Santa Maria-Bonita School District

This English and Spanish newsletter gives families and parents some tips to help their children be successful in school. Click   HERE   to read the newsletter (scroll down for the Spanish pages) or click "Read more" to see the newsletter.  

October 16, 2020 SMBSD students, parents and staff members: First, let me thank you for the incredible work you are all doing to make sure that students receive the highest quality education during Distance Learning. I know it has not been easy or convenient. Your commitment to learning and teaching is awe-inspiring, and you are helping our community cope during this unprecedented time in our world. Part of supporting our community is ensuring that we all do our part to protect our own health and the health of everyone around us. That priority is why I am reaching out today with this letter. Our school district is committed to the health and safety of all students, their families and staff members. Our Board of Education members and district leaders closely monitor local health information and guidelines to help us make informed, careful decisions and plans about our schools and programs.   On Tuesday, October 13, it was announced by the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department that the county-wide COVID-19 reporting of new daily case rates per 100, 000 population had remained in the “red” tier for the third consecutive week. As a result, K-12 schools in Santa Barbara County now have the option to initiate in-person learning. Any return to in-person learning for schools requires adherence to the Public Health Department’s health and safety protocols designed to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 within schools and within their communities.   In Santa Maria-Bonita School District, we have been anticipating a return to in-person learning for months, having prepared a school reentry plan aligned to Public Health guidelines over the summer.  As a result, in addition to tracking county-wide new daily COVID-19 case rates, we have been monitoring the local daily case rates within the city of Santa Maria.  While the county rate has decreased to the “red” tier (between 4-7 new daily cases per 100, 000 population), the rate for Santa Maria is still in excess of 7 new daily cases, which would fall into the “purple” or widespread tier and make us ineligible to open school campuses without a waiver from the Public Health Department. The table below is a comparison of the new daily case rates for Santa Barbara County and the city of Santa Maria from September 23 - October 7 (the raw data from which this table was generated can be accessed at  https://publichealthsbc. org/santa-barbara-county-surveillance-metrics/):While the county-wide levels have subsided, the rates in Santa Maria (and North County more generally) remain high. As a result of the elevated daily case rates in the city of Santa Maria, Santa Maria-Bonita schools will not initiate the consideration to return to in-person learning until the local daily case rate has decreased into the “red” tier for the prescribed three consecutive weeks that are applied on a county-wide level. The priority that precedes in-person learning in schools is the public health of our local community and, as such, we will use the local data to guide our processes. We will continue to monitor the Public Health Department reporting, as we have done over the past several months, to gauge that progress.   In the meantime, we will continue to provide daily instruction through Distance Learning for all SMBSD students. The partnership between school and home has never been more important than during this pandemic. Parents, please reach out to your children’s teachers or schools if you have questions, need assistance, or want to provide feedback.   On behalf of the SMBSD Board of Trustees, I extend my respect and appreciation for the incredible efforts that have been made by staff, families, and students in managing the challenges presented through Distance Learning.  As we continue to work through those challenges, please, stay safe. Sincerely, Luke M. Ontiveros Superintendent 

There will be a virtual meeting of the Santa Maria-Bonita School District’s District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 via Zoom.   The meeting will be held in English and Spanish.   If technical or computer support is needed please phone 805-361- 8155 between 8:00 am and 2:30 pm. We are looking forward to seeing you: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 21, 2020  https://smbsd. zoom. us/j/84257109679?pwd=Q05zcVMrYXE1RXIyczdxcE1kdldRQT09   Meeting ID: 84257109679, Password:  287483   Phone number:  1 669-900-9128 Agenda topics include: * Introduction Tammie Castillo-Shiffer, Family Engagement and Pupil Support Specialist  * Schedule of DELAC Meetings for 2020-2021 * DELAC training  * Reclassification overview, Michele Sioredas and Maria Garcia

The Santa Maria-Bonita School District and surrounding school districts are providing breakfast and lunch at no cost to any child in the Santa Maria Valley community 18 years old and younger at the distribution sites listed below. Verification for the number of children receiving meals may be required. Families, care-givers, or those who pick up meals for children should still choose one location to receive meals. If you need to change the location where you pick-up meals, please tell a staff member at the new location you want to visit and they will give you a new form to get a new meal card. Supper is no longer being provided. Santa Maria Bonita School District - Monday - Thursday (double meals will be provided on Thursdays so children have food for Fridays). 7 a. m. - 8:30 a. m. Robert Bruce Elementary School front parking lot on Alvin Street (new location) 11:30 a. m. - 1 p. m. Alvin ElementaryArellanes Elem/JHBattles ElementaryEl Camino JHFairlawn ElementaryFesler JHJimenez ElementaryTommie Kunst JHMiller ElementaryOakley ElementaryOntiveros ElementaryRice ElementarySanchez ElementaryTaylor Elementary Tunnell Elementary 3:30 p. m. - 5 p. m.  Souza Center Side Parking Lot (708 S. Miller St. ) Orcutt School District  -  Monday - FridayJoe Nightingale/Patterson Road/Pine Grove    10:30-11:30 a. m. Olga Reed/OAK 8                                              10:30-11:30 a. m. Alice Shaw & Ralph Dunlap                              10:30 a. m. -12:00 p. m. Orcutt JH & Lakeview JH                                   11:45 a. m. -12:25 p. m. Orcutt Academy High School                            12:30 -1:10 p. m. Santa Maria Union High School - Monday- Friday11 a. m. -12:30 p. m. Ernest Righetti High SchoolPioneer Valley High SchoolSanta Maria High School 11:30 a. m. -12:30 p. m. Taylor & Currier intersectionAtkinson ParkMiller Street & Ceston St. intersectionRailroad Ave. & Cook St. intersectionSchool Ave. & Boone St. intersectionWestgate Rd. & Bethel Ln. Centennial Park4000 S. Blosser (trailer park) *All sites and schedules are subject to change.

Please click "Read More" to see flyers in English and Spanish with updated information on Pre-Kindergarten (preschool) registration for the 2020-21 school year. Pre-school will be provided through distance teaching and learning.  

The staff members of SMBSD’s districtwide library, the Instructional Media Center, have been working hard since they were able to return to work in person on July 16, after SB County Public Health approved the district office’s health and safety plan.   Over the summer, the IMC received 120 pallets (not boxes) of Amplify 6th grade through 8th grade science supplies which included teacher materials, bins of science resources, and student textbooks whichfilledthe cafeteria at Liberty School.   The IMC also received 173 pallets (not boxes) of Twig Kindergarten through 5th grade new science items which included teacher materials, resource bins, and student texts that filled the Taylor School cafeteria. The photos only show a small portion of the science materials that arrived. In order to get the new science materials out, library records, barcodes, and item kit labels were created for each item. Every teacher kit item was barcoded, item-number labeled, and covered with a clear barcode protector. After that, each kit had to be assigned, repackaged, labeled, and put on pallets to be delivered to the correct school and teacher. All barcodes were entered into the Destiny library software program and items were checked out to specific teachers. All of the science kits were delivered to schools by August 7.  Student books and materials were also delivered to schools and ready by August 7. The work that the IMC staff started on July 16 is work that usually begins the day after the last day of school the previous year and continues throughout the summer months. This year, that time was just 4 weeks. In 2015, the district approved a new Math program, and the IMC staff performed the same process to barcode, assign and distribute 17, 800 textbooks plus other materials. In 2017, the same process was done for a new Language Arts program. In 2019, all new Social Studies books and materials were purchased and provided to the whole district.   The Math, Language Arts, Social Studies and Science curriculums all have workbooks that the students use and write in throughout the year. That means that each year, before school starts, the IMC sends out more than 68, 000 new workbooks and other academic materials.   The IMC is currently working to send instructional materials and teachers’ editions to teachers who have moved to another school or who changed grade levels.  That job will be completed soon. This year, Covid-19 has proved to be a challenge in the district in several areas. However, the IMC has been working hard to get books and materials out to teachers and students.   The whole district appreciates the hard work of the IMC Team.