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A Moment with Doc Ervin
Future in Focus
Quick tips, brief updates, and reminders about what’s coming up to help families, employees, and our community make the most of our schools.
Back-to-School Nights
District schools will hold Back-to-School Night on the following dates:
August 12 Elementary Schools
August 19 High Schools
August 26 Middle Schools
Stay tuned for more information that will be sent by your child’s school, including details about whether the event will be held in person or virtually.
Free Fares for School
OmniTrans is implementing a Free Fares for School program for all k-12 students from now until February 28, 2022.
This program gives unlimited free rides on all OmniTrans routes for all students within the OmniTrans service area to welcome them back to school after a challenging year. Students will receive a decal sticker from their school and be able to ride free anywhere in OmniTrans’ service area any time, enabling them to take part in extracurricular and community activities. For more information, please call Family Engagement at (909) 880-4057.
Income Survey for 2021-2022 School Year
Parents and guardians can now complete an income survey for the 2021-2022 school year through the Aeries Parent/Student Portal during the online enrollment process. All new and returning students that are not directly certified must complete an income survey by October 29.
Completing the new, two-question survey helps District schools receive funding for computers, books, school supplies, and much more.
Highlights of the Week
Highlights of key news from the week that will help you stay in the know.
Board Holds Reception for Superintendent
Two months after Superintendent Doc Ervin began his tenure leading California’s seventh-largest school district, the Board of Education held a reception to officially welcome him to San Bernardino City Unified.
Attended by dozens of colleagues, friends, and family, the reception was held before the regularly scheduled Board meeting at the Dr. Margaret Hill Community Room.
Ervin, a lifelong educator, told reception goers that his primary mission in SBCUSD is doing what is best for children.
“I want to make sure every kid gets the support he or she needs to be successful,” Ervin said. “This District really is poised for excellence.”
First Day of School a Success
District schools across San Bernardino and Highland welcomed students for the first day of school on August 2, with about 95 percent of SBCUSD’s 47,000 students returning for in-person instruction.
Although the first day was a bit hectic due to new procedures designed to safeguard against COVID-19, our schools settled into their routines by week’s end.
We thank families for following COVID-19 safety protocols and ask for your continued support to enforce the following school guidelines:
All students must wear a face covering while indoors or riding the bus.
Visitors are not permitted to enter the school campus to drop off or pick up students.
Complete a home screening checklist each morning for each student before they leave home for school.
If your child is feeling sick, please keep them home and do not send them to school.
When in doubt about symptoms, keep children home and call the school right away.
ParentSquare Corner
SBCUSD kicked off the start of the 2021-22 school year by launching ParentSquare, a new digital communication platform that reaches and engages every parent, ensuring all families have the opportunity to actively participate in their child’s education.
ParentSquare unifies all communication from the District, schools, and teachers under one umbrella, providing an improved and seamless way to communicate with families. Parents will be able to keep track of news, activities and events from all their children’s schools in one centralized place.
Here’s what you can do with ParentSquare:
Receive messages from the school via email, text, or app notification
Communicate in your preferred language, not just English or Spanish
Comment on school postings to engage in your school community
Direct message teachers and staff
Participate in group messages
Sign up for parent-teacher conferences with smart, online technology
Sign forms and permission slips, receive report cards, sign up to volunteer and more, all from your phone or web portal
All school, grade-level, and classroom information will now be sent to your computer or phone via email and/or text or you can download the free App (Apple/Android). For more information, visit sbcusd.acom/parentsquare.
In the Spotlight
Roadmap to Reopening: Better Together. Welcome Home.
With the first week of school now in the books, SBCUSD families should continue relying on the Roadmap to Reopening Guidebook for the latest information about our District’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A guidebook executive summary was mailed to all student homes in July to serve as a resource for families as they prepared students for in-person learning. The complete guiding document has actionable strategies the District is implementing to comply with public school mandates set by the California Department of Public Health.
A key, ongoing resource for all families is a daily checklist that we encourage all families to use when assessing the health of students before sending them to school. Using this checklist will help SBCUSD minimize transmission and sustain in-person learning all school-year long.
The roadmap is based on four guiding principles: Social Emotional Learning: Mental & Physical Wellness; Equity, Access and Inclusion; High-Quality Learning & Academic Achievement; and Safe Facilities & Operations.
Superintendent Doc Ervin, who commissioned the Roadmap to Reopening, said families play a vital role in the ongoing, safe operation of schools.
“We’re committed to doing everything we can to keep our schools open because we believe in-person learning is best for our students,” Ervin said. “Our schools and employees are prepared to support the social-emotional and academic needs of students because we know forging strong relationships is crucial to offering equitable learning experiences for the children of this community.”