SAN LEANDRO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT "Making Excellence Our Tradition"
December 31, 2021
Dear SLUSD Community,
We are reaching out to share our plans for a safe return to school next week, especially as Alameda County is experiencing a rise in COVID-19 cases, mirroring what we are seeing across the country. We continue to follow the guidance of the Alameda County Public Health Department (ACPHD) and the Alameda County Office of Education (ACOE), which supports schools remaining open and I want to assure you that we will be returning to school on Monday, January 3rd with all of our key safety protocols in place.
We will also be distributing at-home COVID tests provided by the state as soon as they arrive. We plan to start distribution on Monday and will share more information about how to use and report results with these tests at that time. All SLUSD COVID testing sites will be open next week as well, and I have included the days and hours of operation below. Please remember if your family traveled over the holidays or is gathering with friends in the days before we return from break, you may be at higher risk of exposure to the more infectious variants of coronavirus.
Most importantly, it is essential that any students and staff who have tested positive for COVID on or after December 24, or who are symptomatic, do not attend school on January 3rd.
We will continue to update you on our health and safety protocols as we closely track the Omicron variant, and as guidelines change. Our shared success in adhering to these protocols has greatly limited the number of COVID cases in our schools for many months now and will continue to mitigate the spread of COVID as we move into the new year.
Please read these critical reminders of our safety protocols and support as we start school in 2022.
SLUSD COVID Testing
All SLUSD students, staff, and families can access free COVID testing at the following locations:
San Leandro Adult School - 1448 Williams Street Monday, Thursday & Friday: 8:30 -3:30 Tuesday: 9:00 – 4:00 PM
Barbara Lee Center - 2251 Bancroft Ave. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9-1 pm & 2-4 pm
James Madison Elementary WEDNESDAYS ONLY: 8:30 – 3:30 PM In the Madison Annex (To the rear of the school in PDC 1 – enter at Merced and Willow for parking lot entrance)
Children 12 years and under need a parent present at all locations.
School-Site Testing
Testing will launch next week at SLUSD schools for students and staff on modified quarantine. More information will come next week.
ParentSquare Health Screening
Families are required to complete the health screener on ParentSquare every day and to keep students home with even one symptom. Staff is also reminded of the requirement to screen for symptoms daily.
Masking
Masking will continue to be required at all SLUSD schools, both inside and outside.
Vaccinations
While the Omicron variant is proving to be highly infectious, the symptoms and duration are significantly reduced with full vaccinations and boosters. SLUSD will continue to work with the Alameda County Public Health Department to provide vaccination and booster clinics to all members of our school community ages 5+ every Wednesday in January 2022.
Free Mental Health Resources from SLUSD and CareSolace
If you or other members of your family need help to connect to counseling and/or mental health services, please use the free Care Solace service. Care Solace provides a concierge service, where their staff do the work of finding and connecting you to mental health and wellness providers that speak your language, are specific for the kind of care you are looking for, and can accept the kind of insurance you have. They are able to make connections even when you don’t have insurance. Call 1-888-515-0595 or go to https://caresolace.com/site/slusdfamilies/.
We are very excited to see our students and staff on January 3, 2022! I wish you and your loved ones a very happy and safe new year.
Mike McLaughlin Superintendent
San Leandro Unified School District | 835 E. 14th Street, Suite 200, San Leandro, CA 94577 Phone: (510) 667-3500 | Fax: (510) 667-6234 Email: communications@slusd.us
