Dear APS Families,
Here are reminders about October recognitions and acknowledgments, as well as an update on our efforts to accelerate student learning through targeted interventions and differentiated instruction.
Update on Arlington’s Tiered System of Support (ATSS)—In a previous message, I highlighted our focus on the universal screener assessments underway in English Language Arts and Math. Following these assessments, teachers work in their Collaborative Learning Teams (CLTs) to analyze results, determine each student’s unique strengths, differentiate core (Level 1) instruction, and institute necessary interventions (Tier 2 or 3) for students who need it. Read more about our approach online. If you have any questions about your student’s assessment results and/or their intervention plan, please reach out to your student’s teacher.
Bullying Prevention in October: APS teaches bullying prevention to foster safe and supportive school communities. Throughout this month, your student’s school counselors are engaging in various bullying prevention efforts such as reinforcing the three Rs of bullying prevention: Recognize, Report and Refuse; participating in Wear Orange Unity Day (Oct. 20) to show unity for kindness, support, and inclusion; and spreading the Upstander Pledge, a commitment to standing up for others. Everyone can do something to help prevent bullying. Learn what you can do. View this short video about our efforts.
Thank You Principals!: October is National Principal Appreciation Month and while we typically recognize principals during Virginia’s statewide Principal Appreciation Week at the end of January, I do want to take a moment to recognize our incredible administrators for their leadership and excellent work – especially in these uncertain and challenging times, as they’ve taken on contact tracing, coordination of indoor and outside lunches and so many other duties that fall outside of the already busy schedule of a principal. Please take a moment to thank our principals for all they do this month.
October 14 School Board Meeting: We have a school board meeting this Thursday, during which we will recognize our outstanding high school Latinx Student Leaders for Hispanic Heritage Month, as well as present monitoring updates on APS Responses to Student Behaviors and the Virtual Learning Program. View the full agenda online. Thank you for your engagement and partnership.
Sincerely,
Dr. Francisco Durán
Superintendent
Arlington Public Schools
