Superintendent’s Nov. 15, 2023 Update

Dear APS Families,

As we look ahead to the holiday break, I am sharing important information about student academic progress and APS inclement weather procedures.

First Quarter Report Cards Available on Friday: Report cards will be posted in ParentVUE on Nov. 17, and you can also request a printed copy from your school. We appreciate your ongoing partnership in supporting student success and look forward to sharing their progress with you. This is a great opportunity to talk with your students about their experiences, celebrate their successes and understand their needs. Here are a few questions you can ask to open a dialogue with your student:

• What courses or subjects are you enjoying the most, and why?
• Are there any areas where you feel you need additional support or have questions?
• Is there a particular project or experience that you found particularly challenging or rewarding?

As we continue to meet every student by name, strength and need, I want to emphasize the importance of regular attendance and its impact on academic success. As we looked at the first quarter, while our schools are making progress, we need continued support from our families and the community, as we currently have around 3,500 APS students, or 13%, who are identified as chronically absent (meaning they have missed 10 percent or more of school days). If your student is healthy, please encourage them to show up to class when school is in session to help them reach their full potential. 

Inclement Weather Procedures: Please review our inclement weather procedures and ensure you have a plan in place with your family in the event we need to close schools or change arrival or dismissal due to weather. Based on the number of minutes available, we have 13 days available for weather events and other unexpected school closures. We will therefore allow for 13 traditional snow days, should we need them due to the weather. If we exceed the 13-day threshold, we will transition to distance learning on any additional snow days to meet our required 990 hours of instructional time and to avoid extending our school year.

Health Reminders and Free COVID Test Kits: Our schools are experiencing an uptick in students coming to school sick as the weather gets colder. Please review this guidance regarding winter illnesses from School Health to help reduce the spread of illness in our schools. As families prepare for increased travel over the holidays, I also want to ensure all families are aware that our school health clinics have an ample supply of COVID-19 test kits available for free to help keep our schools healthy and safe.

I would like to congratulate Miranda Turner who was elected to the Arlington School Board last Tuesday. She will replace outgoing board member Reid Goldstein in the new calendar year. We will honor Mr. Goldstein for his years of service to APS at the Dec. 14 School Board Meeting.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership!

Sincerely,

Dr. Francisco Durán
Superintendent
Arlington Public Schools