ALVORD UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Dear Members of the Alvord Community,

Numerous events were held this past week and weekend to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Honoring the victims and heroes of 9/11 helps America “Never Forget" the deadliest terrorist attack ever on U.S. soil. Around Alvord, RMK elementary school students displayed their patriotism by holding American flags in front of school until 8:45 am. At all grade levels, age-appropriate teacher-led discussions helped our students understand the events on 9/11/2001 that led to 2,977 deaths, including many New York City first responders.

Students in the Green Construction Academy made wooden American flags for our firefighters working at Riverside Fire Station 10. Career and Technical Education Director Craig Shiflett delivered them to the station on 9/11 at 8:45 am.

Student leaders from Norte Vista High School's Service Learning and Global campus organization held a 20th anniversary remembrance walk on Saturday morning, 9/11/21 in K.R. Zack Earp Stadium on the campus of Norte Vista High School. Norte Vista graduate Mr. Earp himself was present (see picture below). In addition to teaching and serving as a principal in Alvord, he served on the Alvord School Board from 1995-2007. Mr. Earp is also a Marine Corps veteran who has spent the past five decades advocating on behalf of fellow veterans and children within the Alvord Unified School District. He was recently recognized by the Riverside City Council with a City Spirit Award for his extraordinary deeds and community spirit. Thank you Mr. Earp for supporting our students and schools and joining the commemorative event. You are a hero.

The 9/11 event was open to all of our neighbors and friends and was sanctioned as an official 100-mile club event for students to earn 100-mile club credit. The 501st Stormtroopers attended thanks to the local chapter of Team Red, White & Blue. Stories of remembrance honoring our veterans of the War on Terror and the 13 American service members killed in Afghanistan on August 26 highlighted the student-led event. The school's Black Brigade played the National Anthem.

Thanks to student leader Vivian Shepherd-Mayen for leading the way with her fellow Novi student leaders and a special thanks to teacher/advisor Ms. Mandy Bush and Principal Jason Marquez.

On behalf of the Board of Education, I want to thank our students, staff, and families for working together to help keep our schools open and our community safe. Students are mostly diligent about mask-wearing and more students are participating in our testing program. We have also noticed that fewer students are attending school with cold or flu-like symptoms.

Our most recent COVID-19 response was to create a COVID-19 Help Center. We opened it on our Keller Avenue site this past Tuesday. The Help Center team provides resources and support to schools and families. You can reach them at 951 509 5014 Monday through Friday from 7:30 - 4:30. Or email 24/7 to COVIDHelp@alvordschools.org. Someone from the Help Center Team will respond as soon as possible.

The Help Center supports families by answering questions related to COVID-19 school protocols. The Help Center also supports school sites by conducting the contact tracing protocol and communicating with the families of students who have had contact with a positive test case. The Help Center team is also the liaison to both our Health Services Team and the Riverside County Department of Public Health COVID-19 Response Schools Team.

This coming Wednesday, September 15, from 5 - 6:30 PM, the Riverside Public Health COVID-19 Response Schools Team is hosting a COVID-19 webinar for parents of school-age children (see the flyer below). To attend, please sign up here. There is no cost. This week's event will be delivered in English. The webinar will be delivered in Spanish on a future date, to be announced soon.

We had a total of 37 students and 6 staff members test positive this past week. 412 students were identified as potentially having had close contact with the person who tested positive. The COVID-19 Help Center contact tracing team completed the contact tracing process by contacting students and families to determine what level of quarantine, if any, is appropriate. There are commonly five outcomes for students in contact tracing protocol, as follows:

1. The student is vaccinated, in which case they may continue to attend school and participate in extra-curricular activities as long as they remain asymptomatic.
2. The student is not vaccinated, in which case they may continue to attend school, but on modified quarantine, as long as they test twice-weekly and remain asymptomatic. They may not participate in extra-curricular activities during the 10-day modified quarantine period.
3. The student has symptoms, in which case they remain home on full quarantine, COVID-test, and be cleared by our Health Services team before returning to school.
4. The student voluntarily remains home for the 10-day quarantine period out of an abundance of caution (could be due to student moderately or severely immunocompromised or other personal reasons).
5. The student is not able to be reached due to inaccurate contact information, in which case the student is called to the school office for symptom screening and to discuss contact tracing protocol and update contact information with parents.

For employees in close contact protocol, we follow Cal/OSHA COVID-19 regulations. Employees who are not fully vaccinated must complete the 10-day quarantine period and may only return to work after they are medically cleared. Employees who are fully vaccinated may return to work if they exhibit no symptoms. All employees with symptoms must remain home until they are cleared to return to work.

Overall, we have been serving students in-person for 25 school days. As of Friday, September 10, we have had 49 staff members (2.1% positivity rate) and 200 students (1.1% positivity rate) report a positive test for COVID-19. Stay current with our case rate by regularly tracking our COVID-19 Dashboard and FAQ here. Cases recorded on the Dashboard are confirmed by Riverside County Public Health officials and remain on the Dashboard for 14 days.

About 2,200 students have been identified by our contact tracers and most have been placed on modified quarantine, which means they continued to attend school as long as they tested twice-weekly over a period of ten days (Day 1, 4, 7, and 10) and remained asymptomatic. Students on modified quarantine are provided four at-home diagnostic tests for COVID-19. While the at-home rapid antigen testing kits are effective, the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is considered to be the gold standard for diagnosing Covid-19 infection. Parents whose children have been exposed may choose to also have them tested using the PCR test, even if they don't exhibit any symptoms (see no-cost testing sites below in the News section).

The PCR tests are processed in a lab and take at least one day and usually multiple days for results to be communicated. Finding a testing site is not always easy. Most require appointments and many of those appointments are currently up to a week away. For families with transportation challenges or work schedules without flexibility, it is difficult to test, particularly in a timely manner. The at-home rapid antigen testing kits are a good option (and for some the only option) for some families. However, people who have had a high-risk exposure and/or are symptomatic, even if the home-testing result was negative, should have a trained professional administer a PCR test.

Overall, in Riverside County this past week, there were 1,214 new cases (0.4% increase), 19 new deaths (0.4% increase), a 7-day positivity rate of 7.8% (0.3% increase), and eight more patients were hospitalized (1.3% increase). I recognize that universal masking, COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, and other state, local, and school policies are polarizing and many people disagree with them for one reason or another. But what we all can agree on is that COVID-19 is a community-based virus. Until our school population buys-in and takes protective measures while in and around schools and in their homes, no one is safe, not even those of us who are vaccinated. Everybody has to do their part. Talk to your child's principal about signing up for our voluntary COVID-19 student testing program.

Below, find video instructions from the COVID-19 test manufacturer for self-administering the home-testing kits.

It's important that students and parents know how to navigate the Google Classroom. Teachers use the Google Classroom to provide materials and support. In the event students are quarantined and have to learn from home temporarily, they will use the Google Classroom to stay current with their class. In the event students have to learn from home for three or more days, they will be on a short-term independent study contract. Principals will provide details on that process.

On behalf of the Board of Education and our entire team, thank you for supporting our schools. Together, we can keep everyone safe and keep our schools open.

Stay positive. Test weekly. Be well.

Sincerely,

Allan Mucerino

Our home-based program utilizes Edgenuity™ and Accelerate™ to deliver curriculum and instruction. Both programs are computer-based, user-friendly learning management systems that structure and monitor learning. While students are assigned to a certificated Alvord Unified School District teacher, the teacher simply monitors attendance and progress. The teacher does not directly teach the curriculum. The Edgenuity courses provide direct-instruction videos featuring expert, on-screen teachers. The Accelerate courses provide direct-instruction audio featuring expert, on-screen teachers. Both computer-based programs also provides rigorous assignments, performance tasks, and assessments to engage students and ensure subject-area mastery.

Visit the Edgenuity Video Library here for a series of videos on the advantages of Edgenuity. For the K-5 Accelerate program, visit their website here for additional information. Following are key elements of the program. Contact your principal for additional details:

• Students learn from home and do not attend school in-person;
  
• Students continue to be active members of the student body at their home school.
  
• Students utilize an age-appropriate computer-based leaning program that uses a combination of animations, video-led direct instruction, relevant websites, and activities to support the curriculum;
• Modification and accommodations will be made for English learners, students in foster care or other high-needs groups;
• Students are provided with a Chromebook and an Internet connection, if needed;
• Students in grades' 6-12 use Edgenuity;
• Students in grades' K-5 use Accelerate;
• Students in grades' 3-12 with specialized academic needs use Odysseyware;
• Students in the district's moderate to severe program utilize our alternative curriculum, News‑2‑You (N2Y);
• A parent or guardian is responsible for student progress;
• Parent is responsible for ensuring student engages in learning platform for designated time per day;
  
• Students are assigned to an Alvord teacher, however;
• The Alvord teacher does not teach the curriculum;
• The Alvord teacher utilizes the Google classroom to meet with students at the conclusion of each school day for an "office hour" to record daily attendance and to ensure progress is being made;
• The Alvord teacher supports the student and parent;
• Instructional minutes are the same as they are for in-person instruction:
  • Kindergarten: 200 minutes;
  • Grades 1-3: 280 minutes;
  • Grades 4-8: 300 minutes;
  • Grades 9-12: 360 minutes;
• Meals are made available for pick-up for students in the home-based program;

• Students may transition back into in-person instruction within five days of declaring they no longer choose to participate in the home-based program;
• For high school students, access to all courses offered for graduation and approved by the University of California or the California State University are made available.

Our home-based program meets the requirements of AB130, which was recently enacted to ensure all students have the option to participate in an alternative to in-person instruction.

When we return for the 2021-22 school year on August 6, 2021, our two after-school programs, HALF-Time (K-5) and PRIME-Time (6-8), will be available M-F from school dismissal until 6:00 PM. The program provide FREE academic support, homework assistance and enrichment activities like art, crafts, music, sports and STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, and Math) along with a nutritious meal. Please register your Kindergarten through 8th grade students soon as space is limited. Sign up here in English and here in Spanish.

CVS Pharmacy

CVS @ 6215 Riverside Avenue, Riverside, CA 92506

CVS @ 6840 Lincoln Avenue, Riverside, CA 92506

CVS @ 491 E Alessandro Blvd, Riverside, CA 92508

Mobile Van Schedule

Wednesdays @ Bordwell Park, 2008 Martin Luther King Blvd.

Thursdays @ Bryant Park, 7950 Philbin Ave.

Fridays, @ Casa Blanca Library, 2985 Madison Avenue

Saturdays @ Fairmount Park, 2601 Fairmount Blvd.

Sundays, Arlington Heights Sports Park, 9401 Cleveland Avenue

Drive-Thru Locations

La Sierra Park Drive-Thru Location
Make an appointment @ 5215 La Sierra Avenue

7 days a week (except holidays)

Open daily (except holidays)
11 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (closed 3 – 4 p.m.)

UCR Lot 26 Drive-Thru
Make an appointment @ 3443 Canyon Crest Dr.

Riverside, CA 92507

Open daily (except holidays)
8 a.m. – 4 p.m. (closed noon – 1 p.m.)

Kiosk Location

Make an appointment @ 3900 Main Street
Open daily (except holidays)
8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (closed 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

For locations sponsored by RIverside County, visit their COVID-testing location finder here.

The Riverside County Department of Education (RCOE) also provides many services for school-age children and their families. Click on the image below or here to visit the RCOE Parent Portal. To browse by topic, click on the links below for detailed information.

Child Care for Essential Workers

Child Care Assistance and Resources

Child Care Finder

Head Start

Migrant Head Start

State Preschool

Teen Parent Program

Infant/Toddler Special Education Programs

Email: 2Superintendent@alvordschools.org
Website: https://www.alvordschools.org
Location: 9 Kpc Parkway, Corona, CA 92879, USA
Phone: 951) 509-5000
Facebook: facebook.com/alvordunified
Twitter: @AlvordUnified