Some school districts and privates are testing everyone before return to school, have weekly or twice weekly surveillance testing, test to stay, require vaccinations and boosters, require KN95 or KF94 masks, provide rapid tests and mail-in PCR tests, and provide tents for outdoor lunch. Doing some or all of the above would help slow spread but Nova school districts may not think it is legally, financially politically, or logistically feasible to implement more aggressive mitigation measures.

IMO, requiring KN95 and KF94 masks for kids is probably not being implemented because it would not be equitable. But unlike rapid tests, they are plentiful and not too pricey and school districts can purchase them in bulk and distribute to anyone who wants them. Requiring higher quality masking should not be as financially or logistically problematic to mandate as vaccinations and testing.

Actual bus driver and staff shortages will give districts the political justification to close individual classrooms, especially if there are not enough subs.

But the turn around time to get better is short. So even if everyone is out the good news is between the vax rate, shortened quarantine timetable, the NEED for all of us to do the right thing and have in person classes, I cannot imagine a shut down of any proportion. They shouldn't have to do that at all because people have been sick all the past 2 weeks.

We travelled domestically to a red state and are not sick, so there is that. You can in fact live life and not get sick. You can do everything right and still get sick too. With a airborne virus it's so hard to 100% prevent so this whole thing about virtual learning doesn't make sense if driven out of fear for health.

Anonymous wrote:Full speed ahead. Schools will not close. The pause is over.

What happens when dozens of teachers and hundreds of students are out with positive cases? There will be a need to adapt, it’s inevitable.

What do you propose as the solution if both your child and child’s teacher have COVID?

Full speed ahead. Schools will not close. The pause is over.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are going to be so many students and teachers quarantining. Far from “business as usual.” I know countless ACPS families that have been infected over the holidays and this thing isn’t even supposed to peak for another month. Gonna be a rough January in public schools.

Families and teachers infected over break will be mostly out of quarantine and ready to return to school

People are still trying to get tested so may not even know they’re positive yet. You act like this is already over. There is active community spread at a high rate in Alexandria. No way is everyone going to be out of quarantine and back to normal come Monday. Be prepared for a lot of close contact emails in the first week. And recall that those who are six months post second dose without a booster (many in the age 12-15 bracket) must now quarantine after a close contact, as they are essentially no longer considered fully vaccinated.

Wrong. The cdc says they can quarantine OR wear a mask.

Nope. You are wrong. From the CDC website.

“Additionally, CDC is updating the recommended quarantine period for anyone in the general public who is exposed to COVID-19. For people who are unvaccinated or are more than six months out from their second mRNA dose (or more than 2 months after the J&J vaccine) and not yet boosted, CDC now recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days.”

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s1227-isolation-quarantine-guidance.html

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are going to be so many students and teachers quarantining. Far from “business as usual.” I know countless ACPS families that have been infected over the holidays and this thing isn’t even supposed to peak for another month. Gonna be a rough January in public schools.

Families and teachers infected over break will be mostly out of quarantine and ready to return to school

People are still trying to get tested so may not even know they’re positive yet. You act like this is already over. There is active community spread at a high rate in Alexandria. No way is everyone going to be out of quarantine and back to normal come Monday. Be prepared for a lot of close contact emails in the first week. And recall that those who are six months post second dose without a booster (many in the age 12-15 bracket) must now quarantine after a close contact, as they are essentially no longer considered fully vaccinated.

Wrong. The cdc says they can quarantine OR wear a mask.

I am an ACPS teacher and we have no updates yet. Looks to be business as usual. Wish they would require a test to return from break like other school divisions.

I have not seen communication that any of the following is happening before students and staff return: (a) test to stay program, (2) testing sites open for students and staff to test a few days before return, (3) any change to the isolation or quarantine periods, (4) distribution of KN95 masks or rapid tests to families who want them.

Yes, especially number 4. I brought a bunch for my kid, and they were $, but I can afford it. They need to make them available to families that cannot.

I am preparing myself mentally for the disruption that will come in the next few weeks. Upon receiving a close contact notification, I anticipate needing to spend a good chunk of time waiting in line or trying to secure a PCR appointment and then need to figure out how to support kids needing to view livestreamed content.

I have not seen communication that any of the following is happening before students and staff return: (a) test to stay program, (2) testing sites open for students and staff to test a few days before return, (3) any change to the isolation or quarantine periods, (4) distribution of KN95 masks or rapid tests to families who want them. I presume that ACPS will try to stay open as much as possible and that so long as they can place a monitor in classrooms, classrooms will stay open. While not ideal, I imagine that one teacher could be expected to teach an entire grade (even if the teacher is asymptomatic and quarantining, they can teach via Zoom to hundreds of students in several in-person classrooms as well as for students also isolating and quarantining).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are going to be so many students and teachers quarantining. Far from “business as usual.” I know countless ACPS families that have been infected over the holidays and this thing isn’t even supposed to peak for another month. Gonna be a rough January in public schools.

Families and teachers infected over break will be mostly out of quarantine and ready to return to school

People are still trying to get tested so may not even know they’re positive yet. You act like this is already over. There is active community spread at a high rate in Alexandria. No way is everyone going to be out of quarantine and back to normal come Monday. Be prepared for a lot of close contact emails in the first week. And recall that those who are six months post second dose without a booster (many in the age 12-15 bracket) must now quarantine after a close contact, as they are essentially no longer considered fully vaccinated.

Has the district policy officially changed?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are going to be so many students and teachers quarantining. Far from “business as usual.” I know countless ACPS families that have been infected over the holidays and this thing isn’t even supposed to peak for another month. Gonna be a rough January in public schools.

Families and teachers infected over break will be mostly out of quarantine and ready to return to school

People are still trying to get tested so may not even know they’re positive yet. You act like this is already over. There is active community spread at a high rate in Alexandria. No way is everyone going to be out of quarantine and back to normal come Monday. Be prepared for a lot of close contact emails in the first week. And recall that those who are six months post second dose without a booster (many in the age 12-15 bracket) must now quarantine after a close contact, as they are essentially no longer considered fully vaccinated.

Anonymous wrote:There are going to be so many students and teachers quarantining. Far from “business as usual.” I know countless ACPS families that have been infected over the holidays and this thing isn’t even supposed to peak for another month. Gonna be a rough January in public schools.

Families and teachers infected over break will be mostly out of quarantine and ready to return to school

There are going to be so many students and teachers quarantining. Far from “business as usual.” I know countless ACPS families that have been infected over the holidays and this thing isn’t even supposed to peak for another month. Gonna be a rough January in public schools.

SB 1303 limits the extent to which they can close to individual classes or maybe schools if there’s a large enough outbreak so you should plan on business as normal to start.

Hello. I’ve read the APS Omicron peak return to school comments. Any word on ACPS’ plan for next week? Are any changes or policy amendments coming? Thanks.