Transportation Scoop
February 2021
LCPS Vaccine Clinic
LCPS in partnership with the Loudoun County Health Department (LCHD), remains committed to providing COVID-19 vaccinations to all LCPS employees who elect to receive them. Since opening, the LCPS clinic has vaccinated nearly 10,500 staff members. The clinic began administering second doses to employees on February 12, 2021. I ask for your continued flexibility in scheduling your appointments and covering for your colleagues who need to leave work to visit the vaccine clinic.
Additional Leave Process
The LCSB approved up to an additional ten days of sick leave for full-time employees who are unable to work due to experiencing symptoms that may indicate COVID-19, including those who responded ‘yes’ to the symptom checker questions. To access this leave, employees must answer ‘yes’ to the COVID-19 symptom checker. To return to work, employees must submit a note from a healthcare provider or submit a negative COVID-19 test to the Leave and Disability Office.
Face Coverings
Face coverings, including cloth or procedure masks, are intended to mitigate the spread of the virus by reducing airborne droplets. They should cover the nose and mouth. All employees must follow LCPS guidance related to face coverings. In other words, the use of face coverings is mandatory. LCPS has provided a limited number of cloth face coverings for employees who are working on-site in LCPS facilities.
Face coverings are required in all LCPS facilities when in shared areas of the buildings, including but not limited to break rooms, kitchens, restrooms, hallways, stairwells, lobbies, and meeting rooms. They are also required while in personal workspaces, except when in a room, office, or cubicle with walls 7’ or higher, with the door closed. Face coverings may be removed while actively eating or drinking, but only if a minimum of 6’ of physical distancing can be maintained. Otherwise, the employee should relocate to space with an increased ability to distance to consume food or beverages.
Physical Distancing
The most important component of protecting the health of all employees is maintaining consistent physical distance from others. Employees should remain at least 6’ from other individuals at all times, or 10’ if strenuous physical tasks are being performed or when speaking loudly, thus projecting additional airborne droplets. This applies in all settings, including common areas, hallways, meeting spaces, workstations, and offices. Departments and employees are encouraged to think creatively about the best way to use existing space to appropriately distance employees, assuming significant configuration changes to the workstation infrastructure cannot easily be made.
Employees should not share spaces and office supplies, if avoidable. This includes phones, staplers, and other office supplies. When possible, workstations and desks should not be shared or should be thoroughly disinfected between users. Staggered work schedules may be implemented to increase physical distancing.
Additionally, employees should be mindful of physical distancing in other work-related contexts, including times when they might travel to other LCPS sites to perform work duties. For example, unless employees can be 6’ apart, they should not ride together in a vehicle.
Hand Washing and Sanitizing Stations
Employees should regularly clean their hands, washing them with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, to minimize the virus on their hands.
At a minimum, hands should be washed or sanitized:
- After blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing
- Before, during, and after preparing or consuming food
- After using the restroom
- After touching trash
- Before and after a work shift
- Before and after work breaks
- After touching objects handled or touched by others, such as any surface in a common area (e.g. elevator buttons, microwaves, refrigerator handles, shared office supplies)
- Before applying or adjusting their face covering
- Immediately after removing gloves.
Meetings and Gatherings
- Virtual meetings are encouraged
- Maintain 6’ of physical distancing during meetings and gatherings
- Follow posted signage regarding room capacity
- Leave tables and furniture in place to maintain physical distancing
- Avoid handshaking or other physical contact
· Anonymous Mitigation Violation Reporting
· All employees have the ability to report violations of our COVID-19 mitigation measures by visiting LCPS.org > Quick links for > Staff > Anonymous Health Concern Registry. This will take you to the Staff Only Intranet to report a violation.
LCPS Symptom-Checker Alternative Processes
Check Your LCPS Email Regularly
Training Reminder
Electronic Leave Forms
Electronic Leave Forms – Leave forms are now electronic. The forms now offer an electronic signature so no more downloading the form, signing and emailing it. Simply fill out the form and click submit. You can find the forms on the LCPS Transportation website under the “Employees” section.
NOTE: Remember you must email a copy (screenshot) of your paystub. Failure to email this document could result in a delayed response.
Using the Tablet for Medicaid
Information regarding using the tablet can be found on the LCPS Transportation website under the "Employee" section. You can find information such as Updating your PIN and the Portal as well as Student Ridership Documentation.
Scholarship Opportunities through the VAPT
- The 2021 Buster Bynum Education Scholarship is offering one scholarship in the amount of $2,000.00
- The 2021 Clyde W. Morris Memorial Scholarship is offering two scholarships in the amount of $2,500.00 each.
- The 2021 Sonny Merryman Memorial Scholarship is offering one scholarship in the amount of $2,500.00.
- The 2021 Adult Continuing Education Scholarship is offering two scholarship in the amount of $500.00 each.
To get more information about these exceptional scholarships, simply click on the links above.
For additional information or questions regarding any of these scholarships, you can contact our Assistant Director, Tisha Austin at Tisha.Austin@lcps.org or 571-252-1700. Applications should be completed and submitted to Tisha Austin as well prior to April 30, 2021.
LCPS Athletic Events-Bus Drivers Wanted
Have you missed attending our LCPS Athletic events? Or are you a parent of a LCPS Athlete and would like to watch them compete in-person? Then we need YOU!
The Field Trip Office is looking for drivers that are willing to help transport our LCPS Teams for Season 2, which begins beginning 3/1/21. These additional driving hours would be considered part of your contract hours first and any hours over your contract would be extra-pay. Please keep in mind you must fulfill your contracted hours first before extra pay goes into effect. Athletic events are normally scheduled in the evenings and on occasional Saturdays. At this time there is no overtime permitted.
Please give us a call in the Field Trip Office @ 571-252-1730
Here Comes the Bus is Back!
Now that hybrid in-person learning has resumed, we are excited to offer Here Comes the Bus to parents once again. For those students who returned on 2/16, Here Comes the Bus will be available on 2/23 and for those students returning on 3/3, the service will be available on 3/10.
Here Comes the Bus is an easy-to-use mobile app and website that uses GPS tracking information to allow parents to see when their child’s bus is arriving. The program is easy to follow, has a customizable map and works on either a computer, tablet or smartphone, allowing parents to see where the bus is and how close it is to the child's stop.
For more information about Here Comes the Bus, visit the website at lcps.org/herecomesthebus.