Family Resources & Webinars, Report Card Info, Upcoming School Board Meetings ...


Dear Lee District Families,

American Poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: "Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be". For so many of us, it is often the teachers in our lives who provide this needed inspiration.  

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4-8. Please take a moment next week to thank our talented and amazing FCPS teachers - who inspire us all!

Our teachers have been on the front lines of a difficult start to our on-line learning. But thanks to their hard work and that of our school based technology specialists, this week we had close to 155,000 synchronous (virtual face-to-face) learning sessions with over 940,000 attendees from April 27-April 30.  Please know that all FCPS staff members are working diligently to provide the high quality level of education our families have come to expect.

We are constantly updating our website to help you and your family as you move through the stress of this pandemic. Here are two more resources I know you will find helpful.

Wishing you and your family continued strength, hope and good health! And to all of our FCPS teachers - thank you for all that you do and for staying FCPS strong! We appreciate you!

Tammy


Maintaining Wellness and School Supports During COVID-19: A Webinar for Families

Maintaining our own mental health and wellness during this time can be challenging, let alone supporting our children and family members. The first step to taking care of our families, is to take care of ourselves.

Webinar Highlights:

  • Strategies for maintaining wellness for self and family
  • How to talk to my child about COVID-19
  • Activities that will foster resilience during this time
  • What does stress look like in children?
  • Resources to support my child 

Presented by Bethany Koszelak, Mental Wellness Specialist for FCPS.

Friday, May 8, 2020, 10 a.m.-noon.

Link to Register: Maintaining Wellness and School Supports During COVID-19: A Webinar for Families

For a list of other upcoming Family Resource Center Workshops, click here. Webinars will be recorded and posted on their YouTube Channel soon after the event.


Report Card Information

Report cards for this year’s 3rd and 4th quarters will be produced centrally for all secondary schools, except for those parents and/or guardians who have opted to “Go Paperless.” Third quarter grades should be finalized on Friday, May 8 at 11:59 p.m. and will be visible in ParentVUE and StudentVUE on Saturday, May 9 at 6 a.m. We anticipate the printed report cards will be provided to the postal service by May 23.

Parents and/or guardians can take advantage of the paperless option, by logging into ParentVUE, then going to “My Account” and selecting "Go Paperless!" This is the only way to keep a paper report card from being generated for students at the secondary level.

Access in ParentVUE and StudentVUE to view the grade book and report card modules will be closed from Fri, May 1 at 4 p.m. until Saturday, May 9 at 6 a.m.

Elementary School Progress Reports

Progress Reports for this year’s 3rd and 4th quarters will be produced centrally for all elementary schools. Third quarter grades should be finalized on Friday, May 8 at 11:59 p.m. and will be visible in ParentVUE and StudentVUE on Saturday, May 9 at 6 a.m. We anticipate the printed report cards will be provided to the postal service by May 23.

Access in ParentVUE and StudentVUE to view the report card module will be closed from Fri, May 1 at 4 p.m. until Saturday, May 9 at 6 a.m.

Parents and/or guardians at the ES level do not have the “Go Paperless” option this school year.


Special Education Update

On April 27, the Department of Special Services (DSS) announced they will be providing a regular electronic newsletter to provide parents with updates, information, tips and ideas to support families during the school closure.

This information will be shared here.


FCPS Middle School After-School @ Home

FCPS Middle School After-School has put together a number of virtual after-school activities to engage middle school students in the arts, music, STEM, physical fitness, cooking, games, puzzles, literature, and more – things students can do at home. 

FCPS students can access these virtual after-school activities by joining the "FCPS MS After-School @ Home" Google Classroom. 

The classroom code is: t673w7v.

Once your student has joined the classroom, there are a variety of topics they can choose from in the "Classwork" tab. We hope your students enjoy this site, and that it helps them actively pursue their interests during this time of social distancing.

If you or your student have ideas for other activities, please email your After-School Program Specialist or use the "FCPS MS @ Home Interest Form" located on the classroom home page. 


New Collection of eBooks Available

Library Information Services is pleased to announce a new collection of ebooks and audiobooks to support distance learning aimed at 5th & 6th grade students available through the MackinVIA platform. This collection contains 715 titles curated with a focus on popular and appealing books that many students would find fun to read. Although not intended as instructional resources, these books can be accessed as choice reading or listening for learning activities. This collection is available in all elementary, middle, and high school collections.

How to Access
MackinVIA is the FCPS ebook and audiobook platform. Users can download the MackinVIA app from the iOS and android app stores to read or listen on their mobile devices, or they can log in to fairfax.mackinvia.com using their FCPS network username and password. Also, users on a school-issued computer can search for the MackinVIA app shortcut. In all cases, be sure to log in to the FCPS blue bar with your network credential, NOT the Follett prompt.

How to Navigate MackinVIA
Here is a four minute video demonstrating the features of MackinVia.

Digital Book Licenses
Unfortunately, central purchases are limited to single-user licenses by publishers. That means that if a copy of a book is checked out, other users can make a request to place it on hold, but only one person may engage with the book at a time. If a school has purchased ebooks through MackinVIA, users at that school will see those titles integrated with the centrally purchased titles.


Upcoming School Board Meetings

Thursday, May 7 at 1:30 p.m.
Special Electronic Regular Meeting

Monday, May 11 at 1:30 p.m.
Special Electronic Work Session

For agenda, handouts and virtual meeting access, click here.

Members of the public are welcome to attend virtually via at https://www.fcps.edu/tv/ch99.


FY21 Budget Electronic Public Hearing

The School Board will hear remarks on the FY 21 Advertised Budget at a virtual public hearing on Tuesday, May 12 beginning at 5:00 p.m.

Registration is now open for the community to speak at this public hearing. Click here to sign-up.


FCPS Foundation and Central Office Staff Provide School Supply Kits for Students

supplies

We are excited to share that 30,678 students in Title I schools, and students living in homeless shelters, received school supply kits to support their learning at home. This collaborative effort included funding from the Foundation for FCPS and Title I, as well as direct support from the Office of Professional Learning and Family Engagement, Title I, Office of Communication and Community Relations, Department of Special Services, and Instructional Services Department. Thanks to these groups, many students are prepared to learn!


NOVA Webinar: Preparing High School Graduates for College

college

FCPS parents/guardians are invited to an informational webinar on how to help prepare seniors for college.

Topics will include:

  • The new higher education landscape 
  • Next steps after high school 
  • Education options that can save families thousands of dollars 
  • Available Financial aid and scholarship options 
  • Labor market demands and opportunities 
  • Transfer programs available at NOVA

Presented by Dr. Anne Kress with Northern Virginia Community College

Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.

Advance registration is required. Register here: NOVA Webinar


Family Resources Update

Food Services

Fairfax County Public Schools continues to help distribute meals throughout the county. As of April 30, 643,021 meals have been served.

Visit: https://www.fcps.edu/news/coronavirus-update-food-resources for more information. Or, you can use the Fairfax County interactive map to find community meal distribution sites, food pantries, and other related services.

Technology

As of April 28, FCPS has distributed 16,838 laptops and over 1,000 MiFi devices to ensure students have access to technology and reliable internet. If your student is in need of a laptop, please check with your student's school.

Discounted Internet Services

Many companies are offering discounted internet service and devices during this crisis. To learn more, visit the following links:

Cox - https://www.cox.com/residential/internet/connect2compete/covid-19-response.html

Xfinity - https://www.xfinity.com/support/articles/comcast-broadband-opportunity-program   

Verizon - https://www.verizon.com/support/consumer/account/manage-account/lifeline-discount


REMINDER: Congressional Art Competition Goes Digital - Deadline Extended to May 29

congressart

As a reminder to students in Grades 9-12, if you would like to submit your works of art virtually, please review the following guidelines and important changes summarized below. All entries (up to 8 entries per school, one entry per student) will be accepted via Beyer.district.office@mail.house.gov by Friday, May 29. Please also email the student release form and submission images to this email address.

Important Changes Summary

  • NEW Submission Due Date: Friday, May 29th 

  • Digital Submission Method: Email images WITH student release to Beyer.district.office@mail.house.gov

  • Student Release REQUIRED: No art teacher signature required but please put teacher name

  • Framing Requirements: Only needed for “Best in Show” piece submitted to the Capitol

  • Photos: Send up to 3 photos: 1 full photo of work; 2 optional detail photos

  • School submission requirements: Up to 8 submissions per school, 1 per student

  • VA-08 Virtual Awards Ceremony Time & Date: TBD

Links for more information: Rules and Regulations for Students and Teachers, the Student Release Form, and the 2020 Art Submission Checklist.


The views contained within this newsletter reflect the views of the individual school board member who is the publisher of this newsletter and may not reflect the views of the Fairfax County School Board.

© 2020 Fairfax County Public Schools, Fairfax County, Virginia