Foothills Sentry July 2020

Foothills Sentry Page 10 July 2020 OUSD Board hears post mortem on COVID response A report on COVID-19 re- sponses by Orange Unified School District, presented to the Board of Trustees, June 4, describes steps taken to ensure student learning continued in the stay-at-home en- vironment. Assistant Superintendent of Ed- ucation Cathleen Corella reported that the district had been prepared to push the distance-learning but- ton just days after school facilities were ordered closed by the state. Other districts, she said, took one to two weeks to get online class- rooms up and running. OUSD notes a 98 percent stu- dent/family participation rate, with 6,500 devices distributed and 1,750 hotspots deployed. Staff connected with all but about 500 families, using conventional (records on file) and unconven- tional (Facebook, social media) methods. Breakfast and lunch were pro- vided to all students at 11 pick-up sites. The district is using grant money to continue its meal pro- gram over the summer. Parents and students had mixed reactions to the remote education- al process. Some found it praise- worthy, while others decried its failures. “My son is a freshman at VPHS,” one parent stated. “He was online only three hours per week for all classes, as opposed to 20 to 25 hours per week of live instruction. How can we be as- sured of a robust education?” “The teachers are doing an amazing job,” another parent countered. “My five- and six- year-olds crossed over with no notice. The children are adjusting to the new routine. The principal has done an exceptional job.” “We immediately got out books and devices to school sites where students could pick them up,” Corella said. “We identified on- line platforms, got them loaded. It was a coordinated effort from special education, curriculum, individual schools and tech ser- vices. We offered professional development sessions for teach- ers, provided collaboration and communications tools for parents and additional tools for English- learners and their parents.” Friends seeking more friends The Friends of Orange Public Library (FOPL) has supported the Orange library system for over 60 years. In just the past decade, FOPL has provided well over half a million dollars in cash and in-kind grants. It supports the summer reading program, purchases equipment (early child- hood learning stations), provides DVDs and CDs, and sponsors items like Rocket Languages and Ancestry. The Friends also under- write digitalization of early city documents for the History Center. This year, however, the main funding source, the used book- store, was shuttered by the pan- demic. The pandemic has also hit city finances, making the need for Friends support even greater. The organization is actively seeking tax-free donations to help Friends help the city help the li- brary. Please consider becoming a Friend this year. Donations can be mailed to Friends of Orange Public Library, 407 E. Chapman Avenue, Orange 92866; credit cards are accepted. All gifts will be recognized with membership and gratitude. See the FOPLCA page on Facebook, or email FOPL2424@gmail.com with questions. Orange Elks announce Drug Awareness Program winners By Bill Neessen Getting the message about drugs out to the community is one of Orange Elks Lodge 1475’s strongest programs. The Orange Elks Drug Awareness Education Program, directed by Chairman Mike Cash, teaches children, par- ents and adults about the dangers of drug use to prevent abuses. Each year, the Orange Elks host essay and poster contests for elementary students and conduct a contest for the best video from junior high schools, high schools and post-high school. Pre-CO- VID, awards were presented at a Youth Appreciation Night pro- gram. This year, awards were pre- sented at the school sites. Karen Ramirez of Yorba Middle School was the winner of the essay con- test with her work, “Choose Life Not Drugs.” The winning video in the post- high school category was “Taken Away,” created by Orange High School Media Instructor Alberto Yap. Rachael Pollack, from Can- yon High School, won in the high school category for her video en- titled “Unintended Consequenc- es.” In the middle school catego- Santiago Charter Middle School received two awards for drug awareness videos. ry, Danny Chiang from Santiago Charter Middle School won for his video, “Taken From.” Santiago Charter Middle School also earned a Special Judges Award for Innovation with its first Spanish language video (with English subtitles), “La Rosa de Guadalupe.” A second Special Judges Award for Innovation was granted to McPherson Magnet School for “Drug Rap,” the first rap video entry. The middle school boys who produced it stated, “We wanted to win, but we wanted to have fun more.” It must be summer, as Irvine Lake is again open for fresh air and fishing. The park will be open for shoreline fishing between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Friday through Sun- day. The gates open for parking Irvine Lake is open for fishing beginning at 6 a.m. Parking is $5 per vehicle. There is no charge for fishing, and licenses are not necessary. Dogs are not permitted. For further information, see the Orange County Parks website.