[BHS Etree] ADMIN: Coronavirus Update, Mar. 6 (Fri)

Fri Mar 6 16:54:06 PST 2020

PLEASE do not reply to this email.

Good afternoon BHS Families,

Copied below is a message that will be coming out shortly from the
Superintendent's Office in English and Spanish, addressing latest updates
as well as questions about school closure scenarios.  I am sending this
just in case some of you are not receiving these messages, and I will send
it out to our etree also. I am aware that there is a student petition
circulating to ask me to close Berkeley High School, and am about to send a
message to students that copies parts of the message below as well as
outlines that any decision about school closure would be district-wide and
come from Superintendent Stephens.

Thank you for working with us as we navigate this very fluid situation, and
I wish you all a peaceful weekend.

Erin

March 6, 2020

Dear Berkeley Unified Community,

As concerns and questions about the coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to
grow, I want to update you on some of the planning and responses here in
BUSD.

The well-being of our students and staff is our top priority. We have the
support of the public health guidance and information from the Alameda
County Public Health Department (ACPHD), the City of Berkeley Health
Department, as well as updates from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).

March 6 Situation Update

   -

   On March 3 the City of Berkeley issued a press release
   <https://www.cityofberkeley.info/City_Manager/Press_Releases/2020/2020-03-03_First_COVID-19_case_in_Berkeley_is_a_reminder_to_prepare.aspx>
   announcing the first confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) case in Berkeley.
   This is the only confirmed case in Berkeley and there are no confirmed
   cases directly linked to a BUSD school.
   -

   While the City of Berkeley Health Officer, Dr. Lisa Hernandez, reports
   that the risk of infection remains low, she has advised that “the expanded
   presence of the virus in our community is a reality we should all prepare
   for.”
   -

   BUSD has not been advised to close any schools or alter any event plans
   at this time. This includes athletic events, assemblies, field trips and
   school-related travel. However, it’s important to understand that this
   information can change at any time.

As we consider the particular issues related to the operation of our
schools, we also have the support of the Alameda County Office of Education
(ACOE) and the California Department of Education (CDE).  A major question
everyone is thinking about is the possibility of school closures.

School Closure Scenarios

At this time, there are no plans to close any BUSD school. Today the
Alameda County Public Health Department provided this guidance on the
decision to close schools:

Schools are not expected to make decisions about dismissal on their own.
Local health officials can work with schools to determine if, when, and for
how long to take these steps. School dismissal decisions must balance the
potential benefits of protecting the school community and slowing the
spread of disease with the potential societal disruption and impact.

So, while there is no way to predict how COVID-19 will spread in Berkeley,
we are developing plans to address the possibility of school closures.
Among the concerns to address are:

   -

   The difficulty of quickly replacing classroom learning with a meaningful
   online learning experience. Creating, adapting, and placing curriculum
   online for a wide range of subjects and levels is not a simple proposition.
   Furthermore, not all students have home access to technology;
   -

   Loss of access to services for students, including school meals depended
   upon by many families, as well as counseling, tutoring, and other supports;
   -

   Parents and other caregivers’ ability to go to work if there is no
   school or afterschool care;
   -

   Implications for course credit in high school, completion of student
   assignments; state and national testing including AP and IB exam;
   -

   The inability to “make up” instructional time in the summer due to the
   cost and availability of staff for extending the school year.

School Cleaning Update

   -

   Like other districts, we have had only limited success ordering
   additional cleaning supplies, wipes, and hand sanitizer. We have placed an
   order, but have not been told when these supplies will arrive.
   -

   I recently directed our custodians to concentrate on cleaning and
   disinfecting “high touch” hard surfaces in our schools, per CDC guidelines.
   Today I asked our custodians to work an additional day tomorrow, Saturday,
   March 7, to provide additional cleaning and disinfection of our schools. I
   want to express deep appreciation to our hardworking custodians, who are
   doing important work to help slow the spread of the coronavirus in our
   community.
   -

   Our bus drivers are spending extra time each day for further cleaning of
   our school buses.
   -

   Musical instrument mouthpieces are cleaned between uses with sterisol.

Risk Reduction and Illness

Berkeley Unified students who are sick with fever (greater than 100.4 F)
should remain home from school and other activities until they have no
fever for 24 hours, without fever medication. The CDC also provides this
guidance about what to do if you or your student is sick
<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/steps-when-sick.html> with
a fever and respiratory symptoms, and provides this Coronavirus (COVID-19)
and children FAQ.
<https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/children-faq.html>

Alameda County Public Health Department is advising all residents to
continue to take these precautions to stop the spread of germs and prevent
respiratory illnesses:

   -

   Wash hands with liquid soap and water and rub for at least 20 seconds;
   -

   Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands)
   when coughing or sneezing;
   -

   Refrain from touching your eyes, nose and mouth;
   -

   Stay home when you are sick;
   -

   Get a flu shot to protect yourself and others from the flu, which has
   similar symptoms to COVID-19.

I want to thank our BUSD staff, our families, and our students, for your
continued patience and helpfulness during a time of uncertainty, as we work
together to keep our schools a safe, welcoming place for learning.

Sincerely,

Brent Stephens, Ed.D

Superintendent.

P.S. Please use this BUSD coronavirus website page
<https://www.berkeleyschools.net/coronavirus/> for archives of all of our
coronavirus communications to the Berkeley community.

------------------------------------

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BUSD 2019-2020 Calendar: http://bit.ly/BUSDCalendar1920
<https://www.berkeleyschools.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/BerkeleyUSDCalendar-K12-2019-20-v6.pdf>

BUSD Non-Discrimination Statement / la Política de No Discriminación:
http://bit.ly/BUSDNDPolicy

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