Sundown Elementary

 

Superintendent’s Summary

December 10, 2020

 

Dear Westside Parents and Community Members,

 

I am hopeful that you enjoyed your Thanksgiving break, and that your children have had a successful return to their online classes to round out the first semester of our school year.  Certainly the cold morning and evening weather is a major indicator that winter is just around the corner.  Many of us enjoy that crisp morning and evening air; invigorating for sure!

 

Report Cards, Assessment Reports

Report cards and the most recent NWEA scores will be mailed to your homes beginning on 12/22/2020.  These reports will help you and your children look at the academic progress that has been made this past semester in their classes, and the assessment scores when compared to those taken earlier in the year will provide a picture of overall progress being made when compared to others taking this same test nationwide.  If you have any questions about the two reports of progress, please feel free to contact your children’s teacher(s) for more information. 

 

Please be sure to check the comments on your children’s report cards.  In addition to grades, you may see some specific comments about their academic progress and work efforts.  Unfortunately, a larger percentage of students than usual, have submitted little or no work to be assessed by their teacher, nor are the students attending their online class sessions.  Despite numerous contacts, work has not been turned in, nor has attendance improved, and according to our Board policy, students may be considered for retention in the same grade next year as a result of not getting work submitted, or not attending classes and not achieving the standards for the grade level.  Generally, teachers have either reached out or sent messages to you as the parent.  Please be sure to have your children online with their teacher and class as requested each day.  Like you, our hope is that all of our students achieve standards for their grade level.

 

Return to Face-to-Face Instruction for TK/K and Certain Special Day Students

We anticipate allowing students in Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten and certain Special Day classes in TK-6th grades to return to face-to-face instruction on January 11, 2021. 

At the most recent meeting of the Board of Trustees, it was affirmed that we will still move forward with getting some allowed groups of students back on campus in accordance with both the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the California Department of Public Health Orders. 

 

TK/K Students

Students in TK/K will return to the campus in 2 cohorts.  Classes will be scheduled for an morning and afternoon session Monday through Thursday, with online instruction on Friday.  Cohorts currently will be of maximum of 12 students, and those students will be required to be screened each day before entering the campus (some of the screening will be done at home on an app, and temperature checks will be done at school before a student is allowed to enter the campus), masks must be worn at all times except when eating or drinking, hands must be washed frequently, and students must remain socially distanced at all times.  In our earlier survey, you provided us information about whether or not your child will be returning for face to face instruction or will be remaining on a distance learning program.  We are in the process of assigning teachers based on those survey results.  That may mean that at a given school site, students will change teachers at the semester to accommodate your request for one program or the other and the assignments of our teaching staff to each delivery of instruction program.  The staff from your child’s school will be making phone calls to determine your final instructional program choice.  Once determined, this should be the last adjustment for this school year. 

 

TK/K classes will meet Monday-Thursday for 150 minutes each session and they will be given a 30 minute assignment to complete at home.  Meals will be provided to each student at the end of the session to be consumed at home.  1st session students will receive a meal for the day, 2nd session students will receive a meal to be consumed the following day before coming to school.  Students will not eat lunch at school.  Parents will need to drop off and pick up their students immediately before and after each session.  If timely pick up is not possible for you, your child should remain in a distant learning program.  Due to restrictions on our cohorts, we cannot have students on campus awaiting pick up.  Each school administrator will be notifying you of how pick up/drop off will be implemented, and other pertinent information about your child on campus for instruction.  Several of our schools currently offer day care programs, and if that is of interest to you, please check what options are available.

 

Mild/Moderate Special Day Classes TK-6

To accommodate all of our mild/moderate TK-6 students, some significant changes will be required for all of our students.  So that students’ academic needs can be addressed, a change to single grade and or smaller combination classes is being implemented districtwide.  Whether you choose distance learning or face-to-face instruction, your child will be assigned to a school and teacher who will be working with a single grade and/or a small combination (no more than 2) class.  Staff from your current school will be affirming the choice you indicated you wanted from your child when we surveyed earlier.  Once implemented, your choice for instructional delivery will be in place for the remainder of this school year. 

 

For face-to-face instruction, there will be one session, students will be in cohorts of 12 or less unless changes are allowed by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.  Students will have 200 instructional minutes face-to-face.  Their face-to-face instructional day will end at lunch time, and all students will be given lunch to take home as they exit the campus.  This meal is meant to be eaten at home.  Students will be given at least 40 minutes of additional instruction to complete at home.  As with other students returning to face-to-face instruction, parents will need to drop off and pick up their students immediately before and after each session.  If timely pick up is not possible for you, your child should remain in a distant learning program. Students who are assigned to different schools for instruction, will be provided transportation by the Antelope Valley Schools Transportation Agency.   Due to restrictions on our cohorts, we cannot have students on campus awaiting pick up.  Each school administrator will be notifying you of how pick up/drop off will be implemented, and other pertinent information about your child on campus for instruction.  Several of our schools currently offer day care programs, and if that is of interest to you, please check what options are available.

 

Upcoming Events

●     Please check our school and district websites for upcoming food distribution events being held throughout the AV

●     The Palmdale Sheriff’s Boosters are sponsoring a toy distribution.  To sign up for this, please check their website for information and application process

●     December 11, minimum day

●     December 15, 6 p.m., public session--Board of Trustees meeting--check the website for the agenda and online address.  This is the annual meeting to swear in our re-elected trustees, Steve DeMarzio and Dr. Christopher Grado, and to elect Board officers for the year

●     December 17, minimum day

●     December 18, minimum day

●     December 21-January 8, winter break, no school

●     January 11, 2021, school resumes, minimum day

 

Thank you for your continued support, understanding and patience.  I hope that this information is helpful to you in considering the most appropriate school setting for your children who are in one of the waiver groups being allowed to return to face-to-face instruction.  We are excited that we will be able to have some students back on campus.  If you have additional questions, please reach out to the administrator at your children’s school. 

 

Sincerely,

Regina L. Rossall

Regina L. Rossall

Superintendent

 

 

 

 

LADPH Reopening Protocols for Sundown Elementary 

Sundown Plan for Safe Reopening

 

Kindergarten	1st Grade
2nd Grade	3rd Grade
4th Grade	5th Grade
6th Grade	SPED