Clarification about Summer Continuity of Learning Registration
The deadline for The Summer Continuity of Learning Form referenced below will actually vary by elementary and middle school – the deadline is not June 12 for all schools, as stated in my earlier June 11 email.
The link provided below is not for every school and has now been deactivated. Please contact your student’s school for registration information.
I apologize for any confusion. Thank you!
Melanie
Dear Community Members,
I’ve thought about today since March 23.
That day, when the Governor announced that all Virginia schools would close through the end of the school year, I wondered how our students, families, and staff would ever make it to June. I couldn’t envision how school was going to work.
Today, experiencing what we have lived through and done since, I feel more hopeful.
We have produced so much to try to make the best of the situation. We have created systems and plans, and identified the unanswered questions so we can see about getting the needed answers. FCPS has put all preK-12 instruction in an online format, trained all educators in teaching in entirely new ways, provided tens of thousands of devices to students, and fed thousands of families in need. These plans were non-existent three months ago today.
To be sure, there is uncertainty and yet-to-be-made plans. There are students and families in need and even in dire situations. People have succumbed to COVID. There is disappointment and exhaustion.
However, we will need to accept what is possible and keep working for what’s better. That is my commitment to you today.
Return to School Plans
On Monday, June 15, the Superintendent and his staff will present the School Board with the next version of best-thinking for how FCPS will look in Fall 2020. Staff is exploring every option under the sun and considering input from the Board and community. Please prepare yourself: it will not be ideal. There will be uncertainty. The plans may change even before school starts. To watch the June 15 meeting live streamed, please go here. A recording will be posted afterwards. The next School Board meeting about the plans will be on June 23. The goal is to finalize plans as best as possible by the end of June, so that staff can begin preparing for the fall - an event that in normal times takes a tremendous amount of work by administrators, teachers, and central office staff. Please understand that plans are being designed to be flexible - fluid, really. Preparations are happening in the event that students and staff are able to return safely - and preparations are also being made in case we can't, as well as for options that may provide a bit of both. To date, no change has been announced for the upcoming school calendar.
Summer Learning for All
FCPS is offering optional virtual opportunities this summer to:
- Address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the community.
- Support student learning throughout the summer months.
Elementary and Middle School:
Students can focus on math and literacy using self-directed print and digital materials—supported by teachers—from Monday, June 29, through Friday, July 31. These teachers will hold virtual office hours to provide support. A teacher will be available on a Blackboard Collaborate link, one hour each week between June 29 and July 31 to answer student questions about the summer workbook. To register your child for the one hour per week question session/office hour and receive a secure link, please complete The Summer Continuity of Learning Form by Friday, June 12. Only students registered on this form will receive log-in information via their fcpsschools.net address prior to the first session.
Students currently in grades K-6 will receive both a Mathematics and a Language Arts Essentials Summer Practice Book in the mail by the end of June. Digital versions of the books will also be posted on the Continuity of Learning Blackboard page. These books will provide practice activities to review essential content from the 2019-2020 school year and do not preview content from next year's grade level.
Online Campus:
The Online Campus is open to middle and high school students who meet course prerequisites to take courses for new credit. Students will complete a full course and participate in daily synchronous (live) communication with teachers. Students who enroll in the Online Campus pay tuition, however, tuition has been reduced to $375 for this summer. Students who have already registered will receive additional information about a refund.
High School:
Summer High School Credit Recovery classes will occur via distance learning at every high school from Monday, July 6, through Friday, July 24. This free virtual program is designed to allow students to recover credit for a failed course or receive targeted intervention to support future success. Schools will be able to invite students who did not fail a course but who may need extra support.
Students may also work with their school counselor for approval to complete a new course through a college or university or through another public or private school accredited by the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE) and virtual private schools accredited by VCPE.
For courses taken outside of FCPS, the parent or guardian must complete the Request to Earn High School Credit from Programs Outside of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) form. Submit the completed form and additional documents to your child’s school counselor to obtain permission to transfer credit prior to enrolling in any non-FCPS program.
English Speakers of Other Languages:
Language and Literacy Connections for current English learners in grades 7-12 will be held Monday, June 22 to Tuesday, July 14, in two sessions. The morning session will run from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. daily, and an evening session will run from 7 to 8 p.m. daily. Students may select one of the two sessions. For more information and to register, contact your ESOL teacher or visit ESOL Summer Learning.
Special Education:
FCPS will provide Extended School Year (ESY) to students, grades PreK-12, whose IEP (Individualized Education Program) team determines that the student qualifies for ESY due to significant regression and lack of recoupment of skills that were gained during the regular school year prior to the shutdown.
Fine Arts K-12 Enrichment Program:
FCPS is offering a free online arts enrichment program for current K-12 students over five weeks from July 6 to August 7. A variety of classes will be offered in art, music, theater, and dance. Also, see this announcement. Students may participate in as many classes as they wish, continuing to take their favorite art classes or trying something new. Registration is not required.
Elementary classes include K-6 Art, Stitchery and Weaving, Claymation and Recycled Art, K-6 Music, Drumming, Contemporary Vocals, Sixth Grade Band, Sixth Grade Strings, K-6 Theater, and K-6 Dance.
Secondary classes include Cartooning, Cell Phone Photography and Animation, Digital Art, Exploratory Drawing and Painting, Guitar, Jazz Band, Creative Strings, Show Choir, Musical Theater, Acting, Theatre Games and Improv, Technical Theater Design and Production, Creative Writing, Yoga for the Artist, Summer Dance Exploration, Summer Dance Intensive, and Fitness for the Performing Artist.
Adult & Community Education:
Many Fairfax County residents are at home and struggling to keep their minds engaged (and oftentimes off more COVID-19 related news). As you search for affordable and engaging virtual learning options, FCPS Adult and Community Education (ACE) is hard at work bringing e-learning to you. Check out the listings for summer programs – ranging from workplace development training to foreign language to cooking demonstrations. Register now for an upcoming online class.
My Commitment to Antiracist Efforts in FCPS
I tried to put into words the complex thoughts about racism in our school division and community. Please view this five minute video here.
Additionally, I have asked that the School Board schedule work sessions to discuss and engage the community about the role of School Resource Officers (SROs). I’ve been hearing from parents who object to having SROs, who are members of our Police Department, present in schools per the 2018 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This is a topic I am eager to learn more on and hear about from the community. Please stay tuned, and in the meantime, share your perspective with me via this link.
Renaming Robert E. Lee High School
The School Board is restarting the public process of renaming Lee High School, which was interrupted due to COVID. Changing this school's name as soon as possible is something I sought to do upon entering my School Board seat this past January. Here is our schedule that includes public participation:
- 6/22: Public Hearing
- 6/23: Board Vote on Renaming
- 7/15: Community Meeting on Potential New Names
- 7/22: Public Hearing on Potential New Names
- 7/23: Board Vote on New Name
- New Name for 2020/21 School Year
More information is here.
Make Time for Nature with Get2Green
Distance Learning Resources
Interested in more ways to connect with nature? The FCPS Get2Green tabs on the Blackboard Distance Learning sites have new resources for environmental education to use all summer long.
FCPS Garden Access Update
As of Friday, May 29, FCPS school gardens are once again accessible. All visitors should practice health department safety guidelines. Although face coverings are not required outdoors, community members are encouraged to practice physical distancing (six feet apart) and to keep groups to ten people or less. For gardens that are producing food, Get2Green recommends following the hygiene recommendations outlined in the Garden to Cafeteria Safety Checklist developed by Food and Nutrition Services and the Fairfax County Health Department.
Celebrating the Class of 2020!
 Melanie Meren at Madison HS to support our 2020 graduates
 Congratulations, Madison HS graduates!
 Madison HS administrators and Melanie Meren greeting the Class of 2020
 A proud supporter of the South Lakes HS Class of 2020
Celebrating at South Lakes HS
 Having fun at the Oakton HS graduation activities
 Even the face masks are honoring the Class of 2020 at Oakton HS!
Congratulations to the Class of 2020 at Westfield HS!
 Many photographs were taken at Westfield HS to commemorate the unique Class of 2020 and all its achievements!
Wishing all our students, staff, and families a peaceful and healthy summer!
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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