Courtesy of San Benito High School:
Dear San Benito High School District Community,
On Tuesday, April 7, the San Benito High School Board of Trustees, in conjunction with other public schools in the county, formalized through approval of a resolution the decision to extend the closure of San Benito High School through the end of the Spring semester (June 5), to further limit the community spread of COVID-19. We have been planning for the potential of extended school closures for the past few weeks and have prepared for multiple scenarios as this situation continues to evolve. We understand how challenging these decisions are for our families, students, and staff and we appreciate your support. We are very grateful for all of the work our staff is doing to support our students and families.
“Despite all of the variables and new information surrounding how we function, the health and safety of our students and staff continues to be our highest priority,” said SBHS Principal Adrian Ramirez. “We will continue to ensure thorough and frequent communication to all of our stakeholders. The most important aspect of our distance learning model is to ensure equitable access for students. It will also be critical that we maintain a level of flexibility as we all transition to a new form of providing educational services to our students. The silver lining is that we are all now being forced to think outside the box and look for new ways to engage students. Ironically, there has never been a better opportunity for educational creativity than now. I’m excited to see all the new ideas and concepts that our students and teachers come up with.”
John Corrigan, president of the SBHS Board of Trustees, said “The safety of our students, staff and community at-large are at the forefront of every decision we make. These decisions are difficult because we have to weigh a ‘what-if’ versus a ‘will be.’ It is heartbreaking to look at the list of activities that we have been forced to alter or cancel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each of these events involves the gathering of hundreds of people and we simply cannot risk the health of so many.” To the Class of 2020, Corrigan said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that this horrible set of events has descended upon your senior year and taken away so many ‘normal’ things. Planning to host a gathering of 8,000 people from far and wide just a few weeks after the current end of the shelter in place order is reckless and dangerous. We have seen great work and tremendous creativity from our staff in all facets of school life. I am confident that our staff will plan and execute an alternate graduation ceremony that will be as extraordinary as it is unconventional.”
Here is an update on the status of student activities that were scheduled through the end of the Spring semester:
- Academic Rally (April 17): Virtual recognition will be published to recognize all academic achievements that would have been recognized during the rally.
- Unified Prom for Life Skills (April 17): A virtual Unified Prom will be held for Life Skills students.
- 8th Grade Preview Night (April 22): Cancelled.
- Spring Dance Concert (April 23-25): Cancelled.
- Spring Bumpfest (April 24): Virtual contest being organized by ASB at a later date.
- Spring Air Jam (April 30): Virtual “At Home Order” Air Jam being planned by ASB.
- Spring BLT (May 1): Virtual “Baler Lunch Time” (BLT) event being organized by ASB.
- Finale Dance (May 1): Cancelled.
- Freshman Class Interviews (May 2): Virtual interviews to be conducted by ASB.
- Advanced Placement Testing (May 4-15): College Board to offer at-home modified tests for all AP students.
- Gifted Games (May 8): Cancelled.
- Carnival (May 8-10): Cancelled.
- ASB Class Info Night (May 12): Virtual presentations being organized by ASB.
- Link Crew Kickoff (May 13): Electronic applications will be issued and a virtual informational presentation is being organized by ASB.
- Drama One-Acts (May 15-16): Cancelled.
- Prom (May 16): Cancelled.
- Perfect Attendance Awards (May 18): Virtual recognition will be published to recognize all attendance achievements that would have been recognized at the ceremony.
- ASB Banquet (May 19): Virtual presentation being organized by ASB.
- Yearbook Distribution (May 18-20): Yearbook is complete and for sale online. Awaiting update from vendor on status of printing and distribution of yearbooks.
- Senior Awards Night (May 20): Virtual recognition will be published to recognize all scholarship recipients that would have been recognized at the ceremony.
- Senior Parents Night (May 21): Virtual recognition and presentation will be published to recognize parents of seniors.
- Finale Rally (May 22): Cancelled.
- Music Awards Banquet (May 27): Virtual celebration being planned by band and choir councils.
- Arts Out Loud (May 30): Cancelled.
- Grad Trip (May 30): To be determined.
- Graduation Ceremony (June 5): Virtual graduation ceremony being organized by graduation coordinator.
- Summer School (June 15 to July 23): Will be conducted through distance learning.
San Benito High School Superintendent Dr. Shawn Tennenbaum noted, “During these unprecedented times, it is out of an abundance of caution that the San Benito High School District extends our closure through the end of the Spring semester. Given the need to ensure the safety and well-being of all students and staff, the District must adhere to the governor’s “stay at home” order, as well as the County of San Benito’s shelter In place order. We are deeply appreciative of the continued support from our school community and greater community, and will continue to provide distance learning opportunities for all students through the Spring semester. At this time, the health and safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority.”
The following information is intended to provide parents and students with more details and support during our extended closure.
Distance Learning Plan
With the extension of the school closure, we have made significant adjustments to how we approach instruction. On March 30, San Benito High School District’s Distance Learning Plan began for all students. This plan has been shared with teachers, students and families.
Food Distribution
San Benito High School will still provide drive-through, “Grab and Go” meals in Baler Alley on campus from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., but will shift to a Monday-Wednesday-Friday distribution schedule. On Monday and Wednesday, our Food Services crew will supply two breakfast and lunch meals per bag and on Friday they’ll give out one breakfast and one lunch meal per bag. We will also continue to strategically locate the Baler Food Truck throughout Hollister as an added resource to provide nutritional services for students.
Chromebooks
If you need to pick a Chromebook for your student who does not otherwise have access to a computer at home, please contact Kaycee Day at 637-5831, ext.172.
Impact Of the School Closure On Graduation
Although an in-person graduation ceremony is ideal, contingency plans must be put in place to ensure that this senior class is recognized in the best possible manner considering the circumstances. Measures are being developed that incorporate a virtual graduation in place of the in-person model, which is not possible under current social distancing guidelines. More information on graduation ceremony plans will be shared when available.
Student Wellness
Students have the opportunity to access our Baler Wellness site when they log into their Chromebooks and use Clever to launch all their applications. There, students will find supports and resources as well as some mindfulness activities updated every Monday. For students receiving paper packets, they were given printed wellness information starting the week of April 6. All students are encouraged to use their school email to contact Baler Wellness to access the Wellness team.
Counselor Check-Ins
Counselors will be providing weekly check-ins through email and phone calls to students who need support academically and socio-emotionally throughout the school closure. If you need support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your counselor.
Additional Resources
We know this is a difficult time for our community. Please know that we are in this together. We encourage students to continue to check their school email accounts and their teachers’ Google Classroom sites daily for instructional updates. Please continue to check our daily email newsletter for information about distance learning, student nutrition, technology services, student wellness, and general information to assist you and your student. After Spring Break, SBHS will resume distance learning on April 13.
Thank you for your ongoing patience and understanding as we navigate this new experience together. Please know that we remain committed to providing you with timely information and updates as we receive them. While we don’t have all the answers at this time, we will continue to do everything we can to answer questions, and more importantly, continue to be here for you and our students.
Sincerely,
San Benito High School Board of Trustees President, John Corrigan
Superintendent, Dr. Shawn Tennenbaum
Principal, Adrian Ramirez
