Fairhill Forum August 2019
Please visit the Fairhill website for a full list of Announcements and All Upcoming Events
Dates to Know
August 22nd: Fairhill Bus Tour, 9:10-10:10
August 22nd: Back to School Bash, 4:30-7:00
August 26th: First Day of School, 9:20-4:05
August 30th: No School- Student Holiday
September 2nd: No School- Student Holiday
 We are so excited to welcome our newest tigers. Molly did a great job of representing our incoming tigers. Click here to watch the video.
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Dear Fairhill Families,
We are delighted to extend a warm welcome to you and your children. We know that you may have some questions which we hope are answered in this letter. You will also find additional information on the school website at www.fcps.edu/FairhillES. We have much to celebrate! Our students are exceptional. Our community is involved and supportive. Our staff is professional and talented. All of these important ingredients help make Fairhill the great school that it is!
Getting Connected
We are looking forward to a number of parent community outreach opportunities for the upcoming year including focused discussions and principal coffees. We invite you to join in as we explore key components of our school and school division. We are interested in hearing from you on what topics you would find interesting to talk or learn more about. Please email us and we will add them to our list. Personal interaction and discussion support open lines of communication and understanding, which bring our community closer together to help our school to continuously improve.
Back to School Bash
We hope to see you at our Back to School Bash on Thursday, August 22nd from 4:30-7:00 PM. You will visit your child’s classroom to meet the teacher. New this year, we will be emailing teacher assignments to the email address we have on file. We will have staff members located in the lobby, gym and cafeteria to assist you with information or questions about buses, forms, and other school details. We will include two sessions which will allow those with more than one child to visit multiple classrooms. We will have much to share about your child’s learning this year and hope that you will be able to attend. Our food service manager, Grecia Carias, will also be available in the cafeteria so that you can add funds to your child’s meal account.
Please stop by the Parent Teacher Association table to meet your leaders and learn how your involvement will help our school to provide excellent experiences for your child!
Pre-ordered school supply kits will be delivered to your child’s classroom prior to the Back to School Bash. If you did not order a supply kit, you are welcomed to bring your supplies during this event. See website for grade level supplies.
There will also be an assortment of Food Trucks in the front circle for you to enjoy some dinner or snacks after the event. Tables will be set up in the cafeteria and gym so you can relax and enjoy some good food and conversations with fellow Tigers.
Teachers and Staff
We are delighted to welcome the following talented and highly qualified staff members to Fairhill:
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Nana Bempah, Custodian
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Kyran Brooks, 2nd grade Teacher
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Meghan Callahan, 1st grade Teacher
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Morgan Carter, 2nd grade Teacher
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Mark Deal, Strings Teacher
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Carol Ann Forrest, School Psychologist
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Matt Jones, 4th grade AAP teacher
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Kristen Mendick, Physical Education Teacher
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Karla Reid, 3rd grade Teacher
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Shalika Santiago, 1st grade teacher
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Shannon Stapleton, Social Worker
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Megan Town, Enhanced Autism Teacher
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Corrine Vigen, Special Education Instructional Assistant
Some of our present staff members have shifted to different positions:
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Jessica Gannon, 6th grade Teacher
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Luis Montero, Kindergarten Instructional Assistant
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Kathleen Scarritt, 4th grade Teache
Staff Bus Tour
Come out and meet the Fairhill staff for our annual Welcome Back Bus Tour on Thursday, August 22nd ! The Fairhill staff will be at the stops listed below with popsicles, smiles, handshakes, fist bumps, high fives and hugs. We can’t wait to see you all there!
Stop 1: 9:10 AM
Ellenwood & Barrick: Park on Covington Street between Suede Court and Bowler Drive
Stop 2: 9:30 AM
Stonehurst: Intersection of Stonehurst Drive and Annhurst Street
Stop 3: 9:50 AM
Dunn Loring Village: Intersection of Grovemore Lane and Dellway Lane
Stop 4: 10:10 AM
Mosaic: Strawberry Park; grassy area on Strawberry lane in front of Ted’s Bulletin
First Week of School
We will have many staff members throughout our school during arrival and dismissal times to assist all children. We will be very watchful to ensure that all our students, those returning to Fairhill, as well as our new students and new kindergartners, feel welcome, comfortable and safe. We will help them the first day and throughout the first weeks of school to learn their way around the building.
We ask that all bus riders come on the bus from the very first day of school. If you would like to be present at arrival on the first day, please follow the bus in your vehicle and park in the lot, on the blacktop or on the street at the school-not on any yellow curb area. Riding the bus from the very first day encourages your child’s independence and confidence at school. The bus is very safe and the drivers are aware of each child assigned to each stop on their route. Kindergarteners are seated together in the front of the bus. School safety patrols in 5th and 6th grade are also on each bus to assist children.
School Hours
Monday-Friday: 9:20 a.m. to 4:05 p.m. We will begin our school day promptly at 9:20 with the pledge and moment of silence. All students arrive at school beginning at 9:10 AM. We have a 10 minute arrival window to allow the children to unpack and be prepared for the day. On-time arrival allows your child to be present and prepared, and avoids rushing or missing instruction. Students who are late miss important organizational time and opening activities. Student tardiness also interrupts the continuity of the instructional day for the teacher and the other children in the class. Students arriving after 9:20 AM are late and must be brought inside by a parent to sign in at the main office. It is very important that children are on time for school each day.
Family vacations are considered unexcused absences and are discouraged during the instructional calendar. Please note the scheduled holidays in the school calendar and plan trips accordingly. Missing even a few days of school results in significant loss of instructional time and can impact learning. Please see FCPS website for complete list of student holidays.
Arrival and Dismissal
Each student at Fairhill is designated as a bus rider or as a walker. Kiss and Ride is not considered a daily ongoing mode of transportation to and from school for students, except in some specific situations. As a convenience, we do offer Kiss/Ride drop off for morning arrival. Students may be dropped off from 9:10 AM to 9:20 AM at Exit 8 on the sidewalk at the side of the building only. Please follow the signs in the side parking lot.
Parents must wait until morning Kiss/Ride opens at Exit 8 at 9:10 AM to drop off children for school. No supervision is available for children before 9:10 AM. Students may not be dropped off at the front of the building unsupervised to wait for school arrival time.
Please read the following information carefully to ensure a smooth end-of-day transition for students using private transportation at dismissal time.
All parents who desire to pick up children in private vehicles at 4:05 PM for dismissal will observe the following guidelines:
- Arrive prior to 4:05 PM. Park the car. Street, parking lot, and blacktop spaces are available. Cars may not be parked along the yellow curb at the side or in the front parking area of the school. These are Fire Lanes.
- Enter the school through the front door, sign in at the cafeteria, and wait inside the cafeteria for your child to arrive there.
- Escort your child from the cafeteria out Exit 8 (side door in the cafeteria next to the parking lot), not through the lobby front doors.
Home-School Connection
Did you know that parent involvement impacts student achievement? You are an important part of ensuring your child’s school success. Together, we can facilitate your child’s learning and growth.
Please look for ways to involve yourself in the school and your child’s classroom. We invite you to share your talents and time as a volunteer when possible. Helping with one small task or event makes a great impact toward supporting our school’s overall success as a learning community. Please feel free to reach out via email, phone call or hand written note to any Fairhill staff member during the school year. All email contacts are listed on our website.
We ask that you give that staff member 48 hours to reply to your email as they are busy during the day teaching and caring for our tigers. At Fairhill we are a Positivity Project partner school and have the mindset that #otherpeoplematter. We ask that all email communication be done with a respectful tone. We are all here to ensure that every tiger has the best educational experience possible.
Each classroom teacher is in need of a room parent. If you are interested in this, please let your child’s teacher know at the Back to School Bash. Room parents help with PTA communication as well as coordination with the teachers for some class activities.
Join the PTA
We encourage you to become a member and involve yourself with the Fairhill Parent Teacher Association. The PTA is the primary funding source for Fairhill’s field trips and cultural arts experiences that benefit all children in the school. In addition, the PTA supports teacher collaboration efforts that target learning and achievement for all children.
Please feel free to contact us at anytime during the school year if you have any questions, suggestions, concerns or information that will help us serve you and your child. Please also remember to send us your ideas for focused discussion and parent education opportunities. We look forward to engaging with you! You can reach us by telephone at 703-208-8100, or e-mail cjhunstad@fcps.edu and cbkorb@fcps.edu.
Warmly,
Candace J. Hunstad Courtney B. Korb
Principal Assistant Principal
Important Contact Information
Fairhill Phone Numbers:
• Health Room 703-208-8110
• Cafeteria 703-208-8121
Administration e-mail addresses:
• Candace Hunstad: cjhunstad@fcps.edu
• Courtney Korb: cbkorb@fcps.edu
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