The 2021-2022 school year has begun! This limited edition "Back In Action" newsletter will be sent out through Aug. 19, and is designed to help keep our APS community informed now that the school year has begun.

8.17.21 Edition

APS & Fulton County Partner to Offer COVID-19 Vaccine to Students, Staff



Thanks to a partnership launched last week between Atlanta Public Schools, Fulton County and the Fulton County Board of Health, the two-shot Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is now available for students ages 12 and up in our middle schools and high schools and to all staff across the district.

To mark this partnership, Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring, Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts, and Atlanta Board of Education Chair Jason Esteves visited Jean Childs Young Middle School on Aug. 12 to discuss the important role this voluntary vaccination initiative will play in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 and its variants in schools and throughout communities in Atlanta and Fulton County. They were joined by Ronald Garlington, principal of Young Middle School.

The first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was administered at APS middle schools and high schools on Aug. 9, and the second dose will be administered the week of Aug. 30. Click here for the complete vaccination schedule. If you want your child to be vaccinated, please pre-register here. This will help make the process go more smoothly on the day they are vaccinated.

Families and staff are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity. Consent forms and the schedule of vaccinations are available through the schools or on our website at https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/Page/66371. To learn more about the partnership, be sure to click above for the video or check it out by clicking here.

COVID-19 Health Protocols for the 2021-2022 School Year

As part of the district’s Health and Safety Guidelines, APS has prepared Quarantine Protocols that include specific details on who needs to quarantine after exposure to a positive COVID-19 case and who doesn’t need to quarantine after exposure. These protocols also include information about what counts as a close contact. Get all of these details in our guidance here.

Also, our APS Health Information webpage houses the most current information about our COVID-19 guidelines and protocols, so please reference it often. Be sure to watch this helpful video from Superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring on Quarantine Protocols.

Securly Home App Keeps Students Safe Online

Families now have the ability to monitor your student's online activity, as well as control their internet activity on Atlanta Public Schools issued devices while at home using the free Securly Home app. 

The Securly Home app puts parents/guardians in control. You can view the real time online activity of your students, receive a flagged list should your student search self-harm or bullying terms, set rules and times for what can be viewed by your student. You can even control what your student can access on his or her device! 

You can learn more about how to control behavior on your student's APS device on the APS Securly Home Parent app Hub.

E-Tickets for Sporting Events Provides Safety and Efficiency

As high school sports have returned in full, with the football season set to kick off this week, APS plans to make the experience of attending games safer and more efficient for parents and fans this season. The district is implementing an e-ticket only initiative at all athletic events charging admission. This new process will be in place at Lakewood Stadium, Henderson Stadium and the Walden Athletic Complex, as well as at all school-based athletic facilities hosting competitions where a ticket must be purchased for entry.

Through an agreement with GoFan, those wishing to attend games will be able to purchase tickets through the APS GoFan page. An e-ticket will be sent to the purchaser’s mobile device, which will be scanned at the stadium or school for entry into the game.

The new e-ticket initiative will allow APS to operate a more efficient and professional ticket gate process, while creating a safer experience for fans. Purchasing tickets online allows fans to easily access and share tickets, via email or text, without standing in long lines. Parents and fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets online prior to reaching the facility. For convenience, signs will be set up at the venue to help guide them through the online purchasing process.

Tax Credit Provides Extra Cash to APS Families with Kids

The Child Tax Credit is available to help Atlanta Public Schools' families with children.

Thanks to President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which has increased the amount of the 2021 Child Tax Credit to support families with children, the full benefit of the Child Tax Credit is now $300 per month per child under age 6 and $250 for each child ages 6 to 17. Monthly payments began on July 15, 2021.

Click here to learn more about eligibility and how to take advantage of the Child Tax Credit.

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