District News

Whether they are playing sports, creating art, or designing with Legos, students in Campbell Union School District’s enrichment programs do a lot of learning as they play. 

“In our programs, we design fun experiences for students that incorporate what they learn during school hours,” said Edgar Romero Jr., assistant director of the Expanded Learning Department. “They collaborate, innovate and problem-solve through play!”

Thanks to the Expanded Learning Opportunity Grant (ELOG), more students have been able to register for the enrichment options.

Registration for the April Enrichment is open now. The session begins the week of April 11th and ends the week of May 23rd. 

Pictured here: Forest Hill students showcased their Lego robotics creations this week. Their Enrichment instructor, CUSD’s Eva Carrendar, (back row, center) is one of 11 Lego Master Builders in the U.S.

Online chats can be helpful for homework support among peers and the like. However, recently there have been some misunderstandings, verbal conflicts and other seriously negative comments taking place on a chat site called Discord. 

While this is happening when students are off campus, it has created problems at a few of our schools. Although district-issued devices have multiple safety features, students may still have access to online chat services—Skype, Whatsapp and Discord—through cell phones and game stations at home or at a friend’s house. Users are supposed to be age 13 or older to create an account, but most services do not verify the age.

“We continue in our partnership with parents and want them and other family members to be aware of this situation so they can support safe online use at home as we support it at school,'' said Superintendent Shelly Viramontez. 

Online Monitoring Suggestions for Parents:

1. School-issued devices have multiple safety features. The devices we provide to students use multiple layers of security to limit their exposure to undesirable online content while still allowing legitimate educational use. Our web filter, Securly, blocks all websites categorized as chat/messaging. Another filter, called Gaggle, monitors all student email and drive activity for inappropriate language and content and notifies administrators of anything signaling harm to student health and safety.
2. Check with your Internet provider about parental controls. ATT, Xfinity, DISH and other internet providers offer parental controls that you can use at home.
3. Learn privacy settings for the apps and devices your family uses: Common Sense Media’s Privacy and Internet Safety web page offers instructions for setting parental controls on game stations, cell phones, and more. It has a special page about Discord, too. Discord also offers a Discord app safety – What parents need to know page with instructions.
4. Monitor screen-time and focus on wellness: Overuse of technology has an impact on physical and mental health. There is a Wellness Week session for students about the emotional impacts that social media can have on them. Common Sense Media also offers guides and advice about screen time. 
5. Encourage Digital Citizenship: At school, students learn how to use technology safely, responsibly, and effectively. Talk to your child about what they learn about using computers at school. Tell them your expectations for them and listen when they talk to you about their online experiences. 

“Technology is how our children are going to interact with the world," Viramontez said. "We  want to engage them in using it effectively as a tool for creating and learning, and not as a distraction for a passive consumer.”

The past two years have shown us the value of prioritizing and taking care of our physical, mental, and social emotional needs. Incorporating wellness practices into daily routines can help when we begin to feel tired, stressed, sad, anxious or overwhelmed.

Our 2nd Annual CUSD Wellness Week, March 21-25, offers a schedule of different wellness sessions for students, staff and families. With the assistance of community partners and district staff, we have compiled a variety of sessions to help you find and create a routine that works for you. Some are remote; some are in person. All of them can help you and your loved ones bring more well-being into your life.

More details are on our Wellness Week web page, on flyers posted on your school’s e-flyers page, or by contacting your child’s school.

Beginning Monday, March 14th, students and staff will not be required to wear a mask indoors. According to the CDC, masks remain a strong recommendation, especially for those who are at higher risk for COVID-19. The decision about masks should be based on the individual needs and preferences.

What to Expect on Monday, March 14:

• Some people may not continue to mask. As each family/household has its own health considerations, some students and staff may choose to no longer wear masks.  We honor individual choice and will ensure students feel supported regardless of the decision made.  
• Testing for the virus will continue. While some experts are beginning to question the need for surveillance testing, we will continue to offer weekly on-campus COVID-19 testing through Grapefruit Testing, and will notify close contacts about what actions they should take. 
• Updates to quarantine guidance. The K-12 Guidance also provides information about close contacts and quarantining, making some distinctions around whether the individual is fully vaccinated or not, and symptomatic or not. 
• Multiple layers of protection continue. The new guidance states that “the next phase of mitigation in schools focuses on long-term prevention and our collective responsibility to preserve safe in-person schooling…To mitigate in-school transmission, a multi-layered strategy continues to be important, including but not limited to getting vaccinated, staying home when sick, isolating if positive, getting tested, and optimizing indoor air quality.
• Encourage vaccination. Health experts continue to encourage all eligible people to be vaccinated. For local dates and locations, visit sccfreevax.org or phone 2-1-1.

Click to see the updated COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2021-22 School Year from the California Department of Public Health.