7/31/2020

Hello Terrace Families,

This is Bryce Brin, the new Terrace Middle School Principal.  I wanted to take a quick second to say that I am excited to be back in Lake County where I was born and raised. I am experienced as an administrator in Lake County in the past.  The last three years I was the Superintendent/Principal in Tulelake, California.  I have been given the honor of leading our school through some tough times right now and we will all do everything in our power to make this year the best it can be when we come back starting the 12th of August. As you may already be aware, Lakeport Unified School District will be starting this school year in Stage 1 Distance Learning with limited access to campus as outlined by Lake County Office of Education’s “Return to School Continuum Plan”.

The first three-and-a-half week period (August 12th -September 3rd) will feature a schedule that allows small, rotating groups of students to be on campus from 9 am to 11:30 am each day.  During this time, students will be able to connect with teachers and school staff, ensure school-issued materials and technology devices are appropriately assigned, and provide a communal sense of normalcy for both students and school personnel who haven’t been on campus together since the middle of March.  During their time on campus TMS students will be given baseline assessments, we will be trying to get picture days scheduled and any applicable health screening. 

On Wednesday, August 5th, teachers will begin contacting students about their assigned on-campus dates.  School busses will run their normal daily routes - times, of course, will differ and this will be communicated soon- from August 12th through September 3rd, with September 4th as a School Holiday (typically as a result of the County Fair).  School-provided meals will continue to be available to students who are on campus, and students who are not part of the daily on-campus schedule will still be able to obtain grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches from the Clear Lake High School Cafeteria Monday through Friday.

Please note that, until the District receives different direction with respect to students’ virtual attendance through Distance Learning, the following laws are in effect in the State of California:

• Minimum Daily Instructional Minutes (SB 98)  Grades 4-12:  240 daily minutes 

• Daily Live Interaction (AB 77)  Teachers, students, and their peers are required to have daily live interaction wherein the teachers and students are in different locations.  Interactions may be through the use of a computer or other communication device that includes video or audio instruction or the use of printed materials that incorporate assignments that are the subject of written or oral feedback.
• NOTE:  Online programs can be asynchronous, meaning that students and teachers are not necessarily online at the same time, or synchronous, wherein, courses operate in real-time and typically require students to attend virtual classes and have live interaction with their peers and instructor during a specific time period.  The District’s goal is to have 60 percent synchronous instruction and 40 percent asynchronous instruction for students at this time. For our TMS students that is a total of 144 minutes of interaction time with their students.

Assignments will be graded and grades will be given to students.  Attendance will be required each school day and the school will implement reengagement strategies for all pupils who are absent from distance learning for three school days or 60 percent of the instructional days in a school week.

Sincerely,

Bryce Brin

Terrace Middle School Principal

UPDATE #3 ON CURRENT COVID-19 SITUATION AND PLANNING
Schools will start in Distance Learning:
On Tuesday, July 21, 2020, the Lakeport Unified School District Governing Board held a special meeting to discuss the
instructional model for the start of the 2020-21 school year. The Board voted to declare Stage 1 of the Lake County
Schools COVID-19 Return to School Continuum Plan and begin the school year with distance learning. Over 130
people virtually attended the meeting that lasted just over two and a half hours. The Board directed the LUSD Leadership
Team to work diligently to prepare the district to move to Stage 2 or Stage 3 as soon as conditions allow.
State has changed Distance Learning requirements:
In an effort to drastically improve upon our distance learning experience from last spring, the state has outlined more
detailed requirements. We are confident that we can adapt to these requirements and provide a rigorous learning
experience for our students to ensure their academic and social-emotional growth. School administrators will continue to
work with their staff members to develop schedules and plans for distance learning. Stage 1 allows for limited students on
campus; as such, our intent is to create schedules that accommodate an opportunity for every child to be invited on campus
during the first two weeks of school to meet their teachers, see their classrooms, and receive materials, devices, and supplies
as needed. The district will provide transportation for the initial on-campus meetings; upon finalization of students’
schedules, bus route information will be shared. With respect to student meals, staff from the food services department will
work with site administration to determine the most feasible manner to ensure students are fed. The district intends to be
able to share these plans with parents by Friday, July 31.
Let’s work together:
We want to work with our families and staff to get through these challenging times. We have heard parent concerns about
the quality of our distance learning last spring, and we are doing everything we can to offer the best distance learning to our
students. Considering the frequency of changing information and guidelines relating to COVID-19 and the associated
precautions and restrictions, the board’s decision to start school with distance learning is the safest option to protect the
health and safety of students and their families, as well as district staff and faculty. While there will be unforeseen challenges
we are faced with along the way, please rest assured that every effort will be made to prepare an equitable and engaging
curriculum for students, and to provide all stakeholders with the most up-to-date information in a timely manner. Your
continued support and trust is appreciated during these difficult decision-making times. The most important thing that you
can do is communicate with us regarding your child’s distance learning experience. We will do our best to respond to your
concerns and needs for your student. We will send out weekly updates, and we may schedule additional board meetings as
needed to hear community input and progress updates.

2508 Howard Street, Lakeport, CA 95453
T 707-262-3000 F 707-263-7332
www.lakeport.k12.ca.us

School Starts on Wednesday, August 12
We can’t wait to see all of our students again. We appreciate all of our staff that is hard at work preparing for the upcoming
school year. We remain hopeful that the number of cases of COVID-19 will begin to decrease in Lake County and that we
can remain off of the state’s “Monitoring List” and move into Stage 2 or Stage 3 while keeping our students and staff safe. If
you have any questions or concerns, you may contact the District Office at 262 3000. School offices will be open on
Wednesday, July 29. You may call or visit the offices for information. Please adhere to masking and social distancing
requirements if you are visiting a school office.
Helpful Links:
Lake County Coronavirus Response Hub
California Department of Public Health Updated COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Learning Framework for K-12
Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year
A Public Health Guided Return to Site-Based Classroom Instruction (Lake County Department of Public Health and LCOE)

Return to School Continuum Plan