Capistrano Unified School District Update Regarding Reopening School

Press release from the Capistrano Unified School District:

July 17, 2020

Good Afternoon CUSD Families,

Earlier this afternoon, Governor Newsom announced that all schools within Orange County will be required to open the 2020 2020 school year using an online ONLY. I've made this a requirement for all counties on the state's coronavirus monitoring list.

As Orange County remains on the state's monitoring list, CUSD is now required to open 100% online.

We understand that many CUSD families prefer to return to school. If and when the Governor lifts the order, the plans we have developed over the last three months will allow us to quickly adapt to reopening our classrooms and campuses.

We will reopen our classrooms and campuses, based on our Board approved reopening plan, when the today's newly updated guidelines allow for us to do so safely. This will only occur with the Board of Trustees' approval.

As we reopen with 100% online learning, I want to reassure our families that we heard about your experiences from the spring and we have been working to upgrade and improve the experience for this next school year. All students deserve a rigorous and engaging education that meets their unique learning needs in an online format.

The centerpiece of our Trustee approved reopening plan is a robust, consistent, and engaging curriculum that aligns with the District's core values and can be successfully delivered both in a traditional school setting and online. In preparation for returning to school in August, our Board of Trustees approved a comprehensive online curriculum that has been vetted, used consistently with success, and delivers the District core values of rigor, engagement, consistency, and flexibility.

I am grateful for our teachers, principals, and staff who have worked tirelessly to develop our reopening plans and who will continue to do so over the next month. We are committed to providing healthy and safe classrooms, excellence in curriculum and instruction, and support for mental, social and emotional health.

I am also grateful for you, our families, who have had to shift and adjust continuously through this pandemic as you juggle jobs, responsibilities, and school at home. Your patience and understanding as we navigate these changing conditions together has been incredible. I am sure you will have many questions in the days to come, and we will be sending further communication to families next week.

Sincerely,

Kirsten Vital

Superintendent

Good afternoon CUSD Families,

This afternoon, Governor Newsom announced that all Orange County schools should open the 2020-21 school year ONLY online. This is a requirement for all counties on the state's coronavirus monitoring list.

Because Orange County remains on the state's watch list, CUSD is now required to open 100% online.

We understand that many CUSD families prefer to return to school. When and if the Governor lifts this order, the plans we have developed over the past three months will allow us to quickly adapt to the reopening of our classrooms and school campuses.

We will reopen our classrooms and school campuses in accordance with our Board-approved reopening plan, when updated instructions allow us to do so safely. This will be possible only with the approval of the Board Members.

As we reopen with 100% online learning, I want to assure our families that we have heard about their experiences this spring and that we have been working to improve and optimize the experience for the upcoming school year. All students deserve a rigorous and engaging education that meets their unique learning needs in an online format.

The centerpiece of our Board-approved reopening plan is a strong, consistent, and engaging curriculum that aligns with the District's core values and can be carried out successfully in both a traditional and online school environment. In preparation for returning to school in August, our Board Members approved a comprehensive online curriculum that has been vetted, used consistently successfully, and offers the District's core values of firmness, commitment, consistency, and flexibility.

I thank our teachers, principals, and staff who have worked tirelessly to develop our reopening plans and will continue to do so for the next month. We are committed to providing our students with healthy and safe study environments, excellence in curriculum and instruction, and support for mental, social, and emotional health.

I also thank you, our families, who have had to continually change and adapt through this pandemic while juggling jobs, responsibilities, and home school. Your patience and understanding as we navigate these changing conditions together has been incredible. I am sure you will have many questions in the coming days, next week we will be sending more information to all families.

Sincerely,

Kirsten Vital

Superintendent

This press release was produced by the Capistrano Unified School District . The views expressed are the author's own.