Bear Valley Unified School District Ordered to Conduct Distance Learning

Big Bear News – Big Bear Lake, CA – In a letter shared with Bear Valley Unified School District staff and families, Superintendent Dr. Mary Suzuki announced today that our County has been mandated by Governor Newsom to begin the school year with Distant Learning.  In today’s noon conference, Newsom identified 32 Counties, including San Bernardino, on the watch and monitor list due to the increase of COVID-19 cases.  Schools within those Counties will not be allowed to reopen classrooms to students until the County is off the monitoring list for 14 consecutive days.  According to Newsom’s report, our County has been on the watch and monitor list for three days.  In her letter, Dr. Suzuki states, “Although we have made every attempt to safely bring our students back to our campuses for the beginning of the school year, the cases in San Bernardino County continues to rise.”  This rise puts a strain on the availability of COVID tests and hospital beds.  The new school year will resume on August 3rd with Distance Learning to include online daily interactive lessons, rigorous curriculum and consistent feedback from teachers.  Assignments will be graded and attendance will be taken daily.  This model will be very different from the Distance Learning model at the end of the 2019-2020 school year with an increased level of interaction and accountability.  Dr. Suzuki added that, when it is safe to return, the district will make every attempt to bring back our students in the classroom for the hybrid model and, if possible, allowing lower grade levels of K-3rd to attend for five days a week. If there is a time deemed safe to return full-time to the classroom, the school district will make that transition. If you have not registered your child for the 2020-2021 school year, you can visit the School District website at www.bearvalleyusd.org to enroll your child.