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Day 67 — Summer Learning
This week is the start of the traditional summer break. It is usually a time when students, staff and parents all kick into summer mode, take things a little slower and maybe take a vacation or a few days away.
For us at ACPS, the first week of the summer break is a little different this year. We are using it to reimagine our preparations and planning for potential ways to reopen our schools in the fall. Our efforts are focused on two key areas: mitigating the learning loss so our students are not overwhelmed by their classes in the fall, and preparing for the reopening of schools — a mammoth task and one that requires us all to live with uncertainty until at least early August, when we should have a clearer picture about the model or models we will need to adopt to ensure all of our students are engaged in the social, emotional and academic learning supports they need to succeed. The start of school is almost certainly going to look different this school year and we need to be prepared for those changes ahead.
Today’s edition is focused on these two critical aspects of our summer work. ACPS Express will continue throughout the summer, but from now on we will have just one edition per week. Each Wednesday morning we will share news, announcements and decisions from the Board meetings; information about summer learning; and information about the reopening planning process. Please keep an eye out for ACPS Express in your inbox as this is where we will be sharing every aspect of our reopening planning process so that we can collect your feedback and ensure the plans we are putting in place work for all of our students, families, staff and community partners.
In the meantime, take a little break before summer learning starts on July 6. Stay safe, stay healthy — and we will definitely keep you informed throughout the summer!
Sincerely,
Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools
Mark Your Calendar for the Start of Summer Learning
During this unprecedented time, ACPS is offering every student the opportunity to expand or refine their learning by providing summer learning through engagement and enrichment.
Learning loss due to COVID-19 is real. NWEA, a nonprofit organization that develops and offers student assessments, estimates that students may return to school in the fall (in-person, or virtually) with roughly 70% of the learning gains in reading relative to a typical school year. In mathematics, students are likely to show much smaller learning gains, returning with less than 50% of the learning gains and in some grades, nearly a full year behind what we would observe in normal conditions.
To tackle this learning loss, ACPS is offering summer opportunities that will include virtual asynchronous and synchronous learning, learning kits, and enrichment in the arts. The educational programming will include the necessary support for students with disabilities, English learners, and talented and gifted students.
Summer Learning will be offered Monday through Thursday from July 6, 2020 through July 31, 2020. We are encouraging all students to participate in Summer Learning. The majority of summer learning programs are free and open to all. Find more information on the ACPS-At-Home website.
See our “Summer Learning for All, Explained!” video for more information:
Planning for the Reopening of Schools
A couple of weeks ago, the Virginia Department of Education released guidelines on the reopening of schools. Teams across ACPS have been analyzing this guidance and assessing what it could mean for ACPS in the fall.
Northern Virginia has been opening at a different pace than other parts of the state and we will almost certainly need to have contingency plans in place in case our buildings have to remain closed past September. We are looking at three possible models: a traditional opening which most likely will not be an option; continuing with a fully virtual model of learning with refinements based on feedback from students, staff and families; and multiple scenarios for a hybrid of the two to meet social gathering and social distancing guidelines.
Given the guidance from the Virginia Department of Education, it is already highly unlikely that we will be able to fully open our schools in the usual way in the fall. This is going to require flexibility from all of us. There are so many unknowns out there that we need to work through before we can decide on the best options for our students, families, staff and community partners in the fall. Please offer us some grace during this unprecedented time. We will share any new information as we get it.
You can find all the details about our reopening schools planning process on the ACPS-at-Home website under the Update Center tab.
The process to define plans for the reopening of our schools is multi-step. It involves:
- Collecting guidance from our Thought Partners: a group of key leaders from the city, citywide community groups and ACPS staff.
- Collaborating with other school divisions in the Northern Virginia region to ensure alignment across key areas.
- Five ACPS Cross-Functional Planning Teams, who utilize guidance provided by the Thought Partners and the Virginia Department of Education and establish plans to implement under the three models (shared above). Each of the five areas will have representatives from the following key stakeholder groups: student, staff, parent and community partners. This work is coordinated across the school division by team leads.
- Feedback focus groups. It will be essential to have focus groups of principals, staff, students, parents and community partners to ensure we are addressing the needs of all students and that all concerns are addressed prior to implementation.
- Feedback via question and answer webinars with the superintendent and a feedback form, so that we can hear from staff, students, parents and community partners before finalizing the model we will be adopting in the fall.
Want to follow along? All meetings are being recorded and posted to the Reopening Schools Planning Timeline page on the ACPS-at-Home website.
In the meantime, we want to share some key dates for your calendar so that you can be involved at every step of the way in the planning process for the reopening of schools.
Friday, June 26: An outline of the planning process and potential models will be shared with the School Board at noon. Watch the meeting live via the School Board Meetings webpage.
Wednesday, July 1: A summary of the planning process shared at the School Board meeting on June 26 will be shared with you in ACPS Express. This will include a link to watch the section of the School Board meeting that includes the reopening of schools planning process presentation.
July 6 – July 13: Focus groups of ACPS staff, parents, students and community partners will be held to review the proposed options for the fall.
July 6 – July 13: Webinars will be held and feedback collected from the public around the opening of schools.
Friday, July 17: An update on the progress of the ACPS Cross-Functional Planning Teams will be shared at the School Board special meeting. Watch the meeting live via the School Board Meetings webpage.
Wednesday, July 22: A summary of the work being done by the ACPS Cross-Functional Planning Teams will be shared with you in ACPS Express. This will include a link to watch the section of the School Board meeting that includes the reopening of schools planning process presentation from the July 17 meeting.
Friday, August 7: The draft plans for reporting to the Virginia Department of Education will be shared with the public, and focus groups of ACPS staff, parents, students and community partners will be held to review the proposed options for the fall. An overview of the potential models and work completed so far by the ACPS Cross-Functional Planning Teams will be presented to the School Board at noon. Watch the meeting live via the School Board Meetings webpage.
Wednesday, August 12: The final plan for the reopening of schools in the fall will be shared with you in ACPS Express. Frequently Asked Questions will also be provided to help you understand what the plan means for you and your child(ren).
In addition to these key milestones, there will be weekly updates in ACPS Express.
Your Questions Answered About the Reopening of Schools
In the last Q&A, Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. answered questions about the guidance provided by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to help schools when planning for the reopening of schools in the fall. Read the Virginia Department of Education guidance (PDF) in full.
Dr. Hutchings addressed your questions on:
- Does the Governor expect all students to go back to school buildings on the first day of school?
- What is the state guidance and what does state planning look like for reopening school buildings?
- How is the VDOE recommending we ensure equity in our reopening plans?
- What are the VDOE recommendations regarding the timeline for reopening schools?
- Is ACPS planning for a reopening that is in line with these VDOE recommendations?
- Is the VDOE recommending summer school?
Watch both Q&A videos or see answers to these questions in the updated FAQ.
More information, including the FAQs, is available on the Reopening Planning section of the ACPS-at-Home website under the Update Center tab.
Celebrating Our Retirees
It’s that time of year when we wish some of our employees goodbye and good luck as they begin the next stage of their lives. The ceremony was a virtual one this year. Watch now:
Our Second Pulse Survey Results Are Here
We received 10,631 responses to our second pulse survey between June 8 and June 14: 1,684 from staff, 3,434 from students, and 5,513 from parents. The survey received almost 1,200 parent responses in languages other than English, up from 700 in the first pulse survey in May.
There was a high overall satisfaction with social and emotional support provided by ACPS, but instruction, school connections, teacher/school communication, and the social and emotional health of stakeholders continue to need focus.
Areas of strength:
- Parents (78%), students (85%) and staff (80%) continued to report a high level of satisfaction with instructional and academic supports.
- The majority of parents (74%), students (75%) and staff (83%) were also satisfied with social and emotional supports, although these declined slightly between the two surveys.
- Staff (82%) and students (72%) continue to manage their stress well.
Areas of continued focus:
Second round results were largely the same as the first round. Areas of focus identified in the first round (primarily student engagement) did not improve between surveys #1 and #2, and in fact slightly declined.
- Teachers reported less student engagement in the second round, with 63% reporting that less than half of their students engaged in class within the last week (compared with 54% in round 1).
- The feeling of connectedness between families and teachers also declined (74% to 70% for students feeling connected to teachers, 81% to 74% for parents feeling connected to the school, and 68% to 63% for teachers feeling connected to students.)
The results are being used to assist with the implementation of the summer learning plan (3.0) and planning for the reopening of school (4.0).
Data will be shared with the Reopening Cross-Functional Planning Teams, including results from open-ended comments from participants on what ACPS should focus on to make them feel comfortable returning to school. Data is also being used to investigate and highlight any inequities.
The full report will be posted to the ACPS-at-Home website as soon as it is available.
Watch Friday’s Board Meeting
During the School Board meeting on Friday, the Alexandria City School Board affirmed their stand against racism on Juneteenth by signing a resolution condemning systemic racism and affirming a commitment to educational equity for all students, families and staff.
The School Board voted unanimously to approve the resolution on Juneteenth — the day known as Freedom Day, which honors the ending of slavery in the United States.
The Board also discussed:
- Educational Facilities summer projects
- The calendar revision for the 2020-21 school year for Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School
- The adoption of the new social studies textbooks
- The results from the second COVID-19 pulse survey
If you missed it live, you can still watch it. Watch the School Board meeting and see the agenda.
Information on how to give feedback to the School Board can be found on the School Board Meetings webpage.
New Hours for Bilingual Parent Information Lines
The FACE Center’s Bilingual Parent Information Lines will now all be available Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- For Spanish/English, call 571-775-9719
- For Amharic/English, call 703-927-6866
- For Arabic/English, call 703-927-7095
Important Food Access Changes for July 4 Weekend
Meal distribution locations and pop up sites will not operate on Friday, July 3, ahead of the Independence Day holiday. However, additional meals will be provided on Wednesday, July 1 to cover the following holiday period. The normal meal distribution service will resume on Monday, July 6.
NEW! ACPS has added an additional weekend meal to our program. Meals distributed on Fridays at all meal distribution locations and pop up sites will cover Friday, Saturday and now Sunday meals.
ACPS’ current food distribution model will remain the same throughout the summer until August 21, 2020.
For all information on food distribution, see the Food Access page on the ACPS-at-Home website.
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ACPS has multiple distribution meal site locations throughout Alexandria for all ACPS students and children over the age of two.
GRAB-AND-GO MEAL LOCATIONS:
Grab and Go breakfast, lunch and snack meals are available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. at the following locations:
- William Ramsay Elementary School
5700 Sanger Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22311 - Francis C. Hammond Middle School
4646 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 22304 - Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology
3600 Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22305 - Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School
1501 Cameron Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 - T.C. Williams High School
3330 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22304
And available at our “Pop-Up” sites located at:
- Mason Apartments at South Reynolds Street, Alexandria, VA 22304
10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - Brent Place Apartments at 375 South Reynolds Street, Alexandria, VA 22304
11:20 to 11:50 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - Ruby Tucker Family Center at 322 Tancil Court, Alexandria, VA 22314
10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - Community Lodgings at 607 Notabene Drive, Alexandria, VA 22305
10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - Old Towne West Apartments (parking lot) at 500 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
11:20 to 11:50 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - Corner of Florence Drive and Four Mile Road, Alexandria, VA 22305
10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - The Fields at 4309 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22304
10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - Bennington Crossing Apartments at 441 North Armistead Street, Alexandria, VA 22312
11:30 a.m. to noon, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
NO SIGN UP OR REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO RECEIVE MEALS. Meals consist of breakfast, lunch and snack and include, for example, fresh fruits and vegetables and sandwiches for multiple days.
NOTE: No food distribution will occur on Tuesdays or Thursdays. The limited days for distribution is to support the practice of social distancing and to limit social gatherings. Meals for two days will be provided on Mondays and Wednesdays, and meals for three days will be provided on Fridays.
Other Food Resources in the City of Alexandria
For food pantry locations and schedules in Alexandria, visit www.hungerfreealexandria.com or call 703-662-1067.
Questions? Or Need Translation?
Send us your question in Spanish, Arabic or Amharic:
- Text ACPSMEALS to 797979 (English and Spanish)
- Call or text 703-927-6866 (Amharic)
- Call or text 703-927-7095 (Arabic)
OR
Call the FACE Center’s Bilingual Parent Information Lines, available Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.:
- For Spanish/English, call 571-775-9719
- For Amharic/English, call 703-927-6866
- For Arabic/English, call 703-927-7095
SAFETY REMINDER: Please remember to observe social distancing practices while at the food distribution site by maintaining six feet of personal space between you and other families or individuals.
Anyone exhibiting symptoms of a respiratory illness like fever, runny nose, sore throat, coughing or difficulty breathing on the day of food distribution or in the previous 24 hours should not visit a food distribution site but call a health care provider instead. If you do not have a primary care physician and are not enrolled in a clinic, you may CALL an urgent care center or emergency room.
TEEN WELLNESS CENTER IS OPEN
The Teen Wellness Center at T.C. Williams is still open regular hours Monday through Friday for all Alexandrians ages 12-19. All services are provided in the clinic and if the teen is ill with an elevated temperature (100.0 or more) we will see them through our telehealth video format. Make an appointment over the phone by calling 703-746-4776.
UPDATES FROM THE ALEXANDRIA HEALTH DEPARTMENT
The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Health Department strongly urge everyone to follow state orders to STAY HOME except for essential trips such as food purchases and medical care, and keep 6 feet apart from others when in public. Your neighbors and loved ones are counting on you to stop the spread of COVID-19. For other questions about COVID-19, call the Alexandria COVID-19 Hotline at 703-746-4988, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Additional updates can be found at www.alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus.
Coping with COVID-19 Fear and Uncertainty
Check out the City of Alexandria webpage Coping with COVID-19 Fear and Uncertainty which includes the COVID-19 Wellness Resource Guide.
WANT TO HELP?
Please consider donating through ACT For Alexandria and the COVID-19 Response Fund if you are able.
Community members who would like to volunteer should reach out to www.volunteeralexandria.org or 703-836-2176 to register for any additional potential volunteer opportunities.
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
Continuity of School Support and Academic Advisement
School Student Support Team staff, including school counselors, school nurses, school psychologists, and school social workers will be available during school hours throughout the closure. Monday — Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. staff will be connecting with students and their families. The Department of Student Services, Alternative Programs and Equity staff members are also available during this time and can be contacted by voicemail and at student_services@acps.k12.va.us.
Emergency Supports
If there is a crisis or emergency during the time of the closure, students and families can access the supports below:
- Crisis Text and Crisis Link:
- Text: CONNECT to 85511
- Call: 703-527-4077
- Alexandria Safe Place
- Alexandria City 24-Hour Emergency Mental Health Services
- Alexandria City Health Department and AHD Contacts
- Inova Alexandria Hospital (ER)
We know that this is a challenging time. ACPS will continue to share information through the ACPS website, social media, and email. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your student’s school counselor or school social worker with any questions.
HEALTH REMINDERS
Don’t Feel Well?
Contact your primary health care physician. Don’t have insurance? Contact Neighborhood Health at 703-535-5568.
Have questions, concerns or feedback? Contact us.
Stay Healthy!
Wash your hands regularly. Regular soap is OK.