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On behalf of the entire Westside Union School District family, including our Board of Trustees and staff, I offer our prayers and thoughts to the victims and families of the senseless school shooting in Texas. The tragedy these families are experiencing is just beyond belief.

The safety of our students is our highest priority and we take that responsibility very seriously. It is at the center of everything we do. We cannot educate our students without them being physically and emotionally safe. I wanted to share a few thoughts with you about this situation and discuss steps that we are taking to ensure the safety of our school sites.

Dear Westside Parents and Community Members,

As we approach the end of the third quarter and the beginning of spring break, we have some information to share with you about upcoming changes related to COVID-19 as well as some updates. Effective for our students and our staff, wearing masks in Los Angeles County remains strongly recommended in schools, however, this will no longer be a requirement. So, when students and staff return to school on Monday, March 14th, mask wearing will be optional. 

More topics in this letter include:

•  Job Fair

•  Kindergarten Round Up

•  Upcoming Middle School Events

•  Enrollment

•  Intra-district Transfers

•  Progress Reports

•  Spring Break

•  Upcoming Board Meetings

Thank you for your continued support of your children and their academic and social progress this school year.  Working together with our staff helps our children make the most of their learning experiences.  Most especially I want to thank the PTAs, PTSAs, and School Site Councils at all of our schools for the extra support and involvement they provide to all of our students.  You are appreciated.

Congratulations to our new Esperanza School Interim Co-Principals Kathryn Conner and Renee Hofmann.

Updates:

• Volunteers
• Vistors
• Masking
• Test kits
• TK Enrollment changes
• Transfer Requests for 2022-2023
• Employment

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation throughout this first quarter of the school year.  While we are learning to manage the COVID-19 related issues, your patience has helped us to implement the ever changing health directives as expeditiously as possible.  It has also helped keep our focus on ensuring that our students continue to learn, while also addressing the social-emotional needs created by this unprecedented time.

In this article:

* PARENT CONFERENCES

* COVID-19 UPDATE

* TIKTOK CHALLENGES

* VOLUNTEERS

* BOARD MEETINGS

* EMPLOYMENT

* SURVEY

* INDEPENDENT STUDY

As we end our 2nd week of school, we are so pleased to have your children back in our classrooms.  We have had a busy first week of school, but so appreciate your help and support in having your children arrive at school on time, with their SafeScreener completed, and ready to learn.  We also thank you for attending the Back to School Night Programs that have already been held or upcoming.

We continue to monitor our staff and students to control the spread of the COVID virus, so being thorough and thoughtful when completing the SafeScreener for your children is a key.  

The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health is adopting a staged approach, supported by science and public health expertise, to enable schools serving students from transitional kindergarten through grade12 to reopen safely. In addition to the conditions imposed on schools by the State Public Health Officer and the California Department of Education, schools must also be in compliance with these employee and student safety and infection control protocols.

We are so excited and looking forward to welcoming our students back to school on August 4th.  Be looking for specific information such as start time, teacher assignments, lunch and breakfast schedules, and opening activities from the principal of your child’s school this week.   

During the past few months, several changes were made and others reinforced by legislation and regulation in our state.  So, here are some answers to frequently requested information: 

School Meals * School Hours * Transportation* Distance Learning  * Transitional Kindergarten

COVID-19 Testing * Vaccinations  * Masks 

School Activities * Volunteers * Meetings of the Board 

School Dress* Counseling Services * Attendance *After School Care

Many of our schools will be holding Kinder Kamp for entering kindergarten students. Please check the website of your child’s school for more specific information about this program. Registration for next school year is still underway. If you need to register a child who will be new to our district, all registration is available on line.

The Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) was presented to the District English Language Advisory Committee (DELAC) on May 14, 2021 and to the Superintendent’s Advisory (PAC) on May 25, 2021.

Comments from both the DELAC and PAC are considered when developing actions and services that best meet the needs of our student groups.  

We appreciate all of our stakeholders providing feedback on the LCAP, and we have incorporated actions and services that we believe will most efficiently meet the needs of our student groups. The LCAP Public Hearing will be held on June 8 at the Board meeting.

Wow! We have actually completed the 2020-21 school year amongst unimaginable changes to how schools operate during the pandemic. We are looking forward to seeing what adjustments will be made on June 15th when California reopens. The patience and cooperation of you and your students have made the necessary changes possible, but we are sure looking toward a return to school as it was pre-COVID when summer break ends on August 4, 2021!

Registration is currently underway for our students and be completed online. Congratulations to our 8th grade students who are being promoted to high school. We have appreciated being part of your elementary school journey! Best of luck in high school.

These past few months have been busy as we’ve welcomed back students of in-person learning.  Initially we anticipated that all the students who’d chosen hybrid learning would return when LACDPH allowed reopening, many families preferred to remain on distance learning for the remainder of this school year.  Though this change resulted in some teacher changes, we were able to accommodate the choices of most families, and I thank our staff for their tireless efforts to make those changes possible.  We are pleased to have students back on campus and have appreciated all of your support and cooperation in making this transition.

In this article:

- DELAC Meeting May 14th at 10:00

- Superintendent's Advisory May 25th at 12:15

- Middle School Promotion Ceremonies in June

- Year Long Distance Learning for 2021-22

- 2021-2022 School Year Enrollment and Transfers

- Board of Trustee meeting May 4th and 18th at 6:00 PM - watch via YouTube!

- Honoring Service of Teachers (May 4th), Classified employees (May 18th), Management (June 8)

- Valley View and Greg Anderson Academy become WASC Accredited! 

At a special meeting of the Board of Trustees last night, Memoranda of Understanding with Westside Union Teachers Association were approved, paving the way for the special needs students to return effective Monday, April 19th. Also, the Board of Trustees approved the use of the NWEA as the annual assessment for our students this year.  Our students will have completed 3 administrations of this assessment to measure their academic progress throughout the year, allowing the Board to waive administration of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) for the 2020-21 school year.

Spring Break begins today. Middle School Students begin their return to campus April 12, 2021. Elementary students return after Spring Break on the following schedule.

• 3rd grade, April 5th
• 4th grade, April 7th
• 5th grade, April 12th
• Middle School, April 12th
• 6th grade, April 14th

Read for more details.

We are pleased to let you know that an agreement has been reached between the District and Westside Union Teachers Association that will allow our elementary schools to reopen under the current health orders in our state and county.

This update includes information on the following:

Schedule of return for students
Checking Into School
Stopit Screener
State Testing
Kindergarten Round-up
Transfers
Vaccines

In this summary:

Westside USD Reopening plans awaiting approval. Available on District and School Websites.

The TK-6th grade students in mild/moderate special day classes will return February 16th and the TK/K cohorts will return on February 22nd.  

Parents will receive information about the new system for daily check-in which is currently required.  You will find information about that system and directions for using it on the website.  You will also find a video to help you with setting up the system either on your phone or on another device.

Some additional changes that have been made to facilitate reopening schools include the addition of 654 GPS ionizers to all HVAC units district-wide.  These ionizers kill 99% of all germs, bacteria, and viruses, and are Underwriter’s Laboratories certified to deliver clean indoor air that is safe and healthy.

Monday, February 15th is Presidents Day.  Our schools will be closed for that day.

In this letter:

Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and community service.

Inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris.

Board of Trustees discuss return of TK, Kindergarten, Special Day class, TK-6th and Face-to-Face instruction.

We have been planning for some of our students to return to face-to-face instruction beginning today, but due to the continual increase in COVID-19 cases, directions from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health advised that students remain on distance learning.  
Parents of students who were to return to in-person instruction received notice of this change last week.  Our current return date for those students is January 25th, but the Board will consider this again at its next meeting, January 19th.  Attached you will find the advice letter from LACDPH for your information.

During this week, you should receive your children’s first semester report of progress.  In addition, the most recent assessment of their academic progress from the NWEA will be sent to you. Our schools are closed for winter break, but classes will resume on January 11, 2021.  At this point, we anticipate that some students will return to transitional kindergarten and kindergarten classes on campus.  Some TK-6th grade students in mild/moderate special day classes will also return to classes on campus.

As we enter the week of Thanksgiving, it is an opportunity to express my gratitude for allowing our staff to work with you and your family.  Though the past 8+ months have been unprecedented and unexpected, I am thankful for our Board, our staff and all our parents for the collective work that has been done to ensure that our students still receive the best possible educational experience.  I am hopeful that you and your family will have an opportunity to spend some quality time together, while taking a break from school. 

In this post:

* COVID-19 Update on School Reopening Plans
* Westside Wire Update
* School Lunches
* Student Technology
* Additional Resources

On Wednesday, November 11th we pause to recognize the sacrifices made by members of our military while protecting our freedoms throughout the history of our nation. If you have children in grades TK-2nd, you should have received information about a survey being conducted to help with processing our waiver request to Los Angeles County Public Health that may enable us to reopen our schools in hybrid presentation for students in the primary grades.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has provided an additional option for some students to return to face-to-face instruction under some specific conditions. To apply for the waiver, the district must consult with parents and the unions.  So that we can reach as many parents as possible, we ask for your response to a survey being sent to the email address we have on file.

The first quarter of our school year has concluded and by now you should have received your children’s progress reports.  As you review with your children their progress about their academic endeavors this year, please be sure to contact the children’s teacher if you have concerns. This week's topics include: Annual Updates to Enrollment Data, Voting, Update from the Tech Department, LA County Dept. of Public Health Reopening, Board Meetings, and Child Nutrition

In the upcoming weeks, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health will be making visits to our school sites to confirm that we are compliant with the directives we’ve been given.  The visitors will also be ensuring that all staff members on site know what the protocols are, and how to protect both students and staff as they return to the campus.

We seem to be moving slowly into fall. Unfortunately, the heat has continued to make fighting the fires in California difficult, and the smoke has produced unhealthy air quality throughout our state and especially in our Valley. We are approaching the end of our first quarter of the school year, and you should anticipate receiving a progress report for each of your children in the mail following the close of this first quarter on October 9th.

We are especially concerned for our neighbors in the Antelope Valley who have been victims of several fires, and we join others in trying to support efforts to help families safely return home. Congratulations and thanks for many years of dedicated service to members of our staff who are choosing to retire at the end of September.  We will certainly miss our colleagues and our students and families will miss the special ways in which they have supported our students.

Congratulations to Westside Union School District, which was honored by @AVAQMD with the annual William J. Pete Knight Achievement In Reducing Emissions (AIRE) award.The Board will hold its semi-monthly meeting on Tuesday, September 15th. Items on the agenda include recognition of additional retirees, ACSA Golden Apple Award, IDEA Academy Presentation, Unaudited Actuals, Learning Continuity Plan, and current orders from LA County Public Health.

Questions answered from the Advisory Collaborative Groups on August 25th.

I hope you are enjoying your Labor Day weekend, taking time to spend it together in some of the activities you like as a family. As we end our first month of the school year, please use this extra day to take a break from school and enjoy the family time. We do appreciate all that you and your children are doing to make this school year as effective for student learning as possible.

We have now completed our first 3 weeks of the school year, and again, I thank you and our staff for your patience and understanding as we continue to conduct our classes online. As you are no doubt aware, again the process of containing COVID-19 in California and Los Angeles County are undergoing changes, which will likely impact our return to face-to-face instruction. We are doing our best to stay abreast of the changes as they occur, and we appreciate your cooperation throughout this ever-changing process.

As we begin our 3rd week of the school year, I want to again thank you for your understanding, cooperation, partnership, and dedication as together we conquer the challenges of the many forms of distance learning. I am also thankful for the dedicated members of our teaching and support staff who are working hard everyday to make the learning engaging and meaningful to our students.

Like with any new strategy, we have a few issues to address:

This has been a most unusual first week of school for students, staff and parents alike. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation, patience, and understanding as we continue to work on the delivery of instruction through online means. If you are having technical issues with logging on, getting into PowerSchool or other programs, please contact your child’s principal for additional assistance and also check the District website for instructional videos made especially to assist you and your child.

Questions have been asked regarding attendance. Teachers are taking attendance every day near the same time as they take the daily lunch count. Find out more in the blog...

The opening of our 20-21 school year will certainly be different than any opening we’ve experienced in the past.  With orders from our Governor and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, all class instruction must be through distance learning for now. All students will start with distance learning on Monday, August 10th.

Welcome to our new school year.  We are excited to have you as part of Westside Union School District.

On Friday, July 17th, Governor Gavin Newsom ordered all school campuses to remain physically closed in counties on the state’s monitoring list due to spiking COVID-19 cases. This includes Los Angeles County. Schools cannot re-open until their county has come off the state’s monitoring list for 14 consecutive days.

Our Board held a special meeting on Monday, July 20th to listen to your concerns, answer your questions, and determine how the 20-21 school year will open for our students given the Governor’s Order. Read more in this post.

As we all know, these unprecedented times have made us reconsider how we go about educating our students, and the impressive levels of public participation show that we are, indeed, all in this together. After nearly six hours of presentation and discussion, the Board voted unanimously that in the best interest of the health and safety of our students and staff to implement the following for our opening on August 5, 2020

Thank you for your kind comments this past week, whether it was about our IT staff checking and sorting everything or related to our staff engaging with you when you came to the schools. This update contains information on a variety of recent issues, including 8th grade promotion, progress reports and Chromebooks.

The health and safety of our students, staff and community remain foremost for all of us. As you may have heard, Governor Newsom, Superintendent of Public Instruction Thurmond, and LACOE Superintendent Durado encouraged school boards to consider extending the closure of our school buildings for the remainder of this school year to reduce the spread of COVID-19. In emergency session on April 3, the WUSD Board members voted unanimously to extend the current closure through June 4, 2020, the end of our academic year.

Updates provided to FAQ as of April 3, 2020 @10:25am.

Westside Union School District’s highest priority is the safety and well-being of our students, staff and community members. With that in mind, we are striving to provide a steady flow of information to families and help them make good, healthful decisions. Many parents have asked questions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, what we are doing about the situation, and what may occur in the future.

Like you, Westside Union School District is committed to providing a safe learning environment for our students and staff, as well as protecting the health and wellbeing of the community as a whole.

This morning, the Westside Union School District Board of Trustees met and unanimously voted to extend the closure of all Westside schools until May 5.

Students who participate in the school lunch program will be able to pick up a "grab and go" meal for breakfast and lunch at the following schools between 11:00 a.m. and noon, Monday –Friday, March 16-20, 2020 at limited locations.

Our schools will be closed from Monday, March 16-20, 2020. Thereafter, we will begin our scheduled Spring Break from March 23-April 3, 2020. Essential personnel may be on duty as needed, but for all others, you should not plan to come onto your campus or work site. Your supervisor will notify you if you need to be present for work.

Los Angeles County Office of Education News Release - Closure of Schools

We will close all of our schools and offices beginning Monday, March 16, 2020 until Friday, March 20, 2020. Our spring break begins on Monday, March 23 and concludes on April 3, 2020. The Board will meet again on March 31, 2020 to determine if our schools will reopen on Monday, April 6, 2020.

At this time, the risk of exposure to Westside students, staff and volunteers is extremely limited but caution should, nonetheless, be observed.