Bonny Doon Union Elementary School District Home

The schools of Santa Cruz County are proud to partner with Dominican Hospital, Safeway, Salud Para la Gente, Santa Cruz County Public Health, and other medical providers to increase access to vaccination for students and families. Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine under an emergency use authorization (EUA) for children ages 12 to 15 years old . Santa Cruz County schools are offering vaccination clinics at school sites countywide through the end of the school year for students ages 12+ with parental consent. COVID-19 vaccination represents a key part of the strategy that has dramatically reduced the number of positive cases in our community.

Well, May is here, and we’re counting down to the end of what can only be described as a momentous school year. I can’t tell you what a joy it is to have all students and classes back at school five days a week and to hear happy voices coming from all directions. The school is vibrant and alive again. I’m so glad that collectively we were able to make this happen. Our continued diligence makes a difference.

Thanks to those who were able to attend. For those who were not able to attend, we want to make certain you have access to the information.

We are all so happy to have our students on campus and are excited to let you know our plans for the next step: In School Learning five days a week for all students. Your support and partnership over the past year as well as your support to help us get to this milestone is deeply appreciated. We especially appreciate the over 90% response rate to the recent survey sent to BDS families about planning for this next step. I am happy to report strong support (90%) for in-school learning as well as a commitment to perform daily home health screenings to assure we are continuing safety practices.

As you may be aware, both the Centers for Disease Control and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) have updated their guidance for schools. The attached letter from all of the superintendents in Santa Cruz County provides important information for you. Additionally, we are opening a new survey to gain an understanding of our community readiness for further expansion of in-person services based on the updated guidance from CDPH. We are asking you to complete the survey by Friday, March 26. This will allow us to plan any necessary next steps when we rerun from spring break. Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FZ7BKCF

The Santa Cruz County school community stands in solidarity against violence, intimidation, and racism towards Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and all communities of color. Anti-Asian violence has significantly increased since the start of the pandemic with more than 2,800 hate incidents recorded in the United States in 2020. These recent acts of hate, including the attacks upon elderly community members in the San Francisco Bay Area and the shootings in Atlanta, are symptomatic of long-standing systemic racism toward Asian American communities. We strongly believe that there is no place for racial hate, discrimination, or violence in our schools nor in our community.