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3rd graders happy to be back at school!
A note from Mr. Smith
Dear Franconia Parents,
What an amazing kickoff to our new school year! Our
Mustangs have been revisiting and learning school-wide expectations while
connecting with new and familiar friends. Over the first few weeks of school,
we will focus on…
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Safety – Required fire drills
(every week for the first month of school) and lockdown drills (two during
the first month of school) are being practiced. Please talk with
your children about the importance of practicing these drills and knowing
what to expect in certain situations.
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Classroom community – Every classroom
begins their day with Morning Meetings, a structure that builds community
and sets a positive tone and purpose to each day.
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Routines and procedures – Efficiency in
transitions and expectations maximizes learning time!
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Assessments – We want to know RIGHT
where you children are. Assessments will be conducted in all forms,
shapes, and sizes to ensure we know your children. This information
is what drives our instructional planning.
Arrival
Now that we are in our second
week of school, students have learned to navigate their mornings here at
school. All students should go to their classrooms individually, with
friends, teachers, or student patrols. Parents are asked to not accompany
students to their classrooms.
Big Events!
- Back
to School Night (Wednesday, 9/12 @ 6:30 pm)
- First
PTA Meeting (Tuesday, 9/18 @ 7:00 pm)
- Picture
Day (Friday, 9/21, at school)
How can you help at home?
This time of year can be exhausting for our children… following
expectations all day long and being challenged with new learning curriculum and
experiences. Your home routines can play a big part in setting our
students up for success! Staying true to routines and home can be a
relied upon foundation for children to recharge, rest, and be ready for the
daily rigors of school. What do your evening routines look like?
- Do you
eat dinner at the same time?
- Is
bedtime consistent?
- Do you
have an “electronics use policy” in the home?
- Do you
have a designated reading time with your child?
Creating a plan of action and consistently following a
family routine can set our children up for a great school year!
The staff at Franconia and I look forward to an exciting and productive year!
Warmest Regards,
Mr. Andrew Smith, Principal
Welcome Kwame Alexander to Franconia Elementary
On Tuesday, 9/11, Franconia Elementary will host a visit by Newberry Award winner, Kwame Alexander. He will spend time with students in all grades speaking about his life as an author of children's books such as The Crossover, Out of Wonder, and Rebound.
Parents are welcome to attend one of the 2 presentations:
- 10:00-10:40am grades 3-6
- 10:55-11:25am grades K-2
Mr. Alexander has graciously agreed to sign copies of his books for any student who wishes to provide him with one. Books will be collected by class, signed, and returned to students.
Order forms for purchasing a selection of Mr. Alexander's books were sent home in last week's yellow Wednesday folders. Additional order forms are available in the office and are due back to school by Friday, 9/7.
For more information about Mr. Alexander, please visit his website at:
https://kwamealexander.com/
Wednesday, September 12, 6:30-8:30pm
Please join us for the 2018 Back-to-School Night at Franconia Elementary. Grade level teachers will be presenting information about your child's class and an overview of the year. Specialist teachers will be on hand to talk about PE, art, music, guidance, and library. Community representatives will also be on hand as well as the Franconia PTA.
Look for more information and a full schedule next week and on the Franconia website here.
Thursday, September 13, 8:35-9:00am
The Food Services Department of FCPS is serving a FREE breakfast to ALL students on Thursday, 9/13.
Menu:
Mini pancakes
Choice of milk or juice
Students will be able to get one serving of the pancakes and beverage. Students are asked to go directly to the cafeteria when arriving at school on 9/13 and then proceed to their classroom after picking up their breakfast.
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Tuesday, September 18th,
7pm Library
Join the PTA Board and Principal Smith to start off the year with the first PTA meeting.
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Friday, September 21st
Scherling Photography will, once again, be our photographer of choice this year. They will be taking an individual picture of every student on picture day. Order forms will be sent home on 9/12. Students are to bring their order form with payment to school on picture day.
5th grades competing in the Marshmallow Challenge.
PTA Restaurant Night
Chuck E. Cheese's - Thursday, September 27th
On Thursday, September 27th, the PTA is hosting a restaurant night at the Chuck E. Cheese's in the Kings Crossing shopping center on Richmond Highway (6301 Richmond Highway, 22306) from 5pm-9pm. Our school receives 15% of the proceeds sold during that time period.
Go to the school website here to print out a flyer for the event.
 Recommendations:
• Contact the classroom teacher First! Most concerns can be resolved by the school personnel who are closest to the issue. Our staff members are professional educators who want to hear your concerns and have an opportunity to address. Contact the teacher by phone, email, or schedule a conference. Please allow 24 hours for the teacher/staff member to respond on school days (Communication sent over the weekend or holidays will be responded to once staff member returns to work). Most of the time, parents will find that problems can be resolved by discussing the matter with the teacher.
• If you feel the issue is an emergency or the issue continues after speaking with the teacher, you may need to discuss the matter further by talking with the Guidance Counselor or Principal.
• Contact information for teachers, the Guidance Counselor, and the Principal can be found on our website - Franconia Elementary.
A note from the SCA Reporter
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Hello, my name is Taviana and I'm your new SCA Reporter. Throughout this year, I will be telling you what the SCA is planning to do. First, classrooms will be electing their classroom representatives. After that, the SCA will have their first meeting on Tuesday, September 18th, at 8:45am.
Next, some of our plans for this year include, the SCA store in the second and fourth quarter. We will be selling some things that can be used in the classrooms. The money will go to future plans for the SCA.
Another thing we are planning is the Marine Marathon mile clean up. We will be cleaning up trash that was thrown on the ground during the marathon. I will be sharing more of what we are going to be doing throughout the year and thank you for supporting Franconia. Go Mustangs!!
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Here's an update from our School Counselor:
Hello Parents,
In the month of September, our school will focus on the character trait, "school pride" - show that you are proud of your school. At the end of the month, students will have the opportunity to vote for students in their class that demonstrated school pride. The names of those students who are nominated will be posted in a future Mustang:
For further questions and concerns or for individual student referrals, please contact Veronica Guillion, School Counselor, 703-822-2256.
The FCPS Cares Program
Nominate a FCPS employee for recognition
FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story so we can all acknowledge the good work of FCPS employees.
Please visit the FCPS Cares web page.
WEEK
OF 9/10
- 9/11: Author visit – Kwame Alexander
(timeslots will be assigned)
- 9/12: Back-to-School Night (6:30-8:30pm)
- 9/13: FREE breakfast for all students
(8:35am in cafeteria)
WEEK
OF 9/17
- 9/18: First SCA meeting (8:45-9:15am in cafeteria)
- 9/19: Deadline for PTA spirit wear orders
- 9/19: Three-hour early dismissal (at
12:30pm)
- 9/21: Picture day - individual student pictures
Mustang Mainstays
Click on a link for information
Franconia Elementary School website
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