Dear Families, Students, Faculty/Staff, and Community of Los Gatos Saratoga Union High School District,
As we plan for the first days of school, we have important information that we would like to share on two topics: COVID/Health Guidance and Universal Meals Program.
COVID/HEALTH Guidance
LGSUHSD 2022-2023
To support safe in-person learning and mitigate the spread of COVID-19, LGSUHSD supports the following guidance based on the COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools
FACEMASKS
As of March 1, 2022, masks are not mandated. CDPH strongly recommends that individuals continue to mask in indoor settings, especially when the community transmission rate is high. You can view the current Covid Level in Santa Clara County here:
Know Your COVID-19 Community Level
*We will be kind and respectful of individual choices to wear a mask or not*
COVID VACCINATIONS
CDPH recommends that all eligible individuals get vaccinated against COVID-19 and remain up to date with recommended boosters.
SUBMIT VACCINATION RECORDS:
LGHS
SHS
MC/CA/Post Secondary
LGSUHSD plans to host several COVID vaccine clinics in the upcoming months. Stay tuned for more information.
*Covid vaccines are not mandated for school at this time.
TESTING
Testing remains a key mitigation layer to detect and curb the transmission of COVID-19. The CDPH Covid Testing Task Force is encouraging schools to use Over-the-Counter/At-Home Antigen Testing as the primary option for the 2022/2023 School Year.
RESOURCES FOR FREE OTC TESTS
Free Test Kits from the Federal Government
Free OTC tests through your Health Plan
Better Health Pharmacy - San Jose
One box of (2) tests will be distributed to each student at Wildcat Days and Falcon Fest. CDPH recommends that students take a COVID test the day before returning to campus.
* PLEASE NOTE that the CDPH has approved the use of all federally authorized antigen tests beyond their expiration dates: Covid Self-Test Expiration Extensions
INSPIRE DIAGNOSTICS: To supplement the Home Antigen Testing program, LGSUHSD will continue our partnership with INSPIRE DIAGNOSTICS, to offer optional free PCR testing on campus twice a week (M/TH 8-4.) Parents will need to Preregister their students with INSPIRE, including providing insurance information. Regardless of insurance status, all students will be eligible for on-campus testing at no charge.
*** Please report all positive COVID-19 cases to school by emailing our Health Team***
[email protected] [email protected]
Our Health Team will reply with specific instructions about isolation and return to school guidelines.
***District Employees: Report positive cases to: [email protected]***
MANAGEMENT OF POSITIVE COVID CASES AND CLOSE CONTACT EXPOSURES
Please see the COVID-19 Decision Tree 8.9.22 from the Santa Clara Public Health Department. We will follow this guidance in response to positive cases and close contacts.
MONKEYPOX - Additional Health Information
MONKEYPOX has been declared a public health emergency in California. We are awaiting further guidance from CDPH. Learn more about RISKS AND PREVENTION STRATEGIES
COVID/Health Guidance Updated 8/12/22
Universal Meals for All
LGSUHSD 2022-2023
We have an important and exciting update from the cafeterias at Los Gatos and Saratoga High School. As many of you may already know, recent legislation has allowed for breakfast and lunch meals to be free for all students beginning this August. While this will apply to the entirety of the student body at both Los Gatos and Saratoga High Schools, it will also require the District to join the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) so that between the state and federal government the District will be reimbursed for the meals served. In order to be ready, we are asking that all families complete the application for Free or Reduced lunch in order to maximize our federal and state reimbursements as well as other district funding. The application can be completed through the student’s Titan account. For more information, please see the annual packet to parents from the school.
The district is very proud of its innovative model of bringing scratch-made, “Restaurant Style” cooking into the kitchens that it began as a pilot with great success in 2019 at Los Gatos High School. We have an amazingly dedicated and talented Cafeteria staff that worked so hard to build a program that is the best in the state! While almost every other district in the state relies heavily on “prepackaged”, heat and served processed foods to carry out such programs, we have decided to again blaze ahead and keep cooking for real!
NSLP/Universal Meals Program
1. Fill Out Your Application- Even though all students qualify we would like to have a completed application on file in order for the district to maximize federal and state reimbursements.
2. Students will still need to scan their ID cards
3. Only NSLP meals qualify for reimbursement (Breakfast and Lunch)
4. Ala Carte items will be available (snacks, beverages, etc) but do not qualify through the program and will need to be paid for by the student through their Titan account or with cash. These items cannot be provided as part of any free meal.
We are excited to see all of our students on the first day of school, which is Thursday, August 18th. Welcome back to the new school year!
Sincerely,
Bill W. Sanderson
Superintendent