Copy of District Newsletter
MONTHLY UPDATE
December 2020
MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
Dear El Rancho Unified Community,
While 2020 has brought challenges to all of us, the holiday season reminds us to aim our collective energies toward showing our family, friends, and community how much we value them – even if we can’t greet each other in person. Let’s amplify ways to reach out to people and spend quality time together, even if it’s over FaceTime or Zoom. We will find joy in other ways to celebrate – set up virtual game nights, watch holiday movies, or bake your favorite holiday cookie.
We in El Rancho Unified appreciate all who have gone above and beyond the call of duty with ensuring children are receiving quality online distance learning, ensuring children receive nutritious meals each and every day, and maintaining our school facilities to ensure clean and safe learning and working environments. May we be inspired by all of them as we move forward in 2021.
I hope that the holidays help boost your spirits when we need it the most. May you have a joyful holiday season and a happy new year!
Please stay safe and continue to be El Rancho STRONG!
Sincerely,
Frances Esparza, Ed.D.
Superintendent
We are looking forward to seeing you back on campus. We invite you to view a short video.
Stay safe! Continue to be El Rancho STRONG!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tF-2od7Jo8&feature=youtu.be
We would like to express our sincerest appreciation to our parents, guardians, and students for your incredible patience and flexibility as we conclude 2020. We understand the enormous responsibility and challenges that Distance Learning has had on you to create time, space, and routines to continue learning from home. We would also like to thank you for supporting our students and teachers during the first administration of our districts’ interim assessments for our 1st-12th grade students. With your support, we were able to assess our students virtually. These assessments will give our teachers a better understanding of your student’s achievement, growth, and mastery in Language Arts and Mathematics. They will also help us continue to enhance and support our instruction during Distance Learning. The results of your student’s assessments will be shared with you by your student’s teacher.
Thank you again for your support as we work together through this challenging time.
During Distance Learning, the Department of Student Services is committed to supporting the mental and social-emotional health of all students. As the holidays quickly approach, we understand that these days may be particularly difficult for some of our students and families. The Department of Student Services is available to provide support through these challenging times. We encourage students and families to access the virtual resources available through the community and the school district. Please see below for a list of mental health resources and hotline information.
Hotlines
Crisis Text Line: Mental Health Support (24/7)
Text HOME to 741741
ERUSD Text-A-Tip
(562) 551-TIP2 (8472)
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (24/7)
English: (800) 273-8255 (TALK)
Spanish: (888) 628-9454
TTY Services: (800) 799-4889
COVID19 Grief and Loss Support
griefsupportonline.com
LA County Department of Mental Health - LA Warmline
Counseling Services for ALL ages
(855) 845-7415
(M-F 7am-11pm, Sat 7am-3pm, Sun 7am-9pm)
The El Rancho Unified School District has acquired two new software systems to provide better security as well as to support teachers with better classroom management for our distance learning model.
GoGuardian will reinforce the District’s current system for protecting student Email. Equipped with the most powerful content filter, this software can monitor incoming and outgoing messages from any operating system. It will also identify students at risk of suicide and self-harm 24/7.
Lastly and just as critical will be the option for teachers to eliminate online distractions and will help keep students connected and engaged to online lessons using K-12 leading classroom management software.
The Raptor Visitor Management System will provide enhanced security by ensuring that visitors are screened for sex offenders, alerts staff of custody violations, and provides everything schools need to screen persons for COVID-19 exposure, reduce contact during check-in, and facilitate contact tracing.
This system provides the district with a centralized database which will allow critical communication if or when an incident occurs.
Concrete demolition, partial fence removal, and site grading at El Rancho High School has commenced.
Despite the pandemic, ERUSD preschool students are busier than ever- learning and creating at home alongside their families! The Early Learning Program has capitalized on distance learning as an opportunity develop and implement a series of STEM Challenges for El Rancho’s youngest learners. STEM is an approach to learning and development that integrates the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Through STEM, students develop key skills including: problem solving, creativity, and critical thinking.
Preschoolers’ STEM challenges use high-interest, developmentally appropriate topics as a catalyst for rigorous STEM learning. During the week of December 7, preschoolers read the Three Billy Goats Gruff and then proceeded to design a bridge for the billy goats using engineering and design principles! Children utilized recycled items found in their homes and used their imagination and best problem solving skills to create some amazing structures. It is our expectation that teaching STEM in the early years will lay the foundation for future academic success and prepare students for the careers of the future!
Board of Education
Teresa L. Merino, Ph.D., President
Carolyn Castillo, Vice President
Esther Mejia, Clerk
Joseph Rivera, Ed.D., Member
Arlene Perez, Member
Frances Esparza, Ed.D., Superintendent