Dear CSArts-SGV Families, Faculty, and Staff,
We hope this message finds you and your families safe and healthy. We are eagerly awaiting the day when we can see you all in person. With that in mind, we would like to introduce our new weekly newsletter, titled Reopening Updates, which will contain important details regarding our plans to safely reopen the CSArts-SGV campus for in-person activities and instruction as soon as we are permitted to do so. Today’s newsletter contains updates to help ensure a smooth transition to hybrid/in-person instruction once guidelines permit, including information on a new on-campus COVID-19 testing program for CSArts-SGV students and staff, as well as important details about the school’s processes for reporting and communicating positive COVID-19 cases on campus.
The information in this newsletter is relevant to anyone who will be participating in on-campus activities once it is deemed safe to do so, but please keep in mind that specific campus reopening information is aimed at our high school students. Middle school students should expect to see a joint communication from Duarte Unified School District and CSArts-SGV in the near future.
Please stay tuned for regular Reopening Updates as we approach our campus reopening and return to hybrid/in-person instruction.
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FREE ON-CAMPUS COVID-19 TESTING |
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As COVID-19 metrics in Los Angeles County continue to improve and the county approaches reclassification into the Red Tier, we are pleased to share that CSArts-SGV is partnering with a local healthcare lab to offer on-campus COVID-19 testing for students, faculty, and staff. This service will be optional and provided at no cost to CSArts-SGV employees and students.
Our plan is to schedule a testing date as soon as the county moves into the Red Tier so that test results are received before the first day of hybrid/in-person instruction on campus. Instructions to participate in this testing opportunity are forthcoming – please stay tuned.
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HOW & WHEN TO REPORT COVID-19 CASES, EXPOSURE, OR SYMPTOMS |
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We would like to take this opportunity to share with you CSArts-SGV’s new COVID-19 Reporting Form, created to help streamline the process for our CSArts-SGV community to know how and when to report a positive COVID-19 case.
This form is to be completed by CSArts-SGV faculty, staff, and students (or parents/guardians on behalf of students) who have selected to participate in the Hybrid/In-Person Learning Model. This form is also available to parents, vendors, or visitors to the CSArts-SGV campus. For those limited faculty and staff members already working on campus, this form can be used as needed, effective immediately. For all students, faculty, and staff who have yet to return to campus, please wait to use the COVID-19 Reporting Form until CSArts-SGV reopens for hybrid/in-person instruction.
Please be assured that CSArts-SGV will maintain confidentiality regarding any information submitted through this form and will protect student/staff privacy following established HIPAA and FERPA protocols.
Please complete this form if you, or your student, have been on the CSArts-SGV campus and:
- Have received a positive COVID-19 test
- Have had a possible exposure to COVID-19
- Are currently experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
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Within 24 hours of completing this form, a CSArts-SGV Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) will contact you directly to begin contact tracing protocols established by the school. Please initiate self-quarantine until contacted by a CSArts-SGV LVN and further instructions are given. You may not return to the CSArts-SGV campus or interact with other CSArts-SGV students or faculty/staff members outside your immediate household during this time. If your symptoms become more severe, please seek immediate medical attention.
It is going to take a concerted effort to keep CSArts-SGV safe. Reporting positive COVID-19 tests, possible exposure to COVID-19, or COVID-19 symptoms will ensure timely notifications to individuals and our community. Additionally, accurate reporting will help slow the spread of the disease, protect our school and greater community, and support CSArts-SGV’s ability to keep our campus open for hybrid/in-person instruction.
Thank you in advance for your commitment to this important initiative.
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COVID-19 CONTACT TRACING & NOTIFICATION PROTOCOLS |
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As we prepare for the return to on-campus instruction, we are pleased to share our new contact tracing and notification protocols. Each time CSArts-SGV is notified through the COVID-19 Reporting Form of a positive case on campus related to a student, faculty/staff member, or community member, our Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) will determine the level of exposure and initiate one or more of the following notifications.
Close Contact Notification: Close contact is defined as being exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual at a distance of less than 6 feet for more than 15 minutes within a 24-hour period. Individuals identified within this group will receive notification from a CSArts-SGV LVN via phone call AND email. The LVN will provide the individual with key instructions regarding quarantine and related health care information.
Low Risk Notification: Low risk is defined as being indirectly exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual through a shared classroom or office space. Individuals identified within this group will receive notification from a CSArts-SGV LVN via email. The notification will include health care information related to monitoring potential symptoms; however, individuals within this group are not required to quarantine as long as they remain symptom free.
General Community Notification: In addition to providing close contact and low risk notifications to individuals based on the level of exposure, CSArts-SGV will send a general community notification via email on days that positive COVID-19 cases are reported on campus. The email will only provide the number of new cases reported for that day, ensuring that all stakeholders remain informed, while also maintaining privacy and confidentiality for our students and staff. The current number of active cases will also be updated regularly on CSArts-SGV’s COVID-19 Dashboard.
Lastly, with each confirmed positive case, the CSArts-SGV Facilities Team will be notified as well. These professionals are trained to complete a deep cleaning of any exposure area(s) and are committed to keeping the CSArts-SGV campus safe.
Please note, this notification system will officially begin once CSArts-SGV reopens for hybrid/in-person instruction and all Hybrid/In-Person Learning Model students and teachers return to campus.
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CAMPUS REOPENING TIMING REMINDER |
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Please be reminded that, at this point in time, Los Angeles County still remains in the Purple Tier of California’s tiered reopening system based on the Blueprint for a Safer Economy, which means that CSArts-SGV is not permitted to open for in-person instruction. Current guidance indicates that a county must maintain Tier 2/Red metrics for 14 consecutive days before the State officially designates the county into the less-restrictive tier. Once Los Angeles County is formally designated in Tier 2/Red, CSArts-SGV will be permitted to resume in-person learning after five (5) additional days. The first day a county is considered in the Red Tier is the Wednesday after the weekly county tier assignments are announced and posted on the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) website. As such, our anticipated campus reopening will likely be on a Monday, sometime after we enter the Red Tier.
We are prepared to open for hybrid/in-person instruction as soon as we are cleared by the state and local officials, so please consider preparing as necessary for that transition. Once guidelines permit and we are able to return to campus safely, Hybrid/In-Person Learning Model students will transition from their current distance learning format to a hybrid/in-person format for the remainder of their spring semester classes. As we move closer to opening the campus for hybrid/in-person instruction, we will communicate additional details pertaining to school health and safety procedures, how to find a carpool, what campus food services will look like, how drop-off/pick-up will work, and more. In the meantime, please continue to stay safe and healthy. We thank you for your patience and support.
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Los Angeles County has launched an effort to distribute COVID-19 vaccinations to the public in a phased, tiered approach.
We are happy to report that, as of Monday, March 1, Los Angeles County has expanded the currently active phase to include Phase 1B, Tier 1, in addition to the previously active Phase 1A. Phase 1B, Tier 1 includes individuals in the education sector, which means that all CSArts-SGV employees (teachers and support staff) are now eligible to secure a vaccination appointment through a variety of vaccination sites.
Additionally, our partners at Duarte Unified School District have teamed up with the City of Hope to launch a vaccination drive for public school employees across the San Gabriel Valley. Their efforts to vaccinate employees began in earnest over the first weekend of March. All CSArts-SGV employees have been offered the opportunity to register to receive a vaccination through this effort.
To learn more about the Los Angeles County vaccination timeline and to view a list of those who are currently eligible to receive a vaccine, please click here.
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As previously communicated, you will continue to receive ongoing detailed updates about the instructional models and the health and safety procedures families can expect to see when campus reopens for in-person instruction. We are aware that you will need to review all of this information prior to making a final decision regarding which learning model is the best fit for your family.
As a reminder, the deadline for families to make the selection between the Virtual Learning Model and the Hybrid/In-Person Learning Model for the remainder of the semester is Friday, March 19.
To select your desired learning model when you are ready, please complete our In-Person/Virtual Learning Selection Survey (grades 9-12 only).
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REMAINING QUESTIONS & RESOURCES |
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If you have any remaining questions about CSArts-SGV's hybrid/in-person instructional model, COVID-19 procedures, or our return to campus, please review the following documents for further clarification:
If you feel your question was not adequately addressed in the resources above, please contact student.services@sgv.csarts.net. If your question is specific to your student’s conservatory, please email your conservatory director.
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We will continue to provide you with necessary information and exciting announcements as we work to prepare the campus and strengthen the instructional program to create an unparalleled experience for all CSArts-SGV students and staff this spring.
Thank you for doing your part to keep CSArts-SGV and all of our stakeholders safe!
Warmly,
William Wallace, Ed.D.
Principal
California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley
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