Update on Daily Temperature Checks and Other COVID-Related Changes
Students returning from the winter break will notice that SBCUSD schools are no longer monitoring children’s temperature upon arrival to school. This change will take effect when classes resume January 10, 2022.

Public health requirements from both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) have changed over the course of the pandemic as experts learned more about how to best manage COVID-19.  SBCUSD follows the regulations carefully and modifies procedures when safety can be maintained with the least restrictive impact on students.  In November of 2020, the CDC no longer recommended schools conduct temperature checks for students at school entrances.  However, under extreme caution SBCUSD continued the practice of temperature checks, while monitoring the local COVID rates and the impact of eliminating this measure on safety in other school districts.  SBCUSD nor San Bernardino County DPH, determined pre-entry temperature screening at schools prevented any COVID cases.  

The most effective way to keep illnesses from spreading in schools continues to be checking children for potential new symptoms, like aches, cough, and runny nose at home before sending them to school. If your child is not feeling well or exhibiting symptoms of being sick, please keep them home and call the school to report the illness.

Families should rest assured that several preventive measures remain in place, including mandatory face coverings for everyone while indoors and HEPA air scrubbers inside buildings, among others. And, SBCUSD has a COVID-19 liaison at every school who is responsible for helping students who test positive for COVID or may have been exposed. In fact, the contact tracing done by COVID liaisons has been found to be an effective tool for stemming the spread of coronavirus and helping our schools stay open for teaching and learning.

Another noticeable change will be the absence of physical distance markers that previously reminded children to keep space from others. Just like doing away with temperature checks, schools have been free of physical distance requirements for some time.

School Start Times to Change Statewide Next School Year
As required by Senate Bill 328, signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2019, SBCUSD middle and high school students will start school later next school year so they can benefit from more sleep.
 
The law, referred to as the Portantino Rule, requires that by fall 2022, middle schools begin no earlier than 8 a.m. and high schools at 8:30 a.m. As a result, the start time for elementary schools will also be adjusted.  

According to the legislation and studies from the American Academy of Pediatrics, extra sleep has many benefits for teens, including better overall health and school performance. Research has found that teens need 8.5- 9.25 hours of sleep each night and delayed school start times align more closely with their sleep-wake cycle.  

SBCUSD is now working, with input from employees, students, and families, to finalize start times and bell schedules for the 2022-2023 school year. We know this is a significant change for many families, and we’re committed to keeping you informed.  

Winter Break Starts Today
All District schools are closed from December 20, 2021, to January 7, 2022, for the winter break. Friday, December 17 is a teacher work day and classes will not be in session. Students return to school on Monday, January 10, 2022.
Our administrative offices will be closed from December 23, 2021, to January 2, 2022.
eNews & Notes will also be on break during the holiday, returning to your ParentSquare newsfeed on January 7, 2022.

Weekly Bulletin Board
Stock up your pantry with help from the Pure Land Foundation, which is holding a drive-thru food distribution on December 18.  And on December 19, the Tzu Chi Foundation will distribute free groceries at Jones Elementary School.