Dedicated to excellence in education
September 3, 2021
Update: Message to the FCUSD Community
September 3, 2021
Dear FCUSD Community: Please read below for news and updates.
IMPORTANT: All schools will be closed on Monday, September 6 in observance of Labor Day. Please note that there will be no COVID DX testing at Mitchell Middle School or Vista del Lago on Monday, September 6.
ABC 10 Teacher of the Year!
Sandra J. Gallardo teacher, Mike Lobitz, was named the ABC10 Teacher of the Year!
Each month, ABC10 and SchoolsFirst Federal Credit Union honor an inspiring teacher who has had an impact on students’ lives. Mr. Lobitz, who is in his 29th year of teaching, was honored as the September 2020 Teacher of the Month. Out of the 9 teachers honored during the 2020-2021 school year, he was selected as the Teacher of the Year.
To see ABC10’s full interview with Mr. Lobitz click here: https://youtu.be/rPsdMAkdGa0
Visit our Facebook post here to share your words of congratulations!
Team FCUSD is hiring! Join the best school district in the area.
Like many organizations, FCUSD is facing a labor shortage. We need your help!
Spread the word that we are hiring and consider joining Team FCUSD. There are a number of positions available such as bus drivers, yard duties, instructional assistants, and teaching positions.
You can have a rewarding career and make a positive impact on student success. Wish to work only occasionally? You might be interested in our substitute pool. We increased pay rates for substitute teachers, and there are many substitute positions for support staff, such as yard duty workers, and instructional assistants.
Visit: www.fcusd.org/careers to see a list of openings or call 916-294-9000 to ask about working for FCUSD!
Distance Learning, removed as an option for California school districts
Parents may be wondering why we cannot temporarily move a class, school, or a student to a distance learning format. Senate Bill 98 (SB 98) which provided districts the flexibility to offer distance learning, ended this past June. This means that classroom instruction cannot replicate what we did last year with distance learning and hybrid schedules. The new requirements, Assembly Bill 130 (AB 130), replaced SB 98 and requires school districts to provide Independent Study options. We have that with Innovations Academy and Walnutwood High School. However, the majority of our students come to school for in-person learning, and we are very pleased that students can be back in class, interacting with their teachers and peers.
As you may have seen in Wednesday’s COVID-19 Dashboard, the number of students on quarantine is rising quickly, creating a systemic challenge to keep up with the demands of temporary independent study plans. FCUSD teachers are working diligently to meet the needs of these students. We ask for patience and understanding, and mostly your cooperation, to help keep students safely in school.
School Activities
We realize the District’s decision to pause on some school activities, such as high school dances and elementary “Fall Festivals” and “Family Movie Nights,” may be confusing and frustrating for parents and community members when events such as sports are still happening. When it comes to athletics, there are different rules and safety protocols, such as regularly scheduled testing of athletes, and signed agreements for safety, that apply to our sports programs, that cannot be applied in the same manner with a social event. Moreover, secondary students and adults have the option to be vaccinated, while elementary students do not.
As we stated on Wednesday, no one at FCUSD wants to limit these activities. With the alarming increase in COVID positive cases and high numbers of students in quarantine, we are simply prioritizing student safety and are working hard, with your help, to keep students in class, so they can continue learning in person with their teachers and peers.
Latest School Guidance from public health
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released updated guidelines for schools on September 1, 2021. Please visit the links below for more information.
Link for: COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2021-22 School Year