BUSD Community Connections
October 2020 Newsletter
Our monthly newsletter is a great way to learn about the latest news at Berryessa Union School District. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for daily updates and visit our website for calendar and meeting information.
Message from the Superintendent


Dear Berryessa Community,

On behalf of the BUSD Board of Trustees and myself, we give heartfelt thanks to all of you for your tremendous efforts to make distance learning as successful as possible for our students. Our collaborative efforts are ensuring that our students can continue to learn in a safe environment. We recognize the extraordinary challenges of juggling school, work and family, and thank you for your dedication and flexibility. We sincerely hope that you and your families are staying safe and well. 

It’s understandable that you may have questions around where we are in terms of our school reopening plan, and how this relates to the health indicators and guidance from the State and County levels. We remain focused on refining systems and support for students and families as new guidance is received from both the State Governor’s Office and the Santa Clara County Public Health Department (SCCPHD). 

Now that our county is in the red tier, Santa Clara County Public Health Department did another revision of the Reopening of Santa Clara County K-12 Schools guidance document. School leaders from across the county attended a webinar last Tuesday, September 29, 2020 to learn more about these revisions. The current requirements and guidelines districts must meet to physically reopen schools are significant, and involve careful planning and collaborative efforts with stakeholders to help ensure the safety and health of our students, staff, families and broader community. 

At this time, based on the best information available, Berryessa Union is continuing our distance learning model for all students, while we continue to plan and prepare for the next phase in our reopening plan. Our plan that was Board approved on July 15, 2020 follows state and county guidance for a phased in approach with the next transition being Phase 2. Phase 2 provides some in-person support for small cohorts of our most vulnerable students. For example, just recently, we began in-person assessments for our special education students. 

VIDEO MESSAGE FROM DR. ROXANE FUENTES
Berryessa continues to keep safety at the forefront of all decision-making. To that end, staff is working diligently to prepare for implementation of the County’s current safety protocols. Please understand that a return to on-campus instruction represents a significant shift for staff, students and families who have shown amazing perseverance and resilience in the face of numerous changes and challenges over the past several months. Every small incremental change allows us to continually enhance and refine our safety procedures. Your continued patience and understanding is much appreciated. 

We would like to also encourage you to complete a survey that will be distributed later this week. Input from our families and staff will help us gauge our community’s readiness for each phase and help inform our next steps. It is our goal to conduct these surveys on a more frequent basis to inform our planning for each transition. Our District team continues discussions and evaluation of our readiness and planning with our Board of Trustees each month during our regular School Board meetings. 

During this pandemic, our Berryessa Community has demonstrated resilience, collaboration, and the highest level of commitment to ensuring our students the best educational experience possible under our current circumstances. We will continue to keep you informed and engaged as we learn more and move forward to best serve and support our community. We are and continue to be in this together. 

With BUSD pride,

Dr. Roxane Fuentes
Bridging the Digital Divide
In order to ensure the success of distance learning for all of our students and families, BUSD has partnered with a number of local organizations to bridge the digital divide in our community. Please join us in recognizing and thanking these generous supporters:

  • SJ Access, a program of the City of San Jose, has provided our district with over 800 free Wi-Fi hotspots. This is enabling our students to continuously access the internet from wherever they are, to conduct their studies. We are tremendously grateful!

  • The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors has awarded BUSD with 1,750 Chromebooks for students in need. Given the amount of requests for devices we have received during this school year, this will help us greatly. 

  • Thanks to funds from Measure L, our District has been able to purchase needed laptops for teachers. Thank you, Measure L community supporters!

Lastly, we are pleased to announce that on September 22, 2020, the Berryessa Union School District Board of Trustees approved a partnership with East Side Union High School District, the City of San Jose, and several neighboring school districts to provide greater access to the internet for students and residents within the boundaries of each of these San Jose school districts. By working together, all partners will share in the expenses to maintain a community wireless network for students and families in East San Jose within the Independence High School boundaries. We look forward to sharing more details in the near future!
Meal Services Updates
Please make note of several important announcements from our Nutritional Services Department. Meal distribution days are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Breakfast and two lunch meals will be served at each meal distribution, so students will receive meals for every day of the week and one meal for Saturday.
We encourage families to complete and submit the Free and Reduced-Price Meal application. The application is used to determine a student’s eligibility to participate in the State and Federal school lunch program. These applications are also used to provide additional State and Federal funds to assist with Berryessa’s educational programs.

Last year, 2019-20, a 2% increase of Berryessa’s low-income percentage would have resulted in an increase of $190,742 in state funds. To ensure Berryessa receives all possible state funds this year, please fill out an application as soon as possible if you have not completed an application already. Applications can be received all year for the lunch program but must be submitted by December 31st, 2020 to be considered for additional state funding in the 2020-21 school year.

To fill out your online application, visit: https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application

Have a Happy Halloween!
The upcoming holidays unfortunately present new opportunities for the spread of COVID-19. In a time when families usually travel and gather from all over, the threat of COVID-19 still looms, which means social distancing guidelines will affect how families celebrate the holiday season. We ask that you stay vigilant about the spread of COVID-19 during the holidays. 

Despite these circumstances, Halloween can still be fun and enjoyable for the whole family! Consider low-risk celebrations such as staying home and carving pumpkins with the members of your household or having a virtual dress-up party with friends and family. Avoid trick-or-treating in non-socially distanced situations, avoid eating candy picked up from another household, and avoid traveling to events outside of your primary neighborhood. There are still so many ways you can enjoy Halloween with your household and stay safe from the spread of COVID-19.

In Santa Clara County, social distance guidelines are still enforced through the Halloween season. For more information and tips on how your family can celebrate a socially distanced and safe Halloween, visit the Santa Clara County Public Health webpage.
Mental Health Support
BUSD is pleased to support our students and families with Care Solace, an online resource with a live 24/7 phone line that offers referrals to local mental health-related programs and counseling services. To use Care Solace, individuals answer ten basic questions to receive referrals to applicable care providers. Care Solace takes into consideration all types of private insurance including Medi-Cal, Medicaid, Medicare and those that have no insurance. Care Solace does not require a name, address, phone number, or date of birth. All of the information you provide is completely confidential and stored securely.

If you are interested in seeking counseling-related services at this time, please visit caresolace.com/berryessafamilies to get started.
Important Reminders
For translation assistance, please call one of our District hotlines below:

Chinese, 408-­923-­1901
Spanish, ­408-­923­-1902
Vietnamese, ­408-­923-­1903

請利用校區熱線電話
408-­923-­1901
會有人與您聯繫,為您翻譯資料上的重要內容

Si desea más información en español, por favor llame a la línea de asistencia en español al 1-408-923-1902 y alguien le llamará para darle un resumen de este documento.

Xin gọi số hotline của khu học tại 1­-408-­923-­1903 và sẽ có người giúp quí vị để hiểu những điều cốt yếu của văn kiện. 
Connect with us
Berryessa Union School District
(408) 923-1800