Dear SPUSD Families, Faculty, Staff, and Administrators,

 

I hope you are having a wonderful, relaxing summer. Following are several updates about the upcoming school year that we are eager to share with you.

 

Academic Year 2021-2022
South Pasadena Unified School District (SPUSD) will offer a full, in-person return to school for all students on August 12, 2021. As we know and have recently experienced, the best learning environment for our students is in-person, alongside teachers and fellow students. SPUSD will continue to follow guidelines from the state and county to ensure that the educational setting we provide follows updated safety protocols and guidance.

 

California will be requiring all students (vaccinated or not) to wear masks at school while indoors. California Health & Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said, “Masking is a simple and effective intervention that does not interfere with offering full in-person instruction.” If your child is physically unable to wear a mask due to special heath circumstances, please contact your child’s school principal for guidance.

 

Layered mitigation measures have proven to be effective against the spread of COVID-19. Getting vaccinated is the best way to keep you and your loved ones safe. If your child meets the age criteria and has not had the opportunity to be vaccinated, please strongly consider doing so before the first day of school. For more information or to schedule a vaccination, visit VaccinateLACounty.com. Other mitigation measures such as hand sanitizing stations, MERV-13 air filtration systems (hospital grade), consistent cleaning schedules, and modified quarantine directives for vaccinated versus unvaccinated students coupled with COVID testing will continue to be used at all SPUSD schools.

 

SPUSD Independent Study
For the 2021-2022 school year, school districts may offer independent study for medically fragile TK-12th grade students. This year-long program is intended for a small group of students whose health would be put at risk by attending in-person instruction.

 

To participate in the independent study program, students must be able to manage their work at home independently, or have a family member who is able to assist in accessing learning. Content for the program will be provided by the online educational platform Edgenuity and will be aligned to California standards.

 

To learn more about SPUSD Independent Study, parents and caregivers should attend the Independent Study Webinar on July 22, 2021 at 5 p.m. If you are unable to attend, the webinar will be recorded. Here is the link for the webinar. Parents or caregivers must register their children for the Independent Study Program by July 29, 2021. If independent study is not selected by July 29, then the student schedule will default to in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year.

 

If your child will be attending in-person instruction, please remember to complete the data confirmation process through the AERIES Parent Portal between Monday, July 26 at 8 a.m. and Tuesday, August 10 at 12:00 p.m. Your school principal will be providing more information about data confirmation.

 

For now, enjoy the final weeks of summer.

 

Regards,

Geoff Yantz, Ed.D.
Superintendent