Dear Wolftrap Families,
Dr. Grove and I are incredibly proud of our K-2 students who have been acclimating to their new routines and procedures. Both of our in-person students and our virtual students have demonstrated their resiliency and patience during the past several weeks.
Tomorrow marks the re-introduction of four additional grade levels to the school building. To prepare, our teachers have been in the building for the past week practicing with the new technology and teaching from the classroom. Please be mindful that third through sixth grade teachers will need to acclimate students in the building to new routines and procedures to ensure the safety of all students. Thank you for your patience as this will require some flexibility with the daily schedule and increased asynchronous work for our virtual students.
I recognize that returning to the school building for in-person learning, or remaining virtual for the remainder of the year, may be challenging for some students. They may be experiencing some anxiety about the safety protocols or unsettling feelings about staying home while other classmates return. Please see below for some tips for supporting your child during this adjustment period.
In closing, please remember that by signing the health screening commitment form, you understand that you will complete the Covid-19 Health Screening Questions for your child daily prior to coming to Wolftrap. A copy of the questions will be sent home on your child’s first day of in-person learning on blue cardstock so that you can post it on your refrigerator as a reminder to review the questions daily. If you answer Yes to any question on the screener, your child may not come to school. One question in particular I want to highlight is “In the past 14 days, have you had close contact (within about 6 feet for 15 minutes or more) with someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19?” We have received many phone calls about this particular question. Please consider that question carefully as you review activities in which your child participates.
We are so excited to gather together virtually and in-person next week. As a reminder spring break is coming up in just two short weeks!
Sincerely,
Teresa Khuluki
TIPS FOR SUPPORTING VIRTUAL STUDENTS
As we embark on another change with the return of some students to in-person learning, you may find that your children are experiencing a range of different feelings and asking many questions about remaining virtual. Here are a few tips to help navigate some of these concerns:
Encourage open conversations and validate your child’s feelings. It can be important to listen without judgment and to resist the urge to “fix” your child’s concern or problem. Oftentimes, children simply need to know you hear them and that you understand how they are feeling. At the same time, it helps your child to know that you are making the decisions as parents that work best for your family. Setting boundaries is part of your job as parents, and it’s great practice for when you will have adolescents in the house!
Find fun ways to (safely) stay connected with friends who have returned to the building. Children may feel like they are missing out on social experiences with classmates who have returned to the building. Remind your children that they continue to be important members of their class and school community, no matter where they are learning. Our teachers will be reinforcing this message as well. Work within your comfort zone to establish and maintain your child’s connections with peers. Sometimes an unstructured walk in the park with a friend is worth more than a busy soccer practice.
Structure the school day with a clear start and end time. Students who are remaining fully virtual may need help bringing closure to their school day. It will be important to maintain a schedule with a set “end time” where they leave their school day behind, shut off their devices, and spend time on other activities.
Contact your school counselors if your child needs more support. We are available to help all students and can arrange virtual check-ins, virtual lunch bunches, or other interventions to help your child navigate this challenging time. Lisa Johnson can be reached at ldjohnson4@fcps.edu and Laura May can be reached at lumay1@fcps.edu. Our school psychologist, Alysa Dempsey, and our school social worker, Salima Jiwa, are also excellent resources. Please visit the Mental Wellness Team Google Site for more information.
TIPS FOR REDUCING CHILDREN'S ANXIETY WITH A RETURN TO IN-PERSON LEARNING
Maintain Open Communication: Consistently check-in with your children and keep open lines of communication to gauge how they are feeling. Make sure your children know that you are available to talk if they have concerns about the return to school...or about any concerns that arise during a school day. Let your children know that it is normal to feel anxious in new situations. Remind them of times they have started something new and overcome fears in the past. Emphasize that learning to adapt to changes leads to a growth mindset, greater confidence, and resiliency.
Review Safety Procedures: You cannot guarantee that your children will not get ill, but you can express confidence that schools have done months of planning to minimize risk and keep everyone safe. Assure your children that all reasonable safety precautions are being taken and they can do their part by following safety protocols. Review the safety protocols that you know are in place at their school.
Demonstrate an Optimistic Outlook: Set the tone. Children absorb their parent’s anxiety, so demonstrate optimism and confidence for your children. Avoid talking about your concerns in front of your children as they will pick up on your anxiety and likely incorporate your worries into their own thoughts about school. Model a growth mindset by recognizing that we all have the capacity to change, grow, and develop. When children see growth mindsets in action around them, they are much more likely to internalize and apply this way of thinking for themselves. It is not always easy to do, but it is mentally healthier for us to look at all we have learned and overcome from the past year, rather than focus on all that we may have lost.
Remain Flexible: There is one thing that is certain...not everything is going to go as planned. Prepare your children for this. Let them know that things may change, but you will be there to provide them information as you have it and support along the way.
Know that Resources are Available: Although it is normal and expected that your children will be experiencing a greater amount of anxiety during this time of transition, it can be helpful to reassure them that anxiety is an adaptive measure to help protect ourselves against perceived danger. It helps us make good decisions and remember to do things such as washing our hands, wearing a mask, and being conscious of maintaining social distance to help keep all of us healthy. If your children experience anxiety from transitioning to in-person learning that they are struggling to cope with, do not hesitate to reach out for help. Besides the classroom teacher, many other support staff at school are available to assist. Counselor Lisa Johnson can be reached at ldjohnson4@fcps.edu and Laura May can be reached at lumay1@fcps.edu. Our school psychologist, Alysa Dempsey, and our school social worker, Salima Jiwa, are also excellent resources. Please visit the Mental Wellness Team Google Site for more information.
Response to a COVID Positive Case at School
Wolftrap will send general notification to the entire school community when a student, staff member, or visitor tests positive for COVID-19. This will let families and staff know that the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) will follow-up with case investigation and contact tracing.
Based on guidance from the FCHD, FCPS may temporarily pause in-person instruction, athletics or school activities for anyone identified as a potential exposure during the case investigation and contact tracing. A family may decide to return a student to virtual learning if they deem it in the best interest of the child.
The FCHD will determine any close contacts and will contact those individuals directly to provide the appropriate guidance, which may include quarantine. A close contact is defined as someone who has spent more than 15 minutes during a 24-hour period within 6 feet of someone who has tested positive. More information on contact investigations is available from the Fairfax County Health Department and the Virginia Department of Health.
When the FCHD has completed all contact-tracing, Wolftrap will send out a final notification letting the school community know that the process has been completed.
FCPS has a dashboard that documents all positive cases at schools.
Curbside Updates for Quarter 4 - Starting March 22
Due to students attending school in person and virtually, we have updated our curbside library and check out procedures. The process to select books in Destiny will remain the same, however, concurrent students will get their books in school. Virtual students will have a combined K-6 curbside library EACH week, rather than every other week. Please see the specifics below for your child.
For K-6 concurrent students:
Students will take home their books on their second concurrent day each week. If your child wishes to participate in book check out, you will need to select your books by the Monday, of that week. If you miss the deadline, your child’s books will be delivered the next week. The process to select books in Destiny remains the same. Students can bring their books to return into school with them. There will be a quarantine cart outside each child’s classroom where books can be returned.
For example:
Student A selects her books on Destiny on Monday. Student A comes in on Tues/Wed. Student A will get her books on Wednesday.
Student B selects his books on Destiny on Monday. Student B comes in on Thurs/Fri. Student B will get his books on Friday.
For K-6 virtual students:
All grade levels, K-6, will have curbside on the same day, starting on Monday, March 22. The process will remain the same. The only update is that K-2 and 3-6 curbside dates have been combined. Please see the dates below.
Grades K-6 virtual students:
March 22
No curbside on March 29
April 5
April 12
April 19
April 26
May 3
May 10
May 17- Last Curbside
The above information is also available in a flyer here.
Playground Usage
After careful consideration, FCPS has approved the use of playground apparatuses during the school day, contingent upon the implementation of required mitigation strategies. Mitigation strategies include students covering their mouths and noses with face masks while using the equipment to minimize students’ ability to put their hands on/in their mouth or nose. Additionally, students are required to sanitize their hands immediately before and immediately after using the equipment. Similar to other COVID-related plans, the county will monitor our data and collaborate with the Health Department to determine an alternate course of action if it is determined that transmission in schools is related to use of the playground equipment. After this first week of having all grades back in the building, Wolftrap will begin planning to phase in the use of the playground as one of our nine recess zones. Classes will rotate weekly to different zones around Wolftrap property to include the field, blacktop, outdoor classroom, and now playground. Teachers will bring a bottle of hand sanitizer outside so students can comply with county mitigation strategies.
Traveling for Spring Break? Quarantine & Testing Not Required
FCPS follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Virginia Department of Health (VDH) guidelines regarding domestic and international travel requirements/restrictions. Currently, the CDC and VDH do not mandate quarantine after travel domestically or out of the country. FCPS is following this guidance.
- VDH urges all Virginians to avoid non-essential travel, especially if you are at higher risk of serious COVID-19 or if you will be visiting someone at higher risk of serious COVID-19. This recommendation applies to everyone, even if you have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have fully recovered from COVID-19.
- The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) recommends (but does not require) that all people get tested before and after travel and stay home or reduce non-essential activities for at least 7 days after travel.
- Students and staff are not required to quarantine or provide COVID 19 test results.
- Families may opt to keep their students at home for 14 days after they return from travel; however, it is not required.
Pets on School Property
Please remember that dogs are not allowed on Wolftrap property. If you bring your dog as you walk to or from school, you must remain on the sidewalk on Talisman Drive. Dogs are not allowed on the grass or any other parts of Wolftrap grounds.
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