PSUSD’s AAPAC honors African American class of 2021
Palm Springs Unified School District s African American Parent Advisory Council held a virtual meeting to celebrate African American and African American bi-racial seniors preparing to graduate.
Approximately 140 seniors were celebrated during the virtual event, with everyone names being read out.
All seniors have already received a special Kente class of 2021 graduation stole and a note of congratulations in the mail. The Kente stole will be worn by the seniors over their gown during their respective high school graduation commencement ceremony. AAPAC Board members decided that we needed to do something for our parents and students graduating high school, said AAPAC board member Charlie Ervin. Kente Stoles play a large role in African history and instill a sense of pride for this great achievement of graduating high school.
California pediatricians can bypass MyTurn as they vaccinate children
Barbara Feder Ostrov
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State officials will allow pediatricians to bypass their cumbersome vaccine management system in a move intended to speed COVID-19 vaccinations for children.
The decision comes as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize vaccines for children ages 12 to 15 as early as this week, which would add 2.1 million kids to the number of Californians eligible.
The move is a tacit recognition of the problems that the massive, $50 million MyTurn system poses for doctors and smaller medical groups wanting to immunize their patients.
Sami Gallegos, press secretary for California’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, told CalMatters that pediatricians and other doctors who treat children will not be forced to use MyTurn to obtain their patients’ vaccines. But she added that the state health department has not yet determined how the doctors will receive the doses.
School districts consider changing graduation requirements this year due to the pandemic
Local school districts are changing graduation requirements so more seniors can graduate this year.
News Channel 3’s Caitlin Thropay explains why these changes may happen.
The Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) outlined in a presentation at their last board meeting how the pandemic has created significant hardships for their students especially graduating seniors. That’s why they are changing their graduation requirements.
“We understand that the pandemic has not been easy on anyone especially our students and our children, Lissette Santiago, the community engagement manager for CVUSD told News Channel 3 on Tuesday.
West valley schools: PSUSD transitional kindergarten will be full day for 2021-22
Joan L. Boiko
Palm Springs Unified School District kindergarten classes have been full day for the past several years. Beginning with the 2021-22 school year, all transitional kindergarten classes will also be full day.
Children who turned five years old on or before Sept. 1, 2020 are eligible for kindergarten. Transitional kindergarten is for students who turned five between Sept. 2 and Dec. 15, 2020. Registration is currently underway for all incoming kindergarten and transitional kindergarten students as well as students of all ages that are new to the district.
“Transitional kindergarten can be a transformative experience and purposefully prepare students both socially and emotionally for the academic rigor of kindergarten,” said Director of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Simone Kovats. “When transitional kindergarten is implemented in a full-day setting, it also allows for addi