Important Upcoming Dates
6/8-6/9 (Monday-Tuesday):
Student Personal Item Distribution/School Material Return Days
6/11 (Thursday):
Virtual 6th Grade Recognition Ceremony & Last Day of Class
6/16 (Tuesday):
Student Laptop Return ONLY for Students Leaving FCPS & Student Medication Pick-Up
6/29-7/31
Continuity of Learning (Optional)
Beginning this week, you will see the items in the newsletter numbered with the newest items on the top. Please refer to the new table of contents to help you navigate through this new format of News You Choose Friday Message.
IN THIS ISSUE
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Staff Farewells
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Yearbook Update
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Summer Student Account Information For Students
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Student Laptop Return
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Student Personal Item Distribution/School Material Return Days- June 8 and 9
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Student Registration (Kindergarten Registration/ 1-6 New Student Registration)
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Not Returning to Fairfax Villa Next School Year?
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Requesting a Refund for Student's Meal Account
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Fine Arts Summer Resource
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Summer Continuity of Learning
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Resources for Families
1. 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 especially sad to say goodbye to our two retirees – Tanya Black, our current 6th grade SPED teacher, and Robin Mims, our librarian. They both have made such a positive impact and influence on our students, staff and families for many years. They may be leaving our building but will never leave our hearts!
 After 26 years of teaching in Fairfax County and 22 of those at Fairfax Villa, Tanya Black is retiring from FCPS and moving to Fredericksburg where she will continue to influence even more students while working in a school there. From her first day here walking through the doors of the Villa to these last years working as a Special Education teacher in 6th grade, Ms. Black felt at home and knew she was meant to be here. She knew on that first day that it was a special place to be where the teachers care not only about academics but also about the emotional well-being of the students. Ms. Black has been the model for that type of caring educator to so many students over the years and a shining example to many teachers. She has been impressed by the determination, tenacity and resilience of her students…much of which they learned from her. She has always strongly believed in the potential of each student and each one of her students knew that and will always remember her for that. Ms. Black embraced Fairfax Villa as her second home with the staff, students, and families being her constants, in good times and bad. Ms. Black will be missed by many and will always have a second home here at Fairfax Villa.
 Robin Mims, our Villa librarian, is also retiring! After 32 (!) years teaching in Fairfax County and 20 of those at the Villa, we can say that Ms. Mims has shared with thousands of adults and children the importance of reading, the enjoyment of books, and the overall value of high character and a positive attitude. Never without a smile and a suggestion for a “next book” to read, Ms. Mims always knew what each child needed to challenge their mind as well as to entertain them. As one of the staff members who works with all our students, she knows each child and each family and worked tirelessly to make sure they all had the reading materials they needed – whether through weekly checkouts, our Little Library boxes, or through summer programs. Ms. Mims has enjoyed working with the many amazing staff members over the last 20 years and getting to know each student who walks in the library doors. She says that it has been such a joy to work at Fairfax Villa. Ms. Mims – your dedication to the Villa has brought joy to all of us over the years and we will always think of you with a smile and a love of reading…what a lifelong gift you have given to so many children!
2. Yearbook Update
It's that time of year...Yearbooks are in!!
Due to the current health safety concerns, we will be mailing your 2019-2020 yearbooks home to you this year. If you pre-ordered a yearbook online for your child, your yearbook will be mailed home to the address listed in our school database system.
If you reserved a yearbook via email; please make a check out to Fairfax Villa ES and mail it to the school address (10900 Santa Clara Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030). Once your check is received, your yearbook will be mailed home to the address listed in our school database system.
3. Summer Student Account Information For Students
Students are reminded to always use good digital citizenship when accessing the internet. Remember that anything you do with an FCPS laptop or account is monitored.
G Suite for Education: Students will be able to access their FCPS Google accounts over the summer. If they are leaving FCPS and want to download any files to keep, use the information in this link: Student Guide to FCPS G Suite Account & Data
Blackboard 24/7: Will be unavailable from June 12 to June 17; Students will still be able to access resources in their current Blackboard course after June 17.
Blackboard Collaborate: Will be available all summer for the Continuity of Learning that is offered to all students from June 29 to July 31.
myON: Students will continue to have access to myOn over the summer. For tech support just for myOn, parents may contact their live tech support at 888-728-1266 from 9:00 - 6:00 Monday- Friday. Their email is support@myon.com. The recently free feature, myON News, will not be available after the school year.
For students enrolled in a separate summer program through onCourse, they will be moved to a separate myOn course. Information will come from those ESY teachers.
Student Passwords will not have to be changed at the beginning of the new school year. Students will continue to use their current password with all FCPS accounts.
Wixie - Wixie will continue to be available to current students until August 7. After August 7, FCPS will be working to update rosters in Clever for the new year and Wixie will not be accessible for students for a short time. It should be back up and available no later than August 17.
iReady: NEW - iReady instruction is available for use by K-6 elementary school students during June and July of 2020. This is being turned on to provide optional individual practice to students. Lessons will be curated based on the student’s most recent test score in reading or mathematics during the fall or winter test windows.
Reading instruction is available to students in grades K-6, while mathematics instruction is available to those students in grades 1-6. Access to iReady will be turned off August 1, 2020.
Students will access iReady instruction through the FCPS public Universal Screener website, where they will enter their FCPS login credentials.
Click here to see the directions for using iReady this summer.
4. Student Laptop Return- June 16 (9:00 AM - 10:00 AM)
The laptop return is ONLY for students moving out of Fairfax County. If you are leaving FCPS and have a Fairfax Villa laptop, please drive by the school on Tuesday, June 16 from 9-10 to drop off the laptop bag with the laptop and power cord inside. There will be a cart to put them on from your car. Please do not send students with these. This is a change for our 6th graders.
Since there will be an optional Continuity of Learning program offered for all students during the summer, the only students who need to return an FCPS laptop to Fairfax Villa are those who are moving and will not be attending any FCPS school in the fall. This is a change for our 6th graders. 6th graders may now keep their laptops until we ask for them to be returned in August. Our students in other grades will keep theirs and return them at a later date.
All students need to continue to practice good digital citizenship at all times while online and to take good care of their laptops. If your family is going to be traveling out of Virginia this summer, please do not take your laptop with you.
5. Student Personal Item Distribution/School Material Return Days- June 8 and 9
On June 8 and 9 we will be hosting our Student Material Distribution.This will be your time as a parent to drive to the school and pick up your child’s/children’s materials.
We will be creating a drive through in our Fairfax Villa Kiss and Ride lane for parents to return instruments, patrol belts, and library books as well as to pick up student materials that were left in the classrooms.
Please do not walk to the school or send students alone to this event. This will be a drive-through in cars event only.
Returning Musical Instruments– Instruments need to be collected only from students in grade 6 and any other students who will not be in FCPS next school year. Students continuing in the instrumental music program next year do not need to return instruments. In the drive-through, there will be an area for you to stop and drop off any instruments.
Returning 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.
Students - Click here to watch a video from Ms. Mims that shows how to find out which library books you have checked out.
Returning Patrol Belts - These need to be returned by all patrols in grades 6. Please wrap the belt and include your child’s first and last name. For grade 5 students, please hold onto your belts for next school year.
Event Details:
During your time slot, please follow these procedures for our no contact environment to meet all current safety and distancing guidelines:
- Anyone exiting the car MUST wear a face mask.
- Only one family can be out of their car at any given time at the drop off/pick-up station. Please wait in your car until it is your turn.
- Please sign up with this link for a time slot for your family (ONLY 1 TIME SLOT PER FAMILY).
- During your hour, pull into the Kiss and Ride line along the curb. Cones and a tent will mark the designated area for material drop-off/pick-up.
- One car will pull to the designated material drop-off/pick-up area.
- That family only may exit the car, deposit any library books, musical instruments, or patrol belts to the appropriate container and then pick up the student's personal belongings.
- Once that car has exited the tent area, the next car in line will pull up and this will continue one car at a time.
6. Student Registration (Kindergarten/ Grades 1-6 New Students)
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
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.
7. 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.
8. Requesting a Refund for Student's Meal Account
Meal account refunds can be requested by e-mailing the following information to mealaccountrefund@fcps.edu
- Student Name
- Student ID # (listed on the student's schedule)
- School Name
- Parent Name
- Street Address
- City, State and Zip code
- Phone #
On June 30 of each year, balances for all graduating seniors will no longer report in MySchoolBucks. Food and Nutrition Services will have access to balance files and if parents have not requested a transfer or refund by this date, they may still do so up to one year (to June 30 of the following year) using the above methods.
Parents are required to log into www.MySchoolBucks.com and from the homepage dashboard and click “Remove Student." Click the box under “Remove?” for the graduating student’s name.
9. Fine Arts offerings this summer
 10. Summer Continuity of Learning
Due to school closures, FCPS will offer free resources for all students and families who wish to continue distance learning throughout the summer. Virtual resources will be available on Blackboard 24-7. Additionally, two Essentials Summer Practice Books – one for Language Arts and one for Mathematics – will be mailed home to students.
Selected teachers at each school will hold weekly office hours from Monday, June 29, 2020 through Friday, July 31, 2020, to address student questions and review content from the Essentials Summer Practice Books prepared by FCPS central office.
11. Resources for Students and Families
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 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
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Distance Learning Continues
Distance learning is continuing as teachers will provide new instructional opportunities through a variety of tools. Some resources for parents include:
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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.
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