Important Return to School Reminders and Information
Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 01/03/2022 12:52 PM ESTDear Forest Edge Families,
I hope you are doing well and enjoying the winter break with your family & friends. Unfortunately, COVID cases sharply increased in our region since we were last in school on December 17. At Forest Edge, we will continue to engage in practices that mitigate the transmission of this virus when staff and students return on Tuesday, January 4. Below are some questions you might have with regard to COVID and our return to school:
How should I report an absence due to COVID, Close Contacts, Quarantine?
Please call our main office at 703-925-8000 and or report your absence online at https://forestedgees.fcps.edu/attendance-form. As an added step you may email or reach out to your child’s teacher. We request you always contact our main office first so we can ensure accurate attendance and provide the correct guidance for COVID related absences.
When and where can I get my child tested for COVID?
FCPS will offer free COVID testing for students who may be showing symptoms in order to have your child tested, you will need to register here. You will need to have your child’s student ID number. This is the same 7-digit number that they use as their log-in on their computer.
What if my child is not feeling well when school starts? What if they are not feeling well already?
As you’ve done all school year, please keep your child home if they are not feeling well. This includes having a fever, cough, runny nose and/or vomiting. If the symptoms go away on their own the next day, your child can return to school. No medical note or test is needed.
What happens if I send my child to school with a runny nose, cough, or other COVID-like symptoms?
Your child will be sent to our Care Room, and we will call you to come pick up your child. In order to return to school, your child will need documentation of either a negative COVID test or clearance from your healthcare provider.
What if my child recently tested positive for COVID? When can they return to school?
At this time, the return to school policy is still the same even if they are vaccinated: A student must stay out of school for 10 days beginning from the start of their symptoms. So if they start showing COVID symptoms on January 1 and then test positive, they can return on January 11. They will need a note from either the Fairfax County Health Department OR their healthcare provider that clears their return to school. If FCPS changes this policy, we will communicate it.
My child does NOT have COVID. But they were close to someone who tested positive. What should I do? When can they come to school?
First, email our admin team (jlzuber@fcps.edu, aefisher1@fcps.edu, kalundregan@fcps.edu) and our Covid manager at dsadasivam@fcps.edu to share that your child is a close contact.
As for their return, it depends. If your child is fully vaccinated, you will work with the health department to verify that your child is vaccinated. Once that is done, the health department notifies us, and if your child is not showing symptoms, they can come to school.
If your child is not fully vaccinated, they will need to stay at home for seven days (from the date you reported to us that your child has been identified as a close contact). If your child remains symptom-free AND you provide a negative COVID-19 test (Rapid Antigen or PCR) taken on day five of quarantine or later, your child may return to school on Day 8.
I still have questions. Where can I get answers?
The first place I go for answers is our FCPS website, in particular this page: https://www.fcps.edu/return-school/health-and-safety-guidance-document
Why is my child bringing their laptop and charger home nightly?
As we move into this week, schoolwide we will be reviewing with student how to use Zoom and Schoology in the event we may need to pause instruction for specific students or a classroom. We will make sure students are prepared and know how to use these tools. We will start sending laptops and chargers home daily with students K-6 so that students will be prepared if they need to quarantine. We ask you please make sure laptops come back to school each day and are charged at night. We will also review this with students! We want to do our best to ensure quality instruction continues for all students.
My child’s laptop is not working? How can I get help?
FCPS has wonderful resources to help troubleshoot for students, they are more savvy than we think! If there is damage to the laptop or you need additional support please submit a ticket using this link: https://www.fcps.edu/return-school/technology-support-families
There is a lot of information to digest, and our office staff at Forest Edge here to help you. Don’t hesitate to reach out at 703-925-8000 You can always email our admin team, and we will work to find an answer for you.
As we move through January, it is likely that teachers may be out because of their own illness or a family member’s. We will work to make sure instruction continues at high levels. I am grateful for your continued support, communication and flexibility. If you are interested in becoming a substitute or a volunteer (supporting our café or preparing items for teachers) please contact our family liaison Alia Raviola aaraviola@fcps.edu, who can help you in this process we truly need a village to keep our children in school!
My hope is that 2022 will bring us brighter days! Over the next few weeks, we appreciate your patience and understanding as both myself and Ms. Lundregan (our AP) and Mervat Masoud our administrative assistant are home with COVID. We will do our best to be as available as possible via email and the phone! I hope you all know how grateful I am to have our children in school and we will do our best to protect them and keep them safe! Below are also some helpful resources as we know this is a lot of information. Here is hoping to joyful and safe 2022 for our eagles!
Jillian Zuber
Principal
Helpful Resources
Screen for Illness Every Day, Stay Home When Sick
One of the most important prevention strategies guidelines is screening students daily for any signs of illness prior to leaving home for school. Any student who is ill or presents with COVID-like symptoms is to remain at home. The daily health screening questionnaire and all translated versions can be found on our Health and Safety Guidance document . This document provides the details of the policies and protocols related to COVID-19, and it is continually updated to align with public health guidance as it evolves during the school year. Daily completion of the health screening is done on an honor basis and does not need to be sent to the school.
Read more about checking for symptoms and how to prepare to return to school after illness.
Masks
Please remember to send your child to school with a mask each day as well as extra masks to keep in their backpacks. We have had an influx of students each day needing masks. Thank you.
Identifying Potential Close Contacts
Based on guidance from the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD), FCPS may temporarily pause in-person instruction, athletics, or school activities for anyone identified as a potential close contact during the case investigation and contact tracing. Families of students whose instruction will be paused will receive an email notification – this means the school believes the student MAY be a close contact. Students will receive asynchronous assignments and live streaming (beginning on day 3 of an absence) from the teacher while away from school and awaiting word from the Health Department.
The FCHD will determine any close contacts and will contact those individuals directly to provide the appropriate guidance, which may include quarantine. Any student who is asked to stay home by FCPS or the FCHD due to a COVID related concern, will not be marked absent from school during this time. 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. The CDC indicates a K-12 exception to this definition. In the K-12 indoor classroom setting, the close contact definition excludes students who were within 3 to 6 feet of an infected student when:
- Both students were engaged in consistent and correct use of well-fitting masks
- Other K-12 prevention strategies were in place in the K-12 school setting
Your child may be identified as a POTENTIAL close contact if they have been closer than 3 feet of distance to an infected classmate for more than a total of 15 accumulated minutes in classroom settings, when fully masked.
Your child may be identified as a POTENTIAL close contact if they have been closer than 6 feet of distance for more than a total of 15 accumulated minutes in other school settings (ex. gym, cafeteria, recess, etc.), whether fully masked or not.
Here is the order of relevant steps taken after the school is notified about a positive case:
- Forest Edge Admin identifies POTENTIAL CLOSE CONTACTS using guidelines from FCPS and the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD)
- Forest Edge Admin pauses students who are identified, and they contacted by our COVID Case Manager or our team. Teachers will provide asynchronous lessons/activities for “paused” students and begin live streaming by day 3 of a COVID related absence.
- Fairfax County Health Department investigates and confirms close contacts.
- Fairfax County Health Department quarantines close contacts and determines the date the students may resume school in-person.
How can families support the school?
Communicate with Forest Edge Office Staff immediately if your child tests positive for COVID or has been exposed to a positive COVID case.
Keep your child home if any COVID-like symptoms are present or if there is a known exposure.
Student Contact Tracing Responsibilities
Fairfax County Public Schools is responsible for...
- Notifying the Health Department of positive cases and providing potential close contacts and their contact information
- Sending pause letters to potential close contacts as directed by the Health Department
- Communicating with families after the Health Department has determined a student's return status
Fairfax County Health Department is responsible for...
- Conducting case investigation and contact tracing (determined close contacts and providing quarantine or isolation guidance as appropriate)
- Reviewing documentation submitted including COVID testing and Vaccination Verification Surveys
- Determining when students can resume normal activities (e.g. school) and providing clearance letters
- Communicating student return dates to families and designated FCPS staff
Families are responsible for...
- Notifying the school if their child tests positive for or is diagnosed with Covid-19 or is directed to quarantine or isolate by the Health Department, child's physician or other medical provider
- Completing the Health Department Vaccination Verification Survey to expedite the return of asymptomatic students on pause or quarantine, if applicable.
COVID-19 Response Flowchart for FCPS Families
Please click the link below to access the response flowchart when a positive COVID-19 case is reported to the School for a Student, Staff, or Visitor on site during the infectious period.
COVID-19 Response Flowchart for FCPS Families
Pause, Quarantine, and Contact Tracing
Pausing, quarantining, and contact tracing are tools we use to keep schools safe when a positive COVID-19 case is reported. Please click the links below for more information.
https://www.fcps.edu/return-school/return-school-safety/pause-quarantine-and-contact-tracing
What is Live Streaming?
When a student must be paused, isolated, or quarantined due to a COVID related illness, the student will need to work from home until cleared by the Fairfax County Health Department.
Here are few things you should know about live streaming…
- Limited livestreaming is a process where students have live access to watch/hear what’s happening in the classroom.
- Teachers may use recorded lessons instead of limited livestreaming where appropriate.
- Teachers will create a Zoom session within Schoology or Google Meet session that is provided to students via their Schoology course or Google email. Recorded videos may be provided for all students.
- Once direct instruction is complete, home students will log off Zoom or Google Meet and work on asynchronous assignments.
- Limited livestreaming sessions or recordings will be provided at the elementary level for Language Arts and Mathematics focus lessons.
- Families may choose not to participate in limited livestreaming and/or recorded sessions during a pause or quarantine. Students would continue to complete asynchronous assignments and other critical assignments upon return.
- Student/parent questions should be emailed to the teacher for response within 24-48 hours.
- Additional class assignments will continue to be posted in the Learning Management System (i.e. Schoology course) for asynchronous completion.
- All students will have access to a teacher and other staff members for individualized support.
Schoology Parent Resource Kit
For information on how to access the Schoology Parent Resource Kit click the link below:
https://www.fcps.edu/schoology/parents/welcome
Health and Safety Information
Please visit the following FCPS websites regularly for specific safety updates including, but not limited to:
- Wearing masks
- Vaccinations
- Contact Tracing in Schools
Return to School- Safety Webpage