School District’s plan for voluntary ‘instructional packets’ during virus break

This letter was sent out Friday by the Sonoma Valley Unified School District:

Dear Sonoma Valley Families, 

“We hope this message finds you well, healthy and taking care of your families. Thank you for your patience as we navigate the complicated and confusing situation we are facing with school closures due to the Coronavirus. As mentioned in a letter sent on March 13, 2020, Sonoma Valley schools will be closed through Friday, April 3rd. We have since learned that Sonoma County has been placed under a “Shelter-in-Place” restriction requiring Sonoma County residents to remain at home as much as possible through April 7, 2020, to avoid the spread of the virus. As we receive the most current and ever-changing information from the Sonoma County Department of Public Health, the Sonoma County Office of Education, and the California Department of Education, we are doing our best to make the most practical and prudent decisions with regards to student attendance at school and we will keep you updated as we get information. 

In order to support student learning during this period away from schools, the Sonoma Valley Unified School District is offering elementary and secondary students instructional packets to support learning at home during the period from March 23, 2020, to April 3, 2020. These instructional packets are voluntary and will not be collected or graded. Links to printable versions of these packets are available by grade level at SVUSD Remote Learning. If you are able, please download or print the packets. Families who do not have internet access can pick up paper copies. 

Parents/guardians may pick up copies of the instructional packets Monday through Friday between the hours of 11:00 a.m and 1:00 p.m. at the following locations: 

• Sassarini Elementary School (652 5th St W, Sonoma, CA 95476) 
• Adele Harrison Middle School (1150 Broadway, Sonoma, CA 95476) 
• Altimira Middle School (17805 Arnold Dr, Sonoma, CA 95476) 

In addition to the packets, we are making all of our online learning resources available for students as optional enrichment through our district website at SVUSD Remote Learning. The use of these resources is optional and our website provides guidance about which programs to use with students at each grade level. Students will be familiar with these programs and many will know their usernames and passwords. For students who do not recall their username or password, we recommend an email to your child’s teacher to request information. As a reminder, our district emails are first initial and last name @sonomaschools.org (e.g., [email protected]). 

For students who have individualized education plans or Section 504 plans, case managers and classroom teachers will work to modify the weekly instructional packets and will email them directly to families who have email access. For families who do not have email, case managers and teachers will work directly with families to determine how best to access these materials. It is important to note that all participation is voluntary and optional. 

Should you have any questions about school closures, student attendance or instructional needs, please do not hesitate to email your child’s teacher or principals. They will check email daily and respond as soon as they can. 

Stay healthy and safe! We look forward to seeing you at school in