March 11, 2020 Letter Regarding The Coronavirus From Newark Unified School District

From the Newark Unified School District:

March 11, 2020

Dear Newark USD Families and Staff,

This morning all Alameda County Office of Education Superintendents held a call with Dr. Erica Pan, Director of Alameda County Health Department. The Alameda County Health Department and Health Care Services Agency issued new guidelines for Non-essential Mass Gatherings within Alameda County. Alameda County Superintendents agreed that out of an abundance of caution and with a commitment to our efforts to help contain the spread of COVID-19 and keep our community safe, we have decided to cancel or postpone “non-essential” NUSD events for the next 21 school days taking us up to spring break. To be clear, we have no known cases within our school district schools. As such, these adjustments will be in effect from March 12 through April 22.

Events to be cancelled or postponed include:

• Assemblies
• Field trips
• Performances (e.g., drama and music rehearsals and productions)
• School events (such as fundraisers and school community/family meetings) that are on school campus
• Morning gatherings (announcements will be given over the loudspeaker)
• Parent teacher conferences (these will take place over the phone)

Afterschool programs will continue to operate. School events held off district property (e.g., a fundraiser in a local restaurant) can also proceed as originally planned. Principals will share this guidance with their PTA/Booster Clubs for their discretion.

Indoor Athletics

We know there have been some questions about continuing to hold indoor athletic events. We are consulting with Newark Memorial High and Newark Jr.High and considering options for spectator-free games, postponement/rescheduling of games, and in some instances cancellation of games. We will have more information based on our collaboration with our athletic partners in the very near future.

Next Steps

School Principals will be communicating the postponement, rescheduling, and/or cancellation to each school community.

We realize this news will be disappointing for many and in some cases may have financial repercussions. We are committed to trying to reschedule events in as many cases as possible and will work with school sites to work out the financial details.

We plan to be in regular communication with our staff and communities in the coming days as this is a very fluid and evolving situation. If we need to extend these guidelines beyond spring break, we will communicate that as soon as possible and also if the Alameda Public Health Department permits us to resume these activities prior to spring break we will also share that information as soon as we hear.

Again, we are taking these precautions to help contain the possible spread of COVID-19 – not only in our schools and among our families but in the rest of the community. Health officials have clearly communicated that implementing “social distancing” – i.e., reducing the possibility that people who are infected come in contact with others – is a key part of limiting the spread of this disease. We want to be proactive in our approach to controlling the spread of this virus in our communities.

Thank you for your patience, concern, and understanding as we address this issue together as educators and community partners.

Thank you,

Leticia Salinas

Acting Superintendent

This press release was produced by the Newark Unified School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.