SUPERINTENDENT’S UPDATES
Here in FCCPS, we have so much to be thankful for as the Thanksgiving holiday nears. The community took a huge step forward in our fight against the transmission of the COVID virus! This week we vaccinated 277 children ages 5-11 at the Oak Street Elementary School Clinic. We are so grateful to the amazing vaccination team from the Fairfax County Health Department! The second dose clinic will be held on December 8. Thanks to Fall Church families, our city-wide vaccination rates are just amazing. More than 620 children ages 5-11 received their first dose prior to the clinic. After the first two weeks of vaccine availability, we are approaching an 80% vaccination rate for 5-11-year-olds here in Falls Church City. The Virginia average is 14%, and the national average is 10% for our youngest learners. Below is a chart summarizing the latest vaccination rates for school-age students in FCC.
Age Group | Vaccination Status |
5-11-Year-Olds | 84% have one dose completed (Source: FCHD & FCCPS Vaccine Clinic) |
12-15-Year-Olds | 89% are fully vaccinated (Source: FCHD) |
16-17-Year-Olds | 99% are fully vaccinated (Source: FCHD) |
FCCPS Staff | 99.5% are fully vaccinated (HR FCCPS) |
THANK YOU TO OUR FAMILIES! Remember, it is never too late to get the vaccine process started. Please visit www.vaccines.gov to find an appointment nearby.
Mitigation Matters--Vaccines, Testing, Pauses, Quarantines: OH MY!
The asymptomatic screening program provided in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Health and the Virginia Department of Education will start on Thursday, Dec. 2. We anticipate the elementary students (and staff) participating will be tested in the morning and secondary students and staff in the afternoon. Please complete the permission form at FCCPS COVID Screening Test Permission Form for your student(s) to participate. This is a voluntary program. Any FCCPS staff member or student who is registered for this program can access free onsite testing each week at school. Please contact John Brett, Director of Communications, for registration questions.
The CDC recently updated their guidelines for schools regarding what constitutes an “exposure” and who does/does not need to quarantine based on the setting. Please visit Steps for Determining Close Contact and Quarantine in K–12 Schools to see the latest infographic. FCCPS will continue to follow the guidelines of the CDC, the VDH, and the Fairfax County Health Department, who are the local public health officials for Falls Church City.
Please help support FCCPS mitigation efforts by reminding students to wear their masks, wash their hands, and remain as far apart from their friends as they can. Our transmission rates in Falls Church City continue to be very high, and we are seeing “breakthrough” cases as well. Take care of each other!
STUDENTS WHO ARE FULLY VACCINATED AND NOT SHOWING SYMPTOMS DO NOT HAVE TO PAUSE/QUARANTINE EVEN IF THEY ARE EXPOSED TO A POSITIVE CASE
FCCPS COVID By The Numbers:
Data: | This Week | Cumulative from August 1 |
# of Student Cases: | 3 | 32 |
# of Staff Cases | 0 | 7 |
# of Students in Quarantine | 10 | 113 |
FCCPS Rate of Transmission | HIGH for Falls Church City Substantial for Fairfax Health District | |
Please note that this data is just a snapshot of FCCPS in total and is adjusted based on the outcomes of each contact tracing investigation.
Access to School-Based Support
Each of our schools has amazing support teams available to support students and families. Below is a list of who to contact for some common areas of concern or questions:
Jessie Thackrey Preschool
201 N. Cherry Street Falls Church, VA, 22046
Main: (571) 395-8612
Attendance: (571) 395-8612 - AttendanceJTP@fccps.org
School Health Clinic - Brannon McLaughlin
School Social Worker - Sarah Coughter
School Counselor & 504 Plans - Laurie Prather
School Psychologist - Margaret Lloyd
Special Education Administrator - Allison Klink
COVID Response Team - Amanda Davis, Brannon McLaughlin
Mount Daniel Elementary School
2328 N. Oak Street
Falls Church, VA 22046
Main: (703) 248-5640
Day Care: (703) 248-5652
Attendance (571) 257-6496 AttendanceMD@fccps.org
School Health Clinic - Karen Schools
School Social Worker - Sarah Coughter
School Counselor & 504 Plans - Jed Jackson, Ilana Reyes
School Psychologist - Kimberly Yeager
Special Education Administrator - Allison Klink
COVID Response Team - Tim Kasik, Nora Pishner
Oak Street Elementary School
601 S. Oak Street
Falls Church, VA 22046
Main: (703) 248-5661
Day Care: (703) 248-5670
Attendance: (703) 992-0444 AttendanceOS@fccps.org
School Health Clinic - Joanna Matthews
School Social Worker - Robin Borum
School Counselor & 504 Plans - Laurie Prather, Carol Seaver
School Psychologist - Kimberly Yeager
Special Education Administrator - Amanda Snyder
COVID Response Team - Jeremy Fererra, Debra Newman
Mary Ellen Henderson Middle School
105 Mustang Alley
Falls Church, VA 22043
Main: (703) 720-5702
Attendance: (703) 720-5701 AttendanceMEHMS@fccps.org
School Health Clinic - Kelly Miceli
School Social Worker - Colleen Hoover
School Counselor & 504 Plans - Matt Sowers, Director, Sia Knight, Assistant Director
School Psychologist - Margaret Lloyd
Special Education Administrator - Brittney Allen-Shaw
COVID Response Team - Robert Carey, Jessica Hollinger
Meridian High School
121 Mustang Alley
Falls Church, VA 22043
Main: (703) 248-5500
Attendance: (703) 248-5501 AttendanceMHS@fccps.org
School Health Clinic - Melinda Pasapulati
School Social Worker - Ghada Khalaf
School Counselor & 504 Plans - Matt Sowers, Director, Sia Knight, Assistant Director
School Psychologist - Susan Bender
Special Education Administrator - Shakita Fox-Billingslea
COVID Response Team - Peter Laub
All Schools
Transportation: www.fccps.org/bus
Lunch Menus: www.fccps.org/lunch
Registration: www.fccps.org/registration
Morning Announcements: www.fccps.org/ma
As we approach the holidays, if your family needs support there are many resources available in our community. Please visit the links below for more information. You can also contact your school’s social worker.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving Break
Wednesday, November 24 - Sunday, November 28.
We’ll see you Monday, November 29!
There will not be an installment of Roots, Resilience, and Renewal next week...just take the 3 days and relax and recharge.
Peter
Dr. Peter J. Noonan, Superintendent