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Dear Providence Families,
I hope school has gone well so far this year for your children, and that they are deeply engaged in learning in their classrooms. I know that our teachers and staff have been collaborating with colleagues to review data and to create appropriate plans for every student at PES. While I know that many people have been eagerly awaiting a snow day, this has been a great opportunity for relatively uninterrupted learning and growth. Our plan is to continue our learning through the spring, the upcoming Standards of Learning assessments, and until the last day of school.
The news has been full of stories and information about the Corona virus, and we have been paying attention as well. We are closely following the guidance of FCPS and our local, state, and national health leaders to monitor the situation in our school. While we have had many cases of the flu this year, we have not had any known cases of the Corona virus at Providence, in FCPS, and to date, in the entire regional area. This might change in the days and weeks ahead, and we will pass along any information and guidance we are given by FCPS. Our terrific, hard-working custodians are keeping the building clean and are providing extra attention to classrooms where students have tested positive for the flu. Our teachers are working closely with our public health nurse to keep each other informed of the reasons behind student absences. Most importantly, we are encouraging students to wash their hands when possible and to use hand sanitizer when not. We ask for your help by keeping your child home when they have a fever and / or are otherwise ill. You can read the FCPS update here.
The first week in March is an exciting one for us, and I hope to see many of you in the building for one or more of these events:
- We are celebrating reading all week, with special dress-up and reading-related activities all week. We will have a building full of guest readers on Friday for Read Across America Day, so please ask your child if his or her class welcomed a reader. Special thanks to parents and community members who are reading to a class.
- On Tuesday, March 3, we will hold our kindergarten orientation and will meet many of our rising kindergarten Panthers! This is always a joyous day for us, although we know that it can be a stressful one for parents who are sending their first child to school. We look forward to answering questions and meeting the class 2033, if you can believe it!
- On Thursday, March 5, we will hold our 2nd Big Thinker Day, in addition to our annual STEAM Night. During the day, students will engage in deeper thinking and advanced academics activities in every classroom. We already do this regularly in every grade throughout the year, but we all do it on the same day on Big Thinker Day. We started this as an extension of our always-well-attended STEAM Night, and as part of our push to offer deeper thinking opportunities for every student in the building through the AAP classes we began to offer last year.
- We hope that everyone will join us at Providence Thursday, March 5th, from 6:00-7:30 PM to discover the fun of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) through hands-on activities for the whole family. Our staff re-energized the event last year, and has added even more new activities for 2020. This is a great drop-in event for families, where you could enjoy a quick visit and a couple of activities if it is a busy night at home, or you could stay with us the whole time and squeeze in almost everything. We look forward to a great night.
I feel very fortunate to be the principal at PES. I am humbled by the dedication of our staff and the appreciation we receive from our community. Most of all, it is gratifying to see so many of our children succeed as students and grow as people. Thank you for allowing us the chance to serve your family and our community.
Sincerely,
Dan Phillips
Proud Providence Principal
SCHOOL NEWS:
Class Picture Day Volunteers Needed It's that time of year again - CLASS picture day. We need volunteers to help the photographers as they photograph the students for both class and individual pictures. Volunteers will receive vouchers. $35 for a half day, $70 for a full. You may use the vouchers on picture day to pay for your class pictures, or you can hold on to them to use later- like next fall. Thank you for helping. Smile!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0A48AFAA2AA7FC1-class
RESILIENCE: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope
Daniels Run PTA Presents a Free Documentary Film Screening:
A movement is underway locally and nationally to recognize and treat the toxic stress that children are under. These experiences wreak havoc on developing minds and impact learning, cognition and physical and mental health. The documentary Resilience allows us to come together as a community to learn about the biology of stress and the science of hope - how we can mitigate the impacts of Adverse
Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The one-hour film will be followed by a facilitated discussion by FCPS staff and community advocates. Childcare will be provided.
Where: Daniels Run Elementary School
When: Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Time:
6:30 - 7 pm PTA meeting
7 - 8 pm viewing of Resilience
8 – 8:30 pm Q/A
School Health Services Survey
The Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) employs school health aides and public health nurses who provide school health services to the students in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). To determine the quality of these services, a survey has been developed by the FCHD to be shared with all parents or guardians and school staff members who interact with the school health rooms. This may include principals, school counselors, and main office staff members. The survey has been approved for distribution by the FCPS’ Internal Survey Advisory Committee.
Electronic versions of the survey forms may be accessed at:
School Health Services Survey – Parents 2020: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K9VWCJ6 approval # 20217
School Health Services Survey-Parents 2020 (Spanish): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K7KGXTS approval #20217
School Health Services Survey – STAFF 2020: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KDDYRW3 approval # 20216
The survey will take less than five minutes to complete and will provide the FCHD with valuable information. Your participation in this important endeavor is appreciated.
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