IMPORTANT SCHOOL CLOSURE UPDATE #6 (3/27/20)
On behalf of our board and essential staff still on duty, thank you for a successful first full week of closure. The compassion and professionalism shown during this crisis has truly been amazing.
Today was supposed to be our third annual "Unite4Change" event. Although are unable to host a "live" event, we are encouraging every staff member to post a picture and positive message to our students and their families via our district Facebook page. It's easy to do, and I know our community will appreciate seeing you!
It's easy to do. Simply "LIKE" our district Facebook Page at the link below and post your message under the comments section for the Unite4Change post.
If you're not a Facebook user, that's o.k. Just send your picture to Johnny Padilla at
jpadilla@patterson.k12.ca.us and he can post it for you!
Let's show this COVID-19 that we're not going to let it dampen our spirits! Thank you again - stay safe, stay healthy, and stay strong!
IMPORTANT SCHOOL CLOSURE UPDATE #5 (3/26/20)
Important School Closure Update #5 (3/26/2020): Stanislaus County Public Health just announced that all schools in Stanislaus County will need to remain closed at least through May 1, 2020. We will be sending out additional information later today. As a reminder to students and parents: Please continue to monitor our district website daily for updates. Also, please check your email daily. If your email or telephone numbers need to be updated, please do so in Aeries. We thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation during this unprecedented event. We will continue to do everything we can to provide the best services for our students under the circumstances.
IMPORTANT SCHOOL CLOSURE UPDATE #4 (3/25/20)
It is hard to believe that it’s already been a week since we sent students home and rapidly prepared to deliver distance learning, provide “grab and go” meals for our students, and continue cleaning and prepping our facilities. Looking back and realizing that all of this had to be accomplished in less than 72 hours is unbelievable! What an amazing staff of professionals in all our employee teams – classified, certificated, and management!
The governor’s announcement last Thursday that “I don’t think schools are going to open again,” sent an additional shockwave through our staff, students, parents and the entire educational community. But you didn’t blink. This week, our president suggested a return to normal by Easter and the governor dialed back to the end of April. We can’t be sure and have to prepare for the very real possibility that our schools may not be open again during the 2019-2020 academic calendar year. As the saying goes, “We’re hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.”
What does all this mean for us, and how are we planning and preparing if schools need to be closed in California for the rest of the year?
District-Wide:
This week, we are “testing systems” by checking our phone systems, trying out WebEx with large and large participant groups, and prepping our facilities in the event they are needed for day care or deployment centers for humanitarian relief efforts. We are meeting with our city, county, and state officials for clarification on policy issues that may impact school district operations and services. We recognize (not surprisingly) that elected officials, departments, and agency staff at all levels of government may be issuing conflicting directions. Don’t Sweat It!
Continue to do what you know is best for our students and we’ll sort it all out. As more staff become familiar with the technology that has been deployed, we will update you and use these tools to deliver services to even more students and their families. At the same time, we’ll do our best to meet compliance issues. At this point in time, what’s important is the Spirit of the Law, not the Letter of the Law.
Operations and Support:
As a reminder, we have centralized all school operations at the district office. Our district office will be staffed Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and will be operated remotely on Fridays. For support in the following areas, dedicated support phone lines have been established:
Information Technology: (209) 895-7731
Educational Services and Distance Learning (209) 895-7730
Special Education: (209) 895-7732
Counseling and Student Support Services: (209) 894-1055
Cafeteria Services: (209) 892-3702
District Office General Number: (209) 895-7700
For support with technology, please utilize the Help Desk at helpdesk@patterson.k12.ca.us. Techs will be responding to this email Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and after hours for emergency issues.
K-8:
Chromebooks have been deployed in grades 6-8 and we continue to receive parents at the District Office who are picking up packets. As operations are solidified, we will deploy additional Chromebooks to elementary students. A specific schedule will follow shortly. The educational services team and instructional technology are working diligently to make this happen, while also responding to work orders and calls for service and support.
9-12:
Third quarter grades have been recorded. During this difficult times, the CDE has advised that distance learning and assignments provided to students at all levels during closures can only be used to enhance grades. Teachers with students who received a D or F for the third quarter should utilize this opportunity to provide students with assignments that can improve their grades, but not lower them.
Graduating Seniors
School closures have hit the Class of 2020 particularly hard. AP testing has been moved online, and our college and career counselor is continuing to work with seniors who are applying for scholarships and financial aid to continue their post-secondary plans. We will also be making a formal adaptation to the senior PREP project at our April 6th board meeting. A Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sheet is being prepared for all high school seniors and their parents.