Arlington Public Schools | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published January 18, 2022 at 7:30AM | Updated January 18, 2022 at 8:13AM

Snow being plowed (Flickr pool photo by Wolfkann)

Weekend Snowfall Total — From the Capital Weather Gang: “Observer at Reagan National Airport reports 2.6 inches, pushing Jan. total to 12.2″ – most since 2016 and more than double the norm. Most of the immediate area saw 1.5 to 3 inches.” [Twitter]

Long-time Hospital CEO Retiring — “Virginia Hospital Center ‘was quite a different place’ when Jim Cole arrived in 1985, he recalls… Now 37 years later, Cole is getting ready to retire from one of the area’s only independently owned hospitals — for real, this time after delaying his planned departure in 2020 to remain at the helm through the Covid-19 pandemic.” [Washington Business Journal]

Schools

JUST IN: APS says masks still required for students, despite Youngkin’s order

By ARLnow.com

Published January 15, 2022 at 7:25PM | Updated January 18, 2022 at 2:08AM

A discarded face mask in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 7:40 p.m.) Students and parents are in the middle of a tug-of-war between Arlington Public Schools and newly-inaugurated Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

One of the Republican’s first acts today (Saturday) after succeeding now-former Gov. Ralph Northam (D) was issuing eleven executive actions, including one that allows parents to “elect for their children not to be subject to any mask mandate in effect at the child’s school or educational program.”

Schools

APS brings athletics back early, changes Covid guidelines during surge in cases

By Brandi Bottalico

Published January 13, 2022 at 11:45AM

(Updated at noon) Arlington Public Schools is bringing athletics back early and reducing quarantine periods, despite more than a thousand Covid cases reported among students and staff this past week.

Starting next week, the school system will adopt revised CDC guidance, Superintendent Francisco Durán wrote in an email to the school community Wednesday. The isolation period for staff members who test positive will be halved to five days. The new guidelines also reduced the quarantine period to five days for a student or staff member who is considered a close contact to someone who tested positive.

News

Morning Notes

By Brandi Bottalico

Published January 12, 2022 at 7:30AM

Athletics Ban Not Consistent with County — “Arlington’s newest School Board member opened her tenure by intimating that, if the county school system’s ban on athletics and extracurricular activities is extended past its current Jan. 14 deadline or resurrected later, the county government should follow suit and shut down park programs for adults.” [Sun Gazette]

Universal Basic Income in Arlington? — “Every Arlingtonian, rich and poor alike, could be given $550 a month, leaving few families below the poverty line, if the property tax rate were tripled. The net income of a family of four living in a house worth less than $1.36 million would be higher, as this UBI dividend would exceed the increase in tax.” [Greater Greater Washington]

News

“Pajama Mama” and the book bus are helping young Arlingtonians read

By Matt Blitz

Published January 11, 2022 at 3:30PM

Jennifer Sauter-Price with R.E.A.D's book bus (staff photo by Matt Blitz)

Kids dance around tables full of books outside of Arlington Science Focus Elementary School on an overcast December afternoon. There are stories in Spanish, books about Black history, and novels about being the next president, all waiting to be picked up and read.

And parked a few feet away from the book fair is a bright blue “book bus” with a dragon painted on the side.

Schools

APS may soon revert to virtual learning on snowy, icy days

By Jo DeVoe

Published January 7, 2022 at 2:30PM

Wakefield High School in the snow (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Snow this week has nearly wiped out Arlington Public Schools’ snow days for the winter.

Two months ago, APS modified its winter weather plans to include six traditional “snow days,” in which school is completely canceled, followed by distance-learning days.

Schools

JUST IN: Arlington schools closed and trash collection cancelled Friday

By ARLnow.com

Published January 6, 2022 at 5:00PM | Updated January 6, 2022 at 5:17PM

Washington-Liberty High School in the snow in 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Your kids and your trash will be staying at home until next week.

Arlington Public Schools just announced that it will be closed for the fifth school day in a row, in anticipation of 2-4 inches of snow overnight. Students have not been in class since before the winter break.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published January 6, 2022 at 7:30AM

Wednesday's sunset in Westover (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

County Covid Testing Booth Still Closed — From Arlington County: “The @curative #COVID19 testing kiosk at Arlington Mill Community Center will be closed tomorrow, Jan 6, due to COVID-related staffing shortages. The kiosks at Court House Plaza and Virginia Highlands Park are scheduled to open at 9 AM. Thank you for your flexibility.” [Twitter]

APS Orders Tests for All Students, Staff — “We have ordered a supply of KN95 masks, particulate filters for an APS provided mask, and at-home rapid antigen test kits for every staff member and student. Supplies for these items are limited but we anticipate them soon and will send additional communication when available.” [Arlington Public Schools]

Schools

JUST IN: APS closed Thursday, citing other school system closures

By ARLnow.com

Published January 5, 2022 at 8:15PM | Updated January 5, 2022 at 8:56PM

(Updated at 8:55 p.m.) Arlington Public Schools will be closed tomorrow because, according to APS, other school systems are also closed.

In an email to families, APS said that local streets are clear of snow and school could open, but the already-announced closure of other Northern Virginia school systems — like Fairfax County, Alexandria and Prince William County — would have an impact on staffing.

Schools

NEW: Arlington students get yet another snow day on Wednesday

By ARLnow.com

Published January 4, 2022 at 6:10PM

Snowy Clarendon on Jan. 3, 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

For the third day in a row, Arlington Public Schools students — and those that follow APS closures, like local preschools — will get another snow day.

The school system announced the closure shortly after 5 p.m., with the possibility of freezing rain in the forecast and with many neighborhood streets still covered in snow and ice.

Schools

APS decision to pause sports and activities causes confusion, backlash

By Jo DeVoe

Published January 4, 2022 at 10:45AM | Updated January 4, 2022 at 2:37PM

A sign in support of Arlington athletes playing amid Omicron concerns outside Syphax Education Center courtesy photo)

(Updated 2:35 p.m.) Some parents and students are pushing Arlington Public Schools to reverse its decision to temporarily halt sports and other extracurricular activities due to COVID-19.

After the snow clears, the majority of APS students will return to their classrooms for in-person learning, but their sports practices and games, band and choir classes and club meetings will be “paused” until Friday, Jan. 14.

Around Town

Photos: Arlington’s largest snowfall since 2019

By Matt Blitz

Published January 4, 2022 at 9:45AM | Updated January 4, 2022 at 10:20AM

Snowy Clarendon in January 2022 (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

For the first time in nearly three years, Arlington experienced a significant snowfall.

Starting very early yesterday morning and finally tapering off in afternoon, preliminary estimates suggest that the county got close to seven inches of snow.