1. Welcome Back! See You on Monday
Ready, set, learn! We can’t wait to see students back in the classroom this coming Monday, Aug. 30. Superintendent Dr. Durán and Chief of School Support Ms. Graves give us a glimpse of what to expect this school year and highlight the three top priorities for the upcoming school year. Families are encouraged to share photos of their students on the first day of school by uploading them here and use the hashtag #APSBack2School when posting to social media.
2. Apply for Meal Benefits – Free and Reduced Meal Applications
School meals are available at no cost to all students this school year. Even though meals are free, applying for meal benefits is still very important! By applying for meal benefits, families that qualify may be eligible for additional resources. Applications are available in ParentVUE, on the APS Food Services Webpage or online at myschoolapps.com.
3. Opt-In for Free COVID-19 Testing at School
APS is partnering with Resource Path to provide both symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 testing at all school locations for the 2021-22 School Year. This is an expansion of the symptomatic testing APS provided last school year. Parents/guardians must complete the consent form online, per Virginia Code, for students to be included in weekly COVID-19 testing at their school. If you do not complete the form, your student will not receive testing.
4. Safe Dining and Outdoor Lunch Plans—Check Your School’s Website
We remain committed to protecting the health and safety of our students during lunchtime and throughout the day. All APS schools are providing partial or full outdoor lunch opportunities for students this school year. The plans for student lunch vary by school, so check your school’s website for details. APS is continuing to expand opportunities for outdoor lunch by providing additional staffing and working in partnership with Arlington County to obtain needed resources. Additionally, every school is implementing prevention measures during student dining to keep students as safe as possible. The FAQ on the APS website provides further information.
5. Upcoming Calendar Reminders & Back-to-School (BTS) Nights
Families are reminded of the following holidays and back-to-school nights:
–Fri, Sept. 3 and Mon, Sept. 6 Labor Day Holiday
–Tue, Sept. 7 Rosh Hashanah Holiday
–Thu, Sept. 9 BTS Elementary Schools
–Tue, Sept. 14 BTS Middle Schools
–Wed, Sept. 22 BTS High schools, except:
–Thu, Sept. 23 BTS H-B Woodlawn & Arlington Community High School
–Thu, Sept. 30 BTS Career Center/Arlington Tech
–Thu, Oct. 14 BTS Langston HSCP
The exact times of back-to-school nights vary by building.
Please check with your students’ school for an exact time. There will be no school for students or staff on Fri. Sept. 3 (Labor Day weekend), Mon. Sept. 6 (Labor Day) and Tue. Sept. 7 (Rosh Hashanah). School resumes on Wed. Sept. 8.
Other News & Notes:
Please check ParentVue over the weekend for some updates to bus assignments. Stop times may have minor schedule adjustments based on driver feedback from practice runs this week.
