COVID19 Update Newsletter

Dear Friends and Neighbors

I want to thank you for your patience, flexibility, and understanding with COVID-19. This is an unprecedented situation and we are doing the best we can in a rapidly changing and very unique time. I want to thank you all for reaching out to me to express your thoughts. Rest assured I heard you all and, as a parent with a child in our schools, I shared many of your concerns. The safety and security of our students has been the forefront of my mind and central to my advocacy in these last two weeks (and before). 

Latest Update:

COVID-19 continues to be a fast-moving event. I will continue to share information related to the coronavirus and our schools as it becomes available. Please check regularly for updates that will be posted on the FCPS Coronavirus webpage, which includes frequently asked questions, fact sheets, videos, continuity of learning information, and other useful resources.

There are still many issues we are still addressing, especially student access to food, computers, internet, adult supervision, and solidifying distance learning capabilities.

Here is the latest update from the Governor of Virginia: Virginia will follow the federal guidelines of limiting gatherings to no more than 10 people, recommending 65 and older self-quarantine. DMV offices closed – online services will still be available.

• Read More Here
• Governor Ralph Northam’s order closing all K-12 schools in the Commonwealth for a minimum of two weeks.

Here is the latest regarding school closures:

• Fairfax County Public Schools are officially closed through April 10. The plan right now is to resume classes April 14^th but that is subject to change.
• All FCPS school buildings are closed until further notice.  Food distribution at FCPS sites will continue as scheduled.  More details about the food program are below. 
• With the school buildings closed, the laptop distribution is postponed. 
• All FCPS administrative offices are closed until further notice.

   

  Teacher and Staff Pay: Many of you have asked about pay for our teachers and staff. Here is the information. Our leadership and our board wanted to make sure our employees were at least financially taken care of. All exempt, non-exempt, contracted hourly, and non-contracted hourly employees will be paid. We have also waived any co-pay/deductible for COVID-19 testing for our employees and provide free mental health and other resources through our employee assistance program.

ACT and SAT Testing:

• ACT And SAT have cancelled their March and May test dates. Read more here
• More information can be obtained from the college board website here

Academics and Continuity of Learning Plan

FCPS has developed a plan for continuity of learning while school is closed. Our goal is for students to read, write, communicate, and engage in continued learning experiences during this period. The first two weeks of school closure (Monday, March 16, to Friday, March 27) will not include any teacher-directed instruction. Students can participate in optional, self-directed learning activities posted on FCPS 24-7 Blackboard. Student work will be neither required nor graded. The materials on Blackboard are more extensive than what is on the FCPS website, so I encourage you all to visit Blackboard at the link above.

Additionally, FCPS cable channels with learning activities are now available. New instructional videos are currently being developed and recorded and will be added to the programming shortly. Channel 21 includes elementary school programming, Channel 25 includes middle school programming, and Channel 99 includes high school programming.

For more information about academics and continuity of learning plan, click HERE. 

This plan is still evolving so stay tuned. There are many legal requirements that public school divisions must meet when requiring online learning that we are working through.

We have many resources on our FCPS website and Blackboard. At the end of this newsletter, I will share additional resources I have found useful for keeping informed and taking care of myself and my own children in case any of these are useful to you.

Food Resources for Students and Families

As many of you may know, many of our students rely on our schools for daily meals, and in order to assist many of our families during the COVID-19 pandemic, FCPS has set up several "grab and go" food distribution sites across our County. See the chart below.

FCPS is providing grab and go meals at no cost for students at 29 sites. We are coordinating with community partners to ensure the locations and timing of food centers and pantries are being communicated with FCPS families. The food distribution is set up outside the schools.   Breakfast will be served from 8-10:30 a.m. and lunch from 10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the locations listed below. All students enrolled in FCPS schools and other County children receive one meal at no-cost; and, may have additional meals at no-cost upon request. Adults may purchase breakfast and lunch meals at a cost of $2.00.

Please continue to monitor fcps.edu in the event that this list is updated. In addition, you can find several county-based resources at the bottom of this link. 

Fairfax County Community Resources and Information

Need Support? Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services provides access and referrals to both government and community-based resources for Fairfax County residents in need.  If you are facing difficulties - including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, healthcare and more other needs, please call 703-222-0880 for assistance.

Fairfax County Information: Our Board of Supervisors, County Executive, and their staff have been working around the clock to provide information, support, and to deal with this unprecedented emergency. I am sharing some useful information from them below. For full information, please go to this link

• Board of Supervisors Declare Local State of Emergency. Read more here and watch the video
• Metrorail (train and bus) changes due to Coronavirus. Metrorail has reduced its bus and rail service. Read more here
• COVID-19 and Child Care Programs – what you need to know: Read more here
• Park, Library and Other Community Facilities to Close for Two Weeks: Read more here
• Senior Centers, Adult Day Health Care Centers Closed Effective Immediately: Read more here
• Health Department Offers Guidance on Mass Gatherings: Read more here
• Watch Out for Coronavirus Scams: Read more here
• Most Court Cases cancelled: Read more here
• Tips to help your neighborhood prepare. Read More Here
• Guidance on mass gatherings: Read More Here (Update, the Governor has stated that Virginia will follow federal guidelines of limiting mass gatherings to 10 people.)

Questions/Stay informed (Fairfax County):

• Call the Fairfax County Health Department Call Center at 703-267-3511 with Coronavirus questions; open 9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. weekdays and 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends.
• Text FFXCOVID to 888777 to receive updates from Fairfax County about COVID-19.
• Email questions or concerns to ffxcovid@fairfaxcounty.gov. This email account will be staffed Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. through 8 p.m.
• Follow @fairfaxcountyand @fairfaxhealth on Twitter.

How to Help

We have also been flooded with generous offers from employees and community members to volunteer at our food distribution sites.  Due to state training requirements for food distribution, we are encouraging those interested in helping to contact one of our community partners. These partners are in continuous support of our FCPS families and are connected with the larger effort of Fairfax County. Their contact information is available at this link:

https://www.fcps.edu/news/coronavirus-update-support

Virtual Office Hours

I plan to hold two virtual office hours Tuesday March 24^th 5-7 pm and Wednesday March 25^th 1-3 pm. These will be townhall style meetings and there will be options to participate via video or phone. Of course, if you wish to speak to me privately, I am available via phone or email. Please feel free to email me at rachnasizemorehei@fcps.edu to set up an individual time to talk if you prefer.

Here is the link to join my March 24th 5-7 pm Virtual Office Hours. Click on the down arrow to the side of the “Join Google Hangout” to find the link to the meeting and/or the phone number to call in.

Here is the link to join my March 25 1-3 pm Virtual Office Hours. Click on the down arrow to the side of the “Join Google Hangout” to find the link to the meeting and/or the phone number to call in.

Coronavirus Information:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Handwashing Tools: https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/hand/handwashing.html
• World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
• Virginia Department of Health: http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/surveillance-and-investigation/novel-coronavirus/

Other Resources/Suggestions:

I understand how difficult these times can be for our families and students. I have a school aged and college aged child and have discovered that many of the below resources have been helpful for my family. I am sharing these with you in case you find any of these useful. (I am also the parent of a child with a disability and recognize the additional challenges that can pose.)

Talking to Students about Coronavirus/Mental Health

• Social Stories about Coronavirus to help children understand:
  • Carol Gray Social Story The Autism Educator Social Story
  • Hello, My Name is Coronavirus
  • My Coronavirus Story
• Talking to Teens/Tweens About COVID-19: Read More Here
• National Public Radio (NPR) collaborated with experts in social work and mental health to provide this comic for kids: Read More Here
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network Guidelines: Read More Here
• American Psychological Association: Read More Here

More Information Here

• 4 Things to Know About Social Distancing: Read More Here

Executive Functioning/Organization information:

• It is helpful to create and maintain a schedule. Feel free to involve your kids in making the schedule - discuss the change in their schedule and how to be flexible. Brainstorm and write ideas down. Consider developing a visual schedule with "plan A" and a "plan B" together and letting children choose what to do
• teacherspayteachers.com is a great resource to make a schedule.  Search e "First then board" or "Visual Schedule" on the website. 
• Choiceworks is a good app for creating visual schedules and first/then boards.
• PBS Kids is releasing some helpful things for including a new episode of Daniel Tiger focused on germs
• Post a visual schedule for handwashing near sinks, particularly for kids who may not have mastered this skill yet.

Calm and Sensory Activities:

• Rainbow Soap Foam: Link here 
• Foaming Snow Man: Link here 
• Slime Recipes: Link here or here 
• Rainbow Ice Excavation: Link here 
• Colored Beads: Link here 
• Sensory Bottles: Link here

Academic Resources – there are many resources on FCPS 24-7 (Blackboard) and on the FCPS website

• Scholastic Offers Free Learn at Home Services: Link here
• Eight Digital Education Resources From Around the Smithsonian The newly launched #SmithsonianEdu campaign highlights 1.7 million online tools geared specifically toward students and teachers Read in Smithsonian Magazine: Read More Here
• Khan Academy – Great videos and free lessons: Link here
• U.S. Department of Education's Questions and Answers on Providing Services to Children with Disabilities during COVID-19: Read More Here

Active Time/Fitness/Indoor Activities

• YouTube: There are many free exercise videos on YouTube. Here is a link to an article that lists many of these resources.
• Outside: On nice days, make plans to go outside.  Go for a spring scavenger hunt in a park with hiking trails. If avoiding large public spaces, consider playing in the yard, going for a walk in your neighborhood, or working in the garden.
• Indoor Active time:
  • Consider building in active time indoors. Kids can create a "spy maze" to climb through by stringing up yarn
  • Painter's tape can be used to make indoor hopscotch, tracks for cars, and obstacle courses.
  • Baking/cooking activities can be fun, active ways to occupy kids. Able2Learn.com and www.AccessibleChef.com both have an array of free visual recipes to help people learn to cook. It can also keep up math skills during the break - work on counting, adding, and/or fractions, depending on your child's skill level.

Other Useful Resources:

• American Academy of Pediatrics Offers Resources for Families on Coronavirus: Link here
• National Public Radio (NPR) collaborated with experts in social work and mental health to provide this comic for kids: Link here
• Talking to Teens/Tweens About COVID-19- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/02/well/family/coronavirus-teenagers-anxiety.html
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network Guidelines: Link here
• American Psychological Association: Link here and here

Self-Care

Do you have a regular self-care routine? If not, now would be a great time to start one if you so choose and can. If you are having trouble coming up with some ideas, here are a few to get you started:

• Rest
• Exercise
• Develop a home yoga practice (Yoga with Adriene has a suite of yoga videos for various levels: Link here)
• Read a book
• Deep breathing/relaxation exercises
• Watch your favorite TV show
• Prayer and/or meditation (If you visit YouTube and put in "meditation for beginners" you should be able to find something to appeal to you)
• Write in a journal and or start a gratitude practice (This article explains how to get started: Link here)
• Take a warm bath or shower
• Color mandalas (This website has mandalas for printing and can be colored online too: Link here)

Some Final Thoughts

I know these are frightening and uncertain times. As best we all can, please take some time to care for yourselves. And, if I may and if you are able, I encourage you all to reach out (virtually) to a neighbor in need to help or even start a “militia of caring” task force in your community such as described in this Washington Post article

When you have an opportunity, I hope you will thank our amazing staff who have served us well to protect our school communities: teachers, instructional assistants, and administrators who have encouraged good hygiene, custodians who have kept our schools clean, cafeteria workers who have reinforced food safety, bus drivers who have disinfected their vehicles, and so many others.

I also want to take the time to thank our Superintendent and his leadership team for working around the clock during these unprecedented times and how quickly they were able to begin serving  “Grab and go” lunches for our students who are food insecure and provide resources for continuity of learning and much more. Please stay tuned as they continue to work to develop further plans for our students and staff.

I encourage you to forward this email to friends, family, and other members of the community who may find it informative.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if I can help in any way.

Please stay safe. And know that we are all in this together.

One final thought that might help us all smile today. I leave you with a feel-good story of two young children playing music to entertain an elderly neighbor in her 5^th day of a self-quarantine. It is the power of music to heal, to bring joy in difficult times, and bring us together even while staying apart. Read more here

In health,

Rachna

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

E-mail: Rachna Sizemore Heizer  |  Phone: 571-423-1090

Executive Admin Assistant, 571-423-1065