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“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” – C.S. Lewis
Dear Justice Families
We are ready for distance learning and Tuesday cannot come fast enough. Many teachers have been practicing with their students, and the emails and Twitter postings of reconnecting have been exciting to read and share. Please remind your child to log in on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week.
Last week I shared a short video explaining our distance learning plan. Here is the link in case you missed it.
Finally, below you will find detailed information about our approach to distance learning, how students and families can access distance learning and other resources.
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me.
We are ready for Distance Learning. We will do this by 1) Providing scheduled synchronous class time using BB Collaborate. 2) Posting assignments via FCPS 24/7 Blackboard for students to complete asynchronously. 3) Advertising “office hours” for individualized instruction and support throughout the week.
Asynchronous learning does not occur in the same place or at the same time. Examples are prerecorded video lessons. learning tasks that students complete on their own—that is not being delivered in person or in real time. Asynchronous learning may also encompass a wide variety of instructional interactions, including email exchanges between teachers and students, online discussion boards such as padlet, and the FCPS course management systems that organize instructional materials and correspondence, such as Blackboard/Google Classroom. Asynchronous learning will also have virtual office hours for students to get help from their teachers
Synchronous learning is a general term for learning that occurs in real time, but not in the same place. Synchronous learning is where the teacher will be providing ongoing instruction of essential skills and knowledge within the content. Blackboard collaborate Ultra will be used to accomplish this. For Justice, this will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- All sessions will be recorded and made available to students who cannot attend during the scheduled time
Distance Learning Week-at-a-Glance - To communicate synchronous and asynchronous learning opportunities to students and families, we will be using week at a glance grid for each class. This will allow students to manage their time and pace their work.
 Blackboard will be the main entry point for Distance Learning throughout FCPS. Students will first login to Blackboard and look for their assigned classroom pages. They will then click on the course announcement page, where they can find their assignments and other information.
Office Hours - All teachers will be available via email every day and will do their best to respond to families within a 24-hour time period to provide support. In addition, teachers have set office hours. Please see school schedule on specific teacher Blackboard pages for office hours. In addition, we have additional instructional support staff, should your child not be able to access his/her teacher during specific times. Please have your child click on the student scheduling (students must be signed into their fcpsschools.net account) form to access additional support.
Our Student Announcement Page (students must be signed into their fcpsschools.net account) has been updated to include all of the above resources and more distance learning information. As the distance-learning needs of our students evolve, we will continue to develop this platform.
Classroom driver education is included as part of grade 10 health and physical education and meets the requirement for juvenile licensing. As part of the licensing process, classroom driver education must provide 30 hours of face-to-face instruction. In third quarter, 15 class sessions were held before schools were closed. This is equal to 22.5 hours of instruction. For students to complete classroom driver education and have it meet the requirement for juvenile licensing, an additional 7.5 hours of instruction is required. This instruction will be delivered between April 14 and April 24. Meeting the 7.5 hours will require virtual instruction in addition to the 45-minute class sessions scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Students wishing to complete 3rd quarter classroom driver education for juvenile licensing will need to:
- Participate in scheduled 45-minute classes on either Tuesday or Thursday (April 14 and 21 OR April 16 and 23 with their regularly scheduled class)
- Participate in 90-minute virtual classes on Wednesdays and Fridays (April 15, 17, 22, & 24)
- Complete class assignments and assessments to demonstrate knowledge and skills
In addition to the 30 hours of classroom instruction, juvenile licensing requires attendance by the student and parent/guardian at the 90-minute parent-teen traffic safety presentation, Partner’s for Safe Teen Driving (PSTD).
PSTD has been offered for 3rd quarter students. A make-up session will be held virtually on WEDNESDAY evenings at 6:30pm. Sign-up information will be available on your child's physical education Blackboard class site. Both student and parent/guardian must be present for the entire 90-minutes and attendance will be taken.
Students will receive two grades for third quarter. The first grade will be a letter grade (A,B,C,D,F) included as part of the cumulative grade for health and physical education. Determination of the 3rd quarter grade will align to the guidelines for all classes. Only work and assessments assigned prior to March 13th will be included in the student’s grade and students will have the opportunity to make-up missing assignments and assessments from prior to March 13th. Assignments and assessments between April 14 and April 24 will not be graded. However, not completing the assignments/assessments may result in not completing the licensing requirements and not being eligible for a DEC-District 8 card.
The separate driver education grade is recorded as pass, fail, or incomplete. A pass will be recorded for students who successfully complete classroom driver education including 30 hours of instruction, mastery of content, and attendance at PSTD. An incomplete will be recorded for students who do not complete the 7.5 hours of virtual instruction, complete assignments between April 14 and April 24, and/or do not attend PSTD. A fail will be recorded for students who do not pass classroom driver education as indicated by the quarter health and physical education grade.
Due to FCPS buildings being closed and current safety concerns, DEC-District 8 cards will not be issued at the end of 3rd quarter. Information on distribution of cards will be provided when it becomes available. For more information, please contact Brian Garvey at BDGarvey@fcps.edu or your child's physical education teacher.
Please enjoy your school library books at home. No books are overdue, and they can be returned when school buildings re-open. Don’t forget to check Blackboard for ebooks available for you to check out or listen to. Happy reading!
College Planning Night is back on and will be held virtually on Thursday, April 16, 2020 from 6:30 pm-8:00 pm. Parents and students are invited to hear about key timelines, procedures, and resources to help support their students in the college process. Registration is required by submitting the Justice HS College Planning Night RSVP form by 3:00 pm on Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Blackboard Collaborate details will be emailed to registered attendees 24 hours before the event. There is a limit of 250 attendees through Blackboard Collaborate and attendees will be registered on a first come, first served basis. We ask that only one attendee per household registers for this event. A recording of the session will be available for those who are not able to attend the live virtual session. For more information, contact your child’s counselor or Alicia Grande, Career Center Specialist, at agrande@fcps.edu.
High school seniors interested in learning about a unique work-based learning (WBL) summer program offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) are invited to attend a Blackboard Collaborate virtual event for interested students on Tuesday, April 21, 2020, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. to learn about interviewing techniques, resume tips, and hear first-hand what AWS recruiters are looking for during the application and the interview process. The program consists of on-the-job training during a 12- week time period, where trainees will work in data centers. No prior work experience is required, as all relevant training will be provided during the program. Students can RSVP and see more information about the program on the AWS summer program page. Interested students must be 18 years old when applying for any of the available positions.
Service hours for seniors must be logged in x2VOL by April 24th to be eligible for the Service Learning Cord (40 hour requirement) or for the Board of Education's Excellence in Civics Education Seal (50 hour requirement, in addition to other criteria) on the diploma. Students may access their x2VOL account through their Naviance account (accessed through Blackboard). Once in Naviance, on the left side of the screen under resources, students can click “x2VOL” . The first time students use the program, they will need to complete their profile.
SCHEV has compiled some information to assist students, parents, colleges and universities navigate through these challenging times. Available on the Higher Ed and COVID-19 page, students and parents may view Virginia and national virtual college tours, guidance for student loans, and links to the COVID-specific websites of Virginia institutions.
Beginning on Friday, April 17th, on Fridays at 10:00 am the Student Services department will be offering Future Friday lessons for juniors to help prepare students for life after high school. The first session will focus on counselor supports and Justice HS resources. These synchronous virtual sessions will be recorded for those who cannot attend. More information will be available through the Justice HS Announcements page that students access through their @fcpsschools.net email address.
Beginning Wednesday, April 22nd, the Student Services department will be offering Wellness Wednesday lessons for all students. These lessons will help students manage their emotions and feelings during these uncertain times. These virtual lessons will be recorded for students to access at any time. More information will be available through the Justice HS Announcements page that students access through their @fcpsschools.net email address.
Even though school is paused, the yearbook has not! Books will still be printed and distributed for the 2019-2020 school year. Help preserve your child’s memory of the year by purchasing a yearbook! You can do so by going to www.yearbookordercenter.com, school code #4118. Please email Danielle Pierce at dpierce@fcps.edu with any questions.
For consistency and clarity in messaging, we will stay focused on what FCPS sends to families. This will eliminate multiple messages and will decrease chances of error or confusion. If there is information particularly unique to the entire the Justice community, I will be sure to keep you informed.
For information please go to the coronavirus webpage.
During these uncertain times, students and families may be feeling anxious. Mental Health Resources and 24/7 Emergency Numbers are available on the Justice HS website. Below are some additional resources to help guide families.
Fairfax County Public Schools is providing "grab and go" breakfasts and lunches at no cost for students at multiple sites to students, with breakfast from 8:00-10:30am and lunch from 10:30am to 2:00pm. Below are the nearest locations to Justice:
- Annandale Terrace, 7604 Herald St., Annandale
- Braddock Elementary, 7825 Heritage Dr., Annandale
- Bailey’s Elementary School, 6111 Knollwood Dr., Falls Church
- Crestwood ES, 6010 Hanover Ave., Springfield
- Graham Road Elementary School, 2831 Graham Rd., Falls Church
- Weyanoke Elementary School, 6520 Braddock Rd., Alexandria
All meals are available at no cost to children 18 years and under. Adult meals are available for purchase for $2. Check out the "Coronavirus Update - Food Resources for Families" for the latest information and other "pop-up" and grab and go locations.
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