‘COVID-19 is out of control.’ A scramble to make online learning work in Fresno, Clovis
Students around Fresno County gathered virtually for the first day of classes Monday.
In Clovis, students and teachers wore masks and stayed 6 feet apart during a small ceremony on the Jefferson Elementary school lawn to celebrate the first day of school. The annual opening bell ceremony was streamed online.
Some of the district’s catering staff were given the honor of ringing the first school bell of the year.
In March, when the coronavirus pandemic first forced schools to close, campus catering services around Fresno County continued working, ensuring students still had breakfast and lunch most days.
Campus catering will continue to provide meals for students during the fall semester. Meals will be available for pickup from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. on weekdays at specific locations.
A new era of distance learning in Clovis
Distance learning on Monday looked a lot different for Clovis students. Teachers and staff had more time to prepare for the fall semester.
Most Clovis schools used Monday as an orientation day for parents and students.
According to parents who spoke to The Bee, teachers at Lincoln Elementary provided one-on-one orientations to review schedules, online learning tools, parents’ and students’ expectations.
“My hope for this school year is to simply focus on the advantages of distance learning and how I can help my kids succeed. Yes, there are a lot of disadvantages of not being in a real classroom setting. But I also know that COVID-19 is out of control in our community, and I don’t want to put my family or their teachers at risk,” said Clovis parent Calvin Fleming.
Parents said the idea of continuing distance learning did not appeal to their children but they “resigned” themselves to that reality.
High school students met on Zoom on Monday. Their first day of school consisted of instructors figuring out how to take roll and giving students the expectations of the year.
Elementary school students won’t begin formal Zoom classes until Thursday.
“My fourth-grader is hurt the most. She needs the interaction with her friends, and was excited about getting to start the various upper-grade clubs and activities that are usually available to students at our school (Valley Oak). Now she’s only really excited about picking a cool Zoom background for her school time,” Clovis Unified parent Christian Westergaard said.
Clovis Unified received CARES Act funding to ensure all students had access to the Internet and learning devices.
Clovis Unified has 3,500 hotspots for students and more than 33,000 devices available. If a parent needs technical help, Clovis has specific instructions and information on how to receive guidance on their website.
For additional technological assistance, families can call Clovis Unified’s Technology Help Desk at 559-327-9595. Help is available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Clovis has beefed up personal protective equipment for staff and added regular sanitizing of surfaces. Also, teachers and staff received a “return to work health and safety plan,” with further instructions on how teachers should care for their health.
Teachers and staff are to take daily temperatures at their homes. Anyone with a temperature above 100 degrees should not attend work. Teachers and staff are also given extra time daily for hand washing and sanitation.
Class instruction begins Wednesday for Fresno schools
The Fresno Teachers Association has asked Fresno Unified to postpone the start date so teachers could be more prepared. Still, Superintendent Bob Nelson at a news conference last week insisted they were ready.
The teachers union was able to negotiate for Monday and Tuesday to be orientation days and dedicated to building relationships. Wednesday will be the first day of instruction for students.
Teachers also had the choice of working from home or their classrooms, but it’s unclear how many teachers chose to go back to campus. Fresno Unified officials said they would have an estimate later this week.
Although students are learning from home, they are still required to be up to date on their immunizations. State immunization requirements to enter the seventh grade remain in effect. A list of clinics to receive vaccinations can be found at fresnounified.org/immunization-clinics.
There will be 63 school sites where families can pick up their breakfast and lunch for their students from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., Nelson said. A list of schools can be found at fresnounified.nutrislice.com.
Each school site has a hotline that families can call if they need help. Contact information for campuses can be found at schools.fresnounified.org.
For technology support, families can call 559-457-3939, and the district’s COVID Call Center can be reached at 559-457-3395.
Online classes filling up in Fresno’s Central schools
The Central Unified School District started distance learning last week, and teachers The Bee spoke with all said they were impressed with their attendance numbers.
Laura Bolton, a fifth-grade teacher at Saroyan Elementary School, said only two students did not show up for online classes.
Larissa Mercado-Lopez turned her living room into a workspace, so her four children had a place to study and attend their Zoom classes.
Third-grade teacher Ben Avila now uses Comcast and AT&T as internet providers just in case he needs a backup.
Fresno State classes amid COVID-19
Students will return Wednesday to Fresno State, where the university anticipates welcoming its largest incoming class ever with 3,700 first-year students and almost 2,800 transfer students.
While the university won’t have an official headcount until later in the fall, President Joseph I. Castro on Monday morning said the school is about 100 students away from breaking the record set in 2017.
About 67% of those students are the first in their families to attend college, the university said.
“We’re right there, and the fact that this is occurring during a global pandemic is such a great blessing for the university and for the region that we serve,” Castro said at a news conference. “The bigger story is the resilience of our students and families. The fact that during this pandemic, they would lean into their education right now is a powerful thing.”
While most of those students will begin their CSU education online, about 2,200 faculty, staff and students will be on campus, the university said. They will start their days by completing an online health screening to check for COVID-19 symptoms.
If the screening is clear, they will pass through one of the checkpoints set up around the campus. Between 7 a.m. and noon, checkpoints will be at Maple Circle (off Shaw Avenue), Matoian and Backer avenues, Maple and San Ramon avenues, Campus Drive Circle (off Barstow Avenue), and Jackson and Keats avenues. Between noon and 7 p.m., only the Maple Circle and Campus Drive Circle checkpoints will be open.
At the checkpoint, students will show their health screening clearance, get their temperatures checked, and receive a sticker that they will have to wear while on campus. Masks are also required.
But police will not have a say in the public health efforts, according to Debbie Adishian-Astone, vice president for administration and chief financial officer.
She said students who don’t check-in might be asked by faculty to leave the classroom and follow the protocols. The Office of Student Conduct may get involved if the behavior continues.
“This is all not meant to be punitive,” she said Monday, “this is meant to keep our campus community safe. Our students, faculty, and staff, we all care about each other, and the last thing we want is to have to police this effort.”
Fresno State offers free one-time COVID-19 baseline testing through Aug. 21 at the Save Mart Center for those who will be on campus this semester. Valley Children’s Hospital staff will run the testing from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.
Although most students will not be on campus, resources such as the Student Health and Counseling Center are still open. Academic tutors, technology support, and librarians are all available, some by chat.
The student cupboard in IT-144 is still open five days a week, and students can pick up food once a day.
Students facing financial hardships can soon apply for grants from the Perenchio Foundation. This newly established fund will support freshmen through seniors “who need a financial boost,” according to the university. The $5 million endowment will begin helping students in 2021-2022.
The estate of Jerrold “Jerry” Perenchio, a music executive who was born in Fresno and died in 2017, also donated $500,000 to the Good Samaritan Fund to immediately help students in need. Applications are currently being accepted.
Fresno-area community colleges fall classes
Fresno City College and Clovis, Reedley, and Madera Community colleges began the fall semester Aug. 13 with minor troubles when the student portal went down with so many students logging on, according to State Center Community College.
“This morning with classes almost entirely online, demand on MyPortal reached unprecedented levels,” the district wrote in an email to students. “While we believe that the improvements made today should be sufficient to meet the increased demands of the next few weeks, we’re continuing to make proactive improvements and are monitoring the situation closely.”
The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bee’s Education Lab on our website.
This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.