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COVID-19 Update of August 23, 2021

Students are in-person learning. Please remember to wash your hands and remain socially distant

 

COVID-19 Update of May 28, 2021

Students are majority in-person, with some students doing distance learning. 

Remember, wash your hands and remain socially distant. And wear your mask!

 

COVID-19 Update of April 30, 2020

 

INVITATION TO OUR AFCS FAMILIES
WE LOVE OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY
FREE BAGS WITH ESSENTIAL ITEMS 

MAY 6
Drive Through and Pick-Up at:
4481 Estrella Ave.
San Diego, CA 92115
(Our High School Location)
FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED
9 A.M. – 1 P.M.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES, ARTS SUPPLIES AND OTHER NECESSARY ITEMS! LOTS OF GOODIES FOR EVERYONE!

 

COVID-19 Update of April 6, 2020

 

There are many questions circulating after remarks by Governor Gavin Newsom and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond about if and when California campuses will reopen for this school year.

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America’s Finest Charter School and the San Diego County Office of Education continue to carefully monitor guidance from federal, state, and local public health and education agencies. All decisions about reopening will be made in conjunction with local public health officials. We are most likely not returning to school physically this school year and are making plans to continue the teaching and learning process.

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I want to be very clear that the 2019-20 school year is not over, it has just transitioned from classroom instruction into distance learning. As Superintendent Thurmond said today, “schools are closed but classes are in.”

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America’s Finest Charter School is quickly transitioning into a new way of teaching and learning to meet the health and safety impacts of COVID-19.

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We are also extremely concerned about the social and emotional well-being of all of our students and are working on ways to stay connected even at a distance. We also know that many students are very concerned about missing out on end-of-year activities and celebrations. Please know that we are planning how we might offer these experiences in different formats and/or at a later date.

In the coming days and weeks, we will provide families with information regarding how grades, graduation, transcripts, scholarships, summer school and continued distance learning instruction will be handled.

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While we recognize this situation poses challenges and hardship to many families, the most effective way to slow and disrupt the transmission of this pandemic –and therefore get back to normal -- is by continuing to implement social distancing practices. We are grateful to our community for everything you are doing during this unique and difficult time.

 

We appreciate your patience and understanding during this unprecedented time.  In the meantime, please trust that we are doing everything in our power to prioritize student safety, keep our community updated, and work toward the goal of getting our teachers and learners back together as soon as we can.

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Chromebook Distribution

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 This Thursday and Friday 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., we will be checking out chromebooks, to all families that requested them. We will be at our high school, 4481 Estrella Ave, San Diego, CA 92115.  Please stay in your cars. We will bring the chromebooks to you.

 

 

Supports from Local Communities

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Wifi 

• Comcast is advertising as two months free wifi: https://www.internetessentials.com/covid19 

• Spectrum also offering free wifi:  https://corporate.charter.com/newsroom/charter-to-offer-free-access-to-spectrum-broadband-and-wifi-for-60-days-for-new-K12-and-college-student-households-and-more 

• Cox may have something similar, but you'd have to call:  https://www.cox.com/residential/internet/connect2compete.html 

 

Storage 

U-haul has advertised free storage for students. The U-Haul offer is mentioned in several news articles. The U-Haul Twitter page said they may have additional moving discounts for students affected by the virus. Would need to call specific uhaul place to inquire.
 

Food 

• Neighborhood distribution is free food distribution though the San Diego Food Bank and still has operations open as of today: https://sandiegofoodbank.org/programs/neighborhood-distribution-program/ 

• Escondido Food Resources for children:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/17eZM2sb8nQaUUsdEVYA-yIOUwMHfu1IF/view 

• SDUSD meals for kids (added 3/14/2020 3:00pm) https://www.kpbs.org/news/2020/mar/13/san-diego-unified-school-closure-plans-coronavirus/?fbclid=IwAR3mVACqxeNjUa4FP9CRI1U3cXoF8sZpTtzgjDRNK3A2bv4z49CK_4ITJ-8 

• Community Food Connection- Poway: http://thecommunityfoodconnection.weebly.com/ 

• More food resources for families (updated ongoing): https://www.reddit.com/r/sandiego/comments/finjsu/resources_and_information_for_families/ 

• Countywide map of food locations:   https://feedingsandiego.org/need-help/food-distributions/ 

 

COVID-19 Update of March 17, 2020

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Public schools in San Diego County are closed to prevent spreading of the novel coronavirus, leaving many parents and educators to ask: "What are my kids going to do while they are at home?"

 

That's why KPBS, San Diego County Office of Education and San Diego Unified School District have partnered for an initiative called At Home Learning: Where Children Matter to provide free educational resources to help communities, educators and families support learning during the school closures.

 

This multi-platform initiative will include airing educational programming for grades TK - 12, along with a robust selection of digital resources through an online platform called PBS LearningMedia.

 

Broadcast Resources

 

Beginning Monday, March 16, KPBS 2 will broadcast 12 hours of programming selected to meet the TK – 12 California educational standards. The educational programming will air from 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. in viewing blocks by grade level:

 

Grades TK - 3: 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.

Grades 4 - 8: 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Grades 9 - 12: 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

See the KPBS-2 Schedule

 

Digital Resources

 

California students and educators have immediate access to an online library of free educational resources from PBS LearningMedia.

 

These resources include:

• Videos

• Lesson plans

• PBS LearningMedia collections

• Teacher training webinars

• Tips and tools for getting started with remote learning tools

 

These digital resources are available at ca.PBSlearningmedia.org.

Go to PBS LearningMedia

Getting Started

 

We have two resources for getting you started using the LearningMedia portal. First, you can read the Getting Started with PBS LearningMedia Guide.

 

Or, educators and parents can join a 15 minute webinar to get started using PBS LearningMedia California. Live webinars are hosted twice daily through Bay Area public media station KQED.

Register to join at 7:30am or 3:30pm PDT.

 

Get Started with PBS LearningMedia Webinar

Duration: 15 minutes

Dates and times: Daily at 7:30 a.m. (register here) or 3:30 p.m. (register here)

 

At-Home Learning Highlights Emails

 

To share details of the educational resources that will be available over the next month, we will send out a weekly email on Sundays that highlights great programming that will be available for each age group that week. (If you do not wish to receive email updates about At-Home Learning: Where Children Matter, feel free to opt out here).

 

Why is this initiative so important?

 

We'll let our General Manager Tom Karlo share his thoughts:

 

“Public media television is a public service that has the importance of children’s education embedded in its DNA. For 60 years we have been America’s classroom across all geographic boundaries, races, and income levels. Answering the call to ensure our TK through 12th grade young people have access to learning while at home during this unprecedented time is critical to our mission."

 

We are honored to be of service because at KPBS children matter.

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COVID-19 Update of March 13, 2020 

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School will be closed starting March 16th.  School will remain closed until April 6, 2020, unless conditions call for an extension. 

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We are creating work packets for all students please ask your child for the packet today. Packets also are available for pick up in the front office until 6:00 p.m. If your child is absence today. 

Students can log on to Math Whizz, Raz Kids, Amplify and read books. The Director’s Reading Challenge will also be sent home today.

We will be posting more information on our website americasfinestcharterschool.org and our Facebook page as well as school messenger.

If you do not get school messenger, please send us messages on our website or Facebook page.

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The Food Service Dept. will be conducting a drive-thru/walk-up distribution of packaged prepared food. Children will need to be present to receive meals, and each child 18 years and younger can take one lunch and one breakfast for the next day. There will be no congregate feeding. All food will be consumed off site. Meal distribution times for all locations are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 

Serving locations

Eight sites have been strategically selected based on geographic location targeting high need areas – per the USDA. We also took into consideration ease of access in selecting sites.

      

Clark Middle
4388 Thorn St, San Diego, CA 92105

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Cherokee Point Elementary
3735 38th St, San Diego, CA 92105

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Sherman Elementary School
301 22nd St, San Diego, CA 92102

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Zamorano Fine Arts Academy
2655 Casey St, San Diego, CA 92139

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Kearny High School
1954 Komet Way, San Diego, CA 92111

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Walker Elementary School
9245 Hillery Dr, San Diego, CA 92126

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Farb Middle
4880 La Cuenta Dr, San Diego, CA 92124

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O' Farrell Charter School
6130 Skyline Dr, San Diego, CA 92114

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COVID-19 Update of March 9, 2020 

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The purpose of this update is to share information from the California Department of Public Health  and the Department of Education on COVID-19. 

 

Status Update:

Cases and test results are monitored at the following website:  https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/community_epidemiology/dc/2019-nCoV/status.html  

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We are continuing to closely monitor the coronavirus (now named COVID-19) situation.

As of Feb. 21, County health officials report there are only two known cases of coronavirus in San Diego County. Both individuals were on repatriation flights (2/5/20 and 2/7/20) from Wuhan, China and are under federal quarantine at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

 

You may be aware that the disease has spread to other countries and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued new travel warnings with increased concern for South Korea, Japan, and Italy. Travel warnings for China have not changed, and the CDC has lowered their level of concern for travel to Hong Kong and Taiwan. Additional detail about these warnings can be found on the CDC website.

 

The CDC also recently shared that the coronavirus almost certainly will begin spreading in communities in the United States, and Americans should begin preparations now. We are working with county school and health officials to establish protocols for schools in the event that coronavirus does spread in San Diego. More information will be shared as this plan develops. In the meantime, current information about the coronavirus is available on the CDC and County of San Diego/Health and Human Services websites.

 

As a reminder, if your child is sick, please keep them home from school. To help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including the coronavirus and flu, follow these important tips:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Stay home when you are sick.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

• Individuals with chronic health issues and/or individuals experiencing severe symptoms should be evaluated by a medical professional.

• Get vaccinated every year

 

Additionally, the California Department of Public Health does not recommend the use of face masks for general prevention and says that handwashing provides better protection from infectious diseases.

 

Based on this guidance we are implementing the following additional item:

• All outside of school activities, such as fundraising and field trips, are suspended at this time.

• If a parent/guardian is sick, they should not be on school grounds.

• The staff has been directed that they must stay home if sick.

• Students should not come to school sick.

• Students that are thought to be sick at school will be sent home.

• All members of our school community should report to the school any exposure to COVID-19.

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America’s Finest Charter School will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary. If you have questions about these topics, please contact Jan Perry (jan@americasfinestcharterschool.org).

 

We thank you for your cooperation and support.

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