This post has been updated to reflect that installation of intercom systems at school entrances is still underway.
Welcome to the 2021-22 school year! We wanted to take this opportunity to share a new visitor management practice with you. Effective immediately, visitors to our schools will need to sign in through a new visitor management system, called ScholarChip, located in the front office of each school building. Continue reading
Beginning Monday, August 9, all ACPS employees, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear a face mask when inside a school or school division office. Previously, masks were not required in schools or offices if a person was fully vaccinated and students were not present. This new requirement is based on updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recently recommended that masks be worn by anyone inside a school, regardless of vaccination status, in communities where there is substantial or high transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Continue reading
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
The school division and Albemarle County local government are engaging professional consultants to review their human resources structure for serving employees. The ultimate outcome will be separate human resources departments for each organization—departments that will be more closely aligned with each organization’s specific strategic and operational needs. These improvements are expected to take place by July 2022. Continue reading
In advance of the winter weather forecast for our area this Sunday and Monday, we want to make sure you are aware of the various scheduling options we will consider and how to find out about school schedule changes. Teachers and staff are encouraged to take home any materials they may need in case we close schools to students, in which case all learning will occur virtually.
The most complete resource for information is our Closings, Delays & Early Dismissals web page, which explains our inclement weather decision-making process and details our scheduling options, our decision and communication timelines, all of the ways you can find out about schedule changes, and more. Continue reading
Dear Colleagues:
As I reported to you earlier this month, two of the public health measures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were increasing following the holiday period, placing us in a higher risk category for the transmission of the COVID-19 virus in our county. It was on this basis that I determined that the safest course for our students, families and staff was to revert to all-virtual instruction.
I also said we would continue to work with the health department and closely monitor these public health measures and report back to you today on our plans for next week. Continue reading
Dear Colleagues:
Working with the health department, I have closely been tracking the virus transmission data in our school community. Like many of you, I have become increasingly concerned about recent increases in the case incidence rate and the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests in our county as reported by our health department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since the holidays, increases in these two measures signify increases in the spread of the COVID-19 virus in our county. Continue reading
Dear Colleagues:
In a short while, we will publicly announce a move to Stage 1, all-virtual instruction, for the week prior to winter break (December 14-18) and the week after (January 4-8). This week will be the last week of face-to-face instruction until Monday, January 11, when Stage 3 will resume. While there will not be students in our buildings, buildings will remain open to staff December 14-18 and January 4-8. Continue reading
Did you miss this morning’s inclement weather message?
ACPS employees can learn the division’s school schedule status during inclement weather in several ways. Here are the two fastest:
Other options exist for checking the division’s school schedule status as well: Continue reading
Monday, November 2, is now a trade-off day for parent conferences. November 2 will still be an instructional day for students; however, all instruction will be asynchronous. Our school buildings will be closed to all students on November 2; there will be no in-person access. We will share this information with families later this week. Continue reading