Dear Los Alamitos Unified School District Families,
I want to begin by expressing my deep appreciation for your support and resilience as we guide our students on this shared journey into the brave new world of distance learning. Nearly three weeks into responding to this crisis, I think all of us are aware that this is a continuous work in progress. We know that the distance learning as it exists today is not the same as the student-teacher instruction in the classroom but we are proud of what we have been able to deliver to families thus far.
We will persevere and ensure our students, staff and community are safe. In consultation with local and state health agencies and in response to the new federal guidance that extends social distancing through April 30, 2020, we have made the decision to extend our school dismissal through Friday, May 1, 2020. Under this plan, teachers and staff would return Friday, May 1, with students returning Monday, May 4. The situation, as you know, is constantly shifting, and I will update you promptly should a further extension be required.
Looking ahead to the time when we are all reunited in the classroom, we know there is nothing more important than keeping our kids connected to school. Given the extraordinary difficulty of managing school and work at home, I want to emphasize the goals of our online effort:
- Meaningful content for students.
- Personal engagement with teachers.
- Response to parent and student questions.
- Monitoring of student progress and engagement.
I also want to remind all families that we are continuing our free Grab-‘n’-Go meal distribution during the school dismissal period from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Monday-Friday at Los Alamitos, Weaver and McGaugh elementary schools. We are looking to expand the free meal service during a portion of our Spring Break. More information will be shared prior to Spring Break.
We continue to offer support to our students and assistance to families. Our Learning Connection website offers a range of resources for you and your students, and our principals are ready to assist you. I also encourage you to view LAEF’s YouTube channel for daily enrichment videos to do at home.
The current pandemic continues to present for us all a wide variety of challenges, but I remain confident that together we can not only surmount them but emerge from this crisis stronger as a community. I want to thank each of you for your support of your student’s learning during this unprecedented period. Above all, we need to encourage each other to remain positive. Children model our affect and I am reminded of how kids’ faces light up when we as adults smile and give them our attention.
While we will continue to follow guidance from local and state agencies, we remain hopeful that we will reunite our students and staff, prior to the end of the school year.
Stay safe and healthy, take care of your loved ones and know that we are Better Together!
Kind regards,
Andrew Pulver, Ed.D
Superintendent