COVID-19 Updates

COVID-19 Prevention Plan for Cabrillo Point Academy

Dear Families,

We hope this letter finds you well during this unprecedented time. As the COVID-19 situation continues to develop and information is released, our goal is to communicate often and keep you informed.

At this time, our schools will remain closed until further notice. Although we are technically closed, our expectations remain the same. All students are encouraged to continue working through their courses and make academic progress. Our staff will continue to support you in hopes that your child’s education is not disrupted.

We love our homeschool community and the support we have seen has been amazing. We continue to think of new ways we can support each of you during this time.

More Live Classes
We have been working behind the scenes to put together a schedule of even more optional virtual classes! This will be in addition to your virtual Community Connections events. We are in the final stages of getting this prepared for release. Please look for more information coming from your HST on Monday.

Graduation Update
It was confirmed by our local county offices of education that there will be a need to host virtual graduations because large gatherings are not likely through the end of summer. We are planning and preparing for virtual graduations, and we can’t wait to celebrate our graduates!

How Long Will This Last?
Right now our counties have issued school closures until June 19. We will continue with our current closure until these orders are lifted.

During his press conference on April 14, 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled California’s Roadmap to Modify the Stay-at-Home Order, which describes six indicators that must be met before the order can be modified.

Plans for Next Year
We are hearing that this virus is not going away anytime soon. School districts are faced with trying to implement social distancing in the classroom and possible spikes of the virus throughout the year. Our plan is to have our school open and operating in the 2020-2021 school year. We know these times have been challenging and we need to be flexible due to the struggles that we may continue to face.

Next year we are planning to offer more online opportunities for students to not only connect with their teachers, but also with their peers. We are exploring different options that could improve our teaching, communication, and program. As always, we will respond thoughtfully to any situation and offer the very best to our students.

Sincerely,

Jenna Lorge
Principal
jenna.lorge@cabrillopointacademy.org

Dear Families,

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your patience and understanding as we adapt to maintain our school’s operations during this global pandemic while still ensuring that we continue to make the best decisions for our students and families.

Graduation and Promotion
We understand and value the great importance of our 5th, 8th and 12th grade Promotion and Graduation Ceremonies. At this time due to public health restrictions, we have made the decision to move our ceremonies to a virtual format. We know that this is a change for our students, but we wanted to be sure that our students are still commemorated in a special way! Families with students in 5th, 8th or 12th grade should have received information from your Homeschool Teacher (HST) on how to participate.

Grading During Emergency Closure
Grades for students in TK-12th grades will be based on school work completed through Learning Period 5. All assignments completed during school closure will be able to count toward course completion or to increase a student’s final grade.

For students in grades 9-12th, our school will be adjusting the way we issue final grades this semester. You will have the option of either a letter grade (A-F) or a pass/fail grade for each of your student’s courses. You may choose a letter grade option for some courses and pass/fail for others. Should you choose to have letter grades issued, our school will use an adjusted grade scale. Please see the letter below for further details.

These are challenging times, but we will continue to work together as a community to navigate how to best serve our students.

Sincerely,

Jenna Lorge
Principal
jenna.lorge@cabrillopointacademy.org

Dear High School Families,

As events have continued to evolve over these past few weeks, our school has been working on a plan to ensure that our high school students are still able to complete their studies and earn credit for this semester. We want to provide you with information regarding continued distance learning, and let you know our plan for issuing grades and credits for our high school students.

Our first priority is to make sure our students have access to the curriculum they need to learn, and that our seniors graduate as scheduled. Please contact your HST as soon as possible if your student is no longer able to access any of their courses due to COVID-19.

In light of the disruptions of the last few weeks, our school will be adjusting the way we issue final grades this semester. You will have the option of either a letter grade (A-F) or a pass/fail grade for each of your student’s courses. You may choose a letter grade option for some courses and pass/fail for others. Please note that if your student is taking a Community College course, we will honor the grade issued by the college.

When a student earns a grade of “Pass”, the student earns credit for the course, but the course is not included in the student’s GPA calculation. UC and Cal State schools have stated that they will accept Pass grades from this semester for meeting minimum entrance requirements.

Please contact your School Counselor if you would like to discuss how a Pass grade may affect your student’s college plans, as admissions requirements are different for every college and university.

Should you choose to have letter grades issued, our school will use an adjusted grade scale.

The following grade scale will be used to issue final grades for this semester only:

79% - 100%: A
69% - 78%: B
59% - 68%: C
50% - 58%: D
0% - 49%: F

Should you choose to have pass/fail grades issued, the grade scale will be:

50% - 100%: Pass
0% - 49%: Fail

A grade of “Fail” is the equivalent to a grade of “F”, and will be calculated into the GPA.

Here are some important dates for the remainder of our school year:

• April 24: Progress Reports will be issued. Progress reports will contain letter grades based on the revised grading scale. The purpose of these grades is to inform your learning only, and they will not be part of your student’s permanent record. They are for informational purposes only.
• June 1: By this date, you should have discussed your grade scale options with your HST
• June 11: End of School Year/Report Card grades will be issued with revised grade scale for this semester
• No Later than June 25: Final graduation checks will be complete and diplomas will be mailed

If you have any questions or concerns about your high school student completing their courses this semester, please work with your HST to make an individualized plan for your student.

Sincerely,

Jenna Lorge
Principal
jenna.lorge@cabrillopointacademy.org

Haga clic aquí para leer este mensaje en español.

Dear Families,

Thank you for all of your support and patience during this time. The public health crisis created by COVID-19 is not something any of us could have anticipated. We have been following the guidance of state and local public health experts on how to keep our school community safe. With the Executive Order from our governor and Guidance for K-12 Schools, the balance has shifted, and the appropriate path at this time is to respond accordingly.

Beginning March 20, 2020, we will no longer be requiring attendance. We anticipate resuming normal operations April 30, 2020, and will keep you updated should this date need to change.

This decision enables students, families, and staff to respond to the challenges caused by COVID-19. We are fortunate to have an individualized learning platform that enables students to access instructional support and easily implement distance learning. This is where we will shine!

We are committed to supporting you through this time. Our desire is to be respectful to our students and staff and recognize that we are all in a very difficult situation. The COVID-19 situation has been escalating each day, which prevents us from operating our program at its full capacity. The Governor's most recent Executive Order guarantees ongoing school funding, and calls for schools to continue to provide high-quality learning opportunities to the maximum extent feasible. Our schools will do everything in our power to do just that. During this time we will continue to offer learning opportunities and support:

• Teachers will still be available to meet you virtually and will still be monitoring student progress
• EOS orders will still be approved and processed
• Curriculum and Technology orders will continue to be processed
• CPA will still continue to offer learning opportunities for high school
• HQTs will hold office hours for high school students and families
• High school students, particularly seniors, are strongly encouraged to keep up with their school work and completion of assignments
• A special website of open and free resources is available here
• Support videos, lessons, and tools compiled by our Intervention Team are available here

Please note:

• Field trips are currently paused
• Enrichment services may be paused based on county health mandates (no refunds will be made in the EOS, so please be thoughtful in putting in new orders for services that might not be rendered)
• The state has requested a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education to stop state testing administration for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year
• If your child receives special education services, you will be contacted by the Special Education Department, who will be working diligently to support your child

We appreciate your partnership, and we are dedicated to serving you. Let’s continue to support one another, share ideas, and lead the way as our nation grapples with homeschooling, distance learning, and independent study!

Sincerely,

Jenna Lorge
Principal
jenna.lorge@cabrillopointacademy.org

Dear Families,

We want to thank you so much for your patience as we respond to the ever-changing guidelines from state and local authorities on the COVID-19 situation. The health and safety of our students, families, and staff continue to be our main focus during these unsettling times. For this reason, all meetings between staff and families must be virtual and all field trips, off-site studies, and state testing are canceled until further notice. We know your children were looking forward to these opportunities and this is disappointing. We will work to reschedule what we can. We understand that this may cause a disruption in services and we will be working with our vendors through this time, but our recommendation is that all families stop placing service orders in the EOS until further notice. If you have a pending service order, and would like to cancel it, please reach out to your HST.

Today, the California Department of Education will be releasing more information around school closures and the implications it has on our students and their education. We anticipate releasing a new statement about our schools shortly after receiving the latest updates.

As always, we will keep you updated as the COVID-19 situation continues to develop and will continue to heed the guidance and mandates from federal, state, and county health and safety officials. We appreciate all your support while we navigate this unprecedented crisis and thank you for partnering with us!

Sincerely,

Jenna Lorge
Principal
jenna.lorge@cabrillopointacademy.org

Dear Families and Staff:

In recent news, you may have heard about actions being taken in response to the COVID-19 virus. Our administration and staff recognize the questions and concerns that have arisen due to the fluid COVID-19 situation and how this could affect our southern family of schools, students, staff and families. Fortunately, our students have the ability to participate in their education remotely while being fully engaged and can remain free of large gathering places, if they so choose.

As an administrative team, we have made the following decisions regarding our school activities:

• All meetings between HST’s and families can be virtual through Spring Break.
• We are not directing families and/or vendors to cease classes and activities; we will leave that decision up to the discretion of the vendor and family.
• We are working to determine which Community Connections events will continue as planned.
• Mobile Library activities will be paused through Spring Break.
• Field trips: We are working to determine which field trips will continue as planned. We will provide regular updates as soon as they become available. Please wait to be contacted by the field trip organizer on the status of specific field trips.
• Starting tomorrow, March 13th, the PFT - Group Physical Fitness Testing (5th, 7th, and 9th grade only) will be paused until further notice. We will be sending out instructions on how to proceed.
• State testing for the week of March 16-20 will be postponed to a later date. Our testing team will work on messaging the new dates to the families affected by this change.

We will continue to monitor state testing requirements and communicate the most up-to-date information as we receive it.

We are in communication with our authorizers and public health officials in order to monitor the situation closely and will follow all guidance from public health officials as it relates to protecting the health and safety of our students, our employees, and our community. Of course, the situation is fluid, and our administration will respond immediately, should the recommendations of public health officials change.

Our team will also continue to communicate the practical measures advised by county and state health officials in helping to combat the spread of this virus.

These include:

• Frequent handwashing for students and staff
• Frequent and deep sanitizing of surfaces touched at school events such as testing, field trips, and Community Connections events
• Advising anyone who is ill to stay home and not return until they have been fever-free--without medication--for at least 24 hours

If new guidance is issued by state and federal officials, our southern family of schools will communicate the information to you and act on it immediately. We will keep you notified of any changes to planned events or activities as quickly as possible. The focus is to keep our students, families, and staff updated on our response and action to this challenge. Emails will be sent and school websites will be updated.

Please rest assured that the well-being, health, and safety of our students, families, and staff remains our top priority.

Thank you for your patience and support during this hectic time.

Sincerely,

Jenna Lorge
Principal
jenna.lorge@cabrillopointacademy.org

Dear Families,

We are continuing to closely monitor the coronavirus (now named COVID-19) situation in Southern California. We understand that with the strong media coverage, anxieties are heightened and you may have questions.

We want to assure you that every precaution is being taken to ensure the health and safety of you, our students and staff. As we continue to monitor the situation, we would like to provide current information about precautions and preparations we are taking as a school.

As always, the safety and wellness of our students and staff is a priority. We will be monitoring new developments and will continue to reevaluate our steps and actions. Thank you for your cooperation and support in helping us to maintain healthy and safe learning environments. Any official updates will be posted on our school website.

What Are We Doing Now?

We are closely monitoring the California Department of Health Care Services, the California Department of Public Health - as well as the California Department of Education (CDE) for ongoing information, guidance, and coordination. We will continue to follow their expert recommendations.

Testing: Any site where students gather in groups (testing sites) will be cleaned utilizing EPA-recommended cleaning solutions, methods, and devices. That list can be viewed here.

While public health officials say that there is no need to alter current routines, the school is prepared to offer alternatives to in-person HST meetings. If you are unable to attend your assigned testing location due to an illness, we will work with you to reschedule your test as soon as you are able.

What Can You Do?

Our team has received CDC recommended strategies for staying healthy during cold and flu season which are:

• Please do not attend a testing location or field trip if you are sick. We will have zero tolerance for students or parents who do not follow this direction.
• If employees or children have a fever, please stay home until you are fever-free for 24 hours without medication.
• Handwashing remains our No. 1 defense against illness. Please wash hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• If children are not feeling well, or exhibiting signs of illness at an event or on a field trip, have them check in with an HST. We will notify parents immediately.
• Communicate all health concerns with your physician.
• The CDC does not recommend the use of face masks among healthy individuals, however, it is important that anyone wearing a mask be treated with respect and not fear. N95 respirator masks are not designed for and should not be worn by children.

For general questions about COVID-19 and precautions currently recommended by local counties, please visit the CDC website.

The Importance of State Testing

A school’s academic progress is reported on the California School’s Dashboard in the Academic Indicator which takes into account both the participation rate and performance on state assessments. Per federal law (Every Student Succeeds Act), public schools, including charter schools that administer state assessments to less than 95% of their students, will automatically receive the lowest possible score for each student needed to bring the participation rate to 95%.

The federal participation rate plays a critical role in our ability to renew our charter. With the recent passage of state law, Assembly Bill 1505, charter school renewal is now closely tied to the Academic Indicator on the Dashboard. Charter school authorizers must now forcibly rank charter schools into three tiers based on their Dashboard performance. Charter schools who rank in the lowest tier, based on Dashboard performance, will be denied renewal or granted only a two-year renewal.

Please help keep our wonderful school open by encouraging your child/teen to participate in and make an earnest effort to do well on the state assessments that will be administered this spring. If you are interested in helping keep our school open, you may also encourage your child/teen to prepare for the state assessment by helping to familiarize them with the testing format. Becoming familiar with the state assessment format ahead of time will allow your child/teen to focus on demonstrating what they know. This hyperlink provides you with access to useful resources: How to Take a Practice Test and Check-Out Designated Supports.

This is an evolving situation and we will update you regularly with important information and instructions. The safety and wellness of our students, staff, and families is our top priority. Unless otherwise informed, please plan for all regular school activities as scheduled.

Thank you for partnering with us.

Sincerely,

Jenna Lorge
Principal
jenna.lorge@cabrillopointacademy.org