|
Dear Franklin Sherman Families,
Happy New Year! We hope that your families had time for rest and relaxation over the past few weeks. We also hope that this communication finds you healthy and well. We know that many families have been navigating Covid with this recent surge.
Franklin Sherman Elementary School and FCPS are committed to keeping our school open and providing for our students during this COVID surge. SB1303 requires us to maintain in-person learning unless done so in consultation with the local health department.
In addition, local, state, and national health authorities are recommending in-person instruction without a wholesale return to virtual instruction in 2022. US Secretary of Education Cardona has said that in-person instruction is plan A, B, and C for 2022.
A division-wide school support plan is being implemented to ensure continuity of instruction and school operations. Here is how we will work to meet the needs of our students during the next few weeks:
Classes will be covered, but may not be supported by your child’s teachers. Our priority is to cover classes by staff with instructional backgrounds or who meet eligibility requirements to serve as a substitute. However, there may be circumstances when this may not be possible and in extreme situations classes may have to double up for a period or two.
Our staff will upload classroom materials to Schoology for student access, but please be mindful that this may not always be feasible during the next few weeks. We will also continue to do our best to support students who are required to isolate or quarantine through our StreamIN/CheckIN model. However, there may be circumstances where this is not possible during this surge period.
Even in these uncertain times and with all the challenges we are facing, we are able to continue to provide a safe learning and work environment. FCPS has multiple layers of protection we will continue to deploy to mitigate COVID-19 transition in schools to include universal masking, enhanced cleaning and disinfecting, physical distancing to the greatest extent possible, and requiring that students and staff stay home when sick.
You can read more about our plan for the next three weeks on the website.
How You Can Help:
- Keep your children home when sick.
- Sign your child up for optional screening testing and make use of our diagnostic testing if your child has symptoms.
- Remind your children to wear their masks properly, wash their hands regularly, use hand sanitizer.
- Consider alternative ways to get your child to school, such as walking, cycling or carpooling, to minimize late arrival to school.
- Students must wear a face-covering appropriately while on the school bus.
- Access the Bus Delay App to receive current bus delay information.
- We ask that you get your children vaccinated. Vaccination helps reduce the severity of illness and remains the best tool for ending the pandemic. On Monday, the FDA expanded booster eligibility to 12-15 year-olds and shortened the time needed before receiving a booster shot from at least six months after completion of the initial series to at least five months, for everyone 12 and older. If you need a vaccination or booster, the Fairfax County Health Department website is a great source of information about clinics and other vaccination opportunities. We ask you to help Fairfax County reach its targets for vaccinated residents that will protect us all - staff, students, families and visitors to our schools.
- Considering becoming a sub or a classroom monitor
-
Volunteer at your school or another school
We must all temporarily adjust our expectations about schooling based on our staffing challenges over this three-week period. Changes, adjustments, and on-the-spot decisions will be needed.
I ask that you be patient with us at this time. Please know that while things will not be perfect, we are all doing our best. We are all in this together as a community and it will take all of us to keep our schools open.
Thank you for your support and partnership as we navigate this surge with our focus on student safety and education.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Quigley
Contents
News from the PTA
Support for Music and STEAM Classrooms
Please contact Ms. Nevills if you can help support the 6th grade spring play. She's looking for community members with skills for building set pieces, painting or costume design. You may also help build the music room's student library and movement curriculum collection by purchasing something from her Amazon Wishlist.
Please collect container caps in any color or size. You or your child may drop them off in the box in the lobby. Ms. Adams will use the bottle caps for a spring “green” art project (similar in concept to the one in the cafeteria). To help with future STEAM challenges and building projects, please also bring in recycled materials, upcycled materials, or items from her Amazon Wishlist.
Top of Page
|
Reminders
7th Grade Curriculum Night at Longfellow MS January 11
Longfellow Middle School is excited to invite you to the Rising 7th Grade Curriculum Night from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Top of Page
Thank You for Sharing Your Pictures
Please share your school related pictures with us. Use the webform found here (this link is not compatible with iPhone uploads) or upload your pictures in the "Share School Related Pictures" album of the FSES All Parents Course in Schoology (iPhone compatible).
Please follow FSES_Pandas on Twitter. You can also tweet your pictures @FSES_Pandas.
Because of FCPS Policies in place for the 2021-2022 school year, we can only share new pictures where appropriate masking and social distancing practices are in evidence.
|
