As
we
have
reached
the
end
of
the
academic
year,
I
would
like
to
begin
this
evening
by
saying,
thank
you.
This
is
not
the
school
year
anyone
expected.
However,
thanks
to
a
remarkable
community
effort
we
made
the
best
of
an
incredibly
difficult
and
unprecedented
situation
to
support
our
students,
families,
and
employees
as
best
as
we
could.
Thank
you
to
our
teachers,
student
learning,
and
student
services
staff,
who
remarkably
transformed
learning
for
our
students
nearly
overnight
and
adjusted
rapidly
to
the
challenges
of
supporting
students
virtually
and
remotely.
Thank
you
to
our
administrators,
who
worked
tirelessly
on
the
many
logistical
challenges,
from
managing
staff
remotely,
to
ensuring
every
student
had
technology,
to
distributing
materials
and
coordinating
diploma
pick-ups.
Thank
you
to
our
support
staff
and
teams
of
dedicated
employees.
All
our
departments
have
been
working
hard
from
distributing
more
than
606,000
meals,
to
technology
and
communications
keeping
us
connected,
to
our
human
resources,
finance,
and
facilities
teams
continuing
critical
work
uninterrupted.
We
not
only
reinvented
public
education,
but
our
finance
staff
reinvented
our
budget,
too.
Thank
you
to
our
students.
This
was
not
an
easy
year,
but
you
persevered
and
demonstrated
great
resilience
in
the
face
of
adversity.
I,
again,
congratulate
our
graduating
class
and
hope
to
see
you
in
person
this
August,
should
conditions
allow.
Thank
you
to
our
families.
Our
parents
and
guardians,
as
always,
are
key
to
the
success
of
our
students,
and
that
is
clearly
demonstrated
this
year.
We
greatly
appreciate
your
flexibility
and
collaboration
as
we
partnered
together
to
support
our
students.
Now
as
we
look
ahead
to
the
next
academic
year
starting
in
August,
we,
only
yesterday
afternoon,
received
guidance
from
the
Governor
and
the
Virginia
Department
of
Education.
I
would
like
to
share
with
you
a
few
key
highlights
from
their
136-page
guidance
and
requirements.
First,
we
assume
that
we
will
be
in
Phase
III
when
school
is
scheduled
to
begin
in
August.
Under
the
State's
requirements,
learning
and
instruction
must
be
provided
for
every
student.
In-person
instruction
can
be
offered
for
all
students;
however,
strict
social
distancing
measures
must
be
implemented.
Virtual
instruction
is
also
an
option
and
so
is
a
hybrid
model
allowing
for
both
in-person
and
virtual.
Remote
learning
exceptions
and
teleworking
should
be
options
for
students
and
staff
who
are
at
a
higher
risk
of
severe
illness.
Under
the
current
CDC
guidelines,
this
includes
anyone
65
and
older,
and
those
persons
with
underlying
health
conditions,
such
as
asthma,
diabetes,
heart
disease,
obesity,
and
those
who
are
immunocompromised
including
those
undergoing
cancer
treatments
or
on
corticosteroids
or
other
immune-weakening
drugs.
Per
the
State
requirements,
mitigation
strategies
may
impact
school
operations
and
student
capacity
limits.
Additional
operational
requirements
mandated
by
the
State
include
physical
distancing,
such
as
keeping
students
six
feet
apart,
gathering
limits
and
other
mitigation
strategies,
including
the
use
of
face
coverings
by
students
and
staff.
The
VDOE
is
requiring
physical
distance
between
children
on
school
buses
when
possible,
including
one
child
per
seat,
every
other
row,
and
limiting
capacity
as
needed
to
optimize
distance
between
passengers.
Children
(such
as
siblings)
living
together
may
sit
together
on
the
bus.
VDOE
and
the
State
are
also
requiring
physical
distancing
of
at
least
6
feet
to
the
greatest
extent
possible
in
all
buildings
and
classrooms.
Other
social
distancing
precautions
should
include,
but
are
not
limited
to,
restricting
mixed
classes
and
closing
or
staggering
the
use
of
communal
spaces
such
as
cafeterias,
and
limiting
outdoor
activities
and
recess
to
50
people,
with
a
priority
on
social
distancing
and
restricting
the
mixing
of
classrooms.
Large
gathering
limits
will
be
determined
by
Executive
Order
in
effect
at
that
time.
According
to
VDOE,
athletics
and
extracurricular
activities
may
continue
with
some
mitigation
measures.
This
includes
limiting
athletes'
contact
with
each
other,
perhaps
only
allowing
for
some
sports
training
rather
than
competitions.
More
guidance
will
be
forthcoming
from
the
State.
Before
entering
Phase
II
or
III,
every
school
in
Virginia
will
be
required
to
submit
to
the
VDOE
a
plan
outlining
their
strategies
for
mitigating
public
health
risk
of
COVID-19.
Additionally,
public
school
divisions
will
be
required
to
submit
a
plan
for
providing
new
instruction
to
all
students
in
the
2020-21
academic
year,
regardless
of
phase
or
the
operational
status
of
the
school
at
the
time.
This
plan
must
also
include
strategies
to
address
learning
lost
due
to
spring
2020
school
closures
and
plans
for
fully
remote
instruction
should
public
health
conditions
require
it.
While
we
agree
that
the
safety
of
students
and
staff
should
be
at
the
forefront,
we
also
recognize
this
guidance
is
a
significant
unfunded
mandate
on
our
School
Division,
and
places
an
immense
challenge
on
our
teachers,
administrators,
staff,
students,
and
families
both
fiscally
and
logistically.
We
also
recognize
that
the
State's
directives
are
not
aligned
to
the
realities
of
our
School
Division's
scale,
scope,
or
budget.
Additionally,
the
physical
distancing,
bus,
and
building
capacity
requirements,
and
health
considerations
of
staff
and
students,
will
unfortunately
make
it
impossible
to
have
all
students
and
staff
in
buildings
at
any
one
time.
Therefore,
we
will
have
to
implement
some
variation
of
distance
learning,
alternating
schedules,
and
telework.
Despite
these
challenges,
we
are
working
hard
to
prepare
for
the
fall.
We
have
a
number
of
plans
that
have
been
taking
shape
over
the
past
few
weeks.
It
is
also
important
to
note,
as
I
have
shared
previously,
PWCS
has
a
number
of
actions
that
were
underway
before
we
received
this
guidance
yesterday.
First,
we
have
multiple
collaborative
teams
comprised
of
school-based
instructional
staff,
including
special
education,
and
English
learning,
as
well
as
school-based
administrators
and
department
leaders,
working
on
development
and
completion
of
plans.
This
includes
development
of
our
PWCS
Return
to
Learn
and
Work
Plan,
as
well
as
a
team
working
on
implementing
our
digital
learning
management
system,
Canvas,
for
this
fall.
We
are
continuing
to
implement
our
digital
equity
plans,
as
well
as
providing
computer
devices
for
students
without
them
at
home,
and
access
to
the
internet
through
a
combination
of
Wi-Fi
parking
lots,
hot
spots,
and
reduced
cost
internet
through
Comcast.
These
plans
take
into
consideration
the
health
and
logistics
challenges
involved,
and
will
be
greatly
shaped
by
the
guidance
we
received
yesterday
afternoon
from
the
State.
Second,
we
will
be
surveying
families
and
staff
in
the
next
two
weeks
to
obtain
further
feedback
on
the
guidance
from
the
State,
as
well
as
to
gain
insights
to
shape
our
final
plans.
It
is
my
hope
to
have
a
more
specific
return
to
learning
update
for
the
School
Board
to
consider
by
mid-July.
I
have
previously
shared
with
you
our
summer
learning
plans
and
they
remain
the
same
virtual
offering,
and
Associate
Superintendent
Goss
will
outline
those
again
in
greater
detail
in
just
a
moment.
I
do
want
the
School
Board
and
community
to
be
aware
that
based
on
the
Governor's
guidance
yesterday,
we
are
developing
plans
to
host
in-person
ACT
in
our
schools
starting
this
July
and
SAT
testing
in
August.
We
will
be
determining
the
protocols
that
will
need
to
be
in
place
in
order
to
do
that
safely.
It
is
also
important
to
acknowledge
as
we
prepare
our
return
to
learning
plans
for
the
fall,
we
must
do
so
with
consideration
for
the
recent
events
occurring
locally
and
nationally.
As
I
continue
to
watch
with
great
sadness
the
events
of
the
past
several
days,
first
and
foremost,
my
heart
breaks
for
George
Floyd,
his
family,
his
friends,
and
all
of
my
fellow
Americans
and
global
citizens
who
have
been
moved
by
the
loss
of
his
life.
For
America
to
flourish,
we
must
stand
behind
the
rights
of
every
person
to
live
and
function
within
our
society
in
a
way
that
is
safe
and
secure.
Recent
events,
locally
and
nationally,
have
shown
that
the
voices
of
many
in
our
community
are
not
being
heard.
As
a
majority-minority
School
Division,
we
must
not
only
celebrate
diversity
and
equity,
we
must
actively
pursue
it
for
all
of
our
more
than
91,500
students.
Furthermore,
we
must
be
vigilant
in
promoting
antiracism.
As
I
announced
last
week,
I
believe
we
must
take
immediate
actions
to
support
antiracism
efforts.
First,
we
will
not
tolerate
hate
in
any
form
in
our
schools.
It
does
not
align
with
the
values
of
our
School
Division.
This
includes
the
symbols
we
choose
to
use
and
allow
in
our
schools,
which
is
why
I
recommend
the
School
Board
pursue
removal
of
Confederate
names
and
symbols
from
our
schools.
Additionally,
I
will
develop
a
community
panel
comprised
of
diverse
voices
from
across
the
county
to
collaborate
on
a
review
of
our
Memorandum
of
Understanding
(MOU)
with
the
Prince
William
County
Police
and
make
recommendations
if
changes
are
needed.
Our
police
department
is
a
critical
partner
to
our
schools
and
our
intent
is
to
strengthen
the
relationship
in
a
positive
manner
for
every
student
and
staff,
and
we
truly
thank
them
for
their
service.
Additionally,
we
will
continue
to
pursue
our
equity
work
well
underway
and
continue
to
provide
training
to
our
staff
to
improve
our
cultural
competency.
In
closing,
it
took
our
entire
community
working
together
to
adjust
to
the
unexpected
pandemic
this
year,
and
I
thank
everyone
for
their
hard
work.
It
will
take
our
entire
community
working
together
to
tackle
the
injustices
and
inequities
of
our
society,
and
we
are
committed
to
doing
so.
Lastly,
it
will
take
all
of
us
together
to
undertake
the
immense
challenges
ahead
this
coming
academic
year
as
we
work
to
return
to
learning.
I
know
the
road
ahead
is
not
easy,
but
I
remain
hopeful
and
optimistic
that
we
will
be
successful,
and
ensure
a
World-Class
Education
for
every
child.