Can you believe that it is already October? Time flies when you are having fun! Our Forestdale Falcons have been having fun while engaging in meaningful learning experiences. Our preschoolers are using their five senses to explore and make sense of their world. Kindergarten scientists are learning about life science through the study of pumpkins and ants. Our first grade students are learning to compare quantities using greater than and less than. Students in second grade have been observing live monarch butterflies to understand and describe the stages of their life cycle. Our third graders are monitoring their reading comprehension and building their identities as readers. Students in fourth grade are analyzing the relationship between physical geography and the lifestyles of people in Virginia. Fifth graders are digging into plate tectonics and how landforms, such as volcanoes, are formed. Students in sixth grade are solving real life problems involving operations with integers. It is exciting to see the amazing learning that has started our falcons soaring into an amazing school year.
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The schools in the Lee Pyramid are working diligently to foster a
growth mindset in students. Students with a growth mindset embrace
challenges, persist when they face obstacles, see effort as a pathway to
success, learn from constructive feedback, and are inspired by the success of
those around them. These qualities empower students to reach higher
levels of success and achievement.
The concept of a growth mindset was developed by Stanford
University Professor Carol Dweck, Ph.D. It is the belief that our
abilities and intelligence can be developed and refined over time. Meaning
that through hard work, using resources and effective strategies, we can learn
to do something that is challenging. The opposite of a growth mindset is
a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset is the belief that you are born either
good or bad at something and that your ability is unchangeable.
Think about how many times you might have said, “I’m not good at
math,” “I can’t sing,” or “I’ll never be organized.” These are
examples of having a fixed mindset. When we have a fixed mindset, we are
telling ourselves that we will never improve in our ability to do these things,
no matter how hard we try.
Students often come to school with fixed mindsets regarding
their ability to read, write, do math or play sports. When students have
a fixed mindset, they may give up on themselves as learners. As parents
and as educators, we need to model and foster a growth mindset. We want
to encourage our students to believe that they can do anything that they put
their minds to.
How can we foster a growth mindset in our children? The
first thing we need to do is to model being learners ourselves. We need
to show our children that most things in life don’t come easily. It takes
hard work, trying different strategies, using resources, and sticking with
it. Talk with your children about the challenges you face, allow them to
see you make mistakes and learn from them, and share the goals you have for
yourself.
Next, we need to monitor what we say to our children. While
we often tell our children that they are smart to boost their confidence, when
we do this we are fostering a fixed mindset. The message we are
unintentionally sending is that people are either smart or not smart.
Instead, praise the effort that they made or strategies that they used.
For example, instead of saying, “You are smart in math,” (fixed mindset) you
might say, “Wow! What a great grade on your math test. All of time and energy you spent working on solving
those problems has paid off.” Also, focus on the power of “yet.”
When your students are having difficulty learning something, and they say that
they can’t do it… Add the word, “yet” to their comment. “You can’t ride your bike yet… but eventually
you will learn.” The power of yet
provides possibility.
Learning can be like climbing a mountain. Some of the paths
are easy to manage while others might be steep and take lots of energy and
effort. Sometimes we might even go down a path that leads us in the wrong
direction. We don’t want kids to give up when things are challenging or
when one path doesn’t work. We need to focus on the process of hard work,
perseverance, utilizing good strategies, and using resources as paths that lead
to a growth mindset and better learning. We need to try every path until
our kids reach the top. We need to change or adapt our mindsets about
ourselves and our kids and build alternate paths to growth for our students.
Below are links to some other articles around supporting a growth
mindset:
Mindset Works
Your
Brain Health
Arrival and dismissal are a busy time at Forestdale. Help us keep our students safe by remembering:
• The kiss and ride lane is one way. Cars enter off Elder Avenue and exit out the back gate near the Starbucks.
• No cars should enter through the back gate as it is a one way street.
• Students will only be loaded into vehicles from the sidewalk. No students will be loaded into cars that are in the middle of the Kiss and Ride lane.
• No cars should drive in the bus lane.
Also, please remember to be patient and help our staff by following arrival and dismissal procedures. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to Assistant Principal, Kolette De La Cruz at 703-313-4300. Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring student safety.
Wondering about our homework policy? Take a look...
Forestdale Homework Policy – For Families
Forestdale’s homework policy is supported by FCPS Regulation 3205
Regarding Homework - We believe:
• Children require a routine that supports their learning at home and at school.
• Instead of using homework as our communication tool, teachers will use 24-7 and/or classroom newsletters to communicate current instructional goals and objectives.
• Homework should be purposeful and create opportunities for students to transfer learning to authentic contexts.
• Homework should be tailored to match the varying needs of students’ learning styles, primary languages, and home support systems.
• Having homework students are able to complete on their own provides them with a positive self-concept and a sense of self-efficacy.
If homework is given by a grade-level:
1. Grades K-3 will not exceed 30 minutes of homework. This time allotment includes teacher assigned reading.
2. Grades 4-6 will not exceed 60 minutes of homework. This time allotment could include teacher assigned reading.
3. If students cannot complete homework without help, parents should notify the teacher.
Students in grades K-6 participate in Family Life Education (FLE)
instruction through their classroom teacher. Students in Kindergarten through
grade three receive instruction in an emotional and social health unit.
Students in grades 4-6 receive instruction in a human growth and development
unit and an emotional and social health unit. For more information about the
FCPS Family Life Education program, please see the detailed grade-level program
descriptions Click
Here
You are invited to attend an evening opportunity to preview the Family Life Education media and lessons and to talk with school staff about the program. The meeting will be held on Wednesday October 24, 2018 at 6:00-7:00 p.m. in Forestdale Elementary School’s library. All program materials and media for all grade levels will be available for your review at this time.
- In addition, grade level-specific curriculum lessons are available for review in multiple locations.
- Online in FCPS 24-7 (Blackboard) Parent View - includes lessons and media titles that FCPS has streaming rights for. Any additional media or book titles that are not streamed are available at your child’s school library.
- Parents/guardians will need a SIS account to access FCPS 24-7 https://fcps.blackboard.com/.
Account information is available at your local school or online at https://www.fcps.edu/resources/technology/fcps-24-7-learning.
More information about Family Life Education and the Parent Preview Night was sent home in this week’s Thursday folder.
Parents interested in the Advanced Academic Program at Forestdale Elementary are invited to attend an information session on October 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the library. At this meeting we will cover the continuum of advanced academics services provided at Forestdale ES.
Please contact Katelyn Spengler at kcspengler@fcps.edu if you want further information. There will be another meeting in December that will review the Level IV referral process.
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 and problem-solving
skills through enrichment, acceleration, and extension of the Program of
Studies (POS). Teachers, administrators, and the Advanced Academic
Resource Teacher (AART) 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 grades 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 teachers and other teachers who work with
students. Student responses to these lessons are used as part of the
identification process for Levels II-IV services. Parents may also
practice these strategies during family conversations and activities. A
description of the nine critical and creative thinking strategies can be found here.
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
part-time Advanced Academic services Level III 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 Placement, Grades 3-8 (Level IV)
Students found eligible for placement in full-time Advanced
Academic Programs Level IV through a county-wide 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 January 10, 2019
for spring screening. Additional
information is available in the Parent Information Packet, published on the AAP
website.
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 fall, the Cog-AT-Custom Form is administered to all FCPS
second grade students and the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) is administered
to all FCPS first 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.
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 IV screening process by
completing and submitting an Advanced Academic Programs Level IV Referral Form
to the local school AART, Katelyn Spengler, or the principal no later than January
10th, 2019. 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.
Advanced Academic Programs Level IV Referral Form and 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 10, 2019. If you are
waiting for test scores and would like you student screen for Level IV please
submit the referral by the published deadline (even if you have not received
the test scores for your student).
 Our new Parent Liaison is Rosario Carrasco. She works in the office every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8:00am to 2:00pm. You can contact her at rdcarrasco@fcps.edu or 703-313-4301. She works in the school and community to help families get the information and assistance they need to support their children and to ensure their academic success.
As a Parent Liaison, she represents families from all of cultures, languages, and backgrounds. Part of her job is to welcome and orient families who are new to the school and community by helping them understand the school's culture, policies, procedures, and practices. She also helps connect families to resources in the community, assists them in transitioning to a new school and encourages parent engagement to help ensure student success. Rosario is eager to get to know our Forestdale families and to help foster a strong connection between home and school.
Keep
informed and don’t forget "Like" our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Forestdale-Elementary-PTA-2018-2019-1466500776775763/
PTA
Memberships
Membership
is open to anyone! We’d love to have all families join us this year. Together
we are a powerful voice for our children. Thank you to the families and staff
members who have already joined us!
To
join the PTA:
- Join
online. Go to https://member.pta.org
and click join. Find Forestdale by entering Springfield as the city but
leaving the state blank.
OR
- Send
in $10 for one child or $20 for a family (cash or check made out to
Forestdale PTA) with your name, your child’s name, your child’s teacher,
and your email address. You can also pick up a membership envelope from
the school office.
PTA
Meeting on October 15th - Digital Citizenship Parent Discussion Kickoff
Many
parents today share an interest — and even sometimes a bit of concern — about
their kids’ digital lives. As part of Common Sense’s Connecting Families
program, we are hosting a Video Discussion Night so that we can start a
conversation in our community about the issues, topics, and concerns that
matter most to YOU, our students’ caregivers. We hope you will join us on
Monday, October 15, 2018 at 6:15pm in the library. The PTA meeting will
immediately follow our discussion. We hope to see you there!
Spiritwear
Orders Due October 5th
Show
your Forestdale spirit by ordering spirit wear! Order forms have been sent home
and online ordering is available at http://customink.com/fundraising/forestdale-spiritwear18.
Order forms are due by Friday, October 5th or you may order
online thru Monday, October 8th.
Chipotle
Night
Join
us for a fundraiser at the Chipotle at 5855 Kingstowne Center Suite 160 in
Alexandria on Monday, October 8th between 4:00pm and 8:00pm. Be sure to
take the flyer that was sent home, show it on your smartphone, or tell the
cashier you’re support Forestdale Elementary PTA to make sure that 33% of the
proceeds will be donated to Forestdale. We hope to see you there!
Please
note- online orders will not count towards the fundraiser. Be sure to order and
pay in the restaurant.
Box
Tops Collection Date: October 19th
Help our school earn cash this school year! Every Box Top is worth 10 cents and
they are available on items you already buy. Our 1st collection deadline
is October 19th. You can drop them off at school or send them in
with your child.
Please
make sure that your child’s teacher’s name is on all collection sheets or bags
of Box Tops. The class that collects the most Box Tops by October 19th will win
a popcorn party and a Lakeshore Learning Store gift card for their teacher!
Our
goal is 10,000 Box Tops this year = $1,000 for Forestdale Elementary! We are
already off to a great start.
Giant
A+ Rewards Program
Forestdale participates in Giant grocery store's A+ School Rewards. A
portion of registered participant's purchases between October and March are
given back to our school.
To
participate:
Visit www.giantfoodstores.com and
select Savings & Rewards. Follow the prompts to create your
online account. You’ll need your
11-digit BonusCard® number and the School ID # (02069).
You
do not need to re-register your card if your school selection(s) remains the
same as last year.
Afterschool
Programs
STEM exCel Chess:
Fridays
3:40-4:40; October 19-December 7 (No class on November 23)
Grades
1-6
This
is a computer program class where students will be learning about to play
chess. Students will learn the rules and tactics of chess and will get to
test their strategies by playing against other students.
Silver Knights Chess Club:
Thursdays;
3:30-4:30; October 18-December 13 (No class on November 22)
Grades
K-6
Students
will be learning how to play the board game chess. Students will be
learning how to use their critical thinking skills, sportsmanship, and patience
through playing chess.
Falcons Basketball: After School Basketball Camp and Clinic
October 16-December 11
Grades K-6. Girls and Boys
This
will be led by our very own Forestdale staff (Mr. Barker, Mr. Spicer, and Mr.
Smucker). Students will be learning the basic skills to play
basketball. Students will also practice their skills while playing
against each other.
Flyers
for all programs will be sent home this Thursday and next Thursday.
Lee
Feeder Night
You’re
invited to….
FEEDER
NIGHT @ THE LEE LANCERS FOOTBALL GAME
Friday,
October 12th
WHO:
All feeder schools into Lee High School:
(Crestwood,
Forestdale, Garfield, Lynbrook, Saratoga, Springfield Estates Elementary, and
Key Middle School)
WHERE:
LEE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FIELD
WHEN:
•
6:30pm-meet at ticket gate entrance
•
6:45pm- form tunnel for football team as they enter stadium
•
7pm- kickoff
Kids
MUST BE ACCOMPANIED by a paying adult. Kids are free of charge. Have your
child(ren) wear their school’s shirt if they have one.
*Please
RSVP to Matt MacDonald in Student Activities at: mwmacdonald@fcps.edu
October 8 - School Planning Day - No School for Students
October 8 - Chipotle Night - 4:00pm - 8:00pm, Kingstowne Center
October 9 -12 - CogAT Testing
October 10 - Parent Introduction to Advanced Academics - 6:30pm,
Library
October 15 - PTA Meeting/Digital Citizenship - 6:15pm, Library
October 16 - Think A Bit
Lab Field Trip
October 17
- PAC & ECCB Field Trip to Burke Nursery
October 18 - Fourth
Grade Field Trip to the Kennedy Center
October 24 - Family Life
Education Parent Preview Night - 6:00pm, Library
November 2 - End of First
Quarter
November 5 & 6 -
Parent/Teacher Conference Days - No School for Students
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