Promise of Excellence » COVID -19 Vaccine and Safety Updates » Staff Updates

Staff Updates

 

To PUSD Staff:

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Sunday, April 5, 2021 updated the essential and non-essential travel advisory. Please review the following information.

Updated April 5, 2021

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend that individuals avoid out-of-state non-essential travel because travel increases your chance of getting and spreading COVID-19.

Because fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19, persons who are fully vaccinated can now travel provided they take precautions and follow safety recommendations.

Persons who are not fully vaccinated arriving in or returning to Los Angeles County from other states or countries could easily introduce new sources of infection (potentially including new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus).

It is imperative that LA County residents continue to take steps necessary to curb the spread of COVID-19 and contain new sources of infection until we can achieve higher levels of vaccination in California and globally.

The County of Los Angeles is issuing the following guidance for travelers, which supersede the Travel Advisory and Guidance issued on February 3, 2021 and shall apply prospectively from April 5, 2021. Non-essential travel out-of-state or out-of-country is still not recommended. For those that must travel, the following applies:

  • All travelers who are not fully vaccinated should get tested with a COVID-19 viral test 1-3 days before travel. Travel should not be initiated until a negative test result is returned.
  • All travelers who test positive or develop symptoms of COVID-19 must isolate and follow County isolation instructions. Do not travel when symptomatic or with a positive COVID-19 test result, regardless of vaccination status.
  • All non-essential travelers who are not fully vaccinated arriving in or returning to California from other states or countries must quarantine as described below.
  • Fully vaccinated persons may travel but should continue to take precautions. If asymptomatic, no quarantine or testing is needed upon return.

Fully Vaccinated Persons

Definition of Fully Vaccinated

A person is considered fully vaccinated >2 weeks following the receipt of:

  • the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna)
  • one dose of a single-dose vaccine (Johnson and Johnson/Janssen).

Persons who don’t meet these requirements must follow the travel instructions for Persons Who Are Not Fully Vaccinated.

Persons who are fully vaccinated can travel safely within the United States. While international travel poses additional risk, fully vaccinated persons may travel internationally provided they take precautions while traveling and they have a negative viral test prior to flying into the United States. See CDC International Travel Recommendations for more information.

Fully vaccinated persons should continue to take precautions to protect others when they travel:

  • During Travel
    • Wear a mask. Masks are required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.
    • Avoid crowds and stay at least 6 feet/2 meters (about 2 arm lengths) from anyone who is not traveling with you.
    • Wash hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol).
  • After Travel
    • Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms; isolate and get tested if symptoms develop.
    • With international travel only, a viral test 3-5 days post travel is recommended.

Persons Who Are Not Fully Vaccinated

Non-Essential Travel and Quarantine Requirements

  1. Until they are fully vaccinated, Los Angeles County residents should continue to avoid all non-essential travel outside of California, unless they are traveling for essential purposes. Avoiding travel reduces the risk of virus transmission, including by reducing the risk that new sources of infection and, potentially, new virus strains that are now present in California. "Non-essential travel" includes travel that is considered tourism or recreational in nature.
  2. All non-essential travelers from other states or countries are strongly discouraged from entering the County of Los Angeles and must adhere to the quarantine procedures described below.
  3. All non-essential travelers who are not fully vaccinated arriving in or returning to the County of Los Angeles from other states or countries must*:
    1. Quarantine for 7 full days after travel if they get tested and get a negative COVID-19 viral test result from a specimen collected 3-5 days after their arrival.
      Note: Persons who have recovered from laboratory confirmed COVID in the past 3 months and are asymptomatic do not need a viral test. They can end quarantine after 7 full days. Recovery from COVID-19 is defined as having completed isolation.
    2. Quarantine for 10 full days after travel if they did not get tested with a COVID-19 viral test after their arrival.
    3. For 14 days after their arrival, continue to self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19, and avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness. They must isolate and should get tested if symptoms develop.

*If the recent traveler is needed for urgent critical healthcare staffing needs or to otherwise engage in emergency response, they are permitted to work, but must quarantine when not doing their essential work.

  1. Persons who travel into Los Angeles County solely for essential work purposes may work but must comply with all requirements related to wearing face masks and maintaining physical distancing. When not conducting essential work, they should take care to not mix with others.

Essential Travel

Essential travel is travel associated with the operation, maintenance, or usage of critical infrastructure or otherwise required or expressly authorized by law (including other applicable state and local public health directives), including work and study, critical infrastructure support, economic services and supply chains, health, immediate medical care, and safety and security.

Essential travelers who are not fully vaccinated are strongly encouraged to self-quarantine if they engaged any of the following activities that placed them at a higher risk of contracting the virus that causes COVID-19:

  • Close contact interaction (within six feet for a total of more than 15 minutes) with a person who was not fully vaccinated and not a household member when face masks were not consistently worn at all times;
  • They were indoors, including on a shared conveyance, such as a plane, train or bus, and either the individual or those around you were not wearing face masks at all times; or
  • Close contact interaction (within six feet for a total of more than 15 minutes), regardless of masking, with someone who was experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or who began to experience symptoms of COVID-19 within 48 hours of their interaction with them.

Recommendations for Travelers

Precautions for Persons Who Must Travel

If you MUST travel, plan ahead:

  • If you are eligible, get fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Wait 2 weeks after getting your second vaccine dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or after getting the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine to travel—it takes time for your body to build protection after any vaccination.
  • Get tested with a COVID-19 viral test 1-3 days before travel. Do NOT travel if you test positive or develop symptoms of COVID-19. Note: Testing is not recommended if you are currently without symptoms AND you have recovered from laboratory confirmed COVID-19 in the past 3 months. Recovery from COVID-19 means you have completed your isolation.
  • Know how widespread COVID-19 is in the area you must travel to. For cases in the last 7 days by state, see https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases_casesper100klast7days. For the risk assessment level for COVID-19 by country, see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html.
  • Find out where you can be tested if you develop symptoms of COVID-19 during your trip. For a list of symptoms, see http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/about-covid.htm.
  • People at high-risk of severe COVID-19 should be particularly careful about traveling, including:
    • People who are older, smoke or are overweight
    • Pregnant women
    • People with certain medical conditions like diabetes, heart problems, COPD, cancer, weakened immune systems, and sickle cell disease.

See CDC webpage on People at Increased Risk for more information on who is at high risk of severe COVID-19.

  • Avoid travel to the extent possible if you will be traveling with someone who cannot wear a mask consistently, including children under 2 years old who should not be wearing face masks due to risk of suffocation.

While traveling, reduce your risk.

  • Wear a face mask over your nose and mouth and stay 6 feet or more away from people you do not live with, including family members you do not normally live with. Masks are required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.
  • Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol).
  • Avoid spending time indoors with people you don’t normally live with, including family members, to the extent possible. The risk of getting COVID-19 is generally much greater indoors than outdoors because the virus that causes COVID-19 can travel in the air more than 6 feet and collects indoors and in enclosed spaces. If you must spend time indoors, choose a larger room that is well-ventilated or where windows and doors can be opened, and wear a face mask at all times.
  • Try to limit the number of people you interact with. For example, if you are traveling for work or you must travel to care for family, avoid in-person interactions with neighbors or friends.
  • Don’t share vehicles with people you don’t live with. Vehicles are small enclosed spaces where COVID-19 can spread easily between people. If you must share a vehicle, try to ride with the same people each time, 1) make sure everyone wears a facemask, 2) open the windows, and 3) maximize outdoor air circulation as much as you can.
  • Avoid meals, drinks, or gatherings with people you don’t normally live with, including family members. Eating and drinking together is higher-risk because people must take off their masks to eat or drink, are more likely to touch their mouths while eating, often sit within 6 feet of each other, and talk while eating, creating more respiratory droplets or small particles. If you do have a meal or private gathering, it must 1) be limited to one or two other households with a maximum of 15 people, 2) be held outdoors only, and 3) be limited to two hours or less, and 4) follow the Social (Physical) Distancing requirements of the County Order Section 3a. It is safer for people in different households to sit outdoors at least 6 feet apart and to wear masks when they are not actively eating or drinking (such as when talking).

All Travelers Regardless of Vaccination

  • DO NOT travel if you are sick or test positive for COVID-19. You could spread COVID-19.
  • If you have COVID-19 symptoms (see ph.lacounty.gov/covidcare), get tested and wait for a negative test result before you start your trip.
  • A negative test should not be interpreted as a safety clearance for traveling or for engaging in other high-risk activities or with others indoors, without wearing a face mask, and without practicing physical distancing. These tests assess for virus in your body the moment you were tested; you may actually have COVID-19 that won’t show up on a test until later that day or in subsequent days, and a negative test might create a false sense of security.

For additional information see CDC Information on Travel During COVID-19:

Health Screening Training

COVID-19 Training

FYI

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

I am requesting your help to spread the word to your staff about the LA County Department of Mental Health's new Wellbeing Line created just for teachers and school personnel who continue to work during the pandemic.

 

Communications resources and graphics were created by DMH to help in informing school communities across the county about this important new service:

 

Wellbeing Line informational graphic

Wellbeing Line poster

LA County Wellbeing Line(PPT)

 

Also available is a comprehensive listing of educational resources for professionals, parents and youth. (Word file will download.)

 

We have already received great feedback about the Wellbeing Line and hope that by sharing the information more widely we can support more people.

 

Thank you for all that you do.

 

Be well,

 

Debra Duardo, M.S.W., Ed.D.

Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools

Communication Toolkit for Reopening Schools

With the gradual reopening of schools for in-person instruction, a LACOE-developed toolkit offers a wealth of resources for districts in communicating with stakeholders. Included are templates for messages on a variety of topics pertinent to COVID-19 and school reopening as well as social media assets, signs, posters and other communications resources. 

 

View the toolkit

 

 

Curriculum & Instruction

 

Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learningwith Dr. Sharroky Hollie (Validate, Affirm, Build and Bridge “VABB” Academy) — Dec. 1, 2020 & Jan. 6, 2021 plus independent online work

 

K-12 teachers and administrators will find this workshop series to be highly engaging with practical information and strategies for classroom application.

 

The series begins and concludes with 1-hour virtual meetings with Dr. Sharroky Holllie that include Q&A sessions. The introductory session will be followed by five one-hour self-guided asynchronous modules. Participants will engage in these five modules at their convenience. 

 

Registration fee is $30 per participant. 

 

Get more information and register for the workshop series. Contact: Dr. Kathryn Edwards, LACOE coordinator, Equity, Access and Curriculum Support.

 

 

 

Election Resources

These curated resources and information were developed to assist school communities in navigating the 2020 election landscape with purpose and intentionality.

 

In addition to the lesson plans, discussion guides and professional development opportunities included in the list shared above, teachers and staff might find helpful:

 

?         Anti-bias and anti-hate resources provided by the Museum of Tolerance 

?         Anti-Defamation League resources for voter education and engagement that offer helpful tools for addressing extremism and how it may impact the election 

?         LA vs Hate Initiative, a community-centered campaign to unite against, report and resist hate 

?         Comprehensive information and assistance at all stages of voting provided by the national, nonpartisan Election Protection coalition

 

 

Foster Youth

 

Free application for Federal Student Aid:

 

Is your district assisting students in foster care with their FAFSA and other applications that may help pay for their college fees? For every student in foster care that fills out a FAFSA application, LACOE Foster Youth Services would like to know.

 

Every year, district liaisons work with LACOE FYS staff to report their numbers. If your district would like guidance on how to best assist students with filling out the FAFSA, contact FYS for assistance at no cost.

 

Counselor Corner: 

 

LACOE’s Foster Youth Services counseling team has created a “Counselor Corner” padlet that provides a wide variety of resources and tools to help support students in foster care.

 

The team has gathered a variety of resources on topics that include FAFSA, bullying prevention, LGBTQ+, commercial sexual exploitation of children, foster youth laws, mental health support, scholarships and a staff contact list. 

 

View the “Counselor Corner” padlet

 

Upcoming webinars:

Nov. 16/2020: Caregiver Roundtable, click here to register 

 

View November calendar of events

 

Request a training or submit a general inquiry for LACOE's Foster Youth Services team

 

 

Learning Opportunity from Kaiser Permanente and Healthier Generation

Leveraging RISE! Strategies for Fostering Strong Relationships in the School Community — Nov. 4, 2 – 3 pm

 

This webinar will take a deeper dive into resources from the Healthier Generation Action Center that support staff well-being, specifically those related to fostering strong relationships and connections in the school community.

 

Registration required

 

 

 

Liability

Title IX teams training: 

 

The U.S. Dept. of Education’s new Title IX regulations have gone into effect. One requirement is to have a Title IX Team (consisting of Coordinator, Investigator, Decision Maker, Appeals Officer and Informal Resolution Facilitator) in place to appropriately respond to complaints and to properly train the team. 

To assist the county’s 80 districts with this requirement, LACOE’s Office of General Counsel and Labor Relations will offer training during the month of November.

 

Anyone interested can attend one of three trainings to take place on Nov. 9, 18 and 30 from 1 to 4 pm.   

 

View event flyer

 

To register, email LACOE Labor Relations at [email protected].

 

 

 

Mental Health Support for Educators

Trauma-Informed Self-Care for Educators During a Pandemic — Nov. 13, 10 am – 12 pm:

 

Provided by LACOE Foster Youth Services, this workshop is designed to provide participants with strategies and tools needed to create a self-care routine to prevent compassion fatigue and burnout in a post-COVID-19 world. 

 

Get more information and register for workshop

 

 

 

Nutrition and Meal Service

Pandemic EBT extension: 

 

?         Students who previously received P-EBT benefits will automatically receive a new P-EBT benefit card for the months of August and September 2020. More information here.  

 

NEW—Eligibility for CARES Act grants to support food-related programs and services: 

 

?         Organizations that have received CARES Act funding from LA County are now eligible to apply. Grant applications are due Oct. 31, 2020. More information here.

 

 

 

Student Support Services

LA County School Counseling Symposium — Nov. 4, 2020 & Jan. 28, 2021:

 

The first annual LA County School Counseling Symposium will provide counselors with connections to provide educational support for students. The focus will be "Rebuilding Counseling Communities" during a pandemic and community tragedy.

 

In partnership with community educators throughout LA County, the symposium will provide an interactive and collaborative professional development experience for counselors and other school-based mental health professionals. The event will be split between two days: Day 1 on Nov. 4 will provide immediate support for the current climate. Day two on Jan. 28 will be a follow-up in anticipation of a rapidly changing environment.

 

Get more information and register

 

 

 

Technology & Cybersecurity

Districts that are ISP clients of LACOE may be upgrading bandwidth due to distance learning needs. LACOE believes its bandwidth is adequate for all its ISP clients. However, any district interested in upgrading its bandwidth may contact Antonio Ocampo at [email protected] or the LACOE Helpdesk at [email protected].

 

Resources for Districts & Schools

 

120 Digital Resources for Home-Schooling (TEACH.com)click here

 

COVID-19 Mental Health Resources (LA County Mental Health Dept.)click here

 

Health & Safety Guidebook (CCEE) click here

 

Wide Open School (Common Sense Media)click here

 
Important Reminder:
 
Based on the Governor’s recommendations, which promote social distancing and “safer at home” provisions, all certificated and classified paychecks will be mailed contingent with the following schedule:
  • Classified/PAC2E Management/Confidential Employees: All permanent and probationary classified employee checks and paystubs will be mailed effective March 31, 2020.
  • Certificated Employees: All permanent and probationary certificated employee checks and paystubs will be mailed effective April 1, 2020
  • Classified Subs/Non-Classified: Checks will be mailed on April 10, 2020.
  • Certificated Subs: Checks will be mailed on April 3, 2020.
 
Payroll distribution will remain the same for employees with direct deposit.  These employees will continue to get a direct deposit.  
 
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
 
Pomona Unified School District Student & Staff Device Support 
For the past three weeks, since the school closures were announced, PUSD staff has worked diligently to provide resources to those students and staff in need. Due to the current COVID-19 directives and to ensure the safety of our school families, staff members and their families, the Pomona Unified School District Student and Staff Device Support Drive-through Service will be closed until further notice. The Form will remain open, in order to ensure we are capturing District needs, however we encourage all to seek alternate means to access your instructional resources during this time of crisis. If and when we are able to physically re-open technology drive-through service, those on the form will be notified. If you have an issue that can be resolved through remote tech support, please call the Technology Helpline at (909) 397-4800 ext. 23780. Thank you.

https://forms.gle/gLr6ZPuJ316UpD478

Durante las últimas tres semanas, desde que se anunciaron los cierres de escuelas, el personal de PUSD ha trabajado diligentemente para proporcionar recursos a los estudiantes y el personal que lo necesitan. Debido a las directivas actuales de COVID-19 y para garantizar la seguridad de las familias de nuestra escuela, los miembros del personal y sus familias, el servicio de asistencia para estudiantes y personal del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Pomona estará cerrado hasta nuevo aviso. El Formulario permanecerá abierto, para garantizar que estamos capturando las necesidades del Distrito, sin embargo, alentamos a todos a buscar medios alternativos para acceder a sus recursos educativos durante este tiempo de crisis. En caso de que podamos volver a abrir físicamente el servicio de acceso directo de tecnología, se notificará a los que figuran en el formulario. Si tiene un problema que se puede resolver a través del soporte técnico remoto, llame a la Línea de ayuda tecnológica al (909) 397-4800 ext. 23780. Gracias.

https://forms.gle/gLr6ZPuJ316UpD478
HR Staff Update March 18, 2020
 
COVID-19 Safety Updates March 13, 2020 12:30 PM

Please be advised that Pomona Unified School District will initiate an emergency closure of all district school and work sites starting Monday, March 16, 2020 through Friday, March 27, 2020 out of an abundance of caution as strongly recommended by Los Angeles County Office of Education. Additionally, all PUSD students and staff will begin Spring Break on Monday, March 30, 2020 and return back to PUSD school and work locations on Monday, April 6, 2020. Should you have any further questions, concerns and/or comments, please contact the Public Information Office via https://proudtobe.pusd.org/COVID19safetyupdates/.  We will also provide additional information and details via this page as well. 

 

Por favor note que el Distrito Escolar Unificado de Pomona iniciará un cierre de emergencia en todas las escuelas y sitios de trabajo del distrito a partir del lunes 16 de marzo de 2020 hasta el 27 de marzo de 2020 por precaución y como lo recomiendó la Oficina de Educación del Condado de Los Ángeles. Además, todos los estudiantes y el personal de PUSD comenzarán las vacaciones de primavera el lunes 30 de marzo de 2020 y regresarán a la escuela y a los lugares de trabajo el lunes 6 de abril de 2020. Si tiene más preguntas, inquietudes y/o comentarios, comuníquese con la Oficina de Información Pública vía https://proudtobe.pusd.org/COVID19safetyupdates/ .También proporcionaremos información y detalles adicionales a través de esta página.

 

緊急命令: 為因應新冠狀肺炎的擴散,波莫納學區將遵循洛杉磯教育局的通知自2020316日星期一至2020327日止緊急關閉學校兩週。另外,所有波莫納學區的學生和老師將從330日星期一起放春假一週。學校會在46日星期一恢復上課。如果你有任何問題或疑問,請直接上網至https://proudtobe.pusd.org/COVID19safetyupdates/  瞭解詳情。所有的最新資訊也會直接在網路上發佈。

 

March 12, 2020 4:40 PM: Our schools are open and we welcome all PUSD students and staff. As of now, there are no planned closures for any of Pomona Unified School District campuses.  Protocols are in place to continue to ensure maximum safety for students and staff during academic testing and in-class instruction.  For continuous updates, please visit https://proudtobe.pusd.org/apps/pages/covid19safetyupdates