Welcome Back!

Dear Families, 

Welcome to the 2021-22 school year. I am honored to serve as the Superintendent for the Fillmore Unified School District and look forward to meeting with staff, students, families and the community to acknowledge and listen to what you love most about our school district and to identify areas of growth and improvement.

I am excited to share that we are preparing for a full in-person return to school on August 19, 2021. Our goal is to return our schools to as close as pre-COVID normal as possible. This includes scheduling Back-to-School Nights, parent trainings, in-person meetings, and bringing back the after-school Bridges program for students in grades K-8. In addition, students will participate in before and after school activities, athletics, clubs, and extracurricular activities on our campuses. In order to do this, the District is required to follow COVID guidelines from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Ventura County Public Health (VCPH). Our district nurses and administrative staff are in frequent contact with both agencies and the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE). We will adjust our protocols accordingly as guidance changes. Updated information will be shared with students, staff, families, and the community through our district communication system, district and school websites, and social media. We will always prioritize the safety of our staff and students and are working diligently to ensure all schools are ready for the first day of school.

Below are some of the changes for the upcoming school year:

·         Per CDPH guidelines, masks are required to be worn indoors by employees and students at all school sites, with exceptions per the CDPH face mask guidance.

·         Outdoors, employees and students are not required to wear masks.

·         Students and staff will self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms before coming to school.

·         Students who test positive for COVID-19, exhibit COVID-19 symptoms, or have been in contact with a positive COVID-19 case should stay home and contact their child’s school. School staff will work with District nurses and with the family to identify the level of contact, quarantine timelines, if necessary, and any additional return-to-school requirements and support the family may need.

·         Physical distancing is no longer necessary indoors or outdoors unless the District determines there is a hazard for a particular person or during a major outbreak.

·         Disposable face coverings will be provided to employees and students, if needed.

·         Classrooms, restrooms, playground equipment, buses, and common areas will be cleaned and disinfected by custodians daily with an emphasis on high-touch surfaces.

·         Handwashing stations will be available at all school sites, and students will be encouraged to wash their hands regularly and practice good hygiene behaviors.

·         Water fountains will remain closed and water bottles will be provided to students. Students may also bring their own filled water bottle from home.

·         Students may bring their own backpacks to school.

·         Non-essential visitors and volunteers will not be allowed on school campuses during the school day. All essential visitors (contractors, parents/guardians invited for parent meetings) must wear masks and sign-in.

o   Parents and families will not be permitted to walk their students to class, except for the first two days of school, August 19-20 for elementary students only. Masks will be required outdoors for these two days.

·         We encourage all who can receive the COVID-19 vaccinations to do so, but vaccinations are not mandatory for employees or students.

·         An Independent Study program is an option for students who do not wish to attend school in person. Please contact the Educational Services Department at (805) 524-6036.

For more information, please see the FUSD 2021-2022 COVID-19 Return to School Protocols document located on our district website.

We know the last 16 months of school closures and distance learning programs have been challenging for our students and their families. We look forward to providing additional academic and social and emotional supports to make this return to school experience as smooth as possible and will take measures to respond to the needs of our students. To begin, all schools will have full-time counselors and additional tutoring and credit recovery opportunities for students. Additional teachers have been hired at all elementary schools to provide intervention support and to address learning gaps. A new Wellness Center at Fillmore High School will provide counseling support for students and serve as a resource for families. Family workshops will be provided in English and Spanish to share strategies to support students at home. We look forward to hearing from all our families on how we can best meet your child’s needs and work together as partners in learning. 

I realize there are still many uncertainties and questions as we return to school. However, we do celebrate bringing students back into our schools and classrooms. We are confident that, working together, we can make this school year a safe and positive experience for our students. This is what we do best in Fillmore: we take care of our kids!

Proud to be a part of FUSD,

Christine Schieferle
Superintendent

Christine Schieferle Selected Finalist For Fillmore Unified Superintendent Position

 

Christine Schieferle

 

After conducting a nationwide search and a lengthy process of gathering input from employees of the district and members of the community, which included the review of over 21 applicants, the Fillmore Unified School District Board of Education is honored to announce Christine Schieferle as the finalist to replace Interim Superintendent Dr. Chuck Weis.

The Fillmore Unified Board of Trustees will be entering into contract negotiations with Mrs. Schieferle and is expected to confirm an offer of employment at its June 1, 2021, regularly scheduled Board meeting. Mrs. Schieferle currently serves Santa Paula Unified School District as the Deputy Superintendent of Educational Services and has previously served as Director of Curriculum and Instruction at the Ventura County Office of Education. She has also served as an Elementary Principal, Continuation High School Principal, High School Assistant Principal and Middle School Teacher in Fillmore Unified. In each of these roles, she has achieved high expectations with compassion, dedication, comprehensive support, and a commitment to strong collaboration and communication with students, families, staff, and the community.

Fillmore Unified Board President Tricia Gradias stated “We are excited to bring our strong leader, Christine Schieferle back home to lead our district. We are very fortunate to have selected Christine Schieferle as our finalist for the Superintendent position. After our extensive search and interview process with many very strong competitors, we found Christine, who comes from our school district. She is an excellent instructional leader, cares deeply about Fillmore and Piru and our children and brings us new perspectives and an excellent vision for Fillmore Unified. She is known as a strong communicator and collaborator who exemplifies transparent leadership, integrity, and respectful relationships. Her expectations for herself and others are very high and always centered on accelerating student achievement. In addition, her leadership goals are centered around creating inclusive and equitable learning opportunities for all district students. She embraces challenges that improve the organization and is driven to constantly improve relationships and bring people together to improve the lives of students.

Mrs. Schieferle was born, raised and currently resides in the community of Fillmore. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from San Diego State University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from California State University, Northridge.

“I care deeply about our community and believe in our students. I look forward to the 2021-22 school year and am ready to welcome our students and our families back to full-time, in-person instruction after the many challenges and trauma our community experienced during the past year. I am also committed, as your new Superintendent, to build trust and belonging among our students, families, and staff, while holding high expectations and accountability. I stand by the vision of the Fillmore Unified School District to ensure that each student is recognized, valued and inspired to be a life-long learners and prepared to be a contributing member of society.”

New Superintendent Survey [ENGLISH/SPANISH]

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As you probably know, Fillmore Unified School District is searching for a new superintendent to join our district by July 1st. We need your help right now to give input to the search firm about what type of person to recruit.

On the Fillmore Unified School District website home page under the heading INFORMATION is the heading SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH. Clicking on SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH brings you to a page with a hyperlink following the words English Survey or Encuesta en espanol. Clicking on that hyperlink provides one with an opportunity to provide input on the desired qualities and characteristics of the next superintendent.

Please take a few minutes to go on the FUSD website www.fillmoreusd.org and submit your survey by Sunday, May 2, 2021, if you want it to be considered.

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Como probablemente sepa, el Distrito Escolar Unificado de Fillmore está buscando un nuevo superintendente para unirse a nuestro distrito antes del 1 de julio. Necesitamos su ayuda ahora mismo para brindar información a la empresa de búsqueda sobre qué tipo de persona contratar.

En la página de inicio del sitio web del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Fillmore, bajo el encabezado INFORMACIÓN, está el encabezado BÚSQUEDA DE SUPERINTENDENTE. Al hacer clic en BÚSQUEDA DE SUPERINTENDENTES, accederá a una página con un hipervínculo que sigue a las palabras Encuesta en inglés o Encuesta en español. Al hacer clic en ese hipervínculo, uno tiene la oportunidad de proporcionar información sobre las cualidades y características deseadas del próximo superintendente.

Tómese unos minutos para visitar el sitio web del FUSD www.fillmoreusd.org y envíe su encuesta antes del domingo 2 de mayo de 2021, si desea que se la considere.

Preschool Child Development Program [English/Spanish]

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Fillmore Unified School District Child Development Preschool Program

Welcome to Fillmore Unified School District Child Development Preschool Program. We strive to provide a developmental foundation for the children in our program. It is our philosophy that all children have a positive, nurturing environment, that also promotes a successful school experience, and we are committed to providing a high-quality child development program that also supports and extends to a family/school partnership.

Full day & Part day Services available.

Child Development Preschool Sites:

Piru - San Cayetano - Sespe –Mountain Vista - Rio Vista - Sierra

Preschool Office:
Mountain Vista
914 5th Street,
Fillmore, CA
(805) 524 8311

Director of Child Development, Elvia G Parreira, MA: elvia.parreira@fillmoreusd.org
Office Manager, Amelia Dominguez: amelia.dominguez@fillmoreusd.org

Our Program is currently a Virtual Distance Learning environment:

• IPAD provided for Virtual Distance Learning Classes

• Packet Distributions provided for Family/School Partnership