Para la traducción, presione el ícono de persona / accesibilidad a la derecha, luego seleccione "Translate Newsletter", y elija 'Spanish' u otro idioma en el que desee leer el boletín virtual. / እባክዎ በቀኝ በኩል ያለውን ሰው የተደራሽነት አዶን ይጫኑ ፣ ከዚያ ‹ Translate Newsletter › ን ይምረጡ ፣ ከዚያ ‹ጽሁፉን/መጽሔት› ን ለማንበብ የሚፈልጉትን ‹Amharic' › ወይም ሌላ ቋንቋ ይምረጡ ፡፡ / Please press the person/accessibility icon on the right, then select "Translate Newsletter", then choose your preferred language.

We appreciate your patience during this challenging time for EVERYONE. We are committed to keeping the health and safety of our students as top priority, which is why, in light of the surge in COVID cases before Winter Break, Meridian was among the first schools to prepare to test every student, staff and contractor before allowing anyone to enter our school buildings in January. Meridian DOES NOT have the option to offer virtual instruction indefinitely or to every family that wants virtual instruction. OSSE currently allows all public schools in DC “Situational Virtual Instruction” up to 10 days for specific grade levels or classes based on student and staff quarantine levels. We cannot safely open the building on Monday, January 10 due to inclement weather Friday (1.7) and COVID testing delays.

Wednesday, January 12 in-person instruction resumes

• Students with a submitted negative COVID test (PCR taken on/after Monday 1/10, or rapid taken on Tuesday, January 11) can report at their normal time if results are submitted by 2 PM on Tuesday, January 11
  
• Students who do not submit a COVID test by 2 PM on Tuesday, January 11 can not report to the building until 9:00 am. All students who do not submit a rapid test will take a rapid test on-site between 9:00 am and 9:30 am.
• A parent or guardian MUST BE PRESENT with the student to administer the rapid test. Meridian staff cannot administer rapid tests to students.
• No Beforecare. Due to the high number of students we have to process for entry we cannot offer before care.
  
• Aftercare at the ES - YMCA and MOMIES plan to have in-person aftercare on Wednesday and for the rest of the week.
• Family Teacher Conferences will be held virtually (on Zoom) from 2:00 - 6:30 PM; please reach out to your child's teacher to schedule.
• Parent led meeting on parent advocacy to local school/city officials at 6:00 PM (not an official Meridian meeting). Please see "The Parent Platform" event below for more details.

In-person instruction will continue for students with a negative COVID test. Beforecare and aftercare programs will also continue. Students who did not take a rapid test or PCR test will be required to take one prior to resuming in-person instruction.

All students must provide proof of a negative COVID test to return to in-person instruction. Families may opt-out of this testing (forms are below). If you opt-out of testing at Meridian, you are still required to provide test results for your student. You can provide your own rapid test (like those provided by DC Public Libraries, or purchased in drugstores) or get a PCR test on your own. Submit results to covid-notifications@meridian-dc.org.

Please be mindful of the “Test no earlier than” dates communicated. For planned building entry on 1/12/22, you should submit test results:

• from a PCR test taken NO EARLIER THAN MONDAY, JANUARY 10
  
• from a rapid test taken NO EARLIER THAN TUESDAY, JANUARY 11
  
• Submit results BY 2:00 PM ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 11 so we can make informed decisions about which classrooms/grades/campus will be able to have in-person or virtual instruction for the week.
  

We strongly encourage all families to have students take a PCR test on or after Monday, January 10.

• Free PCR tests will be administered at the ES and MS campus on Monday, January 10. See schedule above.
• DO NOT EAT OR DRINK 1 HOUR BEFORE THE PCR TEST PROVIDED BY MERIDIAN.
• You may submit results from PCR tests taken at other locations as long as the test was taken on/after Monday, January 10. Rapid tests will also be available for pick up.
• Meridian has decided to partner with ShieldT3 for COVID testing this year. ShieldT3 uses a saliva-based PCR test to detect COVID in samples. The videos in English and Spanish below explain how saliva samples are collected.

All students may pick up rapid tests on Monday or Tuesday. See schedule above.

• Students should take rapid test on Tuesday, January 11 (do NOT take before Tuesday).
• Results must be submitted by 2:00 pm on Tuesday, January 11 for on-time entry into the building on-time on Wednesday, January 11.
• You may use a rapid test received at another location (public library, purchased from store). Families can pick up a free rapid test at select DC public libraries and fire stations. See https://coronavirus.dc.gov/rapidantigen
• Meridian has a limited supply of rapid tests--only 1 rapid test kit per student. If you pick up a rapid test kit on Monday or Tuesday, there will not be a rapid test available for the student for entry later in the week.

• Each rapid test kit includes written instructions in English and Spanish,

  and links to videos in English and in Spanish on how to perform the test.

• Once the test is finished
• put the test result on top of the COVID TEST SUBMISSION SHEET
• Make sure to fill out student name, grade, date, and time
• Take a photo of the result
• Submit the photo by email to covid-notifications@meridian-dc.org (preferred) or by text to 202-873-3115
• Don't have a Test Submission Sheet? Download and print the Test Submission Sheet here.
• You can put multiple students' test results into one photo, just make sure the student name, grade, date/time of test are clear for each student.

Student COVID testing Opt-Out model effective January 3, 2022. All students will be tested at Meridian unless signed Opt-Out form submitted to Meridian.

• Opt out of school-based testing form in English - bit.ly/ENOptOut21
  
• Opt out of school-based testing form in Spanish (español) - bit.ly/esOptOut21
  
• Opt out of school-based testing form in Amharic (አማርኛ) - bit.ly/AMOptOut21
  
• Opt out of school-based testing form in Tigrinya (ትግርኛ) - bit.ly/TIOptOut21
  

We hope to test ALL students and staff weekly, at least through this current surge of cases. Families opting out of school COVID testing for students may be expected to provide provide weekly PCR COVID test results before their students will be allowed in the building.

Based on feedback from families during the spring and summer 2021 concerned about COVID testing at school, Meridian opened this school year with optional COVID testing at school (opt-in), meaning that families had to sign consent forms for students to be eligible in any part of school based testing. Since this policy was announced, the District shifted to an opt-out model for testing to increase student testing rates, meaning families have to opt-out of testing. Meridian did not change from opt-in to opt-out in September when the District allowed school to move to opt-out.

With opt-in WE RECEIVED CONSENT TO TEST LESS THAN 20% OF STUDENTS. Asymptomatic student testing has identified a total of 4 cases during the school year, including 3 in December. The District is requiring schools to test at least 20% of staff and students.

Due to the the uptick of cases, on December 17, Meridian changed to “Opt-Out” COVID testing, which means ALL students are now automatically eligible for COVID testing at school, unless families sign forms for their children to be excluded.

Requiring negative COVID tests from all students, staff and contractors before they enter the building on 1/10/22 will reduce (but cannot eliminate) the risk of COVID spread inside our building. We plan to offer testing of ALL students, staff and contractors at least weekly through this surge.

If someone in the student’s household has tested positive for COVID during winter break, the student is likely a close contact. If the student is not FULLY VACCINATED, they should quarantine for 10 days. Do not send students to school that have not completed quarantine!

Send an email to covid-notifications@meridian-dc.org so your child’s attendance can be updated. Please include:

• Date of Exposure to the positive household member or when symptoms start

• Date of test by positive household member

• Date received test results

• Copy of test results

• Has this been reported to DOH?

• Any student or staff that tested positive between October 14, 2021 (90 days before January 12) and January 2, 2022, do not need to submit a negative PCR test in order to return on January 12 if the student or staff has been symptom-free for at least 10 days. Please send proof of prior positive test result to covid-notifications@meridian-dc.org

• If your student tested positive on or after January 2, 2022, you must abide by the mandatory 10-day quarantine period for schools currently in place in the District of Columbia.

To access virtual learning without a quarantine requirement, individual students must have one of the following four OSSE Medical Consent and Certification for Distance Learning Forms on file with Meridian’s enrollment team (submit to enrollment@meridian-dc.org).

• Student Condition, Distance Learning Required - This form is for students with a medical condition for which distance learning is required, as certified by a licensed physician or nurse practitioner.

• English - bit.ly/3F0Y3em

• Español - bit.ly/32Yr4dr

• Amharic (አማርኛ) - bit.ly/3eZPXI5

• Student Condition, Distance Learning Recommended - This form is for students with a medical condition for which distance learning is recommended, as certified by a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant. Only those students that are ineligible for a vaccine authorized for use in the United States to prevent COVID-19 are eligible.

• English - bit.ly/3t4BcMv

• Español - bit.ly/3G64vlm

• Amharic (አማርኛ) - bit.ly/3HIeFJm

• Household Member Condition, Distance Learning Recommended - This form is for household members that have a medical condition for which a licensed physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant recommends the student in the same household have access to distance learning. Only those students that are ineligible for a vaccine authorized for use in the United States to prevent COVID-19 are eligible.

• English - bit.ly/3pZ1ttJ

• Español - bit.ly/3G1RMjN

• Amharic (አማርኛ) - bit.ly/3t4Male

• Students Possibly Subject to Educational Neglect - This form is for students whose parent(s) or guardian(s) have been reported to the Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) or the Family Court Social Services Division of the District of Columbia Courts (FCSSD) due to possible educational neglect of the student. L

• English - bit.ly/3n3HQyO

• Español - bit.ly/3zyLd5R

• Amharic (አማርኛ) - bit.ly/32Wi095

These forms are also available in French (Français), Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt), Korean (한국어), and Chinese (中文); please contact enrollment@meridian-dc.org or visit the OSSE website.

Please submit the completed medical exemption forms to enrollment@meridian-dc.org for review and approval.

We know that students learn best when they are in-person with their teacher(s). Our teachers and support staff are most effective when they can be with your student in-person.

• All students in the District of Columbia are required to attend school in-person unless s/he/they have an approved medical exemption.

• Students who do not attend school in person will be considered unexcused absent.

• Students in grades K-8 who miss ten (10) or more days unexcused are considered truant. Meridian is required by DC law to report students who are truant to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and Child and Family Services (CFSA) for educational neglect.

• Students who miss 20 or more consecutive days (unexcused) will be withdrawn.

• Mayor’s Office - eom@dc.gov, (202) 727-2643

• Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education - dme@dc.gov, (202) 727-3636

• OSSE Superintendent - osse.superintendent@dc.gov,

• Your City Council Members: visit https://dccouncil.us/councilmembers/ for the full list and contact details for the 13 members of the DC Council

• Office of the Student Advocate (within the State Board of Education) - student.advocate@dc.gov, (202) 741-4692

• Your State Board of Education Representatives:

• Ward 1 - Emily Gasoi: emily.gasoi@dc.gov , Twitter @emilygasoi

• Ward 2 - Allister Chang: allister.chang1@dc.gov, Twitter @AllisterSBOE
• Ward 3 - Ruth Wattenberg: ruth.wattenberg@dc.gov, Twitter @Ruth4Schools
• Ward 4 - Frazier O’Leary: Frazier.OLeary@dc.gov, Twitter @ForOleary
• Ward 5 - Zachary Parker: zachary.parker@dc.gov, Twitter @ZACHARYSBOE5
• Ward 6 - Jessica Sutter: jessica.sutter@dc.gov, Twitter @jessicasutterW6
• Ward 7 - Eboni-Rose Thompson: eboni-rose.thompson@dc.gov, Twitter @Eboni_RoseDC
• Ward 8 - Carlene Reid: carlene.reid@dc.gov, Twitter @CarleneDReid
• At Large - Jacque Patterson: jacque.patterson@dc.gov, Twitter @JacquePatters17
• A Meridian parent was moved to act after our Family Town Hall last week and is organizing a meeting on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 at 6 PM (see details below) for parents to encourage as many parents as possible to participate in different school board meetings coming up this month and find ways to let city leaders know what is wanted by parents and what is best for the kids--that is simply the option to choose: virtual for those who want it and in-person for those who need it, until the COVID case numbers begin to drop.

• Technology Agreement (agreement that parent/guardian must complete in order to borrow a Meridian tablet or Chromebook for their student to use at home during SY21-22) - bit.ly/MPCSdevice22
• How to Connect your Meridian Fire Tablet to Schoology (English/Spanish)
• Chromebook FAQ (English/Spanish)
• How to Connect Fire Tablet to Wifi (English/Spanish)
• Need access to free/low-cost internet at home? Please contact your child's teacher who will make a referral to the Family Center to follow up with you directly by phone. Meridian will assist families with applying for free internet with Comcast (or another provider) where Meridian will pay the bill for the school year or we will issue a hotspot (VERY LIMITED number of hotspots available) to those who don't qualify for residential interent.

Meridian strongly encourage all students ages 5 and over to be vaccinated. Vaccination is free at locations throughout the District. Walk-up clinics are available daily (see schedule above). You may find other vaccination clinics at https://coronavirus.dc.gov/page/get-vaccinated Students who are vaccinated and asymptomatic do not have to quarantine if they are a close contact to a COVID-19 positive individual.

• At this time, ALL CHILDREN age 5 and up ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE COVID VACCINATIONS.

• Since the fall, in all schools in the city, students age 12+ participating in any athletics are required to be vaccinated.

• In December, DC passed a law requiring COVID vaccination of ALL eligible students within 70 days of their date of eligibility. Enforcement begins NEXT school year (see images below).

• Beginning January 15, 2022, DC will adopt a city wide vaccination entry requirement for everyone age 12+ (VaxDC) that requires COVID-19 vaccination to enter indoor facilities (Restaurants, Nightclubs, Taverns, Coffee shops, Food halls, Movie Theaters, Bowling Alleys, Concerts, Live events/sporting venues, gyms/fitness venues, etc.) within the city.

• January 15, 2022: one dose for ages 12+
• February 15, 2022: fully vaccinated for ages 12+

• Send proof of COVID vaccination for your child to data@meridian-dc.org as soon as possible.

FACT SHEETS ON COVID VACCINATION FROM DC HEALTH

• DCHealth's Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccination FAQ

• PROTECT YOURSELF. Get the COVID-19 vaccine.
  

• PROTÉJASE. Vacúnese contra COVID-19

• Video in English explaining new schedule (without FAQ) - bit.ly/3JOJL43
  
• Video in English explaining new schedule, with FAQ/other details - bit.ly/3HF3eCe
  
• Video in Spanish explaining new schedule (without FAQ) - bit.ly/3taFQZp
• Video in Spanish on Frequently Asked Questions/other details - bit.ly/3r1tzUl

Monday, January 10 will be a virtual asynchronous day (no live class on Zoom, students complete assignments on Schoology) to allow for staff and student testing. Rapid test pick-up for all students. See schedule below for times.

• PCR testing (free) for all students. See schedule by grade level. DO NOT EAT OR DRINK 1 HOUR BEFORE.
  
• Rapid test pick up.
• Meals pick up available from 9:30 am - 1:30 pm
  
• Tech pick up available only at the Elementary School from 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM
  

K-5 Afterschool (3:45-4:45 PM): Break the Norm Leadership will be offering a 1 hour Leadership themed class during afterschool on Monday 1/10 and Tuesday 1/11 from 3:45 - 4:45pm. If your Kinder - 5th grader is interested in participating, please have them log on promptly at 3:45p. Please send any questions to rachel@breakthenormleadership.com

• Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9799577148

• Zoom Meeting ID: 979 957 7148

Tuesday, January 11 will be a virtual synchronous instruction (log on to Schoology at 8:30 AM for live lessons on Zoom).

• Rapid test pick-up for all grades at the ES campus only from 8:30a - 2:00p (see schedule below)
  
• All students must submit results from a PCR test taken on Monday, January 10 or a RAPID test result taken on Tuesday, January 11 to covid-notifications@meridian-dc.org or text to 202-873-3115 BY 2:00 PM!
• Meal pick up from Elementary School from 9:30 - 1:30
• Technology pick up from Elementary School from 8:30a -2:00p.

K-5 Afterschool (3:45-4:45 PM): Break the Norm Leadership will be offering a 1 hour Leadership themed class during afterschool on Monday 1/10 and Tuesday 1/11 from 3:45 - 4:45pm. If your Kinder - 5th grader is interested in participating, please have them log on promptly at 3:45p. Please send any questions to rachel@breakthenormleadership.com

• Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9799577148

• Zoom Meeting ID: 979 957 7148