The Wildcat Way - September 24, 2019

Principal's Message

                                    

Dear Whitman Community,

 

Happy first day of Fall!  I wanted to let you know that we are excited to have implemented a Character Education Program at Whitman MS called Second Step (https://www.secondstep.org/middle-school-curriculum).  Second Step helps teach students powerful skills and competencies—like handling strong emotions, setting and meeting goals, making good decisions, and forging positive relationships—while building the safe, supported learning environment middle schoolers need to succeed.  Our staff wanted to be sure we were meeting the social emotional needs of our students beyond academics.  If you have any questions, contact your student’s school counselor.

 

On October 24 from 6 – 8 PM, we will be having our annual Fall Festival and “Trunk or Treat” event.  Last year we had a huge turnout and I hope we can repeat that!  Please mark you calendar!  Notice a few of the Trunk or Treat displays from last year below!

 

Thank you for all you are doing to support our students and have a great week!

 

Craig Herring, Principal

 

 

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Fort Belvoir #Be There Resiliency Challenge

The Mount Vernon Pyramid principals participated in the #Be There Resiliency Challenge on September 6 on Fort Belvoir to support Suicide Prevention.  Here is video documenting the event.  https://youtu.be/upWjWcqAU7g

 

                                                                                                                

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 Elementary (K-6) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-academics-k-6/elementary-family-life-education , Middle School (7-8) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/middle-school-academics-7-8/family-life-education-fle, and High School (9-12) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/high-school-academics-9-12/family-life-education-fle. Please fill in the opt-out form and return it to your child’s school prior to Family Life Education instruction.

 

Detailed grade-level program descriptions are 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

 

 

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Información del Programa de Instrucción sobre Educación para la Vida Familiar

 

Las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Fairfax (FCPS) proporcionan un programa secuencial y exhaustivo de Educación para la Vida Familiar (FLE) para alumnos desde kindergarten hasta el grado doce. La instrucción se considera una labor conjunta entre los padres, los tutores legales, la escuela y la comunidad a fin de apoyar el aprendizaje que es esencial para establecer lazos familiares sólidos, relaciones positivas y una comunidad saludable.

 

Los padres o tutores legales pueden optar por excluir a su hijo del programa de Educación para la Vida Familiar o de parte de él. A los alumnos que optan por no participar se les proporciona, sin sanción alguna, instrucción alternativa sobre salud según su edad, y se hace el mayor esfuerzo posible para fomentar el respeto por las decisiones de la familia. Si desea excluir a su hijo del programa FLE o de parte del programa este año escolar, usted encontrará los formularios de exclusión incluidos en los paquetes de regreso a clases y de orientación de su hijo y en el Internet en Primaria (K-6) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-academics-k-6/elementary-family-life-education, Intermedia (7-8) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/middle-school-academics-7-8/family-life-education-fle y Secundaria (9-12) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/high-school-academics-9-12/family-life-education-fle. Por favor, llene el formulario de opción de exclusión y devuélvalo a la escuela de su hijo antes de que empiece la instrucción del programa de Educación para la Vida Familiar.

 

La descripción detallada del programa está disponible en el internet según el grado en Primaria (K-6) , Intermedia (7-8) y Secundaria (9-12). Los padres pueden ver en el Internet las lecciones específicas por grado y los videos para los cuales FCPS tiene derechos de transmisión en la cuenta Parent View 24-7 (Blackboard) de FCPS https://fcps.blackboard.com/. Encontrará información sobre esta cuenta en su escuela local o en el Internet en http://www.fcps.edu/is/instructionaltechnology/247help/parents.shtml. También puede encontrar las lecciones específicas por grado en la Biblioteca Regional del Condado de Fairfax en la ciudad de Fairfax (esta biblioteca no cuenta con los videos de las lecciones). Las lecciones y los videos del grado de su hijo que no pueden verse en línea se encuentran a su disposición en la biblioteca de la escuela de su hijo si usted los quiere revisar. Debido a los derechos de autor, no podemos transmitir todos los videos por Internet.

 

Las preguntas que tenga con respecto al programa puede dirigirlas a la escuela de su hijo o puede llamar al Departamento de Servicios de Instrucción al 571-423-4550 o enviarle un correo electrónico a Elizabeth Payne, coordinadora del programa de Salud y Educación Física, a etpayne@fcps.edu.

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FCPS Career Switcher Information Session – October 14, 2019

The Office of Talent Acquisition & Management (TAM) will host a Career Switcher Information Session at the Willow Oaks Administrative Center on Monday, October 14, 2019. This event will give military veterans, community members and anyone interested an opportunity to learn how to become a licensed Virginia teacher.

The information session will begin with presentations from the five approved Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) career switcher programs, Educate Virginia, Old Dominion University, Regent University, Shenandoah University and Virginia Commonwealth University. Troops to Teachers will also present their program offerings to our military veteran attendees. A panel of FCPS educators will share valuable information with attendees, followed by an opportunity to network with the six presenters, the FCPS licensure team and the substitute office.

We would like you to share this event information with your school community, parents, FCPS employees and anyone in your network seeking information on becoming a licensed Virginia teacher.

 

Event Information Monday, October 14, 2019  5:30 – 7:30 p.m.  Willow Oaks Administrative Center Building 8270 / Room 1000A

 

Action Required: Please distribute to your community. Individuals interested in attending should register here.

 

Deadline

10/13/2019

Contact

Lena Cohen lmcohen@fcps.edu 571-423-3162

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Walt Whitman Middle School has partnered with Food for Neighbors to help feed our local students who deal with food insecurity because even in a county as wealthy as Fairfax, one in four kids in our area are struggling with hunger.

 

Food for Neighbors is a local organization addressing this problem by collecting food from our community via the Red Bag Program and donating directly to our local schools. The food is then distributed to the students on Friday afternoons and through our food pantry.

 

We hope you will consider participating in the Red Bag food collection program. You can make a difference in a local student’s life by simply adding a few extra items to your shopping cart every 2 months.

 

Here’s how it works:

  1. Request a reusable Red Bag here and Food for Neighbors will drop it off at your house.
  2. Fill the Red Bag with food items that are listed on a tag on that bag.
  3. Put the Red Bag outside your front door in the morning on the next bag collection day. (Collection dates are also listed on the tag.)

 

Your Red Bag will be picked up from your house and the food delivered to Whitman MS and then distributed to students in need through a Weekend Snack Program. As an added benefit, you can get a tax deduction for the food that you donate!

 

With your help, even more kids can be fed. For more information on the Red Bag program click here.

 

Other volunteer opportunities include Driving to pick up filled Red Bags and Sorting the donated food during the Red Bag Day events. Visit the FFN FAQ page to find out more about and to sign up to volunteer in these 2 very important roles.

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Karisa Gearheart (school social worker) kdgearheart@fcps.edu or Laura Wainwright (FFN parent liaison) laura@foodforneighbors.org

 

Thanks for helping us provide food to students who need that extra support!

 

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WHITMAN PTSA

The Whitman PTSA board would like to thank you in advance for your support. Questions, comments, and ideas are always welcome. PTSA email is Parentsforwhitman@gmail.com. We also post upcoming events on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WhitmanPTSA/.

 

Co-Presidents: William Curtis & LaShawne Curtis

Vice-President: Stephanie Reynolds  

Co-Secretaries: Ian and Jade Spurgeon

Treasurer: Marie McCain