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Dear Families,
Yesterday, the Superintendent announced that students will have a holiday on Monday, March 16 so that staff can participate in professional development and provided the opportunity to prepare for the possibility of distance learning in the event of a single school or schools closure.
School-based employees will report to school and receive additional information on planning/training for remote learning. All central office staff and hourly employees will report to work as normal. Transportation and food service employees will also be provided preparedness training as well. SACC centers will be open on March 16.
In addition, the School Board discussed COVID-19 during a work session on Monday, March 9. The Board focused on several plans that FCPS will implement in the event that COVID-19 spreads to our schools.
The plan utilizes two planning scenarios:
• Planning Scenario 1: Under this scenario, a large percentage of the division’s schools are in session but a single school or a small group of schools may have dismissed students from classes to limit/restrict social contact and slow the transmission of the influenza virus. The superintendent may authorize the dismissal of students from class based on recommendations from the local health department director. Instructional program support and division-wide support services may be limited due to high absenteeism rate or the redeployment of staff.
• Planning Scenario 2: Schools are closed. Under this scenario, students have been dismissed from school either by order of the state health commissioner to limit/restrict social contact and slow the transmission of the influenza virus or by order of the Division Superintendent or the School Board due to falling class attendance and/or rising staff absenteeism. FCPS facilities may remain open to faculty and staff to support continuity of learning.
There are “snow days” built into the FCPS school year calendar that could be utilized if schools need to be closed for any length of time.
School closing decisions would be made in coordination with the health professionals.
The presentation to the School Board is available at our coronavirus webpage. The page also contains fact sheets, videos, and other resources that you may find useful. Additional information is available from the Fairfax County Health Department and the CDC .
Please be assured that we are committed to communicating with the community on the situation as it evolves. Updates can be found on our website: https://www.fcps.edu/news/coronavirus-update.
COVID-19 Message from Superintendent Brabrand and School Board Chair Corbett Sanders
The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
© 2020 Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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