Dear APS Families,
Our students are working incredibly hard as we enter the final month of the school year, and we are immensely proud of all they have accomplished. Thank you for your ongoing partnership. Here are my updates for this week, including some important changes to keep in mind for the summer and upcoming school year:
Extended Day Registration for the 2022-23 School Year: Extended Day registration for the 2022-23 school year opens for returning families on May 24 and continues through June 7. Summer School Extended Day registration concludes on Wed, May 25, 2022. Registration for Summer School Extended Day is currently very low, so it is likely that the program will be consolidated at a limited number of summer school sites. If programs are consolidated, upon summer school dismissal each day, children will be transported by bus to another summer school site for Extended Day. Further information will be provided next week based on final enrollment. Additional details are available online.
Graduation Schedule for Class of 2022: We are all looking forward to celebrating student achievement during upcoming graduations and year-end events. View the schedule for high school graduations and middle school promotion ceremonies. For those who cannot attend high school graduations in person, live streaming links will be available. Secondary families: I also want to re-share our call for your help in ensuring this season of celebration is safe for all. I will provide further guidance on any updates to our COVID-related protocols for graduation ceremonies in early June.
Meals Update for Summer and SY 2022-23: We have been fortunate to provide universal free meals this school year as an extension of the USDA’s COVID-19 waivers. Those waivers are set to expire June 30, meaning that meals will no longer be automatically served at no cost to all students beginning with Summer School and the 2022-23 school year. Additional information regarding meal prices will be shared with families as soon as it is available. In the meantime:
- APS encourages all families who believe they may be eligible for free and reduced meal benefits for the 2022-23 School Year to apply online in August for the new school year. Students attending summer school can still apply online until June 30.
- If your student is attending summer school at Washington-Liberty, Dorothy Hamm, Escuela Key, Jamestown, or Abingdon, you must have a current application on file by June 30 to receive meal benefits in summer school.
- Students attending Barcroft, Drew, Carlin Springs, Randolph, and Barrett are the exception to this because these schools qualify for community eligibility provision.
End-of-Year Device Information: This year, we are requiring all student devices to be turned in by the last week of school. Devices will be collected at each school by the Instructional Technology Coordinator (ITC), and more details will be communicated by your school. This will allow students to take a break from screen time as we adjust back to best practices in educational technology. Additional information about summer school devices and the updated process for returning devices is available online.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership!
Dr. Francisco Durán
Superintendent
Arlington Public Schools
