Monday, March 16, 2020
Dear FCPS Community:
We are all navigating uncharted territory as our county, state, and nation grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. This time of great uncertainty requires my patience, knowing that the community longs for answers I am not able to provide. Information changes almost hourly, and the Maryland State Department of Education establishes guidelines for local decisions.
The people of Frederick County are resilient, resourceful, and caring. These are qualities that will ensure success in our collaborative community effort to overcome this pandemic. It is important that we adhere to the mandates and recommendations coming from our state and national governments. We must continue to support each other’s health, safety and well-being by following preventive measures such as social distancing, proper hand-washing, and staying home when sick, as the CDC and our trusted state and local health partners have advised.
Extremely dedicated, talented, and caring people make up the team of leaders at FCPS. They continue to work tirelessly to implement and update our action plan for COVID-19 to meet the challenges of new mandates that come from the state. Not only is FCPS poised to support our students’ academic needs through distance learning, we are also responsive to our students’ needs for meals while schools are closed. The team immediately responded to the directive received today to add a third meal ("grab n go" suppers) to the two we had already planned to serve (breakfast and lunch) each weekday.
During this time, communication is critically important, and staff are involved in conference calls with state officials throughout each day to receive updates. As we engage in these conversations, our focus continues to be on advocating for our students and staff. For the newest information, please visit www.fcps.org/update each day. We also post updates to FCPS TV, and via FindOutFirst messaging and our social media accounts with Facebook and Twitter.
Navigating uncharted territory requires tenacity, calm, and flexibility. I am proud of the FCPS leaders and staff who regularly exemplify these qualities and are doing so even more during this pandemic. Please know you can count on the FCPS team to do whatever it takes to see us through this journey in the best interests of our children.
Sincerely,
Superintendent Dr. Terry Alban