District News

What were your favorite summer pastimes as a child? Did you play kick ball or ping pong with friends? Create things with legos or cardboard and glue? Learn a new game or try a new sport? Maybe you just liked to laugh with friends while slurping popsicles or lemonade. 

You can give your child those fun summer memories in our safe, half-day specialty camps, July 6 - July 16. In our Sports Camps and STEAM camps, students make new friends, collaborate, create, and have fun!

Register by June 16! In person: 155 N. 3rd St, Campbell, or online at cusdexpandedlearning.asapconnected.com

Week 1: July 6 - July 9

Sports Camp (9am-12pm) - Kinder - 5th grade

STEAM Camp (9am-12pm) - Kinder - 1st grade

STEAM Camp (9am-12pm) - 2nd - 3rd grade

STEAM Camp (12pm-4pm) - 4th - 5th grade

Week 2: July 12 - July 16

Sports Camp (9am-12pm) - Kinder - 5th grade

STEAM Camp (9am-12pm) - Kinder - 1st grade

STEAM Camp (9am-12pm) - 2nd - 3rd grade

STEAM Camp (12pm-4pm) - 4th - 5th grade

Location: Castlemont Elementary (3040 Payne Ave. Campbell, CA 95008)

Grades: Kindergarten* – 5th grade (*only if attended Transitional Kinder in 2020-2021 school year)

Students remain on campus every day. Safety protocols for preventing COVID-19 exposure will be in effect. 

Cost: $270/week for Sports Camp & $315/week for STEAM Camp (*pro-rated for week of July 5)

This year, 18 members of the Campbell Union School District employee family will be retiring. They take with them a combined total of 439 years of experience and memories and are ready to create more. 

As educators and support staff, they have shown our students how to think critically, innovate, collaborate, empathize and be self-directed. Most have been part of our district for more than 20 years, demonstrating perseverance through challenges and changes in the school system and in society. 

Now they can pursue the privledges, both ambitious and relaxing, that retirement brings: Traveling any time of year on any day of the week; relaxing all day by the pool, with a book, on a Tuesday; spending more time with grandchildren; even working part time at a winery. Their hearts are oriented towards giving to others, so many will pursue new ways to make a positive impact, such as volunteering with charities or promoting antiracist change in society.

We hope you will join us in wishing a fond farewell to our 2020-21 school year retirees:

• George Barile, Mechanic, Maintenance & Grounds
• Brad Bruner, Maintenance Worker, Maintenance & Grounds
• David Fletcher, Teacher, Forest Hill School
• Catherine Holley, Teacher/Speech Lang., Forest Hill School
• Edna Laskin, Director, Instructional Services, District Office
• Melanie Lawler, Human Resources Technician, District Office
• Beth Linder, Health Clerk, Rolling Hills Middle School
• Catherine McAvoy, Assistant Principal, Monroe Middle School 
• Karen Nielsen, Teacher, Capri
• Cathy Norman, Teacher, Castlemont
• Rodolfo Ornelas, Maintenance Worker, Maintenance & Grounds
• Martha Prakash, Teacher, Forest Hill School
• Kim Sanchez, Art Teacher, Monroe Middle School
• Dorrie Scamporrino, Teacher, Rolling Hills Middle School
• Loretta Schmoranc, Teacher, Capri
• Carrie Tibbs, STEAM Teacher, Rolling Hills Middle School
• Caitlin Weber, Teacher, Rolling Hills Middle School
• Sylvia Davis, Teacher, Rolling Hills Middle School 

Due to the continuing limitations on gatherings, we are not able to hold our usual garden reception to celebrate our retirees. We will be inviting them back for an event in the spring of next year.

In Campbell Union School District, we have been committed to providing a safe and healthy learning environment long before the COVID-19 pandemic. With the new coronavirus, we gave great attention to reducing the spread of germs in order to make it safe for students and staff to return to campus and the dynamics of in-person instruction. 

During the pandemic, and well before welcoming students back to campus, we monitored public health orders closely and ensured that our staff had the information and training needed. In all cases, our first focus is on what needs to happen to ensure student safety. Next, we do the necessary follow-up procedures and communications.

For everyone’s safety, we implemented the multi-layered measures for reducing the risk of infection: wearing facial covering, physical distancing, small/stable groups, hand washing and schedules that support those efforts. 

Our district nurses, staff in Expanded Learning, Preschool, and Human Resources departments make up our team of tracking and tracing officials. This team has received weekly training with the county public health department all year to ensure processes and protocols are known, understood and implemented. 

When a COVID-19 case comes to our attention, our nurses and Human Resources staff work closely with public health officials to begin a thorough tracking and tracing process. This case-by-case process includes pinpointing the specific dates, times and locations where that person may have exposed others. They upload the information to a secure database shared with public health officials. When it is determined that a student or staff member is a close contact, information is sent directly to  those individuals. The information informs the staff or family of what actions they need to take. It is an extensive, time-consuming and very worthwhile effort. Thankfully, cases of COVID-19 have been few, and, as yet, we have had no internal spread of the virus in our schools and workplaces.  

In late March 2021, we introduced a new COVID-19 dashboard to allow our community to see the numbers of cases and classroom/program closures by site. This was a new endeavor to provide transparency while also balancing the need for medical privacy to individuals as required by law (HIPAA).  As with many new processes, we experienced a few glitches as we attempted to incorporate the most current data into our procedures and work through some behind-the-scenes technical issues. As a stop-gap, we entered confirmed case data manually as we worked through issues with the automated data transfer between ours and Google’s systems.

As of May 24, the dashboard version 2.0 is working well and has some new features to help the viewing public dig into the numbers more easily. It shows how many cases are related to staff vs. students, whether a case was contracted internally or not, and whether exposure resulted in closing a preschool or TK-8 classroom within a 10-day quarantine period. As with all improvement efforts, we have implemented some additional steps to ensure accuracy of the information for those wishing to know. 

The pandemic has affected our families and community in many ways, financially, emotionally, and physically. Experts predict that the impacts will be felt for years to come, especially among children and youth. Through the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, Campbell Union School District will continue to partner with families and the community as we focus efforts on safely educating students to their highest potential.

Recent updates from local, state and federal public health officials may have some people wondering what the latest rules are for reducing the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus. Here is what you need to know for our schools.

Mask or No Mask?

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced recommendations to relax face covering guidelines for people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, California will keep its existing guidance around masks in place until June 15, when the state plans to fully reopen the economy. 

As for our schools, the California Dept. of Public Health has not revised its face covering guidance for all K-12 public and private schools for the 2020-21 school year. All individuals aged 2 years and up must use face coverings while on school property. The mandatory mask requirement is still in effect.

County in Yellow Tier. New Health Order Issued.

On Wed., May 19, Santa Clara County entered the Yellow Tier—the least restrictive tier in the State’s reopening plan. With the county in a much safer place than it was even a month ago, County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody issued a new Order that eases some restrictions for businesses and people who have been fully vaccinated. 

While some modifications result from the improved status, nothing has changed for K-12 school students. All of the requirements of California Dept. of Public Health K-12 School Guidance remain in effect.

The County’s new order requires continued reporting of COVID-19 cases in workplaces and schools, and that employers determine the vaccination status of their employees (and onsite contractors and volunteers).  It also encourages that activities occur outdoors and that all eligible persons get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible. See the May 18, 2021 order here. 

Today, more than 75% of Santa Clara County residents over the age of 16 have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and nearly 60% are fully vaccinated. Recently, people aged 12 and up became eligible for the Pfizer vaccine.

Campbell Union School District is working with local agencies and businesses to provide access to the vaccine for those who want it. Please see our story about upcoming vaccination and testing clinics in this week’s newsletter.