Guest Column | Vice Mayor Tyron Hampton Addresses Community

As the COVID-19 situation continues to unfold, I would like to encourage everyone to please stay calm. Things are uncertain, and this situation is unprecedented, but please remember that we are all in this together.

With school campuses closed, I am in communication with the superintendent of PUSD schools and other local school leaders as they finalize plans to continue educational programs for students during school closures. As you may know, PUSD will also continue its free nutritional programs for qualifying students while school campuses are closed.

If your family, or a family you know, would benefit from being able to obtain free breakfasts and lunches for children ages 18 and under who are members of qualifying families, please click the following link for more information about PUSD’s Food & Nutrition Services program that will be available during school closures: Meals provided during school closures as of Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

Many of our local schools — PUSD, independent, and charter schools — will begin online instruction/distance learning on Wednesday, March 18th. In many cases, educators will use Monday and Tuesday to work together to finalize their plans for lesson instruction and delivery.

Parents and guardians, you should expect to hear from your child’s teacher(s)/school administration as instructional plans for the next week are finalized, so please be sure to check your email and/or any relevant parent/student portal regularly.

Encourage your middle school and high school age children to do the same.

Here is information from a message sent to PUSD parents on Friday, March 13th:

Instruction will continue during the closure period of March 17 – April 5, and accommodations are being made for students with disabilities. We are preparing instruction in three phases:

Standards-based general content packets via Powerschool that will be live on Monday. We will send further details this weekend;

Digital push-out with additional content using Powerschool Online Classrooms, and

Distance learning with two-way flow of work between students and teachers is in development in case it is needed.

We will be providing additional information about services for students with disabilities.

Here is an example of an email communication from a teacher at another one of our local schools regarding instruction during the week of Monday, March 16th:

 

Dear Parents,

I hope that we are all able to weather the current health crisis in the weeks to come. I want to continue my full curriculum while the students learn from home. Today I distributed hard copies of reading selections that will be assigned starting next Wednesday. The same selections will be available through Google Classroom, in case your child was not in school today.

I will post assignments using the homework calendar. Most homework/writing will be submitted through Google Classroom, and I will post a few online NoRedInk grammar assignments. Most students have the vocabulary workbook so future lessons can be done during this time also.

I encourage your child to keep connected to me. He/she can email any question, concern, or comment throughout this time. I welcome any check-in. I would love to receive a hearty “hello” and especially a mention of a book that has been read! I want the best for my students and desire to imbue them with enthusiasm for reading, thinking, writing, and self-expression. I also encourage you to communicate with me. Let’s all stay in touch and relish our sweet return.

If you do not hear from your child’s teacher or school, please reach out to them and stay in communication as needed.

If your child is a PUSD student, PUSD has set up a hotline that parents and community members can call if they have questions. The PUSD Hotline Number is (626) 396-3680. For PUSD updates, please click the following link: PUSD Updates.

The Pasadena Library has suspended some services, but they will continue to lend books, media, and periodicals.Their public computer stations are also open. Please click the following link for more information: Pasadena Library services.

Finally, First District residents have contacted my office expressing a desire to help PUSD students and their families who may be in need at this uncertain time. If you would like to make a donation to PUSD to help, please click the link to make a donation to the Pasadena Educational Fund (PEF): Donate to PUSD students/families through PEF.

People love the City of Pasadena because of our community and its great hometown feel. Everybody’s connected here, everyone’s family. We are all in this together. Now is our time to shine. Stay healthy my friends.

 

With love,

Tyron Hampton