Secondary Reopening
Our secondary students were welcomed back to campuses bedecked in colorful posters and greeted by an enthusiastic group of staff members happy to see their students in person.
Health and Wellness
Monrovia Unified is committed to the health and safety of our students, families, and staff. The COVID-19 pandemic, distance learning, and isolation have presented us all with elevated levels of stress.
We will continue to provide grief counseling to our school community to help them process the tragic passing of one of our students on April 17. Students also have the option to contact their counselors directly for immediate counseling and support. Please contact your school’s office if you feel your child is in need of additional assistance.
Through the District’s Mental Health Resources Page, our students and families have access to resources such as CareSolace, D’Veal Family and Youth Services, youth helplines, and parent support groups.
Additionally, Monrovia Unified will host an upcoming Zoom meeting for parents on Suicide Awareness. The meeting will be run by professionals in the field and begin at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 3. A special presentation will be held for students on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 10:15 am. Attendance will be voluntary and additional information for this, as well as the parent presentation, will be sent through ParentSquare.
To further provide information to our school community regarding health and wellness, there will be a webinar on vaping available in English and Spanish at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 27. The webinar will include information on the dangers of vaping, what to do if your child is vaping and signs to look for. Those interested will need to register for the webinar and could do so by clicking HERE.
Through our collective grief, please continue to support one another.
Combining Cohorts A & B?
Monrovia Unified’s goal of bringing back as many students as possible, while still adhering to the recommendations from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH), has resulted in variations within schools and across the district.
In keeping with our commitment to provide a rich educational experience, we realized that classrooms with very few students might not provide the social interaction that we hope to always provide. For that reason, some cohorts have been combined. The variables which impact it include the number of students opting into the hybrid program and the size of the classroom. Current LACDPH recommendation states, “Six feet of distance between students in these cohorts is recommended, however at no time may students be seated less than 3 feet apart.”
The classes in which this might be an option will continue to vary, depending primarily upon the number of students opting back into distance learning and the number of students preferring the current two-day cycle. In cases where this option may be viable, parents will be contacted to determine their preference.
At the secondary level, while combining cohorts may be possible, it is much less likely as we are dealing with exponentially greater variables given the number of students and periods in the day.
Tutoring
To better support our students during hybrid instruction and distance learning, Monrovia Unified offers free, virtual, after-school tutoring for students K-12.
Our tutors are vetted and specialize in specific content areas based on their major(s) and/or educational and professional experience. Our tutors come from local universities such as Azusa Pacific and Cal Poly Pomona. Additionally, we have a group of student tutors who are from Monrovia High School’s Math and Science Academy.
At the high school level, our tutors focus on core areas such as English, math, history, and science, as well as Spanish, Mandarin, and psychology. Our middle schools are offered core class support, with the added access to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) tutors. Additionally, our dual immersion elementary schools are also supported by Mandarin and Spanish tutors, as well as core content tutors.
Tutoring sessions are hosted and monitored by teachers, who place students into specific breakout rooms matching tutor expertise with student need.
Please contact your school site for more information.
As we move closer to the end of the school year, Monrovia Unified has begun to explore options for end-of-the-year celebrations, which will include in-person commencement ceremonies.
We are committed to celebrating our students for their accomplishments throughout the school year and will ensure that culminating activities and the milestones at the high school level are celebrated with joy.
We continue to monitor and seek guidance from LACDPH as we plan for these events. As of now, we are confident that in-person celebrations will be allowed, with the recommended health and safety measures in place.
More information will be made available from your school sites in the coming weeks.
Transportation
Though it is allowed to have one student per seat on a bus, it is recommended that we fill buses with one student per seat, skipping one row in between, and windows must be open at all times. With the reopening of both our elementary and secondary school sites, Monrovia Unified continues to follow the guidance from LACDPH as it relates to transportation for our students.
Monrovia Unified is currently only offering transportation to our special education students but will adjust as we are able, if recommendations change.
Summer School
This summer, there is a greater focus on summer school and expanding the learning opportunities for all students.
Monrovia Unified has expanded these offerings utilizing a portion of the SB86 funding in the Expanding Learning Opportunities grant. Our elementary and middle school students will be offered a motivating program that incorporates rich learning with a fun and enriching camp-like atmosphere. We will be expanding the camp programs from two elementary schools to four, and will offer the program to interested students.
At the high school level, our partnership with Citrus College allows us to expand the offerings from credit recovery only to advancement courses. These courses will be offered online only, in accordance with Citrus guidelines at this time. Additionally, we will offer Chemistry in person for our high school students.
Also, through Canyon Oaks, we will be hosting credit recovery classes in many topical areas this summer and the offerings will be made available to all high school students in the district. These classes are a hybrid model utilizing the Edgenuity curriculum - which is online - along with live teacher support.
Vaccine for Ages 16+
Los Angeles County is now vaccinating those ages 16 and older. In order to be vaccinated, you will need to
show photo ID and proof that you live or work in L.A. County.
A government issued ID is not required and you do not need to be a U.S. citizen to receive the vaccine.
Students ages 16 and 17 must book an appointment through a site that offers the Pfizer vaccine. You can find these sites by clicking HERE. Minors must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to consent for vaccination.
For more information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and eligibility, click HERE.
Sincerely,
Dr. Katherine Thorossian
Superintendent