Fairfax Villa Staff Farewells
As we move toward the end of the school year, there are always transitions for some of our staff members. We will be announcing a few of these each week. This week, we are sad to say goodbye to Michelle Coyne, Kelsey Ferrari, Brendan Lyons, and Surangi Mehta.
Michelle Coyne has worked with and made connections with so many of our parents and students! As one of our front office staff and our library assistant, she has made quite an impact in her two years at the Villa. Her first day found almost every staff member stopping by to introduce themselves and to give her welcoming words…this is what Michelle then did for our students and staff every day. She mentored and cared for a student who thrived on the help and attention given by Ms. Coyne – this mentoring made such a change in this student’s life. We will miss Ms. Coyne in many ways but are excited for her as she starts her first year of graduate work at George Mason for school counseling and continues to serve FCPS at another school.
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Kelsey Ferrari has served as our school psychologist for the two years she has worked for FCPS but now leaves to enter private practice in Fairfax. As the voice for managing the testing and evaluation of many of our students, Ms. Ferrari has worked with most of our teachers and served on both our local screening committee as well as on our MTSS committee. She has felt welcomed and cared for at Fairfax Villa and has felt a part of our school’s family from the very beginning. Although she was not at our school every day, the days that she was here began and ended with smiles, laughter, and much collegial enthusiasm and partnerships. We wish her luck in private practice and thank her for supporting our students in so many ways.
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Brendan Lyons came to Fairfax Villa in the middle of the year to teach in our SPED department on a one year contract. He had taught in both Loudoun County and Fairfax County before coming to our school to work with 2nd grade. We wish him the best as he moves on to new opportunities.
 Surangi Mehta has been at Fairfax Villa and FCPS for just one year but held many positions at our school. Starting as a long term substitute in 4th grade and ending as a PHTA for our intellectual disabilities program, Ms. Mehta has worked with many students. She felt the warmth that our school is known for with her interactions with both our staff and her students. She especially enjoyed working with the ESOL team and the 4th grade team as she started the year with them. With her 14 years of teaching in India, she hopes to continue working for FCPS and feels that she will always be a part of the Fairfax Villa family. Good luck to Ms. Mehta in her next instructional endeavor!
Student Material Distribution/Item Return Drive-Thru Days- June 8 and 9
On June 8 and 9 we will be hosting our Student Material Distribution via drive-thru in our Fairfax Villa kiss-n-ride.This will be your time as a parent to drive to the school and pick up your child/childrens materials, as well as drop off student supplies. More information will be coming soon with details in next week’s Friday message.
Musical Instruments - Instruments need to be collected only from students in grade 6 and any other students moving out of FCPS. Students continuing in the instrumental music program next year do not need to return instruments. In the drive-thru on June 8 and 9, there will be an area for you to stop and drop off any instruments.
Library Books - we are asking that you search your houses and your child’s/children’s backpacks to find all Fairfax Villa library books. Similar to the instruments, there will be an area for you to stop and drop off your books so that we can check them back in and remove them from your children's accounts.
Patrol Belts - 5th and 6th grade students are asked to return their patrol belts on June 8 and 9. There will be a station in the drive-thru for parents to drop off the belts.
Student Medication Pickup
On June 16, we will be hosting our student medication pickup. In our future Friday KIT messages, we will be sharing logistics and safety precautions for parents picking up their children's medications.
Student Laptop Return
For all 6th graders and any other students who will NOT be at our school next year who have a laptop from Fairfax Villa, we will be collecting your laptops on Tuesday, June 16 from 9:00 to 12:00.
There will be a container in the kiss and ride lane for parents to drive up to and drop off the laptop bag. Please be sure that the laptop and power cord are both inside the bag. Don’t forget to check that there are no personal belongings of the student left in there. We will not be able to return personal items left in the bag. Please leave all name tags on the bags and on the laptops.
Friendly Reminder: Parent Input Form for 2020-21 Class Placement
With May finally here, we are already looking ahead to next year. While we look at class placements for the coming year, we want you to be aware of the process. We place students in classrooms based on numerous criteria. Students are grouped so that classrooms are heterogeneous, having a balance of boys and girls, a balance of academic performance and ability, and groups that will allow for the greatest support from our resource teachers.
Classroom teachers will have input into the recommendations for next year, as will our counselors and specialists. Our staff has been told that we will not take requests for particular teachers because we base our placement on instructional criteria and individual student strengths and needs. It is unfair to give special consideration to some parents when it would be impossible to grant requests from all parents. Please be aware that, due to late enrollments or other factors, grade level assignments for staff sometimes change. Staff assignments are determined at the end of the summer. Our staff has been directed not to give out information about placement prior to that time. Children and parents are disappointed when changes must be made due to staffing issues.
In addition, we also value parent input. If you feel there is pertinent information to support your child’s success for the upcoming school year, you may email Mr. Gerstner at drgerstner@fcps.edu. Emails are due to Mr. Gerstner by May 24th. When responding to Mr. Gerstner, please copy and paste the following questions into your email:
1) Student Name:
2) Next Year’s Grade Level:
3) The three words that best describe my child in a classroom setting:
4) My child learns best in a classroom with the following characteristics (level of structure, learning environment, opportunities for collaboration, etc.):
5) Special considerations (health concerns, students that my child either does or does not learn well with, etc.):
We value and consider your insight into your child’s learning needs. Taken together with teacher input, your feedback informs class placements. Once again, we respectfully ask that you refrain from requesting a specific teacher.
Sincerely,
Dave Gerstner, Principal
KJ An, Assistant Principal
Registration for School Year 2020-2021
Looking to register your kindergarten student or a grade 1-6 student new to Fairfax Villa? First, see if your student falls in the Fairfax Villa ES boundary by viewing the FCPS boundary locator.
Registration for Students in Grades 1-6 New to Fairfax Villa
If you need to register a new student in grades 1-6, please contact Jose Flores, our school registrar, at jlflores@fcps.edu. Please provide the student's first and last name, enrolling parent's first and last name, student mailing address, enrolling parent's email address, and the enrolling parent's phone number. Mr. Flores will be in contact with you via email.
Kindergarten Registration for 2020-2021
If your upcoming kindergarten student does fall in the Fairfax Villa ES boundary, please complete the form on the link below. Your form will be submitted to Jose Flores, our school registrar, who will be able to assist you with the registration process.
https://fairfaxvillaes.fcps.edu/new-student-registration-2020-21
Not Returning to Fairfax Villa Next School Year?
In planning for both staffing and materials for the coming 2020-2021 school year, it is extremely important that we have a reasonable projection on the number of students who will be returning to Fairfax Villa ES next school year.
Please complete the Student Intention form for next school year, 2020-2021 Student Intention Form if your student is transferring to:
- Another FCPS school other than Fairfax Villa ES
- A private school in Virginia or out of Virginia
- Another Virginia public school division outside FCPS
- Another state public school outside of Virginia
- Out of the United States
Only those families whose students are transferring need to return the completed form to our Registrar, Jose Flores at jlflores@fcps.edu. Please complete and email this form by Friday, May 22, 2020. If you are unsure what your intentions are for the next school year, please note this on the form.
Visit the FCPS general registration page.
Distance Learning Resource for Families
FCPS has provided a website for families to answer questions they may have about accessing and troubleshooting Distance Learning. Available in many languages, it covers topics from connecting to the internet to the use of the Student Rights and Responsibilities during Distance Learning. There are also phone numbers to call to get help in different languages.
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/distance-learning/instruction/technology-support
Distance Learning Continues
Distance learning is continuing as teachers will provide new instructional opportunities through a variety of tools. Some resources for parents include:
Internet Access for Low Income Families in FCPS
Cox Connect2Compete supplies broadband internet access to low-income, unconnected families in Fairfax County. Households who meet income and other guidelines will be offered free Internet service through July 15, ($9.95 per month afterward), free modem rental, free installation, and a price guarantee for two years. Schools who are aware of families without internet access can share this resource with families. More information is available on the Cox website: https://www.cox.com/residential/internet/connect2compete.html To ensure all families in need have access to the Internet, FCPS MiFi delivery continues at elementary schools this week.
Distance Learning YouTube Channel
Math and Language Arts Distance Learning Lessons broadcast on Apple 21 can now be accessed by teachers and students on demand. To view, go to Fairfax County Public Schools Distance Learning on YouTube and subscribe. Playlists are arranged by grade level (for math) and content (for language arts).
Content can also be accessed on the FCPS Apple 21 cable television channel and is streaming at https://www.fcps.edu/news-features-and-events/cable-tv/cable-tv-guide.
New Collection of eBooks and Audiobooks
New eBooks
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 could be accessed as choice reading or listening for learning activities.
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. 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.
Please email Robin Mims at rbmims@fcps.edu for more information or assistance.
The following message is sent on behalf of the Fairfax Villa ES School PTA. Its content reflects the views of the PTA.
SCHOOL SUPPLY TIME!
This year, we are trying out a new local vendor for school supplies and the prices are super competitive AND every order receives a fun Villa spirit bag!
If (like me) you’ve never ordered from our supply vendors before because you enjoy school supply shopping, THIS IS YOUR YEAR TO DO SO! Every grade’s list includes items that you will have a hard time finding, while our vendor has the supplies in stock! In addition, the PTA earns $1-$2 for every supply bag purchased. WIN WIN!
I price-compared the fourth grade list on Amazon and it was $20 more than our vendors’ price AND IT DIDN’T INCLUDE the paper/disinfectant supplies!
ORDER ONLINE BY JULY 15! https://www.campussurvivalkits.com/fairfaxvilla
 SEPTA Q&A MEETING NOTES
Huge thank you to Stephanie Brander for taking notes when she attended the SEPTA Q&A session with Dr. Brabrand on May 5. Please review them here for more information about how the school division has been thinking and planning for special education needs.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sF8x1137BZfP4oGx2uUIH5Se0Vz7AVuf/view?usp=sharing
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