John Rolfe Middle School PTA

Henrico County Public Schools



This message is a REMINDER about a virtual learning survey for families of HCPS middle and high school students:

(Tome una encuesta corta acerca del horario de aprendizaje virtual de HCPS. Desplazar el cursor hacia abajo para

Henrico County Public Schools



Henrico families,

I’m writing with gratitude for all you’ve done to support our first week of predominantly virtual learning — and to give you an update on how Henrico County Public Schools is monitoring health data in an effort to gradually return to in-person learning. We are using a comprehensive, data-driven process and timeline to guide our forthcoming recommendations and decisions.

How does the process work? The 16 members of the HCPS Health Committee meet every two weeks to look at the latest pandemic data provided by the Virginia Department of Health. They use the data to determine the current “pandemic status,” characterizing the severity and transmission trends in central Virginia. The pandemic status relies on several health indicators, including conditions during a 14-day window; the incidence rate; the percentage of people testing positive; and the number of outbreaks. HCPS uses that status to determine what instructional approach, as illustrated on a continuum, we can safely use to conduct in-person classes. (The HCPS “Continuum of Reopening” includes a total of four approaches and can be viewed on our website.)

On Sept. 10, the group reported to the School Board that regional data from the previous week resulted in a pandemic status of “Substantial/High Community Transmission.” That status is tied to HCPS’ current instructional approach, “Approach 2”, which calls for most students learning online with students seen in person on a limited basis.

The committee, made up of representatives from the Henrico Health District, Henrico County Public Schools, the HCPS Student Health Advisory Board and the larger community, will continue to make regular presentations to the School Board, and the committee is expected to make a recommendation by Oct. 22 about the approach to learning for the second nine weeks of the school year.

Upcoming dates for health-related presentations include:

· Sept. 24: Health Committee update to Henrico School Board.

· Oct. 8: Health Committee update to Henrico School Board.

· Oct. 22 School Board meeting: Target date for committee recommendation concerning which approach will be used for the second nine weeks (also called the second marking period) of the school year, which begins Nov. 16.

Please rest assured that while we are monitoring health data to determine when more students may return, we have been actively reimagining our programming to ensure an in-person experience that follows the HCPS COVID-19 Health Plan. This includes redesigning classroom and school bus seating arrangements to allow for physical distancing, rethinking daily cleaning protocols and equipping classrooms with hand sanitizer and additional disinfecting supplies.

Please check out our new Health Update page to keep up with the latest information, and we look forward to keeping you informed.

Sincerely,

Amy

Amy E. Cashwell, Ed. D.

Superintendent

Henrico County Public Schools uses SchoolMessenger to connect with families, students, and staff through e-mail, voice, and text messages. If you received this e-mail in error, or if you wish to be removed from these e-mail communications, you may unsubscribe by clicking: Here. If you unsubscribe then you will no longer receive e-mails from the School Messenger service, which means you might miss other important messages about your school(s).

For questions about these messages, first try contacting your school directly. After that, try the Henrico County Public Schools Central Office at (804) 652-3726 during normal business hours.

SchoolMessenger is a notification service used by the nation's leading school systems to connect with parents, students and staff through voice, SMS text, email, and social media.

Henrico County Public Schools



Henrico families,
Welcome to the 2020-21 school year! To use an ice cream metaphor, this year will be a “double dip” of emotions: the predominantly virtual start is sure to be tremendously exciting — and challenging, as well. While for now, we’ll miss seeing the smiling faces of our students in person; rest assured that we remain committed to a gradual return to in-person learning in a manner that prioritizes the safety of our students, staff members and community. You’ll hear more about that in the weeks to come.

For now, let’s get started!

First, I want to share our School Board’s special “welcome back” video.
The first day of school is always a photo opportunity, and that’s no less true this year. Show us your big day by printing one of our 2020-21 back-to-school signs! Snap a picture and let’s see it on Tuesday!
Attention high school students, middle school students, as well as preschool and Kindergarten students: We have custom-made school-logo backgrounds for you to use on Microsoft Teams! (Unfortunately, because of browser limitations, students in grades 1-5 who are using Chromebooks aren’t able to use custom backgrounds just yet, but we’re working on that!)
Families: Check out this printable HCPS flyer with simple virtual learning tips to help your student get the most out of the start to the school year.
Meals are free for students! Check out this information we announced late last week. Servicios de Nutrición de HCPS brindarán comidas a los estudiantes a través del servicio de tomar y llevar y distribución en los vecindarios.
We’re calling this fall “Mission Forward,” and our freshly redesigned Mission Forward webpage is your starting place for all-things back-to-school. It’s like a “Farmer’s Market” of the latest information, our Handbook for Families and Students, important virtual learning links, and much more. The page has never been easier to navigate!
To help families better understand the technologies behind virtual learning, we’ve made a series of virtual learning “Help Chats.” The chats now include nine videos that break out exactly what families need to know. Go to our Mission Forward page and click on “Help Chats” or go to HCPS’ YouTube page to select the videos you need.
Need a hand with virtual learning technology? Your teacher can help! Answers can also be found by emailing the HCPS “Help Desk”: [email protected]. In most cases, you’ll get a reply by the next business day.
Reminder: Families of students in ALL grade levels can complete “back to school” forms by using the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Once logged in to your PowerSchool Parent Portal account, look for “Access Online Forms” on the left-hand side of the page.
Follow the Henrico County Public Schools verified accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
This year, more than most, we are all learning together — staff, students and families. Patience, understanding and grace are critical for a successful start to this school year. Teamwork and strong communication will also be essential. We look forward to staying in touch and working together to make this school year a great one.
Have a wonderful and safe start to 2020-21!
Sincerely,

Amy

Amy E. Cashwell, Ed. D.

Superintendent

Henrico County Public Schools uses SchoolMessenger to connect with families, students, and staff through e-mail, voice, and text messages. If you received this e-mail in error, or if you wish to be removed from these e-mail communications, you may unsubscribe by clicking: Here. If you unsubscribe then you will no longer receive e-mails from the School Messenger service, which means you might miss other important messages about your school(s).

For questions about these messages, first try contacting your school directly. After that, try the Henrico County Public Schools Central Office at (804) 652-3726 during normal business hours.

SchoolMessenger is a notification service used by the nation's leading school systems to connect with parents, students and staff through voice, SMS text, email, and social media.

Henrico families,
In order to help everyone better understand the tools and technologies behind virtual learning, HCPS will offer a series of virtual learning “Help Chats.” The chats include a series of prerecorded videos and LIVE question-and-answer sessions TODAY that will help get you from login to learning.
The prerecorded videos are available now, by going to this new playlist on HCPS’ YouTube channel.
If you’d like to skip to a particular topic, the videos are also linked here:
• Resources for Virtual Learning
• PowerSchool, Part 1: Creating your Parent Account
• PowerSchool, Part 2: Features of PowerSchool (device login info, schedules, grades)
• Devices: iPads, Chromebooks and laptops
• Clever and Schoology (plus, creating your Schoology parent account)
• Microsoft Teams
If after watching the videos you still have questions, then today’s LIVE sessions will provide a chance to get additional answers or guidance.
Three live, interactive sessions using Microsoft Teams will take place today, Sept. 3, at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. The sessions will consist of HCPS experts answering questions and taking a step-by-step approach to virtual learning for all grade levels. All three sessions will be similar and no registration is required.
Note: These sessions are specifically designed for families and students who are using PowerSchool, Schoology, Microsoft Teams and HCPS-issued devices for the very first time.
To join the sessions, go to https://tinyurl.com/HCPSHelpChat at any of the following times today:
• 10 a.m. session.
• 2 p.m. session.
• 6 p.m. session.
If you can’t attend, no worries. Each session will be recorded for later viewing!
Sincerely,
Andy Jenks
Chief of Communications and Community Engagement

P.S. For more information about HCPS’ predominantly virtual start to the 2020-21 school year, go to three places:
Our Mission Forward page at https://henricoschools.us/returntoschool/
Our page dedicated to virtual learning: http://blogs.henrico.k12.va.us/hlp/virtual-learning/
The “how-to” video series at this new playlist on HCPS’ YouTube channel


Henrico County Public Schools uses SchoolMessenger to connect with families, students, and staff through e-mail, voice, and text messages. If you received this e-mail in error, or if you wish to be removed from these e-mail communications, you may unsubscribe by clicking: Here. If you unsubscribe then you will no longer receive e-mails from the School Messenger service, which means you might miss other important messages about your school(s).
For questions about these messages, first try contacting your school directly. After that, try the Henrico County Public Schools Central Office at (804) 652-3726 during normal business hours.
SchoolMessenger is a notification service used by the nation's leading school systems to connect with parents, students and staff through voice, SMS text, email, and social media.

Henrico County Public Schools



Henrico families,
Imagine that it’s early on the morning of Sept. 8 and you’re staring at a Chromebook, iPad or laptop for the start of our new, predominantly virtual school year.
What comes next?
To help families better understand the tools and technologies behind virtual learning, HCPS will offer a series of virtual learning “Help Chats.” The chats include a series of prerecorded videos and LIVE question-and-answer sessions this week that will help get you from login to learning.
The prerecorded videos are available now, by going to this new playlist on HCPS’ YouTube channel.
If you’d like to skip to a particular topic, the videos are also linked here:
• Resources for Virtual Learning
• PowerSchool, Part 1: Creating your Parent Account
• PowerSchool, Part 2: Features of PowerSchool (device login info, schedules, grades)
• Devices: iPads, Chromebooks and laptops
• Clever and Schoology (plus, creating your Schoology parent account)
• Microsoft Teams
If after watching the videos you still have questions, then our LIVE sessions will provide a chance to get additional answers or guidance.
Three live, interactive sessions using Microsoft Teams will take place Thursday, Sept. 3, at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. The sessions will consist of HCPS experts answering questions and taking a step-by-step approach to virtual learning for all grade levels. All three sessions will be similar and no registration is required.
Note: These sessions are specifically designed for families and students who are using PowerSchool, Schoology, Microsoft Teams and HCPS-issued devices for the very first time.
To join the sessions, go to https://tinyurl.com/HCPSHelpChat at any of the following times on Thursday, Sept. 3:
• 10 a.m. session.
• 2 p.m. session.
• 6 p.m. session.
If you’re new to PowerSchool, Schoology, Microsoft Teams or the HCPS-issued devices, then I hope you’ll join me on Sept. 3 for the live discussions! (If you can’t attend, no worries. Each session will be recorded for later viewing.)
Sincerely,
Andy Jenks
Chief of Communications and Community Engagement

P.S. For more information about HCPS’ predominantly virtual start to the 2020-21 school year, go to three places:
Our Mission Forward page at https://henricoschools.us/returntoschool/
Our page dedicated to virtual learning: http://blogs.henrico.k12.va.us/hlp/virtual-learning/
The “how-to” video series at this new playlist on HCPS’ YouTube channel


Henrico County Public Schools uses SchoolMessenger to connect with families, students, and staff through e-mail, voice, and text messages. If you received this e-mail in error, or if you wish to be removed from these e-mail communications, you may unsubscribe by clicking: Here. If you unsubscribe then you will no longer receive e-mails from the School Messenger service, which means you might miss other important messages about your school(s).

For questions about these messages, first try contacting your school directly. After that, try the Henrico County Public Schools Central Office at (804) 652-3726 during normal business hours.

SchoolMessenger is a notification service used by the nation's leading school systems to connect with parents, students and staff through voice, SMS text, email, and social media.

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CHROMEBOOK DISTRIBUTION UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who has demonstrated considerable patience today, which is the first day of our fall Chromebook distribution for students in grades 1-5. We are distributing Chromebooks at eight sites this week, and if you’re reading this in your car, you probably know that some lines are very, very long today. We are sorry about the inconvenience. It takes approximately 1-2 minutes to distribute a Chromebook, which is fast, but when there are dozens of cars in line, that amount of time will add up in a hurry.

Please know that we are NOT going to run out of Chromebooks. If the lines are too long where you are, please consider returning to your distribution site on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday of this week. HCPS has an ample supply of Chromebooks for EVERY student.

We are so thankful that you and your families are attending Chromebook distribution. We will continue to work as quickly as possible today as well as on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Elementary schools have been communicating specific instructions about Chromebook distribution. For general information, visit this page: https://henricoschools.us/2020/08/05/hcps-sets-schedule-for-distributing-more-tablets-computers-to-support-virtual-learning/

Henrico County Public Schools



Henrico families,
In the past six months, we’ve heard the word “unprecedented” a lot. This school year definitely qualifies. And while our community has never started a school year using a predominantly virtual format, I know we can do this. It will take teamwork, planning and creativity, and this message is about two key parts of that equation: our new Learning Plan for 2020-21, and our Health Plan. We will be submitting both plans to the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Department of Health. Before we do, however, I wanted to share them with you.
The 2020-21 Learning Plan: A Handbook for Families and Students is our guidebook for ensuring that this school year will be as effective and healthy as possible for all our students. It was created by educators and other staff members from across the school division, with the input of community members and experts. It outlines:
What a typical day might look like for HCPS students of all grade levels.
Video: “A Day in the Life” for grades K-5
How we’ll keep your family informed.
Plans for student support and involvement, from computers and extracurriculars to equity.
How we’ll incorporate some limited, in-person instruction.
Options for gradually returning to school.
Video: HCPS 2020-21 Learning Plan: An Introduction from Superintendent Amy Cashwell
The HCPS COVID-19 Health Plan outlines the strategies HCPS will use to reduce the health risks of coronavirus in our schools. The plan lays out measures to keep our community safe:
Assessing risks and local health conditions.
Working with health officials as we plan to reopen.
Promoting behaviors that reduce the risk of COVID-19.
Maintaining healthy schools.
Protecting people who are most vulnerable.
Planning for when someone gets sick.
Planning to close down, if necessary, because of severe conditions.
I want to thank you, our families, staff and community, for your important role in creating these documents. Through your questions and comments, you’ve helped us identify content, possibilities and opportunities we might not have considered.
While we know this is a daunting challenge, we also begin this new school year with great enthusiasm to serve our students and families in new and innovative ways. We will continue to monitor local health information and make decisions that are grounded in data and the recommendations of health experts. By proceeding in this way and implementing our health-risk mitigation strategies, we can work toward a measured, gradual return to in-person teaching and learning for all students.
I hope you’ll take some time over the next few weeks to look through these plans: https://henricoschools.us/returntoschool/
While this unusual year will no doubt prove challenging at times, it also offers plenty of opportunities. Virtually or in person, I can’t wait to spend time with our students, families and staff members as we get started.
Sincerely,
Amy
Amy E. Cashwell, Ed. D.
Superintendent

Henrico County Public Schools uses SchoolMessenger to connect with families, students, and staff through e-mail, voice, and text messages. If you received this e-mail in error, or if you wish to be removed from these e-mail communications, you may unsubscribe by clicking: Here. If you unsubscribe then you will no longer receive e-mails from the School Messenger service, which means you might miss other important messages about your school(s).

For questions about these messages, first try contacting your school directly. After that, try the Henrico County Public Schools Central Office at (804) 652-3726 during normal business hours.

SchoolMessenger is a notification service used by the nation's leading school systems to connect with parents, students and staff through voice, SMS text, email, and social media.

2020-21: Mission Forward – Henrico County Public Schools 2020-21: Mission Forward TranslationsEjemplos de horarios recientemente detallados del día escolar virtual The Latest(Updated August 11, 2020)2020-21 sample schedules for pre-K, elementary, middle and high school students are now available below. Two in-depth documents will be emailed to families T...