Sweetwater Union High School District

2020-2021 Free and Reduced Meal Applications available

Visit the Nutrition Services website for more information about how to apply online.

Sweetwater District Virtual Town Hall

Distance Learning Summer School

Thank you to all the students/families who have reached out for summer school with a request. All requests have been addressed. Summer School is at capacity.
For questions related to the assigned summer school classes, please contact the students’ teacher directly via email that the teachers have provided.

For Parents and Students:
- Click here to view the Parent website for Summer School 2020 “Summer School Parent Resource” provided by the Curriculum & Instruction department.
- Click here to view the information graphic about “Distance Learning Summer School Asynchronous/Synchronous Model Blended Model”

For Staff: Staff link – Distance Learning Summer School 2020
* You will need to be logged into your SUHSD Google account to view the site. Contact the Curriculum and Instruction department for any questions or assistance.

2020-Employees-Header

Thank You SUHSD Employees Of The Year!

Meet the 2020 SUHSD Employees of the Year

Latest COVID-19 Information

June 2, 2020

Superintendent Janney Issues Statement Regarding Racism and Recent Events

As we complete a school year unlike any other in our academic history – a year which saw educators teaching students remotely. A year where social distancing became the refrain of public health officials and face coverings and masks the norm. A year which saw the rapid rise in the use of videoconferencing platforms, such as Zoom and Teams, as the primary instrument for teaching and communicating. A year where millions of people have lost their jobs with no guarantee of support or income for their families. A year where over 103,000 U.S. citizens, including countless educators and students, have lost their lives as a result of a global pandemic which has painfully and disproportionately impacted communities and people of color. And finally a year, where we contemplate whether education will ever be the same, it is the death of one man, George Floyd, whose death was unrelated to COVID-19, that served as a stark reminder of North America’s social complexities and injustices that we, as educators, must continue to address.

We are sure many have asked, what was your reaction when you saw the video of a cop kneeling on the neck of George Floyd? Others have asked, is this just another instance of a White cop killing a Black man? Or, as in the recent killing of Ahmaud Arbery, the case of White citizen killing a Black man (similarities to the Trayvon Martin shooting). Regardless of the questions and answers, the images of George Floyd begging for his life were powerful. The desperate cries for his mother were agonizing. His death was unthinkable and inexplicable. We will mourn his death for years and acknowledge the resultant anger regarding the dubious circumstances. While George Floyd’s family grieves, our nation grieves, and citizens, of all races and ethnicities, are angry. And as educators, we must recognize that many of our students may be traumatized and/or angry by the circumstances related to George Floyd’s death – images which were witnessed on national television and have been shown on national media outlets for the past week (for ways to support our students, families, and colleagues, please check out the resources listed at the bottom of this letter).

Although the images of George Floyd’s death were intense, the power, strength, and capacity of education is formidable. It should be noted, and is generally accepted, that no societal institution, including schools, are perfect and some have even been characterized as biased, discriminatory, or racist. However, there is little doubt that schools and educators have frequently been asked to address social injustices when others have been reluctant. For instance, when society has been slow to address racial integration, schools and courts clumsily stepped in. To address issues of racism and bias in society, schools have introduced multicultural practices, diversity training, and now, antiracist perspectives. And it has been schools and educators who have promoted the inclusion of our LGBTQ communities when the greater society has been resistant. While schools across the nation continue to struggle with such issues as achievement and opportunity gaps, disproportionate suspension and expulsion rates, access to certain programs (e.g., AP classes, Honors Classes, Gifted Programs, etc.), special education placements, and other structural matters, schools have been a place where dialogue on these issues can and has occurred. With the death of George Floyd, it is imperative that schools and educators are now prepared to take on the critical issues of policing, racism, brutality, social injustice and humanity.

The Sweetwater Union High School District believes in a welcoming community that is inclusive and equitable and where relationships between and among students and between and among staff and community matter. We are committed to ensuring a safe and collaborative culture that empowers each student to actively engage in a meaningful educational experience. If school campuses were open, we would ensure students could share their thoughts, feelings and fears in class discussions or peaceful demonstrations. Our campuses are closed, so right now, the most important action we can take is to listen to our students and our colleagues with sensitivity, understanding, empathy and hope.

While we encourage the sharing of resources, books, articles, and other material, we each must start by being introspective. Our critical analysis must consider ways that we or the institutions we serve, have contributed to biased student outcomes. An honest review of our behaviors is necessary to determine if our actions may have inadvertently contributed to a lack of access, inclusion, and opportunities for some student groups and staff. This introspection takes courage and conviction – both of which are traits of our Sweetwater team.

So as another, albeit unprecedented, year comes to a close, we urge you to stay safe and healthy. Please practice social distancing, wear your facial covering and gloves to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. We also encourage our incredible Sweetwater family to help prevent the continued spread of the “racism virus” by addressing and eliminating all personal and institutional practices/policies which lead to social and educational injustices. Lastly, a quote from basketball icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is appropriate as he described the demonstrations by stating: “what you should see…in the age of coronavirus is people pushed to the edge, not because they want bars and nail salons open, but because they want to live. To breathe.” Please take care of yourselves, your students, each other and breathe…because breathing is an unalienable right.

In Unity,

Karen Janney, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Joe Fulcher, Ph.D
Asst. Supt. Equity, Culture & Support Services

If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together

May 26, 2020

Dear Students and Families of the Sweetwater Union High School District,

Graduations are a time-honored tradition that the entire community looks forward to every year. Unfortunately, because of the impacts of COVID-19, we have had to make adjustments to these traditions in 2020 in order to ensure the safety and security of our students, our families, our staff, and the entire Sweetwater Union High School District Community.

In late April we surveyed Seniors and their families to ask how they were feeling about graduation ceremonies. It was very clear that the great majority, 81% of students and 90% of families, believe that some type of graduation ceremony is important. The majority of students and families also believe that the ceremony should be delayed.

Given that as of now, the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency Public Health Orders still prevent public events and gatherings, graduation ceremonies in the Sweetwater Union High School District are postponed.

Graduation events will be considered in late July/early August under the guidelines of San Diego County Public Health Orders at that time. If a graduation event is not possible at that time, the events will be postponed until December 2020.

In the meantime, schools will be keeping in contact with our Seniors and families to keep them up to date on any updates and changes. We appreciate the Class of 2020 and look forward to celebrating with you!

Stay safe and stay well. #InThisTogether

In Unity,

Karen Janney, Ed.D.
Superintendent

May 1, 2020

Dear Sweetwater Union High School District Students, Families, and Staff,

First, we hope that you and the ones you love and care for are navigating these very unique times as well as possible. We trust you and yours are managing to maintain good spirits – despite all the life changes and associated hardships – and staying out of harm’s way.

Second, we want to thank and recognize our amazing Nutrition Services staff. May 1, 2020 is School Lunch Hero Day and we thank them for serving our community and distributing almost 700,000 meals in the past six weeks.

Speaking of heroes, May 4-8, 2020 is National Teacher Appreciation Week, and May 6, 2020 is National School Nurses Day. More than ever, their efforts are very much appreciated, and we thank our teachers and nurses in Sweetwater. Look for more information about both of these recognition events in the coming week.

This week you may have heard that California Governor Gavin Newsom mentioned that he was considering that the 2020-2021 school year may re-open in late July. While Sweetwater and our South County elementary districts have started school in July for many years, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond stated that all schools have some major questions that need to be answered before we consider physically reopening schools, especially being able to maintain the health and safety of our students and staff.

Governor Newsom also made it very clear that there is a “roadmap” that we must follow in order to reopen the economy and public services in a multi-phase approach. You can view more detailed information about that here.

We know that South County has been impacted the greatest by COVID-19 and as we work towards what will happen in the coming months, we will continue to work with the San Diego County Office of Education and San Diego County Public Health Department in determining how, and when, to return students and staff safely to school.

Finally, we want to share with you some of the results of the survey we sent out to Seniors and their families. It was very clear that the great majority, 81% of students and 90% of families, believe that some type of graduation ceremony is important. The majority of students and families also believe that the ceremony should be delayed. Only 9% of students and 12% of families were in favor of a virtual event. Therefore, as of now, we will plan to host some form of a physical graduation ceremony at a later date.

That being said, schools are working very hard to find ways to recognize their Seniors and 8^th graders now, and especially the last week of school June 1-5. Several schools have already begun to reach out and do some type of recognition and much will depend on any State and County public health guidelines. As a district we will continue to work with each community to find a plan of action that best meets the needs of our students. Please continue to monitor the district website at www.sweetwaterschools.org for all the latest information and follow us on social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Please remember the new expectation: when you leave your place, cover your face!

Stay safe,

Estimados estudiantes, familias y personal del distrito escolar de Sweetwater,

Primeramente, esperamos que usted y sus seres queridos estén navegando estos momentos únicos de la mejor manera posible. Confiamos en que usted y su familia se estén manteniendo de buen espíritu, a pesar de todos los cambios en la vida y las dificultades asociadas, y que se estén manteniendo fuera de peligro.

Segundo, queremos agradecer y reconocer a nuestro increíble personal de Servicios de Nutrición. El 1 de mayo de 2020 es el Día del Héroe del Almuerzo Escolar y les agradecemos por servir a nuestra comunidad y distribuir casi 700,000 comidas en las últimas seis semanas.

Hablando de héroes, del 4 al 8 de mayo de 2020 es la Semana Nacional de Apreciación de Maestros, y el 6 de mayo de 2020 es el Día Nacional de Enfermeras Escolares. Más que nunca, sus esfuerzos son muy apreciados, y agradecemos a nuestros maestros y enfermeras en Sweetwater. Más información sobre estos dos eventos de reconocimiento será distribuido en la próxima semana.

Es posible que esta semana haya escuchado que el gobernador de California Gavin Newsom mencionó que estaba considerando que el año escolar 2020-2021 podría reabrir a fines de julio. Aunque Sweetwater y todos los distritos escolares del sur del condado tienen muchos años comensando el año escolar en julio, el superintendente estatal Tony Thurmond declaró que todas las escuelas tienen varias preguntas importantes que deben responderse antes de considerar la reapertura física de las escuelas, especialmente para poder mantener la salud y la seguridad de nuestros estudiantes y personal.

El Gobernador Newsom también dejó muy claro que hay una “hoja de ruta” que debemos seguir para reabrir la economía y los servicios públicos en un enfoque de múltiples fases. Puede ver información más detallada al respecto aquí.

Sabemos que COVID-19 ha tenido más impacto en el Sur del Condado de San Diego y a medida que trabajamos para lograr lo que sucederá en los próximos meses, continuaremos trabajando con la Oficina de Educación del Condado de San Diego y el Departamento de Salud Pública del Condado de San Diego para determinar cómo y cuándo devolver a los alumnos y al personal de manera segura a la escuela.

Finalmente, queremos compartir con ustedes algunos de los resultados de la encuesta que enviamos a estudiantes del duodécimo año y sus padres. Es muy claro que la gran mayoría, el 81% de los estudiantes y el 90% de las familias, creen que algún tipo de ceremonia de graduación es importante. La mayoría de los estudiantes y las familias también creen que la ceremonia debería retrasarse. Solo el 9% de los estudiantes y el 12% de las familias estaban a favor de un evento virtual. Por lo tanto, a partir de ahora, planeamos organizar algún tipo de ceremonia de graduación física en una fecha posterior.

Dicho esto, las escuelas están trabajando muy duro para encontrar formas de reconocer a sus estudiantes de último año y de octavo grado, y especialmente la última semana de clases del 1 al 5 de junio. Varias escuelas ya han comenzado a acercarse y hacer algún tipo de reconocimiento y mucho dependerá de las pautas de salud pública de del estado y condado. Como distrito, continuaremos trabajando con cada comunidad para encontrar un plan de acción que satisfaga mejor las necesidades de nuestros estudiantes. Siga monitoreando el sitio web del distrito en www.sweetwaterschools.org para obtener la información más reciente y síganos en las redes sociales: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram y YouTube.

¡Gracias!