Boosterthon – Forestdale Fun Run
Over the past week, our school has had a blast participating in our Spring fundraiser, the Boosterthon Fun Run. We’ve asked our families to support Forestdale Elementary by getting pledges for the Fun Run as we raise funds for new gym mats, music instruments, and playground updates! The Boosterthon team has been on campus daily, championing fitness and teaching daily character lessons.
This year’s character theme is Mindspark Mystery Lab, it combines S.T.E.A.M. skills with character-building. We hope your student has had fun learning the 21st-century character traits while teaming up with the MindSpark Kids.
Remember, you can visit FUNRUN.COM with your student to:
- Watch the MINDSPARK MYSTERY LAB character videos
- Enter and ask for pledges from friends and family
- Create a Student Star Video by uploading your student’s picture and sharing on Facebook for a fun, easy way to ask for a pledge
NO INTERNET? If you do not have internet access, you can still make a pledge. Write your pledges on your child’s Pledgebook that came home with them and they can bring it back to school to hand in to their teacher!
YOU’RE INVITED! Please come and cheer on your student at the Glow Run this Friday, February 15th.
Forestdale Fun Run Schedule:
9:15 5th and 6th Grade
10:15 Kindergarten and Pre-K (Hazlett, Lindelof, Murphy)
11:15 4th Grade
12:15 2nd Grade
1:15 1st Grade and Pre-K/Multi-age (Balic, Gould, Bronstein, Prestipino)
2:15 3rd Grade
Girls on the Run
Girls on the Run (GOTR) is a positive youth development program for 3rd - 6th grade girls. It inspires girls to be happy, healthy, and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. We plan to meet on Mondays and Thursdays after school starting the week of March 4, 2019 and ending with a 5K event on Saturday, May 18, 2019. Meetings will be immediately following school until 5:00 pm. If interested, please register your daughter at http://www.gotrnova.org/ by February 25th. The program registration fee is $175. There is financial assistance for those that receive free or reduced lunch, so fees could be as low as $22 or $75 respectively. Additionally, there is a $25 military discount.
If you need help with registration, or have any questions, please feel free to contact Trish Coritz (Mrs. C) at pmcoritz@fcps.edu or (703)313-4300.
Read Across America Week
Read Across America week is coming up February 25th- March 1st. We are busy planning a week filled with events and activities to celebrate the joys of reading, along with Dr. Suess’ birthday. We will have author visits, themed days for dress up, reading challenges, guest readers and much more. Look for a flyer in your student’s take home folder soon with details. Talk with your child about the week’s events and encourage them to participate. We are working to build the reading lives of all our Falcons!
School Environment Survey
Fairfax County Public Schools is conducting a study of how school environments relate to discipline practices across the division. As part of this study, the Office of Research and Strategic Improvement (ORSI) will be gathering survey data from all secondary principals, teachers, parents, and a sample of students, as well as all elementary principals and parents and a sample of teachers and students. The surveys will occur between February 8 and 24. Invitations to participate in the survey will be sent directly to respondents by ORSI. All principals are being asked to participate in the survey and to encourage teachers, students, and parents to participate.
In addition, principals, teachers, students, and parents may be invited to participate in focus groups and interviews that will occur during the month of February.
If you have any questions regarding the administration of this survey, please contact Chantal Follett at ccfollett@fcps.edu or 571-423-1442.
Avoid Unnecessary Absences
It’s important for students to be in school every day. Lesson plans are constructed to introduce, reinforce and practice concepts systematically based on student understanding and pacing. While students can be absent from school for many valid reasons, there are some common reasons for student absences that can be avoided.
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Should my child stay home if he is sick? Yes. But your child is usually fine to attend school if his/her fever is under 100 degrees, there is no rash, “pink eye,” nausea, or diarrhea. Typically, we ask that a student stay home until he/she is fever-free for 24 hours. If your child needs medication to control the fever, he/she should stay home until the fever is resolved. If you are not sure if your child is sick and you don’t see any real symptoms, send your child to school. We will contact you if things change.
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When should my family take a vacation? It is tempting to pull your child from school for a family trip, but you may be sending your child the message that school is not a top priority. Even if you ask for make-up work or assignments, children can fall behind because they are missing hours of instructional time while you are away. While it may be cheaper to take a trip during the school year, your child may pay the cost in lost schooling.
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When should I schedule appointments? If possible, schedule doctor and dentist appointments after school, on student holidays, or on the weekend. Look for opportunities to schedule routine appointments such as dental visits, physicals, immunizations during school breaks and holidays.
Help us make every day at school count and avoid unnecessary absences.
Health Department Immunization requirements for students entering sixth grade in 2019-2020
If you have a 5th grade student, it’s time to take a careful look at his or her immunization records. It is a requirement that all students in Virginia receive a booster dose of Tdap vaccine prior to entering 6th grade, if at least five years have passed since the last dose of tetanus toxoid-containing vaccine (DTP, DTaP, DT, or Td).
- If your child is 11 years old, he or she should get the Tdap immunization, and documentation should be provided to the school.
- If your child is still 10 years old, he or she may receive the Tdap vaccine, Boostrix, which is approved for 10 year olds, or you may wait until the 11th birthday to receive the vaccine approved for 11 year olds.
- If your child’s 11th birthday is after the first day of school, your child must have a written medical exemption from the doctor stating when he or she will receive the Tdap immunization in order to attend school. Please provide documentation to the school that your child has had the Tdap booster prior to August 26, 2019. Immunizations required for school are available at the Fairfax County Health Department at no charge. Clinic locations and walk-in hours can be found at Health Department
It’s important that families attend to this matter as soon as possible. Your sixth grader cannot begin school in the fall without documentation of having had the Tdap booster or a tetanus-containing vaccine within the past 5 years. If you have any questions, please contact Ashley Walker at 703-313-4310.
Resources for Preschool Children
All children grow and develop at different rates. However, the sooner we discover a delay in development, the sooner we can offer help. Developmental screening is the first step in identifying students who may need special services. Screening is FREE. Interpreters are available to help parents and children with the process. For preschoolers from ages 20 months to 5 years, call the Virginia Hills Child Find office at 703-317-1400. You can also go to Child Find to find out about the early intervention services offered in the county.
Forestdale Elementary PTA Corner
Keep informed and don’t forget "Like" our Facebook page: Forestdale PTA Facebook Page
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 February 11, 2019 - Digital Citizenship Parent Discussion on Managing Screen Time
How much screen time is too much? Is there such a thing as a healthy media diet? Dive into some of the latest research and take a hard look at the mixed messages about screen time.
Come be a part of the conversation about kids' media and technology use on Monday, February 11, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. We will be focusing on managing screen time. There will be real life examples and discussions on how to help families have conversations about our digital world.
The monthly PTA meeting will start immediately after this session. Hope to see you there!
Box Tops
We are coming to another Box Tops collection deadline- Friday, February 15th! Each class that brings in at least 200 Box Tops between December 14th & February 15th will receive a bouncy ball for each student. Box Tops can be attached to a collection sheet or in a bag. Make sure the teacher’s name is on all sheets & bags.
Collecting Box Tops is an easy way to help our school earn cash this school year. Every Box Top is worth 10 cents and they are available on items you already buy. 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.
Our goal is 10,000 Box Tops this year = $1,000 for Forestdale Elementary!
Important Dates:
February 11 – Common Sense Media Presentation, 6:30 p.m. Library
February 11 – PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m. Library
February 15 – Boosterthon Fun Run
February 18 – No School – President’s Day
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