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Friday, February 26, 2021, Edition 13
A Message from Dr. Terry Alban
It’s hard to believe, but next week marks the beginning of March. We are nearing the one-year anniversary of when the Maryland State Department of Education closed school buildings due to the spread of COVID-19.
The last 12 months have tested us in every conceivable way. But you can see signs of hope throughout the Frederick County Public Schools community.
I am thrilled some of our students have returned back into school buildings with our hybrid learning model completing its second week. Families who chose the all-virtual model are continuing to receive innovative instruction.
It’s also a sign of great progress that high school student athletes completed a shortened winter season. Practices are underway for a planned fall season.
The FCPS Academic Tournament will crown a champion tonight, just like it always has every year for the last four decades. Dedicated tournament organizers found a way to make the tournament work virtually.
There are many reasons to feel hopeful. But we must also acknowledge this global health crisis is still with us, and information tends to change rapidly.
It’s easy for misinformation to spread in this environment. That’s why we are committed to providing frequent updates via FCPS.org on a host of topics that are vital to the community. I wanted to direct you to some useful information available on our website.
Hybrid updates: This is your one-stop resource for information regarding the FCPS hybrid return plan. The full plan is posted here, as is information on the FCPS Return to Play plan, hybrid schedules, and informational videos that share details on everything from mitigation strategies to classroom setups.
Health metrics dashboard: We provide regular updates about health metrics throughout the county. Our health metrics dashboard allows families to track confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks by school and by community. The dashboard is updated weekly on Mondays.
School bus delays: In a perfect world, our buses would run on time every day. But for a variety of reasons, buses can run late from time to time. Did you know we have a webpage dedicated to providing updates on late buses countywide? If a bus will be 10 minutes or later, it is posted here.
Vaccines: All FCPS staff are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine as part of Group 1B in the Maryland Department of Health’s vaccination plan. We regularly post the most updated vaccination information from the Frederick County Health Department and the Maryland Department of Health.
Keep checking back to FCPS.org for regular updates. We will keep them coming as we continuing making progress in this global health crisis.
Hot Topics
Update: Return to Play (RTP) Recommendations and Update on Hybrid Implementation Update: Calendar Changes
**Important message for those taking Advanced Placement tests
***Time Sensitive Information for Maryland Promise Community College Scholarship
In Case you missed it:
Reminders
Monday, March 1:
Wednesday, March 3:
Thursday, March 11:
Resources
Personal safety:
Wear a Face Covering:
Video: The COVID Cover Up FCPS Face Covering Guidance in School Buildings
Safe schools: Video: Safe Schools: Cleaning and Disinfecting Video: Safe Schools: Ventilation and More
Hybrid Model:
Video: Concurrent Teaching Model
Coronavirus data tracking FCPS debuts health metrics dashboard
Maryland Department of Health Coronavirus Dashboard - Schools Data MD COVID Alert Service
Mental health resources FCPS Mental Health Matters
Highlights
Off the Cuff: In her new blog post, Superintendent Dr. Alban discusses a virtual conference she attended on equity and equality in education: https://superintendent.fcps.org/node/181
Video: Welcome Back!
Black/African-American History Month Student Showcase: click here
Tweet of the Week for February 23: Diane Herndon, Ag Teacher at Career and Technology Center
Release: FCPS Teacher Wins National Award
Release: FCPS Partners With AARCH
Release: FCPS to Host 40th Science and Engineering Fair
FCPS In a Minute for February 25: Student artists needed!
2/19: FCPS Hybrid Model starts, Teacher Wins National Award
Frederick County Public Schools 191 S. East Street Frederick, MD 21701
Visit www.fcps.org
301-644-5000 Phone
301-696-6961 Fax
superintendent@fcps.org