|
Dear GFES Families,
We had a wonderful first week of school last week, and we are anticipating many more great weeks to follow. On our first day of school (pictured above), our students and staff were joined by our Region 1 executive principal, Dr. John Banbury and Fairfax County Police Department employees. We appreciate Dr. Banbury and FCPD presence as we greeted our families and welcomed students back to a new school year.
As a reminder, we are committed to building independence in all of our students. In order to reach this goal, parents and family members should plan to send students on the bus OR drop them off at kiss and ride in the morning. Parents are strongly discouraged from entering our school building to drop off children at their classrooms each morning as adults that enter our building are required to check in and scan their ID in the front office.
Please be assured, we will have staff and Safety Patrol students present to help students to their classrooms as needed. Remember, it is not saying goodbye in the morning, it is saying see you later!
Thank you for your support,
Sara Harper
Did you notice our gorgeous landscaping?
We want to thank Lucas & Clark (L&C) Grounds Company for weeding, mulching and making our school grounds look clean and nice for our students, parents and teachers.
Fun fact: Clark Andersen, the owner of L&C Grounds, is a local resident and was once a Great Falls student himself. After graduating from Langley HS and Christopher Newport University, he began his company in 2017. He enjoys giving back to the community, and we are most appreciative of his help making Great Falls Elementary look beautiful to start the school year!
GFES Calendar of Upcoming Events
9/3 BTSN Japanese Immersion Classes
Grades 2, 3, 5: 6:00 - 6:30
Grades 1, 4, 6: 6:45 - 7:15
9/3 Lockdown Drill #1 of 4, 9:30 a.m.
9/6 Gr. 6 Field Trip-Innerquest
9/13 Lock Down drill #2 of 4, 9:30 a.m.
9/19 AAP Overview of Services Parent Meeting, 9:00, Library
A Message from Dr. Brabrand
Follow the links below to hear a Back to School Message from FCPS superintendent Dr. Brabrand
Spanish: https://youtu.be/0wfkJITqNV8
English:https://youtu.be/cdTHU4Cu0I4
Attendance Reminders
Please notify the school by 9:00 a.m. every day your child will be absent or tardy for any reason. Parents who do not notify the school by 9 a.m. to verify their child’s absence will be contacted by FCPS.
There are a number of ways you can notify the school of an absence:
-
Call the Dedicated Attendance Line: 703-757-2111 The answering machine is available for leaving messages after hours and on weekends.
-
Email: gfesattendance@fcps.edu
-
Online Attendance Form: Visit the GFES website and click on ‘Online Attendance Form’
-
Long-Term Absence: Please contact the school registrar directly in advance of absence dates.
Dismissal Changes
-
KISS and RIDE dismissal begins at 3:30 pm. this year! This is 5 minutes later than last year. Please plan accordingly.
- Afternoon Kiss & Ride: please follow the directions of the staff and patrols on duty and move up towards the front of the line when able. Please be patient – it typically takes 15 minutes to dismiss all Kiss-N-Ride students.
- Students who ride the bus will be dismissed when their bus is called after the 3:35 pm bell. They exit the main entrance front doors and proceed to their bus. Please do not plan to pick your child up in front of the school.
- Please make sure your child knows how they are getting home every day.
Family Life Education Instructional Program Information
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) provides a comprehensive, sequential Family Life Education (FLE) program for students in grades kindergarten through grade twelve. Instruction is seen as a partnership among parents and guardians, the school, and the community in supporting the learning essential to the development of strong families, positive relationships, and a healthy community.
Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program. Students who are opted-out are provided with age-appropriate, nonpunitive alternative health instruction, and every effort is made to foster respect for family choices. If you wish to opt your child out of all or part of FLE for this school year, opt-out forms will be included in your child’s back-to-school/orientation packets and are available online for:
Great Falls Elementary will have the FCPS FLE resources available for parents to preview on Friday, October 11, 2019 from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. in the library. Detailed grade-level program descriptions are also available online at Elementary (K-6) , Middle School (7-8) , and High School (9-12). FLE grade level-specific lessons and media that FCPS has streaming rights for are available for parents online in FCPS 24-7 (Blackboard) Parent View https://fcps.blackboard.com/.
Account information is available at your local school or online at http://www.fcps.edu/is/instructionaltechnology/247help/parents.shtml. Grade level-specific lessons are also available at the Fairfax County Regional Library in the City of Fairfax (this location does not have media). Grade level-specific lessons and media that is not streamed online are available for review at your child’s school library. Due to copyright permissions, we are unable to stream all media online.
Program questions may be addressed at your child’s school or by contacting Instructional Services at 571-423-4550 or by contacting Elizabeth Payne, Health and Physical Education Coordinator at etpayne@fcps.edu.
SR&R
Please be sure to complete the SR&R Parent Signature page and send it in with your child no later than Oct. 25, 2019.
As we prepare for the start of a new school year, please note that the Fairfax County School Board approved a number of changes to the FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) handbook for the coming year. These changes reflect an emphasis on restorative justice and second chances for students while maintaining our commitment to the safety and security of every student. The changes were adopted after extensive internal and external reviews of behavior- and discipline-related practices.
Key revisions to the SR&R include:
- Addition of an FCPS vision for discipline.
- Changes to first time drug possession and use.
- A change in practice for students with disabilities.
- Clarifying language around reporting bullying and Title IX violations.
- Parent notification.
- Guidance for administrators on consistency and tiered responses to behaviors.
Please take some time to read and familiarize yourself with the changes to the SR&R, and discuss these changes with your child(ren). All changes can be found in the 2019-20 SR&R Handbook, available online SR&R.
Together, we can focus on promoting a responsive, caring, and inclusive culture in Fairfax County schools.
Advanced Academics Information
Welcome back to a great new school year!
Please click here to read our most updated Advanced Academic newsletter from Mrs. Laura Hotaling, our AART. The newsletter is designed to be an introductory letter meant to inform parents about the AAP Levels of Service in FCPS. Each month a newsletter will go out via our KIT system to help inform parents of important upcoming presentations, timelines and information regarding Advanced Academic service options within FCPS and at GFES.
Our first in-person presentation will give an overview of the K-12 Advanced Academic Services offered in FCPS on Thursday, September 19, 2019, at 9:00 am in the Great Falls Elementary School library. We hope to see you there!
For more updated information on what Advanced Academics looks like at Great Falls, please take a look at our Advanced Academics website for more information located on our website and by clicking here.
Parent SIS Account Activation
FCPS will send all of our new GFES families a letter with instructions about how to activate their parent SIS account mid-September. The letter will include the activation key you will need in order to begin to use SIS. We appreciate your patience, and if you need assistance once the letter is received, please call the school at 705-757-2100.
 |
|
Registration for Band for the 2019-2020 school year is now open to all 5th and 6th graders! Sign up for Band now by clicking here! Please register your child for band no later than Tuesday, September 4th. Email Mr. Bandy if you have any questions at mlbandy@fcps.edu.
|
|
The sign up link for 4th, 5th and 6th grade GFES Strings is now active. To sign up your child for strings, please complete the following Google Form. Please feel free to contact Mrs. Zurbuchen with any questions at erzurbuchen@fcps.edu.
|
|
 |
Welcome Back!
Can you believe it? Another school year is upon us! We can’t tell you how excited (and ready) the PTA is to start 2019- 20! We have spent the summer putting together a team of wonderful volunteers who are ready to meet and work with all of you! We just know it’ll be another incredible and productive school year! Here's some helpful information and links to get you ready.
1) Join the PTA and Get Involved!
Membership - Support your school and enrich your child's education by working together with staff, students, and other parents. Sign-up for your membership here and create an account on AtoZ Connect. (This is the site GFES PTA uses to capture membership and directory data). Update your family's information and conveniently pay your $20 membership fee! (From the dropdown menu on the upper left corner, select Store/Products and select the products you wish to purchase and add items to your cart).
Volunteer - There are many ways to get involved at GFES. Last year, parents logged thousands of hours of volunteer time. Be sure to check here for the latest volunteer opportunities for PTA and classroom needs, role descriptions and volunteer initiatives.
Events - Check out the Events/School Spirit page to get up-to-date information on our latest PTA events (i.e. Fall Festival on Oct. 18th). If you like planning ahead, check out the PTA Calendar to see all of our events for 2019 - 20.
2) Please Donate
The Great Falls Elementary PTA invests heavily in enrichment programs and community-building activities for our students, teachers and staff. Race the Roadrunner is our direct giving fundraiser where we ask for contributions to our PTA. Not only do we avoid having car washes, wrapping paper and bake sales, your entire tax-deductible donation goes straight to the PTA and helps fund our rewarding programs. The suggested donation is $250 per family, however, any amount is greatly appreciated. Please donate here.
3) Become a Room Parent
Help your child's teacher coordinate volunteers and special class activities. We still have many slots open for Room Parents this year. We can’t do it without you! Contact Room Parent Coordinator Karyn Gould at RPC@gfespta.com if you are interested.
4) Know What’s What
Stay informed with the Roadrunner Recap (GFES PTA Newsletter) and News You Choose (GFES Newsletter). **News You Choose is the main form of communication from the school and FCPS for information regarding the upcoming school year. Click here to subscribe.
5) GFES Directory
In a few weeks, you will receive an email from the GFES PTA Directory team with a link to access your account and verify your 411 for the new school year. Questions? Contact president@gfespta.com.
Science Olympiad for Grades 3 - 5 Registration
The 2019 Science Olympiad Team - Division A Registration is open. Please join us for an introductory meeting on Thursday, Sept. 5th at 7:00PM in the Cafeteria. Students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade and their parents are welcome to attend. Information about Science Olympiad - Division A is available on their website. Contact Science Olympiad Chair Juli Kim at julirokim@gmail.com or (703) 405-3691 for questions.
The PTA is here to help make a difference in your student's elementary school experience! Feel free to contact us anytime at PTABoard@gfespta.com. Wishing your children lots of luck, success and joy this school year!
GFES PTA Board
|
