Important Schedule Changes: Jan. 10 Now a Teacher Workday; Jan. 17 Now a School Day

Important Schedule Changes: Jan. 10 Now a Teacher Workday; Jan. 17 Now a School Day

Dear ACPS Community,

I want to thank all of you—our families, students, and employees—for your ongoing support and patience as we navigate this challenging period of inclement weather. These disruptions impact all of us in different ways, and I want to acknowledge the stress and challenges they bring to our daily lives and let you know how much we appreciate your patience.

As a community, our priority is clear: Our children, to every safe extent possible, need to be in school, and our children and families need support. We’ve heard your feedback asking us to think creatively about how to get back to learning as soon as possible, and we’re making adjustments to support our students, staff, and families. While the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has been working tirelessly, the unprecedented temperatures have slowed road-clearing efforts. We’re deeply grateful for their hard work, as well as support from our Local Government and first responders, especially as more inclement weather is forecasted for the weekend.

We sincerely appreciate the tireless efforts of our building services and custodial teams, who work hard to ensure our schools are safe and accessible for arrival, entry, and daily use—even under the most challenging conditions.

Additionally, we are grateful for our transportation staff, especially the snow patrol members, who dedicate long hours and take on personal risk to assess road conditions across the County. Their efforts are critical to making informed decisions and communicating with VDOT and Local Government staff to request necessary support and improvements.

Thank you for your rock-solid commitment to keeping us all safe.

In response to our current situation, we’re making the following changes:

  • SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED FOR STUDENTS TOMORROW, JANUARY 10. It remains unsafe for many of our students to be transported to and from our schools.
  • Tomorrow will be a teacher workday. It will be a flexible workday, allowing teachers to work from home or in school buildings starting at 10 a.m. if they are able. This adjustment will minimize the school hours we need to make up later and provide continuity of instruction next week.
  • For 12-month employees, please report to work tomorrow by 10 a.m. if traveling is safe for you. If you are unable to do so, please communicate with your supervisor.
  • Next week’s previously scheduled January 17 teacher workday will now be a school day. This change is to prioritize getting students back in school and to reduce the risk of additional makeup days in the future, given the possibility of further weather-related closures.

We understand that families and staff may have made plans for next week’s long weekend. If this change affects your schedule, we encourage you to contact your principal, who will work with you to accommodate your needs.

Our children need to be in school, and we are committed to finding solutions that support their learning while balancing the challenges this weather presents. Thank you for your understanding, flexibility, and partnership as we work together to meet the needs of our students, families, and employees.

And above all else, please stay safe.

Sincerely,

Dr. Matthew Haas
Superintendent