Congratulations, Class of 2020! — What’s next for the rest of us?
Congratulations, we made it to the end of our 2019-2020 school year. This has been one filled with challenges we never could have imagined. I hope you and your family are safe and healthy, and you can enjoy the summer.
As we finish up this school year, of course we are anxiously awaiting information on what learning opportunities we have for the summer and what school will look like in the fall. I know that all of the uncertainty around this is making planning difficult for all of our Dranesville families. Our staff is working to bring our students the most robust learning environment possible. The next few weeks will be filled with discussion on what we will plan to do when school opens in August. Our first worksession on that is today. Please see the full schedule below.
A huge thank you to those of you who have already reached out to give me your ideas for improving distance learning and to tell me your needs and ideas for the 2020-2021 school year.
As we move forward, I will be reading every email that is sent to me and many that are sent to other school board members to prepare for all of these meetings and discussions. With the volume of emails that I am receiving, I cannot promise to email each person back individually, but rest assured we are considering your input and appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts.
Enjoy the beautiful summer weather!
Elaine
Return to School Planning
The Governor presented initial guidelines for reopening schools last week, and FCPS has been planning for various scenarios as we move toward the fall.
Here is the schedule of events over the next few weeks as we make plans for next fall. All meetings will be public and recorded so you can go to our school board site to watch any meetings you have missed.
FCPS Return to School Planning Timeline:
- June 15 - FCPS presents initial plans to the School Board (SB) @ 1:30 pm
- June 18 - SB Public Hearing on Return to School Plans @ 6:30 pm
- June 23 - Second SB Work Session on Return to School @ 1:30 pm
- Email your thoughts and ideas to ReturnToSchool@fcps.edu
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Sign up here to give public comment at the June 18 meeting.
- All Meetings are live-streamed on the FCPS website and are available to view later at the FCPS YouTube page.
- Meeting agendas and supplemental materials available here.
- We also have a Return to School webpage, which will be updated regularly, so please check there for the latest information and links to messages.
- We hope to have a decision on our August 25 plan by the end of June so we can begin implementation planning.
Summer
Summer Practice Books
FCPS is providing two summer practice books to each K-8 student as identified by enrollment status in SY19-20. One practice book will contain review of essential skills for mathematics (by course); the other practice book will contain review of essential skills for language arts (by grade level). Each practice book will contain five weeks of activities organized by week/day. Parents who had opted out to receive paper learning packets this spring were contacted directly to determine if they want to opt in to receive paper summer practice books.
Mailed practice books will arrive at the end of June and will be posted to FCPS 24/7 Learning Distance Learning Support site by June 29, 2020. The ESOL and special education offices are also developing practice books that will be mailed to select students and posted to FCPS 24/7.
Students in grades 9-12 will access English and Mathematics Google sites to review essential concepts and skills using self-directed digital materials.
Additional summer learning opportunities can be found online on the Free Summer Learning Opportunities page.
Within the next couple of weeks, more information about summer practice books and summer supports will be provided to families by local school staff.
FCPS Offers Free Online Summer Arts Enrichment Program
Fairfax County Public Schools will offer a free online arts enrichment program for current K-12 students for five weeks from July 6 to August 7. A variety of classes will be offered in art, music, theater, and dance.
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Elementary classes include K-6 Art, Stitchery and Weaving, Claymation and Recycled Art, K-6 Music, Drumming, Contemporary Vocals, Sixth Grade Band, Sixth Grade Strings, K-6 Theater, and K-6 Dance.
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Secondary classes include Cartooning, Cell Phone Photography and Animation, Digital Art, Exploratory Drawing and Painting, Guitar, Jazz Band, Creative Strings, Show Choir, Musical Theater, Acting, Theatre Games and Improv, Technical Theater Design and Production, Creative Writing, Yoga for the Artist, Summer Dance Exploration, Summer Dance Intensive, and Fitness for the Performing Artist.
Students may participate in as many classes as they wish, continuing to take their favorite art classes or trying something new. Registration is not required.
Every class is taught by a licensed FCPS teacher in a fun and supportive environment. Most classes will require a few supplies or an instrument; this information will be included in the class description. Each week, a new activity with a demonstration video and directions will be posted online. Families are encouraged to come back each week to see what is new. View the elementary and secondary details or email fasummerlearning@fcps.edu for more information.
More information on summer programs can be found here.
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Congratulations Class of 2020!!
Watch our graduation videos to celebrate with our grads!! Each high school is going to have a graduation celebration on video produced to include photos of seniors, speeches, highlights of the senior class and other graduation traditions. Even the school board members got in on the action. The purpose of this video is to celebrate our seniors, acknowledge their achievement of earning a high school diploma, and create a keepsake memory for them. The videos will be livestreamed and broadcast on Channels 21, 25 and 99.
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CONGRATULATIONS HERNDON HIGH SCHOOL!!
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CONGRATULATIONS LANGLEY HIGH SCHOOL!!
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CONGRATULATIONS MCLEAN HIGH SCHOOL!!
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Good News
Green Flag and Silver Eco-Schools in FCPS Recognized by School Board
FCPS schools that have earned a Green Flag or Silver award through Eco-Schools were recognized by the School Board on May 21. Watch the recognition here.
Riverside Elementary Earns Green Flag
Congratulations to Riverside Elementary, our newest Green Flag School, for earning a Green Flag through the National Wildlife Federation Eco-Schools program despite COVID-19! Learn more and watch a video about Riverside’s Green Flag journey.
FCPS Garden Access Update
FCPS school gardens are once again accessible. All visitors should practice health department safety guidelines. Although face coverings are not required outdoors, community members are encouraged to practice physical distancing (six feet apart) and to keep groups to ten people or less. For gardens that are producing food, Get2Green recommends following the hygiene recommendations outlined in the Garden to Cafeteria Safety Checklist developed by Food and Nutrition Services and the Fairfax County Health Department.
Other Board Activities
School Board Meetings - Renaming Lee High School
The School Board voted on February 23, 2020, to bring the process to rename Robert E. Lee High School, and the first community meeting was held on March 11, 2020. The process was interrupted by COVID-19, but the School Board is restarting the public process with the timeline allowing the name to be changed by the 2020-2021 school year, if approved. Here is our schedule that includes public participation:
- 6/22: Public Hearing
- 6/23: Board Vote on Renaming
- 7/15: Community Meeting on Potential New Names
- 7/22: Public Hearing on Potential New Names
- 7/23: Board Vote on New Name
- New Name for 2020/21 School Year
More information is here.
Resources
Webpage with Special Education Updates
Special Ed Update
Summer Meals
Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) will operate emergency food distribution sites this summer as permitted by USDA and VDOE. Full information is here.
Updates from the Foundation for FCPS
To support schools during this Covid-19 crisis, the Foundation for FCPS established the “Access for All” fund. The fund provides a mechanism for the community to support its students in need with technology, internet access, food access, and school supplies. To date, the fund has raised nearly $344,000, with significant contributions from Capital One, I-66 Express Mobility Partners, Cox Charities, SAP NS2, the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia, and over 850 individual and private donors. The Foundation has provided funds to the IT Department at FCPS to support distance learning efforts ($232,000), the Title I office for school supplies to 30,000 students, Food and Nutrition Services for over 3,200 adult meals during April and May, the Homeless Liaison office for grocery gift cards, and local area food banks. Additionally, the Foundation is coordinating food distribution at many of our school sites by community partners and others to alleviate the food insecurity that many county residents are experiencing with school buildings closed. Going forward, the Foundation will continue to raise funds to support these emergency needs and be as nimble in its response to the school district as it can be. More information on the fund and donors can be found on the Foundation’s website.
The Foundation’s breakfast event in October 2020 is currently in discussion to become a virtual event.
FCPS to Reopen Basketball Courts and Playgrounds in Accordance with Phase 2 Guidelines
In accordance with Fairfax County’s Phase 2 reopening guidelines, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) reopened additional outdoor areas on school grounds to the community, effective Friday, June 12.
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Reopened on June 12 are:
- Athletic fields (for organized and permitted use, based on Virginia and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines pertaining to use of athletic fields).
- Basketball courts (maintaining 10 feet of physical distance, based on Virginia guidelines).
- Playgrounds – Playgrounds were opened systemwide. There is no special cleaning of playground equipment; visitors use at their own risk and must adhere to social distancing guidelines.
All openings are based on CDC guidelines, state mandates, and guidance from local health officials.
More information about the Fairfax County Park Authority’s guidelines can be found online at FCPA Coronavirus Response.
All visitors are urged to practice health department safety guidelines, including social distancing.
NCS Community and Teen Centers go Virtual!
Recently, Fairfax County launched NCS Connects, designed to emulate the experience of visiting a Community or Teen Center. The platform was created for youth and teens of all abilities, grades 1-12.
The current activities include Bigfoot Race and Paper Airplane Fun for young children, Save the Earth Poster and Vegetarian One-Pot Meal for grades 7-12, among others. The platform also kicked off with two videos: a circuit training workout for teens, and a special message to youth featuring more than a dozen NCS staff.
Along with new weekly activities added each Monday, youth and teens have access to the Exploration Station for on-demand resources and previous activities for students in grades 1-12 and their parents.
Visit NCS Connects for more information.
Internet Resources
Many companies are offering discounted internet service and devices during this crisis. Please visit the links below to learn more.
Cox - https://www.cox.com/residential/internet/connect2compete.html
Xfinity - https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/comcast-broadband-opportunity-program
Verizon- https://nationalverifier.servicenowservices.com/lifeline
https://www.verizon.com/support/consumer/account/manage-account/lifeline-discount
Students Form Teens4Broadway to Raise Funds for BroadwayCares
A group of FCPS high school drama students have created Teens4Broadway, a non-profit that is running a nationwide fundraiser June 18-20 live on Twitch and YouTube to raise money for BroadwayCares. The three Langley High students—along with students from Loudoun County Public Schools—are looking to include teens from around the U.S. to join their 72-hour online marathon. The students will be role playing Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) online live for 72 hours straight, hoping the funds they raise will pay it forward and help those impacted by the pandemic on Broadway. People can make donations during the marathon that will affect the game by providing healing potions and monsters. The group can be contacted at this email address: teens4broadway@gmail.com
Fairfax County Public Library summer reading adventure program 2020
The program will run from June 12-August 14. The theme will be “Imagine Your Story”.
- All participants will need to sign up online using the Summer Reading App before they download their gameboard. Staff are available via phone or online chat to answer questions about signing up.
- This summer, readers of all ages will have the opportunity to play a gameboard where they can complete a series of challenges, read books of their choice, or a mix of both depending on their interests and preferences. Youth game boards will be available in English and Spanish.
- Participants can click on gameboards, and every challenge piece will link back to a page on the website with additional details, resources, and related enrichment activities for participants who want to go the extra mile.
- As participants play the game and hit their milestones, they will be entered in prize drawings for one of two Amazon gift cards in each age category (preschool, school-age, teen, and adult). The 1st milestone prize is $50, the 2nd is $100, and the 3rd is $150. Participants will submit their information via a Survey Monkey form for each milestone. Links to the surveys are embedded into each milestone piece in the game, and they are also available on FCPL website.
- Readers who signed up on the first day of the program (June 12) will be entered in a drawing for a $25 e-gift card from Scrawl Books.
- Participants who complete all three challenges by August 14 will be entered in a grand prize drawing for a Washington Nationals ticket prize pack for them and their family to enjoy once games resume.
- Since the public librarians weren’t able to make it into classrooms this year for book talks, they have a Summer Reading Adventure 2020 playlist on YouTube that features promo videos with basic information about the program (in English and Spanish), as well as, short book talks for preschoolers, school-age kids, and teens. They will be adding additional book talks on Instagram throughout the summer.
- Social media is a great place to find FCPL these days: @FairfaxLibrary on Instagram and Twitter and Fairfax County Library on Facebook.
- The Teen Cover Art Contest, Teen Film Festival, and For Love of Country Essay and Poetry contest will accept only digital submissions this summer and will run concurrently with the Summer Reading Adventure. Any awards ceremonies associated with these contests are TBD.
- The library’s virtual programs will continue all summer long, and information can be found on the FCPL events calendar.
Additional information can be found here.
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VDOE Partnership with Spanish-Language Radio Station Supports Learning for Students and Families
The Virginia Department of Education is pleased to announce a partnership with Radio Poder WBTK 1380 AM — a Richmond Spanish-language station — to launch “Virginia: Educación en Radio,” the commonwealth’s first bilingual radio learning program. “Virginia: Educación en Radio” will feature prerecorded lessons in multiple subject areas to support continuity of learning for Spanish-speaking students in grades K-12 while schools are closed to slow the spread of COVID-19. “Virginia: Educación en Radio” will air instructional content Monday-Friday from 10:30-11 a.m. Programming on Fridays will focus on resources, activities, and educational tips for families. A replay of each week’s lessons will be available on Saturdays from 4-6:30 p.m.
Students and parents can access “Virginia: Educación en Radio” by one of the following means:
- Listening live at 1380 AM in the Richmond area from 10:30-11 a.m., Monday-Friday
- Listening to lessons on demand at radiopoder1380.com
- Listening live by phone at (206) 629-0249 or (641) 715-8936
Lessons and topics will be announced on Fridays and posted online at radiopoder1380.com/educacion. Students and families will be encouraged to text in image files of completed work or activity to (804) 571-1380 for a chance to have it featured on the “Virginia: Educación en Radio” website.
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Little Lender Library at McLean HS
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Students at McLean HS have created a Little Lender Library for elementary students.
Make sure to visit and share your favorite books with the community!
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The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.
© 2020 Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia
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