Hermosa Beach City School District Closures Extended Until Summer

Press release from the Hermosa Beach City School District:

April 01, 2020

A message from Superintendent Escalante announcing HBCSD campuses and classrooms will remain closed for the rest of the 2019-20 academic year:

Dear Parents/Guardians,

I hope you are all continuing to do well during these challenging times. Student, staff and family safety is our number one priority. State health officials have made it clear that the safest place to be is home during the COVID-19 pandemic. With that in mind, our campuses will remain physically closed for the remainder of the school year. Our decision aligns with the recommendation from Governor Newsom, State Superintendent Thurmond and Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools Debra Duardo that schools remain physically closed for the rest of the 2019-20 academic year.

Importantly, while campuses are closed, school is still in session and instruction will continue. We recognize that this decision comes with many challenges. Remote learning is a new experience for all of us and over the past three weeks, our teachers have done a tremendous job of pivoting from time in the classroom to remote learning. The California Department of Education, the Los Angeles County Office of Education and our leadership teams work each day to identify solutions to support this new learning environment.

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge our parents, teachers, staff and students who are demonstrating amazing creativity and out-of-the box thinking to strengthen remote learning. Thank you also to the caregivers at home for your support and we want to continue to provide the flexibility needed to support parents who are working at home while supporting their child’s learning, often simultaneously.

It is very important for parents to know that we don’t expect you to be perfect in your efforts to help your children with their learning. We know that you are doing your best and we appreciate all of your efforts and support. Now that we know that remote learning is not just for a couple of week but for the remainder of the year, we expect that the familiarity of this experience, will help to easy anxiety.

Remember, it is important for your child to connect with his/her teachers and classmates daily. We need to keep our lines of communication and collaboration open. We know this situation can be stressful. Please reach out for help from the Beach Cities Health District, school principals, and teachers

I am proud of how our community has come together and found creative solutions to an unprecedented challenge. I will be sending a message on Friday regarding updating information and ideas for the upcoming spring break. Please continue to observe social distancing, handwashing, and all other protocols issued by the Health Department. And, please tell your children that we miss them and we can't wait to see them when it is safe to be together.

Sincerely,

Patricia Escalante, Superintendent
Hermosa Beach City School District

This press release was produced by the Hermosa Beach City School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.