February 26, 2021

Good Afternoon Belmont-Redwood Shores Community,

We hope you had a wonderful mid-winter break. In this email, you will find county health metric updates, a staff vaccination update, specific dates for reopening aligned with Orange Tier designation, important key dates for your calendar, a review of our model description, and information about our forward planning.

County Health Metrics
With our return from break this week, we’ve also had much good news regarding new COVID metrics downgrading San Mateo County to the Red Tier.

  • Our adjusted case rate is now 5.6%, which is a 4 point drop from last week. Another 1.7 point drop puts us in the Orange Tier metrics.

  • Our test positivity rate is down to 2.1%, just barely above the Yellow Tier metrics. SF, Marin, Santa Clara, and other Bay Area counties are showing similar trends. This is great news for the region.

Assuming that these trends continue, it is anticipated that San Mateo County could reach Orange Tier status in as little as three weeks. A downgrade from one Tier to another requires two consecutive weeks in the lower Tier metrics and a minimum time of three weeks in the current Tier.

Staff Vaccination Update
Approximately 180 staff members began the vaccination process over the mid-winter break, through regional efforts, and this past Wednesday through local county efforts. With approximately 400 employees, including certificated, classified, administrative, and substitute staff, approximately 45% of our employees have received their first vaccine dose. Per our labor agreements, our schools will also reopen at the Red Tier once all site staff members assigned to in-person learning have had the opportunity to receive a full vaccination (approximately one week after receiving both doses of currently available vaccines, not including the Johnson and Johnson vaccine). Staff is not required to receive a vaccination. Assuming vaccine doses are increasingly available, the best available evidence indicates that individuals are considered > 90% protected from severe disease approximately 4-5 weeks after the initial dose, depending on the manufacturer.

It is important to note that the vaccine supply remains constricted. We anticipate additional dates will be scheduled specifically for teacher vaccination through the San Mateo County initiative.

Return to School Timeline
While our timeline is based upon the transition to the Orange Tier, we recognize that specific reopening dates are helpful to families. We’ve shortened the time frame from San Mateo County being assigned to the Orange Tier to implement in-person learning from two weeks to approximately one week to facilitate a more expedient transition to Hybrid Learning. In addition, we’ve reduced the number of weeks that we phase students back into in-person learning from 6 to 2 weeks.

Beginning Tuesday, March 16 (the earliest the County could move to the Orange Tier), the District will send a weekly update about whether we anticipate returning to in-person instruction on the following Monday.

A staggered start for cohorts is part of BRSSD's Plan for Reopening that was approved by the County and is necessary to ensure that safety protocols are followed.
Making our Transition - Key Dates and Times
  • Wednesday, March 3rd – all families will receive their tentative hybrid am/pm or distance learning assignments. All families who selected “stay with teacher” will have their requests granted. You will also receive instructions on how to sign up for Parent Square, which will be used for communication and daily screening. Your registration will be critical for returning to in-person instruction. Specific classroom teacher assignments will be provided the Thursday prior to the designated opening date. 

  • Thursday, March 11th – In-person teaching staff will return to our school sites. 

  • Thursday, March 11th and Friday, March 12th – District and site staff will provide asynchronous learning opportunities for all our students. All staff will be engaging in professional learning to prepare for our student’s return on these days. This preparation includes additional COVID-19 protocol training, student roster finalization, and preparation time. Teachers will send out additional information as the implementation date for in-person instruction nears (see table above).

Instructional Programs (Hybrid and Full Distance)
  • TK-5 students assigned to hybrid instruction will be assigned to a 2.5 hour instructional block in a morning or afternoon session on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Morning and afternoon sessions will come together on Wednesday mornings for a 2.5 hour distance learning block. Teachers will have the opportunity for planning, preparation, professional development, and staff meetings on Wednesday afternoons.

  • Middle school hybrid learning schedules will vary by school site. 

  • Nesbit and Sandpiper students will keep their team of teachers on campus in stable cohorts for hybrid students. 

  • Ralston students in hybrid will receive daily instruction in all six classes; three periods will be on campus, and three will be via distance learning from home. On Wednesdays, students will see all six teachers via distance learning. 

  • In all cases, there will be a shift to current schedules in order to balance out the logistical challenges of teaching students both in hybrid and distance settings. Additional details will be shared by site principals. 

  • All students assigned to full distance learning will continue to receive daily, live instruction per SB98 guidelines. Ralston students in full distance learning will continue to follow a 7-period schedule. Nesbit and Sandpiper students continuing in distance learning will keep their team of teachers.

Wellness Programs and Some In Person Learning Pods
Currently, BRSSD is supporting learning pods at each of our school sites. Invitation for learning pods is by teacher referral. School site administrators will continue to encourage and support the development of “pods” for vulnerable learners within the Purple Tier per our previous memorandums of understanding with the Belmont-Redwood Shores Faculty Association and the California School Employee Association. As a reminder, our district website contains detailed health, safety, and program information.

New California Department of Public Health (CDPH) guidelines for youth and adult recreational sports programs have been revised. The Ralston Track and Field program has started its recruitment process, and we will look to expand the program to our other middle schools soon.

Playgrounds and fields will be open to the public outside of school hours from 4 pm to sunset on weekdays and sunrise to sunset on weekends beginning on March 12. Organized activities outside of Facilities use agreements are not permitted.  

Thinking Forward
Planning for the 2021-22 school year is well underway. We fully anticipate that we will begin the school year with in-person learning. It is anticipated that all adults wanting to be vaccinated will have that opportunity by the end of July and that students aged 12-17 may also have the opportunity for vaccination by that time. Data also shows that students younger than 12 are less likely to contract COVID. 

The Belmont-Redwood Shores Faculty Association overwhelmingly ratified our MOU for in-person learning. The MOU is expected to be ratified by our Board of Trustees at our next Board meeting on Thursday, March 4. You can find the agenda here. Our Reopening Presentation will focus on the key dates and timeline elaborated in this message as well as focus on planning for next year.  

Thank you again for your continued patience and support. I recognize that it has been a very long road, and it is time for our students to return to a sense of normality. I, too, am eager to see our students return to classrooms.

Dan Deguara
Superintendent