Fredericksburg Leader

Stafford County Schools issued the following announcement on July 30

Dear SCPS Families and Staff,

On August 9, approximately 30 thousand students will eagerly join us for the first day of an exciting school year. We will be in our classrooms five days each week, connecting and growing together as a learning community. Every one of our students is different, but what unites them is an expectation that they will have caring teachers that will do whatever it takes to help them be successful. The compassion and drive evident in our teachers is unparalleled, and we as a division are grateful for the incredible educators who will soon welcome your child back into our buildings.

Please remember to have your students bring their fully charged, school-issued Chromebook with them each day as we begin the 2021-2022 school year. If you are still considering virtual instruction for your child we will try to accommodate your request. Please let your building administrator know. Please also remember that there are new immunization requirements for rising 7th and 12th grade students; and that kindergarten students must have updated immunization records and school entrance physicals before the first day of school.

I know questions remain surrounding the use of masks, however, the school division has not yet set a new policy for the start of school. Stafford County Public Schools has been following the guidelines from the Virginia Department of Health since the pandemic disrupted our instruction in March of 2020. Staff have recommended that we continue following their guidelines, however the school board will make the decision on August 4th at a 7 o’clock school board meeting. At this time we are still encouraging you to wear your mask and social distance to the greatest extent possible when indoors at our buildings. After the school board makes their decision we will communicate all the health mitigation strategies (including mask use and contact tracing information) with the public.

Open House

Next week, we will host an open house at each grade level. This is an amazing opportunity for you and your students to visit our classrooms, meet your teachers, and become familiar with some of the important strategies we have in place for continuing to mitigate the COVID-19 virus. Your principal will provide you with more details regarding the best time for your family to visit the building. 

● High Schools: Tuesday, August 3 

● Middle Schools: Wednesday, August 4 

● Early Childhood Education Centers: Wednesday, August 4 

● Elementary Schools: Thursday, August 5

Meal Service

It is important that as a school division we are meeting more than the educational needs of our families. I am happy to announce that all enrolled students in the 2021-2022 school year will receive a nutritious breakfast and lunch each day at no charge. Students enrolled in virtual learning may pick up 5 breakfasts and 5 lunches curbside at North Stafford High School or Stafford High School on Wednesdays from 4-5 p.m. beginning August 11, 2021.

Although school meals will be provided free to all children, school funding and eligibility for other programs is dependent on completed meal applications. Families are encouraged to submit the free and reduced meal application for Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) benefits eligibility. Households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or who receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) may be automatically eligible for P-EBT.

Transportation

Student bus assignments will be available beginning August 2nd. Please use the eLink resource to view your student(s) bus assignment. Instructions for using this resource are available on our website. Parents are encouraged to check the eLink system daily for bus assignments. Students enrolled between August 2-6 may not be guaranteed a bus assignment. If you do not see a bus assignment for your student(s) by the start of school, you may have to arrange alternate transportation until the assignment is completed in our system. To provide better customer service, you are encouraged to use our online inquiry system, Issuetrak. In most cases, you will receive a response faster than through a phone call.

The pandemic has had a major impact on our transportation system. Neither Transportation nor the school division sets the regulations for navigating the pandemic. Stafford County Public Schools will continue to follow the guidance provided by local, state, and federal health agencies. At this time, masks are required while riding the bus.

I want to end by welcoming all our new staff, students, and families to Stafford County Public Schools. We are an excellent school system and the best is yet to come.

Original source can be found here.