Coronavirus Updates

Dear Boulder Valley School District Families and Staff,

As you may have seen, several Front Range school districts have announced that they are canceling in-person instruction for the remainder of the current 2019-2020 school year.  While we know that this may be an eventuality in Boulder Valley School District, we will continue to follow the guidance of Colorado Governor Polis and our partners in public health, who have access to the latest and most up-to-date data modeling. They are actively monitoring this situation.  

All signals point to traditional school being over for this school year, but knowing the value of in-person instruction, especially for our most vulnerable students, we will remain hopeful that some level of in-person learning will be possible before the end of the school year on May 21.

Topics in this email include:

• Conference Exchange Dates

• Chromebook/Paper Materials Distribution Monday

• Elementary Home Learning Menus

• Food Distribution

• Emergency Childcare Sites

• Partner Resources

Conference Exchange Dates
As you know the academic calendar currently includes 2 days in April as conference exchanges days. These days will remain non-student contact days and no instruction will be provided on April 17 and April 20. 
 

Chromebook/Paper Materials Distribution Monday
As the home learning period has been extended, we are making a big push to move away from print materials and ensuring that all students are equipped with a device and internet at home. For those families still in need of a Chromebook and/or needs to pickup print materials for next week, we will have 9 distribution sites set up on Monday, April 6  from 11:30-1:30. See this chart for your pickup location. For families in need of internet at home, please see this flyer for home internet options or reach out to your principal if you need assistance.

Elementary Home Learning Menus
Our team has developed Menu # 2 of activities for Grades 1 - 5. The menu is an optional resource for teachers to use as they plan lessons. Teachers may choose to incorporate the menu activities into their digital home learning lessons or they may design other learning opportunities. Please follow the guidance from your child’s teacher regarding the number of menu activities suggested each day or week. If your child’s teacher is not using the menu but you would like access to it, please use the link here. Note: Preschool and Kindergarten students will continue using the original menu, which can also be found on this page.

Food Distribution will continue
The Food Services team will continue the distribution of food bags for the remainder of the school closures. Food bags will be distributed on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30am-1:30pm at 9 distribution sites:  Sanchez Elementary, Creekside Elementary, Crest View Elementary, Columbine Elementary, Emerald Elementary, Louisville MS, Nederland Middle/Senior High School, Pioneer Elementary and University Hill Elementary
Learn more on the website here 
 

Emergency Childcare
There are many in our community who need to continue to work outside their homes in vital positions, including healthcare and emergency workers. To help those who need it we have set up low cost, emergency childcare sites at 3 locations in the district (Community Montessori, Ryan Elementary and Arapahoe Ridge High School). BVSD is registered as one of the Colorado Emergency Child Care Collaborative providers. Learn more here.
 

Partner Resources

Virtual Read with the Buffs

The University of Colorado’s Athletic Department has long partnered with BVSD schools to bring CU athletes in to read to our second through fourth-graders. Given the current situation, the program is going virtual.  Elementary students will now be able to enjoy stories as they are posted on the Read with the Buffs website, including CU golfer Alisha Lau reading Miss Mary Reporting, an illustrated biography of Mary Garber, one of the first female sports journalists in American history. 

Trip Tracker
The popular Trip Tracker program offered at many BVSD schools is being suspended for the remainder of the school year. Students are encouraged to consider donating their Trip Tracker Dollars to support local efforts to feed and care for those in need during this crisis. Additional details will be communicated to program participants in the next few days and are available on the Trip Tracker page.  

Despite this announcement, we encourage everyone to continue to look for ways to stay active. Even under the current statewide Stay at Home order, families are encouraged to take walks, as long as they keep their social distance (at least 6 feet) from others.

Again, I want to thank everyone for their support and effort this week – our first week of Home Learning. I’m proud to share that 96 percent of BVSD students were able to participate virtually this week due to the hard work of teachers, principals, district staff and our parents. We have a plan to re engage students who are not engaged. We are committed, more today than ever, to ensuring that all students are supported and are learning. 

Let’s continue to be All Together For All Students.

Have a good weekend.

Rob Anderson
Superintendent
Boulder Valley School District