March 17, 2020
Dear Alliance Families,
I acknowledge that last week was a time of great stress and uncertainty. I greatly appreciate your patience and cooperation as we announced the March 16-27, 2020 school closures, giving you little time to prepare for your scholar(s) being home for the next two weeks.
Please know that Alliance school leaders and staff, as well as the Home Office staff, are working tirelessly to provide support and to prepare for our scholars to continue learning after March 27.
In response to additional guidelines presented by local, state and federal governments to slow the transmission of the coronavirus, we have determined we will not return to school sites and the Home Office after this two-week closure.
Please review the amended calendar below, which includes distance learning for your scholar(s) beginning on April 1 through April 17. Please note that we will determine at a later date if distance learning will continue after Friday, April 17.
- School Closures through Friday, March 27
- Encourage your scholar(s) to complete the homework packets
- Monday, March 30
- Schools closed for Cesar Chavez Day
- Tuesday, March 31
- Pupil-free day. Virtual PD Day for all school-based staff
- Wednesday, April 1-Friday, April 3
- Distance Learning Begins
- Monday, April 6-Friday, April 10
- Schools closed for Spring Break
- Monday, April 13-Friday, April 17
- Distance Learning Continues
In preparation for distance learning, please review the wi-fi and technology requirements as well as the support available to ensure your scholar(s) is set-up for success on April 1st.
WHEN TO EXPECT UPDATES
To ensure you stay up-to-date, we will send an update every Tuesday and Friday, around 5:00 p.m. Please look out for Alliance emails and/or texts. In addition, if you use social media, please follow Alliance on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter. We post to all of these channels daily––it’s a great way for the Alliance community to stay connected and informed.
Since we shared a lot of information last week, today’s update will repeat some of the key messages and provide new details. In addition, we want to ensure you have the resources needed to help your child deal with the anxiety associated with the quickly changing coronavirus situation and to help them adjust to not being in their normal school setting away from friends and support staff.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION RELATED TO DISTANCE LEARNING
WIFI
Spectrum is offering 60 days of free internet to new customers impacted by coronavirus closures. There will be no credit check, data cap, contract, or installation fee. After two free months, you can cancel the service without penalties or continue paying for the program for $54.99 per month. Given high levels of demand, we encourage you to reach out as soon as possible using the steps below.
Enrolling in Spectrum*
- Call 1-844-488-8395.
- Press “1” to sign up as a new customer.
- Enter your five-digit zip code.
- If Spectrum is experiencing long hold times, you can do one of the following:
- Press “3” to hold for the next available representative.
- Press “2” to schedule a callback time. Afterward, press “4” to select Pacific Time, and Spectrum will share available time slots during which to return your call. You can select the time slot that works best for you by pressing the corresponding number.
- Once you are able to speak with a representative, you can use the script below to sign up for Spectrum’s 60 days of free internet.
- “My name is [your name]. My child is a scholar at [school name], and I would like to enroll in Spectrum’s 60 days of free internet. Can you confirm you service my area?“
- If Spectrum services your area: “Thank you. Please enroll me in Spectrum’s 60 days of free internet.”
- If Spectrum does not service your area: Please reach out to [email protected] and we will follow up with you to provide additional options.
Please ensure wifi is set-up at this time so your scholar is ready when we move to online learning.
TECHNOLOGY ACCESS
Schools distributed technology to scholars on March 13, 2020. If your scholar needs a device, please reach out to your Principal. If you do not have internet access and are unable to receive service through Spectrum as described above, please reach out to [email protected] .
CITY WIDE UPDATES - HOUSING AND PARKING
The City is changing some rules around housing and parking to make this time easier for residents. This includes:
- No evictions for those who are unable to pay rent due to COVID-19
- No parking tickets during street sweeping
- No towing or parking tickets for abandoned vehicles or overnight parking
Please look out for the Friday update and follow us on social media to stay informed. In the meantime, we encourage you to reach out to your Principal if you have additional questions. Thank you for your patience and partnership as we continue to manage this fluid situation––we’re in this together!
Stay safe,
Dan Katzir
Chief Executive Officer