Creekside Early Learning Center

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Safety in AUSD Schools

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A message from Dr. Newman: Dear AUSD Families, Now that we are in the midst of spring break I wanted to share a few thoughts. Over the last few years, we have all learned a lot about being resilient, persevering, and continuing to plow forward in difficult and uncertain times. From the early days of the pandemic, I believed deeply that one of the facets missing most from our lives was “connection”. It is why the Board and I were so steadfast in ensuring that in-person learning occurred on our campuses. Social distancing, quarantining, wearing masks, and the numerous mandates we all dealt with created a disconnect in society, and especially, among students. In fact, we have noticed that the disconnect in our students’ lives which resulted from the physical and social isolation brought on by the pandemic, has often led to an increased dependence on social media and screen usage. In addition, anxiety, and depression have become ever-present forces in our students’ lives. I believe now is the time to hit the “reset button” and institute new norms that are more balanced, and focus on the core aspects of learning, building relationships, and connecting to one another in person. We live in a world driven by social media, where the number of friends or likes often matters more than real-world connections. While there are many positive attributes to our students having phones, they have also become a constant source of distraction, interruption, and conflict in classes and on campus. Additionally, Tik Tok and other social media forums offer an “endless stream” of material, and often lead to students being bullied or requesting students do outrageous, dangerous, and illegal acts. We have seen these negative impacts firsthand. Therefore, beginning after spring break, phones will not be allowed to be used on all school campuses unless specifically determined by a teacher that they are needed for a specific academic reason. Earbuds, headphones, and smartwatches fall in the same category as phone usage and will also not be allowed to be used on campus. The zero-tolerance policy will be strictly enforced, which means these items are not allowed to be out immediately upon entering the campus. Our goal is to build deeper personal connections and move away from a dependence on social media and phones during the school day. If you do allow your student to come to school with a phone, please make sure your student turns their phone off or silences it during school hours. We are happy to relay any message to your student that is needed or if an emergency arises they can contact you in the office. If a student is found to be using a phone, the first offense will require the student to pick up the phone after school. A second offense will require a parent to pick up the phone, and if there is a third offense, the student will forfeit the opportunity to have a phone on campus. We ask for your support in helping us create a “better normal” which provides more compassionate social interactions and opportunities for our students to authentically engage with one another and get back to the real purpose of school -- teaching, learning, and connecting. With immense hope for the future, Dr. Rich Newman Proudest Superintendent on Earth

We need your feedback! Please take a few minutes to fill out our LCAP Survey (see link below). The purpose of this survey is to gather feedback on the District's progress in meeting our goals for 2021-22, plan for next year and capture your thoughts about providing expanded learning options for students. Your participation is critical to this decision-making process. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete. The deadline for completing the survey is Monday, April 4. Thank you for your participation and for your input. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JF8JJNS

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Dear AUSD Families, Unfortunately, two of our campuses, Shadow Hills Elementary and Creekside Early Learning Center, were vandalized this past weekend. We are working closely with the Sheriff’s Department and seek your assistance in identifying those responsible for damaging classrooms, the little league fields, and recovering stolen computers. Individuals on four motorcycles drove through campus and are believed responsible for the damage and theft. If you have any helpful information, please contact the Sheriff’s Department. Sincerely, Dr. Newman

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Dear AUSD Families: Earlier this week California Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced that masks will no longer be required in schools starting March 12, 2022. The announcement by the Governor and CDPH gives me hope that regular life can once again resume. As we enter this new phase, I once again ask for your grace as we move forward. I encourage everyone to remain kind and respectful and appreciate the personal choices of our classmates and staff members. While the last two years have not been easy I am encouraged by the resolve our school community has shown. I am deeply proud of how our District and community have partnered throughout the pandemic. Our work together and especially the work of our staff has set an example for the county, state, and country. Onward and upward, Dr. Rich Newman Proudest Superintendent and Principal on Earth Alpine Union

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Dear AUSD Families, When I began in AUSD almost six years ago, I became connected to an amazing community that was rich in tradition, and proud of its heritage. While we have tackled many issues together, the hope of bringing a high school to Alpine has remained an elusive and unfulfilled goal. The Board and I have continuously kept our eye on that prize, with a high school remaining a top goal for our Board. There has been a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes over the years to make an Alpine high school a reality. I am over the moon to announce that on Thursday, the Board of Trustees will meet to approve the leasing of the Alpine Elementary School site to Liberty Charter High. They will begin operating in August 2022, and renovations of the buildings will begin immediately with the plans to turn it into a state-of-the-art high school learning center. While the high school will operate separately from AUSD, Debbie Beyer, the Executive Director of Liberty Charter, and I have been collaborating very closely to ensure that there is a strong partnership and synchronicity between our schools. Debbie and I have worked to ensure that our students will be given priority status to enroll. I know that our Alpine community will ensure that Liberty Charter gets a very warm welcome. Liberty Charter is one of the longest-serving high school charters in the state. It is also one of the highest-performing charter high schools in San Diego. Liberty offers a rigorous curriculum including AP, Honors, and CP courses, career exploration, and dual credit classes. Students have travel opportunities, national and international, community service, competitive sports teams including CIF championships, and involvement in a wide variety of clubs. Along with developing critical thinking and STEM skills, students also learn soft skills such as leadership, teamwork, camaraderie, public speaking, project management, time management, marketing, and grant writing. A Liberty High School senior class receives, on average, a combined total of close to four million dollars in scholarship awards, including merit-based and athletic-based scholarships. I look forward to a long partnership with Liberty and to seeing a high school finally join our Alpine Community. To a new partnership, Dr. Rich Newman Proudest Superintendent and Principal on Earth