Thoreau Matters - October 10th Issue

Message from Mr. Azimi

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Dear Thoreau Community: 

It is important to engage students in conversations around the roles we all play as staff, students and parents in fostering a positive and supportive school culture.  Our school counselors play a significant role in creating these opportunities and encouraging students to act as leaders and change agents in our building.   

Over the past two weeks, our counselors have pushed into both 7th and 8th grade English classes to do just this and their work with our students is worth sharing with you.  The counselors conducted a lesson with our entire student body wrapped around the theme of teaching tolerance and kindness.  Our counselors partnered with central office equity specialists to ensure we were embracing the diversity within our building as we asked students to talk with us about what they are seeing and hearing on a daily basis in our classrooms, cafeteria, hallways, etc.  Ultimately, the students were asked what they could commit to moving forward in order to foster a positive and supportive school culture at Thoreau. 

The structure used for this lesson was a restorative discussion circle which is similar to a class meeting where students circle up to encourage open and honest participation.  The central agreement was that all Thoreau students are worthy of, and deserve, a safe and supportive school environment. The question posed to students was, “What do you think a person needs to feel like he or she belongs here, or feels connected to, Thoreau?”  As is often the case, our students were insightful and honest in their remarks and were willing to be part of this important conversation.  Within the lesson we acknowledged with students that while their comments painted a picture of the ideal world, we know that human relationships often bring with them challenges. We all bring with us a variety of experiences and expectations that underline the importance of respecting one another and considering alternative perspectives before we act or speak. We asked our students to consider the impact of their words and actions on one another and closed by asking each student to consider what he or she could do moving forward to bring us closer to a more inclusive school. We plan to display some of these themes around our building representing the fact that these lessons are only the beginning of this conversation.  We remain committed to creating additional opportunities for these conversations regarding tolerance and kindness and thank you for doing the same within your own homes.

Sincerely,

Yusef Azimi


Upcoming Important Dates

  • Monday, October 14th:  Student holiday
  • Tuesday, October 29th - Wednesday, October 30th:  Fall pictures

Kindness Rocks

Throughout the month of September, Jen Wharton's creative writing classes explored the superhero archetype and learned what makes a character heroic.  Through an understanding of the archetype in fiction, students transitioned to a "Kindness" unit to display that superhero quality in their own lives.  Students wrote their own kindness precepts and painted them on kindness rocks that will be placed throughout their communities to spread the message of kindness.  You can read more about The Kindness Rocks Project here.

Kindness Rocks

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.


Fairfax County Youth Survey

The Fairfax County Youth Survey will be administered to our 8th graders during English classes on Thursday, November 14th and Friday, November 15th.  The survey is a comprehensive, anonymous and voluntary survey given each year to students in grades six, eight, ten and twelve.  The results of this survey are published each year and are used by school officials, youth service county agencies, and local non-profits to determine the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs offered in schools and communities.  It is also used to identify changing trends and areas of need.  Please read the parent letter on the Youth Survey for more information.  If you do not wish for your child to take part in the survey, please complete the attached opt-out form and return it to your child's English teacher or email it to Thoreau testing coordinator Sunnie Chung at shchung@fcps.edu no later than Tuesday, November 5th.


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.


2019-2020 Thoreau Yearbook

Thoreau yearbooks are now on sale.  Don't wait to buy a copy as the price will increase soon.  To avoid the frustration of trying to remember if you already purchased your child a yearbook, you will receive an "I Purchased a Yearbook" reminder magnet.  (If you already purchased a copy, your magnet will arrive soon.)

Questions?  Please contact Thoreau yearbook sponsor Ms. Galeet BenZion at gbenzion@fcps.edu.


My School Bucks (MSB) Update

MSB is up and running for class fees and school store purchases.  Please visit My School Bucks.


Thoreau PE Offers Cinch Sacks for Sale

Thoreau's health and PE department is offering navy blue bags cinch sacks with the Thoreau logo for purchase at $5.00 per bag.  If you would like to purchase a Thoreau bag, please see any PE teacher with cash or a check made out to Thoreau with PE Bag written in the subject line.  Payment can also be made through My School Bucks.


Welcome, After-School Specialist Colleen Taylor

C Taylor

Hello Everyone, 

My name is Colleen Taylor and I am the new after-school specialist at Thoreau.  I am originally from Boston where I was the after-school director for the Somerville Public Schools for about three years and before that I was a therapeutic specialist teacher at a non-profit organization.  I am extremely excited to be here and could not have gotten luckier with Thoreau picking me as their next after-school specialist.  I look forward to getting to know all of the staff and students in the months ahead! 

Sincerely,

Colleen Taylor, After-School Specialist and Building Use Coordinator

cmtaylor1@fcps.edu


After-School Programs and Late Buses

After-school programs and buses are underway.  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

Student Health News

Thoreau Health Room Volunteer Training Opportunity

Thoreau is in need of clinic room volunteers to support hearing and vision screenings, and be a back-up when the health room aid is absent.  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.

Hearing and Vision Screening

FCPS-required hearing and vision screenings will occur at Thoreau for all seventh grade students on Wednesday, October 23rd and Thursday, October 24th.  The screenings will take place during your child's health and PE class.  If your child wears glasses, please make sure he/she brings them both days to participate in the vision screening.  If you are available, please volunteer to help with the screenings.  You are welcome to sign up for one or more shifts of the three shifts each day.  We will provide training at the beginning of each shift.  We appreciate your time and interest!  If you are able to assist in the screenings, please fill out this Sign-Up Genius.

Scoliosis Fact Sheet

Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine. It occurs in otherwise healthy children and can be a serious health problem if it becomes severe. It generally occurs during the growing years, especially during the growth spurt from 10 to 17 years of age. Scoliosis is more frequently noted in females and when there are other affected family members. It is not caused by anything a child or his or her parents did or failed to do, although a minority of cases are associated with other medical conditions. Early detection is essential to help avoid complications that include back pain, fatigue, reduced exercise tolerance, deformity, and, in severe cases, problems in heart and lung function.

This is the link to the FCPS school health services webpage that contains a wealth of information.  At the bottom of the page are links for the Scoliosis Fact Sheet and also different language translations.

Health Department Vape Warnings

As Fairfax County and FCPS continue to battle the vaping epidemic, the Fairfax County Health Department has made informational flyers available regarding the severe lung illness associated with vaping.  Flyers are available on the FCPS student and parent webpages.


Gabro's class

7th grade students (l-r) Maggie, Lilly and Adrianna are brainstorming about why people write and what is the author's purpose in Michelle Gabro's English class.


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.


Digital Citizenship Week

FCPS is celebrating Digital Citizenship Week from Monday, October 21st - Friday, October 25th! This year’s theme is Media Balance and Well-Being: Developing a Healthy Relationship with Your Technology. Thoreau is celebrating Digital Citizenship Week with spirit days and activities focused on developing healthy habits around technology use. Students will have a choice board to select at least one activity a day that matches the daily theme. 

  • Monday, October 21st: Hat Day - Put on your thinking cap and reflect on your media use and habits.
  • Tuesday, October 22nd: Active Wear - Exercise your healthy tech habits.
  • Wednesday, October 23rd: Dress as your Muse - Dress up as your favorite artist, musician, author, inventor, actor/actress, scientist, etc. and focus on how you can use technology to create original works.
  • Thursday, October 24th: Dress in Your Best - Wear your best or most professional clothing and focus on using high-quality media.
  • Friday, October 25th: “Lei” Off the Tech - wear Hawaiian clothing and take a break from screens to connect more in person.

This link is full of home resources and suggested activities for each day’s theme.


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.


PTA News and Announcements

Dining for Dollars

Our next community Dining for Dollars spirit event will be on Tuesday, October 22nd from 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM at Foster's Grille, 138-A Maple Avenue West, Vienna.  Join fellow Thoreau families for an easy dinner out, and the restaurant will donate a percentage of this event's sales to the Thoreau PTA to help with school needs.

PTA Meeting

Save the date and make plans to join us for our next PTA meeting on Tuesday, October 29th at 9:30 AM at Thoreau.  We will offer a parent education session. Partnering with Club Phoenix, the Town of Vienna's teen center, our brief PTA business will be followed by a presentation on self-care by psychotherapist, nutritionist, and life coach Ginny Inglese.

Pre-Ordered Spirit Wear

Spirit wear that was pre-ordered through the PTA in September is currently being distributed through the Thoreau store which is open every Friday from 10:30 AM - 12:45 PM in the cafeteria.  Students who did not pick-up their spirit wear last week may do so this Friday.  Please watch for the next opportunity to order spirit wear this November in time for holiday delivery!

Box Tops

Please clip and submit your Box Tops to the Thoreau main office as a way to raise money for our school.  You may also now download the new Box Tops for Education app (from the Apple Store or Google Play) and instead scan your receipt to obtain credit for Thoreau.  Submit or scan your Box Tops by Thursday, October 24th to be part of our fall collection period.

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:

  • register your Harris Teeter VIC card with school code 3258
  • designate Thoreau for your Amazon Smile charity 
  • keep collecting and sending in Box Top

Andrea Kramer, Thoreau PTA President

president@thoreaupta.org 

 

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.


Pink OutPink Out

Staff and students participated in the Student Council Association (SCA) sponsored spirit wear on PINK OUT day!