Berkeley Public Schools Open Friday, Oct. 13
Our district schools will be open tomorrow, Friday, October 13. We have discussed the situation with many parents, students, principals, teachers and staff, and taken into account advice from health and air quality experts. We felt it was important to keep our schools open as centers of learning and community, even when times are tough, and do our best to adjust to the situation as it evolves.
We acknowledge there is no perfect answer – closing the schools may leave students isolated and vulnerable, parents scrambling for childcare, and schedules and learning disrupted. Keeping schools open is also challenging, with students, teachers and staff trying to manage their daily lives under the constraints of the current air quality. We know schools to the north of us are closed and schools to the south are open, and the entire region is struggling with the direct and indirect effects of the disaster.
If students need to stay home for health-related reasons due to the air quality, parents/guardians should call to notify the school of the decision, and absences will be excused for illness. (If students are absent for more than three consecutive days, a medical note may be requested for our records, as per state attendance requirements)
We also want to thank and acknowledge our teachers and staff who have been working under strenuous conditions at times, keeping children’s needs at the forefront, including managing having kids indoors for recess, helping students and stepping in with other staff who may have health challenges, and in many cases they may be managing their own health or personal challenges related to this regional disaster.
We will continue to limit our students’ exposure to the outdoor air as much as possible until the air quality improves. We will update you by noon on Sunday about the decision for Monday. Meanwhile you can also check the district website for updates: www.berkeleyschools.net.
Air Quality Update 2:00 pm 10/12/17
Este mensaje se repite en español abajo
Dear Families,
Our district is open today, Thursday, October 12. We will evaluate whether to keep schools open on Friday, October 13, and will notify families and staff of the decision before the end of the Thursday workday, via email and an automated phone message.
Due to the air quality, we are continuing to limit student activities to reduce outdoor exposure and limit physical exertion. Our immediate neighbors, Albany and Oakland USD, remain open, while our northern neighbor West Contra Costa USD, located closer to the fire zone, is closed.
Our goal is to limit our students’ exposure to the outdoors while keeping them in school and keeping up with schoolwork, while following normal routines as much as possible. If students need to stay home today for health-related reasons due to the air quality, parents/guardians should call to notify the school of the decision, and absences will be excused for illness. If students are absent for more than three consecutive days, a medical note may be requested for our records, as per state attendance requirements.
We will continue to send updates until air quality has improved substantially. Meanwhile you can also check the district website for updates:www.berkeleyschools.net
Estimadas Familias,
Nuestro distrito está abierto hoy, jueves 12 de octubre. Nosotros evaluaremos el mantener o no cerradas las escuelas el viernes 13 de octubre, y le informaremos a las familias y al personal docente de la decisión antes de que termine el día laboral el jueves, esto se llevará a cabo mediante correo electrónico y mensaje de voz.
Debido a la calidad del aire, continuamos limitando las actividades de los estudiantes para reducir su riesgo en la intemperie y limitar su esfuerzo físico. Nuestros vecinos cercanos, Albany y Oakland USD, permanecen abiertos mientras que nuestros vecinos en el norte, West Contra Costa USD, ubicados más cerca de la zona del incendio, están cerrados. —–
Nuestra meta es el limitar a los estudiantes a que estén expuestos a la intemperie al mismo tiempo que los mantenemos en la escuela al tanto de su trabajo escolar, mientras tanto continuamos con las rutinas normales tanto como sea posible.
Si los estudiantes necesitan estar en casa hoy debido a motivos relacionados con su salud y causados por la calidad el aire, los padres de familia/tutores legales deben comunicarse con el personal de la escuela acerca de la decisión, y las ausencias serán justificadas debido a enfermedad. Si los estudiantes están ausentes durante más de tres días consecutivos, será necesaria una nota del médico para nuestros expedientes, en acuerdo con los requisitos estatales de asistencia.
Continuaremos enviando la información más reciente hasta que la calidad del aire haya reducido considerablemente. Mientras tanto usted pude dirigirse al sitio web del distrito para las ultimas noticias: www.berkeleyschools.net
Air Quality Update: Oct. 11
Berkeley Unified School District schools and After-School Programs are remaining open Thursday, October 12. We have been monitoring conditions and forecasts, and have also been in touch with neighboring districts about their decisions.
There is a great deal of variation in conditions around the Bay, and districts in the more northern areas have made the decision to close, while districts in the central areas are remaining open. We will continue to keep students indoors as much as possible, keep windows closed, and continue to monitor the situation with the students’ health and safety in mind. We will continue to update the community until air quality returns to the “Good” assessment level.
Original Message to Families from Superintendent Evans from October 10
https://www.berkeleyschools.net/fires-air-quality-and-what-you-can-doincendios-calidad-del-aire-y-lo-que-usted-puede-hacer/
