Churchill Chatter - Issue 10, January 9, 2022
Dear Churchill Road Families,
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2022! We look forward to a wonderful year of community, teaching and learning. We are committed to a safe and healthy return by following effective mitigation stratgies including universal masking, frequent hand washing, use of hand sanitizer, and distancing. These protocols support FCPS’s strategies to keep schools open during the current COVID-19 surge. Dr. Brabrand’s message to the community regarding strategies to navigate the current surge is posted on the FCPS website as is the most recent FCPS message regarding quarantine/isolation guidance.
Please see below for some additional return to school information.
HEALTH AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: To support our in-school mitigation strategies, we ask that you help us by:
- Keeping your children home when sick. EACH DAY, please use the screening form to be vigilant for any symptoms in your household. If students exhibit any of the symptoms, please do not send them to school. The daily health screening questionnaire form is linked here. Also, the FCPS website is linked here, with information regarding return to school after being sent home from the Care room. Questions may be addressed to Lesley Breddy, labreddy2@fcps.edu.
- Signing your child up for optional screening testing and making use of our diagnostic testing if your child has symptoms.
- Reminding your child about our layered prevention strategies including proper mask wearing, hand washing and using hand sanitizer.
TECHNOLOGY REMINDERS: While we do not anticipate a return to virtual learning, we want to take this time to remind you about technology habits. Teachers will be reviewing technology applications with all students. Students in grades 3-6 are expected to bring charged computers, as well as chargers to and from school daily. K-2 students have a device assigned to them, and we will be working with teachers this week to devise the best schedule for bringing those devices home. We also want to include the following resources to support you at home. Please contact our School Based Technology Specialist (SBTS) Nick Kilpatrick, nfkilpatrick@fcps.edu, with any other questions or for support.
TRANSPORTATION is experiencing a large number of absent drivers as we return from winter break. The Transportation office will do their best to notify families if their routes are running more than 30 minutes late. Routes that are running more than 10 minutes late should be posted in the bus delay system.
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.
Working together, we look forward to a successful 2022!
Warmly,
Cherith Pierson and Jennifer Niccolls
In This Week's Issue
Changes to Quarantine and Isolation Effective January 10
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new guidance for isolation and quarantine. FCPS will adopt the new guidance with one exception:
- FCPS will adopt CDC’s recommendation for quarantine for students and staff.
- FCPS will adopt CDC’s recommendation for isolation for staff.
- FCPS will NOT adopt CDC’s recommendation for isolation for students as we are unable to implement the required physical distancing protocols during meals. FCPS students who test positive or are diagnosed with Covid-19 will continue to have a 10-day isolation period from school and school-related activities.
The best source of the most up-to-date information, including how students return to school after quarantine or isolation, is available on the Health and Safety Guidance Document on the FCPS website.
Student Return Guidance from Isolation
Students who are Covid-19 positive are able to return to school when all of the following criteria have been met:
- Student completes at least ten (10) days of isolation from symptom onset for symptomatic students or 10 days from date of test for Covid for asymptomatic students; AND
- Student is fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication; AND
- The student’s symptoms have improved; AND
- Student submits the FCPS Isolation Letter with the return date to their attending school.
Return Guidance for Students Who are Close Contacts to School-Related Exposures
Students who are close contacts and required to quarantine are able to return to school when all the criteria for Options 1 OR 2 are met.
Return Guidance for Students Who are Close Contacts to Community-Related Exposures
NEW! FCPS will no longer require Return to School documentation for a student deemed a close contact in the community, outside of the school environment. FCPS recommends that families adhere to the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) quarantine guidance, as appropriate. If families have questions regarding COVID-19, they are encouraged to consult their physician or the Fairfax County Health Department.
Requesting Clearance for Return of Student Who is Fully Vaccinated after Exposure to COVID Positive Case
If your child is fully vaccinated (at least 2 weeks out from the second shot) and was determined to be a close contact to a COVID positive case, parents are able to request clearance from the Health Department for an expedited return to school.
If your child is fully vaccinated, please complete the COVID Contact Vaccination Verification survey. Sharing your child’s vaccination status will help the health department expedite your child’s return if your child meets the criteria.
Cold Weather Recess Guidelines
During typical winter days, students will go outside during the winter months. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately (coat, boots, gloves, and hats) for outdoor weather. On PE days, students should have a pair of tennis shoes as well. Students may go outside if it is snowing.
How Cold is Too Cold to Allow Students to Play Outdoors?
- When the wind chill/”feels like” temperature is 25 degrees or higher, teachers are advised to take their students outside for recess. Teachers of younger grades may make adjustments to this temperature based on student attire and current weather conditions.
- When the wind chill/”feels like” temperature is between 20-25 degrees, teachers may use their professional judgment, based on students’ attire (jackets, snow pants, boots, gloves, and hats) and current weather conditions in determining if students will go outside for recess.
When the wind chill/”feels like” temperature is below 20 degrees, or there is any rain/sleet, teachers are advised to keep their students inside for recess.
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Pick Up and Drop Off Safety
As we begin school in 2022, we’d like to remind families that if dropping a child off at school from an automobile, Kiss and Ride is the ONLY safe process for this option. Please share this information with all adults driving children to school in your household. Please do NOT drop off/pick up students along Churchill Road, or any of the surrounding streets, including Churchill Rd., Carper St., Capitol View Dr., Raymond Ave., Thrasher Rd., or Warbler Ln. Many students and families walk to school along these streets and additional traffic poses safety concerns.
The Kiss and Ride lot is located near the gym. Children can be dropped off between 8:25-8:35 a.m. When students arrive, they should enter the building through their assigned doors. Pick up begins at 3:20 p.m. The student drop off/pick up occurs along the sidewalk next to the building in the Kiss and Ride lot.* School staff will be present to direct traffic and assist the children. Families should have their assigned Kiss and Ride number displayed. If you lose your sign, please make sure you write the number large enough for the staff to see it in your car window. For pictures of the Kiss and Ride Process, view this presentation.
*Important Reminder: Raymond Avenue is closed to left hand turns during student arrival and dismissal times. Drivers will need to proceed west on Churchill Road and turn on Thrasher Street or Balls Hill Road. Please drive with patience and care on all of our community streets. We have many families walking to and from school every day, and it’s the responsibility of each of us to ensure safe passage for everyone
Curriculum Nights for Rising 7th Graders
Rising 7th Grade Curriculum Night for Longfellow, January 11
Longfellow Middle School is excited to invite you to the Rising 7th Grade Curriculum Night on Tuesday, January 11 from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. – 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 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. 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!
Rising 7th Grade Welcome to Cooper Night, January 27
All rising 7th grade Cooper families are invited to a synchronous virtual Welcome to Cooper Night on Thursday, January 27 at 6:30 PM. The event will welcome you to our community and discuss the process for requesting classes for the 2022-2023 school year. To receive the Zoom link to the event, please RSVP here.
Important Dates
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Wednesday, January 12 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7 PM
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Monday, January 17 - MLK Birthday Holiday, School Closed
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Thursday, January 20 - 2-Hour Early Dismissal at 1:20 PM (End of Quarter)
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Friday, January 21 & Monday, January 24 - Teacher Workdays
Please visit the FCPS School Year Calendar for more information
2021-22 School Year:
https://www.fcps.edu/calendars/2021-22-standard-school-year-calendar
Please visit the FCPS Return to School page for the most up-to-date information on student groups and the return to in-person learning: https://www.fcps.edu/returntoschool
Quick Links
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