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Dear Justice Families,
Our counselors returned this week and have been hammering out the final details of student schedules. Please feel free to reach out to them with any questions and concerns. You may access their contact information by clicking here. This Friday, August 14, marks the official return to school for teachers. We will be working together to communicate return to school information.
I know many of you have questions about how to best support your students’ virtual learning. We have compiled a list of resources for parents and guardians on our website. The link is found under the distance learning, and is entitled ‘Parent Virtual Learning Resources’, and is located here, The site includes:
- Commonly used digital platforms – these links provide tutorials on introduction and use of the different platforms used at Justice.
- General technology resources – these links provide instruction on the various technology tools used in FCPS.
- There is a link to request specific support help based on your needs. Please use this to help us support you and your children.
As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to me at mveck@fcps.edu.
The bell schedule for virtual learning for the 2020-21 school year will more closely resemble the start and end times our school was using in 2019-20 before the school closure. That means the virtual high school day will be from 8:10 a.m. to 2:55 p.m.
We want to provide as much of a sense of normalcy in our daily schedule as we can in these most unusual of circumstances. We are able to follow these schedules in a virtual environment because transportation arrangements are not needed.
We have several pick up/drop off days scheduled. Before students/parents come to school, they will need to answer the following questions:
- Do you have a cough and/or sore throat? Yes_____ No ______
- Have you had a fever in the last 72 hours (3 days)? Yes______ No______
- Do you have any shortness of breath or is it hard for you to breathe? Yes_____ No____
- Is anyone in your house ill with a fever or a cough? Yes____ No_____
- Have you had any contact with someone known to have or under investigation for Coronavirus in the last 14 days (2 weeks)? Yes____ No_____
If the answer to any questions is “yes,” we will reschedule your pick-up/drop-off date.
We are excited to welcome our Wolves to the 2020-2021 school year during our annual Wolfpack Welcome, the Virtual Edition, on Tuesday, September 1st at 6:30 pm! Students will have the opportunity to virtually meet school staff, find out about activities and clubs, and learn important information about the upcoming school year. The event will be streamed through YouTube Premiere – a Live Event. A link will be available via all social media platforms, in your News You Choose email on August 30th, and in your student’s @fcpsschools.net email inbox by August 30th. A recording of the event will be shared after September 1st for those who are unable to join us that evening.
We will be distributing student laptops on 8/25-8/28 from 8:30am – 2:00pm for rising 9th graders and any new students. If you are a rising 9th grader you will receive an email with an appointment time to your student google email (Student ID#@fcpsschools.net) on 8/4 – We will also send an email to any parent email addresses on file. The email sent will have additional information on CDC guidelines. If parents/students are unable to pick up during their appointment window there will be other opportunities for alternate dates/times.
If you are a new student enrolling at Justice in 10th-12th grade you may come to school any time between 8:30am and 12:00pm on 8/28.
If you have any questions or concerns please email Jason Kagarise at jmkagarise@fcps.edu
All 9th grade students will receive a Justice Wolves t-shirt and a treat when they pick up their student laptops on 8/25-8/28. 9th grade students received an email in their @fcpsschools.net inbox last week with their appointment time for laptop pick up.
On Tuesday, August 11 from 4:00 – 6:00, we will have a pick-up/drop-off day for students in grades 10 – 12; no appointment is necessary. Drivers/walkers should report to the Main Door gyms for curbside service; car riders are asked to display a sign with the student’s complete last name and first name. Masks are required.
- Drop-off Items:
- Textbooks
- Library books
- Athletic uniforms
- If students will not be at Justice this year, they will also need to bring their laptop, charger, MiFi device, and any band/orchestra instruments.
Note: If students do not return these items, they will result in an unpaid obligations fee.
- Pick-up Items:
- Items that we retrieved from students’ lockers (Note: If students do not remember the number and combination of their PE locker, we will keep those items until further notice.)
- Yearbooks (pre-paid)
- Winter & spring athletic awards
If you have any questions, please email Michelle Campiglia, Assistant Principal, at mrcampiglia@fcps.edu.
We have been given the go ahead to allow students to pick up items out of their PE Lockers. We have designed pickup to follow all CDC guidelines. It is important that students be signed up for a timeslot. Here is the link to a calendar with appointment times. Link and instructions below. Just click and set your appointment, and we will see you soon!
- Click Link
- Use arrow on the top left to scroll to date requesting… August 19th, 20th or 21st
- Select time slot. Be sure to select either BOYS or GIRLS locker room pick up.
https://calendar.google.com/calendar/selfsched?sstoken=UUtGdEg5SEFrRV9ofGRlZmF1bHR8OGE0ZDA3Zjc3MDVmZmJkNzVjZjJkMTZiNWE0YTBkODQ
Please remember the following:
- Please arrive and stick to appointment time as best as possible so we can ensure social distancing.
- Please wear a mask
- At Least 6 feet Social Distancing
- Use the Hand sanitizer stations when you arrive at Door #11 and when you leave:).
Stay Safe and Healthy
Go Wolves!
Student Services support staff is available to assist with student registrations, withdrawals, records requests, address changes, and more. We are able to address many of these needs by phone or through electronic communication. Families who need to come to the school to drop off paperwork must have an appointment. To make an appointment or to request assistance, please call 703-824-3922 or contact our Administrative Assistants via email: Maddie Orozco (mlorozco@fcps.edu) or Karin Neal (kneal@fcsp.edu).
FCPS is aware that families of high school students, especially our rising seniors, are concerned about access to ACT and SAT testing in FCPS and surrounding areas. We will proceed with the scheduled August 29 SAT testing at several FCPS high schools. In addition, we will work with the College Board to offer FCPS seniors an opportunity to take the SAT at their schools on September 23, through the SAT School Day testing program. We will share registration information for the September 23 test date in mid-August.
Any additional changes for weekend testing sites for the ACT or SAT in FCPS throughout the 2020-21 school year will depend on health conditions along with health and safety guidelines. Changes will be communicated directly to registered students by ACT or by the College Board for the SAT.
Free online test preparation is available at the following links: Khan Academy Official SAT Practice and ACT Academy. We encourage our rising seniors to carefully review the admissions criterion for the colleges on their lists, as many colleges are adjusting requirements for ACT or SAT. School counselors and career center specialists will be available in mid-August to discuss postsecondary planning with students and their families.
Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane exercised emergency authority granted to him by the 2020 General Assembly to waive annual school accreditation for the 2021-22 academic year. Schools will be assigned a rating of “Accreditation Waived,” the same rating assigned schools for 2020-21 under a waiver issued in April.
Accreditation ratings are based on performance during the previous school year. The statewide closure of schools in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic resulted in the cancellation of spring Standards of Learning testing. Student performance on SOL tests in English, mathematics and science are key metrics under the state Board of Education’s school accreditation standards.
Without spring 2020 SOL results, there is insufficient data for the Virginia Department of Education to calculate accreditation ratings for the 2020-21 school year. And because year-to-year growth in English and growth in mathematics are also accreditation metrics, VDOE won’t have sufficient data to calculate ratings for 2021-22 either, because even if students are able to take tests next spring, the department won’t have baseline data from 2019-20 for measuring growth.
In April, Lane appointed a task force to study the impact of the COVID-19 shutdown on the commonwealth’s school accountability system and make recommendations on accreditation determinations for 2021-22. Waiving accreditation until there is sufficient baseline data to measure student growth was one of two options recommended by the task force which included FCPS Superintendent Scott Brabrand.
“Waiving annual accreditation for a second year will allow our schools to focus on assessing the impact of the shut down on students, academically and on their social and emotional well-being,” Lane said. “It will also allow school divisions to make decisions about resuming in-person instruction or reverting to virtual learning that prioritize the health of students and staff, without the added pressure of the possible impact on accreditation. If tests are administered during the upcoming school year, the focus should be on evaluating the impact of the pandemic on student learning and establishing a new baseline for measuring student growth.”
Survive and Thrive with Virtual Learning: Practical Strategies to Make At-Home Learning Work for You
Are you worried about managing your child’s virtual schooling this year? Do you hate becoming the “school police” when your child won’t focus? Do you have to balance your child’s schooling with your own remote workload? We hear you, and we’re here to help.
You’ll learn how to avoid parent-child conflict around academics with practical tips for:
- Establishing routines and expectations that really work
- Creating ideal spaces for virtual learning
- Keeping kids focused while learning online
- Minimizing distractions from video games and other screens
- Getting your own work done at the same time (Yes, it’s possible!)
Don’t tackle this unusual year without a plan. Instead, join us and feel more prepared and confident for the year ahead, with a toolbox full of practical strategies that actually work. We can’t wait to see you there!
Presented by Ann Dolin, M.Ed., educational consultant and award-winning author. Ann is the President and Director of Educational Connections, Inc.
Friday September 11, 2020, 10-11:30 a.m.
Register for Survive and Thrive with Virtual Learning: Practical Strategies to Make At-Home Learning Work for You
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