Mask Update & Back-To-School Checklist

COVID-19

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Masks Optional for 2021-22 School Year

The Francis Howell Board of Education declared at last evening’s meeting that face masks will be optional for all students and staff for the 2021-22 school year. At this time, masks will be required on school buses due to an executive order from the CDC.

The decision came following a presentation on current health guidance and positive case numbers at different grade levels within the District.

The Board encouraged District leaders to keep a close eye on the local impacts of COVID-19 and its variants and be prepared to act swiftly to temporarily require masks for a particular classroom, grade level or building, depending on the situation in that area at any given time.

Back-to-School Checklist

The first day of school will be here before you know it. In this special Back-to-School issue, we’ve included a checklist of tasks that need to be completed before students return on August 23.

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Complete the Online Registration Annual Verification (ORAV) by September 17. ORAV allows parents/guardians to review and update their household and student information online in the convenience of their own home. To access ORAV, log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal and choose “More” from the left navigation menu. Then select “Online Registration.” Please note that only a parent/guardian living in the primary household will be able to complete the ORAV process. Access detailed instructions here.

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Review your communication preferences. Parents/Guardians listed in Infinite Campus are automatically subscribed to email communications from FHSD and your child’s school. This includes the District Digest and school eNews. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, use the “Unsubscribe” button at the bottom of the email. If you are not receiving the District Digest and/or school eNews, you can sign up here . FHSD utilizes the SchoolMessenger system to communicate time-sensitive information such as weather alerts and emergency information with families via robo-call, text message and email. All parents/guardians listed in Infinite Campus Parent Portal are automatically registered to receive these important alerts. It is imperative that your contact information is up-to-date in Parent Portal before the start of the school year. Do not update your information in the SchoolMessenger app or website as our system cannot override those changes and you may miss important information. We will execute a one-time data purge of the SchoolMessenger system in mid-August; anyone who previously updated information in SchoolMessenger should make sure their contact information is correct in Infinite Campus Parent Portal. This can be done through the ORAV process. Parents/Guardians must opt-in annually to receive text messages from SchoolMessenger. Opt-in after August 15 by texting “Y” or “YES” to 67587.

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Schedule immunization and physical appointments with your healthcare provider, as needed. Missouri law requires children enrolled in Kindergarten through 12th grade to be immunized against certain preventable diseases. Required immunizations include DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis) or DT (Diphtheria and Tetanus); IPV (Polio); Hepatitis B; MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella); and Varicella (Chickenpox). Two additional vaccinations are required for students in grades 8-12: Tdap (Pertussis) and Meningococcal (Meningitis). Updated immunization records are required for students entering Kindergarten, 8th grade, and 12th grade. The St. Charles County Department of Public Health offers a convenient immunization clinic. Learn more about immunizations.

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Complete the FHSD Student Health Form and submit to your child’s school nurse. This health form must be submitted each school year. Find contact information for your child’s school nurse here.

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Fill out the 2021-22 Free- and Reduced-Price Meals application. Students must reapply every year. Information provided on the application is confidential and will be used only for the purpose of determining eligibility. Weekly meal pick-up is available for virtual students on Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Burbes Service Center.

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Remind your child(ren) to change their FHSD account passwords after August 5. Each summer, FHSD student account passwords are reset to a default password. (Fhxxxxxx for elementary students; Fhsdxxxxxx for middle and high school students. The ‘F’ is capitalized and the xxxxxx represents the student’s ID number). After the District password reset - planned for August 5 - students may wish to update their password to something unique. Password changes must be done while at school on an FHSD network. New passwords must be at least 8 characters and include at least one capital letter and one special character.

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Check meal and fee balances and add funds to your child(ren)’s lunch account. To make a secure online payment, log in to the FHSD Webstore with your Infinite Campus Parent Portal user name and password. Here you can pay school-related fees, including student fees and activity fees. You can also add funds to student lunch accounts.

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Opt-in to bus transportation by August. 6. As we strive for greater efficiency in our transportation operations, only students who opt-in will be assigned bus routes for the 2021-2022 school year. The deadline to opt-in is Friday, August 6. Students who do not opt-in by this date will not be assigned a bus route for the start of school. Student bus information will be available in the Parent Portal on Friday, August 13.

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Review school supply lists. Make note of Missouri’s Sales Tax Holiday, August 6-8, 2021. Certain back-to-school purchases, such as clothing, school supplies and computers, may be exempt from sales tax during the holiday. However, not all Missouri counties and cities are participating. See who opted out this year.

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Mark your calendar for Transition Day on August 19. Incoming 6th- and 9th- grade students will have the opportunity to get familiar with their new school buildings on Thursday, August 19. Schools will communicate times and additional details in the coming weeks.

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Bookmark / Print the 2021-22 Student Academic Calendar. Note that the school year will be extended past May 27 if the District experiences snow days. Avoid making nonrefundable travel plans through June 13, 2022 (the last possible day of school).

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Make arrangements for Collaboration Wednesday – Early Release at the elementary level. As communicated in the District Digest, the Francis Howell School District will begin implementing Early Release Wednesdays next school year at all elementary schools in the District. On most Wednesdays throughout the school year, students will be released one hour early so that teachers can plan and collaborate together. This is our current practice at the middle and high schools, and elementary schools will move to the Collaboration Wednesday - Early Release model beginning with the 2021-2022 school year. Collaboration Wednesday-only afterschool care will be available through the District’s Vacation Station program at a cost of $45 per month for 9 months. Register here.

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Look for communication from individual schools regarding additional information. This includes schedule pickup, parking permits, locker requests, yearbooks, senior photos, and more.