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The 2021-22 school year in Prince William County will be a return to a “new normal” as nearly 97% of students return in-person to the classroom.

Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) believes that students are best served in-person. It is critical for the academic progress of students, and their social and emotional growth and well-being, that they return to the classroom in-person as rapidly and as safely as possible.   

For those families who have opted to have their students be served fully virtually for the 2021-22 school year, PWCS will ensure a high-quality and rigorous education for every child regardless of the mode of delivery of their education.   

  • ✔Intent is to return to “normal” operations with adjustments.  
  • ✔The first day of school is August 23, 2021.
  • ✔All students will be expected to attend classes five days a week Monday-Friday.
  • ✔Breakfast and lunch will be offered at no cost to all students.
  • ✔All students will be provided a laptop.

Parents/Guardians: Prepare for New School Year

Check-off those back-to-school tasks now! 

Complete New School Year Packet Instructions

 

The New School Year Packet, where parents/guardians can review emergency cards, update contact information, and complete any annual policy reviews and acknowledgements, is now available in ParentVUE.  All families should complete the New School Year Packet by Friday, September 17, 2021. The information you provide will allow school staff to ensure the safety of your student this school year.

  1. Log into the ParentVUE app or the ParentVUE website using your ParentVUE UserID and password.
  2. Once logged into ParentVUE, click the Online Records button at the top of the screen.

If you need assistance, or do not have an active ParentVUE account, please contact your child’s school.

Want to know more?

Virtual Learning Info

Details for those who selected the virtual-only option

Health/Mitigation FAQ

Answers to common questions

Annual Calendar

Holidays and other days off 

Technology

  • PWCS is now a one-to-one school division, and all students will be provided laptops by/on the first day. Please review the Parent/Student Device Handbook.
  • PWCS has a group policy discount with Securranty for students/parents to purchase optional insurance for HP Probooks issued to students.
  • Students will use school issued laptops for both in-person and virtual learning.
  • Free at-home internet will be available for any student with need.   
  • Canvas will be used as the learning management system for both in-person and virtual learners.  
  • The Hub (Parent/StudentVUE) will remain the platform for tracking grades and other student information.   
  • Information on how to access The Hub’s StudentVUE and ParentVUE applications can be found on The Hub webpage. 

Two laptops open with the screens showing students working at desks.

Mask Guidance

Universal indoor masking will be required in all PWCS schools at the start of the 2021-22 school year for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status with some exceptions.

View Mask Guidance

×
protective face covering

PWCS 2021-22 School Year Start Mask Guidance*

Setting Fully Vaccinated
Mask Required**		 Unvaccinated
Mask Required**
Indoors — schools Yes
(exception for vaccinated staff when inhibiting communication ***)		 Yes
School Bus Yes Yes
Indoors — eating No No
Indoors — PE Recommended Recommended
Outdoors — PE, recess with physical distance, athletics, bus stop No No
Indoors — athletics No Recommended
Indoors — school visitors including athletic spectators Yes Yes
Indoors — chorus Yes Yes
Indoors — woodwind and brass instruments if less than six feet apart Yes Yes
Indoors — central offices in group settings or common areas Yes Yes

  • Classrooms

    Physical distancing to the extent possible. Face coverings will be worn with some exceptions.
  • Buses

    Buses

    Masks are required on school buses by riders and drivers per current federal requirement.  Buses will run at full capacity. 
  • Cafeteria

    Cafeteria

    Schools will work to provide opportunities to maintain distance when possible.

Information for Starting the School Year

 

Bus Information

Parents and students can view their preliminary bus schedules in The Hub (via ParentVUE and StudentVUE) starting Tuesday, August 17, 2021. Bus route information can change in the beginning of the school year due to student enrollment, and the Hub offers parents and students the ability to receive the most up-to-date bus information. Parents/guardians are encouraged to check for changes.

Bus schedules will not be emailed to parents/guardians and, due to security reasons, we will not post bus routes to our website.

Questions or Concerns About Your Bus Route?

View contact list by school

Kindergarten students must be accompanied to and from bus stops by a parent, guardian, or other designated individual. All Kindergarten parents/guardians must complete a Kindergarten Authorization Form, and return the completed form to your child's school. Your child will only be released to authorized person(s) who are:

  1. Listed on the kindergarten authorization form; and
  2. Have a valid government/state ID to present to the bus driver each day.

Your child will be returned to the school if there is no authorized person at the bus stop or the designee does not have a valid government/state ID.

Bell Schedule

School bell times for in-person students (time are approximate, exact times will be shared by each school). View Preliminary Bell Schedules for 2021-22 (subject to change):

  • High School; 7:30 a.m. – 2:10 p.m.
  • Middle School: 8:15 a.m. – 2:55 p.m.
  • Elementary School: 9 a.m. - 3:40 p.m.

School Food and Nutrition/Meals

Breakfast and lunch will be offered at no cost to ALL students throughout the 2021-22 school year.

Applications for free and reduced-priced meals, which impact other services families may need, will be available on the School Food and Nutrition Services website when available from the USDA.

Student Health Information

The Student Health Services Homepage has important resources and information related to:

  • Daily Health Screening Procedures
  • Back to school COVID-19 safety guide
  • COVID-19 vaccination information
  • Immunization Requirements
  • Medications at School
  • Required Health Forms
  • Regulations and Fact Sheets
  • When Students Should be Absent Due to Illness

Parent and guardians are reminded that the Daily Health Screening must be completed each day prior to a student boarding a school bus or entering a school building. For the start of the school year, PWCS has instituted universal masking for all persons in a school building regardless of vaccination status.

Student Health Services Webpage

Class Schedules

  • Elementary schedules will be available in The Hub on Wednesday, August 18, 2021
  • Secondary schedules, including K-8 and Traditional Schools, will be available in The Hub on Friday, August 20, 2021

ParentVUE

What is ParentVUE?

ParentVUE is a tool that offers parents and guardians access to their students' grades, attendance information, and more. Parents and guardians also have the ability to submit updates to contact information, check attendance, and submit course requests during scheduling windows via ParentVUE

ParentVUE

How do I get a ParentVUE account?

Parents must apply for a ParentVUE account using an Activation Code that is sent via email to their email account on record with the school. When creating the account, parents will choose their own username and password and can manage this password using the More Options/Forgot Password from the ParentVUE login page.

ParentVUE: Getting Started

How do I access ParentVUE?

ParentVUE is available via a web browser or via an app for your phone or tablet available in the Google Play Store and Apple Store.
Note that functionality is limited in the app version, so it is suggested to use the web version when possible.

Login to ParentVUE

Who do I contact for help or support?

  • If you are trying to create your account and cannot locate your activation code and need assistance with obtaining a new one, please contact your school directly.

  • If you have an account already but have forgotten your password, you can create a new one by clicking on More Options/Forgot Password from the  ParentVUE login page.

Canvas

What is Canvas?

Canvas is the learning management system for both in-person and virtual learners.  

Canvas Login Page for Parents

How can I obtain a Canvas account?

Parents and guardians will have Canvas accounts linked to their student, or multiple students, giving them access to course data, student grades, assignments, events and course interactions. To create parent/guardian accounts (referred to as Observer accounts), you will need a pairing code for your student. Once created, additional pairing codes for other children can be added to your account so you may access the canvas classrooms for all of your students from a single Canvas Observer account.

Information on obtaining pairing codes and creating a Canvas Observer role account can be found on the PWCS Canvas & Zoom webpage.

Note: Parents will not be provided with PWCS Zoom accounts.

How do I get technical support for Canvas Support?

If parents or students are having issues with Canvas, please contact your school and/or teachers for support and troubleshooting.


Staying Connected

Messages Logo

Parents and guardians of students and employees of Prince William County Public Schools are automatically enrol

led in the PWCS Notification service (School Messenger) for phone, text, and email messages. PWCS central office and schools use this system to communicate delayed opening and school-closing information, emergency messages, and to send attendance, meal account balance, and school-based outreach messages. Please don't unsubscribe or block us.

If you are not receiving emails from your school or PWCS, please contact your child's school to check if you unintentionally blocked us or unsubscribed.

Follow us on Social Media

  Facebook
  Twitter
   Instagram @pwcsnews
   SnapChat @pwcsnews
   YouTube

Visit the ;Staying Connected webpage for additional information about PWCS communication.

 

Important Policies, Notices and Documents

View Required Notifications

 

Attendance Policy

Student attendance procedures are in place for the  school to capture accurate attendance records in both an in-person and virtual environment.

You will be asked to acknowledge you have read the PWCS Attendance policy when completing the New School Year Packet online.

ATTENDANCE & EXCUSES(Regulation 724-1)

Virginia law requires that all children of compulsory school attendance age attend school each day that school is in session unless otherwise provided for by School Board policy or Virginia law. It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure that their children attend school regularly. Parents should be aware that attendance officers are authorized to enforce attendance requirements, and to refer students and/or their parents to the courts for legal action, if necessary.

Code of Behavior

Code of Behavior

The  Code of Behavior (COB)  includes important information to guide students and adults toward success in our School Division. It is vital for parents and guardians to understand the policies, responsibilities, expectations, and rules summarized and to emphasize their importance to students. With your help, we can ensure a positive and safe learning environment in all our schools.

A parent or guardian for every student must acknowledge his/her awareness of COB content as required by law under Virginia Code §22 1-279.3. You will be asked to acknowledge you have read the PWCS Code of Behavior when completing the New School Year Packet online in ParentVUE.

Use these “rules of the road” to navigate opportunities and challenges in PWCS, while protecting the health, safety, and rights of PWCS students and staff, and the quality of our learning environment.

Go to Code of Behavior

Other Forms and Documents

Once you have completed the New School Year Packet above, you will want to review the other essential forms and documents you may need to complete and submit to your student's school.

Health/Medical Forms

Required Health Information And Forms For Parents

You will find all necessary forms and guidance needed to update your student's medical information on our Student Health webpage. Medication cannot be administered to any student without appropriate authorization forms completed and on file. Any medication must be provided in a new, sealed container with the completed authorization form. Students may NOT transport medication to and from school. Any medication not meeting the PWCS regulations will not be administered to your student.

Go to Health Forms/Documents

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