The beginning of a unique school year

The beginning of a unique school year

The new classroom: online learning from home

The 2020-21 school year will open  on Aug. 31 for Scripps Ranch students in the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD), but students will be learning from home on laptops, not on school campuses.

This unusual public school year gets underway with online learning due to restrictions based on the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Meanwhile, San Diego County was taken off the State’s COVID-19 watchlist Aug. 18 and is in the midst of a 14-day period in which its case rate must fall below the six thresholds set by State health officials. Should the county stay below those marks, schools would be allowed to physically reopen campuses, pending the decision of the school district.

SDUSD would base its decision on strict standards adopted and developed in collaboration with health experts from the University of California, San Diego. SDUSD has its own set of case metrics as well as its own standards of physical safety measures, which must be in place before it will allow schools to reopen, according to an Aug. 10 district announcement.

While SDUSD has been making contingency plans all summer, parents were active on social media sharing information. Some lined up tutors and enrolled their children in programs offering supplemental lessons. Others organized study pods and socially-distanced backyard learning groups.

First day photos: Email a photo of your student on the first day of classes to Scripps Ranch News for publication in the September issue. Email photo, student’s name, grade and name of school to info@scrippsranchnews.com.