Friday, November 12, 2021, Edition 41
A note from Dr. Alban
#FCPSThankful for a job well done
After teaching elementary school students for more than 30 years, Susan Crone made a big change this year.
She was hired to serve as a fifth grade teacher in our FCPS Elementary Blended Virtual Program. Every day, she supports some of the more than 1,000 students who are choosing to learn virtually this year.
The FCPS blended virtual programs for elementary, middle and high school students are new offerings this year. Getting the programs off the ground was not easy, and it took commitment, innovation, determination and grit from every employee involved. I was delighted to see Ms. Crone, blended virtual middle school teacher Shabana Sayed and blended virtual high school teacher Pam Adams Campbell featured in the Frederick News-Post a few weeks ago. It was nice recognition for them and a thank you for their hard work.
November is a month of giving thanks, and I want to take this opportunity to express my deep appreciation for the more than 6,200 FCPS employees who have gone above and beyond this year to support students.
During the next two weeks, we are leading an #FCPSThankful initiative. It is really simple to take part. All you need to do is share a photo of your favorite FCPS staff member and share why you are so appreciative of what they have done. Be sure to use the hashtag #FCPSThankful so the FCPS Public Affairs team can share your posts.
Not active on social media? You can still participate! During such a challenging year, I’m sure our employees would love to get emails simply thanking them. It’s amazing how much of a difference a letter can make. Showing gratitude is always welcome.
Let’s keep supporting one another and share some appreciation this month. Have a wonderful weekend. Our next Superintendent’s Update will be released Friday, December 3.
Looking Ahead
The full FCPS Maryland calendar is available online.
#TogetherFCPS: System highlights Photo of the Week: Just in time for Thanksgiving, the CTC’s Culinary Arts program is baking up batches of their famous Pumpkin Rolls!
November is National Native American Heritage Month: FCPS has launched a web page to recognize America's first citizens.
FCPS Gifts for Education: Applications are available to apply for grants from the Franklin and Bess Gladhill Fund for Agricultural Education and the FCPS Gifts for Education Fund.
FCPS seeks nominations for the 2022 Support Employee of the Year (by Friday, January 28).
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.
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 Nov. 10): 58 Total COVID-19 cases reported to FCPS for week of Nov. 1: 74 Frederick County COVID-19 test positivity rate (as of Nov. 11): 5.69 percent Frederick County COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents (as of Nov. 11): 16.57
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 guests are two seniors from Urbana High, talking about FFA (Future Farmers of America), with Dr. Alban.
SUPERINTENDENT Dr. Theresa R. Alban ADDRESS 191 South East Street Frederick, MD 21701 301-644-5000
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