August 14, 2020
Good Afternoon Belmont-Redwood Shores Community,
What an extraordinary summer. While we’ve all experienced ups, downs and uncertainty this summer, today we mark a fresh start to the 2020-2021 school year. Officially, welcome back!
After working closely with our staff and community, I can say that I am honored to be working in such a wonderful District committed to student success. While there is no doubt we will have obstacles to overcome as conditions change, as a teaching and learning community we will rise to the challenge.
With the approval of the Belmont Redwood Shores Board of Trustees and Faculty Association, the
Belmont-Redwood Shores School District will open remotely for instruction on FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2020
with a 100% full distance learning model.
On Monday, August 17th, all families will receive their classroom placements. Unfortunately, principals are not able to accommodate requests from parents to build classes based on “pods” as it would prevent the formation of balanced classes. Please pay close attention to communications coming directly from your child’s school throughout the week. You will also receive information about picking up school supplies, instructional resources and instructional schedule information. These communications will contain the logistics for getting started in Distance Learning on Friday, August 21st.
As we look ahead,
- Schedules will be aligned to Senate Bill 98 required instructional minutes (Transitional kindergarten and kindergarten 180 minutes, 1st - 3rd grade 230 minutes, 4th-8th grade 240 minutes) with the addition of music (grade 3-5), science (grade 4-5) and PE (grade TK-5) “specials” and counselor support.
- Daily live interaction with teachers and peers for purposes of instruction, progress monitoring, and maintaining school connectedness will take place.
- Content will be aligned to grade level standards and provided at a level of quality and intellectual challenge substantially equivalent to in-person instruction.
- Distance Learning delivery will occur via consistent platforms, (i.e., Google Suite, SeeSaw, Illuminate, Zoom, or SchoolLoop) to serve as the primary mode of communication between the teacher, student and family.
I believe that our schools contribute to students growing up to become resilient, responsible, and compassionate citizens in a global community. Our high quality professional learning community creates a structure that allows our students to thrive. Especially at this time, we are committed to balancing social emotional wellness and academic rigor as we prepare our students to be global minded citizens.
As we continue to adapt to our changing environment, we must all take a moment and reflect upon how we work together to support each other and our community. Similar to our children, adults are also grappling with how we adjust. While there are no right answers, certainly when communities come together to support each other, great things can happen. We are looking forward to a wonderful year ahead. Thank you for your continued support and it is with great pleasure that I join the Belmont-Redwood Shores School District as your new Superintendent.
Warm Regards,
Dan Deguara
Superintendent
Suvarna Bhopale | Amy Koo | Samuel Leinbach | Jim Howard | Rahila Passi | Board of Trustees
