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A Note from Superintendent Morgan
A Note from Superintendent Morgan
Dear Walnut Creek School District Families and Staff,
WCSD continues to make safety a priority. This responsibility begins with the obligation of ensuring that students and staff feel physically and emotionally safe on campus. We are dedicating our spring issue of The WCSD Connection to reviewing the many aspects of school safety. We are grateful to our community for passing the Measure D Facility bond, which made it possible to modernize and implement many of these facility safety measures. The following information demonstrates the various aspects of our commitment to maintaining a safe and secure learning environment at all of our schools. Please be assured that the safety and security of our students and staff is of utmost concern, and we thank you for the trust that you place in us each and every day.
Warm Regards,
Marie Morgan
Superintendent
CAMPUS SECURITY
CAMPUS SECURITY
WCSD campuses are supervised and, where possible, gates are locked during instructional hours. Security cameras have been installed across each campus as well as upgrades to lighting and signage. Campuses are closed to pedestrian visitors during school hours. All visitors are directed to the office to check-in while on campus. Volunteers are welcome and required to complete the online volunteer training module annually. Additionally, our communication system is extensive and multi-faceted.
DISTRICT & SITE SAFETY PLANS
DISTRICT & SITE SAFETY PLANS
One of the most important components of a comprehensive district safety plan is communication. We are proud to share that WCSD has an outstanding communication platform, Blackboard Connect. This platform works in conjunction with Aeries, our student information system, ensuring that we have direct access to our families through email, text and voice messaging. Our website is updated regularly and ongoing newsletters are sent.
In 2018, we developed a District Safety Committee. Our committee is comprised of staff, parents, administrators, and community safety partners. This committee meets quarterly to review policies, practices, and protocols. Our District Safety Plan is updated annually and presented to our Governing Board in March. Each school also maintains a comprehensive school safety plan which includes policies for handling a variety of potential issues specific to school sites. The plans are developed in collaboration with School Site Councils and updated annually to ensure we address needs in a timely and relevant manner. Please note that schools do not publish the details of the specific protocols within those plans so as not to contribute to a security breach.
EMERGENCY DRILLS: All schools must be prepared to handle a variety of emergency situations. These include some that call for securing students and staff along with others that call for safe evacuation. These protocols have been developed with guidance from our local law enforcement partners. Every school in WCSD is required to schedule a monthly fire drill, two earthquake drills, and one lockdown drill per year. These drills are in addition to the annual participation in the Great California Shakeout (October). If a school is put into “lock down” it is helpful for families to maintain distance from the school site and to react according to the directives given by the District in coordination with law enforcement.
Additionally, all district staff are required to complete several mandated online safety modules. These include ALICE, Mandated Reporting for Child Abuse, COVID Workplace Safety, Integrated Pest Control, and Bloodborne Pathogen Training.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
WCSD partners with multiple community agencies to serve our students. Collaborative relationships are at the core of the driving vision of our Safety Committee. Our vision is that "Students, parents, community organizations, and law enforecement agencies should be actively involved in the development and updating of District-wide safety plans." We consider our schools small neighborhood schools and appreciate all that our families do to provide a safe place for our families to work, go to school, and play.
TRAFFIC SAFETY
TRAFFIC SAFETY
Traffic safety has been a focus of our District Safety Committee this year due to the recent tragedies that have occurred in our neighboring cities. Mr. Fernandez has worked alongside city and county officials to assess each of our school campus traffic patterns. Based on these assessments, the district will be taking some important steps to improve traffic safety this summer. We are grateful to the City of Walnut Creek for their partnership in our crossing guard program. We plan to expand this program to include additional identified areas of need. You can review our assessment and recommendations here.
EMOTIONAL WELLNESS - MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
EMOTIONAL WELLNESS - MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
WCSD is proud of the comprehensive Social Emotional Wellness Program we have developed. We employ a full team of licensed therapists to provide intensive counseling services to support the mental health needs of our students and families. Therapists are assigned to each of our schools to support our teachers and school psychologists when mental health issues arise. This year, we have opened Wellness Centers on each of our school campuses to support students who need some extra support while at school. Morning Meetings at the elementary level and Advisory at the middle school level provide a space for students and staff to address topics such as emotional management, empathy and kindness, recognizing bullying and harassment, and managing relationships and social conflict.
Risk Assessment Team - Students who potentially pose a threat to themselves or others are assessed by a team of experts using resources and a risk assessment protocol to determine what resources need to be directed towards the at-risk individual and may lead to the assistance of the County Mental Health Department.
Maintaining trusting relationships and an “inclusive” school culture is important to creating an atmosphere where students are willing to speak out when they see, hear, or feel that something is wrong. Several avenues are available to students to report concerns or share tips with responsible adults on campus to prevent issues from escalating. One of the most prominent programs in our middle schools is a partnership with the Sandy Hook Promise and the See Something Say Something Program. This communication helps our school administration intervene in situations that could have been dangerous and allows us to respond quickly when necessary.
COVID-19 POST-PANDEMIC RESPONSE
COVID-19 POST-PANDEMIC RESPONSE
On February 28, the state of California issued new guidance regarding indoor making in K-12 schools moving from a requirement to a “strong recommendation.” In earlier communications I shared that WCSD will align with this new guidance. WCSD has implemented this new recommendation, meaning masks are no longer required for students or staff in our classrooms regardless of vaccination status.
This information gives some insight about why the state of California made this decision and next steps for our district. This new guidance comes as the result of a significant improvement in all key metrics regarding the spread of COVID-19. According to the CDC, our county has a “low” spread of transmissions. This presentation by Dr. Ghaly, our state public health officer, identifies statewide trends which align to what we are seeing in Contra Costa County where we have a high vaccination rate.
Our shared commitment of adhering to our own health and safety protocols have greatly impacted the spread of the virus. We plan to continue these practices for the remainder of the school year including access to COVID testing, strong hygiene practices, good ventilation strategies including the air scrubbers placed throughout our buildings, and daily sanitation of our schools. (find standards/protocol for school cleaning at EcoLogo certified) Our district has an ample supply of PPE available in our schools including N95 and surgical masks. We ask that you continue to stay home when sick or symptomatic. We will continue contact tracing, carefully monitor cases across the district, and report them on our District COVID Dashboard to ensure transparency. Our testing center will remain open as long as the demand continues at the level that will support the presence of a testing vendor to continue.
Like many of you, pandemic fatigue is real. While we are all experiencing some sort of relief that the major impacts of the pandemic are hopefully behind us, there are many lessons we have learned and will take with us into the future. We appreciate the support we have received from our community. We have prepared this FAQ which may answer more specific questions.
Ventilation Improvements - On February 7th, the WCSD Governing Board voted to use the remainder of our Measure D funds to upgrade ventilation systems across our schools. This plan outlines the timeline for the work:
Every child is a different kind of flower and, all together, make this world a beautiful garden.
YOUTH TRUTH SURVEY
YOUTH TRUTH SURVEY
Each year we ask families to provide feedback through our Youth Truth Family Survey. Embedded in the survey are several questions about school safety. First, thank you for your participation. We are proud to share that the results indicate that 86% of our elementary families and 79% of our middle school families feel our campus' are safe learning environments. This year’s survey will be released in April. Please know that we use this information to make continued improvements and develop our district goals. Your participation is very much appreciated.
RESOURCES
RESOURCES
Unmasking:
Supporting Kids Through Times of Change (edutopia)
Ukraine:
Helping Kids Navigate Scary News Stories (PBS)
Resilience in a Time of War: Tips for Parents and Teachers of Elementary School Children (American Psychological Association)
Resilience in a Time of War: Tips for Parents and Teachers of Middle School Children (American Psychological Association)
How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime, and War (Common Sense Media)
Important Dates...
Important Dates...
March 14 - Governing Board Study Session - Budget, DO, 5pm
April 4-8 - Spring Break, NO SCHOOL
April 18 - Strategic Planning, DO, 4pm
April 18 - Governing Board Meeting, DO, 6pm
April 22 - Governing Board Workshop, DO, 8:30am
May 10-12 - Open House Week
May 13 - Minimum Day, All Schools
May 16 - Governing Board Meeting, DO, 6pm
Teacher & Employee of the Year Recognition
May 26 - Tice Creek 8th Grade Promotion, 10am
WCI 8th Grade Promotion, 5:30pm
May 27 - Last Day of School, Minimum Day
May 30 - Memorial Day Holiday
June 6 - Governing Board Meeting, 6pm
June 13 - Governing Board Meeting, 6pm
Job Opportunities
Job Opportunities
Have you ever considered a career in education? WCSD has many exciting job opportunities available. Click HERE to view all of our open positions. We are also actively seeking members of the community to become substitute teachers. The only requirement is a bachelor's degree. Click HERE to view information regarding how to become a substitute teacher.
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