** Emails from our site Administrator, Karena Gibbs, about Academic Models and Safety Practices can be found on this page. Please scroll down to see each of these emails**
Email #5: January 13, 2021: School Reminders
Dear IATP Parents, Students, and Guardians,
I wanted to remind you that this Friday, 1/15/21 is a teacher workday and a non-student day. School is not in session. School is not in session this Monday, 1/18/21, and Tuesday, 1/19/21 due to the Martin Luther King holiday and a student/teacher holiday.
Thank you all for your diligence in maintaining social distance, wearing masks, and following safety etiquette while at school.
Here is a list of what you can do to continue these efforts:
We encourage families to be proactive and reinforce the importance of hand-washing, physical distancing, and face coverings to limit the coronavirus's spread. Please adhere to the following health and safety practices per the California Department of Public Health and the Orange County Health Care Agency.
- Complete the COVID-19 symptom screener on the “Daily Home Screening” checklist every day before your student’s arrival on campus. If any symptoms are present, students must stay home. Please click on the following link to access the “Daily Home Screening” checklist, which is available in multiple languages: Daily Home Screening for Students. You may also click on the “Translate” tab on top of the page to select the language of your choice.
- If a member of your household tests positive for COVID-19 or is awaiting test results, please keep your child at home and notify your school.
If your child has any symptoms associated with the coronavirus, make sure they stay home and get tested if necessary. Anyone with symptoms consistent with COVID-19 should remain at home in isolation for a minimum of 10 days plus at least 24 hours after the resolution of fever (without fever-reducing medication) and improvement in other symptoms. Please provide a doctor’s note when cleared and ready to return to school. ** Keep children home when they are sick.** - Ensure your family is adhering to health and hygiene practices from the California Department of Public Health and the Orange County Health Care Agency to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then dispose of the tissue and immediately clean your hands. If you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve, not your hands, to cover coughs and sneezes.
- Limit close contact with people who are sick, and avoid sharing food, drinks, or utensils.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
- All students and staff are required to wear a face-covering while on IUSD campuses or visiting our facilities.
We appreciate your cooperation with this as we navigate through these challenging times.
Stay safe,
Karena Gibbs
Administrator
Email #4: October 2, 2020: Covid -19 District Dashboard
Dear IATP Students and Families,
Earlier today, the District sent the following communication to the IUSD community about the District’s new COVID-19 Dashboard, which will help our families and staff. In addition to the dashboard, we will also communicate directly with our community about confirmed cases.
In the event there is a confirmed case on our campus, affected individuals will be contacted directly by school staff or by me. They will receive a letter that may include self-isolation directions and other important information. Families of students who are not affected will not receive an exposure notification, and no action will be required. I will also send a message directly to our school community to help keep you informed. You can also view information about our school on the dashboard at iusd.org/dashboard.
It is going to take a concerted effort to keep our students, staff and families safe. In addition to health and safety measures taken on our campus, we encourage families to reinforce the importance of hand-washing, physical distancing, and face coverings to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Also, if a member of your household tests positive for COVID-19 or is awaiting test results, please keep your child at home and notify our office. If your child has any symptoms associated with the coronavirus, make sure they stay home and get tested if necessary.
The health and safety of our students, staff and families is our top priority. We are committed to continuously improving our process, including notifications, and we thank you for your partnership. Together, we can limit the spread of COVID-19.
Warmly,
Karena Gibbs
Administrator
Additionally, the following message came from Annie Brown, IUSD Public Information Officer:
Dear IUSD Community,
The Irvine Unified School District is committed to providing accurate and transparent information regarding COVID-19 cases on our campuses while maintaining privacy and confidentiality for our students and staff. To this end, the District has created a COVID-19 dashboard reflecting confirmed positive cases among District students and staff on our campuses (in-person instruction only). Data will be updated every day at 5 p.m.
The Dashboard also provides information about IUSD’s communication process, parent reporting requirements, information about how families and students can limit the spread of COVID-19, and links to resources. To access the dashboard, visit iusd.org/dashboard.
In addition to updated information on the dashboard, principals or school staff will also communicate new cases directly to their communities. Please note that our District will only communicate and provide data for confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Sincerely,
Annie Brown
IUSD Communications
We are all in this together and we appreciate your partnership and support.
Email #3: September 23, 2020: Return to In-Person Instruction for Hybrid and Traditional Academic Models at IATP
Dear IATP Parents and Students,
Tomorrow we will be returning to campus for in-person instruction for families who chose the Hybrid or Traditional academic models, and we are ready! As a school, we have taken all the necessary steps per the state, county, and district guidelines to ensure a safe return. We are confident that we have done everything we could think of and more in preparation for our students’ return.
We have created short videos clips that your teachers will share with you during the instructional day to day and ongoing as a reference and training tool about safety measures and social distancing. These videos will also be hosting on our website shortly.
Additionally, earlier today, our school nurse sent out a message to families about health and safety practices at IATP. These included: Daily home screening, Illnesses on campus, Persons with COVID-19, and Illness Prevention information. As a reminder, please conduct a daily symptom screener and keep your child home if they are exhibiting any symptoms to help us stay safe and open!
Schedule Reminders of IATP Academic Models: Traditional/Hybrid or Virtual:
Traditional Student Schedule (On-Site Daily)
- Monday-Friday 9:00am-3:00pm
- Every Wednesday 9:00am-12:00pm
Hybrid Student Schedule (On-Site Twice a Week)
- Monday- 2:30-3:00 pm Synchronous Learning from Home
- Tuesday- 9:00am-3:00pm Students on Site
- Wednesday- 11:30-12:00 pm Synchronous Learning from Home
- Thursday-9:00am-3:00pm Students on Site
- Friday-2:30-3:00pm Synchronous Learning from Home
Virtual Student Schedule (Virtual Instruction Daily)
- Monday-Friday 9:00am-3:00pm
- Every Wednesday 9:00am-12:00pm
We look forward to welcoming students back to campus tomorrow.
Warmly,
Karena Gibbs
Administrator
Email #2: September 14,2020: Planning and Expectations for In-Person Instruction
Dear IATP Parents and Students,
Since March, we’ve been looking forward to welcoming students back to our campus and classrooms for in-person instruction. As recently communicated by the District, in-person instruction will begin September 24-25 for those who selected in-person academic models, assuming the county’s COVID-19 rates continue to trend in a positive direction.
- Thursday, September 24: All students on a Traditional Model (Monday-Friday) and Hybrid students (Tuesday/Thursday).
- Friday, September 25: Traditional Model students only.
September 21-22 are District-wide Non-Student Days.
To support the transition from online to in-person instruction, the District has moved two staff development days from October 12 and February 12 to take place on September 21 and 22, which will now be non-student days for all IUSD students.
The transition schedule for in-person instruction is as follows:
- Monday, September 21: Staff Development Day/Non-Student Day
- Tuesday, September 22: Staff Development Day/Non-Student Day
- Wednesday, September 23: Distance Learning Day
- Thursday, September 24: First day of in-person instruction per regular schedule
- Friday, September 25: Second day of in-person instruction per regular schedule
October 12 and February 12 will be restored as instructional days.
What’s Next
As we continue to formalize our plans and monitor directives from the California Department of Public Health and the Orange County Health Care Agency, we thought this would be a good time to run through what you can expect when in-person classes return, as well as some steps you and your family can take to help keep our community healthy.
Our Commitment to Families
IUSD is committed to following and sharing guidance provided by the California Department of Public Health and our local partners, including the Orange County Health Care Agency and the Orange County Department of Education. This means we will promote physical distancing measures, healthy hygiene practices, stringent cleaning standards, smaller cohorts to the extent possible, and face coverings. Visit IUSD’s Opening and Safety Planning webpage for more information.
All school HVAC systems have been recalibrated to pull in fresh air from outside, rather than recycled air from inside the building, and have been equipped with HEPA filters. Additionally, each classroom has been provided a HEPA air purification system that cleans the air every 30 minutes. As reported by expert health agencies, proper ventilation with outside air can help reduce airborne contaminants' risk, such as COVID-19.
IATP Planning:
At IATP, once on campus, students will be escorted to class by teachers and teaching staff. We will check student temperatures prior to students entering the building. On-site, masks are available for students, staff and/or visitors who may have forgotten. If your child has any symptoms associated with the coronavirus, make sure they stay home and get tested if necessary. Keep children home when they are sick.
If There’s a Confirmed Case
If the District is informed that a student or staff member has tested positive for COVID-19, the District has been directed to immediately contact the Orange County Health Care Agency, which will assist school personnel in conducting a case investigation and assessing the exposure risk. Confidentiality of identified cases will be maintained. If a case is confirmed, the Orange County Health Care Agency will provide a letter to students or staff who were in close contact (less than six feet for more than 15 minutes) with the confirmed case. Self-isolation instructions will be detailed in the letter. Lower risk exposure notifications that do not require self-isolation may be provided in some circumstances. Please note that a letter will not be sent home to communicate unconfirmed cases. Only confirmed cases will be communicated.
Click here for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for confirmed, exposure-related, or suspected COVID-19 cases.
When to Close Due to an Outbreak
With guidance from the Orange County Health Care Agency, a return to distance learning may be necessary under the following conditions:
- A classroom or school may switch to distance learning based on the number of cases, the number of classroom cohorts affected, and the percentage of teachers, students, or staff who have tested positive for COVID-19.
- According to the California Department of Public Health, a district should switch to distance learning if 25 percent of its schools are closed within a 14-day period.
The Orange County Health Officer may consider the school's size and physical layout when making decisions, including results from public health investigation or other local epidemiological data. Click here for more information.
What We’re Asking of You
We are encouraging each of you to discuss with your child what their return to school will look like, along with some of the ways we’re working together to keep one another safe. Also, reinforce the importance of hand-washing, physical distancing and face coverings. If your child has any underlying health issues, please schedule an appointment with your pediatrician to talk about risk factors for vulnerable children. If a member of your household tests positive for COVID-19, please keep your child at home and contact your school for guidance. Finally, if your child has any symptoms associated with the coronavirus, make sure they stay home and get tested if necessary. Keep children home when they are sick.
Stay Informed
For ongoing updates and information, visit the District’s COVID-19 resource page, which includes an FAQ that may also provide answers for many of your questions. For detailed information about the District’s safety planning, visit our Opening and Safety Planning webpage.
We’re in this Together
We hope that our county continues to see declines in its COVID-19 rates and that our schools can reopen for in-person instruction safely without any setbacks. But it’s going to take a concerted effort from all of us to keep students, employees, and families safe when in-person instruction resumes.
We’re all in this together and we appreciate your partnership and support.
Sincerely,
Karena Gibbs
Administrator
Email #1: August 28, 2020: IATP Return to School Update:
Dear IATP students and parents,
As you may have heard from Superintendent Walker earlier this week, Orange County is now off the State’s monitoring list. We anticipate starting in-person instruction with our traditional and hybrid academic models after Labor Day. Over the next two weeks, we will be focused on implementing our academic models, overall facility procedures, and safety measures that support our reopening of in-person learning. We will be finalizing our site-specific plans in concert with various departments within IUSD and with guidance from state and local health agencies.
IUSD’s plans currently include:
- Face covering requirements for students and staff (Individuals encouraged to bring their own. Cloth and disposable masks and face shields will be provided as needed.)
- Equipping each of our classrooms with an air purification system along with HVAC adjustments that include outside area circulation and new filters
- Placing hand sanitizer in and around all of our classrooms
- Enhanced custodial cleaning and disinfecting
- Establishing a separate health office space for sick students
- When needed, providing clear three-panel desk privacy/safety shields for student use.
- Arrange classroom furniture to provide maximum spacing
- Posted directional and educational signage related to physical distancing and safety protocols
As we finalize our procedures and processes, we will provide our families with details around these plans so that all are informed and aware of safety procedures and protocols prior to the start of in-person classes. I would also direct you to our FAQs and Opening and Safety Planning page on the district website, as they contain rich and relevant information regarding our district plans and the reopening of schools.
Our planning, which is aligned to the California Department of Public Health and the OC Health Care Agency guidelines for schools, is designed to mitigate and reduce the risk of in-person learning so that we can safely welcome students back to our classrooms and campuses. We are excited to see our students again.
Sincerely,
Karena Gibbs
Administrator