Message from the Principal and Ravens' Nest- June 2, 2020

A Message from the Principal

 

Dear Ravensworth Families, 

Over the past few days, I have received many emails and communications with respect to the upcoming school year and parent choices/decisions that will be made for the 2020-21 school year. I have linked Dr. Brabrand’s letter and plan from last week describing school choices for the 2020-21 school year. I acknowledge that you still have questions regarding the options and also acknowledge that at the school level, we do not have all of the answers yet. We are all working collectively to support you, and your child(ren)’s learning going forward regardless of the option that you choose. 

Many of you have asked what school will look like with face-to-face instruction and virtual settings. At this point, we encourage you to make your decision based on what ‘feels’ right for your family. The final decision has not been made for the virtual schedule, but the decision has been made to ensure that there will be more live, teacher-directed hours than offered in May and June. Distance Learning will include both whole group and small group learning opportunities for students. In both settings, we are working with teachers to ensure that there is meaningful direct instruction. We will incorporate structures to ensure the individual needs of your child are supported. As indicated in the plan, the face to face instruction will include two days of instruction with asynchronous learning for 3 days. Technology will be used in both settings to support instruction.

It is our intent to continue the Spanish Immersion program in both formats, in-person and online, whenever possible utilizing the existing partial-Immersion (50/50 target language/English language) instructional delivery model established in FCPS.  This means that 50% of instructional time spent in either in-person or online formats is delivered in the target language.  We will be able to make more programmatic considerations for Immersion programming after July 10, 2020 once parental decisions regarding in-person or online formats have been submitted.  FCPS will utilized flexible Immersion delivery models to meet the needs of varying in-person and online instruction scenarios.

Families wishing to withdraw from the Spanish Immersion for this school year must notify the school and register their child at their base school. Families opting to withdrawal from the Spanish Immersion program or from FCPS for the upcoming school year will relinquish their lottery spot or seat in the Immersion program. Re-admission to the Immersion program the following school year is governed by Regulation 3312 and is not guaranteed.

This past week, we have been working to understand our capacity numbers for face-to-face instruction. The number of students in each class will depend on the physical size of the classroom and our social distance (currently 6 feet) based on the Fairfax County Health Department and CDC guidance. We will employ the whole building and get creative with our space usage to ensure that we meet the guidelines. It has been suggested that student schedules be assigned alphabetically to support families with students in multiple grades. We understand childcare might be a concern and know that many of you are making plans now. 

Thank you for your feedback about last spring's Distance Learning. We are continuing to reflect on our technology usage and we will build our knowledge and resources to support the utilization of technology in a blended learning classroom. We will also continue to develop our tools and resources to support students’ socio-emotional needs as they return to school. Our entire staff wants to be ready to support your child during the 2020-21 school year.

To better inform your decision, Dr. Brabrand is also having a Town Hall Meeting on Monday, July 6, at 6:30 p.m. to answer additional questions that arise from his communication. In addition, Visit the Return to School web page for more details on the plans. 

These links explain in greater detail the two return to school options:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the FCPS website 

I will continue to respond to your emails and communicate what I know. I may not have all the answers, but I will respond as honestly as I can! We are here to support all of the students and families! Thanks as always for your support and patience! 

 

Sincerely,

 

Erika Aspuria

Principal

 

Ravensworth Summer Reading Challenge and Math Bingo

Ravensworth encourages all Ravens to enjoy reading and practice real-world math skills over the summer. Please encourage your child(ren) to participate in both the Ravensworth Summer Reading Challenge and Ravensworth Summer Math Bingo. Students who return their completed cards at the beginning of the new school year will receive recognition and have the opportunity to win a prize. Our Summer Reading Challenge and Math Bingo cards are posted on our Ravensworth website https://ravensworthes.fcps.edu/

 

Last Call for Yearbooks

There are a few Ravensworth Yearbooks still available for sale. They are on a first come first serve basis.  Yearbooks will no longer be available for purchase as of July 3rd.  If interested please contact Karin Floyd at correspondsec@ravensworthpta.org

 

Order School Supply Kits for the 2020-2021 School Year

Get a head start on the 2020-21 school year by pre-purchasing your child’s school supplies! Ravensworth Elementary School Supply Kits — Campus Survival Kits

Your child’s teacher has identified the personal and community school supplies needed for a successful year.  In cooperation with the Ravensworth PTA, Campus Survival Kits has assembled a Kit of all necessary supplies for one low price! 

Your child’s personal supplies will be delivered in a custom Ravensworth Elementary drawstring backpack.  Delivery will be made to the school in August.  Pickup arrangements will be made for students participating in distance learning.