COVID-19 Updates

Distance Learning Support, Survey Results, Vaccine Resources, Mental Health and More

Dear Families,

Garden Grove Unified School District administrators are hard at work planning for the reopening of schools for in-person instruction under the Governor’s new Safe Schools for All Plan. We expect to have more details to share in the upcoming weeks.

Distance Learning Customer Satisfaction Survey Results
In the meantime, instructional leaders remain focused on finding new ways to strengthen GGUSD’s distance learning program for all students. Our recent survey was helpful in identifying key areas of strength and areas for growth. We received about 7,000 survey responses (approximately 17.5% of all students), which, while not the majority of families, did provide useful information.

Elementary school parents expressed  an overall satisfaction with distance learning (79%), while also expressing an interest in greater direct instructional time (33%) and reporting (43%) that their children were not spending the asynchronous/independent time daily. Secondary parents also expressed an overall satisfaction with distance learning (77%) while also expressing that their children would benefit from additional academic support (59%). Overall, parents reported that, while their children benefited most from in-person instruction (59%), 68% indicated that they would prefer for schools to remain in distance learning until COVID-19 rates improve.

Resources to Support Online Learning 
This week, we hosted three parent webinars on Pathblazer (TK-6) and Edgenuity Courseware (7-12), an interactive platform designed to supplement classroom instruction and support students across many subject areas. In case you missed it, click here to watch the video. We also thought it would be helpful to create a tip sheet to help inform parents and students of the behavioral expectations while in their online classrooms. Click here for “Zoom Norms for Students.”

COVID-19 Vaccine Info
State and county leaders are advancing their efforts to make the COVID-19 vaccine accessible in our communities beginning first with critical and healthcare workers and recently announcing a Super POD vaccination site at Disneyland Resort for individuals age 65 and older. Click here for the most recent update about the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Orange County.

Mental Health and Wellness and Unity and Civility
To close, we know that both students and adults alike are feeling stressed and anxious over the horrific violence that unfolded in our nation’s Capitol last week and the hostility of our current political climate. These tragedies are difficult to understand at any age.  Now more than ever, we must support each other and build each other up – in words and actions.  We must remain committed to civil discourse and kindness to others – no matter how divided our views may be.  Together, we can show our students that our nation is resilient and we can provide our students with the support they need to overcome any troubling emotions they are facing.

Part of our district’s Choose Wellness campaign is tackling hate and bias that can often rise to the surface when political tensions are high.  We have made great strides in fostering a positive school culture and climate focused on inclusivity. We hope that that our commitment to unity and civility will have ripple effects throughout our community. Our work on these topic is ongoing.  Save the Date for the evening of March 8 at 5:30 p.m.! GGUSD will host a VIRTUAL Choose Wellness event for parents and students with a variety of online workshops from local experts on important mental health and wellness topics.

Included below are some resources and tools that might be helpful to your family during this difficult time.

• National Association of School Psychologists: Talking to Children About Violence 
• The Learning Network: 10 Ways to Talk to Students About Sensitive Issues in the News 
• Commonsense Media: Talking to Children about Tragedies and other News Events 
• Anti-Defamation League: Table Talk: Family Conversations about Current Events