Please watch this video for an update from the public health department.
https://youtu.be/zCI096OK_BQ
There will be no Zoom meetings today as the internet at the school is down. Students can continue to work on any assignments in their folders. Due to power and internet outages, homework folders will not be available for pick up until Monday after 3:00.
Meal Pick Up Locations/Times
The power outage at the school remains in effect. Due to continued power outages at the school and internet connection issues, there will again be no zoom class meetings today. Students should check class schedules or check in on google classroom (if possible) to see a list of assignments for today. Thank you and stay safe.
Due to power outages at the school and internet connection issues, there will be no zoom class meetings today. Students should check class schedules or check in on google classroom (if possible) to see a list of assignments for today. Thank you.
Hello to our Browns School Families,
Last week the California Department of Public Health came out with a 51 page document concerning reopening schools. All the items must be in place before schools can bring students back on campus. Our legal counsel has informed us that if a school reopens without following this order they will be subject to significant financial risk. Our local health department has told us not to reopen at this time. We can not afford this risk so we will follow all these guidelines before we bring students back.
Thank you and take care.
https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/COVID-19/Consolidated_Schools_Guidance.pdf
Browns School
1248 Pacific Avenue, Rio Oso, CA 95674
530-633-2523 530-633-0345
Hello Browns School Families, 1/15/2021
We are still in Distance Learning until we get the permission from the Sutter Health Department to bring students back on campus safely. Hopefully by the end of next week we will have more information. I will give you all a weekly update on our status.
Although current public health conditions remain fluid and very dynamic, we continue to work with public health and labor partners on how to reopen schools. We all want to bring students back to school safely. We understand the level of frustration felt by many and ask everyone to stay focused on learning, and to stay vigilant about hand washing, wearing face masks and keep social distancing, especially by avoiding social gatherings.
Due to the current high positivity rate currently in the community we are not able to reopen for a few more weeks at the soonest. We are working on getting a date out but the Public Health Department needs to give us the green light. A ray of hope we are following are the recent public announcements that those who work in education will be in the county’s 1b group to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. This is very promising and positive news for all of our staff. Based on recent District data, the threat of COVID-19 impacts not only our teaching staff, but also all of the essential workers who are critical for the operation of our District.
Please stay tuned. If you have further questions please feel free to call us or email me directly. I am always willing to have a conversation with you at any time.
Please take care and stay safe!
Sincerely,
Mike Scully
Browns School
The Board Meeting scheduled for tonight, Tuesday, January 12th has been cancelled.
Browns School is bringing the Positivi-Tee!
We want to kick off 2021 with some school spirit!
Browns School will be purchasing school spirit T-Shirts for all students! Please click on the link below and complete the attached form. You will need to complete a new form for each of your students. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Corbridge.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScZBjdtT-UKRlbQbIa1r8x7lbksAYcMkWDEge73HsawujcLfA/viewform?usp=sf_link
Important Meal Pick Up Information: Meal pick up Wednesdays from 10-11. Thank you. If you have any questions contact Debbi at 530-633-2523 or debbib@sutter.k12.ca.us.
Happy New Year!!!
Merry Christmas
Good Afternoon Browns Students and Families,
As we say goodbye to 2020 and embark on a New Year, it’s time to discuss what that looks like.
• There has been a significant increase in cases in Sutter and Yuba County. In fact I recently read that Sutter and Yuba counties have the highest number of cases per capita in the nation.
o The information provided to me suggests that we are having a surge on top of a surge due to Thanksgiving.
The upcoming holiday season may accelerate the rise in cases again.
Please be safe.
• We will begin the next semester on January 4th on distance learning.
o We will continually evaluate the situation and once we are confident that the surge is behind us and it is safe, we will get back at school as soon as possible.
o To maintain consistency we will stay on the same schedule for distance learning and upon our return to in person instruction, we will follow the same schedule that we were on for those few weeks in November.
o The office will be closed for the next two weeks. Please email us and we get back to you as soon as we can.
• I want to wish all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
I wish to extend all my hopes, prayers, and blessings as we say goodbye to easily the longest, strangest, and difficult year we have all experienced; but as we move forward, we say Hello to a New Year in which there are infinite possibilities for us to achieve, embrace joy, persevere, and find success.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
Browns School
Hello Browns School Families,
The next question you might ask is, “What happens in January?” I wish I had the answer. Will the holidays increase the number of cases once again? I do not know. The uncertainty of the future is something that I think about on a daily basis. It may be that we have to continue Distance Learning the month of January just to monitor the situation. I would like to return to in-person learning in 2021. What a wonderful way that would be to celebrate the New Year! However, this will all be predicated on our community doing what we need to do to bring the positive test numbers down. Please join me in wearing a mask and practicing the safety tenets established by the medical community!
I will be assessing the situation over the winter break. As I gain information pertinent to school re-opening, I will share this with families via an email, text message, voice message, or on our new APP, or new website. Please ensure that all of your contact information is current in order to receive important information.
I wish all of you a happy and healthy holiday!!! I miss the daily activity of a live campus more than I can say. My strength and optimism lies in the knowledge that we will get through this. I can’t say exactly when, but I know that it will happen!
Stronger Together,
Mike Scully
Open this link for a short video about our new APP.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MP86Nelsi9kzxuuHLZzEgbYE9mqjqVHK/view?usp=sharing
Don't forget to visit our online Book Fair at: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/brownselementaryschool1
The online Scholastic Book Fair has been extended through , December 25th!
PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY TO IMMEDIATELY MITIGATE COVID-19 RISKS IN
YUBA COUNTY AND SUTTER COUNTY
December 4, 2020
To all Yuba-Sutter Residents:
The current COVID-19 situation is dire in Yuba-Sutter. We have the highest rate of COVID-19
test positivity in the State. The State¶s aYerage is 6.4% - Yuba is 16.2% and Sutter is 20.1% -
(Sutter being the highest of all 58 counties). This means that for every person who gets tested for
COVID-19, nearly one in five tests positive for COVID-19. Our situation is much worse when
compared with several neighboring counties such as Butte (4.6% test positivity), Colusa (13.7%
test positivity), and Sacramento (9.4% test positivity).
The Yuba-Sutter region has only one hospital, Adventist-Rideout, and it is heavily impacted by
the recent surge in cases, leading to a near tripling of hospitalizations in the past few weeks.
Their IntensiYe Care Unit (³ICU´) is full because of the surge in COVID-19 patients needing
ICU level care. There are not enough ICU nurses to expand for more ICU beds. Hospital nurses
are highly specialized. An Emergenc\ Department (³ED´) or ICU nurse cannot be trained
overnight, or even in a matter of months. This current surge in hospitalizations is a statewide and
nationwide issue and resources are minimal for hospitals asking for assistance.
We all need to help each other and I desperately call for your assistance. The ways to mitigate
the risk of more residents becoming infected and to prevent overwhelming our local hospital is
for everyone to immediately limit your in-person interactions with people outside of your
household over the next 3 weeks. I understand this is a heavy lift but we are asking this for not
only our friends and relatives, but our nurses and doctors, and other hospital staff - some of
whom are already near their breaking point.
Starting on Monday, December 7, 2020 and for the next 3 weeks, I am strongly advising
Yuba County and Sutter County residents to immediately:
1. Limit activities outside of your household and outside of your home. Strive to limit
outings outside of your home to ONCE per week for vital activities (groceries, medicines,
care of elderly or dependent relatives) and do not allow others outside of your household
into your home.
Given how pervasive COVID-19 community transmission is occurring and that the majority of
COVID-19 transmission is due to asymptomatic transmission, it is vitally necessary for all
residents to limit their movements outside of their homes and to not allow those outside their
household into their homes.
2. Revert schools to distance learning for ALL grades
Even with the reversion to distance learning for grades 7th-12th two weeks prior, we continue to
see cases identified in the schools that remain open for in-person schooling. It is usually in
teachers or staff, however, the disruption to in-person learning extends to the students since the
students of that positive teacher must immediately quarantine for 14-days. We are noticing
discrepancies even within schools, where one class may remain open whereas another class has
to close due to a positive case. This has resulted in added stress to students, staff, and the parents
of students due to their inability to rely upon a consistent schedule.
Until we can drastically reduce the rates of community transmission, this cycle of intermittent
classroom quarantine will continue.
3. No in-person dining - regardless of outdoor or indoor
When eating and drinking, we cannot have on our facemask. We know masks work to protect
yourself and persons within close proximity. Residents have not been dining only with their
own household members ± propagating chains of transmission through what is essentially minigatherings. Currently, these risks are too great in the midst of pervasive COVID-19 transmission.
4. Suspend all in-person county, city, and other governmental functions as determined by
the respective governing board
These actions are being advised to ensure the health and safety of employees and the public they
serve by minimizing to the maximum extent feasible all in person services. Too many
departments and their employees interact on a daily basis. The common goal among this and
other advisories is to mitigate risk of our residents being exposed to COVID-19 and preventing
further spread, sickness, and death.
Again, I implore each of you to follow this health advisory. Let¶s do this for our friends,
families, neighbors, and for our healthcare workers. We are all in this together ± please commit
to making a difference.
Respectfully,
Phuong Luu, MD, MHS, FACP
Bi-County Health Officer
Yuba County and Sutter County
December 4, 2020
To Our Browns School Families,
We have some updates for you regarding in-person learning at Browns School. We have received a recommendation from Dr. Luu, the Yuba and Sutter County Health Officer, that all schools proceed with distance learning. We will forward the official letter when we receive it from her office. We have been advised by the Sutter County Office of Education and our legal team to consider all recommendations as orders. Please look at the following list to see how it applies to you and your child/children:
Preschool through 8th Grade
• All students will begin distance learning starting Monday, December 7th.
• TK-8th grades will resume with the previous distance learning schedules.
• Preschool teacher will contact families directly with Information.
The safety of your child, and their opportunity to learn is our top priority. We will continue to provide the best instruction we can whether it is in person or online.
You and your family may have specific questions that have not been answered in this letter. Please feel free to contact us at any time.
Sincerely,
Mike Scully
Important Meal Pick Up Information: December meal pick ups will only be Wednesday the 2nd and Wednesday the 9th. If you have any questions contact Debbi at 530-633-2523 or debbib@sutter.k12.ca.us.
The Browns School Book Fair will be online this year. The Book Fair will run from Monday, November 30th - Friday, December 13th. Support our school and help your child discover new books, favorite characters, complete series, and more! Purchases will be mailed directly to your home.
Visit our Book Fair website at: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/brownselementaryschool1
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Corbridge.