Westmont falls in season opener
Just in time for Valentine’s Day
Men’s soccer team drops game against Point Loma Nazarene- B4
Local singer set to release new single on Friday - B1
Our 165th Year
75¢
T H U R S DAY, F E BRUA RY 11, 2 0 21
Elementary schools prepare for reopening SB Unified district administrators hold informational meeting By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
RAFAEL MALDONADO/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS
About 30 members met for an indoor service at the Santa Inés Mission Wednesday, marking the first indoor mass the church has hosted in seven months.
Indoor worship resumes Santa Inés Mission parishioners meet indoors for first time in months
By MADISON HIRNEISEN NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
The voices of parishioners reverberated off the walls of the Santa Inés Mission Wednesday morning during the church’s first indoor mass in nearly seven months. About 30 masked congregants gathered in the Solvang mission’s 200-year-old sanctuary, offering prayers and taking communion. The long wooden pews were sectioned off with tape, directing parishioners to sit in every other row with a limit of two families or individuals per row. Father Bobby Barbato, pastor of the Santa Inés Mission, greeted congregants as they entered the
sanctuary while Father James Johnson, the associate pastor, read from the Bible and led prayers during the mass. “To look out at the church and just see people there, it was a great feeling,” Father Barbato told the News-Press. Throughout 2020, the church held outdoor worship services on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays in compliance with orders from Gov. Gavin Newsom that prohibited parishioners from meeting indoors. These restrictions were recently overturned in a Feb. 5 U.S. Supreme Court decision, which declared Gov. Newsom’s restrictions violated the Constitution’s protections for the
free practice of religion. The 6-3 ruling from the high court allows California churches to return to indoor gatherings at a limited capacity of 25%. Prior to Wednesday, parishioners met outdoors in the Santa Inés Mission’s garden for morning services. As the winter ushered in cooler temperatures, Father Barbato said the “devoted group” of Wednesday morning congregants bore the cold for the sake of their worship. “It was miserable at times because of the cold,” Bridgitte Lorenz, a 44-year member of the parish, told the News-Press. “It was beautiful in the garden. We have a beautiful garden, but it was cold.”
On Wednesday, it was cold outside, but inside, there was warmth, literally and figuratively. During the pandemic, Rick and Ninni Lemus, of Buellton, faithfully attended Wednesday morning mass in the garden but said that returning indoors felt like “coming home.” “We’re grateful that we were able to at least (meet outdoors), but we missed being inside and the ambiance,” Mr. Lemus told the News-Press. “There’s a special warmth and serenity in the house of God that you don’t always feel in the clamor of outside.” Completing the sacraments proved to be a challenge during the pandemic for many Please see worship on A3
At left, Joyce Love has attended mass at the church for 45 years and told the News-Press she is very happy to be able to meet indoors once again. At right, Father James Johnson, the associate pastor, led the church in communion Wednesday morning.
FOLLOW US ON
6
66833 00050
3
Please see reopening on A2
Santa Maria district considers new grading strategy School board discusses grade accommodations during pandemic By ANNELISE HANSHAW NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Santa Maria Joint Union High School District is considering three revisions to its grading policies to assist students during distance learning. The district’s board discussed the change Tuesday evening and will take action in an upcoming board meeting. If approved, the proposed changes would only apply to the spring 2021 semester. The first revision suggested by the district is a competencybased grading system for yearlong classes. If students earn a better grade in the second semester, the grade will also apply to the fall semester. Administrators asked teacher groups what they thought. Not all teachers were in favor of the policy, but there was a “level of support,” John Davis, assistant superintendent of curriculum, said in his presentation to the board. Allan Hancock College is currently reviewing whether it would accept the new grades for dual-credit courses. “I think the sticking point
becomes if there is a teacher does not believe that the fall grade should be changed and a policy mandates that they be changed, then we’re looking at some gray area with the ed code because the ed code does provide the support for the teacher to be the one who determines the actual grade,” Mr. Davis told the board. For short, elective courses, the district suggested continuing a “no mark” and “incomplete” grading system currently utilized by some of the district’s teachers. It would save students’ GPAs from the burden of a low grade. “A ‘no’ mark could potentially really help that student by allowing them to shift their focus to the core academic classes that they know they need and not necessarily have to worry about that particular elective class,” Mr. Davis said. Last semester, several hundred incompletes were given, he said. The third alteration is lowering the graduation requirements on a case-bycase basis for students at risk of Please see grading on A2
L O T T E RY RESU LTS
ins ide Classified.............. B4 Life.................... B 1-2 Obituaries............. A4
What should be expected once elementary schools reopen? In an effort to provide information to district parents and families, the Santa Barbara Unified School District held informational meetings for elementary school families Wednesday night. Administrators reviewed the COVID-19 safety plan for elementary schools as the district prepares to reopen as early as Feb. 26. This week, parents will receive a message on Parent Square, the district’s parent messaging system, to confirm their choice for in-person or distance learning. Parents were asked about this in the fall, but are able to change their minds this week. Next week, families will receive class schedules. Some students may have a new teacher or a class with multiple grade levels, depending upon families’ decisions. “Our priority is to make the least amount of changes possible based on the results of
your choices,” Ana Escobedo, assistant superintendent of elementary education, said. Students will not be on campus five days a week but will instead have a hybrid plan, allowing two days on site. In the fall, administrators decided that a traditional schedule was not attainable under health and safety protocols, such as social distancing. Principals will provide school-specific guidelines to parents and hold information sessions. Each school will have a checkin and screening station that students must go through prior to entry. Students should verify they don’t have any COVID19 symptoms on the iPass application on their school iPads. The app is also available for Apple and Android phones. Classes will have drop-off and pick-up schedules that parents must follow to avoid crowding and ensure a smooth screening process. Buses will operate with windows open and students seated every other seat. Siblings will share a seat.
Sudoku................. B3 Sports ................... B4 Weather................ A4
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: 8-10-19-22-41 Meganumber: 15
Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 1-3-8-4
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 7-18-21-31-40 Meganumber: 9
Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 5-15-28-35-36
Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 10-11-08 Time: 1:43.85
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: 15-39-58-63-67 Meganumber: 7
Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 6-4-1 / Wednesday’s Midday 5-8-4