Stenwood Hive Happenings

Hive Happenings Newsletter


Reminder

Jan 15th, Student Holiday
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday

Jan 17th, Winter PTA Event, 6:00pm - 7:30pm

Jan 26th & Jan 29th, Student Holiday


Dear Stenwood Families:

Welcome back!  I hope everyone enjoyed a nice, relaxing winter break.  We had a fun event to return to; we had a whole school gathering yesterday afternoon.  It’s one of my favorite Stenwood student/staff event where we come together as an entire school and celebrate our school spirit.  Our school gatherings are modeled after our classroom morning meetings.  Tuesday’s meeting focused on BEEing Kind.  It was extra fun because we had a surprise visit from a former teacher, Mr. Murray!  I hope you are signed up for Twitter so that you can keep apprised of our fun events…in real time. 

We could use your help, please, if you utilize Kiss and Ride in the mornings.  Please remember to remain within your vehicle and have your children ready to exit the car, with their backpacks and other gear on their person.  Staying within your vehicle will help facilitate the flow of traffic, especially during these cold mornings.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Principal Dammeyer
Assistant Principal Riley


THIRD & FINAL NOTICE

FALL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER ARTICLE
ADVANCED ACADEMIC PROGRAMS (AAP) CONTINUUM OF SERVICES

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) offers a continuum of advanced academic services for all students in grades K-8.  Learning experiences are designed to develop higher-level thinking through enrichment, acceleration, and extension of the Program of Studies (POS).  Teachers, administrators, and Advanced Academic Resource Teachers (AARTs) work together to provide the following levels of services:

• Critical and Creative Thinking Lessons, Grades K-6 (Level I)
The first level is provided to all students in kindergarten through grade six and consists of model lessons that are designed to teach critical and creative thinking skills.  The lessons are modeled in all classrooms by AARTs and the thinking strategies are then used throughout the year by classroom and other teachers who work with students. Student responses to these lessons are used as part of the identification process for Levels II-IV.  Parents may also practice these strategies during family conversations and activities.  A description of the nine critical and creative thinking strategies can be found at https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-academics-k-6/advanced-academics/critical-and-creative-thinking

• Differentiated Lessons in Areas of Academic Strength, Grades K-6 (Level II)
The AART collaborates with classroom teachers to provide additional challenges through lessons and resources that extend and enrich the POS. Screening for this level of service is ongoing throughout the school year.  The Young Scholars Model begins at this level and is designed to find and nurture advanced academic potential in students from historically underrepresented populations. 

• Part-Time Advanced Academic Programs, Grades 3-6 (Level III)
Students identified by a local school screening committee for Level III part-time advanced academic services are challenged through models and strategies designed to extend and enrich the POS in the four core subject areas.  Screening for this level of service is ongoing throughout the school year.

• Full-Time Advanced Academic Programs, Grades 3-8 (Level IV)
Students found eligible for placement in full-time Level IV Advanced Academic Programs through a central selection process receive a highly challenging instructional program in the four core subject areas.  Screening for this level of service occurs in the fall for students who are new to FCPS and in the spring for all other students. The referral deadline is October 5, 2017, for students who are new to FCPS and January 12, 2018, for spring screening.  Additional information is available in the Parent Information Packet published on the AAP website: https://www.fcps.edu/registration/advanced-academics-identification-and-placement/elementary-school.

• International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (IBMYP): Selected Schools, Grades 6-10 
The IBMYP is designed for students ages 11-16. The program helps students develop the knowledge, understanding, attitudes, and skills necessary to participate actively and responsibly in a changing world. The curriculum is supported by the fundamental concepts of intercultural awareness, holistic learning, and communication.

• Honors, Grades 7-8
Advanced and/or accelerated classes are available for students in grades 7-8 through an open enrollment process. Students receive instruction that is differentiated for advanced learners in the four core subjects in one or more areas of academic strength or interest. 

SCREENING

Multiple criteria are reviewed to determine eligibility for all FCPS advanced academic services.  The local school committee determines student eligibility for part-time school-based services. The countywide central selection committee determines eligibility for full-time AAP Level IV placement.


TESTING

In the spring, the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) is administered to all FCPS first grade students.  In the fall, the CogAT-Custom Form is administered to all FCPS second grade students.  During the fall testing cycle, the NNAT and/or Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) may be administered to students in grades 3-6 who do not have an ability test score.  A second grade screening pool is established using the test results from first and second grade testing. Students in the second grade pool are automatically screened for full-time AAP Level IV placement.  Parents or guardians may exercise a one-time retest option during the fall testing cycle.


REFERRALS FOR FULL-TIME AAP LEVEL IV (Grades 2–7)

Parents or guardians of students not in the second grade screening pool may initiate the full-time AAP Level IV screening process by completing and submitting an Advanced Academic Programs Level IV Referral Form to the local school principal no later than January 12, 2018.  No late referrals will be accepted. Second grade students not in the pool and all students in grades 3-7 are screened only by referral.  Forms are available on the AAP website (https://www.fcps.edu/registration/advanced-academics-identification-and-placement/elementary-school) and in the Parent Information Packet available at the local school.  Parents or guardians of students who are in the second grade pool will be notified by the school.  Students who are not in the second grade pool will not receive notification.  The benchmark score used to create the second grade pool will be published on the AAP website mid-January. 

Please do not wait for test scores before submitting a referral for your student in grades 2-7 as there will be no referrals for Level IV screening accepted past the deadline of January 12, 2018.  If you are waiting for test scores and would like your student screened for Level IV please submit the referral by the published deadline (even if you have not received the test scores for your student). 

Please refer questions to Caroline Spinelli, crspinelli@fcps.ed, Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, Stenwood Elementary School.


A message from FCPS:

If you purchased a device for your child this holiday season, FCPS wants to help you support your child in the online world.  If the device is internet-enabled, please consider the following tips and resources:

Educate yourself and your children.
Digital citizenship is learning process and your child will need sustained support from parents and teachers. Visit bit.ly/fairfaxdigcit for a fun and interactive parent-child course that can help your family start conversations about navigating the online world.

Establish rules and expectations.
Have you thought about the rules you want to establish with your child for setting up accounts and the privacy settings you expect your child to use?  What are your expectations and how will you monitor your child’s online activities?  Not sure where to start? Try these tip sheets, media agreements, and device contracts.

Help your child monitor and manage their screen time.
It’s easy to spend hours on a device, especially when it's new.  Use these guidelines and strategies to help your children learn to monitor and manage their screen time.

Discuss privacy settings and accounts.
Teach your child to protect their personal information and model the use of privacy settings.  Discuss why these settings are important and teach them how to make privacy setting choices for every app and service they use.  This resource can help you get started. 

Give your child action steps.
Discuss potential situations that may arise before they happen and give your child action steps. Do they know what to they can do if cyber bullied, harassed, or if someone sends them something they don’t want to see? Every difficult situation is an opportunity to help prepare them for life beyond your home. These short parent advice videos, which can be filtered by topic and age, can help you identify action steps you can share with your child. 

Teach your child to assess risks and make good choices.
Online communication is public and permanent. Talk with your children regularly and remind them that what they do online can impact future opportunities. Their online reputation can also affect their relationships in the face to face world.


Student Picture 1Student Picture 2Student Picture 3Student Picture 4Student Picture 5Student Picture 6Student Picture 7

Yearbook picture

Buy your yearbook today!
Simply go to yearbookforever.com and enter our school name.  Yearbooks are sold online this year; they can be purchased for $16.25 using a credit card, debit card or PayPal account. Yearbooks and ordered options will be delivered directly to the school.


Upcoming Events

01/09 CARES Pizza, 11:30 - 12:00pm
01/09 PTA Meeting 7:00pm
01/10 PTA Dine Out - Chipotle on Maple Ave. 5:00pm-9:00pm
01/11 Marshall Pyramid Concert 6:00pm, Marshall HS
01/15 Student Holiday, Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday
01/16 - 01/25 SCA School Supply Drive for Graham Road
01/17 Winter PTA Event, 6:00pm - 7:30pm,
          Date Changed from 01/18/2018
01/26 Student Holiday, Teacher Work Day
01/29 Student Holiday, Staff Development Day