Fairfax County Council PTA is here to support our PTA leaders and community members as we navigate the Coronavirus (COVID-19) public health crisis together. Please remember to follow CDC guidance on social distancing to keep yourself, your family and your community safe and healthy. We will be updating resources on a regular basis on our website and on our social media sites.
If you have questions, please reach out to your school’s PTA leaders and know that we are all here to support you. Below are quick links and resources that we hope will support you as a leader in your community and as a parent and care-giver.
- FAIRFAX COUNTY COVID-19 RESOURCES
- INOVA HEALTH RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
- CDC COVID-19 RESOURCES
- US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION COVID-19 RESOURCES
- US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
TALKING TO YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT COVID-19
This can be a challenging time for our children as we face the upheaval of being at home and uncertainty of the coming weeks. Here are helpful resources that you can use to share facts about the virus and help children feel safe and supported.
- Tips for Talking to your Children (Nat’l Assoc. School Psychologists)
- Tips for Talking to your Children (PBS)
- Tips for Talking to Children (Child Mind Institute). (En Espanol)
- Quick Questions and Answers about Coronavirus (WHO)
- Video about the Coronavirus (BrianPop, for younger children)
- Video about the Coronavirus (WHO, for older children)
- John Hopkins Coronavirus Resources
- Multilingual Coronavirus Resources for Schools
- Military Family Resources
- National PTA Resources
FAMILY RESOURCES FOR LEARNING AT HOME
Although the conditions are not ideal, this is a good opportunity to connect with your students and explore shared interests or just spend more time together as a family. There are great resources being shared on-line to support families learning at home. Please look to your local school division for continuity of learning resources. Virginia PTA is sharing resources daily on our Facebook page. Here are a few to get you started:
- Google Classroom Guide for Parents
- Virtual Field Trips to National Parks (through Google Arts & Culture)
- Virtual field trips to famous museums
- Big List of Virtual Field trips to national parks, zoos and mars
- Big List of Authors doing Read-Aloud and Activities (K-Adult)
- Big List of Math websites
- Card games for learning math
- Learn to Type
- Ranger Rick Free Digital Edition
IMPLEMENTING EMAIL OR ELECTRONIC VOTING:
While in-person voting and participation in meetings is preferred; to implement email or electronic voting a PTA must meet as a board and vote to hold your general membership meeting either by mail, email or electronic means. Amend the association’s budget to include any costs associated with email or electronic voting, including but not limited to the costs of online voting tools.
Review the following electronic election scenarios to guide your meeting:
Running an Effective Virtual Meeting
Virtual Meeting – Info Graph Resource
ONLINE TOOLS
A number of online tools exist that could be used to take an electronic vote for Nominating Committee or Officers. There are tools specifically written for voting, and those intended for surveys that will suffice. Costs of tools vary so your unit will want to choose a tool that best fits the needs and the budget of your PTA.
The following list is meant as a reference, and in no way implies an endorsement of any of these online tools by FCCPTA: