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Alexandria City Science Fair 2022: Volunteer Opportunity for Recertification Points
The 2022 Alexandria City Science Fair will be a virtual event that will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. via Zoom on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, and Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. We are also tentatively scheduling Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022; the additional date is dependent on the number of science fair projects.
We invite our ACPS staff members to judge the 2022 Alexandria City Public Schools Science Fair! ACPS employees who volunteer to judge will receive recertification points. Please do not forget to register in PLMS using Course #14748 Section #21105 ACPS Science Fair 2022.
The judging is done virtually, with volunteers viewing projects and talking to students over Zoom, according to this schedule of events for the evening:
- 5-6 p.m. – Judges’ Orientation
- 6-8 p.m. – Judging of Projects
- 8-9 p.m. – Judges work session and award recommendations
If you can serve as a judge, please register using this form to indicate the date(s) you are available and the categories you would like to judge. Please complete this form by Wednesday, Jan. 19th at 4 p.m.
The Science Fair is an excellent opportunity to see our students in action and showcase their science projects. Our students shine at this event, showing off their hard work while fostering a spirit of scientific inquiry. We would love your support and ask that you consider volunteering to judge at this event.
Please email Julia Neufer at julia.neufer@acps.k12.va.us if you have any questions.
Calendar Reminder: MLK Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is observed on the third Monday of January, which this year is Jan. 17. All ACPS schools and offices are closed that day in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK Day).
Also known as a day of service, MLK Day is an opportunity to give back to the community in memory of Dr. King who dedicated his life to opposing racial discrimination and spoke of a world where all people were provided the opportunity they needed to succeed.
Many in our nation work to honor Dr. King’s legacy through service projects to address community needs, and there are a variety of ways in which the ACPS community can serve our neighbors. For some people, that may be delivering meals or collecting food and clothing; others may serve as a mentor. The work of volunteers is always appreciated by various service organizations in need of assistance. To learn about volunteer opportunities in Alexandria, visit Volunteer Alexandria.
Dr. King once reflected on the importance of service as he said, “Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.”
ACPS Finding Fit Wellness Recipe Swap
The ACPS Finding Fit “Healthy” Recipe Swap is underway. It is our second quarter division-wide wellness event and everyone is invited to be a part of it. We are asking you to consider sharing a favorite healthy recipe to include in our first ACPS Finding Fit HealthyRecipe Book that will be compiled and shared electronically with all ACPS staff. Recipes will be collected through Jan. 28. Check out the ACPS Finding Fit website to read about our district-wide wellness initiatives, monthly health tips, insurance resources, and much more! It’s at www.acps.k12.va.us/findingfit.
ACPS Receives Funding for STEMinist Club for Middle School Girls
ACPS has been awarded $20,000 from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia’s Business Women’s Giving Circle to offer the STEMinist Club to middle school girls at Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School and Francis C. Hammond Middle School. The STEMinist Club is designed to engage historically-underserved middle-school female students in STEM enrichment activities to spark and nurture an interest in and enthusiasm for STEM.
Fifty-five participating middle school girls will be immersed in weekly one-hour sessions of coding and robotics and one-hour mentoring sessions that will take place during the school’s after-school LINK Club programs. Not only will the girls served by the STEMinist Club have the opportunity to learn advanced coding and robotic skills, but the program facilitators, mentors and guest speakers will be Black, Hispanic and other women of color who will serve as positive STEM role models to the students. The STEMinist Club is made possible through essential partnerships with women-led community organizations, Boolean Girl, Fly Minds and Jireh’s Place.
Many Ways to Communicate with ACPS: Ask@ACPS, Language Line Direct Response, ACPS COVID-19 Helpline
ACPS offers many ways for families to communicate with our school division. Asking questions and sharing feedback are signs of engaged families and staff! Many questions or issues involving a specific student can be resolved by contacting your child’s teacher, school support staff or the front office. Some concerns and questions are about division-wide policies or issues, and may be part of information posted on our website. There are many ways you can connect with ACPS to share comments or ask a question.
Ask ACPS
To share a concern or comment with ACPS leadership or to ask a question about division-wide issues, community members can write to ask@acps.k12.va.us.
“Ask ACPS” is part of a new system to make it easier for families to submit questions and comments and get a timely response. Please keep in mind that the ask@acps.k12.va.us email is not for school-specific questions or communications concerning your student. No confidential student information should be sent to this email address. Please continue to contact your child’s teacher or front office staff for issues related to a specific school and your student.
Language Line Direct Response
With more than half of all ACPS families speaking a language other than English at home, ACPS is expanding the interpretation services available through the division. Language Line Direct Response is a new service that allows families who speak Spanish, Amharic, Arabic, Farsi and Pashto to contact our schools with a qualified interpreter already on the phone line. Direct Response is an addition to the existing phone interpreting services that staff use to contact families in more than 100 languages.
Families dial a toll-free number (1-833-611-1667) when assistance is needed in their home language, and are then paired with an interpreter before connecting with the school. When families call the toll-free number, they are greeted by an automated message, recorded in their preferred language. After hearing the greeting message and selecting their school from the menu provided, a qualified interpreter is connected to the call. Parents and the interpreter are then connected to the specific school front office for further service.
ACPS COVID-19 Helpline
The ACPS COVID-19 Helpline remains ready to assist families! Parent liaisons and outreach assistants continue to help families in need of assistance through this helpline. To communicate with the Helpline, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., families can text or call as follows:
- For English: 703-844-1763
- For Spanish: 703-844-3424
- For Amharic: 703-927-6866
- For Arabic: 703-927-7095
Please note that if the operating status of any school building or the division transitions temporarily to virtual learning, the Helpline will be available from 7:30 a.m. to noon.
ACPS Robocalls and Text Alerts
Families who are not receiving regular communications from their school or ACPS may have chosen to opt out from robocalls and text alerts. For those who would like to opt back in to receive robocalls, please call the Opt-Out Hotline at 1-855-502-7867 and follow the menu prompts. To opt back in for text messages, please send a text to 23177 with the message: START ACPSALL.
School Newsletters and Social Media
Families can get school-specific communications as well. Get news and updates from your student’s school by signing up for school newsletters and following your school on social media.