Dr. Noonan’s Back-to-School Update

Dr. Noonan provided a back-to-school update last night focusing on issues around Covid. Much of it was information presented at the school board meeting on August 10, with the new information mostly around masking, sports, lunch time, and transportation (particularly regarding safe routes to Mary Ellen Henderson and Meridian). One thing highlighted multiple times is that when there is a rule difference between vaccinated and unvaccinated persons, proof of vaccination is required. I have provided the timestamps below for most of the topics discussed. There are many parents who do not have the time to keep up with the information that continues to come out regarding Covid and schools, and I appreciate Dr. Noonan’s summary of the plans for this year (note: as always, guidance can change). He will also be holding public office hours starting this year, so if you want to meet Dr. Noonan and ask him questions in-person, you will have that opportunity. 

If elected, I will also hold regular office hours and continue providing these updates. Multiple modes of communication are a great way to get information to the public, and it also provides the opportunity for meaningful conversation. Regularly interacting in multiple ways with the community is a great way to understand the myriad concerns people have and provides the opportunity to respond to those concerns and be open about how decisions are made. Enjoy the last few days of summer vacation. Here’s to a great 2021-22 school year!

Timestamps: 

• Begins

• Discusses the agencies used for guidance

• Dr. Noonan shared his background as an educator, a few tidbits about his interests, and shared that he is now a Falls Church City resident with a 7th grader starting at MEH.

• High vaccination rates in FCC (out of 400 responses to staff survey, only 3 staff responded that they have not been vaccinated

• Discussion of mitigation strategies:

  • Everyone masking indoors. Masking outside optional.

  • 3 feet distance

  • Creating additional space for lunch (such as eating outside)

• Pausing, isolating, and quarantining defined:

  • Pause: pause (around 48-hours) to in-person activity to allow for contact tracing

  • Isolation: applies to positive case and is at least 10 days (determined by health department)

  • Quarantine: applies to anyone exposed to a positive case, 14 days (determined by HD)

  • Due to potential for disruption, students will take school-provided electronic devices home each day

• What happens when adults exposed

  • Vaccinated adults must quarantine if they show symptoms

  • Unvaccinated adults must quarantine regardless of symptoms or masking

• What happens when children exposed

  • Big change: no pause if all parties (positive case and others) are masked and the exposed student is showing NO symptoms

  • See my previous post on the topic

• What about shared materials (goes over sanitizing procedures)

• Temperature checks:

  • Practice varies by school

  • No temperature checks on buses

• Sports

  • For P.E.: mask indoors, no mask outdoors

  • Sporting events: No outdoor masking. No indoor masking for vaccinated student athletes (both FCCPS and opposing teams)). Unvaccinated students must mask indoors.

• Virtual instruction 

  • No separate full-time virtual instruction outside of Hy-C or Virginia virtual for secondary students 

  • Live streaming of core instruction (except for preschool) for students out for Covid reasons or medically homebound. NOTE: This is not concurrent teaching as practiced last year.

• Social/emotional resources 

  • See the July board meeting for more detailed presentation on available resources by school

• Transportation and nutrition 

  • Discussion of safe routes to school

  • Suggested routes to Oak Street Elementary

  • Suggested routes to MEHMS and MHS

• Will vaccines be required for staff/students (not currently)