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COVID-19: A Parent Guide for School-Aged Children

From James F. Lane, Ed.D., Superintendent of Public Instruction

Memo-075-20-COVID-19-A-Parent-Guide-for-School-Aged-ChildrenDownload Full Memo and Parent Guide

The Governor of Virginia ordered all K-12 schools in Virginia to close through the end of this academic year on March 23, 2020. The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) will issue guidance to help local school divisions execute plans to continue instruction, while ensuring students are served equitably, regardless of income level, access to technology, English learner status or special needs. This includes options for additional instruction through summer programming, affording flexibility in course requirements and integrating instruction into coursework next year. The VDOE is also in contact with the federal government and is preparing a waiver for testing requirements. The VDOE has also been working closely with the Governor’s Office, the Virginia Department of Health, and other state agencies to ensure our public schools and communities have the most up-to-date information and resources to be proactive and to respond to concerns about COVID-19. The health and safety of our children and staff are our top priorities. We continue to hear from parents and our school leaders about their concerns and understand the fears any parent may have. The VDOE has created the attached parent’s guide to serve as a resource for parents, families and caregivers on a variety of topics related to COVID-19 and their students.

Continue to visit the VDOE website for additional updates and guidance on COVID-19. If you have questions, please contact the VDOE Department of Special Education and Student Services, at specialed.assistantsuperintendent.memo@doe.virginia.gov.

Memo-075-20-COVID-19-A-Parent-Guide-for-School-Aged-ChildrenDownload Full Memo and Parent Guide
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Update from the Woodburn PTA President

LAURA WRIGHT, PTA President

PTA UPDATES

ONLINE PTA MEETING
April 16th
Details TBD. We will send meeting information as the date gets closer. We anticipate knowing more about the end of year activities.

CANCELLATIONS
– All Restaurant Nights
– Movie Night
– Wildcat Fun Run		CONTINUING HOME EDUCATION
– FCPS Elementary School Continuity of Learning Resources (CLICK HERE)

– FCPS Blackboard Site for all Students (CLICK HERE)

– Resources available on Woodburn PTA Facebook Page (CLICK HERE)

– Facebook interaction where we can all share creative ideas

A few days ago, the CDC recommended that groups should limit gatherings of 50 people or more for the next 8 weeks. This takes us into May, and there are several PTA events scheduled during this time. After talking with the other PTA officers, we have decided that we will take a step back from events and activities as the school year winds down. We have a slight reserve of funds that will enable us to start next school year and while we will have to proactively fundraise in order to continue other sponsored activities in 2020-21, we feel that this is the right decision given all that our community is facing. For the end of the school year, we will be canceling all restaurant nights, the Fun Run and movie night. Our plan is to have our next PTA meeting online on April 16 and provide further information at that time regarding school events. Also, at this point, we do not know whether FCPS will allow extracurriculars or after school classes, so we ask that you do not sign up for spring enrichment activities until we hear more guidance from the county. If classes are canceled for the spring, we will reach out to you about how reimbursements will be handled.

We know many parents are concerned with what students should be doing at home during this time. There are a number of resources available by grade level on the FCPS Elementary School Continuity of Learning Resources and the FCPS Blackboard site for all students. For older students, you can also check their google classroom accounts. We will be posting ideas of things that kids can do online on our Woodburn PTA Facebook page— if you have ideas, please write to us and we can share your ideas— or leave ideas in the comments section for other parents to see. Even though we should all be practicing social distancing, there are still ways for kids to safely interact with one another and continue their learning. We would love to be a conduit for sharing creative ideas of how we can make the most of this time.

If there are other ways we can help members of our community, please let us know. We want to support our Woodburn families in whatever ways we can during this challenging time.

Thank you,
Laura Wright
Woodburn PTA President

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FCPS Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities (ACSD)

The FCPS Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities (ACSD) meets the second Wednesday of each month.  The upcoming meeting will be March, 11 at 7 pm at Dunn Loring Center, Room 208, 2334 Gallows Rd, Falls Church.

ACSD is a state mandated committee appointed by the school board. It provides oversight to the Office of Special Services about all issues affecting students with disabilities. Public comment of 3 minutes or less is welcomed at the start of each meeting.

To learn more about the ACSD, please visit https://www.fcps.edu/committee/advisory-committee-students-disabilities-acsd-2019-20