FCPS COVID-19 Updates

It’s the delivery and receipt of standards based activities and assignments within a course or grade level framework that can be completed with limited instruction during a period of absence. FCPS teachers will provide continuity of learning by using distance learning.

Monday, March 30.

No, in these extraordinary times, these days are being treated as school days and they will not have to be made up.

Distance learning is conducting educational activities when teachers and students are not located in the same physical location but are connected either digitally or by the exchange of written materials.

Distance learning is occurring in a number of ways. FCPS teachers send assignments and activities that are connected to the learning standards for each content area or course. The activities and assignments may be sent through Schoology (the FCPS learning management system), Google Classroom, email or using printed materials. Teachers communicate the system they are using to students and families.

Yes. Teachers will ensure the delivery of assignments and activities to students and will require completed work back from students for teachers to review. This may occur electronically or via paper copies.

Print materials will be a big support for elementary aged students while teachers gear up for use of digital tools such as Schoology. Although designed for use with younger students, elementary students are generally less familiar with Schoology which is more readily used at middle and high school. Printed materials will be provided for any student or teacher who needs them. Not all families currently have internet access or home computers, though FCPS is working to support our students with the needed technology.

School principals have sent a message to families about drop-off/pick-up of printed materials.  In most cases, this distribution is set up in the school’s front vestibule or just outside the main office.  Staff are following guidance from the health department to ensure this process is safe.

Yes. Middle and high schools are already using a one to one student device program. Students who attended the Friday before schools were closed took their devices home with them. On Friday, March 27th, we conducted our first phase of technology deployment and got devices to elementary aged students who need a device at home. We also distributed 1000 mobile hotspots to families without internet access. If you still need a device please contact your school principal.

Contact your child’s teacher.

Additionally, you can use these quick set-up guides for your hotspot or Chromebook:

• Connect Your Chromebook to Wi-Fi
• Connect Your Chromebook to Wi-Fi Using T-Mobile Hotspot

When Schoology has had an outage, you will need to completely close your Internet browser and open a new tab prior to logging back into Schoology. You may track information about the status of Schoology here: https://status.schoology.com/.

The devices are being distributed to families as a result of the state mandated school closing.  Once students are able to return to their school, FCPS will send information regarding when and where to return the devices.

Great question! We created a Supplemental Resources for FCPS Families site filled with many activities you can do with your child.  https://sites.google.com/fcps.org/fcpslearning/home.

Teachers will coordinate and send activities and assignments that will not exceed the following time requirements:
 
Prekindergarten, Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2: 1 ½ hours of total work
Grades 3, 4 and 5: 2 hours of total work
Middle School: 2 ½ hours of total work
High School: 45 minutes per course (or up to 3 hours total)*
*Dual Enrollment instruction will follow the guidance of Frederick Community College; Advanced Placement courses may require more than 45 minutes of work.
 

Teachers will provide limited instruction for all assignments and activities. Limited instruction is the necessary guidance and content required to complete the activity or assignment. Teachers may send written directions, video explanations, audio messages or screencasts.

We have been working with teachers for years on using digital tools as part of instruction. Schoology and Google Classroom have been in place for years now. During the week of March 23rd, FCPS teachers participated in a training module that set expectations and made teachers aware of the many supports available to them as distance learning moves forward. Principal and school leaders met with teachers during that week to establish school procedures and coordinate various supports for teachers and their students. It will be a learning process for teachers, students and families, so we’ll all need to be patient with one another.

Teachers will have access to central curriculum, special education and English learner departments through open office hours in case they need to consult on instruction or digital tools. Webinars to support teachers in using Schoology are ongoing. Our FCPS Vanguard teachers (who are trained in the use of technology in instruction) have office hours for teachers as do our Schoology Ambassadors (who can assist teachers with using Schoology). Schoology also provides 24/7 help desk support for teachers as well.  Each school has also created a school-based support team.  These staff will not only support teachers as they provide continuity of learning, but will support students and families as necessary.

Probably not. In general, this is not permitted until we can develop clear guidelines, implement training and approve a digital tool to implement large scale live, two-way video and audio conferencing between students and teachers.  Teachers may still send video or audio recordings to students and accept video and audio recorded responses back from students. Will there be any exceptions? Yes.  We will be using videoconferencing in limited ways during the initial period of continuity of learning. For example, we will use videoconferencing for teletherapy for students who are already working with one of our therapists. We will also use video conferencing in limited circumstances for the delivery of some special education services.

We know this is an unusual time in education. Our teachers may still set deadlines for submitting completed work, but they are prepared to be flexible. They are working under new conditions as well. We asked them to be flexible knowing that families may have multiple students and parents working from home. If you know your student is struggling to meet deadlines, please inform your child's teacher or teachers.

Students receiving special education and English Learner services will receive these services throughout continuity of learning.  These students will not receive services in the same manner they are typically provided.  However, these service providers have worked collaboratively with classroom teachers and other staff to identify the specific skills each student will work on throughout this period, and to determine the accommodations and supplementary aids and services each student needs.

As always, your first contact should be to your child’s teacher.  He or she should be able to respond to any questions you have and support your child with any class requirements.  If you still have questions or concerns after speaking with your child’s teacher, please feel free to contact a school administrator.

Yes.  Special Education case managers and related service providers will contact families via email, phone call, etc. to discuss how special education and related services will be delivered in collaboration with general educators.

During this national emergency, schools will not be able to provide all services in the same manner they are typically provided.  Case managers and related service providers have worked collaboratively with general educators, support staff, and other staff to develop an individualized distance learning plan for each student, which prioritizes specific goals and objectives, accommodations and supplementary aids and services from the student’s IEP which will be the primary areas of focus throughout distance learning.  How services will be implemented and methodologies used to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities will be different from how services are typically provided throughout this time of unprecedented national emergency.

Special Education and 504 case managers will work collaboratively with families to make decisions regarding IEP and 504 meetings throughout continuity of learning.  In many instances, meetings may be delayed until students return to school and services are provided under typical circumstances. If meetings are necessary, they may be held through a variety of digital and virtual platforms.

Case managers and related services providers will aim to make initial contact with families by the end of the first week of continuity of learning.  The purpose of the initial call will be to work collaboratively to prioritize instruction for your child and to identify any support you may need for accessing modified assignments or accessing strategies in the home environment throughout distance learning.

FCPS is following State Superintendent Dr. Karen B Salmon’s directive to close all Maryland schools Monday, March 16 through Friday, April 24. The purpose is to prevent the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019.

FCPS  will serve FREE "to-go" meals to all children 18 years & under: 

Monday-Friday, March 16 - April 24
8:30-9:30 AM  Breakfast 
11:30 AM-12:30 PM Lunch  (Now added: Boxed suppers to go)

• Ballenger Creek Elementary  
• Crestwood Middle
• Frederick High 
• Hillcrest Elementary 
• Lincoln Elementary 
• Monocacy Elementary 
• North Frederick Elementary 
• Waverley Elementary

Wednesday-Friday, March 26 - April 24
11:30 AM-12:30 PM Grab-n-Go breakfast, lunch and supper - look for the bright yellow school buses

• 7th Street Frederick Shopping Center Parking Lot - 1305 West 7th Street, Frederick
• Brunswick Rite Aid Parking Lot - Brunswick Heights Shopping Center, 92 Souder Road, Brunswick
• Buckeystown United Methodist Church -  Parking Lot, 3440 Buckeystown Pike, Frederick
• Concord Mobile Homes Park Community - 4828 Pioneer Circle, Jefferson, MD
• Heather Ridge School Parking Lot - 1445 Taney Avenue, Frederick
• Jubilee Foods Parking Lot - 515 East Main Street, Emmitsburg (instead of Emmitsburg Elementary School)
• Lucas Village Community Center - 111 Pennsylvania Avenue, Frederick
• Max Kehne Ball Field Parking Lot - 1100 West 7th Street, Frederick
• New Market Shopping Center Parking Lot - PNC Bank Location, 11717 Old National Pike, New Market, MD
• Overlook Park - 501 Coralberry Court, off Himes Avenue (across from Dutch’s Daughter Restaurant), Frederick
• St. John’s Catholic Prep School - 3989 Buckeystown Pike, Buckeystown
• Thurmont  Elementary - School Parking Lot, 805 E. Main Street, Thurmont
• Walkersville Discovery Shopping Center Parking Lot - (Goodwill Store), 8425 Woodsboro Pike, Walkersville
• Whittier Elementary - School Parking Lot, 2400 Whittier Drive, Frederick

Participants do NOT have to live in Frederick County, be FCPS students or be registered to attend the schools serving meals.

We will also serve adults enrolled in an education program for persons with disabilities. 

Please direct questions to the FCPS food and nutrition services office at 301-644-5061. 

FCPS events scheduled for after school March 13 through April 24 have been canceled. Events scheduled to take place after this period will be decided at a later date. We will post any cancellation decisions on the FCPS website, www.fcps.org.

During the 6-week shutdown, all FCPS facilities (schools, Central Office building, warehouses and Staff Development Center) are closed to the public.

No, effective Friday, March 13 through Friday, April 24, all FCPS and community-group afterschool and evening activities are canceled or postponed. This includes school-based daycare programs, Parks and Recreation programs in school gyms, and use of facilities scheduled by outside user groups.

Please also see Update #2 On The Current Status Of Public High School Interscholastic Athletics from Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA).

Yes, FCPS will receive deliveries at the warehouse, schools and Central Office during the 6-week school closure. 

The Frederick County Health Department posts COVID-19 information and updates: http://health.frederickcountymd.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=271

The Maryland Department of Health posts COVID-19 information and updates: http://www.health.maryland.gov/coronavirus

Prevent the spread of germs:

• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub. See Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives
• Avoid touching eyes, mouth and nose with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick (6 feet).

When sick, keep from spreading respiratory illness to others:

• Stay home and keep children home (at least 24 hours after there are no signs of fever without the use of fever-reducing medication).
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then immediately discard the tissue in the trash and wash hands. If a tissue is not available, cough or sneeze into your elbow.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Here are some resources you may find helpful for talking to children about COVID-19:
English
Spanish

FCPS has also compiled a list of mental health resources that families might find helpful.

FCPS takes proactive measures to help our community stay informed. We post information online and send FindOutFirst email messaging, post reminders in schools about stopping the spread of germs, and recommend that families and staff check reputable sources:

www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov

www.health.maryland.gov/coronavirus

health.frederickcountymd.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=271

Do not stigmatize people of any specific ethnicities or racial background. People who have not recently traveled to affected regions and have not had close contact with a person who is ill with COVID-19 are at no greater risk of this disease than you. Viruses do not target people from specific populations, ethnicities or racial backgrounds.

Be wary of myths, rumors and misinformation circulating online and elsewhere. Health information shared through social media is frequently inaccurate, unless coming from an official, reliable source, such as the CDC, MDH or local health department.

If you have questions about your child’s attendance, please contact the school directly. If parents or guardians have questions about illnesses or symptoms, or how to prevent respiratory infection, we encourage them to talk with their child’s healthcare provider. Employees with questions about work should contact your supervisor. Employees with questions about illness should contact your healthcare provider.