Category Archives: Return to School, 2020-21

Changes to Our COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies

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COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies Update

In response to a steadily declining number of COVID-19 cases in our community, Albemarle County Public Schools is reevaluating our health and safety practices and policies in consultation with local health officials. Beginning this week, we will implement some changes to our health mitigation strategies for summer programming and operations. Please keep reading for details about how those changes will impact our COVID-19 screening tools, temperature checks, notifications, social distancing, transportation, and our mask policy. Continue reading →

Mask Policy Reminder

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Dear Colleagues,

As you may have heard, earlier this month, Governor Ralph Northam lifted Virginia’s indoor mask mandate to align with new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This updated guidance, detailed in Executive Order Seventy-Two (effective May 14) and Executive Order Seventy-Nine (effective May 28), continues to require masks to be worn in K-12 public schools by all students, teachers, staff and visitors, regardless of vaccination status. 

In partnership with our local health department and area physicians, Albemarle County Public Schools will continue to enforce our Policy on Masks and Acceptable Face Coverings through at least the end of the 2020-21 school year. Continue reading →

Teacher Survey to Inform the 2021-22 School Year – Please Participate by April 28

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Survey

Classroom Teachers: As we shared earlier this week, Superintendent Haas has announced that the school division is planning to offer five days per week of in-person instruction at all school sites for students in all grades next school year. In addition, he announced that 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.

Your input is essential to our successful planning! Continue reading →

ACPS Planning for Five Days per Week of In-Person Instruction for All Students Next School Year

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teacher and students wearing protective face masks in the classroom

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 →

Updated COVID-19 Leave Programs

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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 →

Video Spotlight: Taking the Temperature of Stage 4

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3D Number 4

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:

Families Being Asked to Help With Planning for Summer, New School Year

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Plan jigsaw teamwork concept

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 →

Media Report on CDC Guidance Has Been Corrected—No Change in Physical Distancing

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Social Distancing Keep Your Distance 6 Feet Icon

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 →