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Return to 100% In-Person Instruction Update: The First Week of School
Friday, August 20, 2021
Good evening WCCUSD Community,
The smiles, enthusiasm, and energy are back on campus. It was awesome to see the excitement and joy from students, families, and staff this week. Thank you to all WCCUSD teachers, students, families, principals, and support staff for a great return to 100% in-person instruction.
The whole community helped return us to in-person instruction. And it will take the whole community to keep us safe. Please remember to continue to follow all the Covid-19 safety protocols. As a reminder, we are following the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Contra Costa County Health Services (CCCHS) guidance.
To keep us safe, please continue to remember and follow the guidance:
- Masks are required both indoors and outdoors at all times by students and staff
- Students and staff should stay home if they are feeling ill or sick
- If you are eligible, get the Covid-19 vaccine
- All unvaccinated staff must submit to weekly Covid-19 testing
- Per CCCHS guidance, we recommend all students get tested weekly
- Practice hand hygiene and wash hands frequently and use hand sanitizer.
- Visitors and volunteers are limited on campuses and must show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test.
The District’s Covid-19 safety precautions are in this Parent/Family Handbook. You can also visit www.wccusd.net/return2school for more information, including the Return to 100% In-Person Instruction plan.
Covid-19 testing schedule and forms are also available on each school’s website under Digital Backpack.
Here are a few quick updates:
Covid-19 Positive Cases in the District
Starting on Monday, we will post a Covid-19 positive case dashboard on the District website, showing the positive cases by students and staff for each school. We will update the dashboard weekly on Monday.
Covid-19 Testing
Covid-19 testing is recommended for all WCCUSD students. Students are tested weekly on an assigned day for each school free of charge. Please refer to this schedule for your school’s designated day.
Please make sure you complete the following forms before your student’s assigned testing day:
- All forms are in the Digital Backpack section on your school’s or the District’s website.
Social-Emotional Focus
Schools began this week with a restorative start as their focus and have students participating in various activities to build and strengthen relationships with fellow students, teachers, and school staff. Over the summer, many schools began this work with bridge programs, particularly for incoming kindergarten students, seventh-grade and ninth-grade students. We will continue this work throughout the year.
Air Quality
This week, the air quality decreased as a result of the wildfire smoke from the numerous fires burning to the north and east of the Bay Area. We issued this notice about the air quality on Wednesday.
Please refer to this air quality guidance adopted by the previous Board. We know the air quality and the Covid-19 pandemic present challenges, so please stay with us as we navigate both conditions and work to keep students and staff safe.
Board Meeting
Starting Wednesday, we are returning to in-person School Board meetings at DeJean Middle School. In-person capacity is limited to 100 people. Please use this sign-up form to attend the meeting in person. Board meetings will also continue to be broadcast via Zoom. Please check the Board’s website for the Zoom link and agenda.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your school or me. I can’t wait to see everyone on Monday.
Sincerely,
Dr. Kenneth Chris Hurst
Superintendent