus Wednesday, April 21st. This will allow Ms. Camacho to assure a smooth transition for all of her students.

Families of students that are returning to campus that were loaned Chromebooks for distance learning may return these items (case, charger--both parts, and computer) on April 14 IF the students have an alternate way to attend synchronous instruction for the remainder of the week. Otherwise, families are asked to return the Chromebooks during the period of April 19--23rd.

Families that indicated that bus transportation was a necessity will be contacted by the school individually in the next couple of weeks.

More information about reopening will be coming to you in the couple of weeks. As conditions and guidelines change frequently, we want to make sure we are able to provide you with accurate information. If you have a pressing question, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Happy Spring!

Nancy Sirski

State Assessment Update

Dear Parent/Guardian,

We want to thank you for your continued patience as we adapt our regular school practices and procedures to accommodate the many challenges presented by the pandemic. Parents and students and teachers have stepped up in heroic ways and we are starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

As you may know, each year in the Spring, our district provides the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) statewide assessments in English language arts and math to students in grades 3-8 and 11th grade. This week, the California State Board of Education took the first step to give districts the option of using the statewide assessments or district-selected assessments for the 2020-2021 school year. We are still awaiting full details and guidance from the California Department of Education, about when but regardless of the assessment Mt. Baldy Joint School District uses, parents/guardians with students in grades 3-8 and grade 11 will receive their child’s results in both English language arts and math.

There are many ways to measure student learning, and the spring test is only one of them. It is not meant to tell the whole story, but when combined with other factors, like report card grades and teacher input, it will give families a more complete picture of their child’s performance so that they can partner with teachers to accelerate learning in the months ahead.

We are committed to communicating early and often with you as we receive additional information.

In partnership,

Nancy SIrski

Mark Your Calendar

Monday, March 29, Pupil-Free Day -- No School.

April 5-9 Spring Break

April 14, Instructional material return, school visits

April 19, on campus instruction --health conditions permitting

Care Solace

Mt. Baldy School has partnered with Care Solace to support our community’s mental health.

Our school's students, staff members and their families can use Care Solace to quickly find verified mental health, behavioral health, and substance use treatment options matched to their needs regardless of circumstances or insurance coverage.

Care Solace’s team is available 24/7 and can support you in any language.

If you would like to use Care Solace to help you find a provider:

● Call 888-515-0595 24/7

● Visit https://www.caresolace.com/site/baldyfamilies/ and either search on your own , OR click “Book Appointment” for assistance by video chat, email, or phone.

● Email weserve@caresolace.org with the following information:

● Your name and contact information (cell phone number)

● Your preferred language

● A good time for Care Solace to contact you

Care Solace will assign a personal Care Concierge to support you through the process of finding mental health care. Your Care Concierge will identify available providers who accept your insurance; private, Medi-Cal, sliding scale or cost-free options. They will help you book an appointment and check in afterward to see if you like the provider or need additional support.

School Lunches

The CDE and USDA have extended the Summer Meal Service to provide free meals to all students until December 31, 2020. We receive our lunches through Claremont Unified School District. Meals will be offered on a daily basis (not a week's worth like during the summer).

Families may go to the following locations to pick up lunches. Please mention that you are from Mt. Baldy School (they will ask for a meal card).

Meal Times:

Claremont High School 12:35 - 1:35 p.m.

El Roble Middle School 11:20 - 12:20 p.m.

Chaparral 12:15 - 1:15 p.m.

Condit 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Mt. View 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Oakmont 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Sumner/Danbury 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Sycamore 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

Vista 11:45 - 12:45 p.m.