Boulder Oaks Elementary School

BOES Families, As we continue to plan for the reopening of our schools we want to ensure we have an accurate accounting of each student’s preferred learning model. We will be offering students the option of participating in Distance Learning, returning to school for face-to-face learning in the A/B Day hybrid model, independent study, or our home school program. We realize that you may have rethought which learning model you want your child to participate in. If you would like to make a change to the model your child will be participating in when we reopen our campuses on September 21, please contact the school office by Wednesday, September 3. Thank you! Jenna

Dear AUSD Families, I am thrilled that the 2020-2021 school year is finally underway. Our goal of reopening our schools for face-to-face learning is now close to reality. For the last several months, we have been preparing for the return of our staff and students to campus. We have developed and updated our reopening schools plan with every new public health order. We have purchased pallets of hand sanitizer, face coverings, personal protective equipment, electrostatic cleaners, Chromebooks, new digital books and tools, and much more, all with the goal of reopening our schools with a sound plan in place. We are also finalizing an agreement with the San Diego County Office of Education to provide free hotspots to our families who do not have reliable internet access. To ensure that we had the option to open our schools, even if San Diego remained on the county watchlist, we submitted an Elementary School waiver. Yesterday, we were notified that the county and state approved our waiver. In fact, we were one of only four public school districts in San Diego county to receive a waiver approval. We have reassigned many of our staff, including bus drivers, instructional aides, and food and nutrition staff, to support our families in our Extended Student Services child care program. We were also the first school district in the state of CA to design and develop a Learning Pod option for our parents. In short, we have been focused on adapting our district to meet the challenges our families face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While our goal is to open our schools, we want to do it in a way that ensures the health and safety of our staff, students and families. We have designed a gradual re-entry plan that will allow us to begin to open our schools on September 2 with our Preschool Special Day Class being the first to return for face-to-face learning. Our goal is to ensure that all of our planning and procedures have a chance to be put into practice and tested before we bring all students back on campus. On September 21, we will begin our hybrid learning model with all students returning to campus in the A/B Day learning model. More information will be forthcoming regarding days in which students will be attending. Having our staff and teachers feel safe is critical to our goal of ensuring the opening of our schools is done with care for our entire community. When we return to campus, all students in grades TK-8 will be required to wear a face-covering unless they qualify for one of the exemptions specified in the CDPH face-covering guidelines. With a gradual re-entry plan, we feel confident that we can monitor the success of our social distancing and sanitation measures, make adjustments as needed and ensure that everyone is as safe as possible. While there is much work that has gone into our reopening plan, there is much work ahead. I have asked our staff to assume positive intentions in all our actions and to create a working and learning environment that supports everyone. Lastly, as we move forward and open our schools, I also ask that each of you join me in supporting our students and staff as we all work together to make our community proud of the way we respond in reopening our schools. With great respect and hope for the future, Dr. Rich Newman Proudest Superintendent on Earth

Hello Boulder Oaks Families! Happy First Day of Distance Learning! I hope that everything went as smoothly as possible for you today. I know we had some hiccups with Zoom in some classes and we appreciate your patience and understanding. I was able to visit many classrooms over ZOOM today and it was WONDERFUL to see our students engaged in their learning. I have missed them so much and I was truly filled with joy getting to “see” them. If you need help with anything, please do hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher or myself! Thank you to everyone that attended Back to School Night last Wednesday! I know that it was different than usual and maybe a bit overwhelming but I hope you found the evening helpful. If you were unable to pick up materials or a Chromebook last week, you may stop by the school auditorium from 9:30-10:30 on Tuesday or Thursday of this week. If you picked up your materials on Thursday of last week, our math books had not yet come in. You will need to drop by one more time to get one. They will be available in the school office at any time or in the auditorium 9:30-10:30 on Tuesday or Thursday. I am so sorry for any inconvenience that this causes. Just like a “normal” beginning of the year, we have forms for you to fill out. This year they are digital! You just need to click on the attached form, fill it out and then submit it. They are quick and easy! Distance Learning Agreement: This outlines our commitment to providing your students with a high quality Distance Learning Program and lists the at home expectations to ensure success for all students. AUSD Technology/Network Acceptable Use Agreement: This form is an agreement that your student uses technology appropriately. BOES Media Release Form: This form gives us permission to post your students' photos on a variety of social media and in school publications such as our yearbook. School Site Council Nomination Form (optional): We are in need of three parents to join SSC this year. This is our nomination form. Other News: This Friday is our first Virtual Fun Friday! This week it is “Dress to Impress: wear your favorite new school outfit/shoes/backpack.” Grab and Go meals are being provided every Monday at JMMS from 11:00-12:00. It is now required that you show your student’s ID number. Please call the school office if you need help accessing this. If you are having technology issues with your Chromebook, please email our technology department at helpdesk@alpineschools.net for assistance. If you are not already, please follow us on Instagram and Facebook and download the AUSD app at the App store or Google play. Just like we did in the spring, please email me pictures of your students learning at home so I can post on Facebook and/or Instagram (only if you give permission). This is a great way for us all to stay connected until we are back on campus. Thank you so much for your support during this time! The next couple of weeks will require us all to be flexible, patient, understanding, and show each other love and grace. I am confident that by all of us supporting each other and working together, our students will be successful this year. We’ve got this!! Please do not hesitate to reach out if you need ANYTHING!!! Have a wonderful first week! Jenna

Thanks to all of our BOES Families that stopped by today to get all of your materials. We will be distributing them again tomorrow from 9:00am-12:00pm. Our math books were delivered this afternoon so they will also be available tomorrow for pick up if you did not get one today. You may also stop by next week for a math book. We are so sorry for any inconvenience that this causes!

Hooray!!! It is almost the first day of school and BOES is ready for our students! Join Mrs. Weinert for a Read Aloud of "School's First Day of School." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-HrzPdCciE

The BOES Teachers are so excited to welcome our students back later this week: https://youtu.be/QIVtjmj74dU

Hello Boulder Oaks Families, Welcome to your first official Weekly Update of the 2020-2021` school year! Usually these messages will come on Monday nights at 5:30 but I wanted to ensure you had all of the information you needed as early as possible this week. It is hard to believe that our school year officially starts this Thursday! The teachers and the rest of the BOES staff have been working hard to get ready and to make this the best school year that we possibly can! The teachers have been learning a lot about teaching virtually and have been sending me sneak peeks of all of their hard work all weekend long. We are all very excited to finally get this school year going!! As you know, we will be starting with 100% Distance Learning but hope to transition to the hybrid model soon! The first two days, August 20th and 21st are set aside for individual one-on-one assessments via Zoom. This is a wonderful opportunity for the teacher to get to know your student on a more personal level and for the teacher to get a few baseline data points. You will receive the information you need to access this meeting on Wednesday from your child’s teacher. Distance Learning will then officially launch on Monday, the 24th at 9:00am! This Wednesday, August 19th, you will receive a Welcome Email from your child's teacher. It will contain the Zoom link and scheduled time for their one-on-one assessment, the Zoom link for Back to School Night (that night!), and your child’s Google account login information. You will use the Zoom link for Back to School Night Wednesday night to attend one of two sessions - 5:30 or 6:15. Your teacher will walk you through her Google Classroom and tell you everything you need to know to ensure success on the first days of school. This Thursday and Friday, are our material distribution days. You may come to the BOES auditorium anytime between 9:00am and 12:00pm to pick up your child’s consumable textbooks and any other supplies that you need or that your teacher has provided. Please line up outside of the auditorium remembering to socially distance and wear a mask. Chromebooks will also be provided at this time. Please fill out ahead of time the two forms needed to borrow a Chromebook on the AUSD website: https://www.alpineschools.net/o/ausd/page/chromebooks--73 You will be given the opportunity to purchase insurance for it using Venmo, a link on the AUSD website, or by check. The cost is $25 per Chromebook. Both forms must be filled out even if you do not plan on purchasing the Protection Program. Chromebooks will also be available on the 18th and 19th from 9:00-12:00 in the auditorium. In summary, here are the dates you need to know: August 18th-21st: Chromebook Distribution 9:00am-12:00pm August 19th: Welcome Emails are sent out Virtual Back to School Night (two sessions: 5:30 and 6:15) August 20th and 21st: One-on-one individual assessment Zooms with students and teachers Material Distribution 9:00am-12:00pm August 24th: Distance Learning starts at 9:00am! Over the summer, we had four of our beloved teachers retire. Mrs. Andersen, Mrs. Cross, Mrs. Loresnsen, and Mrs. Pool have each made an everlasting impression on us that will never be forgotten. They have left a legacy behind that will forever be embedded in our hearts. Their years of experience and endless wisdom made all of us better and we have all become stronger educators because of them. They will be missed beyond words and many tears have been shed over the past few weeks as we said our good-byes. Congratulations to each of them! With the retirement came the need to fill their open spots. We are thrilled to welcome four new general education teachers to BOES. We had MANY applicants and were able to hire the best of the best! Please read more about them here: https://www.smore.com/xd6fp-welcome-boes-new-teachers Other News: Please note the following changes to food distribution: Monday, August 17th - No Food Distribution Thursday, August 20th - Distributed at JMMS Every Monday after August 20th - Distributed at JMMS The district is still working with the county on providing hot spots for families that need them. Please call the school office so that you can be added to our list if you do not have internet access at your home. As we embark on the 2020-21 school year, our mission holds strong in providing the best education possible rooted in love and deep relationships. Thank you for putting your faith in us during this very challenging time and for trusting that we will do our very best to provide your child with a wonderful educational experience despite the circumstances. Thank you in advance for your support, patience, understanding and grace as we navigate these first couple of weeks! Most Sincerely, Jenna Weinert

Update on COVID-19 Watchlist Dear AUSD Families, You may have heard the news that the County of San Diego was removed from the state’s COVID-19 watchlist and wonder what it means for Alpine Union. This is encouraging news that could help pave the way for us to reopening schools this fall. However, there are some important things to keep in mind. First, these numbers will need to stay within the acceptable range for at least 14 days before schools in San Diego County will be allowed to reopen without a waiver. Second, when we are allowed to return to face-to-face instruction, we hope to make the transition as seamless as possible for our students, staff, and families by beginning with our hybrid model as outlined in our AUSD Reopening Schools Plan and the AUSD Safe Schools Parent and Student Reopening Guidebook. While we keep a close eye on the watchlist, we are also planning on submitting a County of San Diego Elementary School Waiver next week so that we may begin to reopen our campuses. The process for reopening our schools remains the same as our plans have outlined. For the last several months, we have been developing and updating our reopening plans to do everything possible to ensure healthy environments for our students and staff. As you can imagine, the process for reopening is very complex. District leadership has also been working with our employee associations to develop memorandums of understanding that address working conditions in our schools before employees return to school sites. As a reminder, we have created two options to support our parents as Distance Learning begins: Extended Student Services and Alpine COVID-19 Learning Pods. Information on both options are available on our website on our COVID-19 webpage. I appreciate your flexibility, support, and understanding as we adjust to these ever-changing conditions. I will continue to share updates as they become available. You can also find the most current information on our reopening plans on our COVID-19 webpage. I very much look forward to seeing our students back on campus in the very near future. Stay well and healthy! Sincerely, Dr. Rich Newman Proudest Superintendent on Earth

BOES Families - Please mark your calendars for these upcoming dates. "See" you soon!

Welcome Back BOES Eagles! Below you will find the link to our Welcome Back Letter. We cant wait to "see" you all on August 24th! https://www.smore.com/zu5ya

BOES Families - Just a reminder that our Back to School Parent Meeting takes place tonight at 5:30. Here is the webinar link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82945467688 Hope you can make it!

BOES Families, Please join Mrs. Darcey (Formerly Ms. Sanders - she got married!) and myself this Wednesday night from 5:30-6:30 for an informative meeting regarding our opening for the 2020-2021 school year. We will be discussing what you can expect with Distance Learning, important dates, and our reopening plan for when we can return to campus. If you have questions please submit them ahead of time to me at jweinert@alpineschools.net and I will do my best to answer them during the meeting. Please send them to me by Tuesday at 3:00pm. Here is the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82945467688 We hope that you can join us! Thank you! Jenna

BOES Families - Thanks so much to everyone who has filled out the Learning Model survey! We only have 54 students left to go! TODAY is the LAST Day to fill it out to get the Learning Model of your choice when we do return to campus. We are starting with Distance Learning but will return to on-site instruction when it is safe to do so. When that happens, will you want to continue with Distance Learning or will you prefer face-to-face instruction for your student? Please let us know by clicking on the survey if you have not already. Thank you and have a wonderful weekend! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PSV68FS

BOES Families - Please join us for Back to School Parent Night next Wednesday, August 5th at 5:30 with Mrs. Weinert and Mrs. Darcey (Sanders). We hope you can make it!

Hello Boulder Oaks Families, We have two days left to fill out the survey for your “Learning Model” of choice for the 2020-2021 school year. As you know, we are starting with Distance Learning but hoping to transition back to being on campus as soon as it is safe to do so. In order to place students in classes, I need to know what Learning Model you prefer when campus is open. Do you want to continue Distance Learning or do you prefer face-to-face instruction? I went through our responses last night and we need about 90 more families to fill out the survey. Please, please respond by tomorrow. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PSV68FS Thanks SO MUCH! Jenna

AUSD is looking to hire friendly, enthusiastic, and passionate individuals to join our team. We are hiring custodians, child care workers and other positions. These and other positions can be found at Edjoin.org, search Alpine Union.

BOES Families - There are THREE days left to choose your preferred “Learning Model” in anticipation of our return to school. Even though we are starting with Distance Learning, we need all of our families to choose what will work best for them once we are back on campus. If you have not already, please fill out the survey by this Friday, July 31st: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PSV68FS THANK YOU!!!!

We’re thrilled to announce Alpine Union School District’s new app! Access our Reopening plans, cafeteria menus, news updates, emergency notifications. Download the app from the Apple of Google Play store. Search for Alpine Union School District.

Dear AUSD Families, We realize that everyone is eager for answers as to what school routines will look like when the new school year begins. With this in mind, we have designed the AUSD Safe Schools Parent And Student Reopening Guidebook. It provides a road map for how our schools will operate in the 2020-21 school year. The guidebook along with all communications and updates are posted on our COVID-19 page on our website. The Guidebook, our Reopening Plan, and the list of Frequently Asked Questions and other resources are located on the page. Here is the link to the Guidebook. https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/819514/2020-21_AUSD_SCHOOL_REOPENING_GUIDEBOOK.pdf

BOES Families - Please drop by campus this week to check out our Lost and Found. Mr. Larry put everything out this morning and it will remain out all week. On Friday, all leftover items will be donated to Goodwill. Please wear a face mask, maintain a six foot social distance from others, and do not touch anything that does not belong to you. Thanks!