News & Events
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Dear Sweetwater Community,
We stand in solidarity with our neighbors, public agencies, elected officials, and community organizations in response to the unacceptable treatment of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla by federal agents in Los Angeles. This incident does not reflect the values we hold as Americans, and we unequivocally denounce it.
We recognize the growing concern about immigration enforcement in our South Bay community. The Sweetwater Union High School District remains committed to supporting and respecting our Latino and immigrant communities. With a student population that is 70% Latino and 10% Filipino, we take pride in our binational identity and the richness it brings to our schools.
Sweetwater does not collect or maintain immigration status information. Our board policies and administrative regulations ensure staff are equipped to handle these matters with care. Our top priority is to maintain a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for every student.
Living along the border gives us a unique understanding: we can uphold law and order while also demanding empathy in enforcement. Every person deserves dignity, and we call on all who enforce the law to do so with compassion.
To those who choose to protest, we urge peaceful assembly, inspired by leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Cesar Chavez, who showed that nonviolence leads to lasting change.
Let us continue to build a community rooted in unity, diversity, and our shared commitment to justice. Together, we can rise to the challenge and uphold the democratic values that define us.
In solidarity,
Moises G. Aguirre, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Sweetwater Union High School District
Estimada Comunidad de Sweetwater,
Nos solidarizamos con nuestros vecinos, agencias públicas, funcionarios electos y organizaciones comunitarias en respuesta al trato inaceptable recibido por el Senador de los Estados Unidos, Alex Padilla, por parte de agentes federales en Los Ángeles. Este incidente no refleja los valores que sostenemos como estadounidenses, y lo condenamos de manera inequívoca.
Reconocemos la creciente preocupación sobre la aplicación de leyes migratorias en nuestra comunidad del South Bay. El Distrito Escolar Sweetwater Union High reafirma su compromiso de apoyar y respetar a nuestras comunidades latinas e inmigrantes. Con una población estudiantil compuesta en un 70% por estudiantes latinos y un 10% por estudiantes filipinos, nos enorgullece nuestra identidad binacional y la riqueza que aporta a nuestras escuelas.
Sweetwater no recopila ni mantiene información sobre el estatus migratorio. Nuestras políticas de la mesa directiva y reglamentos administrativos aseguran que el personal esté preparado para manejar estos asuntos con sensibilidad. Nuestra máxima prioridad es mantener un entorno seguro, acogedor e inclusivo para cada estudiante.
Vivir en la frontera nos brinda una comprensión única: podemos mantener el orden y la ley mientras exigimos empatía en su aplicación. Toda persona merece dignidad, y hacemos un llamado a todos quienes hacen cumplir la ley a que lo hagan con compasión.
A quienes eligen manifestarse, les pedimos que lo hagan de manera pacífica, inspirados en líderes como Martin Luther King Jr. y César Chávez, quienes demostraron que la no violencia conduce a un cambio duradero.
Sigamos construyendo una comunidad basada en la unidad, la diversidad y nuestro compromiso compartido con la justicia. Juntos, podemos enfrentar este desafío y defender los valores democráticos que nos definen.
Con solidaridad,
Moises G. Aguirre, Ed.D.
Superintendente
Distrito Escolar Sweetwater Union High -
Dear Sweetwater Community,
As a district that proudly serves a diverse student population, we remain steadfast in our commitment to creating safe, welcoming, and inclusive learning environments for every student—regardless of immigration status.
In light of recent national developments, we want to reassure our community that our district policies strictly prohibit immigration enforcement on school campuses without a valid judicial warrant. We are also committed to protecting the confidentiality of student and family information in accordance with the law.
All school staff have been reminded of the proper procedures to follow should immigration or law enforcement officials come to a school site. Additionally, schools have access to resources such as “Know Your Rights” materials and legal support contacts to help guide and protect families. Each school will also receive “Red Cards” in English and Spanish, provided by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, which outline Constitutional rights in an easy-to-understand format. These cards are also available in multiple languages online. For immigration resources click here.
Thank you for your trust and partnership as we continue to uphold our values of equity, safety, and respect for all. Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your school principal or district office.
Best regards,
The Sweetwater Union High School District
Estimada Comunidad de Sweetwater:
En nuestro distrito, estamos orgullosos de servir a una población estudiantil muy diversa. Por eso, seguimos comprometidos en crear ambientes seguros, acogedores e inclusivos para todos nuestros estudiantes, sin importar su estatus migratorio.
Ante los eventos recientes a nivel nacional, queremos asegurarles que nuestras reglas no permiten que oficiales de inmigración entren a las escuelas sin una orden judicial válida. También cuidamos mucho la privacidad de la información de nuestros estudiantes y sus familias, como lo exige la ley.
El personal escolar ya recibió recordatorios sobre los pasos correctos a seguir si un oficial de inmigración o la policía llega a una escuela. Además, las escuelas tienen acceso a recursos como materiales de “Conozca sus Derechos” y contactos legales para ayudar a las familias. También entregaremos a cada escuela “Tarjetas Rojas” en inglés y español, proporcionadas por el Immigrant Legal Resource Center. Estas tarjetas explican los derechos constitucionales de forma sencilla, y también están disponibles en línea en varios idiomas. Para ver estos recursos, haga clic aquí: click here.
Gracias por su confianza y apoyo continuo. Si tiene preguntas o inquietudes, por favor comuníquese con la directora o el director de su escuela, o con la oficina del distrito.
Atentamente,
El Distrito Escolar Sweetwater Union High School
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While we strongly encourage our student-athletes and those participating in VAPA
and other extracurricular activities to vaccinate, the Board will not be requiring
student vaccinations until at least the commencement of Off Season Sports
in May 2022 and for in-person instruction commencing in the 2022-2023
school year.By this time we are confident that more definitive direction will be provided to all
California School District and FDA approval will be provided for the COVID 19
vaccine.In the coming months, staff will provide more direction on implementation,
exemption processes, and virtual learning opportunities.In spite of not implementing the vaccine mandate, the safety of all students remains
paramount especially during this COVID surge and as such additional COVID
protocols for our students participating in extracurricular activities will continue to
occur including additional testing, mask wearing, spectator capacity limitations, and
quarantine protocols. -
Dear Sweetwater Parents/Guardians,
It is our hope you had a restful holiday and this message finds you and your family healthy and prepared to return for this next semester. As we look ahead to the New Year, our highest priority is to continue to ensure the health and safety of our students, families, and staff. In order to support this priority, the State of California is strongly encouraging and supporting schools to test for COVID-19 prior to return from the winter break on January 11th by providing rapid antigen tests for each K-12 public school student. We are putting additional health and safety measures in place to ensure students and staff are safe and that our schools can continue to remain open.
At Home-Test Kit Distribution
Distribution will be held at each school site in the Sweetwater District this Friday, January 7, 2022, from 9:00am to 12:00pm (or until supplies last). Distribution of at-home COVID-19 rapid test kits will be held by drive-thru or walk-up. Each student will receive one test kit that includes two tests. (Students / Parents may pick up test kits).
At-Home Testing Protocols
Testing is a critical part of keeping schools open and mitigating the transmission of COVID-19. In order to ensure accurate testing results, we ask that students take the test twice between now and the start of school (January 11, 2022). Tests (each kit includes two tests), are to be administered by each student on Saturday, January 8, 2022 and Monday, January 10, 2022.
Positive Tests and/or Experiencing Symptoms
As a reminder, if a student tests positive on either of the two tests, has flu like symptoms, or has been in contact with someone with COVID-19, please keep them home and begin isolating. Students who test positive must isolate for 10 days and can return to school on day 11. No negative test is required to return to school. Additional testing resources are available across the district and can be found here: https://www.sweetwaterschools.org/covid-19-testing/. More information on the quarantine process can be found here: https://www.sweetwaterschools.org/covid-19-faqs/
One way to ensure as many students as possible continue with in person instruction includes continuing to implement strong COVID protocols, including wearing masks at all times on campus, practicing hand hygiene, maintaining social distance wherever possible, getting vaccinated or boostered if eligible, and implementing school-wide COVID-19 testing programs.
Thank you for your participation in at-home testing. We know that nothing is more important to you than keeping your children in school and learning in healthy environments. The at-home tests, in addition to our other safety measures, aim to keep students in our classrooms with the least amount of disruption as possible. We are grateful for your continued patience and understanding as we continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sincerely,
Dr. Moises G. Aguirre
Estimados padres / tutores de Sweetwater,
Esperamos que hayan tenido unas vacaciones tranquilas y que este mensaje los encuentre a usted y a su familia sanos y preparados para regresar el próximo semestre. Mientras miramos hacia el Año Nuevo, nuestra máxima prioridad es la salud y seguridad de nuestros estudiantes, familias y personal.
Para respaldar esta prioridad, el estado de California alienta y apoya firmemente a las escuelas para que realicen pruebas de COVID-19 antes de regresar de las vacaciones de invierno el 11 de enero proporcionando pruebas rápidas de antígenos para cada estudiante de escuela pública K-12.
Estamos implementando medidas adicionales de salud y seguridad para garantizar que los estudiantes y el personal estén seguros y que nuestras escuelas puedan seguir abiertas.
Distribución del kit de prueba en el hogar
La distribución se llevará a cabo en cada escuela en el Distrito de Sweetwater este viernes 7 de enero de 2022, de 9:00 am a 12:00 pm (o hasta agotar existencias). La distribución de los kits de prueba rápida de COVID-19 en el hogar se llevará a cabo en drive-thru o walk-up. Cada estudiante recibirá un kit de prueba que incluye dos pruebas. (Los estudiantes / padres pueden recoger los kits de prueba.)
Protocolos de prueba en el hogar
Las pruebas son una parte fundamental para mantener abiertas las escuelas y mitigar la transmisión de COVID-19. Para garantizar resultados precisos de las pruebas, pedimos que los estudiantes tomen la prueba dos veces desde ahora hasta el comienzo de la escuela (11 de enero de 2022). Las pruebas (cada kit incluye dos pruebas), deben ser administradas por cada estudiante el sábado 8 de Enero de 2022 y el lunes 10 de Enero de 2022.
Pruebas positivas y / o experimentar síntomas
Como recordatorio, si un estudiante da positivo en cualquiera de las dos pruebas, tiene síntomas similares a los de la gripe o ha estado en contacto con alguien con COVID-19, manténgalo en casa y comience a aislarse. Los estudiantes que dan positivo en la prueba deben aislarse durante 10 días y pueden regresar a la escuela el día 11. No se requiere una prueba negativa para regresar a la escuela. Hay recursos adicionales para exámenes disponibles en todo el distrito y se pueden encontrar aquí: https://www.sweetwaterschools.org/covid-19-testing/. Puede encontrar más información sobre el proceso de cuarentena aquí: https://www.sweetwaterschools.org/covid-19-faqs/
Una forma de garantizar que la mayor cantidad posible de estudiantes continúe con la instrucción en persona incluye continuar implementando protocolos COVID sólidos, que incluyen usar máscaras en todo momento en el campus, practicar la higiene de manos, mantener la distancia social siempre que sea posible, vacunarse o recibir la vacuna de refuerzo si es elegible, y implementar programas de pruebas de COVID-19 en todas las escuelas.
Gracias por su participación en las pruebas en casa. Sabemos que nada es más importante para usted que mantener a sus hijos en la escuela y aprender en entornos saludables. Las pruebas en casa, además de nuestras otras medidas de seguridad, tienen como objetivo mantener a los estudiantes en nuestras escuelas con la menor cantidad de interrupciones posible. Agradecemos su paciencia y comprensión continuas mientras continuamos navegando la pandemia de COVID-19.
Atentamente,
Dr. Moises G. Aguirre
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As a new variant emerges worldwide, Sweetwater’s asymptomatic testing program continues to be a critical pillar, helping to detect COVID-19 and prevent outbreaks
CHULA VISTA, CA – Sweetwater Union High, California’s largest secondary school district, has taken an active role in combating the spread of COVID-19 through routine pooled testing in partnership with Concentric by Ginkgo, the public health and biosecurity initiative at Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA).
The high-volume testing program, which commenced Summer 2021, has grown to include 23 middle and high schools throughout San Diego’s South Bay.
Each week, a team provided by Concentric arrives at the schools, sets up the logistics for pooled COVID-19 testing, and supervises sample collection. Up to 25 samples are included in a “pool,” which is then sent by courier to a local lab. Results from the pool are typically returned to the school within 1-2 days, and, should any pool return positive, that group of students will test individually to identify any positive COVID cases. This follow-up testing is conducted using individual rapid antigen tests. By conducting a broad pooled testing program with targeted rapid antigen follow-ups, schools are able to minimize disruption to classroom time and extracurricular activities, while simplifying the logistics of testing.
“Testing has been such a benefit for our communities,” said Hilda Cadena, COVID Testing Coordinator for Sweetwater High School District. “Sweetwater Union High conducts an average of about 5,500 tests per week with a total of over 65,000 tests administered in a 3-month period. Through routine testing, we are better equipped to help identify and address outbreaks. Testing has helped us create a more ‘normal’ school experience for our students.”
“Students are identified in positive pools; we administer the antigen tests and we identify and support the student who has a positive case,” said Cadena. “Due to pooled testing, we help prevent the spread by addressing it immediately. We believe this has also gained the support of the community to see immediate response and follow through.”
Concentric is no stranger to the testing arena, providing testing for hundreds of thousands of individuals nationwide each week. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has contracted with the company to provide free testing to schools throughout the state, freeing up precious district resources for other urgent needs. Of course, testing couldn’t be possible without support from the school district. By designating a single district “Test Champion,” Sweetwater Union High School District has been able to coordinate all testing activities across the school district. This Test Champion works with Concentric to alleviate the workload on educators and administrators.
“We are proud to partner with Sweetwater to help keep kids in school and COVID-19 out,” said Laura Bronner, Vice President of National K-12 Testing at Concentric. “We’ve worked closely with CDPH to support the district with robust program staffing to ensure that this is an easy and flexible solution for both in-school and after-school testing.”
Sweetwater first focused on after-school pooled testing for extracurricular activities like sports, visual, and performing arts. However, after a successful program launch, Sweetwater expanded testing to take place during regular classroom hours.
“We run like a well-oiled machine. Everyone knows their schedules,” says Mary Rose Peralta, Principal at Otay Ranch High School. “Right at 2:30pm, students and faculty line up to test. In less than 30 minutes, we can test 300-400 students on our campus. Pooled testing has made it easy, quick, and efficient.”
“We greatly appreciate our partnership with the CDPH and Concentric by Ginkgo to provide additional testing measures of this magnitude to the students in our district,” says Sweetwater District Superintendent Dr. Moises G. Aguirre. “As we continue to see changes in COVID variants, we could not risk the safety of our students and staff and feel confident knowing we’ve taken an active approach to testing, as an additional layer of protection for our students, staff and all of our school communities.”
To learn more about the program or to sign up, visit https://www.sweetwaterschools.org/covid-19-concentric-by-ginkgo-testing/ or https://www.concentricbyginkgo.com/.
About the Sweetwater Union High School District
Founded in 1920, the Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD) has grown to more than 40,000 students in grades 7 through 12 and more than 22,000 adult learners. The District’s 30 campuses located in the heart of an international border community in the cities of (Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, National City and San Diego, including the communities of Bonita, Eastlake, Otay Mesa, San Ysidro and South San Diego) ensure a safe, inclusive, collaborative culture that empowers each student to actively engage in a meaningful educational experience to pursue personal and academic success.
About Ginkgo
Ginkgo is building a platform to enable customers to program cells as easily as we can program computers. The company’s platform is enabling biotechnology applications across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to industrial chemicals to pharmaceuticals. Ginkgo has also actively supported a number of COVID-19 response efforts, including K-12 pooled testing, vaccine manufacturing optimization, and therapeutics discovery. For more information, visit www.ginkgobioworks.com.
Ginkgo Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential of Ginkgo’s biosecurity capabilities and Concentric by Ginkgo initiative. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “potential,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document, including but not limited to: (i) the effect of the business combination with Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp. (“Soaring Eagle”) on Ginkgo’s business relationships, performance, and business generally, (ii) risks that the business combination disrupts current plans of Ginkgo and potential difficulties in Ginkgo’s employee retention, (iii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Ginkgo related to its business combination with Soaring Eagle, (iv) volatility in the price of Ginkgo’s securities now that it is a public company due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which Ginkgo plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo’s business and changes in the combined capital structure, (v) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the business combination, and identify and realize additional opportunities, and (vi) the risk of downturns in demand for products using synthetic biology. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of Ginkgo’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on November 15, 2021 and other documents filed by Ginkgo from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Ginkgo assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Ginkgo does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.
Contacts
Sweetwater Union High School District:
nadege.johnson@sweetwaterschools.org
Ginkgo:
INVESTOR:
MEDIA: press@ginkgobioworks.com