Mt. Baldy School Memo

June 25, 2020

Reopening

Dear Mt. Baldy School Families,

I hope you are safe, healthy and enjoying the beginning of summer as best you can. We realize that although summer break is a welcome respite from the routines of school, the question of what school might look like in August is very much on your minds. These are challenging times, with the response to COVID-19 evolving as we move through the phases of prevention, recovery and reopening.

Through collaboration with San Bernardino County Superintendent's Office, the California Department of Public Health as well as the West End Superintendents, we have been working on initial guidelines to plan for the phased reopening of school. These guidelines are aligned with four stages of “The California Resilience Roadmap” (the reopening plan from Governor Newsom) as well as “Stronger Together: A Guidebook for the Safe Reopening of California’s Public Schools,“ from the California Department of Education.

In the upcoming weeks we will include input from survey results from Mt. Baldy Staff and parent/guardians in order to assure our plans include the preferences from our staff and families as much as possible. We will be having workshops to discuss and review aspects of Mt. Baldy School Reopening Guidelines after input from our stakeholders has been reflected in the document. The dates and times of the workshops are listed in the Memo below.

Health and Safety Roadmap

Below is a broad stroke description of a model roadmap to an eventual full return to our previous instructional model, should conditions permit. This is a living document at this point, and so some aspects and details very likely will change after input. Keep in mind that the safety of our students and staff is our top priority. That being said, we must implement the safety protocols outlined in the four stages below to prevent an outbreak of the virus at our school. It is important that our community understand that should we have an outbreak, part or all of our school would be required to close and return to full distance learning. We want to avoid such a scenario by carefully following all guidance from our state and county agencies.

Stage 1: Safer at Home Orders, distance learning

If California and San Bernardino County return to Stage 1, Mt. Baldy School District will revert to a full distance learning model. Teachers will conduct virtual lessons and connect with their students through our online platform. Should we need to quarantine a classroom or have an outbreak, we would move back to a full distance learning model as needed by classroom or whole school.

Stage 2A and 2B: Opening of Lower Risk Workplaces, distance learning and blended learning

California is currently in Stage 2. During this phase, social-distancing and PPE (masks) are required. Our classrooms, facilities , and bus are not spacious enough to accommodate our full class sizes while following social distance guidelines (6 feet on all sides). We would need to limit the number of students per classroom to half capacity. Students would likely attend class in person two days a week, and complete assignments from home on the remaining three days. Students would have contact with teachers during office hours one day per week.

Recess and lunch would be staggered as much as possible to reduce interaction between groups and allow for social distancing.

Stage 3: Opening of Higher Risk Workplaces, blended learning and traditional learning

School preventative measures would be in place as listed in Stage 2A and Stage 2B. Select classes and/or select student groups would start back with traditional instruction, with the goal of bringing all classes back on site.

Stage 4: End of Stay at Home Orders, traditional school

All restrictions removed, we return to our pre-COVID model.

Home-based Instructional Option

Some families may prefer to remain in a distance learning model. Our district is exploring online options with support from Mt. Baldy Staff to ensure there is a fit for every student in our district. We will provide more information about this option in the coming weeks.

We appreciate your ongoing support and patience as we navigate the challenges of this pandemic together. As our reopening plan emerges and changes, we will regularly communicate progress. Please keep an eye out for more Memos, and feel free to contact me should you have any further questions.

We thank you for taking fifteen or twenty minutes to complete the survey below.

To your health,

Nancy

Reopening Survey

Summer Support from Care Solace

Dear parents and guardians,

Mt. Baldy Joint Elementary fosters a culture that promotes the health, safety, and well-being of students, staff, and parents. In an effort to continuously support this commitment while school is not in session over the summer, the district wants to remind families of the 24/7 mental health service available to you through our partner Care Solace.

Care Solace is an online resource with a live, multilingual Care Concierge meant to assist individuals in finding local mental health related programs and counseling services. Care Solace's web-based system works alongside our multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) as a tool for school staff and families to connect with community-based mental healthcare resources and providers. The proprietary care navigation system taps into a vast database of mental healthcare resources to find carefully vetted local and online therapists and programs in minutes.

School district staff and families may access Care Solace services in two ways:

1. Call (888) 515-0595 or email weserve@caresolace.org to speak with someone from the Care Concierge team.

Representatives are standing by to take your call, email or video chat 24/7

2. Visit your district’s link at caresolace.com/baldyfamilies

Answer ten simple questions on their confidential platform and get matched with local and online providers in minutes.
Care Solace takes into account all types of private insurance including Medi-Cal, Medicaid, and Medicare and those that have no insurance. The provider will also be specific to age, gender, zip code and any special requests.
If you’d like assistance finding a provider and/or booking an appointment, the Care Concierge can make the phone calls on your behalf, help you navigate who accepts your insurance, and any other special requests, saving you precious time in your busy schedules.

Care Solace is available for use by district students and families at no cost. All information shared with Care Solace or entered on their website is completely confidential and securely stored. They do not share specific user information to any third parties or even the district itself.

Please note, this service is an optional free resource available to families in our district. If you are interested in seeking counseling-related services at this time, please give them a call at (888) 515-0595.

Warmest regards,

Nancy

Here is a link to a list of Frequently Asked Questions for families to reference.

Reduced School Operation

We are currently maintaining a skeleton staff here at school. The office is staffed from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.

The gate is closed after noon and on Fridays.

Ms. Sirski is on campus full days Mondays through Thursdays. Please call the school at 909-985-0991 or email her at nancy_sirski@mtbaldy.k12.ca.us to contact her after 12:00 p.m. Monday through Thursdays and on Fridays.