We're Off to a Great Start!
Our little Falcons are flying into the new school year with ease! Students have acclimated to school and are learning and making friends in their new classrooms. Now, that’s something to celebrate as we kick off the 2019-2020 school year!
Forestdale even had a great visit from Dr. Brabrand, Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools in September. He greeted students and staff, spent some time in a morning meeting, and even used our sensory hallway. It’s a great place to get the wiggles out! The Forestdale team really enjoyed his visit and we loved showing off our school and students!
AAP Information Night
Parents interested in the Advanced Academic Program (AAP) at Forestdale Elementary are invited to attend an information session on Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 6 p.m. This session will explain the continuum of advanced academic services we provide at Forestdale. If you are new to Fairfax County Public Schools and have a child in grades 3-6 whom you would like to refer to Level IV full-time services, the deadline for referring this student to the Level IV full-time advanced services is due on October 10, 2019. The deadline is January 9, 2020 for students who are not new to FCPS this school year and are in grade 2-7. Please contact Katelyn Spengler at kcspengler@fcps.edu if you want further information. There will be another meeting in December that will review the Level IV referral process.
Family Life Education Preview
Students in grades K-6 participate in Family Life Education (FLE) instruction through their classroom teacher. Students in Kindergarten through grade three receive instruction in an emotional and social health unit. Students in grades 4-6 receive instruction in a human growth and development unit and an emotional and social health unit. For more information about the FCPS Family Life Education program, go to https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-family-life-education-fle.
Families are invited to attend an evening opportunity to preview the Family Life Education media and lessons and to talk with school staff about the program. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 8, 2019 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. at Lynbrook Elementary School. All program materials and media for all grade levels will be available for your review at this time.
In addition, grade level-specific curriculum lessons are available for review in online in FCPS 24-7 (Blackboard) Parent View. This includes lessons and media titles that FCPS has streaming rights for. Any additional media or book titles that are not streamed are available in Forestdale's library. Parents/guardians will need a SIS account to access FCPS 24-7 https://fcps.blackboard.com/.
Cognitive Abilities Test for Grade 2
The Cognitive Ability Test (CogAT) will be administered to all second graders and select students new to Fairfax County on October 7-9, 2019. It is important that your child attend school on these days. If possible, please avoid scheduling trips or appointments that would take your child out of school during this time period. It is also important that your child has had a good night’s rest and a healthy breakfast before testing.
The purpose of the CogAT is to provide information about students’ developed abilities in verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning. The types of tasks included in the test are based on content that children are likely to have experienced in school. However, the way questions are asked and specific test content are not necessarily what children have previously experienced. Children are not expected to know the answers to all questions and will be given opportunities to practice sample items before taking the test. The CogAT is an abilities test, so children are not expected to study or prepare for the test the way they would for an achievement test.
Our Parent Liaison is Here for You
Need help navigating Forestdale or have questions about Fairfax County Public Schools? Contact our parent liaison, Rosario Carrasco. Ms. Carrasco works every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and you can contact her at rdcarrasco@fcps.edu or 703-313-4300. She works in the school and community to help families get the information and assistance they need to support their children and to ensure their academic success.
As a parent liaison, she represents families from all of cultures, languages, and backgrounds. Part of her job is to welcome and orient families who are new to the school and community by helping them understand the school's culture, policies, procedures, and practices. She also helps connect families to resources in the community, assists them in transitioning to a new school and encourages parent engagement to help ensure student success. Ms. Carrasco is eager to continue her work with Forestdale families and to help foster a strong connection between home and school.
Registration is Open for the FCPS Mental Health and Wellness Conference
FCPS' sixth annual Mental Health and Wellness Conference will be held on Saturday, October 5, at Fairfax HS, at 8 a.m. Inova and Kaiser Permanente are partnering with FCPS on this event.
From 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m., the focus will be on social and emotional learning. Marc Brackett, Ph.D., founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, will deliver the keynote address. All attendees will receive a free copy of Dr. Brackett’s latest book. Breakouts will include sessions on stress and anxiety, fostering resilience, healthy use of technology, drugs and the adolescent brain, vaping, and other topics. A special session for high school students–the Our Minds Matter Teen Summit–will also be held during the morning. Attendees are encouraged to stay for Inova’s Act on Addiction Summit, from 12:30-4 p.m. The summit will offer several breakout sessions addressing substance misuse identification, resources, and recovery. Breakfast and lunch will be provided courtesy of Inova.
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Considering a Career in Teaching?
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.
Event Information Monday, October 14, 2019 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Willow Oaks Administrative Center Building 8270 / Room 1000A
Individuals interested in attending should register here.
Important Dates:
Oct. 5
FCPS Mental Health & Wellness Conference
Oct. 7-9
Cognitive Abilities Test for Grade 2 and Selected Students
Oct. 8
AAP Parent Information Night, cafeteria, 6 p.m.
FLE Parent Night, Lynbrook Elementary, 5 – 6 p.m.
Oct. 14
Columbus Day, No School for Students
Oct. 15
PTA Meeting, library, 6 p.m.
Oct. 17
PTA Uno Pizzeria and Grill Night
Oct. 23
Grade 4 Field Trip to Kennedy Center
Oct. 25
Fall Box Tops Collection Deadline
Nov. 1
End of Quarter 1
Nov. 4 – 5
Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School for Students
Please contact your child’s teacher if you do not have a conference scheduled.
PTA Corner
Keep informed and don’t forget "Like" our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Forestdale-Elementary-PTA-2018-2019-1466500776775763/
PTA Memberships
Membership is open to anyone! We’d love to have all families join us this year. Together we are a powerful voice for our children. Thank you to the families and staff members who have already joined us!
To join the PTA:
Send in $10 for one adult or $15 for two adults (cash or check made out to Forestdale PTA) with your name, your child’s name, your child’s teacher, and your email address. You can also pick up a membership envelope from the school office.
Restaurant Night- Uno Pizzeria & Grill
Take a night off from cooking dinner and help our school. Join us at Uno Pizzeria and Grill in Kingstowne on October 17 from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. Families should bring the flyer that was sent home on October 3rd. Another will be sent home on October 10th.
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