Placer Academy WEEKLY UPDATES
WEEK OF APRIL 6, 2020
REFRAMING LEARNING
SCHOOL CLOSURE - COVID -19 UPDATE:
Thank you for your patience and collaboration as we transition from our traditional classrooms to a distance-learning model. Our teachers and staff are working collaboratively to share best practices and develop resources to keep students engaged and learning. According to Placer County Health Officer Dr. Aimee Sisson, “Based on modeling of the COVID19 outbreak in California and in Placer County, it will not be safe for students to return to school in a traditional in-person model through the end of May into early June.” With this guidance, Placer County superintendents, charter school operators and the Placer County Superintendent of Schools have made a unified decision to close school facilities for in-person instruction through the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year. This decision aligns with recommendations shared earlier this week from both Governor Newsom and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond. Due to this, we will be holding another curriculum pick-up day on Monday, April 13th. Instructions for the pick up day are HERE. Please be sure to read thoroughly. 
DISTANCE LEARNING:
PAC will be utilizing a distance learning model during the school closure. This will look very different than an Independent Study. It is our goal to provide meaningful educational opportunities to all our students. During this time, we will be replicating as closely as possible what a typical day in school looks like. There will be a variety of activities provided for your student(s). Lessons will be offered via video, links, WebQuest, etc. Students and parents may access their classrooms and specials via the link above. Distance learning is new for all of us! If you are finding yourself stuck with how to support your kids and their technology at home, please reach out. We are here to support you! FILL OUT THIS FORM and Mrs. Sutton will be in contact to support your needs. ZOOM SAFETY: This week, our teachers have moved from the basic version of Zoom into the licensed Zoom for Education platform. We made this choice to ensure the safety of our staff and students during this time of Distance Learning. The Zoom for Education platform allows us to monitor our meetings in a much more controlled way. We know there is a lot of press coming out right now regarding Zoom hackers and we wanted to assure you that our precautions are in place for this very reason. What are the precautions?
CHROMEBOOKS AND INTERNET FILTERS: Please be aware that when student Chromebooks are used at home, they are not under the school WiFi filters. We still have certain sites blocked through Google accounts themselves, but we ask that you are aware of your student's internet usage. INTERNET: For those that may not have access to the internet, Comcast is offering 'Internet Essentials' and making the program free to new customers for two months, amid the coronavirus outbreak. https://www.wxyz.com/news/national/coronavirus/comcast-offering-internet-essentials-package-free-for-60-months-during-coronavirus-outbreak. 
FREE AND REDUCED LUNCHES:
If your family qualifies for free/reduced lunch, we will still have the ability to provide sack lunches for these students. If you qualify for free/reduced lunch and would like to access this option, you will still need to order through MySchoolBucks. Lunches will be available for pick-up for the week at the primary campus on Tuesdays from 11:00 am - noon. HEALTH AND SAFETY REMINDERS:
It is important to remember that during the time of the school closure, students and families should follow the Department of Public Health’s recommendations for social distancing at events and gatherings, and to minimize social contact to the extent possible. Protecting public health requires a community-wide response. While children have not been shown to be a high-risk group for serious illness from COVID-19, they are still able to transmit the virus to populations who are most vulnerable to serious illness, such as older adults and those with compromised immune systems. Be mindful of childcare decisions to avoid exposing vulnerable persons, such as grandparents, to children. Do not gather in other locations such as shopping malls, movie theaters or community centers even while school is closed. For general questions about COVID-19 and precautions currently recommended by Placer County Public Health, residents may call the county’s coronavirus information line at (530) 886-5310. Current information about the coronavirus is available at www.placer.ca.gov/coronavirus and on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
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Enroll TodayIf you are interested in enrolling your student(s) for the 2020-2021 school year, you can access the enrollment form HERE.
Email us or call us at (916) 259-1688 if you are interested in enrolling in our fantastic school! Quick links
CALENDAR OF EVENTSApril 6 - April 13: Spring Break, No School
April 14 - June 5: Distance Learning April 8: Virtual Board Meeting, 5:15 pm Join by Phone: +1 570-844-1118 PIN: 475 172 782# April 13: Curriculum Pick-Up Day 
Placer academy ptoWith the new adventure we will be on for the next few weeks, I wanted to send out news related to ongoing and current PTO events.
All dine out nights have been postponed until further notice. As expected, the Art Show and Auction will have to look different this year. We will be postponing and/or changing the feel of the Art Show this year. But to keep families healthy and safe, we will NOT be having the auction on April 17th. Please look for more information to come about this. PTO OFFICERS NEEDED: If you are interested in becoming part of the PTO, please email pto@placeracademy.org. The Placer Academy PTO is made of parent volunteers that work hard to make our little school a better place. They provide student and teacher resources, plan community events, and conduct fundraisers that support our school community.
CONTACT YOUR PTO:
Interested in volunteering for a committee, helping with a fundraiser, or assisting in multiple ways? Email us at pto@placeracademy.org. ARTICLE OF THE WEEK
HOW TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT COVID-19:
Our school counselor, Liz Pessaren, held a webinar for parents about strategies for discussing COVID-19 with your children. HERE is the presentation. 
Follow UsFollow the hashtags: #pacproud, #paclions, and #lionpac for pictures and updates!
For more updates and school information, follow us on Instagram @paclions.
For more updates and school information, follow us on Facebook @PlacerAcademy.
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gallery of OUR DISTANCE LEARNING
Please continue to send us your distance learning photos and tag us on Facebook and Instagram!
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