en español (PDF) | አማርኛ (PDF) | بالعربية (PDF)
Day 40 — Learning From Home Experience
We are almost ready to begin kindergarten registration. We had planned to open our online enrollment today, however, we are transitioning our entire process to a system that is 100% virtual and we need a few additional days to ensure we have a smooth start and provide our families with the excellent customer service they deserve. Kindergarten registration will now begin on Wednesday, May 20, 2020.
Both parts of the registration process — the forms and the document verification process — can now be completed online. Signing up our youngest learners for what I hope is a lifetime of a high-quality education, is a moment to be cherished. It is always an exciting time for both families and educators and I am humbled each time a family entrusts ACPS with the education of their child. It is, indeed, a privilege and honor.
Although we do not have all of the traditional kindergarten open houses planned, our team is working on innovative ways you and our prospective students can learn about their elementary school. We will be sharing more about our innovative approaches to learning about our schools in the near future. In the meantime, please take a look at the school’s social media accounts, contact the PTA, or even email the principal. And please, if you have friends who are joining the ACPS family for the first time, be sure to forward this newsletter to them. We look forward to welcoming them soon.
It seems fitting today as we begin to welcome our newcomers that we also acknowledge those who are leaving us and heading off to college in the fall. Last week, the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria (SFA) notified 181 Titan seniors of scholarship awards totaling $505,000. As you may know, 25 years ago I was one such senior who went off to college with help from an SFA award. And for that, I will be forever grateful.
On this positive note, I wish you all a relaxing weekend.
Stay safe, stay healthy and stay informed!
Sincerely,
Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr.
Superintendent of Schools
Kindergarten Registration Begins on Wednesday, May 20
If you have a rising kindergarten student at home, it’s almost time to start registering them for elementary school in September.
Normally this is done in person, but given the Governor’s stay-at-home order currently in place across Northern Virginia, we have moved the entire process online, including document verification. Both the online forms and the presentation of documents need to be completed before your child can begin school.
Here is what you need to know to register, along with a sneak peek at life in kindergarten.
How to Enroll
- Find your zoned school. If you don’t know the school for which you are zoned, use the Attendance Zone Locator to find your school.
- Gather the required documents.
- Fill out the online registration forms, available starting May 20.
See the Registration FAQ for more information.
Do you know a parent or guardian of a rising kindergartner? Forward this information to them so they can sign up to receive ACPS news and updates.
How Students Grow During Their Kindergarten Year
“Every day is an opportunity to learn something new and nothing makes a teacher happier than seeing how eager students are in the classroom! From recess to math centers, learning takes all forms in kindergarten and we find ways to keep it fun and engaging. My favorite moments are when you can almost see a concept ‘click’ or connect in a child’s mind and they proudly recognize they are learning. In kindergarten, we set the foundation for lifelong dual-language learners.” — Kindergarten Dual Language Teacher Claudia Cardenas, Mount Vernon Community School
“The kindergarten year is much just like the seasons. Much of what you teach them takes seed in the fall. It seems to lay dormant beneath the surface during the winter and just as spring emerges with the budding of the trees and blooming of flowers, all those seeds of knowledge begin to sprout. Children who were quiet and very introverted become social butterflies. Children, whose first language was not English, find new confidence in expressing themselves through spoken and written English. Students can maneuver through classroom routines with little adult guidance and show new found independence.” — Kindergarten Teacher Stefanie Mills, Patrick Henry K-8 School
Video: A Day in the Life of Kindergartners
The Scholarship Fund of Alexandria Announce Awards Totaling $505,000
There was shock, there were tears, there was gratitude.
For T.C. Williams High School senior Foziya Mohammed, the Zoom call telling her she was the recipient of the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria (SFA) top award was a dream come true.
On that video conference was Virginia Senator Mark Warner, his wife Lisa Collis and their daughters Madison, Gillian and Eliza. Their family foundation, The Collis-Warner Foundation, will provide the funding for the $40,000 scholarship.
“I am just shocked right now and so excited,” Foziya said. “ I was worried about how I would afford a 4-year degree, and this scholarship will make that a certainty. I can now afford college and then go on to work or attend graduate school.”
“I would tell other students that hard work pays off and to try new things and find what you love! Thank you so much.”
She has now changed her plans to attend Northern Virginia Community College and switched to the University of Mary Washington instead. The scholarship, coupled with financial aid received from the school, means she will receive a full ride for four years.
What makes Foziya all the more remarkable is that she arrived in the U.S. from Ethiopia just a few years ago aged 12 and struggling to learn English.
Senator Warner said, “Our family established this scholarship based on a deep appreciation for the lifelong value of a college education, and the belief that this should be available to committed, hardworking students no matter their financial circumstances.”
“We could not be happier than to have our first scholarship award go to Foziya Mohammed, a young woman of obvious talent and grit. Congratulations, Foziya!”
Foziya is one of 181 Class of 2020 students who have been notified they will receive scholarships totaling $505,000.
Fundraising this year has been impacted by the coronavirus crisis. Yet given the economic uncertainty that so many of our families face, donations are needed more than ever and fundraising continues.
In lieu of the annual Spring Fundraising Gala which had to be canceled, the SFA is holding an online silent auction to raise funds. The online auction is currently live and will conclude on May 30 at 8 p.m. Items up for bid include Noah Lyles’ signed running spikes and an eight-night stay at a vacation home in the Tennessee mountains.
One lucky winner will take home the grand prize of either $25,000 or a new 2020 Toyota RAV4 donated by Jack Taylor’s Alexandria Toyota.
See registration and information for the online auction.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
In the last video Q&A, Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr. ceded his time for a webinar. In this one-hour webinar, Dr. Fran Prolman, an experienced educator and published author, speaks with ACPS families about successful strategies to cope with the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic while working and learning from home.
Watch the webinar: Staying Sane While Teaching Your Own Children
Food Distribution — Hammond Food Site Closed Today
The food distribution site at Francis C. Hammond Middle School will be closed on Friday, May 15 while ACPS staff conduct a deep clean of the building for precautionary reasons. Meal distribution at all other school sites and community pop-up locations will remain in place.
Any student or family planning to collect meals from the Hammond Food Site on Friday should plan to pick them up from an alternate site that day. A list of all food distribution sites can be found on the ACPS-at-Home website. Hammond will be open for food distribution as usual on Monday, May 18.
ACPS has multiple distribution meal site locations throughout Alexandria for all ACPS students and children over the age of two.
GRAB-AND-GO MEAL LOCATIONS:
Grab and Go breakfast, lunch and snack meals are available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. at the following locations:
- William Ramsay Elementary School
5700 Sanger Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22311 - Francis C. Hammond Middle School (Closed Friday, May 15 and will reopen Monday, May 18)
4646 Seminary Road, Alexandria, VA 22304 - Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology
3600 Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22305 - Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School
1501 Cameron Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 - T.C. Williams High School
3330 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22304
And available at our “Pop-Up” sites located at:
- Mason Apartments at South Reynolds Street, Alexandria, VA 22304
10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - Brent Place Apartments at 375 South Reynolds Street, Alexandria, VA 22304
11:20 to 11:50 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - Ruby Tucker Family Center at 322 Tancil Court, Alexandria, VA 22314
10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - Community Lodgings at 607 Notabene Drive, Alexandria, VA 22305
10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - Old Towne West Apartments (parking lot) at 500 South Alfred Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
11:20 to 11:50 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - Corner of Florence Drive and Four Mile Road, Alexandria, VA 22305
10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - The Fields at 4309 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22304
10:45 to 11:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays - Bennington Crossing Apartments at 441 North Armistead Street, Alexandria, VA 22312
11:30 a.m. to noon, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
NO SIGN UP OR REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO RECEIVE MEALS. Meals consist of breakfast, lunch and snack and include, for example, fresh fruits and vegetables and sandwiches for multiple days.
NOTE: No food distribution will occur on Tuesdays or Thursdays. The limited days for distribution is to support the practice of social distancing and to limit social gatherings. Meals for two days will be provided on the pick-up days, (Monday/Wednesday/Friday).
Other Food Resources in the City of Alexandria
For food pantry locations and schedules in Alexandria, visit www.hungerfreealexandria.com or call 703-662-1067.
Questions? Or Need Translation?
Send us your question in Spanish, Arabic or Amharic:
- Text ACPSMEALS to 797979 (English and Spanish)
- Call or text 703-927-6866 (Amharic)
- Call or text 703-927-7095 (Arabic)
OR
Call the FACE Center’s Bilingual Parent Information Lines:
- For Spanish, call 571-775-9719, Monday-Friday (9 a.m. — 5 p.m.)
- For Amharic, call 703-927-6866, Monday-Friday (9 a.m. — 1 p.m.)
- For Arabic, call 703-927-7095, Tuesday-Thursday (9 a.m. — 3:30 p.m.)
SAFETY REMINDER: Please remember to observe social distancing practices while at the food distribution site by maintaining six feet of personal space between you and other families or individuals.
Anyone exhibiting symptoms of a respiratory illness like fever, runny nose, sore throat, coughing or difficulty breathing on the day of food distribution or in the previous 24 hours should not visit a food distribution site but call a health care provider instead. If you do not have a primary care physician and are not enrolled in a clinic, you may CALL an urgent care center or emergency room.
CONNECT WITH US
We want to hear from you! Send us a photo, video or story about your experiences while school is closed. Email us at news@acps.k12.va.us.
SHARE YOUR LEARNING!
Learning Together: At-Home Tips from One ACPS Family to Another
Have a learning tip that works well for your child, or a particularly interesting project or story you think others would enjoy? We invite you to share it with the entire ACPS learning community!
Upload your video or audio story or post it to the ACPS Facebook page.
See this great example from one parent and her son.
TEEN WELLNESS CENTER IS OPEN
The Teen Wellness Center at T.C. Williams is still open regular hours Monday through Friday for all Alexandrians ages 12-19. All services are provided in the clinic and if the teen is ill with an elevated temperature (100.0 or more) we will see them through our telehealth video format. Make an appointment over the phone by calling 703-746-4776.
UPDATES FROM THE ALEXANDRIA HEALTH DEPARTMENT
The City of Alexandria and the Alexandria Health Department strongly urge everyone to follow state orders to STAY HOME except for essential trips such as food purchases and medical care, and keep 6 feet apart from others when in public. Your neighbors and loved ones are counting on you to stop the spread of COVID-19. For other questions about COVID-19, call the Alexandria COVID-19 Hotline at 703-746-4988, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Additional updates can be found at www.alexandriava.gov/Coronavirus.
Coping with COVID-19 Fear and Uncertainty
Check out the City of Alexandria webpage Coping with COVID-19 Fear and Uncertainty which includes the COVID-19 Wellness Resource Guide.
WANT TO HELP?
Please consider donating through ACT For Alexandria and the COVID-19 Response Fund if you are able.
Community members who would like to volunteer should reach out to www.volunteeralexandria.org or 703-836-2176 to register for any additional potential volunteer opportunities.
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
Continuity of School Support and Academic Advisement
School Student Support Team staff, including school counselors, school nurses, school psychologists, and school social workers will be available during school hours throughout the closure. Monday — Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. staff will be connecting with students and their families. The Department of Student Services, Alternative Programs and Equity staff members are also available during this time and can be contacted by voicemail and at student_services@acps.k12.va.us.
Emergency Supports
If there is a crisis or emergency during the time of the closure, students and families can access the supports below:
- Crisis Text and Crisis Link:
- Text: CONNECT to 85511
- Call: 703-527-4077
- Alexandria Safe Place
- Alexandria City 24-Hour Emergency Mental Health Services
- Alexandria City Health Department and AHD Contacts
- Inova Alexandria Hospital (ER)
We know that this is a challenging time. ACPS will continue to share information through the ACPS website, social media, and email. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your student’s school counselor or school social worker with any questions.
HEALTH REMINDERS
Don’t Feel Well?
Contact your primary health care physician. Don’t have insurance? Contact Neighborhood Health at 703-535-5568.
Have questions, concerns or feedback? Contact us.
Stay Healthy!
Wash your hands regularly. Regular soap is OK.