Dear Beech Tree Families:
I have to share how much I continue to be impressed with our students and staff. They are each adapting to situations and expectations that neither our education nor experiences have prepared us for. My hope is that when we are able to remove our masks and get a little bit closer again, we are all stronger, more resilient, and physically and emotionally healthy enough to enjoy it all the more. As we go forward, we know that we will make it through because of your trust and support. Please keep it coming. You’re keeping us going!
If I could ask another favor of you, could you please visit the following link: https://www.fcps.edu/careers/employee-recognition-programs/fcps-cares-program. The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care.
I would also like to thank you for all your assistance in keeping our arrival and dismissal procedures running as smoothly as we can. We will continue to have walkers dismissed first, for their safety. Parents of walkers should be the only ones at our sidewalks to avoid crowding and help us keep our students in our line of vision as they reach older siblings and parents. All car riders will continue to be dismissed through the cafeteria, as parents drive up with the pink Kiss & Ride signs. We thank you for your patience. We do know the line is quite long this year.
Preschool students who do not receive bus transportation, must continue to follow Early Childhood expectations of person to person drop off and pick up. At this time, we will continue to receive our preschool students at Door 1 in the morning and dismiss at Door 9 in the afternoon. Please keep the drop off quick, so as not to crowd around the entrance of the school, as our other students are dropped off by their buses in the morning at our lobby doors.
As a reminder, for the safety of our students, who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated against COVID, I am not allowing visitors non-FCPS employees into the school building. We remain available to help you, but please remain outside, ring the doorbell, and one of our office staff members will assist you. Thank you for understanding and adhering to this procedure for the sake of all our students.
This month, students in grades 3rd through 5th will be taking the Virginia Growth Assessment. The VGA will focus on identifying potential learning gaps resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most FCPS students in grades 3-8 will take VGAs in the subject areas of reading and mathematics. Students enrolled in a high school level math course will not be assessed in mathematics. VGA are computer-adaptive tests consisting of SOL-type items. Questions cover content that would have been taught in the previous grade level. Virginia Growth Assessment Testing Dates are as follows:
5th Grade: Reading September 28th
Math October 5th
4th Grade: Reading September 29th
Math October 6th
3rd Grade: Reading September 30th
Math October 7th
I would also like to remind you of the following event dates:
9/30 = Back To School Night – Virtual at 6:30pm
A private Zoom link will be shared the day of via eNotify.
10/14 = Beech Tree PTA Meeting
A private Zoom link will be shared the day of via eNotify.
10/15 = Beech Tree PTA Pajama BINGO Night
Cafeteria – please remember all must wear a mask.
10/23 = Beech Tree Saturday Morning Family Field Trip
Leave Beech Tree at 9:30am: The RSVP form with the location information will be sent home in October
I invite you to visit the FCPS Parent Resource Center (PRC), which offers free parent webinars. In October, they are:
- Family Digital Wellness: When is the Internet a Problem?: A Webinar for Families, Friday, October 1, 10 to 11:30 a.m.
- Dyslexia Virtual Open House, Friday, October 8, 10 to 11 a.m.
More information on each session and how to register is available online.
Note: Previous webinars have been recorded and can be viewed on the PRC YouTube channel.
As we continue to enjoy our weekends with family, remember to check out outdoor opportunities in our beautiful state: https://www.virginia.org/things-to-do/outdoors/.
As always, I thank you for your trust. Let me know if you ever have any questions or concerns. I look forward to seeing you soon!
Karim Daugherty
Principal
Beech Tree ES
703-531-2600
https://twitter.com/BeechTreeElem
https://beechtreees.fcps.edu/
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” –Colin Powell
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Beech Tree Office Contacts
Spanish Speaking Parent Liaison: Stella O’Brien at msobrien@fcps.edu
School-Based Technology Specialist (logging on/using programs): Mike Meyer at mkmeyer@fcps.edu
Technology Specialist (laptop issues): Tom Kindregan at tpkindregan@fcps.edu
Registrar: Susan Do at sndo@fcps.edu
Attendance Secretary: Sheila Hudson at skhudson@fcps.edu
Principal’s Secretary: Esther Baca at ebaca@fcps.edu
Assistant Principal: Maureen Lopez at mmlopez1@fcps.edu
Advanced Academics Resource Teacher: Patty Settel at pasettel@fcps.edu
FCPS Calendar
The following link provides you with the 2021-2022 Calendar: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/2021-22-standard-school-calendar.pdf
August 23, 2021 School Begins
September 3-6 Student Holiday (Labor Day Break)
October 11 Student Holiday (Professional Development Day - Indigenous Peoples’ Day)
October 29 End of First Quarter - 2-hour Early Release
November 1 Student Holiday (Teacher Workday)
November 2 Student Holiday (Teacher Workday)
November 11 2-hour Early Release (Veterans Day)
November 24-26 Holiday (Thanksgiving)
December 20 - 31 Holiday (Winter Break) - Classes Resume on January 3, 2022
January 17 Holiday (Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday)
January 20 End of Second Quarter - 2-hour Early Release
January 21 Student Holiday (Teacher Workday)
January 24 Student Holiday (Professional Development Day)
February 21 Holiday (George Washington’s Birthday and Presidents’ Day)
March 3 2-hour Early Release
March 4 Student Holiday (Professional Development Day)
March 31 End of Third Quarter - 2-hour Early Release
April 1 Student Holiday (Teacher Workday)
April 4-8 Holiday (Spring Break)
May 30 Holiday (Memorial Day)
June 10 Last Day of School (Early Release)
Health & Safety Procedures:
Visitors in the Building
Beech Tree visitors may enter by appointment only, with limited access to the building. All must have an ID, such a driver’s license or passport, and will be asked to respond to a Health Screening Questionnaire. Parents may drop off and pick up materials, as needed, by ringing the doorbell and communicating with office staff. Office staff will then bring the materials to you at the door or receive the materials from you at the door.
Water Fountain Use
Students should bring their own water bottle for use during the day. School staff will supervise the refilling of water bottles, as necessary. Water fountains should not be used as usual. Water fountains can be used to refill water bottles when practical, but students and staff should not drink directly from any water fountains or faucets, which could contribute to illness transmission; individual water bottles should be used instead.
Lunch Time
- Students will be required to wear masks in the cafeteria when not actively eating and drinking.
- They 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.
- It is recommended that students wash their hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer before and after eating.
- FCPS Food Nutrition Services works closely with the Fairfax County Health Department to ensure proper food safety and sanitation.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture extended the offering of no-cost breakfast and lunch to all students through school year 2021-2022. Visit the FNS website.
CDC Requirements for Playground Areas
- Face masks are not required on the playground
- Handwashing and Hand Sanitizing
- Students are to wash hands before going to playground areas and immediately following with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol is to be made easily accessible in playground areas for students and staff.
Daily Health Screening
The CDC recommends that parents, caregivers or guardians, should be strongly encouraged to monitor their children for symptoms of infectious illness every day through home-based symptom screening and students who are sick should not attend in-person instruction.
Parents/guardians are required to complete the daily health screening questionnaire prior to sending the student to school each morning. The required screening must be completed for all school-aged children in the household. In order to reduce the spread of communicable disease to student and staff, it is critical that parents/guardians accurately complete this screening daily and keep their student home from school when exhibiting any symptoms. The daily health screening questionnaire will be completed on an honor basis and will not be required to be submitted to the school.
A daily health screening questionnaire is available in the following languages: English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
Parents/guardians will receive frequent reminders from FCPS via multiple modes of communication, reminding them to complete their daily health screening questionnaire and to keep sick students at home. These communications will be developed in collaboration with the Office of Communications and Community Relations (OCCR), Office of Professional Learning and Family Engagement (OPLFE) and Language Services.
All staff and visitors must complete the daily health screening questionnaire prior to arriving on campus. The daily health screening questionnaire will be completed on an honor basis and will not be required to be submitted to the school.
Any student, staff or visitor demonstrating symptoms of illness should stay home to help “Stop the Spread” of COVID-19.
Care Rooms
The predetermined care room is a designated location and must be separate from the health room. It may be necessary for schools to identify a second care room due to the requirement for physical distancing and room capacity.
A designated staff member must be assigned to supervise students while in the predetermined care room should the need arise. The staff member will be provided with a gown or lab coat, gloves, and a face shield as appropriate. Staff will need to be available at various times throughout the day to supervise any student exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 while awaiting pick up by the parent or guardian.
*At Beech Tree, the designated Care Rooms, so as not to impact student instruction, are the principal’s conference room and the principal’s office. The designated staff, so as not to impact student instruction, are the assistant principal, Maureen Lopez, and the principal, Karim Daugherty.
Student Return to School After Illness
In order to return to school, the parent/guardian must provide to the school, a completed SICK STUDENT NOTIFICATION and RETURN to SCHOOL FORM.
This form will be completed by the child’s healthcare provider and returned to the school.
This form is to be filed in the student’s cumulative folder.
Copies of FCHD clearance letters (SARA alert forms) provided by the FCHD or a healthcare provider note will also be accepted. These documents should be stapled to the Return to School Form and filed in the student’s cumulative folder.
The Sick Student Notification and Return to School Form is available in English, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu and Vietnamese.
*FCPS will no longer require the SICK STUDENT NOTIFICATION and RETURN to SCHOOL FORM for students who are called in absent with COVID-like symptoms/illness.
Students who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, may not return until:
- It has been at least ten (10) days since my child first had symptoms AND
- My child has had no fever off anti-fever medicines (ex: Tylenol, Ibuprofen) for 24 hours AND
- My child’s symptoms are getting better
*If someone in the household has been diagnosed with COVID-19, or the student is exposed, the student must remain home for 14 days after their last exposure to the household member.
Protocols for Potential Temporary COVID-19 Closure
- VA public schools required under SB 1303 to provide five days a week of in-person instruction.
- 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. Our plan is to remain open using these strategies unless directed otherwise by health officials or Executive Order.
- FCPS has plans in place to ensure continuity of learning in the event health authorities or an Executive Order require a temporary closure to protect the health of students, staff, and the community.
INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS
Threshold to Initiate Closure: If student is directed by healthcare provider or FCHD to quarantine or isolate, or FCPS is directed by FCHD to pause that student’s in-person learning as a matter of public health, but school and class remain open.
Support: Asynchronous assignments
INDIVIDUAL TEACHERS
Threshold to Initiate Closure: If teacher is directed by health provider or FCHD to quarantine or isolate, or FCPS is directed by FCHD to pause teacher’s in-person teaching, but the teacher’s school and class remain open for students.
Support: Schools will secure a substitute/alternate coverage.
CLASS
Threshold to Initiate Closure: FCPS is directed by FCHD to temporarily close the class as a matter of public health.
Support: All students/staff in the impacted class will transition to virtual learning for that class (period for secondary students) until the class can reopen. Students would access asynchronous assignments.
SCHOOL
Threshold to Initiate Closure: FCPS is directed by FCHD to temporarily close the entire class as a matter of public health.
Support: All students and staff at the school will transition to virtual learning.
DIVISION
Threshold to Initiate Closure: FCPS is directed by FCHD or VDH, or Executive Order to temporarily close the division as a matter of public health.
Support: All students and staff will transition to virtual learning until in-person instruction can resume.
HVAC System
FCPS designs and operates many different types of equipment to maintain an acceptable indoor air temperature and indoor air quality in buildings.
- FCPS operates 220 facilities every day of the year
- At 27 million square feet of covered space, FCPS is larger than 4 Pentagons
- There are nearly 37,000 pieces of HVAC equipment in FCPS
- Including over 5,000 different types and models of HVAC equipment
- There are more than 45,000 active air filters in FCPS
- Including nearly 800 different sizes and types
- Air filters are changed every 90 days
- FCPS replaces over 180,000 filters each year
All HVAC systems are maintained and operated efficiently and effectively using the latest procedures and technology. FCPS performs scheduled preventive maintenance to all HVAC systems. OFM uses a maintenance management system that documents HVAC maintenance requests and actions.
Portable air filters (based on HEPA or UV technology) have been considered and purchased. I purchased county approved, portable air filters for the two classrooms that do not have windows and the division purchased them for our two CARE rooms which Ms. Lopez and I have to monitor when we have students exhibiting COVID symptoms, since those students may not remain in the clinic.
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