Attention Rio Vista Families, we are in search of parents for School Site Council and ELAC

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Attention Rio Vista Families, We are in search of parents who would like to be part of our School Site Council committee and ELAC (English Learner Advisory Committee). School Site Council is a great way to learn what is happening at our school. ELAC is for parents who have a child in our ELD (English Language Development) program and would like to be more involved. We will have a meeting for each committee once a month. If you are interested in School Site Council and/or ELAC, please contact the school office or your child's teacher. Thank you so much!

Successful first week of school

Dear FUSD Families,
As we conclude our first full week of school, we will continue to celebrate having our students back into our schools and classrooms. I would like to thank our dedicated staff, families, and the community of Fillmore for your support, patience, and encouragement as we navigate this school year. Please know we are following all California Department of Public Health and Ventura County Public Health guidelines. With all of the challenges we are facing regarding extensive contact tracing and identifying positive cases, it is the highlight of each day to see our wonderful students engaged, learning, and reconnecting with peers. We will continue to prioritize the safety of our students and do our very best to communicate in a timely manner. Please continue to prescreen your child each day before sending them to school and if your child has any COVID-19 symptoms, please do not send your child to school and please call the school office. Together, we can make this a positive school year for our kids!

Proud to be a part of FUSD,
Christine Schieferle, Superintendent  

New Breakfast Procedures

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Dear Rio Vista Families,

Please read the following carefully for our new breakfast procedures:

• Beginning Monday, Aug. 23rd, breakfast will be served from 7:00 a.m. – 7:50 a.m. each morning.

• Doors to the MPR will open at 7:00 a.m. for any student who would like breakfast, including kinders.

• If your student would like breakfast, please drop them off with plenty of time to eat.

• Students will not be allowed on the playground until 7:30 a.m.

• Reminder, starting Monday, families may not walk past the gates or MPR doors.

COVID-19 Daily Self-Screening Tool [English/Spanish]

Good afternoon families.

This is Christine Schieferle, Superintendent for the Fillmore Unified School District.

We are looking forward to welcoming our students back to school tomorrow, August 19. Please remember to prescreen your child before sending them to school. If your child has COVID-19 symptoms, has been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 or has been identified as a close contact, please do not send your child to school. Please call the school office. Families can find the prescreening tool on our FUSD website. All families will also receive a text message with a link to the prescreening tool. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s school. Thank you and we look forward to a great year!

Buenas tardes familias.

Esta es un mensaje de Christine Schieferle, Superintendente del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Fillmore.

Estamos deseando dar la bienvenida a nuestros estudiantes que estarán de vuelta a la escuela mañana, 19 de agosto. Por favor, recuerde de autoevaluar a su hijo antes de enviarlo a la escuela. Si su hijo tiene síntomas de COVID-19, ha estado en contacto con alguien que ha dado positivo a COVID-19 o ha sido identificado como un contacto cercano, por favor no envíe a su hijo a la escuela. Por favor llame a la oficina de la escuela. Las familias pueden encontrar el cuestionario de salud para la autoevaluación del COVID-19 en nuestro sitio web de FUSD. Todas las familias también recibirán un mensaje de texto con un enlace al cuestionario de salud para la autoevaluación del COVID-19. Si tiene alguna pregunta, comuníquese con la escuela de su hijo. Gracias y esperamos un año estupendo!

Registration is Tomorrow

Registration for all Rio Vista students is tomorrow, Aug. 12th, between the hours of 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.. Please bring your completed registration packet. All returning third grade students need to bring their district issued ipad in order to exchange it for a laptop! If you have any questions, please call the office - 805-524-4210. We are looking forward to seeing you!

Fillmore Unified School District and City of Fillmore Use of the Fillmore Aquatic Center

August 6, 2021

The Fillmore Unified School District (FUSD) is excited to announce the School Board’s decision to support the City’s Aquatic Center replastering project by agreeing to pay 50% of the cost.  The estimated total cost of the replastering project is $542,072.75.  The District’s contribution, $271,036.38, will be paid over 3 years, or a maximum of $90,345.46 per year.  This will be funded by the Building Fund, with revenues from redevelopment, which must be used for facilities, not classroom instruction.

This is in addition to the $36,000 that the District currently pays for use of the facility when it is regularly closed by the City, mid-September through mid-May, or $4,500 per month for 8 months.  During the District’s use time, the District provides its own custodial staff to clean the facilities and lifeguard supervision by our coaches. This fee was calculated based on the cost information provided by the City for utilities and maintenance supplies, such as chlorine.

 In return for FUSD’s annual payments of $126,345.46 per year the District is requesting:

·         Use of the pool for 2 hours per day, scheduled between 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday – Friday during the City’s use time, mid-May through Labor Day.

·         Priority use from one day after Labor Day to two weeks before Memorial Day, with a proposed schedule of:

o   Fall/Winter - September to March season for both water polo and swim: Monday - Friday 5:30 am - 8:00 am, 1:00 pm -7:30 pm and Saturday 6:00 am- 12:00 pm.

o   Spring - March to Memorial Day: 1:00 pm -6:30 pm, 5:30 am -8:00 am, and Saturday 6:00 am – 12:00 pm.

o   This includes access to pool facilities including the restrooms, locker rooms, storage closet in women’s locker room, first aid room, storage room, office (for access to the phone for emergencies), telephone room (for access to overhead lights and the touch pads for the swim lanes), and parking lot.

FUSD looks forward to completing this necessary maintenance project so that our students can continue to swim in our community, at the Fillmore Aquatic Center.

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.”