Dear IUSD Community,
On behalf of the IUSD Board of Education and leadership team, we hope you enjoy the winter break and holiday season. With our deepest gratitude, thank you for your continued partnership and support throughout this disruptive and difficult chapter in our District’s history.
Together, we have worked through many challenges in this ever-changing landscape, and we thank you for your adaptability, character and perseverance. As we prepare to usher in a new year, we look forward to continuing our collaboration with our outstanding student-centered community to support and meet the needs of our students, staff and families, while maintaining safe campuses and District sites.
Let’s Do Our Part to Keep Schools Safe
Since the onset of the pandemic, the California Department of Public Health, the Orange County Health Care Agency and other health experts have repeatedly stated that schools are not the source of COVID-19 surges due to effective, multi-layered mitigation strategies. However, the choices we make, when not on campus, can and do make a difference in helping to keep our schools safe and open. For more information and ways you can do your part, particularly as we are learning more about existing and new variants, please see the following resources:
- California’s Resource Page: COVID and the Holidays (travel advisories, celebrating safely and more)
- California Department of Public Health COVID-19 Resource Page
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Travel Page
- Orange County Health Care Agency COVID-19 Resource Page
- IUSD’s COVID-19 Resource Page
- IUSD’s Daily Home Screening Guide
If your holiday plans include travel, please continue to monitor and follow all CDC and California Department of Public Health guidelines, including the recent travel advisory for California.
IUSD remains in contact with the California Department of Public Health and the Orange County Health Care Agency. We will continue to closely monitor this situation and provide updates to the IUSD community when new information is available. The health and safety of our students, staff and families is our priority and as we have done since the onset of COVID-19, we will continue to follow state and local guidelines and adapt as needed.
Rumors Online and in the Community
As you may know, many people around the nation and in our own community have been concerned about warnings of school violence posted on TikTok in recent days. As communicated yesterday, IUSD staff and schools have been working in concert with the Irvine Police Department and although there has been no credible threat to our schools, we continue to ask our students and families to be mindful of their online presence and their use of words.
If you or your child become aware of any potential threat posted to social media or anywhere else, please immediately notify IPD, your school or a trusted adult. Additionally, students may use IUSD’s Say Something Anonymous Reporting System, which enables students to seek support anonymously for themselves or for friends. Click here for more information.
Mental Health and Wellness Resources and Supports
I would also like to take this opportunity to remind our community about the importance of mental health and wellness. Please visit iusd.org/WeCare or click here for more information about IUSD and community resources and supports for students and families. This includes IUSD’s partnership with Care Solace to connect families with outside care providers.
Thank you again and best wishes for a joyful and rejuvenating break.
Sincerely,
Terry L. Walker
Superintendent of Schools