SAN DIEGO — The Poway Unified School District distributed more than 6,000 Chromebooks to students and families Thursday who have requested access to a device in preparation for distance learning beginning next week.
The Chromebooks have all been disinfected and pre-packaged in advance and were distributed at each school site Thursday morning as families drove up in cars so that social distancing could be maintained for students who registered.
"It is very important to ensure that all students are able to access distance learning when we launch. The process has been thorough, deliberate, and collaborative as we completely change the way we are educating our 36,500 students," said Superintendent Marian Kim Phelps, in a letter to staff and families.
PUSD families in need of devices filled out a device checkout form in advance, and were then provided with pick up directions.
School officials said for families that could not make Thursday's checkout, there will be a make-up check out time scheduled at all school sites for Friday, April 3, between 3 p.m. and 4:30 pm.
Poway Unified will launch their online learning starting April 6, it’ll be a soft launch to work out the kinks.
San Diego Unified Schools Superintendent Cindy Marten assured families that students will get credit for all the school work they've been doing at home as they gear up for distance learning starting April 27.
The tech giant, Google, is pledging to donate thousands of its Chromebooks to California students, as well as, provide 100,000 internet access points across the state.
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NEWS 8 joined forces with The San Diego Foundation to raise IMMEDIATE, EMERGENCY FUNDS for our most vulnerable neighbors in need. Here is how you can help.
BACKGROUND:
According to the CDC, coronavirus (COVID-19) is a family of viruses that is spreadable from person to person. Coronavirus is believed to have been first detected in a seafood market in Wuhan, China in December 2019. If someone is sick with coronavirus, the symptoms they may show include mild to severe respiratory illness, cough, and difficulty breathing.
Currently, there is no vaccine, however, the CDC suggests the following precautions, along with any other respiratory illness:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds.
