School Calendar Update**The Giles County School Board has approved changing three regular school days to three early release days over the next two months. They will be Friday, October 29th; Tuesday, November 23rd; and Wednesday, December 8th. Students will be released two hours early on these days. This change is being made now to provide teachers/staff additional time to plan for instruction within their classes due to the additional workload that has been created during the pandemic.
Sept 13, 2021- Return to In-Person Learning UPDATE FROM GCPS:
We want to thank all of our parents and guardians for your patience and understanding during the past three days as we transitioned to virtual learning. We realize the issues that this type of decision causes and do not make these decisions lightly. We also want to commend our staff for getting our virtual learning up and running on short notice. We have heard positive things over the last couple of days about the synchronous instruction that has been occurring.
As of this time, we will be returning to in-person learning on Monday, September 13th. Upon returning, masks will be REQUIRED for everyone within the school building. And, per federal guidelines, masks will continue to be required on school transportation. If someone refuses to wear a mask in school, parents/guardians will be contacted to come pick their child up. Or, if someone continues to refuse to wear a mask on the bus, you may be required to provide transportation for your child. Please keep in mind that things can change quickly which could require us to make changes to this plan. But, again, at this time, we plan on returning to in-person learning on Monday, Sept. 13th.
In addition, moving forward, there may be occasions where we will not be able to provide transportation to students due to a shortage of bus drivers. If this occurs, this information will be conveyed as quickly as possible through our social media pages, as well as local television stations, to let parents know that they will need to provide transportation for their child. We apologize for this inconvenience, but will do everything possible to secure individuals to safely transport our students to school each day.
We want to remind you that if someone is experiencing any of these symptoms – fever of 100 degrees or more, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, fatigue, headache, cough, nausea, loss of smell and/or taste, congestion, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, chest pain, or any other symptoms associated with COVID-19, they need to stay home until symptom-free for 24 hours. In the event that your child is experiencing 1 or more of these symptoms, the health department is encouraging individuals to be tested.
Please encourage your child to follow the mitigation strategies that we have in place, particularly wearing a face covering at all times while in the schools and on school transportation. We will continue to monitor our situation and work with the health department to evaluate situations as they arise. We look forward to having our students back for in-person learning and continuing to provide them a safe learning environment. Thank you and we hope that you have a nice weekend.
Sept 8, 2021 - Virtual Learning: After consulting with the local health department, due to the continued high transmission rate within our communities and the inability to provide the vital functions that are necessary to run a school system effectively and safely (e.g. - providing meals, covering classes and providing in-person instruction, providing bus transportation to our students, etc.), Giles County Public School will be transitioning to Virtual Learning for the remainder of this week (Wednesday through Friday, Sept. 8 - 10). We will continue to reevaluate the staffing issues that we are currently facing and if they improve over the next few days, the goal will be to return to in-person learning on Monday, Sept. 13th under PHASE III of our School Opening plan, where masks will be required for everyone, no exceptions. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to returning to in-person instruction. Thanks.
VA Department of Health Flyers - December 8, 2020
How to Notify Your Contacts
Living With Someone With Covid-19
Isolation and Quarantine
When is it Safe to Be Around Others
What to do if You've Been Exposed to Covid-19
CDC Covid-19 Videos - Main Website
CDC Covid-19 Cloth Face Coverings Do's and Don'ts (30 seconds)
CDC Covid-19 How to Wear a Cloth Face Covering (25 seconds)
CDC Covid-19 Social Distancing (34 seconds)
CDC Covid-19 Follow These Steps to Help Stop the Spread (1 minute)
The following resources are provided for your information:
Fact Sheet: https://printabletemplates.com/coronavirus-factsheet/
VA Dept of Education Frequently Asked Questions & Resources: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/health_medical/office/index.shtml
Additional Resources Following First Cases of COVID-19 in Virginia
April 3, 2020: Superintendent's Letter to Parents
Memo to Parents March 13, 2020 RE: Coronavirus
VDOE Memo: Covid-19 A Parent Guide to School Aged-Children
VDOE Website Resources
Coronavirus Update & Information
Memo to Parents - March 13, 2020
March 23, 2020: Governor Northam made the announcement ordering that schools in the Commonwealth of Va. be closed for the remainder of the school year. DOE will be providing us more information in the coming days regarding graduation, credits, GPA, and continuity of learning. I know that you have as many questions as we do at this time, but as we receive information and are able to develop plans to move forward, we will pass this information along to you. If you have any questions, please let us know. Thanks.
Dear Families,
An outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a novel (new) coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, has caused an outbreak of respiratory illness and the United States has confirmed a handful of coronavirus cases related to travel. I want to assure you that our school district is keeping track of this situation through proven and trustworthy sources: our local health department, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These health officials believe the risk to our school community is low at this time.
Updated information from the CDC on coronavirus in the United States can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. The most recent information about coronavirus in Virginia may be found at http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/
Much is being learned about this newly emerged virus. Based on the current information, health officials are recommending local communities and schools should take the same steps to protect against coronavirus as we take to prevent the spread of everyday illnesses like the common cold or the flu:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with the inside of your elbow when you cough or sneeze.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
The 2019 novel coronavirus is believed to be spread through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, much in the way the flu and other respiratory viruses are spread. Symptoms can be fever, cough, or difficulty breathing. At this time, persons considered at risk are those with travel to China, or these in close contact with persons infected with novel coronavirus.
While a new type of illness can be scary, we can protect our students, teachers, and the broader community by using simple everyday actions that protect people from other types of respiratory viruses. Our teachers, school nurses, and staff are working carefully to encourage these simple and effective habits of frequent handwashing, covering every cough or sneeze, and cleaning classroom tables/surfaces frequently. This is important not just to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, but to help prevent the spread of other infections that can lead to student illness and absences.
Thank you for your support of our district, our schools, our students and our teachers and staff.
If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me.
Sincerely.
Jesse L Glover, RN
Giles County School Health Coordinator
540-921-1421 ext. 19
[email protected]