Friday, October 29, 2021, Edition 40
Twin Ridge Elementary celebrates earning National Banner Recognition from the Special Olympics. A note from Dr. Alban
Twin Ridge Elementary serving as true trailblazers At Twin Ridge Elementary, students can take part in the Unified Champions Club, which features physical education, visual arts and music offerings that are specifically designed to support inclusive opportunities. The club provides a chance for students to have fun, try new challenges, and get to know their peers. The club is thriving! I am proud of Twin Ridge’s commitment to inclusion, and I was thrilled to join staff and students there on Thursday to celebrate the school being recognized by Special Olympics as a National Banner School. Twin Ridge is one of just eight elementary schools in the country to achieve this status. Twin Ridge is the first elementary school in Maryland to be named a National Banner school and the first in Frederick County. Led by principal Heather Hobbs and her dedicated staff, Twin Ridge is ensuring all students can enjoy arts and physical education activities to the fullest. Our adapted physical education program, led by teacher specialists Emily Clowser and Liz Metz, provide unwavering support countywide for students with special needs. I am always impressed with the creativity our teachers demonstrate in providing adapted physical education opportunities. Many FCPS students are active in Special Olympics Maryland, and we are proud to partner with them. In FCPS, we have 19 Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools. We are also proud to offer unified tennis, bocce and track at all 10 high schools. These athletic teams feature students with and without special needs competing alongside each other as teammates. The FCPS unified sports motto is: “On the field we’re teammates, off the field we’re friends.” That same spirit is palpable at Twin Ridge Elementary. Congratulations once again to the Twin Ridge community on your prestigious national award! Wishing everyone a fabulous fall weekend!
Looking Ahead
The full FCPS Maryland calendar is available online.
#TogetherFCPS: System highlights Photo of the Week: Earth and Space Science Lab (ESSL)
Spooktacular: FCPS Earth & Space Science Lab managers Lisa Bruck & Adam Farbman enjoyed welcoming a sell-out crowd to the Fall Spooktacular.
TutorMe Support Services: All Frederick County Public Schools middle and high school students now have 24/7 access to virtual tutoring services for help on any subject. TutorMe provides support for hundreds of subjects on demand and has thousands of verified tutors who are experts in their fields and go through background checks.
FCPS Career & Technology Center Open House nears completion: Students who have worked on this project have benefitted from local business and community partners who have provided assistance for the project. The 33rd CTC House Project is located in Walkersville.
Celebrating National School Principals Month: In honor of National School Principals Month, we have asked our dedicated administrators to share inspirational messages. Thurmont Middle principal Janine Smith said she is proud of the dedicated leaders in the Catoctin High feeder pattern. They continually collaborate to ensure all students are seen, heard and appreciated.
New Frederick Health Hospice Partnership: This partnership will help the well-being of all in the FCPS community.
Latest FCPS In a Minute: Our latest FCPS In A Minute shares updates about Red Ribbon Week, a victorious marching band and some incredible cheerleaders!
This week's health metrics FCPS is committed to providing the community with the latest health metrics during the COVID-19 pandemic. The FCPS health metrics dashboard is updated twice per week with COVID-19 positive cases that are reported to Frederick County Public Schools.
Total COVID-19 cases reported to FCPS this week (through Oct. 27): 21 Total COVID-19 cases reported to FCPS for week of Oct. 18: 48 Frederick County COVID-19 test positivity rate (as of Oct. 28): 4.89 percent Frederick County COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents (as of Oct. 28): 15.4
Health information for families
Recap on COVID-19 Protocol Changes
The Board of Education approved the following changes to our COVID-19 protocols and response at their October 13 meeting:
Modified Quarantining Protocol Began: Monday, October 18, 2021 Change: Students will be identified as a close contact and asked to quarantine if they were unmasked and within 6 feet of another student who tested positive for 15 minutes or more. The identification of close contacts for adults has not changed.
Return to Play Protocol changes Begins: Monday, December 6, 2021 Who: Students taking part in athletics, performing arts and other extracurricular activities that have interscholastic competition. What: Must either show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 OR participate in a weekly screening test program.
For more details about these changes, please see our update to the community
Check out our FCPS Health Hub for more details about our COVID-19 response.
Tweet of the Week with Dr. Alban
This week's Tweet of the Week guest is Mike Chavez, Coordinator of Athletics and Facilities at Gov. Thomas Johnson High. He discussed the community effort to finance and install field turf at the school with Dr. Alban.
SUPERINTENDENT Dr. Theresa R. Alban ADDRESS 191 South East Street Frederick, MD 21701 301-644-5000
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