Glasgow Community Gazette - April 12

Glasgow Community:

This week, we at Glasgow got to see our distance learning come ALIVE. It is amazing to think that three weeks ago our teachers were starting from scratch and building our foundation of asynchronous learning and now our students are able to access meaningful lessons across ALL of our classes, independent of the functionality of Blackboard. In History 7, we had 268 responding to one exit ticket, in English 8, 266 students reflected on a poem, over the entire week, Science 6 saw 772 responses to their grid choice board, and in Pre-Algebra we had 382 students completing a survey. This is phenomenal engagement, and we expect our numbers will only increase over time. I've included two awesome examples of student work below: a backyard map and a cell model.

I know it was disappointing for our students not to be able to engage in synchronous sessions this past week. FCPS anticipates resolution to the districtwide challenges with Blackboard, and students will be able to connect with their teachers and peers following the bell schedule posted below. Remember that our synchronous learning is designed to provide students time to connect and collaborate around the asynchronous work. It will be great to “see” our students live this week. If it becomes clear that the upgrades did not fix the problem, Glasgow students can still access lessons in each class via the Distance Learning Hub and email their teachers if they need any assistance. 

In addition to our live sessions, please continue to encourage your student to check their fcpsschools.net email, as this is one way that we will communicate with all 1900 of our students. We appreciate all you are doing to support your students at home--we know it is not easy right now, for any of us.

I hope you and your family are well. Please continue to reach out for questions.

Katie Madigan, Acting Principal

Contact Information:
Twitter: @ktmadigan
Email: kemadigan@fcps.edu
Website: http://www.fcps.edu/GlasgowMS/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GlasgowMS.FCPS/

Distance Learning

Distance Learning will continue throughout FCPS this week. Glasgow students and families will be able to access asynchronous lessons in all content areas through Blackboard, as well as through emails students received fcpsschools.net email with their personalized schedules, and through our glasgowms.fcps.edu website. 

Here is the link to the FCPS Distance Learning website that will provide you detailed information.

Our Glasgow Website has been updated with many important links for distance learning. In the announcements section, there are two banners that will take you to the Distance Learning Hub and to the Distance Learning Resources section. Students can access their course homepages through the Distance Learning Hub and many of your questions can be answered in the Distance Learning Resources section.  In addition, like all FCPS websites, they can be translated into many different languages.

Parent Coffee

The next virtual parent coffee will be on April 21 at 7:00pm. I will provide some brief updates and answer any lingering questions.  Look forward to seeing you there.  Please complete this form if you would like to come to the coffee. I will send you an email with the link and call-in number 30 minutes prior to the session. Remember to mute your mics as you enter if you are calling on a phone. See you there.

Grading Update

3rd Quarter Grading Update - The School Board was briefed that no student work assigned after March 13 will be graded, at the recommendation of VDOE; however, work assigned prior to March 13 will still be accepted up until April 24 in order to be applied in the calculation of students’ third quarter grades. Additionally, it is the intention of FCPS to use maximum flexibility in assessing and evaluating student learning for the remainder of the school year. 

4th Quarter Grading Update - Middle school and high school students will be assigned a “no mark” for the fourth quarter, with assignments submitted being allowed to positively influence the student’s overall grade for the year based on mastery of learning concepts, in accordance with FCPS grading policy. Only final grades will be shown on transcripts; a “no mark” will not show on a student’s final transcript. 

Volunteer Opportunities

Get Involved, Run for the PTA Board - The PTA is looking for interested parties to serve on the board, there are a number of opportunities available. Some positions are easily performed remotely. Please email the PTA if interested: glasgowms.pta@gmail.com. 

Food Donation - Fortunately our feeder neighborhoods have several pre-existing food truck delivery programs through Food For Others. If you are interested in donating food, we recommend that families donate using information from the website: https://www.foodforothers.org/

Important Dates

April 20 - Week 2 Grids posted to Distance Learning Hub by 7:30am

April 21 - Parent Coffee - 7:00pm

April 22 & 24 - Synchronous Sessions

April 21 - Virtual Parent Coffee - Mark your calendars, the next parent coffee will be on Tuesday, April 21 at 7:00pm. Please complete this form if you would like to come to the coffee. I will send you an email with the link and call-in number 30 minutes prior to the session. Remember to mute your mics as you enter if you are calling on a phone.

April 22 & 24 - Synchronous Sessions - Following your students regular class schedule and the distance learning schedule synchronous schedule. Students can engage in synchronous learning on Wednesday and Friday this week. Our teachers are looking forward to reconnecting with them online.

Important Information 

K-8 Learning Packets and Opt Out - Learning packets have been mailed home this week to all students in K-8 in FCPS. Learning packets are not required but are another resource that students and families can use to enhance their learning at home. The packets are meant to provide access to learning for all students, regardless of home technology access. The packets are available electronically in Blackboard FCPS 24/7 Learning so if a parent would like to print the packets at home, they may use the opt out link to stop receiving the printed instructional packets in the mail. They will need their student’s ID number and their e-mail address to access the opt out system. Please note, it may take up to 1 week to process the request to opt out.

Library Books and Resources - Please enjoy your school library books at home. No books are overdue and they can be returned when school buildings re-open in summer or fall. Please check out our audiobooks and eBooks available on MackinVIA.  See this video that will help you access MackinVIA: https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cqQ3rBt9wQ Students can also check out books from MyON. Here is a video that shows you how to access that resource: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITgJzPWMIBc&t=2s Feel free to email, Tara Sanz, Glasgow MS librarian and avid reader of middle grade & YA fiction, if you need any recommendations or help with accessing online library resources. tmsanz@fcps.edu Happy reading!

Student Services - Counselors Available If you have concerns regarding your child’s socioemotional health or mental wellbeing, please contact your child’s counselor for support. Counselors are available to check in with your child through email or the voice-dial feature on Google Meets. Unless your child has been opted out of counseling services, counselors may be reaching out to your child if they have requested an appointment or if staff members have noticed concerns that may prompt a check in. As always, counselors will stay in communication with parents whenever necessary. 

*Note* When counselors are calling during Distance Learning, they may be calling from a blocked caller ID number or a number starting with (347) which is the area code for Google Meets.

• A – C: Akon Otoyo - ajotoyo@fcps.edu
• D – J: Curtiss Barnes - crbarnes@fcps.edu
• K – Ph: Cynthia Pareja - cspareja@fcps.edu
• Pi - Z: Greg Frantz - gdfrantz@fcps.edu
• ESOL Level 1 &2: Irania Escalante - ivescalante@fcps.edu  
• TEAM 7&8: Jenn Pallotto (lead) - jkpallotto@fcps.edu

Support for Parents during COVID-19 Closures - We recognize that these extended closures are an unprecedented time for all members of our school community including staff, students, and also parents. Here is a guide for parents as to how you can continue to support your child at home to ensure their socio-emotional health and wellness. 

How to Support Your Child During COVID-19 Closures

2020-2021 Course Registration for Glasgow Students - Academic advising has concluded for all rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. You can view the courses that your child has selected through StudentVue and ParentVue selecting the “course request” tab.  Please note that all course request changes for Glasgow students are due by April 17, 2020. Finalizing requests by this date allows us to invest in staffing and resources based on students’ needs and interests. We will be finalizing schedules and placements throughout the late Spring and summer months.

Yearbooks Still on Sale! - Parents are encouraged to purchase a yearbook today! The cost is $30. You can purchase your yearbook on-line at https://www.balfour.com/virginia/alexandria/glasgow-middle-school. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Perella at maperella@fcps.edu. Please note, yearbooks will be distributed to students at Glasgow during the last week of school. We will update you on how yearbooks will be distributed with the closure of school as we get closer to the distribution date.

Food Services Meal Distribution Sites - FCPS will continue to provide grab and go breakfasts and lunches at no cost for students at multiple sites to students, with breakfast from 8:00-10:30am and lunch from 10:30am to 2:00pm. School-age students are welcome to come to any of the nearest sites listed below to pick up a lunch during that time period. Other sites are also available on the FCPS homepage. All meals are available at no cost to children 18 years and under. Adult lunches are available for purchase for $2.

• Annandale Terrace, 7604 Herald St., Annandale
• Braddock Elementary,  7825 Heritage Dr., Annandale
• Bailey’s Elementary School, 6111 Knollwood Dr., Falls Church
• Crestwood ES, 6010 Hanover Ave., Springfield
• Glen Forest ES, 5829 Glen Forest Dr., Falls Church
• Parklawn ES, 4116 Braddock Road, Alexandria
• Bailey’s Community Center, 10-10:30 a.m., 5920 Summers Ln, Falls Church

Click here for a list of local organizations that are providing food for students and families.