More Stories from the Week

Calendar Reminder for Oct. 11

On Monday, Oct. 11, 2021 there will be no school for students. ACPS schools and offices will be closed, although it remains a staff work day for Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School, which operates on a modified school year calendar.

October 11 was initially a professional learning day for staff. Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. sensed the need for staff to take a recovery pause as we continue into the fall season. He redesignated the day as a paid non-work day for ACPS staff to take care of themselves to recover and re-energize and practice self-care.

Please keep in mind that our essential workers may still be required to work, as directed by your immediate supervisor only if absolutely necessary. Compensatory time for essential workers will be considered at the immediate supervisory level. Also, please note that staff at Samuel W. Tucker Elementary School will enjoy their self-care day on the modified calendar’s professional learning day scheduled for Nov. 2, 2021. The end of the first quarter (Oct. 8) on the modified calendar necessitates that October 11 remain a staff work day at Tucker.

Dr. Hutchings hopes that staff will take this opportunity to do something for themselves that supports their self-care and mindfulness on Monday. Also, please consider using our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) resources for yourself and family if needed. We need everyone to be safe and healthy for the work ahead.

Updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and the ACPS Helpline

Since the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, ACPS families have been able to use the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section on the ACPS website for answers to their questions. The section is regularly updated to include the return to five-days a week of in-person learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring information on a variety of issues and questions that we hear from families and staff.

There are also FAQs from the Health and Safety Town Hall with the Alexandria City Health Department. Questions regarding Virtual Virginia parameters, support services and meal service have also been addressed and can be accessed on the ACPS website. Staff may view staff specific FAQs in Canvas.

If you have a question we have not answered, there are many ways to contact ACPS. Asking questions and sharing feedback are signs of engaged families and staff and great schools! There are a variety of ways you can connect with ACPS to share your comments, get information 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.

ACPS Helpline: Have a Question Related to COVID-19?

Now that we are well into the school year, ACPS is narrowing the focus of its multilingual Helpline from general school information to questions about school processes and protocols related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Some examples:

My child has a runny nose. Should I send them to school?
I made a mistake on the Daily Symptom Checklist. Does my child need to stay home today?
My child has to be quarantined. How will they receive school meals?

Families can text or call the ACPS COVID-19 Information Helpline at 703-844-1763 on school days from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Families will be connected directly with a bilingual representative or placed on a brief hold to add an interpreter to the call.

For English, text or call 703-844-1763
For Spanish, text or call 703-844-3424
For Amharic, text or call 703-927-6866
For Arabic, text or call 703-927-7095

For general information about COVID-19, the Alexandria Health Department (AHD) urges everyone to follow credible sources of information such as the City’s COVID-19 data dashboards and news releases, daily updates from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Alexandria COVID-19 Hotline is also available at 703-746-4988, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

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.

National Bullying Prevention Month

“Bully free starts with me” is more than just a catchy slogan. At ACPS, it is a matter of knowing what bullying is and how to report it. The Code of Virginia defines bullying as unwanted, aggressive behavior that is meant to intimidate or humiliate the targeted person. ACPS does not tolerate bullying, harassment and intimidation.

There are different types of bullying that are typically repeated over time and can cause severe emotional trauma, including the following:

Verbal bullying includes name calling, making threats, insults and intimidation. It also refers to other forms of verbal abuse, from remarks regarding race, gender or religion to comments concerning sexual orientation to physical abilities or characteristics.
Physical bullying involves hitting, kicking, tripping, spitting, pinching, pushing or damaging someone’s property.
Social bullying is designed to hurt someone’s reputation or relationships. It includes: spreading rumors, embarrassing or humiliating someone publicly and excluding or encouraging others to exclude someone.
Cyberbullying is taunting or humiliation through the use of electronic devices such as cell phones, computers, tablets and communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat and websites. This online bullying includes mean text messages and emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites and posting embarrassing pictures, videos, websites, or fake online profiles.

ACPS investigates all reports of bullying. Students should be made aware that reporting a bullying incident is not “tattling.” Students or families of students who have been bullied or witness bullying should immediately report such incidents to the school principal or assistant principal. Instances of bullying can also be reported online to ACPS via the Tip Line on the ACPS mobile app.

It’s never too early for students to look toward the future and explore career options that pique their interest. Tiggbee offers a way to introduce students to potential career pathways. The free, weekly online software platform is available to all K-12 students as a way to get them excited about choosing a career path. It also gives them the opportunity to correlate their studies to their future career choices.

These short immersive videos feature individuals who are passionate about their industry and career opportunities while sharing their skills and education requirements. The videos also provide the opportunity for teachers to lead discussions about careers with students.

A weekly pilot video for students to view is now available. Starting on Oct. 18, “Meet My Business Mondays” will begin with a new Tiggbee video available every Monday. Students will hear from successful role models, business owners and operators who have a vested interest in the success of the next generation of workers.

Students will have the opportunity to submit questions. Middle and high school students can generate questions (with teacher review) and elementary school teachers can submit student questions by 3 p.m. every Friday. A video response to their questions will be available the following week, Wednesday through Friday.

To access Tiggbee videos:

Administrators and Teachers sign in at tiggbee.com or via Clever using the District TIGGID: 1E9Y
Students (grades 6-12) sign in at tiggbee.com or via Clever using the Student TIGGID: HUUN

Reminder: Human Resources Annual Reclassification Process

Supervisors and employees are reminded that the annual reclassification application process closes on Oct. 31, 2021. For more details, please see the Department of Human Resources webpage.