Harvest Hill STEAM Academy

The Menifee Union School District extends our thanks to Veterans, with respect, honor, and gratitude.

The Youth Leaders of Menifee are hosting the annual Veterans Day Art and Essay Contest for all Menifee students in 1st through 12th grade. Students will have th...e chance to win prizes and be recognized at the Virtual Menifee Veteran’s Day Ceremony. Entries can be in any form of art such as painting, drawing, photography, poetry, essay, or any other creative outlet. The four grade categories are as follows: (1st-3rd, 4th-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th). All entries must be submitted digitally at www.cityofmenifee.us/ylm and are due by Monday, November 2nd. Winner will be notifies by Friday, November 6th. Please see the attached flyer for additional information. This year’s prompt is: ‘Looking Through the Eyes of a Soldier For more information please contact: Michael Rinehart | Community Services Coordinator Lazy Creek Recreation Center City of Menifee | 26480 Lazy Creek Rd | Menifee, CA 92586 Direct: (951) 723-3709 | Lazy Creek: (951) 679-8092 [email protected] | cityofmenifee.us

Here is a link to the Agenda for the Regular meeting of the Governing Board to be held at 4:30PM on Tuesday, October 13, 2020 at the Bob O’Donnell District Educ...ation Center located at 29775 Haun Rd., Menifee CA 92586 https://musd.me/36Sfj7Z PLEASE NOTE: In order to limit exposure to the COVID-19 virus, Menifee Union School District will be practicing social distancing at its Board meetings. There will be a limited number of seats available to the public to attend in person in the board room; however there will be an over flow into the training rooms. In addition the meeting will be broadcasted live on YouTube. Masks are required to attend the meeting in person. To watch a live feed of the meeting please go to the MUSD website at www.menifeeusd.org and choose the Board Meeting Live button.

IT’S BACK! FREE MEAL PROGRAM FOR ALL MUSD CHILDREN! WHO: Children ages 18 & under may receive a FREE Grab & Go breakfast and lunch daily. No form or registratio...n is required. WHAT: Grab & Go breakfast and lunch Monday thru Friday. Both meals served at the same time. Heating instructions available at www.menifeeschoolmeals.com Menus are subject to change. WHEN: Beginning Sept. 1- Dec. 31, 2020; Monday-Friday. No meal service on holidays & school breaks. Elementary Pick up time (includes Harvest Hill Academy) - 11:00 a.m.-12:00 noon Middle School Pick Up time (BMMS, HCMS, MVMS) - 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. HOW: Adults may drive up with or without student/child in car, or students may walk up to the designated location in front of their registered school site. One breakfast & lunch per child will be provided. Only one site may be visited per day for pick-up WHERE: In front of any of the 14 MUSD school sites. NO COST: FREE to all children 18 years old and under in the Menifee community. Any special dietary accommodations must be on file with Nutrition Services via Medical Statement, and NS notified 24 hours in advance at (951) 679-8355. MASKS must be worn by all persons picking up food, per Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) & Riverside County Dept. of Public Health (RCDPH) requirements. For FOOD SAFETY- Refrigerate all perishable foods when not consumed immediately. Heat all frozen/refrigerated entrees to an internal temperature of 165 degrees before consuming. For more information call 951-679-8355 or visit www.menifeeschoolmeals.com THIS INSTITUTION IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PROVIDER

Congratulations to our very own Kindergarten student, Levi!

Menifee Union School District Counselors are here for our students! Their message We miss you! Can you find your school counselor? As we start distance lear...ning MUSD school counselors want to make sure students know that they are here for them. If you need or want to reach out to your school counselor their contact information can be found on the district School Counseling website. See more

Dear MUSD Families, We hope this message finds you well. We also want to remind you that April 6 - 13 is our scheduled Spring Break and Food Service lunches wil...l not be served Spring Break. We will return to Distance Learning on April 14th, please monitor your emails and phone calls for contact with your school and specific teacher(s). If your family has checked out a chromebook from MUSD, please monitor the use and care of these important instructional tools. If you or your child are having trouble accessing your online resources, your child’s teacher can often help you and will be able to access additional resources to help you when necessary. Please stay safe! We are all in this together! -The Administration Team of MUSD

#ThankYou to the parents, teachers and all the school staff who worked so hard this week to keep learning and meals going, in ways they probably never thought possibleon top of managing their personal lives which have also been deeply impacted by this.

The Menifee Union School District is committed to providing optional resources for students and families to foster enrichment, engagement, and connection to sch...ool. Below are links to the MUSD website at www.menifeeusd.org, where you will find simple grade-specific resources to engage your students in on-going activities during school closure. All the resources are aligned with the year-long standards. Additionally, there is a link to online reading resources that are available for your students. These resources may be viewed online using any device with a browser and Internet connection, such as a computer, cellphone, or tablet. The activities may be completed via paper and pencil and do not require the student to complete them online. Middle School materials are designed as multi-day projects. We encourage families to have fun and be creative! Engagement Resources for Parents https://bit.ly/3d3mI50 Online Reading Resources https://bit.ly/3a5BLJC

Dear Menifee Union School District Staff, Students, and Families Riverside County schools have been ordered to stay closed until April 30, 2020. The County’s p...ublic health officer, Dr. Cameron Kaiser, made the announcement this morning, Tuesday March 17, as county officials move to limit the spread of the novel corona virus. As such, please be advised that the MUSD will be extending our school closure through April 30, 2020. Please continue to visit our website and social media for further updates. Here is a link to the order from Dr. Kaiser: https://bit.ly/2Us5xlp Querido personal del Distrito Escolar de Menifee Union, Estudiantes, y Familias El Condado de Riverside ha ordenado que las escuelas se mantengan cerradas hasta el 30 de abril del 2020. El oficial de salud pública del condado, Dr. Cameron Kaiser, hizo un anuncio esta mañana, martes 17 de marzo, a medida que los funcionarios del condado se muevan para limitar la propagación del corona virus nuevo. Como tal, tenga en cuenta que MUSD va estar extendiendo la clausura de nuestras escuelas hasta el 30 de abril del 2020. Por favor continúe visitando nuestra página de internet y redes sociales para más actualizaciones. Aquí hay un enlace a la orden del Dr. Kaiser: https://bit.ly/2Us5xlp

Even with school closures, Menifee USD and Nutrition Services is dedicated to providing a healthy meal to children in our community who need them. Here are the... specifics: WHO: Children ages 18 years old and under may have a FREE Grab & Go meal at one of the specific school sites listed below. No form or registration is required but someone in the family must be enrolled in the Menifee Union School District. WHAT is Served: To-go Grab & Go Meals WHEN: Wednesday March 18- April 3, 2020 (Monday-Friday) Date range may change based on CDC & RCDPH guidance. HOW: Adults may drive up with children 18 and under in a car, or students may walk up to the designated location in front of the school site. A pre-packed meal will be given to each child that is present in the vehicle without getting out of the car, or who walks up. Meals will be consumed off site at home. WHERE: In front of the following school sites Any special dietary accommodations must be on file with Nutrition Services via Medical Statement, and NS notified 24 hours in advance at (951) 679-8355.

March 13, 2020 Dear Menifee Union School District Community, The Menifee Union School District Administration continues to be in regular communication with Rive...rside University Health Systems-Public Health (RUHS-PH), as well as federal and state agencies, related to the rapidly changing COVID-19 novel coronavirus situation our state and nation is facing. These are uncharted waters and we appreciate your patience and understanding. Due to rapidly changing events, effective Monday, March 16, we will close all Menifee Union School District schools and programs, including preschool, until further notice. The earliest schools could resume would be after Spring Break, Tuesday, April 14th . However, if circumstances change we will let you know as early as possible. While our school facilities will be closed, optional enrichment resources for families, to maintain student engagement and connection to learning, will be provided on our District at www. menifeeusd.org and School websites. This is a difficult decision, but necessary, as our nation tries to slow the spread of the virus. Thank you for your patience and trust as we work together in these difficult times. We will continue to do our best to keep you informed. Facts and circumstances may change quickly so we encourage you to regularly visit our website www.menifeeusd.org . We will be updating information as it becomes available. Sincerely, Menifee Union School District Administrative Team

March 12, 2020 Good Evening MUSD Families, The Board of Education and I understand the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a concern among our families and staff. W...e continue to monitor the situation with close cooperation among health professionals, Riverside University Health System-Public Health (RUHS-PH), the Riverside County Office of Education and the California Department of Education. This is an understandably anxious time, and we appreciate how our families and staff are working together to keep our community safe. The Coronavirus continues to be a very fluid situation. We understand many of you have questions, and we will continue to address as many as possible in our updates to families. At this time, Riverside County officials have reported eight (8) novel coronavirus cases, including five (5) in the Coachella Valley. Please visit https://rivcoph.org/coronavirus for the most up-to-date information. The source of three cases has not been determined, so those cases are considered to be locally acquired. Following are frequently asked questions (FAQs), including answers to calls we’ve received this week regarding our COVID-19 response and actions we must take. Q: What should I do if I suspect a student or staff member has COVID-19 and is at school? A: Ask the student or staff member to go to the Health Office for a health check. The Health Office will follow the approved COVID-19 Health Protocol. If the individual has COVID-19, then the County Public Health Office will contact MUSD and provide official guidance. Q: What if an ill student or staff member attended school prior to being confirmed as a COVID-19 case? A: In all cases, MUSD will work with the local health department and other relevant leadership to respond to and communicate regarding a possible COVID-19 exposure. Local health officials may recommend temporary school dismissals depending on the circumstances of the particular case. Q: Who will make the decision to close schools? A: Recommended or ordered school closures will be made at the direction of the County Public Health Officer following discussions with local school districts and Public Health authorities. Q: If, in a worst-case scenario, a school gets shut down, what distance learning protocols are being considered? A: In the event of an extended school closing, the district may implement a School Closing - Home Learning model for all grade levels. Our Educational Services team is developing materials and access that will best meet the needs of all staff, students, and families. Q: Are there any plans to alter or cancel travel, field trips, school dances, due to concerns? A: Yes. The guidance to parents, teachers and staff is to practice community social distancing measures which may include cancelling group activities or events, and indoor special events when the following three conditions are met: 1) Large numbers of people gathered; 2) Indeterminate health and identity of attendees gathered; and 3) Gatherings with attendees in close proximity within confined spaces. Please check communications from your school site for a list of events and activities that have already been cancelled or postponed. Q: Are additional sanitization procedures taking place at sites and in classrooms? A: Yes, custodial leads and operations staff have reviewed enhanced cleaning procedures as recommended by the CDC school guidance on dealing with COVID-19. They are adhering to all District procedures. Some of these procedures include actions such as refilling soap dispensers throughout the day. Additionally, we have increased custodial support by 4.5 hours per day at each site to disinfect desks, door knobs and other frequently touched surfaces. Nutrition Services staff have increased the sanitization measures for sinks, surfaces and utensils. Transportation Services staff have increased the sanitization measures in the bus between school stops. Q: Are alcohol-based hand sanitizers allowed in MUSD schools? A: Yes. For more details from the California Department of Education https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/he/hn/handsanitizers.asp Q: Does the District have an emergency response plan specifically for pandemics? A: Yes. As part of our Safe Schools Planning efforts, there is a Pandemic Planning Guide. Administrative staff is currently reviewing those guidelines and updating as needed. It is important to note, specific pandemic response activities will be highly dependent on emerging data and direction provided by health authorities. As with any emergency plan, this is a living document and will be subject to updates as this pandemic develops. Q: How are student absences being handled? A: Based on the current pandemic declared by the World Health Organization (WHO), the district honors your parent rights and authority related to absences. We respect the decisions you may be forced to make regarding the health of your child and the community. All absences due to illnesses are excused with parent confirmation, per California Ed. Code https://bit.ly/3cU5kzw outlined in our District Board Policies https://bit.ly/33g8328 and Parent/Student Handbooks. https://bit.ly/38Laf2w Q. How do school sites handle requests for Independent Study (IS) related to novel coronavirus fears? A: The district reviews all independent study options on a case by case basis. Schools and staff will work with families who have underlying medical conditions that may increase the risk of serious COVID-19 for individuals of any age. Q. Are teachers able to attend professional development? A: Some professional development opportunities are available via video conferencing services. At this time, we are monitoring each professional development event and are making decisions based on the particulars of each training event. Q. How can I talk with my children about COVID-19? A: We are aware that concern over this new virus can make children and families anxious. Therefore, we have provided a link for you, How to Talk to Children about COVID-19, https://bit.ly/2WkaGyv a resource from the National Association of School Psychologists. Menifee Union School District Superintendent, Dr. Steve Kennedy

Despite a postponed event, we are grateful to these generous local businesses who had donated and pledge to continue to support our Harvest Hill PTA programs!