Camp Springs Civic Association

Dear Prince George’s County Public Schools Community,

From the beginning of the pandemic, the safety of our students and staff has been my top priority as we navigate these unprecedented times. With the arrival of a COVID-19 vaccine, I am encouraging all Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) employees to get vaccinated for their own safety and that of the children and families we serve. 

The school system is working in collaboration with the Prince George’s County Health Department and Kaiser Permanente to provide employee vaccinations starting this weekend for about six to eight weeks. During this time, virtual learning may consist of some classes that are asynchronous, rather than live, to accommodate employees who are getting vaccinated. Your child’s teacher will notify you of any changes in the learning schedule and I ask for your patience and understanding while staff takes part in this critical process.

As we all embark on this next phase of the fight against COVID-19, please use trusted information sources. We continue to assess our options for resuming in-person instruction this spring. As shared in my previous communication, I will provide an update on reopening PGCPS in mid-February. In the meantime, please visit the PGCPS website for details about virtual learning and educational resources.  

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the PGCPS community has shown that we are in this together. I have greatly appreciated the support you have shown during these difficult times.

Sincerely,

Monica Goldson, Ed.D.
Chief Executive Officer

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Actualización sobre las vacunas de los empleados de PGCPS

Estimada comunidad de las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Prince George:

Desde el inicio de la pandemia, la seguridad de nuestros estudiantes y personal ha sido mi principal prioridad al navegar estos tiempos sin precedentes. Con la llegada de la vacuna contra la COVID-19, exhorto a todos los empleados de las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Prince George (PGCPS) a vacunarse, por su propia seguridad y la de los niños y las familias a las que servimos.

El sistema escolar está trabajando en colaboración con el Departamento de Salud del Condado de Prince George y Kaiser Permanente para proporcionar vacunas a los empleados durante las seis a ocho semanas, aproximadamente, a partir de este próximo fin de semana. Para acomodar a empleados que van a vacunarse, puede que ciertas clases se enseñen de manera asincrónica (pregrabada), en vez de en vivo. El maestro de sus hijos les notificará de cualquier cambio en el horario de aprendizaje, y les pido paciencia y comprensión mientras el personal participa en este proceso fundamental.

Mientras todos nos embarcamos en esta próxima fase de lucha contra la COVID-19, por favor acudan a fuentes de información confiables. Continuamos evaluando nuestras opciones para reanudar la instrucción en persona esta primavera. Como mencioné en mi última comunicación, enviaré información actualizada sobre la reapertura de PGCPS a mediados de febrero. Mientras tanto, por favor, visiten el sitio web de PGCPS para obtener detalles sobre el aprendizaje virtual y los recursos educativos. 

Desde el inicio de la pandemia de la COVID-19, la comunidad de PGCPS ha demostrado que estamos en esto juntos. Agradezco mucho el apoyo que me han brindado durante estos tiempos difíciles.

Atentamente,

Monica Goldson, Ed.D.
Directora ejecutiva

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Mise à jour sur les vaccinations des employés de PGCPS

Chère communauté des Écoles publiques du comté de Prince George,

Depuis le début de la pandémie, la sécurité de nos élèves et de notre personnel a été ma priorité absolue alors que nous traversons une période sans précédent. Avec l’arrivée d’un vaccin COVID-19, j’encourage tous les employés des Écoles publiques du comté de Prince George (PGCPS) à se faire vacciner pour leur propre sécurité, celle des enfants et des familles que nous servons.

Le système scolaire travaille en collaboration avec le Département de la santé du comté de Prince George et Kaiser Permanente pour vacciner les employés à partir de ce week-end pendant six à huit semaines. Pendant cette période, l’apprentissage virtuel peut consister en quelques cours asynchrones, plutôt qu’en direct, afin d’accommoder les employés qui se font vacciner. L’enseignant de votre enfant vous informera de tout changement dans le calendrier d’apprentissage et je vous demande de faire preuve de patience et de compréhension pendant que le personnel participe à ce processus essentiel.

Alors que nous nous lançons tous dans cette nouvelle phase de la lutte contre le COVID-19, nous vous invitons à utiliser des sources d’information fiables. Nous continuons à évaluer nos options pour reprendre l’enseignement en personne ce printemps. Comme je l’ai indiqué dans ma précédente communication, je ferai le point sur la réouverture de PGCPS à la mi-février. En attendant, veuillez consulter le site web de PGCPS pour plus de détails sur l’apprentissage virtuel et les ressources éducatives.

Depuis le début de la pandémie du COVID-19, la communauté de PGCPS a montré que nous sommes ensemble dans cette situation. J’ai beaucoup apprécié le soutien que vous nous avez apporté en ces temps difficiles.

Cordialement,

Monica Goldson, Ed.D.
Directrice exécutive

The Prince George’s County Board of Education invites you to share your comments on the proposed Fiscal Year 2022 Operating Budget. 

A Budget Work Session will be held at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 2, followed by a public hearing at 7 p.m. 

You may register to speak on a first-come, first-served basis until 3 p.m. the day of the public hearing. Each speaker will receive three minutes to provide testimony. Please request a speaking slot online for the hearing.

Registration is not required to attend the hearings.

Tuesday, February 2

The Board will discuss the following departments/divisions: Academics, Chief of Staff, CEO, and School Support & Leadership.

Budget Work Session | Zoom Virtual Meeting, passcode: 271288

Budget Public Hearing | Zoom Virtual Meeting, passcode: 361538

FY2022 Proposed Operating Budget Public Hearing Registration Form

Community members observing this Board of Education public hearing may access Spanish simultaneous interpretation by clicking the globe at the bottom of the Zoom screen and selecting “Spanish.”  Consecutive interpreting services are available for Spanish-speaking parents and community members who sign up in advance to provide testimony.

More information about the work sessions and hearings is available on the Board of Education webpage.

Visit the Budget webpage to view the CEO’s Proposed FY2022 Operating Budget, learn about the budget timeline and more.

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La Junta de Educación del Condado de Prince George los invita a compartir sus opiniones con relación al presupuesto operativo propuesto para el año escolar 2022.

La sesión de trabajo se llevará a cabo a las 5:00 p. m., el martes, 2 de febrero, seguida de una audiencia pública a las 7:00 p. m.

Usted puede inscribirse para hablar, por orden de llegada, hasta las 3:00 p. m. del día de la audiencia pública. Cada hablante tendrá tres minutos para ofrecer su testimonio. Por favor, solicite un espacio por internet para hablar en la audiencia. 

No se necesita inscripción para asistir a las audiencias. 

Martes, 2 de febrero

La Junta conversará sobre los siguientes departamentos/divisiones: Asuntos Académicos, Jefe de Personal, Directora Ejecutiva y Liderazgo y Apoyo Escolar. 

Sesión de trabajo sobre el presupuesto | Reunión virtual por Zoom, clave: 271288

Audiencia pública sobre el presupuesto | Reunión virtual por Zoom, clave: 361538

Formulario de inscripción para participar en la audiencia pública sobre el presupuesto operativo propuesto para el año fiscal 2022

Los miembros de la comunidad que vean la audiencia pública de la Junta de Educación ahora pueden acceder a la interpretación simultánea en español al hacer clic en el globo en la parte inferior de la pantalla Zoom y seleccionar “Spanish (español)”. Los servicios de interpretación consecutiva están disponibles para los padres hispanohablantes y para los miembros de la comunidad que se inscriban con anticipación para dar su testimonio.

La página de internet de la Junta de Educación contiene más información sobre las sesiones de trabajo y las audiencias.

Visite la página web sobre el presupuesto para ver la propuesta de presupuesto operativo de la Directora Ejecutiva para el año fiscal 2022, aprender sobre el cronograma del presupuesto y más.

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La Commission de l’éducation du comté de Prince George vous invite à faire part de vos commentaires sur le projet de budget de fonctionnement pour l’exercice 2022. 

Une séance de travail sur le budget se tiendra à 17 heures le mardi 2 février, suivie d’une audience publique à 19 heures. 

Vous pouvez vous inscrire pour intervenir selon le principe du “premier arrivé, premier servi” jusqu’à 15 heures le jour de l’audition publique. Chaque intervenant disposera de trois minutes pour témoigner. Veuillez demander en ligne un créneau de parole pour l’audience.

Il n’est pas nécessaire de s’inscrire pour assister aux audiences.

Mardi 2 février

La Commission examinera les services/divisions suivants : Enseignement, Directeur de cabinet, Directrice exécutive, et Soutien et leadership scolaire.

Session de travail sur le budget | Réunion virtuelle Zoom, Code d’accès : 271288

Audition publique sur le budget | Réunion virtuelle Zoom, Code d’accès : 361538

Formulaire d’inscription à l’audience publique sur le budget de fonctionnement proposé pour l’exercice 2022

Les membres de la communauté qui assistent à cette audience publique de la Commission de l’éducation peuvent accéder à l’interprétation simultanée en espagnol en cliquant sur le globe en bas de l’écran Zoom et en sélectionnant “Espagnol”. Des services d’interprétation consécutive sont disponibles pour les parents et les membres hispanophones de la communauté qui s’inscrivent à l’avance pour témoigner.

De plus amples informations sur les séances de travail et les audiences sont disponibles sur la page web de la Commission de l’éducation.

Visitez la page web consacrée au budget pour consulter le budget de fonctionnement proposé par la directrice exécutive pour l’année fiscale 2022, connaître le calendrier budgétaire et bien d’autres choses encore.

Dear Prince Georgians:

On Monday, I held a press conference and announced that due to the limited supply of vaccine, we are cancelling appointments for individuals who do not live or work in the County that have scheduled appointments at our vaccination sites. We do not yet have the supply we need to vaccinate everyone here and must prioritize our vulnerable County seniors and workers at this time. Our Health Department continues to replace those cancelled appointments with seniors and eligible workers in our County to ensure they will be able to receive the vaccine.

When counties in Maryland first started receiving vaccines, the State gave guidance that said counties should not restrict vaccinations to just those who lived or worked in their respective counties. We followed that guidance, and as we prepared to move to Phase 1B, we put the link to the State website on our vaccine page so people could sign up for appointments that we had opened. It was not clear if we could override this guidance.

A few days later, new and clearer guidance was issued by the State allowing counties to make restrictions, which prompted our Health Department to change course. When we looked at last week’s vaccination appointments, a third of those in Phase 1B who received vaccines from our clinic did not live or work in our County, and there were several hundred appointments coming up this week for individuals who did not live or work in our County. While this decision may bring disappointment to many outside of this county, the reality is we had to ensure our seniors, workers, and residents facing the most significant health and infection risk challenges with regard to COVID-19, in the jurisdiction hardest hit by this pandemic, had equitable opportunity to receive these life-saving vaccines, as other counties have done.

If we did not restrict our vaccine appointments to just those who lived or worked in the County, our residents would have been left with far fewer options to receive these life-saving vaccines where they actually live and/or work. While it is a difficult decision to have to turn people away, I am confident that other counties will work just as quickly as we are to provide these vaccines to their seniors, workers and others who are eligible at this time. We look forward to collaborating with our neighbors and solving the problems presented by this pandemic together.

While we cannot honor the first dose appointments for individuals who do not live or work in the County, those individuals who have already received a first dose at the Health Department will be able to get their second dose here as well. At this time, we are only vaccinating individuals eligible in Phases 1A and 1B who live or work in the County. Individuals in those groups who have pre-registered will be prioritized for appointments that continue to open. We will also be checking identification for proof of residency or proof of employment in Prince George’s County for every vaccination appointment going forward.

All individuals who live or work in the County that wish to receive a vaccine must complete and submit a pre-registration form. Individuals who fill out the pre-registration form will be sent private, direct links from the Health Department when it is time for you to make an appointment. For those who have already received a first dose and are concerned about receiving a second dose, our Health Department will send you a link to schedule an appointment at least a week before the appointment date that you need. Moving forward, we are providing links to individuals to schedule their second dose appointment at the time of the first appointment, and also offering assistance on-site with scheduling your second appointment before you leave. However, if there are no appointments listed at that time, the Health Department will send you a link approximately a week before the date that you need.

In addition, I announced Monday that the County has entered Phase 1C of our vaccine distribution plan, for pre-registration only. We want to make sure all of our residents understand that it will take several weeks, or longer, for individuals in Phase 1C to receive appointments for a vaccination. There are 95,000 people in Phase 1B alone, and we need to continue to prioritize those who have signed up in Phase 1A and 1B who have not yet received appointments.  

However, those who live or work in the County and are eligible in Phase 1C should pre-register as soon as possible. If you are in Phase 1C and have pre-registered, you will receive appointments as they become available. I also want to note that, previously, the County cancelled all scheduled appointments at the Sports & Learning Complex after February 9. Individuals in Phase 1C that live or work in the County, and already have an appointment scheduled between now and February 9, will not have their appointments cancelled. You will not need to pre-register as long as you keep this appointment.

In addition, on Monday, February 1, 2021, the County will launch a vaccination hotline that will assist individuals, who have technology barriers, with pre-registration and scheduling appointments over the phone.

Finally, based on the latest seven-day average, our positivity rate has dropped to 8.5% as of January 23. As a result, we will cautiously resume indoor dining at noon on Friday, January 29, 2021, at 25% capacity. To be clear, this virus is still very much a part of our community, but I believe we can walk and chew gum at the same time. We are still working to vaccinate as many Prince Georgians as we can while we maintain testing and contact tracing. It will be up to all of us to help slow the spread.

I want to caution our residents and restaurant owners to do everything they can to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Please practice social distancing, follow our public health capacity and sanitization guidelines, and wear a mask in public. I want to thank all of you once again for bearing with us as we work through this newest challenge, and for doing your part to stop the spread of COVID-19.

For the past year, we have had to confront a host of new challenges that this pandemic has thrown at us. While the development of these vaccines and the task of administering them to thousands of residents has been a challenge, we are working diligently to get these vaccines into the arms of the people that need them most. As new challenges arise, we will continue to be transparent, communicate with you and do everything in our power to fix them.

By prioritizing Prince Georgians in our vaccine effort now, we are making sure Prince Georgians have equitable access to this life-saving vaccine. Thank you for bearing with us as we work to expand the number of residents who are Proud to be Protected from COVID-19. When your turn comes, I urge you to get the vaccine so you can protect your family, loved ones, friends, neighbors and fellow Prince Georgians.

Yours in service,

Angela Alsobrooks

Prince George’s County Executive

Pre-registration form: https://bit.ly/PGCVaccineForm