In This Week's Timber Lane Times:  🐾 Principals' Message 🐾 Outstanding Employee Awards 🐾 Computers - UPDATE 🐾 Navigating the January COVID Surge 🐾 Student Quarantine Requirement 🐾 Graham Road Vaccine Clinic - UPDATED 🐾 PE Updates for January 🐾 Rising 7th Grade Curriculum Night 🐾 McLean Pyramid Chorus Events 🐾 Save the Dates

Principals' Message

Hello TLES Families, 

We hope that you had a happy New Year and winter break.  This past week was an unexpected start to 2022.  Hopefully it provided families and staff with additional time to make some memories and support the health and well-being of those who have been impacted by COVID.

Our custodial crew has been working hard doing a thorough cleaning of the building over winter break, as well as removing snow and treating sidewalks this week to prepare for a safe return of our students and staff members.  

Over winter break, some students and staff members were impacted by the COVID surge.  We thank all the families that notified us of students who tested positive or were close contacts.  We have communicated with each of these families.  Keeping us informed allows us to continue doing everything possible to minimize the spread of COVID at TLES and in our community. 

Over the next few weeks, we may have central office staff join us on occasion to fill in for TLES staff members, allowing us to remain in person even as the COVID surge continues to impact us.  We appreciate this assistance and the expertise they bring to our students and our building as they join us. 

We will continue to implement the mitigation strategies that have served us well for the past two years including universal masking, frequent hand washing, physical distancing to the greatest extent possible, and contact tracing.  Additionally, all field trips through January 14 will be rescheduled.  All large group meetings will be virtual during January. 

Finally, we 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 and working extremely hard. We are all in this together as a community and it will take all of us to keep our schools open.

With appreciation for your partnership,

Ben Chiet, Shele Banford & Tracey Brown Rice

Outstanding Employee Awards 

As a community, we are truly lucky to have THE greatest teaching staff in FCPS working with our students each day! Each one of our staff members is deserving of recognition for their part in supporting our students academic, social-emotional well-being, and consistently providing the care and attention to students' needs that makes our students truly love TLES.

This year, we additionally recognize educators who were nominated by peers, students, and parents to receive our Outstanding Staff Awards for 2021-22. Congratulations to the following staff members!

Outstanding Teacher: Megan Ney (4th Grade)

• Additional Nominees: Ashley Davis, Chloe Yazdani, Meagan Maslowe

Outstanding New Teacher: Kelly Jonovich (Kindergarten)

• Additional Nominee: Elizabeth McClaugherty

Outstanding Operational Employee: Julia Sheehy (Instructional Assistant)

Outstanding School-Based Leader: Shele Banford (Assistant Principal)

Computers - UPDATE

Starting next week, we will be sending computers home each night for students in grades K-6. If you already have an FCPS computer at home, we will not be sending an additional computer home. Computers should be charged each night and returned to the school each day. Please let your child’s homeroom teacher know if you do not want your child to bring their computer home for any reason.

Parents, if you do not have internet service at home, you may request a MiFi device for your student. The MiFi will allow your child to connect the FCPS laptop to the internet for learning. The MiFi is filtered to block harmful or inappropriate websites. If you do not have internet access in your home, you may request a MiFi by contacting the school.

Navigating the January C19 Surge

Please see information here about the most up-to-date FCPS actions.

Here are the layered prevention strategies in place.

Student Quarantine Requirement

Recent CDC guidance allows for a reduction of the student quarantine period (for close contacts) to seven days “when diagnostic testing resources are sufficient and available.” With FCPS now offering drive-through diagnostic testing at six sites across the county, in addition to the many alternative ways to access COVID-19 testing, FCPS is now providing the option for students who have been exposed to COVID-19 to return to school and in-person activities after seven days, in addition to the established 14-day and 10-day timelines. 

There is also an exemption for close contacts who are asymptomatic and fully vaccinated in order to get those students back to school right away.  As each case presents itself we will work with you following FCPS, FCHD and CDC guidance to support the health/well-being of all TLES students while trying to maintain students' in-person learning to the greatest extent possible.

Please note that this adjustment is for FCPS. If your child participates in SACC, you will want to work directly with SACC to determine when your child can return to before/after school care. 

Student Isolation Requirement

Please see the most up-to-date information regarding isolation (for students who are positive) and quarantine (for students who are close contacts to a positive case) here.  

The guidance for students who test positive remains 10 days of isolation.  The 10 days begins with symptom onset or, if the student is asymptomatic, on the day of the positive test result.  

Graham Road Vaccine Clinic - UPDATED

On January 14th and January 18th, Graham Road Elementary School will be the site for pediatric vaccination clinics from 4:30PM- 7PM. Please review the below details and consider bringing your child so he/she can be vaccinated against Covid-19. Please help us move forward as a community to overcome the negative impact Covid-19 has had on our children and community. We cannot move forward without everyone's help.

The Centers for Disease Control has prepared information about vaccinating children and teens in English and Spanish. Additionally, the Fairfax County Health Department has frequently asked questions about the vaccine for children. Click the Translate button at the top right corner of the page to view in your home language. 

We are excited to provide you with this opportunity to have the peace of mind that you have done everything you could to keep your child safe from this virus and its long-term effects.

To help ensure that this opportunity is accessible to all of our families, we will be providing a shuttle bus to take you and your child to and from Graham Road Elementary. 

Bus 1 will first pick up from Timber Lane Elementary and bring them directly to Graham Road. This route will be the most direct option.  

Bus 2 will pick up at all community bus stops before going to Graham Road Elementary (see below for UPDATED information). We anticipate that the bus will arrive at each bus stop approximately every 30 minutes. 

• They will be administering shots from 4:30 PM- 7:00 PM
• You can walk, drive, or take the shuttle to Graham Road
• Enter through Door 5 by walking up the bus ramp, take the stairs directly to the right downstairs to the gym
• Vaccines will be available for ANY child, ages 5-11. Vaccines will not be available for those 12 years and older. 
• Second doses are available for children 5-11 years of age at least 21 days after receiving their first dose. However, you must bring your child's COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card to receive a second dose.
• If you are taking the bus, masks are required. 
• A parent or legal guardian must remain with your child at all times.  

PE Updates for January 

Greetings Families,

Starting January 10, students will be participating in our educational gymnastics unit during PE classes.  This is a 3-week unit and it is one of our favorites to teach.

During this unit, we require students to take their shoes off while on our mats. It would be most helpful if you can have students wear shoes easy for them to take off and put on without adult assistance.  We also strongly suggest students not wear jewelry such as long necklaces, dangly earrings, or plastic hair accessories on PE days during this unit to make their experience more comfortable and safe. 

Thank you and we look forward to seeing your students in the new year.

PE Team Timber Lane

Rising 7th Grade Curriculum Night

Longfellow Middle School

Longfellow Middle School is excited to invite you to the Rising 7th Grade Curriculum Night on Tuesday, January 11 from 6:00pm - 8:00pm – ONLINE – see below for Zoom webinar link!  This night will be full of information about Longfellow and the transition to middle school. In addition, our website will be updated by January 10^th with all information you will need regarding academic advising and the transition to middle school. Recordings of the event will also be posted on January 12^th.  If you have any questions that you hope to get answered at the event, please take time to complete this form. We look forward to seeing you online!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/92936403700

Meeting ID: 929 3640 3700

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Luther Jackson Middle School

Luther Jackson Middle School invites you to attend the Rising 7^th grade Curriculum Night on Wednesday, January 26^th.  AAP and Special Education information will be presented between 6 and 7pm, and information on school logistics, regular versus honors courses, and electives will be showcased from 7-8:30. Look for a flyer with additional information in your student’s Wednesday folder.

McLean Pyramid Chorus Events

Save the Dates

⭐PTA Meeting (Virtual)⭐

Tuesday, January 11

⭐Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday - School Holiday⭐

Monday, January 17

⭐Orthodox Epiphany (Religious/Cultural Observance)⭐

Wednesday, January 19

⭐End of Quarter - 2 Hour Early Release (@ 1:30pm)⭐

Thursday, January 20

⭐Teacher Work Day - Student Holiday⭐

Friday, January 21

⭐Staff Development Day - Student Holiday⭐

Monday, January 24

2737 West Street Falls Church, VA 22046  | Main Office: 703-206-5300
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