2022-2023 School Year - Back to School Guide

  • School Year 2022-2023  - Welcome Back!

    Welcome back to the 2022-2023 school year. We know that it will be an amazing year for students! 

    We look forward to bringing the entire AACPS school family back together again for in-person instruction. Below you will find information and resources for families as you prepare for the new school year and as we navigate the waters together throughout this school year. Included is information related to health and safety, back-to-school needs, student learning and bus schedules, technology, and free tutoring.

     Attention
    Middle & High Families

    Please have your Student take advantage of our Free Virtual Tutoring [Offered 5 Nights Weekly] 

    Tutoring begins the week of 9/19/22
     
    www.aacps.org/tutoring


  • COVID-19 Protocols and Guidance

    This information is likely to change regularly as measures to battle the COVID-19 pandemic are updated and enhanced. Please check this page often.

     

    Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) and the Anne Arundel County Department of Health (AADOH) remain in continual contact regarding issues surrounding COVID-19. The following protocols, arrived at after consultation with the AADOH in light of the latest guidance from the CDC, are in place for the 2022-2023 school year.

     

    MASKING: Except under conditions stipulated below that relate to person returning to school or work after testing positive for COVID-19, masking remains optional for all students and staff. Staff and students should be respectful of the decision of any other person to mask or not mask. There will be absolutely no tolerance for anyone who wishes to intimidate, tease, or bully anyone else for their choice of whether to wear a mask or not.

     

    POSITIVE TESTS: In addition to seeking appropriate medical care for anyone who tests positive, families of students who test positive for COVID-19 should notify their student’s school administration and school nurse as soon as possible. Employees who test positive must notify their supervisor as soon as possible and complete the employee self-reporting form found at www.aacps.org/covidselfreport. Anyone testing positive on an at-home rapid test should also report the result through the Maryland Department of Health self-reporting link at https://covidlink.maryland.gov/content/testing/if-you-test-positive/?#report.


    ISOLATION:
    Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 must isolate for five days and may not attend school or work during that time. Following the isolation period, individuals may return to school or work on Day 6 (with Day 0 being the date of the positive test for someone who had no symptoms or the date of the onset of symptoms for someone who was symptomatic) under the following conditions:

    • Without a mask if they have a negative test on Day 5 or later.
    • With a mask if they have not taken a subsequent test but have completed the five-day isolation period.
    • Without a mask after 10 days (no test is needed in this case).

    In all of the above scenarios, a person returning to school or work must have improving symptoms and be fever-free without the aid of medication for at least 24 hours.

     

    QUARANTINE: The guidance from the CDC, Maryland Department of Health, and Anne Arundel County Department of Health no longer suggests a need for individuals who are close contacts of a COVID-positive person to quarantine provided those individuals are asymptomatic. 

     

    OUTBREAKS: AACPS and the Department of Health will continue to monitor and inform families about cohort and school outbreaks of COVID-19. 

     

    A cohort outbreak is declared by the Department of Health when there are three or more test-confirmed COVID-19 cases among students/teachers/staff in a specified group with onsets (or, if asymptomatic, collection dates) within a 10-day period, and when those persons who are positive are epidemiologically linked in the school setting but not household contacts.

     

    A school outbreak is declared by the Department of Health when there are five or more classrooms or cohorts with cases from separate households that meet the cohort outbreak definition that occurs within 10 days; or 5 percent or more of unrelated students/teachers/staff in a school have test-confirmed COVID-19 within a 10-day period (minimum of 10 unrelated students/teachers/staff). 

     

    Decisions on any impacts to the normal instructional schedule in the case of a declared outbreak will be made on case-by-case basis and will be determined by the specifics of that case. As was the case at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, among the possibilities with regard to school outbreaks are distribution of test kits and a request for optional masking as well as a shift to virtual instruction.

     

    TESTING: AACPS is not utilizing a “vaccination or test” program for any students or employees in the 2022-23 school year. School nurses have test kits available in school health rooms for students or employees who become symptomatic at school or work.

     

    SYMPTOMS: Symptoms of COVID-19 can range from muscle or body aches to fever, chills, and trouble breathing. Click here for a list of symptoms and more guidance from the Anne Arundel County Department of Health. Anyone experiencing symptoms of an infectious illness such as COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), gastrointestinal infections, or any other serious illness should remain home from school or work  until their symptoms improve and they are fever-free without the aid of medication for at least 24 hours. They do not need a negative COVID-19 test to return to school or work.  It is recommended, however, that persons with symptoms of COVID-19 be tested. If the test is negative, individuals may return when symptoms have improved, no fever for 24 hours without medication, and applicable criteria in the Communicable Diseases Summary have been met.  

     

    VACCINATIONS: AACPS and the AADOH continue to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for all eligible persons. Neither vaccinations nor boosters are required for students to attend school or employees to work in AACPS facilities. Vaccinations are readily available at most medical offices and pharmacies. For more information about AADOH-sponsored clinics, click here.

     

    QUESTIONS? Call the Anne Arundel County Department of Health COVID-19/Monkeypox Health Line at 410-222-7256 or consult your family physician.

  • Monkeypox Information

    This information is likely to change regularly as measures to battle the COVID-19 pandemic are updated and enhanced. Please check this page often.

     

    Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) and the Anne Arundel County Department of Health (AADOH) have discussed – and continue to discuss – issues related to the monkeypox virus.

     

    WHAT IS MONKEYPOX? According to the CDC, monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus is part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and monkeypox is rarely fatal. Monkeypox is not related to chickenpox. More information on the virus can be found here.

     

    SYMPTOMS: Symptoms of monkeypox can include a rash, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue and muscle aches, headache, and respiratory issues. Anyone experiencing any symptoms of monkeypox or any other serious illness should remain home from school or work until the symptoms subside and they are fever-free without the aid of medication for at least 24 hours.

     

    AACPS PRECAUTIONS: On the advice of the AADOH, AACPS continues its standard cleaning protocols, which include regular cleaning of high-touch surfaces in schools and offices. No specialized cleaning measures have been advised at this time. 


    POSITIVE TESTS: In addition to seeking appropriate medical care for anyone who tests positive, families of students who test positive for monkeypox should report the test result to the Anne Arundel County Department of Health at 410-222-7256 and notify their student’s school administration and school nurse as soon as possible. Employees who test positive should report the test result to the Anne Arundel County Department of Health at 410-222-7256 and must notify their supervisor as soon as possible. Anyone who tests positive for monkeypox should  adhere to medical direction as to treatment and any isolation, and should remain out of school or work until receiving medical clearance to return.


    QUARANTINE: Families of students who are identified as having been exposed to monkeypox will be contacted by the Department of Health and provided with guidance on what to do next, including what symptoms to look for that require medical attention. Most children can attend school and other school-related activities even if they have had close contact with someone with monkeypox. The Department of Health will provide specific guidance should an exposure occur.

    QUESTIONS? Call the Anne Arundel County Department of Health COVID-19/Monkeypox Health Line at 410-222-7256 or consult your family physician.



  • It's About More Than Lunch
    Se trata de más que el almuerzo

    Download brochure through the link above to find out what happens when you submit the annual meal application, including:

    • Free or reduced-price opportunities with select community partners.
    • Free or reduced-price fees for SAT, ACT, AP, and CTE exams as well as college applications.
    • Free or reduced-price internet service  ...and much more 
      It's about more than lunch - picture representation of pdf brochure to download above