COVID-19 UPDATE April 1, 2020 3:50 PM

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Dear Parents, Guardians, and Staff,

I hope that you and your loved ones are safe, healthy, and weathering this crisis as well as possible under these circumstances.

Originally it was shared with you that the earliest students would return to school would be May 4. We now have further guidance and directives from State Superintendent of Instruction Tony Thurmond and Governor Gavin Newsom to keep schools closed through the end of the current school year.

With this new information and an abundance of caution, the Stanislaus County Office of Education and school district superintendents are taking a safety-first approach and immediate action to extend the school facility closures through the end of the school year. We want you to understand that the 2019-20 school year is not over; it has just transitioned from classroom instruction into distance learning. Distance learning is taking place in different ways throughout our county, and we encourage you to contact your student's teachers and administrators for confirmation of specific plans. Distance learning can look different for each school and each district, and a student's ability to learn in an independent study model has to be assessed. We ask for patience and understanding as we are all quickly transition into a new way of teaching and learning to meet the health and safety impacts of COVID-19. It is challenging for many educators and our families to learn and communicate in a very new world, but working together, we can and will meet this challenge.

I am proud to see staff working collaboratively and diligently to engage with students and parents via phone, email, and learning software.  It is important for students to stay connected and feel supported as we continue with valuable learning. 

Salida Union School District staff will continue to:

• Provide breakfast and lunch meals for students 
• Assist with school enrollment for 2020-2021 school year and other office duties
• Update website with additional resources and materials to support parents
  (Please visit the www.salida.k12.ca.us/COVID-19 for important and helpful resources)
• Provide families with information regarding continued distance learning instruction

Please keep in mind that all of us as parents, teachers, district staff, administrators, and community members are facing these challenging times together. We have elderly relatives to worry about; we are caring for our children at home, while many of us, including our teachers, are working from home. We understand that some families are facing challenging employment situations and business slowdowns that are affecting people financially and emotionally.  Families can find an extensive list of community resources on our district webpage to assist in these difficult times.

We recognize that the extension of school facility closures and implementation of social distancing practices has created challenges and hardship to many families in Stanislaus County, we also know this is the most effective way to slow and disrupt the transmission of this pandemic. We appreciate everyone's hard work, effort, and positive attitude, as we adjust to this situation with the best interests of all students in mind.

Please be safe out in the community and take care of one another.

Sincerely,

Twila Tosh
Superintendent

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COVID-19 UPDATE April 1, 2020 10:50 AM

Good Morning, Salida Families:

Schools across California are closed to protect students and their families by preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Salida School District will continue to provide meals to our students.  The meal distribution times will change beginning tomorrow, Thursday, April 2nd.  Distribution will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. daily.   Each site will have a breakfast and lunch bag available for all students under the age of 18.

We will also continue to provide extended learning opportunities for your children.  All 1st through 5th grade students will be given the opportunity to either pick up a Chromebook or learning packet.  Because the distribution of Chromebooks will take some time, we will contact you with a date and time to pick up your device or learning packet by April 15th.

Please continue to visit our website at www.salida.k12.ca.us/covid-19 for updated information and continued learning resources.

Thank you for your patience and continued support during this difficult time.