Hello Connect Students and Families, and Welcome Back!

The first day of school for EVERYONE is Monday, January 10, 2022.  All classes will be in-person at 201 N. Douglas Street, El Segundo, CA 90245. Please read the entire post for details and helpful links.

First Day of Class

As we prepare for the return to school next week, we are cognizant of the spread of COVID-19, and in particular, the Omicron variant. This update focuses on our return to school Monday, January 10, 2022 for in-person learning for the Monday/Thursday Cohort and Tuesday, January 11, 2022 for in-person learning for the Tuesday/Friday Cohort. (Please note the first day of school for EVERYONE is Monday, January 10, 2022, but for Tuesday/Friday it is an asynchronous school day on Monday, January 10, 2022, please check your email for a Google Classroom invite or the Daily Tracker for your asynchronous assignment). 

 Covid-19 Updates

On January 1, 2022, Los Angeles County Public Health officials issued new protocols for TK-12 schools in a health order and a new exposure management plan to ensure appropriate mitigation strategies are in place during this surge in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant. As we have done throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to carefully monitor and follow all state and local requirements, including the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health protocols for on-campus learning. We will continue to be prepared, flexible and responsive as conditions and County guidelines change. 

 Connect High School On-Campus Learning

The good news for Connect High School and you, our students, is we are already an independent study program and can adjust rather quickly to any changing needs if necessary.   

 At this time, we plan to follow all safety protocols and have all classes on campus at 201 N. Douglas until construction is complete at the new 550 Continental campus where we will continue to hold all classes on campus.   

 If you are unable to attend class on campus due Covid related issues, we will directly apply our independent study program standing and you will complete all assignments via google classroom independently at home and enter your work on your learning log like you would for an asynchronous learning day.   

 If you are absent from your on-campus class or need additional support, you should schedule office hours with your teachers to get clarity about the class and/or receive additional support.  However, please keep in mind, office hours are for specific support with assignments and concepts, teachers are not expected to and will not be re-teaching lessons during office hours so students should come to office hours with specific questions about assignments that have been completed or attempted independently. 

 Our priorities remain to reduce transmission, keep our schools open for in-person instruction, and do so safely.  We will continue to update you as new information becomes available. 

 Please utilize the Daily Tracker and Google Classroom for your daily assignments and communicate with your teachers via email and sign up for office hours whenever you are absent or need additional support.

Dear Connect Students and Families,

We were hopeful for final approval to occupy the new Connect High Campus on Monday, January 10, 2022, for the beginning of our Spring Semester. Unfortunately, the fire inspection has yet to be completed and final signatures allowing for the safe occupancy of our new campus for learning is not yet approved.  The overall timeline is contingent on the successful fire inspection which will be completed on Thursday, January 6, 2022.  We will provide you with an update the following day on Friday, January 7, 2022.

For now, please plan to begin on-campus, in-person learning at the 201 N. Douglas campus. Location and procedures will be exactly as they were for this past Fall Semester.  Drop off is available beginning at 8:30am in front of the gym and classes begin at 9:15am. Lunch will be from 12:20pm-1:00pm and 3^rd period ends at 3:15pm.  Please note, for those of you that have a 4^th period this semester 4^th period ends at 4:10pm.

If you are part of the Monday/Thursday Cohort on campus, your first day on campus will be Monday, January 10, 2022.

If you are part of the Tuesday/Friday Cohort your first school day is an asynchronous school day on January 10, 2022.  Please check your Google Classroom for your first assignment and we will see you on campus for your first on-campus learning day on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.

Thank you all and we are excited to welcome you back!

• Masking is now required for all outdoor activities where physical distancing is not feasible, except while eating or drinking, due to the new health order from the LACDPH. Students are strongly recommended to wear masks that are well-fitting, non-cloth masks of multiple layers of non-woven material with a nose wire.
• COVID-19 testing is required for all students and staff who are close contacts of a person who has tested positive for COVID due to a school-based exposure, regardless of vaccination or booster status. Affected employees and students may participate in testing at their school site (more info below)
• Staff are required to wear upgraded masks (three-ply surgical masks or higher-level PPE)

• Pick up an At-Home COVID Test Kit on Thursday or Friday of this week. This drive-thru event will take place at 201 N. Douglas Street and is open to families from all Da Vinci school sites:
• Thursday, January 6: 3:00-6:00pm
• Friday, January 7: 7:30-10:30am
• Each kit contains 2 tests. The recommendation is that parents/guardians administer one test at home to their student when you receive the kit and then again on Sunday, January 9 or in the early morning of January 10, 2022.
• Please report at-home test results here
• A negative test is not required for students and staff to return to school on January 10, but in the event your child exhibits any flu-like or cold symptoms, your child should get tested and remain at home.

• Additional options for obtaining a test can be found at the following:
• https://covid19.lacounty.gov/testing
• https://www.heal360.com/
• https://samedayhealth.com
• https://911covidtesting.com
• Your healthcare provider
• Local CVS/pharmacy
• Some local urgent care facilities
• An at-home COVID test
• Please note *Wiseburn school sites Tues/Thurs PCR tests previously advertised are now unavailable to the public due to capacity limitations

Dear Connect High School Students and Families,

As we come to the close of a very successful Fall Semester, we wanted to provide you with an update on construction and the move to our new campus, located at 550 Continental Blvd. in El Segundo.  Yesterday, we received promising news from the contractors regarding the completion of construction, and we observed great progress on our walk of the site. The primary delay has been caused by the safety standards related to fire code compliance required of all schools. Construction is on schedule to be completed over winter break, including the final hurdle of a fire inspection, which should be completed by December 31st. Once we are cleared for occupancy, we are planning an Open House for Saturday, January 8, 2022, with a first day of school for each cohort scheduled for January 10th/11th.  We will update you again on January 3rd with confirmation of these scheduled events.

Thank you for your patience and tremendous support during this first semester. You are truly appreciated.

Marc

Connect HS families,
This a friendly reminder that Learning Log #3 is due tomorrow (Thursday) the 16th! The turnaround for this short learning log is a quick one. Please note that 3 work samples are also required.

Thank you for your diligence and hard work in submitting everything correctly and on time!

Best,

The Team at Da Vinci Connect HS