TO: Da Vinci Community
FROM: Dr. Matthew Wunder, CEO/Superintendent
December 10, 2020
To help our students, families and staff plan for the future, I am writing to update you about our plans for Winter 2021 instruction. In a prior communication, I shared that we did not see a return to on-campus instruction before the second semester (January 2021) at the earliest.
I can imagine that many of you are following the news on the rapid rise in Coronavirus statistics, with case rates surging to the highest rates in California since the pandemic began. On December 3, Governor Newsom announced a new “regional” stay-at-home order, the most restrictive order yet since the original stay-at-home order in March. On December 6, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued a Revised Temporary, Targeted Safer at Home Health Officer Order for Control of COVID-19. This order directs residents to limit contact to one’s immediate household and remain at home as much as possible. Although the order is temporary through December 27th, the surge in Coronavirus cases suggests that we may see continued restrictions in the near future. While I would imagine most of us are highly desirous of returning to our school campuses at the earliest possible date, it is critical that we only do this when it is safe to do so.
Winter Instruction
Da Vinci Schools will continue to align with county and state guidelines and to prioritize public health and well being, equitable access to education, and high quality instruction and student support, in all of our planning.
To ensure the safety of our staff and students, Da Vinci Schools will continue with remote instruction through at least April 9th, which takes us through the Spring Vacation break. Only staff who are engaged in essential operations will be permitted on our campuses at this time, unless with the pre-approval of administrators.
Simultaneously, our COVID Compliance Team is preparing for a safe return to on-campus instruction. All campuses will have plexiglass barriers, personal protective equipment (PPE), increased cleaning, additional signage, protocols for reporting and tracking COVID-19, and much more.
I suspect that many of you are feeling the impact of this pandemic. This is not how we imagined this academic year would look. I could not be more grateful for our entire Da Vinci community for supporting students’ needs for learning, connection, and social-emotional wellness during this unique time. Just as expected, you have shown resilience, creativity, care and compassion for one another. With hopeful news of vaccines on the horizon, we are one step closer to our goal of providing on-campus instruction.
You can always find our latest news and updates on our COVID-19 landing page. As soon as we can, we will provide additional updates. Until then, stay safe, stay well, and stay connected. I look forward to seeing you all soon.