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Diablo Valley School

A Sudbury School for ages 5 - 19

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Diablo Valley School Reopening Plan

Diablo Valley School will be opening digitally on Wednesday, September 9th, 2020. We will open our doors physically when Contra Costa County determines it is safe to do so. The following is the outline of our path to full reopening. Note that this plan is subject to modification based on circumstantial changes and evolving guidance or requirements from external authorities.

Phase 1: Wednesday, September 9, 2020 – The eye of the storm – Diablo Valley School will open digitally-only in the fall. Students enrolled will be allowed to remain digitally enrolled throughout all phases for the 2020-2021 school year.

  • Multiple Zoom rooms where students can flow to and from freely
  • A DVS Minecraft server
  • A weekly School Meeting
  • A Judicial Committee to troubleshoot conflict
  • Mandatory attendance of 4 hours per day within a 10 am to 4 pm daily schedule Monday through Friday. For kindergarten age, 3 hours per day.
  • 1 staff member digitally present at all times

Phase 2: The neutral zone. We will enter this phase when when Contra Costa County determines it is safe to do so. Please note that Phase 2 details are subject to change based on data acquired during Phase 1 and the Contra Costa County guidance parameters.

  • Mandatory attendance of 4 hours per day within a 10 am to 4 pm daily schedule Monday through Friday. For kindergarten age, 3 hours per day. Attendance can be remote or in person.
  • Separate cohorts with no intermixing between cohorts. The grouping locations, size, intermixing protocols, and timing will be discussed during Phase 1 once the School Meeting is active and we have more information about the situation and enrollment numbers.
  • Mask and social distancing requirements as per Contra Costa County guidelines.
  • Detailed sanitation and sterilization in place

Phase 3: The light at the end of the tunnel — full reopening. There will be a series of detailed steps in the process to arriving here based on information gathered in the path to this phase which will be solidified during Phase 2. Physical attendance will not be mandatory for any student during the 2020-2021 school year.

Please note that even Phase 1 is subject to change based on new information and progress. As we move into and through Phase 1, based on a dynamic information system, the discussion points will become more accurate in determining what further phases will look like.


Much like the early days of the school, we will not know what will grow from this until it is in place, and see what the students make of it. A blank slate stands in front of us awaiting to be molded. A couple of Zoom rooms and a blank Minecraft world are the basic canvas. The set of brushes is the internal drive to play, explore, experiment, to thrive. The same tools that led us to crawl, walk, run, code, and build the world around us will guide us now. At the core the day will be no different than our usual day to day – just a new environment, a new playground to master.

2924 Clayton Road, Concord, CA 94519 · 925-676-2982 · office@diablovalleyschool.org  
Diablo Valley School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, religion, disability or handicap, gender, gender identity and/or expression, or sexual orientation to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, religion, disability or handicap, gender, gender identity and/or expression, or sexual orientation in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
Diablo Valley School is a 501(c)(3) organization, Tax ID 68-0340764
All content © 2020 Diablo Valley School