Freedom Hill Weekly Update 6/1/2020

Principal's Message

Dear Freedom Hill Families,

We hope you are enjoying this weekend of beautiful weather as the Northern Virginia area slowly begins to open. With two weeks of school remaining, we have some fun events to share with you:

This week - we honor our 6th graders with a virtual spirit week. Please see below for more details!

Next week - Our PE department has put together a week of "virtual field day" activities. Look for more info next week!

Grade level celebrations - you will be hearing from your teacher about how their grade/class will celebrate the end to a successful year. 

Below are reminders about pickup times for your student(s) personal items. When you arrive, please bring with you library books, patrol badges, classroom books, and book donations for our summer Bookmobile. 

June 8:

9:00-11:00 - Last name A

11:00-1:00 - Last names B-D

1:00-3:00 - Last names E-G

June 15:

9:00-11:00 - Last name H-L

11:00-1:00 - Last names M-O

1:00-2:30 - Last names P-R

2:30-4:00 - Last names S-Z

Logistics

When it is your timeslot, please proceed in car through the bus line to the front door.  You can come anytime within the timeslot to collect and drop off your items.  Please place a paper with your child(ren)’s first and last name(s) on your dashboard or passenger side window where it is clearly visible to staff. Staff members will retrieve your items and bring them to your car. Please make sure your car is unlocked. Staff will place items in the back seat to avoid contact.  Staff members will wear masks and gloves for safety. If you will be walking to school, please stand by the marquee sign. 

Thank you for your help to ensure this is a safe process for all. 

Have a great week!

Dr. Z. 


Upcoming Dates for Your Calendar

  • June 1 - 4 - Distance Learning Continues
  • June 1 - 5 - Virtual Spirit Week to Honor 6th Graders
  • June 2 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 8pm
  • June 8 - Item pickup - Last names A-G
  • June 8 - 12 - "Virtual Field Day" Spirit Week
  • June 12 - Last Day of School
  • June 15 - Item pickup - Last names H-Z

Virtual Spirit Week

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FHES Bookmobile Book Drive

Our 2019-2020 school year is coming to a close and with that parents are picking up their children’s materials from school.  Please consider donating gently loved books at that time in the box near the FHES library/bookroom returns. 

FHES staff was able to give away hundreds of books to students who felt they needed them on Thursday, March 12 from our Bookmobile book collection.  Please consider replenishing our Bookmobile collection with books you are looking to donate so that we may begin giving away books again as soon as we are allowed to.  Highly engaging books, including fiction or nonfiction; board books, picture books, chapter books and/or Young Adult, are best.  Please contact Freedom Hill’s reading specialist, Mrs. Rossman at Melissa.Rossman@fcps.edu with any questions.


Music Selection for Rising 5th/6th

Parents of rising 5th and 6th graders have the opportunity to choose a music class for next school year. The Music Department has created some helpful information and a great video below. We ask that each current 4th and 5th grade student use the Google Form below to indicate their desire to participate in band, strings, or neither. 

FHES Rising 5th-6th Google Slides Presentation (required student login)

FHES Rising 5th-6th YouTube Presentation

FHES 5th-6th Strings/Band Google Form (for ALL students to complete)

band

Rising Kindergarten Information

Do you have a son or daughter who will be in Kindergarten this fall? Or do you have a neighbor or friend who is ready to register? Please see below:

Virtual Kindergarten Orientation for Parents

Missed Kindergarten orientation? You can watch the presentation here or view the slides here

Kindergarten Registration

Registration is open! Please email our Student Information Assistant, Sey-Lu Sujo, to begin the process and see the following for more details:

- FCPS Kindergarten Registration Page

- Required Forms

You will need to complete all FCPS registration forms, as well as providing the birth certificate, deed or lease of residence, immunization records, and proof of a physical. 


Departing / New Staff

As with every year, we will be saying bittersweet goodbyes to some of our teachers and staff members. Though they will be dearly missed at Freedom Hill, they have some wonderful adventures ahead of them. From moves out of state, opportunities closer to home, promotions within K-12, jobs in higher education, and retirements, we are excited for the spirit of FH to spread and flourish. Since we are not able to celebrate them in person this year, we have created a Google Site that allowed them to write a goodbye message. You are also able to leave a message on this site or to contact them individually. We will miss them!

Our hiring for next year is mostly complete. Our philosophy for teacher recruitment is to always begin hiring early and to attract the finest teachers, and we're very pleased to welcome these new staff members. We are also using the Google Site as a place for our new staff to introduce themselves and their experiences. We will continue to update this site with new staff members as they complete their HR requirements and become official. Since we are still months from next school year, many of their final positions for next year are still pending. Thanks for joining us in giving them a big Freedom Hill welcome!


Moving Over the Summer?

If you will be moving over the summer or not returning to FHES, please email our Student Information Assistant,  Sey-Lu Sujo. Thank you. 

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Food Resources

food

FCPS continues to expand the number of locations for food sites.  Please use this link as it will continue to be updated. There is also bus route food distribution that stops at Freedom Hill Monday-Friday at 10:40, as well as a few other stops in the community. Check out the schedule here


Parent Clinic

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Looking for information/help/support on parenting during distance learning? Any FCPS parent may request a 30-minute phone consultation with a school psychologist or school social worker. This consultation provides an opportunity for parents to receive guidance on how to support their child’s emotional well-being.

https://www.fcps.edu/blog/fcps-mental-wellness-consultations-are-available


PTA Information

VIRTUAL PTA MEETING ON JUNE 2nd, 8pm

Join us for the next Virtual PTA meeting on June 2nd at 8pm. We will be celebrating the staff who will be leaving us, announce the Harriet Best award winner and finalize our slate of PTA board officers for 2020-2021. Join here online or call by phone 1-301-715 -8592 and use ID: 933 2752 9720. If you'd like to be a chair for next year, let us know by emailing us!  

 

SCHOOL-WIDE SPIRIT WEEK TO CELEBRATE THE 6th GRADE We are looking to you to help us celebrate our 6th graders this week. We've set up a virtual spirit week where you can post and share the love for our departing 6th graders. Info here. Post at Freedom Hill ES Community or post on Twitter.

Monday - Math 6 Day - How many ways can you use 6 in equations? Take a photo and share your math!

Tuesday - Find 6 Day - Find 6 of something in your house or outside and post it. Bonus if you post 6 pictures!

Wednesday - Creative 6 Day - Create something visually to celebrate 6th graders (art, legos, etc.) and post.

Thursday - Message 6 Day - Create a graduation message to the 6th graders and post it.

Friday - Spirit 6 Day - Wear red, white or FHES gear and share your own 6's (use 6 fingers, 6 toes, get creative)!

 

GROCERY DRIVE FOR THOSE IN NEED BY JUNE 1st

Some have asked how you can help with families who need help with groceries. You can donate as many Trader Joe's or Giant gift cards as you want in increments of $20-25 to a family in need by mailing the gift card to Freedom Hill, c/o Mary Gutenson, 1945 Lord Fairfax Dr., Vienna, VA 22182. The other option is to order a $35 grocery pack with Caboose Brewery. There is an option to purchase directly through them, indicating Freedom Hill as the recipient on Caboose. If you do this online, once you pick a Day/Time for the order (doesn't matter when), go to to "Community Donations", go to "Grocery Donations" and click the option that says “Food Insecure Families - coordinated w/ FCPS and Vienna VA Foodies". Once Caboose receives the order & fulfills the order for the group of families, they will get in touch with school. We will be running this drive until June 1st!

 

SPROUT SCHOOL SUPPLY KITS Our Back to School Supply Kits with Sprout have been set up here. These are the supply kits delivered to school in time for the first day in Fall. It's an easy way to get your back-to-school shopping done in minutes and never leave home. The exact, teacher approved supplies for every grade are listed here. To order them through Sprout, you visit www.sproutsupplies.com (our School Code is FHES001). We did ask Sprout what happens if we have distance learning in fall. Their response was anybody can cancel their order until June 30th so keep that in mind. Some families may want the supplies regardless if there is distance learning at home. The flier is here with more details.


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