Reef-Sunset Unified School District

October 2021 Newsletter

Superintendent's Message

Dear Reef-Sunset Community, 

Thank you for walking with us every step of the way, in support of our students returning back to the classrooms. We are advancing the academic experience of students and working hard to provide a safe learning environment where they can be healthy and successful in their education and futures. 

The ability to provide important opportunities and resources for RSUSD children and families is what guides our efforts and sets our goals. We are excited to share our district has established the “Family Engagement Center”, a place designed to offer a variety of critical services and programs to parents and students. 

We recognize the dedication of our staff and administrators who established the district’s safety initiatives, including wearing masks, washing hands, and most importantly, the implementation of at-home symptom-screening for students and staff before they come to school each day. 

We established a COVID-19 Hotline to answer all questions related to the pandemic and strategies in place at RSUSD. We also encourage our community to take advantage of COVID-19 testing and vaccination opportunities. This is especially significant as the holiday season approaches. Please be mindful of the social gatherings and precautions. Together we can help our students stay in school, stay healthy and thrive. 

Sincerely, 

Pat Sanchez 

Superintendent 

Safety is a Priority. We are All in this Together! 

Every effort and every resource counts. At RSUSD, we developed a COVID-19 Hotline, so our school community can reach out and learn about everything related to the coronavirus.

It is one stop shop place, explains Cari Carlson, Director of Student Services.   

Students, parents and staff can call 1-559-383-4098 to:

•  Inquire about testing and vaccination opportunities 
• Report symptoms and learn about symptoms. 
• Learn about isolation due to exposure or positive test 
•  Ask follow up questions (including when students can return to school if they had to stay home due to COVID-19 and how to get clearance to come back to the classroom) 

At RSUSD, we continue to improve safety protocols while adapting to any changing circumstances. We are partnering with Kings County, including promoting a service van that provides COVID-19 testing for our school community. COVID-19 vaccination initiatives are also focus of our efforts, as it is a key tool to fight the pandemic and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. We also encourage our community to receive the flu shot to stay healthy! 

Our safety protocols include: 

• Requiring the use of masks indoors. Masks are highly encouraged outdoors.
• Asking parents to do a symptom check of their students before sending them to school. 
• Asking parents to remind students to wash hands frequently. 
• Reminding our community to be mindful about large gatherings. 
• Students participating in sports must be tested for COVID-19 weekly, even if they are  vaccinated. 

Please note that our RSUSD website includes a COVID-19 dashboard with updates and charts about quarantine. You can also find isolation guidelines. Click here for more information.

Family Engagement Center is Here to Help! 

We are proud to welcome a new resource to support families at RSUSD. Recently, the district launched the Family Engagement Center, under the direction of Jicela Soto. The goals of this center are vast, and include a series of programs, workshops and assistance for parents and students. 

Ms. Soto is committed to providing a source of opportunities for the school community, to advance their knowledge about how the education system works, improving their capacity to be proactive and attend to the students’ needs in order to facilitate progress with their academic achievements and social-emotional experience. Ms. Soto feels inspired to work with families, as she remembers her own experience growing up in this same area with her parents, who supported her and her siblings despite not fully understanding how the schools worked. Her parents knew education is important, and always motivated them to study, she explains. 

The types of assistance that the Family Engagement Center envisions includes the areas of academic support for students, training for parents to help their children, housing resources, immigration and citizenship services, family counseling, English as a Second Language classes and more programs. Together, we can move ahead towards a brighter future! 

For more information, you can send an email and also click here.

Please watch the video below with a special message from Ms. Soto. 

For more information, please call (559) 386-9083.