Principal Update Aug.12

8/12 Message from Principal Morici

Good evening LPE Families!

I would like to welcome you to the 2020-2021 school year! I hope you have found time to enjoy the summer with your family and loved ones. I believe you would agree that our community has been navigating truly unique times. I also know that you are all patiently waiting for information regarding the upcoming school year and that many of you have questions.  The San Diego Unified School District has been actively developing the opening of school plans and I would like to take this opportunity to share information that has been available so far. I am not able to share our finalized, comprehensive plan for the school year just yet but below is quite a bit of information and I will be sharing more details very soon.  Please see below.

Enrollment

We are currently scheduled to have approximately 400 students. Please note that our clerical staff is currently off calendar until next week and they will respond to all correspondence as soon as possible upon their return to work.

Not Attending Loma Portal this year?

**If you ARE NOT planning on having your child return to LPE, please email me (simply reply to this email) so we can make a note of it. It is critical that we have an accurate account of our student enrollment.  Please include your child’s full name, grade they are entering, and the name of the school they will be attending.  Although we would be so sorry to see any of our wonderful students leave, I acknowledge that these times are unprecedented and each of our families have been affected in different ways.

Who Does NOT Need To Enroll?

Current Loma Portal students are automatically re-enrolled. Last year’s 4th grade students who attended LPE are automatically enrolled at Dana Middle School for next year. No additional action is required.

Who Needs To Enroll?

Families of students who recently moved to our community should enroll their children at Loma Portal. Please visit https://www.sandiegounified.org/schoolfinder to verify you live within our school boundaries.

Our physical office is currently closed but we are working remotely. New families can use our online process for enrolling children.

Updated Enrollment Procedure for new students (including TK and Kinder):

  • Begin by completing the SDUSD online enrollment form located HERE.
  • Email copies of the following documents to our Enrollment Clerk, Mr. Ze Garcia ([email protected]). More info can be found HERE.
    • Birth Certificate
    • Proof of residence
    • Immunization record
  • It is NOT necessary to physically submit any documents at this time.
  • The district is developing alternative options for families who are unable to enroll online. If you are unable to email Mr. Garcia the required documents, please contact him to make other arrangements. We are happy to help!

Orientation

Strong student/teacher relationships are critical to student success. This important work begins during student and parent orientations. Our staff is working to develop a virtual orientation designed to introduce students to our school, our staff, and their online learning environment. This will include learning opportunities for students and parents regarding how to navigate our online classrooms.  Parent orientations for ALL grades will occur via Zoom on Friday August 28th.  Student orientations will begin during the week of September 8th. More info on this will be coming out soon.

First Week Of School

The first day of school for students will be August 31st. We will begin this school year online. Students will have access to SDUSD-created differentiated, standards-based activities (learning modules) that build skills for online learning, develop social emotional skills, engage in content standards, and provide an opportunity for voice and choice. While your children are completing these learning modules, our teachers will be taking part in a series of dynamic Professional Development opportunities.  This new learning will further our staff’s mastery of teaching in an online environment.  Areas of emphasis will be on instructional content, social/emotional support for our students, and building a sense of connection between school and child/family. While teachers are engaging in this Professional Development, they will also be making regular contact with their students and their families in order to begin creating that sense of connection. More information to follow shortly.

 

Beginning on Tuesday September 8th (keep in mind that September 7th is Labor Day), our normal online classroom environments will begin and students will be working directly with their teachers daily.

Classroom Placement

Our staff is currently working to develop student schedules for 2020-21. Many factors are involved in this process including master schedule development, evaluating academic history, teacher feedback, and student strengths/needs. You will receive an email soon with your child’s placement information.

Student School Day Overview

The San Diego Unified School District is committed to providing custom learning experiences based on student needs five days a week. Students will NOT be expected to participate in six hours of continuous video conferencing (Zoom) each day. Each school day will include daily live, online instruction, independent learning, and opportunities to work with other students in small groups. A majority of instructional time will be during the morning between the hours of 8am and 12pm.  Scheduled opportunities to communicate with teachers will be made available as well. Information regarding start/end times will be provided shortly.

Textbooks, Netbooks, and Other Supplies

We are developing a plan for distributing textbooks, workbooks, netbooks, and other supplies to all students. The process will include a strategy for collecting school items that have not been returned yet (i.e. library books, etc.). This process will be a “drive through” event during which parents and children will drive to the front of campus, remain in their cars, and collect items. If a “walk up” option is necessary, we can make arrangements to support you.  We will send additional information to parents as soon as the plan is solidified.

Scheduled Return Date For On Campus Learning

The San Diego Unified School District continues to coordinate with UCSD and local and state health officials regarding a possible timeline for returning to onsite learning. We encourage you to visit the SDUSD website for more information.

Other Items

  • The San Diego Unified School District has placed all school pictures on hold. The only exception is Senior Class Portraits. More information to follow.

I am looking forward to working with your family this year! I will continue to share information as it becomes available. I know it is difficult to keep waiting for information but I assure you that our district and our school are working hard to put together a quality, rigorous online learning experience for our students that will be vastly different from what we all experienced in the Spring.  Our students will be challenged academically, the school day will be structured more efficiently, and we will all feel even more of a connection between home and school. Thank you for your patience and please, if you have questions for me, feel free to contact me at [email protected].

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