Superintendent Dr. Matthew Haas said today the school division has begun its planning to offer five days per week of in-person instruction at all school sites for students in all grades next school year. He also said the division will offer an all-virtual school for elementary, middle and high school students. The all-virtual school will have its own principal and teaching staff and provide synchronous instruction to students. Continue reading
You may remember the leave programs we rolled out last spring 2020 under legislation known as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). This mandated two kinds of leave: Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) and Emergency Expanded FMLA (EEFMLA). While the mandated leave programs under the FFCRA expired on December 31, 2020, and were voluntarily extended through March 31, 2021, Albemarle County Government and Albemarle County Public Schools are again voluntarily extending and expanding these programs effective April 1 through September 30, 2021, pursuant to the recently signed American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Some aspects of the program have changed. NEW as of April 1: Continue reading
In a recent letter to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, School Board Chair Graham Paige described the work of employees through the pandemic as outstanding, and even heroic. This was certainly demonstrated earlier this month as the division more than tripled the number of students returning to in-person instruction.
We had the opportunity to catch up with some of your colleagues about the successful start to Stage 4 and thought you might want to hear what they had to say in this brief video:
At a special School Board meeting on May 6, Superintendent Haas will be making his recommendation to the School Board on how schools should operate next August when the 2021-22 school year begins. To make the most informed recommendation possible, we are beginning the process of gathering information from families and staff.
Tomorrow, families across the school division will receive an initial survey on their early preferences for summer programming and next year’s instructional model. Continue reading
A story by one of the media outlets in Albemarle County last evening stated that the school division will be implementing a CDC recommendation issued last Friday that says school divisions can reduce their physical distancing requirement from six feet to three feet.
This online story has been updated to make it clear that no such decision has been made by the school division and there are no plans at the present time to make any changes to the division’s physical distancing requirement of six feet. Continue reading
As we move into Stage 4, we wanted to send a reminder of the personal protective equipment (PPE) and related supplies available to staff. Please review the ACPS COVID-19 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Protocol (ACPS Google login required) for details on PPE available to staff as well as PPE care and use.
The following PPE is available to all staff members through the School Supply Liaison at each school or your department head: Continue reading
First Dose Vaccine Update
If you have indicated a desire to be vaccinated, but have not yet been able to make an appointment for the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, you should have received an email from the Blue Ridge Health District (BRHD) prompting you to schedule an appointment to receive the vaccine. The email includes a link to schedule your appointment through Eventbrite. If you have not already done so, please register for an appointment through the link in that email as soon as possible. Continue reading
Moments ago, the School Board approved the superintendent’s recommendation that the school division progress to Stage 4 of our Return to School plan; however, the start date for that move will occur on March 15 rather than March 1.
In an effort to prioritize messaging around inclement weather this evening, the school division will widely announce this information to our school families and the community tomorrow morning via email, phone, text, social media, and a news release. Continue reading
We continue to work closely with the Blue Ridge Health District (BRHD) regarding the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to our employees.
Information You Need to Provide
Later this week, you will receive an email with a link to a form that asks you to provide information regarding your first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. If you have already received one or both doses, please fill out the form when you get the link. If you haven’t, please save the email for future use. Continue reading
As a reminder, at the School Board meeting on February 4, Superintendent Haas recommended to the Board that the division progress to Stage 4 of our Return to School plan beginning March 1. Under this proposal, students in Grades PK-3 would attend school four days a week, and students in Grades 4-12 would attend school two days per week. The School Board will vote on the recommendation during their next meeting on February 11.
In case you missed the February 4 meeting, we wanted to provide links to the full video recording as well as the slideshow presented that evening and references for the data and issues discussed by Dr. Vergales. Continue reading