Principal's Message

Transition Resources for Adult Community Education

Amy Perez


March 30, 2021


Dear TRACE Families,


On behalf of our outstanding educators, incredible support staff, and our administrative team, I am thrilled to share with you the details of our planning for the classroom reopening on April 12th. I am equally proud of the work our team has done to maintain a robust online option for families who have chosen that option. No matter the model, we are determined to help each and every student finish the academic year feeling strong and excited about their future.


We recognize the weeks ahead will be both exciting and challenging. Despite all our planning over the past year, there will be surprises no one anticipated, and we will need the goodwill and support of everyone to get through these challenges together. Most of all, we recognize students may be facing complex emotions, as they prepare to re-engage with friends they have not seen in months. Counselors have been specially trained to help students cope, and they will have plenty of tools to help students work through their feelings and learn to love school again.


April 5-9


As a reminder, all students will spend this week, from April 5-9, preparing for the end of the school year. We have modified the schedule, only for this week, to allow students, parents, and staff the time they need to become comfortable with a new structure and atmosphere of learning.


This week, the school day will include 240 instructional minutes with 120 minutes of live instruction and 120 minutes of independent assignments. Teachers may choose to offer additional minutes of live instruction based on curriculum and student instructional needs. With that being said, we hope you and your family will take time to prepare for a safe classroom reopening.


Here are things you can do to prepare:


1. Have a conversation with your student about why your family chose the hybrid model or the online option. Students may have friends who made a different decision, and it is important for students to understand every choice deserves to be respected.


2. Practice proper hygiene. Remind students to thoroughly wash their hands for enough time to kill all germs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends scrubbing your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds.


3. Practice wearing a mask. Masks will be required when students return to in-person instruction, and they are still recommended every time you leave the house. Students should practice covering both their nose and mouth with a snug but comfortable mask.


4. Review the rules on physical distancing. As much as friends may wish to greet each other warmly next week, everyone must keep a respectful distance between themselves and other students. Remind your students about these rules for everyone’s safety.


5. Remind your student that students will not be able to sit together to eat lunch unless they are able to maintain 6 feet of distance.


6. Confirm your transportation plans with the school staff. Busses will be running modified schedules and routes, so review your plans to get to school on time.


7. Make sure to set up a spot in the house where you keep your thermometer so you can easily take your temperature, and complete the Clearpass procedure before leaving for school.


8. Check in with your student to measure their emotional health. Returning to in-person instruction after a year can be as emotionally difficult as starting school all over again for the first time. Staff are available to help process these feelings , but you can make things easier by talking with your students about their feelings.


9. Talk to your teacher. Think of April 12 as the start of a whole new experience for your student. Remember to share with your teacher how your student has been coping during the past year. Share your goals for your student for the remainder of the school year.


April 12 through June


For those who chose in-person instruction, we will be operating on a hybrid instruction model for up to 4 days (M-Th) per week based on the student’s individual schedule. Students participating in online only instruction will have a full range of instructional opportunities M-Th. Fridays are reserved for student check-ins and independent learning.


We are looking forward to an exciting and productive end of the school year for all our students, and we look forward to seeing everyone soon. Your student’s teacher will be in communication with you regarding their individual schedule and necessary school supplies.


Sincerely,


Amy Perez


December 7, 2020

Dear TRACE Families,

As you have heard, San Diego Unified School District has expanded its Phase One implementation of appointment-based in-person instruction to include K-12th grade. The expansion of Phase One starting the second week of December was in preparation for the district’s implementation of Phase 2 originally scheduled to start January 25, 2021. With the significant rise of COVID-19 cases in our county the San Diego Unified School District has decided to put an undetermined hold on the implementation of Phase 2. The district will be looking to update the public on January 13 of its plan for the expansion of in-person instruction.

At this time, TRACE is in the process of starting in-person instruction this week. TRACE Phase One in-person instruction will be on a very small scale as it is dependent on a number of factors including: staff willingness to participate; staff and students being able to use all required personal protective equipment; staff being able to instructionally support and maintain student health and safety from at least 6 feet away at all times; staff being able to provide meaningful instruction in a community setting while many of our community resources are closed, either because of Governor Newsom’s Stay at Home order or because our instructional partners are limiting their engagement with the community (reduced business hours, businesses limiting their volunteer workforce, reduced number of people allowed in the building at one time, recreation centers and libraries closed, etc.); and each student’s unique needs.

You are not required to do anything at this time. If your student is being offered in-person instruction he or she will be contacted by their TRACE teacher. Students electing to participate must agree to follow all district and county health and safety guidelines and participate in a health screening process. This will be reviewed by the TRACE teacher with the student/family prior to any in-person instruction.

As a reminder, all TRACE teachers are providing an array of online academic programming daily. In-person instruction will not take away from your TRACE student's online experience.

Figuring out how to provide meaningful community-based instruction during a pandemic is uncharted territory. The risks are too high to get it wrong. We will start small, we will learn and tweak our programming so that when it is time to scale-up we can do it with confidence, intentionality and safety.

I look forward to providing you with an update after January 13, 2021. Enjoy the holidays and please, stay safe. I want us all to get through this and be able to reconnect in person soon.

October 26, 2020

Dear TRACE Families,

Today, I received some news regarding the future reopening of our school and all schools within San Diego Unified. District planners have outlined the next phases for that reopening and announced plans to release a timeline for the next phase following the next County Health Department update on Tuesday, October 27.

Behind every student and teacher eager to be back on campus, I know there is a family concerned about the health and safety of their loved ones. For that reason, I want to be clear that all of these plans were created in collaboration with some of the best scientific experts in our community. This process will not be rushed, and students will not be forced to return before they feel comfortable doing so. We will also continue working with our bargaining units to protect the safety of all staff members.

As you know, last week we launched Phase 1 of our plan, which has allowed for the return of small numbers of students to campus. The upcoming phases are the following:

Expansion of Phase 1

  • Expansion of Phase 1 appointment-based program for secondary students grades 6-12 and educators.

  • Expansion of Phase 1 appointment-based program for infant/toddler and early learning programs and educators.

Phase 2

  • Elementary (PreK-5th Grade) students would return to campus 4 days a week. Students would be split into two cohorts for either an am session or pm session in order to safely rotate students into classrooms. Elementary students would receive instruction onsite Mondays through Thursdays. Fridays would be set aside for “live” online check-ins and independent asynchronous learning.

  • Secondary (6th-12th grade) students would return to campus 2 days a week. Students would be split into two cohorts with Cohort 1 attending on Mondays and Tuesdays and Cohort 2 attending on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Fridays would be dedicated to online learning for all students. Secondary students would follow a similar bell schedule with morning minutes dedicated to class period instruction and afternoon minutes would be dedicated to Flex Time for asynchronous learning or appointment-based services.

Phase 3

  • Elementary (Prek-5th Grade) students would attend in-person instruction four days a week Monday through Thursday. Fridays would be set aside for “live” online check-ins and independent asynchronous learning.

  • Secondary (6th-12th Grade) students would attend in-classes onsite four days a week, Monday through Thursday. Fridays would be set aside for online learning. Morning minutes would still be dedicated to class period instruction and afternoon minutes would be dedicated to Flex Time.

Phase 4

  • Elementary (Prek-5th Grade) students would attend 5 days a week with 1 modified day.

  • Secondary (6th-12th Grade) students would attend 5 days a week. Morning minutes would still be dedicated to class period instruction and afternoon minutes would be dedicated to Flex Time.

Next Tuesday, following the next update from the County Department of Health, district leaders will announce which date the next phase will begin. Once again, these decisions will be based on science to ensure the safest reopening possible for all involved.

As soon as I have additional information, I will share that with our school community. On behalf of our entire team, I would like to say thank you for the tremendous support we have all received from our families. Together, I know we will come out of this experience a stronger and more resilient school community.

Sincerely,

Amy Perez

Principal


October 8, 2020

Hello TRACE families,

Last night was our Back to School night. It was great seeing so many students and families join us. If you missed it you can check out the presentation at this link.

TRACE 2020-21 Back to School Night presentation


October 5, 2020

Hello TRACE families,

Phew, we've gotten 5 weeks of online learning under our belts. I hope you and your family has a schedule and rhythm set that work for your unique needs. This Wednesday, October 7 is the TRACE Back to School night. I will be hosting a school wide meeting at 6:00pm and then teachers will host their own Zooms after that. The Zoom for the 6:00pm school wide meeting is https://sandiegounified.zoom.us/j/89011065005. Teachers will be sending out their own class zoom link.

I hope you can join us.

September 14, 2020

Hello TRACE families,

For those of you still needing a district Chromebook or are struggling to complete your student registration please come to the Harold J. Ballard Center at 2375 Congress Street, San Diego 92110 on Wednesday, September 16 from 11:00am-1:00pm. To make your time at Ballard quick and easy, please review this flier in advance: TRACE Device Distribution and Registration September 16


August 31, 2020

Hello TRACE Families. This is Principal Amy Perez. Welcome to the 2020-21 school year.

I hope you had a great first day back to school. By now you should have met with your TRACE teacher and been given your assignment for the week. If you have not been able to connect with him or her please use the Teacher tab on the left side of the TRACE Google site to get their contact information. You can find that at TRACE School Teacher Tab

I’m happy to announce that TRACE will be having one more computer distribution drive on Thursday, September 3 from 8:00-11:00am at the Harold J. Ballard Center at 2375 Congress Street in Old Town. You can only access this facility from the parking lot on Jefferson Street. You can get more information by visiting this link TRACE Computer Distribution Flier

If you are having difficultly navigating the online platform or need internet support please use this link to get more information:

Student and Family Technology Help Desk


For parents looking for a little Back to School learning checkout this Parent Learning Menu


August 26, 2020

Dear TRACE Families,

Welcome to the 2020-21 school year. Classes start on August 31 and we will be implementing an online learning model. I am excited for us to be back together again for another year of instruction. We learned a lot from last year’s distance learning and I know this year’s online teaching will be even better.

Between Wednesday, August 26 and Friday August 28 you should be contacted by your TRACE teacher to get you set up for your first day of school. The first week of school, August 31-September 4, your teacher will be doing their own learning so you will have a daily meet up with your teacher and then you will be assigned independent work. Beginning Tuesday, September 8, 2020 your teacher will be ready with your online learning schedule. If you do not hear from your TRACE teacher this week be sure to reach out to him or her using the contact information found on their personal page on the left side of this link: TRACE teachers

If you are in need of a Chromebook, TRACE will be having a Chromebook distribution site set up on Friday August 28 from 12:00-2:00pm and 3:00-5:00pm and on Monday, August 31 from 8:00-10:00am. The distribution will take place outside the auditorium at the Harold J Ballard center at 2375 Congress Street in Old Town San Diego. Be sure to drive up or walk up from the parking lot on Jefferson Street. More information can be found at this link:TRACE Chromebook Distribution Flier

A few other helpful links are:

SDUSD registration form: Back-to-School Enrollment and Registration

Taking Technology to the Next Level: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jTgAPhCzojeZDUuI0MpvWfpZr9uXafRr

Technology Parent Module: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MkAFBFv9b_akFBgEK56zrXMTniWm06dN4u_L3LejZOw/edit

Student and family technology help desk: https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/instructionalcontinuityit/technology-support-for-families

Parent trainings: Parent Learning Menu



June 23, 2020

Hello TRACE Families. On June 17, 2020 the San Diego Unified Board of Education decided that the Fall 2020-21 school year will resume on August 31 with in-school instruction. The board resolution includes opportunities for in person instruction, distance learning and a blend of the two models. The district is looking for family/community feedback as schools go forward with building out these instructional models. Your feedback can be given using this survey link.

District Parent Survey https://forms.gle/i7k1Lyov9imRoJXFA



May 20, 2020

Hello Suns,

Distance Learning is in full swing at TRACE. Teachers are working hard to assure that students are getting appropriate and relevant instruction during the COVID-19 closure. Please check in with your TRACE teacher regularly.

The TRACE Extended School Year which was previously planned for April 2020 has been rescheduled for July 22- August 4, 2020. We will continue to utilize Distance Learning.

In observance of Memorial Day, SDUSD is closed Friday, May 22 and Monday May 25, 2020. Food Services will have nutrition at the regularly scheduled pick-up site on Friday but will be closed Monday. Additional SDUSD food distribution sites have been added so please click on the link under Food Supports to get a current list of locations.

The SDUSD Family Engagement Department will be hosting a series of “Parents as Partners” Zoom presentations for the next three weeks. As we continue our true partnership as co-teachers and co-learners who share in the responsibility of educating our students during distance learning, these presentations will provide strategies to support families at home. The Zoom presentations will occur every Wednesday, with a morning and an evening session. Interpretation will be provided in multiple languages, also.

* Wednesday, May 20, 2020 10am – 11am or 6:30pm-7:30pm

* Wednesday, May 27, 2020 10am – 11am or 6:30pm-7:30pm

* Wednesday, June 3, 2020 10am – 11am or 6:30pm-7:30pm

PAP_ZoomSeries(May20)Final (1).pdf

PAP_ZoomSeries(May20)Final_SP (1).pdf

PAP_ZoomSeries(May20)Vietnamese.pdf

PAP_ZoomSeries(May20)Somali.pdf

The presentation may be found in the future at this link: https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/parents-as-partners/home?authuser=0


April 27, 2020

Hello TRACE students and families. I want to let you know that TRACE teachers are back from Spring Break and you should be hearing from them very soon. For the next two weeks TRACE teachers will be working with you on getting you connected via technology and helping you learn about the distance learning platform they will be using for student instruction, so check your phones for voicemails or email for messages from your TRACE teacher.

By May 8 we will have the kinks of moving to a distance learning platform worked out and we will have a hard launch on May 11. Our goal is to have 100% of TRACE students participating in school activities daily.

The district continues its commitment to technology and nutrition distribution. Please see the updated links in the tabs below.

April 9, 2020


Dear TRACE students and families,

I hope everyone in our school is staying safe and your families are healthy. These are very trying times and I miss our school but I know we are doing the right thing staying home. It will be a sweet day when we get to see each other in person.

As San Diego Unified moves to a distance learning platform for the foreseeable future, the district needed to make some adjustments to the TRACE academic calendar. TRACE was scheduled to start Extended School Year (ESY) on April 13, 2020. This has been postponed. The district will be offering a new date for ESY later this year. Your teacher will keep you posted.

Please take a moment to go through headings below. You will find more information and resources on Instruction, technology and food distribution.

As always you can stay up-to-date with SDUSD COVID-19 information at: https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/covid19/home?authuser=0

Until we see each other again, I wish you good health.

Amy Perez

Principal, TRACE School

Instruction

Instruction

As a year round school, TRACE will return to regular session on May 11. In the meantime our school is busy building an online learning platform and gathering curriculum that supports the unique needs of our school. In the meantime, if you are looking to get some experience with online learning the district has put together some resources at the following links:

https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/sdusdinstructionalcontinuity/home

https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/covid19/staff-info/special-ed-resources

https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/covid19/resources/parents?authuser=0

http://sdusdfamilies.org/high-impact-home-strategies/

Technology for Distance Learning

Technology Update 4/27/2020

If your student needs a computer to connect to online learning, we will be issuing Chromebook laptops to students for their use for the remainder of the school year. Any student in grades TK-12 who does not have a computer or tablet device at home can pick up a Chromebook laptop at the closest distribution site at Clairemont, Crawford, Hoover, Morse, Lincoln, San Diego, or Scripps Ranch high Schools, weekdays from 9:00am-4:00pm through Friday, May 1.

https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/covid19/resources/computers


Technology for Distance Learning

If a TRACE student needs a district issued computer or support with internet access in order to participate in our distance learning program please click on the links below to find SDUSD technology distribution locations and dates. Please be sure to read the Family Communication Device Distribution sheet in advance so you come prepared with the information that will be collected. I encourage you to bring your TRACE ID along with the required information outlined in the district communication below.

You will not see TRACE listed on the document. TRACE students can pick up district technology at any of the high school locations listed; however you must go during the window set aside for high school student pick-up. The list of schools is at the bottom of the page in this link. Click on the school to get the site distribution schedule.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Prx5ZSzNS2tP7GXJUURpmryOQ17pw5hy/view

https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/instructionalcontinuityit/instructional-continuity/technology-support


If you need internet connectivity please click on the link below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vZFDIjRLZ2ZAii6gHSszzRYi7h44L9Aq/view?usp=sharing


If you are not able to use the Technology for Distance Learning links please contact your TRACE teacher. TRACE Teachers are on break until April 27th so they will connect with you when they get back to work. We will work to get the technology you need to you prior to school resuming on May 11.

Food Supports

Nutrition Resources Updated 5/20/2020

SDUSD Food Distribution locations: https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/covid19/resources/food-services?authuser=0


Pandemic-EBT Eligibility

  • Families of children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals can get up to $365 in food benefits in addition to their pick up meals from school.

  • Most families with children who applied for CalFresh or Medi-Cal benefits do not need to apply. They will get their P-EBT card in the mail between May 12 - May 22, 2020.

  • Families with children who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals and who do not get their P-EBT card in the mail by May 22, 2020 must apply online before June 30, 2020.

  • If you receive any questions from families direct them to EBT Customer Service Center (877-328-9677)

P-EBT English Flyer P-EBT Spanish Flyer

Nutrition Resources update 4/27/2020

https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/covid19/resources/food-services?authuser=0

San Diego Unified Food and Nutrition Services is conducting a drive thru/walk-up distribution of daily prepared meals, free of charge. Meal distribution times for all locations are Monday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

While the district does not serve food on the weekend, it is distributing one extra breakfast and one extra lunch on each Thursday and Friday of the week. That allows each child to receive two breakfasts and two lunches on these days.

Children do not need to be present during food pick-up, but a student ID and/or photo of the child/children will need to be shown.

There will be no congregate feeding; all food is to be taken and consumed offsite. See social distancing guidelines to stay safe. For pre-cooked frozen meals, see our frozen foods information sheet.


Food Supports 4/9/2020

Families needing nutrition support during our school closure/distance learning time can access the following resources:

San Diego Unified Food Services—FREE

The Food Service Dept. will be conducting a drive-thru/walk-up distribution of packaged prepared food. Children will need to be present to receive meals, and each child can take one lunch and one breakfast for the next day. There will be no congregate feeding. All food will be consumed off site.

Meal distribution for all locations is Monday-Friday, 11am to 1pm:

· Clark Middle - 4388 Thorn St, San Diego, CA 92105

· Cherokee Point Elementary - 3735 38th St, San Diego, CA 92105

· Sherman Elementary - 301 22nd St, San Diego, CA 92102

· Zamorano Elementary - 2655 Casey St, San Diego, CA 92139

· Kearny High - 1954 Komet Way, San Diego, CA 92111

· O'Farrell Charter - 6130 Skyline Dr., San Diego, CA 92114

· Walker Elementary - 9225 Hillery Dr., San Diego, CA 92126

· Farb Middle - 4880 La Cuenta Dr., San Diego, CA 92124

San Diego Area Food Resources

Dial 211-Food Pantry Resources—these programs seek to meet the basic nutritional needs of the community by providing access to food products.

foodfinder.us is an award-winning site/app to help food insecure families find free food assistance programs quickly