 The rain earlier this week may have kept many of us indoors, but the turtles in our courtyard garden loved it!
Calendar Reminder: Monday, September 4th is a student holiday for the Labor Day weekend. Classes will resume on Tuesday, September 5th. |
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Postponed to September 14
Many families have asked for a virtual Back to School Night because people are hesitant to be around large crowds.
In response to that request, we will be changing our Back to School Night to a virtual format on Tuesday, September 14, 2021.
Teachers will create an introductory video about themselves and their classroom. Each classroom teacher will have a synchronous interactive session where parents can ask questions.
More details will follow in next week’s News You Choose.
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Since the beginning of August 2021, the majority of COVID-19 cases have been acquired through community spread, OUTSIDE of school buildings.
FCPS’ layered prevention strategies are working to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our schools. Pausing, quarantining, and isolating are tools we use to keep schools safe when a positive COVID-19 case is reported. Understanding the difference between the three scenarios can help families - and staff - be prepared.
Pause
A pause to in-person instruction is a short-term safety measure used by FCPS and the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) to allow time to investigate and determine the safest way to address a positive case within our school community. The pause will be initiated by the FCHD for anyone who interacted with an individual who reported a positive COVID-19 case.
- A pause typically lasts between 24-48 hours while FCHD verifies vaccination status and completes contact tracing.
- Vaccination status may reduce the time spent in a pause, but must be verified every time an individual is put on a pause.
- The FCHD does not accept a negative COVID-19 test to release an individual from the pause.
- You will be contacted by the FCHD with a date they can return to school or work.
- This flowchart best explains what happens when there is a pause.
Close Contact
A close contact is any person, regardless of vaccination status, who is within 6 feet of a COVID-19 positive individual for equal to or greater than 15 minutes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) K-12 Exception indicates that students will not be identified as close contacts if they are at least 3 feet apart and are consistently wearing masks in the classroom setting. Adults are not included in this exception.
Quarantine
When a student is identified as a close contact, there are two things that may occur as a result:
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Not fully vaccinated students who are identified as a close contact with someone with COVID-19 must remain home for 14 days after their last exposure. FCPS will notify a student of their return date.
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Fully vaccinated students must remain home until your vaccination status is verified. Upon verification of vaccination status by the FCHD, and if the student/staff is asymptomatic, they may return to in-person learning and activities once notified by FCPS of their return date.
Isolation
Isolation is the response when someone tests positive for COVID-19. Students who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, may not return until:
- It has been at least ten (10) days since the student first had symptoms AND
- The student must be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication AND
- The student’s symptoms are getting better
FCPS is committed to providing students with opportunities to remain engaged in learning when they are in a pause, quarantine, or isolation period. This chart outlines the ways students receive instruction and materials.
Outbreak
It is important to note that more than one case reported by a student, staff, or visitor to a particular school or building does not always mean there is an outbreak. An outbreak is defined as two or more laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases with onset within a 14-day period who are epidemiology linked (a case in which the person has been exposed to a confirmed case in a way that a known transmission can occur), do not share a household, and were not identified as close contacts of each other in a setting outside of school during the health department investigation.
FCPS’ goal is to keep students learning in-person all year. We are doing our part by implementing layered prevention strategies and working with FCHD to address positive cases and potential exposures. Every FCPS student and family can do their part by wearing masks, getting vaccinated when they are eligible, practicing healthy hygiene, and staying home when sick.
To learn more about COVID-19 case notifications, watch this video and the SEPTA Q&A session.
Lake Anne's PTA is an integral part of our school and our children's academic success. We are a gorup of parents, teachers, and community members who share a commitment to improving the lives of children. Anyone is welcome to join the PTA, and everyone at the school benefits from it.
See the links below for a welcome letter from the PTA with info about meetings and how to join!
PTA Welcome Letter (English)
PTA Welcome Letter (Spanish)
Greetings Lake Anne Families! Our Power Pack (Friday food) program is starting up again. If you would like to be included in this supplemental meal program, please let us know as soon as possible. This is a confidential program which provides your student(s) a bag of food in their backpacks on Fridays. To be included in this program, please email Marcela Dzeda, our school social worker, at mkdzeda@fcps.edu or 703-326-3587. Thank you.
Programa de Power Pack
¡Saludos familias de Lake Anne! Nuestro programa Power Pack (comida de los viernes) está comenzando de nuevo. Si desea ser incluido en este programa de comidas suplementarias, háganoslo saber lo antes posible. Este es un programa confidencial que proporciona a sus estudiantes una bolsa de comida en sus mochilas los viernes. Para ser incluido en este programa, envíe un correo electrónico a Marcela Dzeda, nuestra trabajadora social de la escuela, a mkdzeda@fcps.edu o al 703-326-3587. Habla español. Gracias.
Community Events and Resources
Lake Anne families! Did you know we have a wonderful social worker on our staff? Our social worker, Marcela Dzeda, is compiling an email distribution list. This email list will be used to alert families to community events such as food distribution events, winter coat distributions, and other community resources. If you would like to be included on Ms. Dzeda’s distribution list, please email or call her at mkdzeda@fcps.edu or 703-326-3587.
Eventos y recursos comunitarios
¡Familias de Lake Anne! ¿Sabían que tenemos una trabajadora social maravillosa en nuestro personal? Nuestra trabajadora social, Marcela Dzeda, está compilando una lista de distribución de correo electrónico. Esta lista de correo electrónico se utilizará para alertar a las familias sobre eventos comunitarios como eventos de distribución de alimentos, distribución de abrigos de invierno y otros recursos comunitarios. Si desea ser incluido en la lista de distribución de la Sra. Dzeda, envíe un correo electrónico o llámela a mkdzeda@fcps.edu o al 703-326-3587.
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September 3-6: No School (Labor Day Break)
September 8: PTA Chick-Fil-A Dining for Dollars
September 14: Back to School Night
October 11: Student Holiday. Staff PD Day.
October 29: End of 1st Quarter
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