St. Vrain Valley Schools Celebrates Computer Science Education Week

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Visit the Innovation Center to participate in Level Up webinars and CSED Week online activites >>

St. Vrain Valley School students and staff are invited to celebrate Computer Science Education Week (CSED Week) through a series of engagement opportunities available online including robot programming, code writing, and live virtual sessions with industry partners highlighting different career pathways.

St. Vrain Valley Schools has been a supporter of CSED Week since its launch in 2009. The annual week-long campaign is a call to action to inspire K-12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity in computer science education, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners to the field.

Schools across grade-levels celebrate in different ways. “We start computer science education at the elementary level to give our students a basic level of knowledge, which in turn will give them access to future opportunities,” said Jessicca Shaffer, STEM Coordinator at Longmont Estates Elementary. Shaffer is teaching her students about Grace Hopper, who invented the first compiler and coined the widely used term “bug” after removing a moth from a computer. Shaffer’s fourth and fifth grade students are using Bitsbox to code a winter greeting card to share over email and text. 

Exposure to computer science and gaining skills in the field is essential for successful 21st-century learning. According to Shaffer, “It’s like being able to read and write – it’s another literacy that gives students more opportunities for success. This is why it’s essential that computer science education is equitable and accessible. Learning how to code builds skills like persistence, creativity, and logical reasoning. It also improves students’ reading comprehension and computational thinking.”

Beyond the activities facilitated by educators within the classroom, students and staff are invited to participate in a multitude of online opportunities curated by the Innovation Center. 

Their live webinar series Level Up features industry professionals who speak on different topics within the field of computer science. Students learn about various careers through guest visits by professionals and gain perspective on their own future career interests. All sessions are recorded and archived for future learning opportunities. 

Today’s session included undergraduate students from the University of Colorado Boulder involved with the university’s Autonomous Robotics Perception Group (ARPG). The speakers addressed the topic “How does computer science relate to robotics?” through demonstrations at the university’s robotic lab and an overview of the challenges they have to tackle within the design process. St. Vrain postsecondary students had the opportunity to ask questions specific to their interests.

“There is a wide range of career opportunities for students to pursue in the field of computer science and a lot of unfilled high paying jobs available,” said Axel Reitzig, Coordinator of Innovation at the Innovation Center. Career pathways for students to explore include cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data science, creative computing and gaming, and virtual reality. According to Reitzig, the field is broad and encompasses student interests beyond the technical or mathematical components. “We focus on human-centered design thinking. We always have to ask how do we design ethically, and how do we design with a lot of end users in mind.” Reitzig emphasized that there is a place within the field of computer science for those who have interests in other areas such as the social sciences and psychology, entrepreneurship, and project management.

“All students should learn about computer science because it is embedded in all parts of our lives – we need to have a diverse workforce designing and engineering our technology to ensure it serves everyones’ needs and interests.”

In addition to the Level Up sessions, there is a host of CSED Week activities for different grade-levels available on the Innovation Center’s CSED Week webpage.

Return to Online Learning

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Dear St. Vrain Valley Community,

Thank you for your continued support as we navigate this challenging time for our community. 

We have continued to work closely with our local and state health agency partners to monitor the rising coronavirus case numbers in our community and across the state. Last night during our Board of Education meeting, Jeff Zayach, the Executive Director of Boulder County Public Health, presented current data and community safety recommendations. While Boulder County Public Health, the Governor’s Office, and numerous other public health experts agree that schools are safer environments than many others and not a primary source of coronavirus spread to date, the restrictive quarantining protocols required by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) since moving into level Orange on the COVID Dial have severely impacted our ability to operate our schools for in-person learning with any kind of stability. Therefore, we have made the decision to move to a fully online learning environment through the end of the semester. Click here to watch the full board meeting discussion related to this decision.

Accordingly, beginning Monday, November 30 through Friday, December 18, we will return to our fully online learning model that was in place at the start of the school year. The online blended instructional model and learning schedules will mirror those used in August and September. Please review and access details through the links below which include additional information about attendance and grading expectations, as well as common communication structures. Additionally, your student’s school principal will be sharing a letter with more detailed information about learning expectations and schedules during our return to online learning.

Athletics and Co-curricular Activities: Athletics will continue to operate under the current specified guidelines unless athletic directors are provided with new information. Student clubs and Innovation Center student teams can continue in a remote environment. 

Meal Distribution Sites: The Nutrition Services Department will continue our curbside meal program, and meals will be offered at “no charge” for any child ages 1-18. Click here for site information and schedules.

Community Schools Childcare: Our Community Schools program will continue to provide childcare between 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with limited space availability. Click here to learn more.

Health and Safety Protocols: It remains our priority to return to some form of in-person learning as soon as it is determined by our health departments that it is both safer and feasible to do so. It is important during this time of online learning that our community practices safety protocols to reduce the spread of COVID-19 including mask wearing, social distancing, and avoiding social gatherings, etc. Additionally, we encourage our community to take advantage of contact tracing and testing resources such as activating the CO exposure notifications app on your phone and getting tested at one of the many open testing sites available statewide, including St. Vrain Valley Schools’ Innovation Center.  Click here to learn more.

Virtual Open House Dates 2020

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As families plan their transition to middle and high school next year, schools are hosting virtual open houses to answer questions and share information about the many program offerings across St. Vrain Valley Schools.

Below are upcoming virtual open house dates across the district. Schools will host their 2020 virtual open houses through either a live event or a pre-recorded video release. For questions regarding open houses or programming, please contact the schools directly. Access links to the virtual open houses will be added to this list as they become available. 

Middle School Open House Dates

St. Vrain Valley Schools Celebrates Digital Citizenship Week, October 19-23, 2020

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During the week of October 19-23, 2020, St. Vrain Valley Schools will join educators around the globe in celebration of Common Sense Education’s Digital Citizenship Week, an event that champions digital citizenship, an inclusive concept that encourages responsible use of technology as a tool to create a lasting, positive impact on the world.

“St. Vrain is a proud education technology leader,” says Michelle Bourgeois, Chief Technology Officer for St. Vrain Valley Schools. “We want to empower all learners to be responsible users of that technology, and have emphasized digital citizenship as an important part of our work across the district.”

In 2019, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) launched a national Digital Citizenship Commitment campaign (DigCitCommit), providing resources and tools to educators around the world with the goal of redefining digital citizenship and reaching 1 million students by 2021. This fall, St. Vrain launched its own version of the campaign, Screen Smart St. Vrain, to encourage more than 32,000 local students and their teachers and families to think critically, make proactive choices, and behave responsibly online.

Uniting behind a pledge — “We are an inclusive community of informed, aware and balanced digital citizens who thoughtfully engage in our digital world. We are digital citizens.” — the Screen Smart campaign customizes DigCitCommit’s five core competencies to define digital citizenship in St. Vrain:

  • Inclusive – We respectfully recognize multiple viewpoints and engage with others with respect and empathy.
  • Engaged – We build community, solve problems, and create knowledge to improve ourselves and our world.
  • Balanced – We make informed decisions about how to prioritize time and activities online and off.
  • Aware – We know how to be safe and interact carefully and thoughtfully.
  • Informed – We evaluate the accuracy, perspective, and validity of media.

As the Screen Smart campaign builds a common language and frame of reference for digital citizenship in St. Vrain, families will continue to be an important partner in engaging students in responsible use of technology at home. In addition to reminders in the halls of their schools and on their district-issued devices, all K-12 students will have opportunities to engage in rich conversations and authentic learning experiences to build critical digital citizenship skills necessary for future success.

“Preparing students for postsecondary success includes preparing them to be aware of their responsibilities as citizens in a digital world,” Bourgeois says. “We want our students to be safe online, but we also want them to be empathetic members of society – online and off – as they work to solve the problems of the future and use technology to make our community, and the world, a better place.”

More information and technology resources for families can be found at tech.svvsd.org/family/.

Return to Hybrid In-Person Learning

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Dear St. Vrain Valley Community,

Thank you for your partnership and support as we continue to navigate the evolving coronavirus pandemic. Over the past several months, numerous members of our community have expressed vastly different thoughts, opinions and suggestions related to our learning models for delivering instruction. We are very appreciative of all of this feedback and the ongoing communication that we’ve received. We also remain in constant communication and are strongly aligned with our local and state health agency partners, including Boulder County Public Health, Weld County Public Health, the Metro Denver Partnership for Health, and the Colorado Department of Public Health, and continue to adhere to their guidance and direction as we evaluate options for returning to in-person learning. 

As you know, it has been our intention to return to some form of in-person learning as soon as it was determined by our health departments that it is both safer and feasible to do so. Last night, during our virtual town hall with county health department officials, we reviewed the current coronavirus data for our community. To this end, our county health agency partners have made the recommendation that it is now appropriate for us to return to a hybrid learning model. Click here to watch the virtual town hall discussion about the data guiding our decisions and current levels in our community.

Beginning Monday, October 5, we will be implementing a hybrid in-person learning schedule for all students who are not currently enrolled in the LaunchED program. LaunchED student’s schedules will not be impacted by this change.

Hybrid Learning In-Person Learning Schedules Beginning October 5

Preschool Students: Due to existing smaller class sizes, preschool students will attend school in-person according to the schedule they selected at registration. Preschool will operate similar to how it has in the past with additional safety measures in place. Click here to learn more about preschool schedules and instructional models.

Elementary students: Students in grades K-5 will attend school on a hybrid schedule where they will be assigned to one of two groups. 

  • Group 1 will attend in-person school on Mondays and Wednesdays. 
  • Group 2 will attend in-person school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 
  • Students with disabilities who are on an IEP will have the option to attend in-person learning Monday through Thursday.
  • On days when students are not physically in school, they will engage in a blend of synchronous (real-time) online learning with their classroom teacher and/or independent work as assigned. This will enable students to continue progressing appropriately through the curriculum. 
  • Fridays will continue to be asynchronous learning days for all students, similar to our current remote-learning schedule. Teachers will continue to have office hours and provide additional specialized instruction and support for students.
  • Click here to learn more about elementary schedules and instructional models.

Middle school students: Students in grades 6-8 will attend school on a hybrid schedule where they will be assigned to one of two groups. 

  • Group 1 will attend in-person school on Mondays and Wednesdays. 
  • Group 2 will attend in-person school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. 
  • Students with disabilities will have the option to attend in-person learning Monday through Thursday.
  • On days when students are not physically in school, they will engage in a blend of synchronous (real-time) online learning with their classroom teacher and/or independent work as assigned. This will enable them to continue progressing appropriately through the curriculum. 
  • Fridays will continue to be asynchronous learning days for all students, similar to our current remote-learning schedule. Teachers will continue to have office hours and provide additional specialized instruction and support for students.
  • Click here to learn more about middle school schedules and instructional models.

High school students: Students in grades 9-12 will attend school on a hybrid schedule where they will be assigned to one of two groups. High Schools will continue to use their block schedule which will require a different hybrid schedule than elementary and middle school students. 

  • Group 1 will attend in-person school on Mondays and Tuesdays. 
  • Group 2 will attend in-person school on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
  • Students with disabilities will have the option to attend in-person learning Monday through Thursday.
  • On days when students are not physically in school, they will engage in a blend of synchronous (real-time) online learning with their classroom teacher and/or independent work as assigned. This will enable them to continue progressing appropriately through the curriculum. 
  • Fridays will continue to be asynchronous learning days for all students, similar to our current remote-learning schedule. Teachers will continue to have office hours and provide additional specialized instruction and support for students.
  • Click here to learn more about high school schedules and instructional models.

Your child’s principal will follow-up with you by the end of this week to share which group your student has been assigned and any other important information related to our transition to a hybrid in-person learning model. 

In the hybrid model, students who started in LaunchED will remain in this online learning program until the end of the semester. All other students will attend school in-person for part of each week and engage online for the other part of each week. Any student or parent of a student who does not want to attend school in-person, will need to transition to St. Vrain’s LaunchED Online Program. If you prefer this option, we ask that you register your student by September 29 to ensure our district has the appropriate staff in place to support students. Students can enroll in LaunchED by clicking here or by calling 303-702-8800.

While this is our plan at this time, we must continue to remain flexible in the event that any changes become necessary as the pandemic and public health guidance continues to evolve. It is possible that the Governor’s Office, as well as our local and state health departments, could issue new orders at any time that would require us to alter our plans for in-person learning, which could require us to return to our synchronous-online learning model.

Transition Day on October 2

As we are planning for hybrid in-person learning to begin on October 5, to further support a smoother transition, Friday, October 2, will be a fully asynchronous learning day for students so that teachers can utilize the time to prepare their classrooms for student arrivals on Monday, October 5. Teachers will not hold any virtual meetings or office hours with students on this day. However, make-up work or assignments can be posted for students to complete. Additionally, school administrators will host an in-person transition day on October 2 for students in kindergarten, sixth grade, ninth grade, and any other students who are new to their school buildings. Your student’s school will communicate further details regarding this transition day for students.

Health and Safety Measures

While scientific evidence is favorable regarding the very low risk of transmission in school settings, the health and safety of our students, families, teachers, and staff will always be our highest priority. To this end, we will be instituting a number of health and safety measures for our return to in-person learning that are in alignment with the recommendations from our health agency partners. In addition to the protocols we continue to promote through our Safe with 7 campaign, we have updated the Health and Safety Measures page on our reopening plan website with some additional points of clarification below.

  • All students, teachers, and staff must wear face coverings while at school. We know that wearing a face covering all day can be difficult, especially for our younger students, therefore we will plan to schedule appropriate socially-distanced breaks. 
    • For the safety of all students and staff, we are unable to accommodate exceptions where masks are concerned. If a student is not able to wear a face covering at school, they will need to remain in our fully-remote learning environment.
    • For elementary students, please ensure that your student has at least two face coverings. One will be kept at the school in a ziploc bag marked with their name in the event they forget their face covering. The other will be worn each day during school hours. 
    • For all students, if for any reason you have any difficulty finding a face covering for your student, please contact your school principal for assistance.
  • Our operations team worked extensively over the summer to ensure that our HVAC systems (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) continue to operate at high and efficient levels of capacity to support quality airflow and ventilation in classrooms and buildings. In this regard, we are in full compliance with ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) guidelines.
  • We have hired additional custodial staff so that each school has increased support for sanitizing and cleaning throughout each day and again in the evenings.
  • Middle and high school students will not be assigned lockers in alignment with our health agency partners’ school reopening guidance.
  • Social distancing will be maintained as much as possible, including one-directional hallways, staggered recess times, lunch time, and as our students move throughout the school. Students will be seated spaced apart to the fullest distance possible in classrooms. The American Academy of Pediatrics confirmed that “evidence suggests that spacing as close as 3 feet may approach the benefits of 6 feet of space, particularly if students are wearing face coverings and are asymptomatic.” Additionally, the Denver Metro Partnership for Health has stated that the combination of our comprehensive safety measures that include face coverings, cohorting, hand washing, symptom checks, and increased cleaning will ensure a comparably safe environment for students and staff.

Again, these measures are in addition to the components included in our Safe with 7 protocols.

In the event that we become aware of a positive and/or suspected case of COVID-19 in a classroom or a school environment, our local health department has assigned an epidemiologist and several contact tracers to St. Vrain who will work closely with our district nurses and leadership in determining and guiding the appropriate next steps. Toward this end, our system is well-prepared to support a robust online, synchronous learning environment in the event students or staff need to quarantine or isolate for a period of time. If it becomes necessary to temporarily return to a fully-online learning environment, we will work closely with our county and state health agency partners on recommended actions and closely adhere to their guidance and directions. Communication regarding quarantines will be directly with those impacted.  

Next Communications

Next week, your student’s principal and I will be sharing a video that highlights and details safety procedures specific to your school. Additionally, we will continue to closely monitor the evolving pandemic with our county and state health agencies, and we will keep you informed of any required changes.

We look forward to welcoming our students back into our classrooms. I know that this has been a very challenging time, and I want to sincerely thank all of you for your continued partnership and support. I feel honored to continue serving all of you and our incredible community. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 303-682-7205.

Sincerely,

Don Haddad, Ed.D.

Superintendent

@SVVSDSupt

Estimada Comunidad de St. Vrain Valley,

Gracias por su colaboración y apoyo mientras seguimos transitando el desarrollo de la pandemia del coronavirus. Durante los últimos meses, varios miembros de nuestra comunidad han expresado pensamientos, opiniones y sugerencias muy diferentes, relacionadas con nuestros modelos de aprendizaje para impartir la instrucción. Agradecemos muchísimo todos los aportes y la comunicación continua que estamos recibiendo. También seguimos en comunicación constante y estamos firmemente alineados con nuestros colaboradores de la agencia de salud local y estatal, incluida Salud Pública del Condado de Boulder, Salud Pública del Condado de Weld, Asociación Metropolitana de Denver para la Salud Pública y el departamento de Salud Pública de Colorado y seguimos cumpliendo con sus lineamientos y dirección a medida que evaluamos las opciones para volver al aprendizaje en persona.

Cómo usted sabe, nuestra intención ha sido volver a alguna forma de aprendizaje en persona tan pronto cómo nuestros departamentos de salud determinen que es más seguro y factible hacerlo. Anoche, durante nuestra junta virtual con los funcionarios del departamento de salud del condado, revisamos los datos actuales del coronavirus para nuestra comunidad. Con esto, nuestros asociados de las agencias de salud pública del condado han recomendado que ahora es apropiado que regresemos a un modelo de aprendizaje híbrido. Haga clic aquí para ver la discusión de la junta virtual sobre los datos que guían nuestras decisiones y los niveles actuales en nuestra comunidad.

Comenzando el lunes 5 de octubre, estaremos implementando un programa de aprendizaje híbrido en persona para todos los estudiantes que no estén inscritos actualmente en el programa LaunchED. Los programas de estudiantes LaunchED no serán impactados por este cambio.

Los Programas de Aprendizaje Híbrido en Persona que Comienzan el 5 de octubre

Estudiantes del preescolar: debido a los pequeños tamaños de clase existentes, los estudiantes del preescolar asistirán a la escuela en persona de acuerdo con el programa que seleccionaron al registrarse. Los programas Preescolar funcionaran de manera similar a cómo lo han hecho en el pasado con medidas de seguridad adicionales implementadas. Haga clic aquí para obtener más información sobre los horarios preescolares y los modelos de instrucción.

Estudiantes de Escuela Primaria: los estudiantes en los grados desde K a 5 asistirán a la escuela en un programa híbrido en donde serán asignados a uno de dos grupos.

  • El Grupo 1 asistirá a la escuela en persona los lunes y miércoles.
  • El Grupo 2 asistirá a la escuela en persona los martes y jueves.
  • Estudiantes con discapacidades que están en un IEP tendrán la opción de asistir al aprendizaje en persona de lunes a jueves.
  • En los días que los estudiantes no estén físicamente en la escuela, participarán en una combinación de aprendizaje en línea sincrónico (en tiempo real) con su maestro de clase y/o con trabajo independiente asignado. Esto les permitirá a los estudiantes seguir progresando adecuadamente a través del plan de estudios.
  • Los viernes seguirán siendo días de aprendizaje asincrónico para todos los estudiantes, similar a nuestro programa actual de aprendizaje remoto. Los maestros seguirán teniendo horarios de oficina y les brindarán instrucción adicional especializada y apoyo a los estudiantes.
  • Haga clic aquí para obtener más información sobre los horarios de la escuela primaria y los modelos de instrucción. 

 Estudiantes de la Escuela Media: los estudiantes en los grados desde 6 a 8 asistirán a la escuela en un programa híbrido en donde serán asignados a uno de dos grupos.

  • El Grupo 1 asistirá a la escuela en persona los lunes y miércoles.
  • El Grupo 2 asistirá a la escuela en persona los martes y jueves.
  • Los estudiantes con discapacidades tendrán la opción de asistir al aprendizaje en persona de lunes a jueves.
  • En los días que los estudiantes no estén físicamente en la escuela, participarán en una combinación de aprendizaje en línea sincrónico (en tiempo real) con su maestro de clase y/o con trabajo independiente asignado. Esto les permitirá a los estudiantes seguir progresando adecuadamente a través del plan de estudios.
  • Los viernes seguirán siendo días de aprendizaje asincrónico, similar a nuestro programa actual de aprendizaje remoto para todos los estudiantes. Los maestros seguirán teniendo horarios de oficina y les brindarán instrucción adicional especializada y apoyo a los estudiantes.
  • Haga clic aquí para obtener más información acerca los horarios y modelos de instrucción de la escuela intermedia.

 Estudiantes del Secundario: los estudiantes en los grados desde 9 a 12 asistirán a la escuela en un programa híbrido en donde serán asignados a uno de dos grupos. Las Escuelas Secundarias seguirán usando su programa de bloque que requerirá de un programa híbrido diferente al de los estudiantes de la escuela primaria y media.

  • El Grupo 1 asistirá a la escuela en persona los lunes y martes.
  • El Grupo 2 asistirá a la escuela en persona los miércoles y jueves.
  • Los estudiantes con discapacidades tendrán la opción de asistir al aprendizaje en persona de lunes a jueves.
  • En los días que los estudiantes no estén físicamente en la escuela, participarán en una combinación de aprendizaje en línea sincrónico (en tiempo real) con su maestro de clase y/o con el trabajo independiente asignado. Esto les permitirá a los estudiantes seguir progresando adecuadamente a través del plan de estudios.
  • Los viernes seguirán siendo días de aprendizaje asincrónico, similar a nuestro programa actual de aprendizaje remoto para todos los estudiantes. Los maestros seguirán teniendo horarios de oficina y les brindarán instrucción adicional especializada y apoyo a los estudiantes.
  • Haga clic aquí para obtener más información acerca los horarios y modelos de instrucción de la escuela secundaria. 

El director de su hijo hará el seguimiento con usted al final de esta semana para compartir a cuál de los grupos se asignó a su estudiante y cualquier otra información relacionada con nuestra transición a un modelo de aprendizaje híbrido en persona.

En el modelo híbrido, los estudiantes que comenzaron en LaunchED permanecerán en este programa de aprendizaje en línea hasta el final del semestre. Todos los demás estudiantes asistirán a la escuela en persona durante parte de cada semana y participarán en línea durante la otra parte de cada semana. Cualquier estudiante o padre que no quiera asistir a la escuela en persona, deberá hacer la transición al programa en línea LaunchED de St. Vrain. Si prefiere esta opción, le pedimos que registre a su estudiante antes del 29 de septiembre para asegurarse de que nuestro distrito tenga el personal adecuado para apoyar a los estudiantes. Los estudiantes pueden inscribirse en LaunchED haciendo clic aquí o llamando al 303-702-8800.  

 Aunque este es nuestro plan en este momento, debemos seguir siendo flexibles en el caso que se vuelva necesario cualquier cambio a medida que sigue evolucionando la pandemia y la guía de salud pública. Es posible que el Despacho del Gobernador, como así también nuestros departamentos de salud local y estatal, puedan emitir nuevas órdenes en cualquier momento que requieran que alteremos nuestros planes para el aprendizaje en persona y que los estudiantes volvieran a nuestro modelo de aprendizaje en línea, sincrónico y combinado.

Día de transición el 2 de octubre 

Cómo estamos planeando que el aprendizaje híbrido en persona comience el 5 de octubre, para apoyar aún más una transición más suave, el viernes 2 de octubre será un día de aprendizaje totalmente asincrónico para los estudiantes, de modo que los maestros puedan utilizar el tiempo para preparar sus salones de clase para la llegada de los estudiantes el lunes 5 de octubre. Los maestros no tendrán reuniones virtuales ni horas de oficina con los estudiantes en este día. Sin embargo, se pueden publicar trabajos de recuperación o asignaciones para que los estudiantes las completen. Sin embargo, se pueden publicar trabajos de recuperación o asignaciones para que los estudiantes las completen. Además, los administradores escolares organizaran un día de transición en persona el 2 de octubre para los estudiantes del jardín de infantes, sexto grado, noveno grado y cualquier otro estudiante que sea nuevo a su escuela. La escuela comunicará más detalles sobre este día de transición para los estudiantes. 

Medidas de Salud y Seguridad

Mientras que la evidencia científica es favorable con respecto al riesgo muy bajo de transmisión en los entornos escolares, la salud y seguridad de nuestros estudiantes, familias, maestros y el personal siempre serán nuestra máxima prioridad. Para lograr este objetivo, instauramos un número de medidas de salud y seguridad para nuestro retorno al aprendizaje en persona que se alinean con las recomendaciones de nuestros colaboradores de la agencia de salud. Además de los protocolos que seguimos promoviendo a través de nuestra campaña Safe with 7, hemos actualizado la Página de Medidas de Seguridad y Salud en nuestro sitio web del plan de reapertura con ciertos puntos adicionales que se aclaran a continuación.

  • Todos los estudiantes, maestros y personal deben usar la mascarilla mientras estén en la escuela. Sabemos que usar la mascarilla todo el día puede ser difícil, especialmente para nuestros estudiantes más jóvenes, por lo tanto, planificaremos programar descansos adecuados con distanciamiento social.
    • Para la seguridad de todos nuestros estudiantes y el personal, no podemos adaptar excepciones donde las máscaras estén involucradas. Si un estudiante no puede usar una mascarilla en la escuela, deberá permanecer en nuestro entorno de aprendizaje totalmente remoto.
    • Para los estudiantes de la escuela primaria, por favor asegure que su estudiante tenga al menos dos mascarillas. Una quedará en la escuela en una bolsa Ziploc marcada con su nombre en caso de que el niño se olvide en la casa su mascarilla. La otra se usará cada día durante el horario escolar.
    • Para todos los estudiantes, si por algún motivo usted tiene alguna dificultad para encontrar una mascarilla para su estudiante, por favor comuníquese con el director de su escuela para obtener asistencia.
  • Nuestro equipo de operaciones trabajó extensivamente durante el verano para asegurar que nuestros sistemas HVAC (calefacción, ventilación y aire acondicionado) sigan operando en niveles altos y eficientes de capacidad para apoyar el flujo de aire de calidad y la ventilación en los salones de clase y los edificios. A este respecto, estamos en total cumplimiento con los lineamientos de ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers o Sociedad Norteamericana de Ingenieros de Calefacción, Refrigeración y Aire Acondicionado).
  • Hemos contratado personal de limpieza adicional para que cada escuela tenga apoyo adicional para apoyar la desinfección y limpieza cada día y nuevamente en las noches.
  • No se les asignarán armarios a los estudiantes de la escuela media y secundaria en línea con nuestro lineamiento de reapertura de la escuela de los colaboradores de la agencia de salud.
  • Se mantendrá el distanciamiento social todo lo que sea posible, incluidos los pasillos unidireccionales, tiempos de descanso graduales, tiempo para el almuerzo y a medida que los estudiantes se mueven a través de la escuela. Los estudiantes se sentarán espaciados con la mayor distancia posible en los salones de clase. La American Academy of Pediatrics confirmó que “la evidencia sugiere que el distanciamiento tan cercano como de 3 pies puede abordar los beneficios de 6 pies de distancia, particularmente si los estudiantes usan la mascarilla y son asintomáticos”. Además, la Asociación Metropolitana de Denver para la Salud declaró que la combinación de nuestras medidas de seguridad integrales que incluyen las mascarillas, agrupación, lavado de manos, controles de síntomas y la mayor limpieza asegurará un entorno comparablemente seguro para los estudiantes y el personal.

Nuevamente, estas medidas son componentes adicionales que están incluidos en los protocolos de Seguro con 7.

En el caso que nos enteremos de un caso positivo y/o sospechado del COVID-19 en un salón de clase o en un entorno escolar, Salud Pública del Condado de Boulder asignó un epidemiólogo y varios rastreadores de contacto para St. Vrain que trabajarán estrechamente con nuestros enfermeros y líderes del distrito para determinar y guiar los siguientes pasos apropiados. Para lograr este objetivo, nuestro sistema está bien preparado para apoyar un entorno de aprendizaje sincrónico fuerte y en línea en el caso que los estudiantes o el personal necesiten de cuarentena o de aislamiento por un período de tiempo. Si se hace necesario volver temporalmente a un entorno de aprendizaje completamente en línea, trabajaremos estrechamente con nuestros asociados de la agencia de salud del estado y el condado en las acciones recomendadas y adherimos estrechamente a su guía y directivas. La comunicación con respecto a la cuarentena será dirigida directamente con los afectados. 

Próximas Comunicaciones

La próxima semana, el director de su estudiante y yo mismo compartiremos un video que resalta y detalla los procedimientos de seguridad específicos en nuestra escuela. Además, seguiremos monitoreando estrechamente la evolución de la pandemia con nuestras agencias de salud del estado y el condado y lo mantendremos informado sobre cualquier cambios. 

Estamos deseosos de darle la bienvenida a nuestros estudiantes nuevamente a nuestros salones de clase. Sé que este ha sido un tiempo muy desafiante y quiero agradecerles sinceramente a todos ustedes por su continuo apoyo y colaboración. Me siento honrado por seguir sirviendoles a todos ustedes y a nuestra increíble comunidad. Si tiene alguna pregunta, por favor no dude en comunicarse conmigo al 303-682-7205.

Atentamente,

Don Haddad, Ed.D.

Superintendente

@SVVSDSupt

St. Vrain students continue to connect to their community through afterschool programming

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Though their learning is taking place online, students across St. Vrain Valley Schools continue to connect with peers for extracurricular enrichment activities. Clubs allow students to socialize outside of academics and maintain connections to their school community during this period of blended learning.

Mead Middle’s school focus is Extracurricular Engagement and Learning (EXCEL) with a longstanding belief that students succeed when they become involved and are connected to the school, which has been steadfast during online learning.

Mead Middle Physical Education Teacher, Felicia Clifford, meets with her running club members twice a week. The students connect over WebEx and begin the club by stretching and sharing highlights of their days with one another. They discuss running goals in terms of time and miles and then plan a route for the day. After completing independent runs, they reconvene to end each meeting by sharing their journeys.

“Students are finding joy in belonging to a group and doing something they love,” said Clifford.

The group has decided that they would like to run for a purpose and researched the app “Charity Miles,” in which they can select a charity and donors will make a contribution based on the total miles run.

Meanwhile, coding enthusiasts at Mead Middle meet regularly to tackle various computer programming challenges.

Math and Special Education Teacher, Amanda White, says the program is important for students because they can connect with peers who are outside of their scheduled classes.

“Students are able to find that common interest with peers that they may not have known before,” said White.

During in-person learning, students gather in the computer lab, and the group has pivoted to meeting virtually where White provides a coding challenge and the students share their work on the group screen. Club members can view each other’s coding creations and laugh together as they see visuals like a hamburger exploding across the screen or a dog dancing to a song.

At Westview Middle School, clubs have continued during blended learning due to the strong culture of student agency within the school community. Students in the filmmaking club, WTV, have been producing their news stories remotely since March when online learning unexpectedly began. Math Teacher and Club Leader, Dave Kline, attributes the strength of the club during challenging times to students’ passion for it.

“Students were able to continue the program remotely because it was their program and they wanted to see it continue,” said Kline.

With the start of the 2020-21 school year Kline received permission to set up the “Socially Distant Film Studio,” so members of the club can film segments of the show using the school’s equipment, which is now housed on a portable cart outside the school.

Kline also gives the students different film challenges that they can tackle remotely, such as telling a knock-knock joke in the style of film noir and recreating a famous movie line in many different scenes.

“Through programs like WTV, students are able to maintain that connection and routine,” continued Kline. “It’s easier for students to see this as a temporary setting when they are able to continue established routines, even if it is a remote setting.”

Westview Middle also emphasizes student leadership. As a school that follows the Student Teacher Progression model, where students and teachers stay with the same group for each year of middle school, students grow into the role of school leaders and mentors by the time they reach eighth grade.

Westview Science Teacher and leader of the school’s Plains to the Park program, Dan Cribby,  attributes the success of the program during online learning to the culture of student agency and leadership embedded within the Westview community. Students that were once apprentices in the program during their sixth and seventh grade years take on a higher role when then become the oldest in the clubs.

With Plains to the Park, typically Cribby takes a group of middle schoolers on experiential learning trips to Rocky Mountain National Park or Button Rock Preserve to study wildlife behavior based on data retrieved from field cameras. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how the club runs, with Cribby now driving up on his own to collect the data and share back with the students over WebEx. Still, the eighth graders meet online regularly to plan how the program will continue with lower grade-level students starting in the second semester, and it will be the students who determine how the program adapts.

“All of our students feel they have ownership in the program, and feel confident moving things forward,” said Cribby. “The thing that makes this program successful during online learning is that students have agency in their work. They are able to shape and design the program to suit the needs of the times.”

Join Us: Virtual Town Hall with Boulder County Public Health

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Dear St. Vrain Valley Community,

Thank you for your continued partnership as we navigate the complexities of the evolving coronavirus pandemic and this difficult time for our community. While there have been various challenges, overall it has been a strong start to the new school year with high levels of student attendance and engagement across our system. I am incredibly proud of our students, teachers, staff, and families for their strong commitment, perseverance, and flexibility as we adapt to these unprecedented challenges related to how we deliver effective instruction and provide student support.

As we prepare for potential changes to our current learning models, we continue to work closely with our county and state health agency partners to monitor public health data and the spread of COVID-19 in our community. Our goal remains to return to some form of in-person learning as soon as we determine that it is both safe and feasible to do so. Toward this end, we are inviting our community to join us for a virtual town hall on Monday, September 21 from 6:00-7:00 pm. We will be joined by Boulder County Public Health officials: Jeff Zayach, Executive Director; Dr. Chris Urbina, Medial Officer; Heather Crate, Program Coordinator; and Soda Sonoda, Lead Epidemiologist II, to discuss the state of the coronavirus pandemic in our community and their recommendations regarding the potential return to in-person learning. Additionally, we will be answering questions from our community as time permits during this meeting.

Please Join Us for a Virtual Town Hall

Again, thank you for your continued flexibility and support. I hope that you are able to join us on September 21, and we look forward to sharing more detailed information about potential changes to our school schedules.  Sincerely,Don Haddad, Ed.D.SuperintendentSt. Vrain Valley Schools@SVVSDSupt

Estimada comunidad de St. Vrain Valley:

Gracias por su continua colaboración mientras transcurrimos por las complejidades de evolucionar en la pandemia de coronavirus y por este momento difícil para nuestra comunidad. Aunque ha habido varios desafíos, en general ha sido un comienzo sólido para el nuevo año escolar, con niveles altos de asistencia de estudiantes y de compromiso en nuestro sistema. Estoy increíblemente orgulloso de nuestros estudiantes, maestros, personal y familias por su fuerte compromiso, perseverancia y flexibilidad a medida que nos adaptamos a estos desafíos sin precedentes, relacionados con la forma en la que brindamos instrucción efectiva de alta calidad y apoyo a los estudiantes.

A medida que nos preparamos para posibles cambios en nuestros actuales modelos de aprendizaje, continuamos trabajando estrechamente con nuestros socios del condado y de la agencia de salud estatal a fin de monitorear los datos de salud pública y el contagio de COVID-19 en nuestra comunidad. Nuestro objetivo continúa siendo volver a algún tipo de aprendizaje en persona tan pronto cómo determinemos que sea seguro y factible hacerlo. Para lograr este fin, invitamos a nuestra comunidad a unirse a nosotros en una reunión virtual del condado, el lunes 21 de septiembre, de 6:00 a 7:00 pm. Se nos unirán los funcionarios de Salud Pública del Condado de Boulder: Jeff Zayach, director ejecutivo, Dr. Chris Urbina, oficial médico, Heather Crate, coordinadora del programa, y Soda Sonoda, epidemióloga principal II, para debatir sobre el estado de la pandemia por coronavirus en nuestra comunidad y para brindar sus recomendaciones en lo que respecta al potencial regreso al aprendizaje presencial. Además, durante esta reunión, estaremos respondiendo preguntas de la comunidad, en la medida que el tiempo lo permita.

Por favor, participe con nosotros en una reunión virtual del condado

 Nuevamente gracias por su flexibilidad y apoyo. Espero que puedan unirse a nosotros el 21 de septiembre, y esperamos compartir información más detallada sobre cualquier posible cambio en nuestros horarios escolares. Cordialmente,Don Haddad, Ed.D.SuperintendenteEscuelas de St. Vrain Valley@SVVSDSupt

Grant dedicates nearly $1 million to increase postsecondary workforce readiness

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St. Vrain Valley Schools has been awarded a $930,889, four-year grant through the Colorado Department of Education’s School Counselor Corps Grant Program (SCCGP). The grant supports successful transitions for St. Vrain students — from elementary to middle school, middle to high school, and high school to postsecondary education and the workforce — with a focus on attendance and graduation.

“Our goals for this grant are to increase attendance, graduation rates, and ultimately, postsecondary workforce readiness among all St. Vrain students,” said Kristin Hefflon, Student Services Coordinator. 

To achieve these goals, the three-year grant will fund one additional full-time school counselor at Skyline High School, Trail Ridge Middle School, and Mountain View Elementary School. The new counselors will be tasked with developing and implementing sustainable programming focused on transition activities like school, industry, and postsecondary visits, student panels, and information nights. An increased emphasis will also be placed on the Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP), a multi-year process that guides students and families in the exploration of career, academic, and postsecondary opportunities.

In addition to programming, counselors will also identify at-risk students and provide additional support for those students and their families, including targeted interventions for identified students with increased needs, offering education for families on the importance of attendance and addressing barriers, and creating opportunities to build stronger relationships between students’ families and schools.

“This is a coordinated effort between our students and families, district departments, and community partners,” Hefflon says. “This grant will allow us to expand upon great work that is already being done in St. Vrain.”

In recent years, St. Vrain has increased the number of school counselors districtwide, adding one counselor to every high school, and ensuring that there is a counselor or interventionist at every one of the elementary schools. In 2017, St. Vrain adopted the ICAP as a graduation requirement, starting with the class of 2021, requiring every graduating student to complete a capstone project focused on their future goals and plans. Last year, St. Vrain’s Student Services and Curriculum Departments began collaboration to further integrate ICAP activities and reflections into core content.

“While counselors discuss ICAP with students, teachers engage students in meaningful career conversations by connecting academics with long term planning and postsecondary exploration,” Hefflon says. “Students are learning that by the time they get to middle school and high school, their purpose is to plan for life after high school.”

While this is not the first SCCGP grant that St. Vrain has received, it is by far the largest. Past grants have provided funding for additional counselors at Longs Peak Middle School, Timberline PK-8, Sanborn Elementary, and Northridge Elementary. Grant counselors in these schools have demonstrated success in increasing school-wide ICAP implementation, transitions to middle school and high school, and family-community engagement.  

Beyond grant funding, St. Vrain also receives continued support from community partners like Boulder County IMPACT, the Colorado Education Initiative, and the Safe Schools Alliance to create systems that will sustain the work implemented through the grant.

“With the support of this grant funding and our community partners, we are shifting the conversation to make the connection between what students are learning now to what they will learn and be able to do as adults,” says Hefflon. “Our goal in St. Vrain is to support every student and prepare them for life after graduation.”

St. Vrain Valley Schools hosts musical instrument drive

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St. Vrain’s Fine Arts department is hosting a musical instrument collection drive. Members of the community are invited to donate gently used instruments to St. Vrain Valley Schools’ music program and receive a donation receipt from the St. Vrain Valley Schools Education Foundation. There are two drop-off dates and locations:  

  • September 30 | 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
    Lincoln School. 619 Bowen Street. Longmont, CO. 80501
     
  • October 2 | 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
    Erie High School. 3180 County Road 5. Erie, CO. 80516

“As we transitioned to online learning last spring, we realized there was a need for instruments so that each student can have one at home for practice,” said Fine Arts Coordinator, Janay Bird. “Typically, students are able to share instruments housed in the classroom. This, plus the already-present need for instruments for our growing music programs, inspired us to partner with the Education Foundation to host this event as we continue to support our amazing St. Vrain musicians.”  St. Vrain’s Fine Arts department has received calls from community members asking if the school district would accept musical instrument donations. Often, people wanted to donate because the family was moving or a student graduated and no longer used the instrument.  After the drive, St. Vrain’s Music Leadership team will collaborate to ensure all donations are cleaned and tuned, and then determine an equitable way to distribute instruments to schools. The Music Leadership team consists of music teachers across the district who represent various grade-levels and music programs.  Community members can bring gently used instruments to the designated donation sites. Piano and keyboard donations are accepted on an individual basis. Please contact St. Vrain’s Fine Arts Coordinator, Janay Bird, for details at [email protected] or 303-702-7916.

St. Vrain Valley Schools