July 28, 2020
Dear Legacy Families,
On Friday, July 17, the governor of California announced the need for distance learning this August in many of our counties, including Santa Clara County. On Monday, July 20, 2020, we received an email from Santa Clara County encouraging elementary schools to request a waiver so in-person instruction could begin in the fall.
The following was said regarding the start of school:
The County Public Health Department strongly encourages elementary schools to follow this process so that they can safely resume in-person instruction this fall.
This recommendation is based on the current best available scientific evidence, including that COVID-related risks in schools serving elementary age students appear lower than and different from the risks to staff and students in schools serving older students.
Moreover, in-person instruction is academically and socially critical for younger students, in alignment with State standards. Schools serving elementary school students are also in a better position to put into place effective risk-reduction strategies to protect both teachers and students, including creation of small, stable classroom cohorts.
In addition to the information from the County Public Health Department, this article from the CDC emphasizes the importance of opening schools. We have put in a request for a waiver with the Schools Unit at the County Emergency Operations Center per directions given to us. That being said, we are still planning to offer in-person learning to our K-6th grade students. We were also told we may be able to get a waiver for our 7th and 8th grades, due to the size and ability to have stable cohorts. Per licensing, our preschool will also be opening in-person for the fall semester with safety protocols in place on August 17th.
Our goal is to start all students in-person on August 17th. We are also working on a distance plan if needed. We hope to have more information by the end of the week confirming in-person school. We will send out another update by Friday. Please call the office at (408) 225-5976 with any questions.
Prayers for continued good health during this time!
Debbie Hudson, Dian Avila, and the Legacy Team