Greetings Cypress School Community,

We have a new tradition in our meetings to start with celebrations, so I will model that approach.  Congratulations on surviving the first week of school!  I could not be prouder of the level of presence, engagement, participation, collaboration, and connection that we have achieved at the school this week.  Despite health emergencies, power outages, smoke, wild fire evacuations, and more, we showed up for each other in a big way this week.  I will take this as a positive omen for this year, and I am filled with much needed encouragement and validation.  As the early elementary class says, my bucket is full.  I know we have room to grow, I know we are not perfect, we never claimed to be, but we can work together and move mountains.  As poor a substitute distance learning is for the real thing, I must say I never in my wildest dreams would have expected it to work as well as it has.  I know that has been made possible by a tremendous amount of effort on both sides of the screen and I am truly impressed and inspired by all of you making it happen.

To the teachers, therapists, and staff, you all are rock stars.  To the parents, you are superheroes.  We appreciate your commitment to daily contact and engagement.  Our team will be in touch to develop a distance learning plan, which is a document made in collaboration with the family, to lay out how the IEP is being addressed remotely.  This is where we can specify how much instructional time should be live, and how much will be asynchronous.  Distance learning is not the best way to teach our kids.  Since it is the only way we can support our students currently, we count on your feedback and collaboration to make it as successful as possible.  We can work together to make our program work for you with your input.   

The update on a safe return to in-person instruction for school remains uncertain.  Steve Herrington the Sonoma Superintendent has indicated that in consulting with County Public Health, due to continued case rates above 200 per 100,000 and continued significant community spread we should plan to continue remote learning through the semester.  We have gotten indications that the State would be sharing guidance this week for small groups of students who have a particularly difficult time learning remotely may be allowed on campus in small groups, even in areas on the watchlist.  We will keep you informed with any updates on that.  Please stay safe out there and join us on Monday at 2:30 for our Parent Meeting. 

Sincerely,

Nate Yates

Director of Educational and Behavioral Services