Reopening Elementary Schools
The Full-Day Cohort Model has been selected for the remainder of the 2020-21 School Year. We look forward to welcoming students back to in-person learning on campuses on April 12th.
Allows for most students to remain with their current teacher
Provides the most teacher-student instructional time for virtual and in-person students.
Teachers will instruct, simultaneously, to virtual and in-person students
Allows for the safest arrival and dismal procedures.
Provides adequate time each day for facilities staff to clean and disinfect classrooms.
Continues hours of support for small group or individual instruction.
Elementary Schools will begin making decisions in these areas and beyond:
Student cohorts (based on parent commitment to instructional setting)
The number of days each student may return physically to campus will be determined by the number of students who wish to return to in-person instruction and compliance with LACDPH social distancing restrictions.
Specific site schedules- start times/end times, breaks, learning blocks
Safety protocols related to your site- car line drop off, pick up,
Bathroom procedures
Recess procedures
Classroom set-up
Parent communication requirements and needs
The Virtual and In-Person Experience
Virtual Instruction
As we transition, the classroom teacher will be teaching simultaneously, both virtually and in-person. Students in the virtual instructional model will continue to receive instruction virtually. Instruction, assignments, and learning experiences will continue to be provided by the teacher. Attendance is required and reported based on the student's participation in the virtual classroom.
In-Person Instruction
The classroom teacher will be teaching simultaneously, to both students learning virtually and those learning in-person. Instruction, assignments, and learning experiences will be provided by the teacher. Attendance is required and reported based on the student's in-seat attendance.
All in-person instructional experiences will follow strict COVID-19 mandates and restrictions put forth by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH). These guidelines include but are not limited to masking, social distancing, regulated access to facilities (limited access to restrooms, office areas, etc.), distancing from teacher to students and other adults, and limited/designated outdoor space for students. You can see these guidelines HERE.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please see answers to the most frequently asked questions. We hope this helps you make an informed decision about whether your child will return for in-person learning or continue with virtual learning for the last 7 weeks of the school year.
Q1: Will my child be able to stay with their teacher?
Parents were clear that their preference was for their child to remain with their teacher. Schools will do their very best to ensure that students remain with the teacher they have been with for the majority of the year. However, if a teacher is unable to return when we reopen, that may not be possible.
Q2: What protocols will be put in place to ensure students’ safety?
Student and staff safety is of the utmost importance. All in-person instructional experiences will follow strict COVID-19 mandates and restrictions put forth by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH). These guidelines include but are not limited to masking, social distancing, regulated access to facilities (limited access to restrooms, office areas, etc.), distancing from teacher to students and other adults, and limited/designated outdoor space for students. You can see these guidelines HERE. Also please see the AUSD COVID-19 protocols below for more information.
Q3: Will parents be able to find out which teachers have been vaccinated?
Teachers have been given opportunities through the department of public health and partnerships with local distribution centers. Due to federal law and HIPAA regulations, vaccination records are considered confidential.
Q4: Will students be allowed to switch learning environments(virtual/in-person) after April 12?
All parents have been asked to make a commitment to one learning environment for the remainder of the school year.
Q5: Will after-school care be offered to families?
After school care will be available through Right at School for those families who are electing to return their students back to campus for in-person learning.
Q6: Will recess be part of the daily schedule?
Yes. Recess time will be planned for outdoor play in all grade levels TK-5. Due to health mandates put forth by the Los Angeles Department of Health, children will play with students from their class (same cohort) in a designated area on the playground or fields. Principals and school staff will plan a rotation schedule to ensure that students can enjoy different play areas on different days.
Q7: My child is used to eating lunch earlier in the day, will he/she be able to have a snack?
Yes. Students are encouraged to bring a snack from home for recess time. Water fountains will not be available for student use. Please pack your child with a water bottle every day. Water refilling stations will be available for students to fill water bottles if needed.
Q8: My child is in Special Education. How will AUSD continue to implement his/her IEP?
The Special Education department is working closely with all of the school site teams, special education teachers and related service providers to ensure that special education students successfully transition to an in-person option at school. Your child’s teacher and school staff will be in contact with you to ensure that you are aware of the schedule that has been decided. In order to maximize time in the classroom with teachers and classmates, mitigate health and safety risks and support continuity in learning and services, your student may continue to participate in some services virtually. Teams will also elicit parent feedback in relation to students’ ability to comply with the L.A. County Department of Public Health guidelines to help inform program planning and implementation for your student.
If you have elected to continue in the distance learning model, your child’s IEP services will continue to be provided virtually.
Q9: Will my child have to log-on for learning after lunch?
No. Your child will not be required to log-on for compulsory instruction after lunch.
Q10: What is the school visitor policy?
Visitors will not be allowed on campus. However, parents will be able to access the main office if there is an appropriate need. Parents will be required to complete the COVID-19 health screening prior to entering the office. Parents must wear a mask and adhere to strict social distancing guidelines.
Physical Distancing
Movement of students, staff, and parents is managed to avoid close contact and/or mixing of cohorts
Redesigning activities for smaller groups and rearranging furniture and play spaces to maintain separation
Face Coverings/PPE
Worn at all times on campus by employees/students (unless prevented by a medical condition or disability)
Face Shields for teachers
Hand Sanitizing/Hygiene
Handwashing stations and hand sanitizer are available and their safe and appropriate use is promoted and incorporated into routines for staff and students
Students and staff have access to fragrance-free ethyl alcohol-based hand sanitizer when handwashing is not practicable.
Health Screening
Students, staff, and visitors are screened for symptoms of COVID-19
Implementation of home symptom and exposure screening
Ventilation
Filtration for all Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning HVAC systems.
Ionization Units
Cleaning and Disinfecting
District staff clean frequently touched surfaces at school and on school buses daily, including sink handles, shared tables, desk, and chairs (Desks or chairs do not need daily cleaning if only used by one individual during the day), door handles, and shared technology and supplies
Staff Training
Staff training materials address the following safety actions:
Proper use, removal, and washing of face coverings
Physical distancing guidelines and their importance
COVID-19 specific symptom identification and screening practices
How COVID-19 is spread
Enhanced sanitation practices
The importance of staff not coming to work they have symptoms, or if they or someone they live with or they have had close contact with has been diagnosed with COVID- 19
The district plan and procedures to follow when staff or students become sick at schools
Family Education
Family educational materials address the following safety actions:
Proper use, removal, and washing of face coverings
How COVID-19 is spread
The importance of students not coming to school if they have symptoms, or if they or someone they live with or they have had close contact with has been diagnosed with COVID- 19
The district plan and procedures to follow when staff or students become sick at schools
Our Journey to Reopening Elementary Schools
Our journey to reopening began the day California mandated schools to close. In March 2020, the expectation was that we would return to schools within a few weeks. Alas, over a year later, we are finally able to even consider bringing staff and students back to our campuses. During our journey, we frequently communicated with stakeholders and shared what was known at the current time. We all lived through a rollercoaster ride that took us on highs toward hope and drops toward disappointment.
In Update 1 (Jan. 2020), we discussed the 2019-2020 Flu Season and how it was complicated by recent reports of a novel coronavirus. We continued to communicate with stakeholders, offered resources, and gathered input on various topics. In July, LA County's new health mandates were released, at which time, AUSD published Update 25 - Next School Year. We planned for a full opening, limited opening, and distance learning. In August and much to our dismay, COVID-19 case counts saw a virtual start to the 2020-21 school year. In November, Update 30 - Distance Learning Continues was shared, where we announced the State’s issuance of a "limited stay at home order" and that distance learning would remain in effect for the rest of the 2020 calendar year. In late January, Update 33 - Vaccine Distribution Process stated the good news about vaccines as something that may help combat the continued high COVID-19 case count and hospitalizations in LA County. Until case numbers were under control, however, Distance Learning would continue to remain in effect. In February, Updates 34 and 35 provided information on the district's guiding principles for reopening and the Roadmap to Reopening and Safety Plan. Most recently, Update 36 - Elementary Return Date Published reaffirmed that our district is committed to reopening our elementary schools as aligned with LA County health and safety guidance.
Click HERE to see a timeline regarding the development of In-Person Learning Model Schedules.
We continue our journey by determining which model school schedule will be utilized by the district's elementary schools. Parents will be asked to make a decision on which instructional type (in-person or distance) they will choose for their children. Once a clearer picture of the number of students who will return emerges, each Arcadia Unified elementary school site will take the planning reigns from the district to map out the final steps for their unique campuses. The details of how classrooms will operate, routines and breaks, pick up and drop off logistics, after-school care and offerings, etc. will be worked out and communicated. We will continue to forge ahead, together. We will need to continue to offer each other grace and space as we move into our new normal and adapt to the ever-shifting reality of living in a COVID world.
Stakeholder Data
3/12 ThoughtExchange Data
Elementary School parents were asked to, Please provide your thoughts and input on the instructional models presented during the AUSD board meeting on 3.9.21
The 3 highest ranked thoughts by parents were:
The highest ranked thoughts regarding which of the 3 options were:
Parent Decision
Parent Commitments to in-person and virtual instruction as of March 31, 2021
To see a breakdown by Elementary School, click HERE.
Initial Parent Choice
When recently surveyed, AUSD Families were equally divided in their initial choice whether they would prefer their children to say at home or return to school.
To see a breakdown by Elementary School, click HERE.
Model Schedules
Based on ongoing feedback provided by stakeholders since May 2020, Arcadia Unified's district administration, principals, and members from the Arcadia Teachers Union developed 3 model schedules that provide the most viable options to offer both virtual and in-person instruction, while meeting the rigorous mandates for allowing students and staff on campus. Model schedules were also created with instructional minute requirements set by the California Department of Education for the 2020-21 school year.
Watch Dr. Brent Forsee, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, explain the models at a recent board meeting HERE.
Option #1: Full Day Model
77% of elementary teachers selected this model as their first choice for an elementary schedule. 77%
Allows for most students to remain with their current teacher
Provides the most teacher-student instructional time for virtual and in-person students.
Teachers will instruct, simultaneously, to virtual and in-person students
The number of days each student may return physically to campus will be determined by the number of students who wish to return to in-person instruction and compliance with LACDPH social distancing restrictions.
Option #2: AM Only In-Person Model
23% of elementary teachers selected this model as their first choice for an elementary schedule. 23%
Divides students into separate groups for instruction.
Allows for less teacher-student instructional time for virtual and in-person students than schedule one.
Requires students to complete asynchronous (unsupervised) work each day per state attendance requirements.
Option #3: AM & PM In-Person Cohort Model
This was the least popular model for elementary teachers.
Divides students into separate groups for instruction with some students learning virtually and some students in person at the same time with a morning and afternoon in-person cohort.
Creates multiple groups of students both virtually and in-person and requires extensive asynchronous (unsupervised) work to complete daily per state attendance requirement.
Allows for less teacher-student instructional time for virtual and in-person students than schedule one.