Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: Expect mostly sunny conditions and a high temperature around 65 degrees, accompanied by a gentle west wind between 3 and 5 mph. In the evening, the sky will turn partly cloudy and the temperature will drop to around 49 degrees, with a south wind also blowing at 3 to 5 mph.
🚨 You need to know
Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) leaders previously said combatting absenteeism is a priority for the 2023-2024 school year, and a new app could get parents involved in that fight.
ACPS is implementing an app called “ParentSquare” to notify parents about their child’s absence throughout the day. The app sends out notifications in the morning, at mid-day and at 6 p.m.
According to the ACPS website, families can choose to:
- Receive messages from school via email, text or mobile app.
- Choose to receive information as it comes (Instant) or all at once at around 6:00 pm (Daily Digest).
- Communicate in your preferred language.
- Send two-way texts with automated translation between staff and families.
- Receive attendance notifications with the option to send in a digital note to excuse your student’s absence.
- Sign up for parent-teacher conferences.
- Sign permission slips and more all from your computer or mobile device.
Absenteeism nearly doubled between 2019 and 2021 for Black, Hispanic, economically disadvantaged, special education, and English learning students, according to an ACPS report. A quarter of ACPS’ Hispanic students were chronically absent in 2022, as were 16% of ACPS’ Black students.
Families can download the ParentSquare app through the ACPS website.
📈 Tuesday’s most read
The following is the most-read ALXnow article for Oct 17, 2023.
🗞 Other local coverage
- Alexandria City Council Hosting Town Hall Oct. 21
Zebra (Tuesday @ 8:52 pm)
- Alexandria City Council Answers Residents’ Questions During Town Hall Sept.24
Zebra (Tuesday @ 8:18 pm)
- Registration Now Open for City of Alexandria Composting Program
Zebra (Tuesday @ 7:39 pm)
- 2023 Leaf Collection Season Approaching In Alexandria
Patch (Tuesday @ 5:04 pm)
- T.J. Maxx To Open Relocated Store In Alexandria’s Potomac Yard
Patch (Tuesday @ 12:57 pm)
- Alexandria’s Brooks Elementary Unveils Innovative Book Machine, Encouraging Love of Reading
Zebra (Tuesday @ 12:29 pm)
- Underage Alcohol Sales Targeted By Alexandria ‘Sticker Shock’ Campaign
Patch (Tuesday @ 10:40 am)
- Alexandria’s Best Businesses
Alexandria Living (Tuesday @ 7:52 am)
- ACPS Errs on Flag Position
Alexandria Living (Tuesday @ 7:28 am)
📅 Upcoming events
Here is what’s going on today in Alexandria, from our event calendar.
- No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.