This month, I invite you to join APS in celebrating Black History Month and the contributions African Americans have made in our schools and community.

It is wonderful to have everyone back at school this week. This continues to be a challenging time due to the pandemic and the recent surge of COVID-19 cases.We have updated the website with frequently asked questions (FAQ) and current protocols.

My updates this week are related to COVID-19 health and safety measures, including weekly in-school testing. Health and safety remain priorities for APS, especially during flu and holiday travel season, as we work to keep schools open and safe.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. I want to again express how grateful all of us are for our APS families as we work together to help students succeed. I want to share a few updates and highlight the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) students received in the first quarter.

Today, I have updates to share on APS inclement weather procedures. I am also pleased to announce the nomination process for APS Teacher and Principal of the Year, as well as updates on instruction and vaccination rates for children aged 5+.

There are so many great things happening in APS as we begin our second quarter. I continue visiting schools to observe lessons, intervention planning and other important work teachers and staff are doing to support students. I look forward to sharing more videos to highlight that work in the coming weeks.

More than 78% of voters approved this year’s School Bond, which allows APS to invest in future facility and infrastructure improvements to meet the needs of students. Updates on Social Emotional Learning and Vaccinations for 5-11-year-olds.