Message from Mr. Azimi
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Dear Thoreau Community:
It was wonderful to see hundreds and hundreds of Thoreau parents/guardians at our Back-to-School Night last Wednesday. I wanted to extend my sincere appreciation to those parents who attended to meet our dedicated teachers and staff. If you were unable to make it, I encourage you to please view your child’s Blackboard/Google Classroom sites to see what is going on in our classrooms.
On another note, Eagle Time has started and it is a daily 34-minute period for all of our students. It is listed as 4th and 5th periods on the students' schedules. Eagle Time is used for five main reasons:
- Intervention (teachers helping students who are struggling along the way)
- Remediation (teachers going back to assist students who did not meet learning standards)
- Organization (students organizing their binders, notebooks, lockers, etc.)
- Work Completion (students completing assignments, making up assessments, etc.)
- Enrichment (students extending their own learning)
A great question for a Thoreau parent to ask a student is, “How did you use Eagle Time today?” With 170 available minutes at our students’ disposal each full week, Eagle Time is the perfect opportunity for them to keep up with their academics, get extra support from teachers and/or move ahead in their learning.
Sincerely,
Yusef Azimi
Upcoming Important Dates
- Monday, September 23rd: First day of after-school programs and late buses
- Monday, October 14th: Student holiday
 Thoreau 8th grade students Sean Robinson, Carvell Saing, Madolyn Disayawathana and Isabella Murphy helped to raise the Freedom Flag which was flown at all FCPS schools to honor the victims of the 9/11 tragedy.
8th Grade Wellness Screening
As originally communicated in our summer back-to-school packet, Thoreau Student Services will be conduct its annual 8th grade wellness screening on Tuesday, October 15th and Wednesday, October 16th. The screening will take place through 8th grade health & PE classes.
In order to ensure that this is a meaningful learning opportunity for our students, we must closely partner with our parent community. To that end, we would like to share how to access an informational parent/guardian portal which is supported and maintained by a nationally recognized organization, MindWise Innovations. This portal will allow you an opportunity to review the materials and topics we will cover in our screening, and will connect you with resources and educational materials related to adolescent mental health issues.
This information is available to all Thoreau parents. Please know that if you have opted your 8th grader out of the wellness screening, we will ensure he/she has plans for an alternate location on our screening dates. Regardless of participation, we remain committed to the well-being of your child and consider this to be valuable information for you to have access to in the comfort of your own home.
Parent login information can be found here.
Username: thoreau-par
Password: thoreauSOS
If you have any questions, please contact Thoreau director of student services Rebecca Aguilar at 703-846-8012 or rjaguilar1@fcps.edu.
Family Life Education (FLE) Preview Night
There will be an FLE preview night on Thursday, November 14th from 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM prior to the PTA 7th grade dinner. More information about the event will follow in future editions of Thoreau Matters.
Prior to the November 14th meeting, parents/guardians need to have their ParentVue account activated in order to login and review the materials on Blackboard. Refer to this link to find registration information about creating an account.
Fall Pictures
Mark your calendars! Fall pictures will be taken on Tuesday, October 29th and Wednesday, October 30th during health & PE classes. Details will follow in future editions of Thoreau Matters.
Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE) Field Trip
The 7th grade science department will be going on the MWEE field trip to Burke Lake. This field trip will provide students a real-world, hands-on opportunity to investigate the Chesapeake Bay Watershed ecology and the impact humans have on ecosystems. We are looking for parent chaperones to escort groups of 10-12 students. If you are interested, add your name through this Signup Genius under your child's science 7 teacher.
Monday, September 30th: Blackford/Paz, Goats team
Tuesday, October 1st: Oehm, Wolfpack team
Wednesday, October 2nd: Galus/Freck/Chaffee/Safeer, Penguins team
Thursday, October 3rd: Jacobs/Paz/Counts/Fenstermaker/Krotman
Friday, October 4th: Wardere, Ravens team
Academic Integrity Lesson
During the month of September, Thoreau English teachers and administrators will deliver a presentation on plagiarism and academic integrity. Students will bring home a document that details the following:
- Thoreau Honor Code
- Honor Pledge
- Definitions of Terminology
- Consequences and Restoration
There will also be a section for the parent/guardian to sign and return to school with their child. Watch for the form to come home by the end of September when your child will have participated in the lesson and acknowled the pledge.
My School Bucks (MSB) Update
MSB is up and running for class fees and school store purchases. Please visit My School Bucks.
 Thoreau ESOL teacher and yearbook sponsor Galeet BenZion and Thoreau math teacher Leah King greet students as they come into class and start their school day.
After-School Programs and Late Buses
After-school programs and buses will begin at Thoreau on Monday, September 23rd. Program information will be available by Wednesday, September 18th. After-school information will always be communicated via our website, the TMS after-school Google site, the PTA newsletter, Eagle News (our morning news show), and will be published in future issues of Thoreau Matters.
For planning purposes, the last day of after-school activities is Thursday, May 28th. The after-school program will not meet on student holidays, or during inclement weather cancellations. In addition, there will be no after-school activities or buses on the following dates:
- Friday, October 11th
- Friday, November 1st
- Monday, November 25th - Tuesday, November 26th
- Friday, December 20th
- Friday, January 17th
- Friday, February 14th
- Friday, April 3rd
- Friday, May 22nd
Capital One Coders Middle School Initiative
Thoreau's after-school program is partnering with Capital One to bring an exciting enrichment opportunity to our students. The Capital One Coders Middle School Initiative is a 10-week program designed to teach middle school students introductory software development skills in a fun and engaging environment. Most excitingly, students create working mobile apps that they can share with their friends and families!
We will offer two clubs; one club meets on Wednesdays and the other club meets on Thursdays. This will begin on Wednesday, September 25th and Thursday, September 26th and will run through Thursday, December 5th (no meetings on Wednesday, November 27th and Thursday, November 28th). The program will run from 2:25 PM - 4:05 PM. Students will be able to take a late bus home. The program will conclude with a celebration event and App Challenge at the Capital One headquarters in McLean on Thursday, December 12th. Due to the popularity of this program and limited space, a lottery system will be used to determine the students who will participate in the program. Applications of students who can commit to attending all ten sessions will be given priority. Applications are available in the Thoreau main office or in business and information technology teacher Holly Bolanos' room (A111). Students should complete the paper or online application form no later than Monday, September 13th. Students will receive notification of acceptance by Friday, September 22nd. If you have any questions, please email Holly Bolanos at hebolanos@fcps.edu.
Please see this flyer and this letter from Ms. Bolanos for details.
Thoreau Health Room Volunteer Training Opportunity
There is a one-time training provided by the Fairfax County Health Department that is required for anyone volunteering in the Thoreau school health room. The training is Wednesday, October 15th, from 9:30 AM-11:30 AM, at the Annandale District Office, Heritage Building (3rd floor conference room). The location is 7611 Little River Turnpike, Suite 400E, Annandale, VA 22003. No pre-registration is required.
Thoreau Theatre News
Thoreau’s winter musical this year is Singin’ in the Rain! Audition spots will fill up fast, so don’t wait! Tech team and acting audition signups are available to all Thoreau students outside of room C107.
Technical team interviews will take place:
- Monday, September 16th
- Wednesday, September 18th
- Thursday, September 19th
Acting auditions will take place:
- Monday, September 23th
- Wednesday, September 25th
- Thursday, September 26th
Go to the theatre department website at www.thoreaudrama.com for more information and requirements.
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) Important Dates
The application for TJHSST is available and can be accessed here. The deadline for applications is Friday, September 27th at 4:00 PM. The test date for TJHSST is Saturday, November 9th. Additional information can be found here.
World Languages Credit Exam
The 2019 credit exam for world languages will be administered Wednesday, November 6th - Friday, November 8th. Students who take the credit exam will now have the opportunity to earn up to three credits, based on demonstrated proficiency.
Thirty languages will be assessed via the FCPS credit exam including: American Sign Language, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali/Bangla, Chinese/Mandarin, Farsi/Persian, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Pashto, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit/Samskritam, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Tigrinya, Turkish, Twi, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
Greek, Hebrew, Portuguese and Turkish languages will be tested using the Writing Proficiency Test (WPT), which is a timed test and has a format distinct from the FCPS World Languages Credit Exam. More information on WPT is available here.
Registration opens Monday, September 9th at 8:00 AM and closes on Thursday, October 10th at 4:00 PM. Late registrations will not be accepted.
Credit exam information can be accessed here.
Madison HS Athletics
Thoreau families who plan to attend Madison HS football games this fall should read the guidelines for stadium expectations produced by Madison HS. These provide valuable information about admission prices, gate hours, parking, and general rules and expectations. Go Warhawks!
 Connor, Michelle, Reese and Ryan constructed a temporary, found-object sculpture showing a boundary in 3-D Art Explorations! The boundary was a metal barrier separating stresses.
Neighborhood Panel Discussion
Just Ask Prevention and the Vienna Woman's Club are hosting a panel discussion on Wednesday, October 16th at 7:00 PM at the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department. The panel discussion topic is "Human Trafficking in Our Neighborhoods." This flyer provides additional details.
Navy Federal 5K Run/Walk
Navy Federal Credit Union will sponsor a 5K run/walk on Saturday, September 14th beginning at 9:00 AM. The intention of the race is to bring the community together to raise money for the Committee for Helping Others, but also to promote physical activity and health among NFCU employees, NFCU members and the community. There is an expected 1,000 participants this year! Navy Federal is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization and the Committee for Helping Others (CHO) is an all-volunteer organization that provides assistance such as food, clothing, transportation, furniture, and Meals-on-Wheels to local neighbors in need. To register visit, navyfederal.org/5k.
PTA News and Announcements
The Thoreau PTA organizes monthly spirit nights at local restaurants; in turn, they donate a percentage of their sales to Thoreau from these evenings. You can help the PTA raise funds to support our school simply by going out to eat and inviting family, friends and neighbors to do the same! Our first Dining-4-Dollars spirit event this year will be Tuesday, September 24th at MOD Pizza (168 Maple Avenue W., Vienna). Come out any time that day from 10:30 AM-10:00 PM and mention Thoreau when paying at the register. Make plans now to meet up with others in the Thoreau community for delicious food and a fun time!
Sincerely,
Andrea Kramer
Thoreau PTA President
president@thoreaupta.org
Help the PTA
Please join the PTA and consider making a donation to our no-fuss fundraiser.
Other easy ways you can earn money for Thoreau are:
- designate Thoreau PTA for your AmazonSmile charity
- register your Harris Teeter VIC card with our school code 3258
- keep collecting and sending in your Box Tops
2019-20 PTA Board Members
Andrea Kramer, President
Irina Smirnoff, Vice President
Amy Vernon, Treasurer
Wendy Pearson, Secretary
Thoreau Food Program
In partnership with the PTA, Thoreau Student Services will be packaging and sending home weekend food bags for families in need. We are looking for donations of non-perishable food items as identified on this Amazon shopping list. For your convenience, these items may be ordered from Amazon and delivered directly to the school. Donations may also be purchased and dropped off in the Thoreau front office to the attention of Director of Student Services Rebecca Aguilar. Gift cards are also greatly appreciated.
 We imagine that Thoreau's therapy dog, Jackson, felt the same way that Thoreau parents and staff did after Back-to-School Night.
Thanks for attending.
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