|
Greetings Families,
Another busy week at DRES has concluded and I am happy to see so many of our students are working hard, having fun and being kind! Some highlights from this past week:
- I joined Ms. Negron’s fifth grade class on Monday on a field trip to the Potomac River. The trip is sponsored by The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and we enjoyed being scientists for the day. We analyzed maps, measured the health of the river through a variety of measurements, and learned about the wildlife of the river. All 5th grade students have gone on the trip so please ask your 5th grader to practice their communication skills and tell you what they learned!
- Thanks to our Positivity Project (P2) team of Megan Oris (5th grade teacher), Alex Dildine (1st grade teacher), Vicky Reidenbaugh (Innovation Space teacher) Suzie Shank (Art Teacher) and Alex Levine (PE Teacher) for organizing a magnificent “Mega Morning Meeting” this morning to kick-off P2 this school year.
- Thanks to our school counselors, Brooke Nichols and Louise Robinson, for organizing our Mentor Kick-Off event this morning. It is great to see members of our community invest time in our students. Thank you to all of our mentors for the 2019-20 school year!
I will be hosting monthly parent coffee meetings. Thanks to all those who attended the September meeting. Portrait of a Graduate will be the topic of our next parent coffee on October 28th at 9:00 am in the library.
Families of Kindergarten students please remember the Kindergarten Welcome Walk will be Monday, October 14th from 9-12. Teachers will be making brief visits to the home of students to officially welcome them to Daniels Run!
Have a great weekend,
Chris Smith
DRES Principal
Yearbook Assistance, Please help!!
We are still looking for someone interested in coordinating our yearbook club this year. Please contact Mr. Parker at mrparker@fcps.edu or by calling 703.279.8492 if you are interested or have any further questions.
We would appreciate any assistance. Thank you!!!
Hurricane Dorian Relief
Each of the 32 schools in Region 5 of Fairfax County Public Schools are uniting together to support the humanitarian crisis that has occurred in the Bahamas due to Hurricane Dorian. Over the next two weeks, we will be fundraising by using a GoFundMe page. All proceeds will go to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). Our funds will go to water, shelter, food, clothes, backpacks, books, and other school materials. Please join Region 5 in making a difference.
https://www.gofundme.com/sam3qu-hurricane-dorian-relief
On Time and On Target!
DID YOU KNOW?
- Students should miss no more than nine days of school each year to stay engaged, successful, and on track to graduation.
- Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully, or facing some other potentially serious difficulty.
- By 6th grade, absenteeism (defined as missing 18 days per school year) is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.
- By 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.
- Missing 10 percent, or about 18 days, of the school year can drastically affect a student’s academic success.
- Students can be chronically absent even if they only miss a day or two every few weeks.
- Attendance is an important life skill that will help your child graduate from college and keep a job
Registration Now Open for FCPS Mental Health and Wellness Conference, to Be Held October 5 at Fairfax High School
The sixth annual FCPS Mental Health and Wellness Conference will be held on Saturday, October 5, at Fairfax High School from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., sponsored by Inova and Kaiser Permanente. The morning session will focus on social and emotional learning, with a keynote address given by Dr. Marc Brackett, founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. A special session for high school students, the Our Minds Matter Teen Summit, will take place in the morning as well.
Attendees are encouraged to stay for Inova’s Act on Addiction Summit, which will be held from 12:30 to 4 p.m.
Participants in this conference will be able to choose from a wide variety of breakout sessions, and there will be many resource tables available, representing public and private offices and agencies providing services within our schools and community. Lunch will be provided courtesy of Inova.
For more information or to register, go to the Mental Health and Wellness Conference website.
Student Mental Health and Resiliency
Many students struggle with emotional and behavioral issues that can affect their learning and overall wellness. If you have any concerns about anxiety, peer relationship problems, depression, or other social and emotional issues your child may be experiencing, please contact your school psychologist, school social worker, or school counselor. They are available for consultation and support.
Visit the Mental Health and Resiliency and Student Wellness: Tips and Strategies web pages to learn about mental health resources and fostering resiliency in your child.
Free and Reduced-Price Meals Application Available Online
Online applications for free and reduced-price meals for the 2019-20 school year deadline is October 10th. Completing the application online results in faster processing time. Electronic meal applications are available in the following languages:
- Arabic
- Chinese
- English
- Tagalog
- French
- Spanish
- Vietnamese
Paper applications are still available to complete and submit. They are available at main office, school cafeteria, and other FCPS buildings. Paper applications must be original red print forms. Copied application forms cannot be accepted.
Parents and guardians can now complete the free and reduced-price meal application and the consent to share information in the same document.
More information is available on the Free and Reduced-Price Meals web page
Positivity Project
This week, our students learned about open-mindedness. Open-mindedness is the willingness to actively search for evidence that goes against one’s favored beliefs, plans, or goals. Open-minded individuals are able to weigh all evidence fairly, when it is available. They see the other side and fight the tendency to have a bias for their own views. And, rather than favoring the socially dominant views, they give attention to those that are less dominant.
This character strength helps individuals build knowledge about specific issues or points of view – and provide sound recommendations and advice. Open-minded people do not jump to conclusions. Instead, they seek out and examine all of the available evidence before forming an opinion.
This is a great time to ask your kids how they are being open-minded!
Digital Citizenship
How do I protect my kid's privacy online?
There are two kinds of online privacy. Personal privacy refers to your kid's online reputation, and consumer privacy (also known as customer privacy) refers to the data companies can collect about your kid during an online interaction or transaction. Both are important, and a few simple steps can help parents and kids keep their private information private. Consider using strict privacy settings and teach your children to always consider the information they're potentially giving away when engaging online.
Learn More Here
New This Year: FCPS Teacher Work Day/Student Holiday Camps
Need something fun, engaging, and academic for your child (grades 3-8) to do during teacher workdays? FCPS Adult and Community Education (ACE) has the solution, with a full-day, affordable camp. Introduce your child to a foreign language and related cultural culinary activities taught by enthusiastic and experienced instructors. Each day is a new adventure!
Camp dates: October 14, November 4-5, and December 23. Camps start at 9 a.m. with before-care starting at 7:30 a.m., and after-care from 3:30-6 p.m. Sign up for all four days and receive a discount. To apply this bundle discount, call the ACE registration office at 703-658-1201.
Camp offerings and prices may be viewed on the ACE website by clicking on K-12 Classes and Camps. Registration may be completed online, by phone at 703-658-1201, by mail, or in person.
Advanced Academics Information
Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) Fall Newsletter and Updates
FCPS offers a continuum of Advanced Academic services for all students in grades K-8. An overview of AAP services can be found here https://danielsrunes.fcps.edu/academics/advanced-academics
If you have any questions, please contact our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART), Ms. Beth McCrodden, at bamccrodden@fcps.edu. For further information about Advanced Academics in FCPS, please visit the AAP website at: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-academics-k-6/advanced-academics
Here are some important dates to keep in mind if you are considering referring your child for Level IV screening this year:
Thursday, October 10, 2019 – AAP Level IV referral deadline for new FCPS students only (grades 3-6) for the Fall Screening cycle. Please contact Ms. McCrodden directly for support with this process.
Thursday, January 9, 2020 – AAP Level IV referral deadline to submit referrals and optional materials for students (grades 2-6) to be screened during the Spring Screening cycle.
From the PTA
Football and Friends this Sunday 10/6 5-7pm at High Side! Come meet fellow DRE parents and enjoy some tasty appetizers and football at a great local spot! RSVPs not mandatory, but always welcomed to dresecretary@gmail.com
Join the PTA!
The 2019-2020 PTA has over 200 members so far, and we need you to join! The PTA is here to support our kids and our teachers, and whether you plan to run for office, never attend a meeting, or anything in between, we need your membership to support our mission, contribute to our events, and show how strong the DRES community is. Don’t forget that you need to join again, even if you were a member last year. Join online at https://dres.memberhub.store/
Directory
The PTA will be publishing an online directory of our students this fall via our new online platform, Member Hub. The Opt Out form was sent home in last week’s Thursday folder. If you do not wish to be included in the directory, please return by October 4th. Any questions can be directed towards Eileen Davidovich, at dresecretary@gmail.com.
Insta Friends!
Check out our new Instagram account and follow to find out more about events and see fun pictures of our students @danielsrunpta
Before- and After-school clubs and classes
You should have gotten Thursday folder fliers from Silver Knights and the City of Fairfax--
Silver Knights offers -
- Tuesdays before school - Chess Club (grades K-6)
- Wednesdays after school - Lego Robotics Club (grades 1-6)
- Thursdays after school - Game Design Club (grades 2-6)
Register at https://skenrichment.com/clubs/fairfax -- scroll down looking for Daniels Run Elementary and choose which club you want.
City of Fairfax offers -
- Wednesdays after school - Art Program by Abrakadoodle (grades K-6)
- Wednesdays after school - Dance Fitness by Kids in Motion (grades K-5)
To Register Online -
1) go to https://www.fairfaxva.gov/government/parks-recreation
2) click on “Online Registration” button on the homepage
3) search for your class on Activenet
Don’t know what to do with that day off?
Monday, Oct. 14
-
Student Holiday LEGO Camp - City of Fairfax Parks & Rec (see above instructions for searching on City of Fairfax Activenet)
Monday, Nov. 4
Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 4-5
-
Tiny Chefs Cooking School Day Off: Autumnal Cupcake Wars - City of Fairfax Parks & Rec (see above instructions for searching on City of Fairfax Activenet)
Tuesday, Nov. 5
-
Tiny Chefs Cooking School Day Off: Baked Brunch - City of Fairfax Parks & Rec (see above instructions for searching on City of Fairfax Activenet)
-
Student Holiday LEGO Camp - City of Fairfax Parks & Rec (see above instructions for searching on City of Fairfax Activenet)
Box tops for Education
Box tops are due Friday, October 18th! Please turn in box tops to your child’s teacher or the front office! Box tops has begun moving digital but we can still submit unexpired paper boxtops, keep on clipping those boxtops!!
Important Dates:
October 8, 9, 10: CoGat Testing (2nd Grade)
October 10: Interims Sent Home
October 14: Kindergarten Kickoff 9:00-12:00
October 14: Teacher Workday/Student Holiday
October 16: PTA Meeting
October 18: Field Day (Grades 3-6 10:30-12:30) (Grades K-2 1:30-3:30)
October 28: Principal/Parent Coffee 9:30 in the Library
November 1: Field Day-Rain Date
November 4: Student Holiday
November 5: Student Holiday
November 11: Thanksgiving Luncheon
November 27, 28, & 29: Thanksgiving Break
Full 2019-20 FCPS School Calendar
|
