{"id":9822,"date":"2021-10-01T10:42:33","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T14:42:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/?p=9822"},"modified":"2021-10-01T10:42:33","modified_gmt":"2021-10-01T14:42:33","slug":"more-stories-from-the-week-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/more-stories-from-the-week-6\/","title":{"rendered":"More Stories from the Week"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_79_2 counter-flat ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">More Stories from the Week:<\/p>\n<\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/more-stories-from-the-week-6\/#staff-vaccination-requirement-by-nov-15-2021\" >Staff Vaccination Requirement by Nov. 15, 2021<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/more-stories-from-the-week-6\/#cdc-booster-recommendation-update\" >CDC Booster Recommendation Update<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/more-stories-from-the-week-6\/#acps-staff-member-honored-with-fulbright-award\" >ACPS Staff Member Honored with Fulbright Award<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/more-stories-from-the-week-6\/#virtual-community-budget-session-on-oct-18\" >Virtual Community Budget Session on Oct. 18<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/more-stories-from-the-week-6\/#meal-requests-for-virtual-learners\" >Meal Requests for Virtual Learners<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/more-stories-from-the-week-6\/#achs-hosts-mock-election-day-for-students-with-virginia-department-of-elections-officials\" >ACHS Hosts Mock Election Day for Students with Virginia Department of Elections Officials<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/more-stories-from-the-week-6\/#indigenous-peoples-day-october-11\" >Indigenous Peoples Day: October 11<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 id=\"staff-vaccination-requirement-\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"staff-vaccination-requirement-by-nov-15-2021\"><\/span>Staff Vaccination Requirement by Nov. 15, 2021<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9684\" src=\"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_382344864-1.png\" alt=\"Illustration of a diverse group of adults wearing masks\" width=\"2606\" height=\"2000\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_382344864-1.png 2606w, http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_382344864-1-260x200.png 260w, http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_382344864-1-782x600.png 782w, http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_382344864-1-130x100.png 130w, http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_382344864-1-768x589.png 768w, http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_382344864-1-1536x1179.png 1536w, http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/AdobeStock_382344864-1-2048x1572.png 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2606px) 100vw, 2606px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At its meeting on September 23, 2021, the School Board approved by a unanimous vote of<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8-0 (with one member absent) that ACPS staff members will be required, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to submit documentation of their completed COVID-19 vaccination status by November 15, 2021. Only employees who satisfactorily establish medical or religious exemptions by law may participate in weekly COVID-19 testing in lieu of vaccination. Documentation of such testing must be submitted to the Department of Human Resources on a weekly basis. Employees who fail to provide the necessary documentation by November 15, 2021 may be required to take leave without pay or may be separated from service. This requirement was added to Policy GBE: Staff Health, upon approval of this motion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACPS staff and community members can find vaccine clinics in Alexandria on the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexandriava.gov\/Vaccines\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">City of Alexandria COVID-19 Vaccines<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> webpage.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"cdc-booster-recommendation-upd\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"cdc-booster-recommendation-update\"><\/span>CDC Booster Recommendation Update<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9823\" src=\"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/pfizer.png\" alt=\"Pfizer logo with COVID-19 vaccine bottles in the background\" width=\"512\" height=\"289\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/pfizer.png 512w, http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/pfizer-260x147.png 260w, http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/pfizer-177x100.png 177w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Earlier today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a statement recommending Pfizer booster shots for certain populations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The CDC recommends that:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech\u2019s COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People aged 50-64 years with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/need-extra-precautions\/people-with-medical-conditions.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">underlying medical conditions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech\u2019s COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People aged 18-49 years with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/need-extra-precautions\/people-with-medical-conditions.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">underlying medical conditions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech\u2019s COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech\u2019s COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For now, those who received Moderna or Johnson &amp; Johnson vaccines are not eligible for boosters. Data for those decisions is expected in the next several weeks. Many pharmacies around Alexandria are now offering both Pfizer COVID-19 boosters and the flu shot, including the high-dose flu shot for seniors. Consider getting both during the same visit to protect against COVID-19 and the flu.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alexandria Health Department will begin offering Pfizer boosters to those meeting the above criteria by appointment only on Saturday, Sept. 25. <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/alexandriava.gov\/Vaccines\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Book online<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to schedule or to find additional date options.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"acps-staff-member-honored-with\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"acps-staff-member-honored-with-fulbright-award\"><\/span>ACPS Staff Member Honored with Fulbright Award<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-17827 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/KaitlynTorres.jpg\" alt=\"Kaitlyn Torres\" width=\"255\" height=\"340\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School Teacher Kaitlyn Torres is among an elite group of Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program honorees. The U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board made the announcement as it celebrates the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/fulbright75.org\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">75th anniversary of the Fulbright Program this year<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Torres teaches Talented and Gifted (TAG) fourth grade English Language Arts and Math and fifth grade English Language Arts. As a Fulbright recipient, Torres will foster meaningful connections across communities in the U.S. and abroad. Fulbright recipients engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions. Upon returning to their classrooms in the U.S., the teachers share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars and educators to their schools. Congratulations!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"virtual-community-budget-sessi\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"virtual-community-budget-session-on-oct-18\"><\/span>Virtual Community Budget Session on Oct. 18<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-565\" src=\"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/budget.jpg\" alt=\"Aerial view of poeple round a table that says 'budget'\" width=\"800\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/budget.jpg 800w, http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/budget-139x100.jpg 139w, http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/budget-260x187.jpg 260w, http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/budget-793x571.jpg 793w, http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/budget-642x462.jpg 642w, http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/budget-556x400.jpg 556w, http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/budget-600x432.jpg 600w, http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-content\/uploads\/budget-485x349.jpg 485w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACPS will host a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">virtual <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Community Budget Session open to all community members at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 18, 2021. Come learn about the upcoming budget process, timeline and the fiscal challenges facing ACPS.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There will also be a review of the School Board\u2019s Budget Priorities and an update on ACPS Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) efforts. Our partners from the Budget Advisory Committee (BAC), Education Association of Alexandria (EAA) and the Alexandria Parent Teacher Association Council (PTAC) are invited to join the conversation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The session will include information about opportunities for community members to participate in the budget planning process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To participate, please <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/acpsk12.zoom.us\/j\/92119865839?pwd=VGZnbWpQd0RHRnRRMWtxREIrOVdUdz09\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Join us on Zoom<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"meal-requests-for-virtual-lear\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"meal-requests-for-virtual-learners\"><\/span>Meal Requests for Virtual Learners<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ACPS will be providing breakfast and lunch meals at no cost for students who are attending Virtual Virginia Academy, or learning at home due to a COVID-19 related quarantine. Families have the option to pick up meals in person or may sign up to have meals delivered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parents must complete the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/acpsweb.wufoo.com\/forms\/w11nxx1o0dp4ihd\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">online meal request form<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"achs-hosts-mock-election-day-f\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"achs-hosts-mock-election-day-for-students-with-virginia-department-of-elections-officials\"><\/span>ACHS Hosts Mock Election Day for Students with Virginia Department of Elections Officials<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17828 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/mock-election.jpg\" alt=\"Alexandria City High School students sit at tables behind voting booths to cast votes in a mock election\" width=\"512\" height=\"384\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Officials from the Virginia Department of Elections visited Alexandria City High School (ACHS) to host a Mock Election on Wednesday, Sept. 29 to help students learn about voting. ACHS seniors had the opportunity to learn about registering to vote, finding their polling location, and information about who will be on the ballot this year if they are able to vote. For the Mock Election, students cast votes for candidates on the ballot for District B.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe whole purpose of teaching government is we want students to be active citizens after they graduate and this is a great chance to show them, almost like a dress rehearsal to show them what it\u2019s going to look like, they can ask questions, and they can register to vote,\u201d Advanced Placement U.S. Government Teacher Amanda Kropp said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mock Election Day aligns with the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.doe.virginia.gov\/instruction\/graduation\/profile-grad\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Profile of a Virginia Graduate<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which establishes a set of expectations known as the five \u201cC&#8217;s\u201d: critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and citizenship skills. The event focused on Citizenship: using one\u2019s platform to make a broader impact on society. This approach will prepare every student with the content knowledge they need and the skills they need to apply it successfully after graduation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"indigenous-peoples-day:-octobe\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"indigenous-peoples-day-october-11\"><\/span>Indigenous Peoples Day: October 11<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The culture and history of Native Americans is being celebrated as we mark Indigenous Peoples Day in October. Virginia is among the 17 states and the District of Columbia that now observe Indigenous Peoples Day, in place of, or in addition to, Columbus Day. In 2019, the Alexandria City Council unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day. ACPS students will have no classes on October 11, 2021, as it will also be a Staff Professional Learning Day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we observe Indigenous Peoples Day, it is a time to raise awareness of the history, culture and traditions of Native Americans, as well as the struggles they endured as explorers from overseas settled in the Americas.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Staff Vaccination Requirement by Nov. 15, 2021 \u2022 CDC Booster Recommendation Update \u2022 ACPS Staff Member Honored with Fulbright Award \u2022 Virtual Community Budget Session on Oct. 18 \u2022 Meal Requests for Virtual Learners \u2022 ACHS Hosts Mock Election Day \u2022 Indigenous Peoples Day: October 11<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":9667,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-acps"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-21 20:11:10","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9822"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9822\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9826,"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9822\/revisions\/9826"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.acpsk12.org\/staff\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}