Important Back to School Information

Greetings,

As families prepare for Monday’s First Day of School, I want to quickly provide you with FCPS’ current health and safety guidance, as well as some Back to School information.

Health and Safety Guidance

New Vaccine Mandate for Staff and Vaccination Clinics

Superintendent’s Recent Return to School Town Halls

FCPS Replaces Blackboard with Schoology

SACC: School-age Childcare Services

Bus Transportation

Free School Breakfast & Lunch Offerings

Upcoming School Board Meetings

 

Per CDC, state, and local health department guidance, our county conditions currently support the return to in-person instruction. In addition, FCPS has established extensive safety practices to help mitigate the spread of COVID in our schools. Should public health conditions warrant the closure of any/all public schools and the return to virtual instruction, FCPS will certainly take quick action.

I humbly recognize that this pandemic continues to create uncertainty for families, employees, and community members. Please be assured, FCPS and the School Board will continue to follow the science and public health data when making operational decisions.

If you have any concerns about your school’s implementation of these FCPS safety measures, please contact me so that I can provide assistance.  

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff aide Donna Nelson-Schneider if you have questions, comments, or concerns. 

In service,

Megan

 


Health and Safety Guidance

Mask Up

Masks will be required for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, inside FCPS buildings and on school buses. Outdoor masking is recommended for those who are unvaccinated.

Masks are not required when actively eating or drinking, or when outside during recess, PE, or other activities. (Anyone not fully vaccinated is recommended, but not required, to wear a mask in crowded settings.)

Universal masking is a critical factor in ensuring all students can return to our schools, especially when social distancing is not possible and not all our students are eligible yet for vaccinations.

FCPS will continue to regularly review our masking practices to keep them in line with updates to national, state, and local health recommendations. To learn more about why we are starting the school year with universal masking, click here

Mask guidance chart

Lunch Safety

  • Elementary schools will utilize seating charts to minimize the number of potential close contacts while masks are removed for eating/drinking. This is a NEW prevention strategy because elementary students are currently not age-eligible for the vaccine.
  • Students will be required to wear masks in the cafeteria when not actively eating and drinking.
  • Students will need to wear their masks while going through the serving line. 
  • Students will put their mask back on when they finish their meal. 
  • Cafeteria spaces will be regularly and thoroughly cleaned with a sanitizing solution. 
  • Students will be encouraged to wash hands or use hand sanitizer before and after eating.
  • FCPS Food Nutrition Services is working closely with the Fairfax County Health Department to ensure proper food safety and sanitation. 

To read more about FCPS’ plans for lunch, click here.

 


Vax Up

Community-wide vaccination continues to be the most effective tool for preventing the spread of COVID-19. If you and your child are eligible for the vaccine and would like to schedule an appointment or have questions, please visit this website produced by the Northern Virginia Health Departments, click here.

Announced today, FCPS is requiring all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of October. Unvaccinated staff will be required to prove a negative test on a regular basis.

FCPS is planning division-wide vaccination clinics, beginning in the next few weeks, to help staff and students get vaccinated and receive booster shots when eligible. More details will be shared over the coming weeks.

 


Monitoring by Health & Safety Teams 

This year, FCPS will use an independent third-party firm to perform safety team observations. Safety teams will observe and report on the health and safety mitigation measures in schools and make sure they are being implemented with fidelity.

In preparation for the start of the school year, we will also continuously monitor our community health conditions as well as adhere to guidance from the CDC and our state/local health departments.

To view the dashboard for FCPS’ COVID-19 Metrics, click here.

 


Protocols for Potential Temporary COVID-19 Closure

Virginia public schools are required under SB 1303 to provide five days a week of in-person instruction, as directed by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. FCPS is committed to continuity of learning during the 2021-22 school year and the school division is using layered prevention strategies to do everything possible to ensure our schools remain safe, healthy and open. 

FCPS has plans in place to ensure continuity of learning in the event health authorities require a temporary closure to protect the health of students, staff, and the community. To read more about the protocols, click here.

 


Stay Connected with FCPS Updates

With changing COVID conditions and corresponding health guidance, I want to encourage families to stay connected with the latest FCPS updates. You can do this by signing up for “FCPS This Week”, your school(s) newsletter(s), and my Braddock District e-newsletter through News You Choose. This is how we will share important, need-to-know information throughout the school year. 

In addition, I encourage you to regularly check the FCPS Return to School – Safety and the FCPS Return to School FAQs webpages for more information. These links will continue to be updated as FCPS safety guidelines adjust to national, state, and local health recommendations.

 


Back to School News

School Starts Monday, Aug 23rd

The First Day of the 2021-22 school year will be Monday, August 23rd. To view the entire school year calendar, click here.

 


Superintendent Brabrand’s Return to School Town Hall

Earlier this week, Superintendent Brabrand held a Return to School Town Hall with Dr. Benjamin Schwartz, director of Epidemiology and Population Health at the Fairfax County Health Department, Jeffrey Platenberg, assistant superintendent of FCPS Department of Facilities and Transportation, and Michelle Boyd, assistant superintendent of FCPS Department of Special Services to discuss Return to School preparations and safety guidance. They also answered questions from parents.

To watch the recording, click here.

 


FCPS Reunion Informativa Del Superintendente 

To view Dr. Brabrand's Spanish-language Town Hall, click here.

 


FCPS replaces Blackboard with Schoology

Schoology Logo

Beginning this year, FCPS will no longer use Blackboard for its online learning management system and services. 

Instead, students, teachers, and families will use Schoology (pronounced /SKOO-luh-jee/).

Teachers use Schoology to post their classroom materials online; to provide a safe forum for students to discuss their ideas and collaborate on projects; and to assign and collect homework electronically. It helps students stay organized and it keeps the class connected.

  • Schoology works with Google Drive
  • Schoology has a connected web conferencing tool, Zoom

Students use their FCPS student ID and password to login to Schoology. Look for the FCPS logo to make sure you are on the correct login page.

 

A Schoology Parent Account gives you access to:

  • Your child’s classes
  • Your child’s upcoming assignments
  • School, class, and group announcements

You need a SIS/ParentVUE account to login to Schoology. If don’t already have a SIS/ParentVUE account and need help, click here.

To learn more about Schoology, click here.

 


SACC (School Age Child Care Program) is Back

Enrollment is now open for Fairfax County’s School Age Child Care Program (SACC), which provides before and after school care for children in grades K-6 beginning August 23, in FCPS schools. 

Families will be contacted by SACC Registration staff to confirm services

To request services:

  • Families with existing SACC enrollments and waitlists: No need to re-enroll. Log in to the new online registration system to update information and request to add services. Login by using the primary email address. To cancel services, families should call SACC Registration at 703-449-8989. 
  • New Families: Access the new online registration system to create an account and submit a request for SACC services for the 2021-22 school year. Families will receive an automated response, and a SACC registrar will follow-up within five business days regarding enrollments and/or waitlists.

For additional information about Fairfax County’s SACC, click here.

 


Bus Transportation

Bus stops and route information was shared with families via their ParentVue accounts as well as by email, text and phone.

Please be aware that all students will be required to wear a mask when riding a school bus or using school transportation.

 


Free Breakfast and Lunch for ALL Students

This year, all students will receive free breakfast and lunch. Find out more about school meals.

 


School Board News

SB Dias photo Donnie crop

 

Upcoming School Board Meetings

Tues, Aug 24th at 11 am - Work Session

Dr. Brabrand will provide an Opening of Schools Update at the beginning of the work session.

    • 11 am - 12:30 pm - FY21 Year End Review
    • 1 pm - 3 pm – Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) Spending Plan

Thurs, Aug 26th at 7 pm - Regular School Board Meeting

The Board will vote on the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) Spending Plan at this meeting.

Visit BoardDocs for meeting agendas and staff presentations.

Visit the citizen participation webpage to sign up to speak at a regular meeting or public hearing.

The School Board meetings are broadcast live on Channel 99 (Verizon channel 11) and livestreamed on the FCPS website. The meeting will be recorded and posted to the FCPS School Board YouTube page.

For the 2021-22 School Board Meeting Calendar, click here.

 


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.

© 2021 Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia