Winter Break - December 18-January 1

We will be closed for winter break from December 18-January 1st.  School will reopen on Tuesday, January 2nd.  

SCA Spirit Day - Pajama Day

Show your school spirit on Friday, December 15th and wear your pajamas to school!

Happy Retirement to Mrs. Allen

Please join us in extending our best wishes to Kathy Allen, ESOL teacher who will be retiring on December 15th. Mrs. Allen has been teaching for 32 ½ years and has taught in three schools. As a classroom teacher, Mrs. Allen taught grades 2nd, 3rd and 5th and in 2003 she became an ESOL teacher at Brookfield. Mrs. Allen will miss the students and teachers at Brookfield. We hope you join the Brookfield staff in wishing Mrs. Allen well in her new endeavors!

Rocky Run Renovation Meeting

January 10th, 7-8:30 PM:  Rocky Run MS PTA and Renovation Information Meeting 

Please plan to attend a presentation on the upcoming renovation of RRMS to the community and staff.  FCPS Design and Construction staff and the architects assigned to the project will share the timeline for the project and will be available to answer questions. 

Advanced Academic Services - Important Deadline Information

Here is your LAST reminder of 2017 that the deadline to turn in referrals and additional documentation for consideration for Level IV is Friday, January 12th.  The link to find information and the referral form is:

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-academics-k-6/advanced-academics

Save the Date! Thursday, January 4th at 8:15 I will host a short parent meeting in my classroom, South Wing Room 10, to talk about referrals and the screening process.  That’s a great time to look at the parent questionnaire, possible work samples, and letters of recommendation.  This is open to any interested parents grade 2-6.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, Sheri Reed, at shreed@fcps.edu

Join the driving force in education and become an FCPS bus driver!

Driver pay starts at $18.82 an hour, plus benefits!

Drivers are eligible for annual step increases plus cost-of-living increases based upon School Board approval. Top of scale is more than $31.00 an hour, plus benefits

More information can be found on the FCPS website.

More Sleep = A Smarter and Stronger You!

Mindfulness means being in the present. This month we are focusing on getting enough sleep. If you are having trouble falling asleep try these tips:

✓ Turn off all electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime

✓ Avoid caffeinated drinks, especially in the evening

✓ Sleep in a dark, quiet, and comfortable area

✓ Exercise during the day, but not at night

✓ Create a relaxing bedtime routine

If you can’t fall asleep because you have a lot on your mind – speak up, and try talking to your parents.

"Weather" or Not to Close FCPS

Winter weather will be here soon. Check out this short video on how FCPS decides whether or not to delay or close school due to inclement weather.

Cold and wintry weather is on its way! Due to inclement weather or other emergency situations, it may be necessary to close schools for the entire day, to open schools late, or to close early.

Parents are urged to make arrangements now for the care of their children when schedule changes are made (and to provide for the rare situation when it is necessary to close an individual school because of a power failure or other circumstances). Children should know where to go if a parent will not be home.

FCPS has several schedules set up to deal with inclement weather; these are put into effect when conditions threaten the safety of students and staff members:

• Keep schools closed.
• Open two hours late.
• Close two hours early.

When Fairfax County Public Schools has a schedule change (closing or delay) due to inclement weather or other emergencies, the information is communicated in several ways as soon as the decision is made. 

Note: The official @FCPSnews Twitter account (with blue checkmark) is generally the first and fastest mode of communication during emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be updated as quickly as possible including email, text, website, other social media, and news stations. Please be aware, due to the large volume of emails sent, there will likely to be a lag between the time a FCPS Twitter alert is posted and receipt of an email in your inbox.   

Lastly, consider bookmarking FCPS' Weather Cancellation Procedures page to stay informed in case of winter weather or other emergency situations. 

Attendance Matters

VDOE and FCPS are teaming up to encourage parents to help their child attend school regularly and to contact the school if your child will be absent. Please remember to contact the school when your child is absent so that we are aware of the absence and that we know your child is safe.  Absences can be reported by calling the school at 703-814-8787 or email BrookfieldESAttendance@fcps.edu to excuse an abscence.  

Beginning in November, weekly attendance calls will be made to parents whose students have accrued five or more unexcused absences, requesting that parents reach the school to develop an attendance plan. 

For more information about attendance, please go to the FCPS webpage: https://www.fcps.edu/attendance