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Dear Stenwood Families,
This is our first official Hive Happenings through the platform News You Choose. This is our weekly email that you will receive on Fridays throughout the year. It is a great source of information to stay connected, find out what is going on in the school, and hear about important deadlines. These will look and feel very different from the eNotify format you have been getting during the summer. We typically only use eNotify for critical information - changes in schedules, secure links to Principal’s Coffees, or information that we are sending out to specific grade levels, as that system has the ability to target specific audiences.
In today’s Hive Happenings, we ask that you carefully read and attend to some NEW action items as well as review items we shared last week; attending to this information will help you stay in the loop and streamline our return to school. The sections below include the following information (new/updated items are indicated below):
- Technology Distribution Plan and Sign-Up (*NEW*)
- Kindergarten Virtual Playdates (*Updated to share link info*)
- Schoology Parent Workshop Schedule (*NEW*)
- Activating Your SIS Parent Account
- New Family Orientation
- Forms for the Beginning of the School Year
- Food Resources and Free/Reduced Lunch Applications
Our teachers return on contract today! We are so excited for them to be back. Monday will be our big kickoff with staff. Teachers will be mailing out welcome letters on Tuesday. These will be sent directly to your house. In it will include information on how to sign-up for a time for a one on one meet and greet in your child’s virtual classroom between Wednesday, 8/26 - Friday, 8/28.
You will have TWO more opportunities to connect with your child’s teacher through our Back to School Night series:
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Back to School Night - Part 1 - Wednesday, 9/2 6:00 - 7:30pm
- This will serve as a virtual orientation: how to access assignments, schedules, and their Schoology course.
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Back to School Night - Part 2 - Date/Time TBD (but will be later in September)
- Typical BTSN topics - curriculum, school/classroom policies, addressing frequently asked questions
We understand that this year is challenging and hope that these opportunities to connect will ease any anxiety or uncertainty about what to expect from the school year ahead. We are lucky to have an INCREDIBLE team here at Stenwood and are eager to partner with you to meet your child’s needs and problem solve the challenges this year may bring. We are tremendously excited for school to begin and hope you are, too. As always, please reach out if there is something we can do to help your child, and your family, have a successful school year.
Sincerely,
Erica Riley, Principal
esriley@fcps.edu
Twitter @esriley1
Meredith Mitchell, Assistant Principal
mamitchell@fcps.edu
Technology Distribution Plan and Sign-Up
Yesterday, we sent out an eNotify to all families of students who indicated they needed a laptop. We also sent it out to all families of 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students because we received and purchased laptops so we could ensure we were one to one for those students. If you are a 4th, 5th, or 6th grader that already has a laptop checked out, we ask you to sign up for a slot so you can exchange it.
If you did not indicate that you needed a laptop but have since decided that this would support your child’s learning, please sign up for a slot below. We have gone over our inventory and we have enough laptops for anyone who needs one, so do not feel like you are taking resources away from another student by requesting one.
The distribution will be by appointment only on the following dates (you only need one slot for your family):
- Tuesday, August 18th from 10am - 4pm
- Wednesday, August 19th from 10am - 4pm
- Thursday, August 20th from 10am - 4pm (longer appointments available)
- Monday, August 24th from 10am - 4pm
Sign up for your laptop pick up appointment time by clicking here.
If you need a LONGER appointment for additional tech support, click here.
We appreciate your prompt action in signing up for an appointment.
Kindergarten Virtual Playdate
We cannot wait to meet our newest Stingers, so we are organizing virtual meet and greets to get to know our kindergarteners. We will start each session with a quick read aloud and then offer students the opportunity to turn on the camera and mic and introduce themselves and share one thing about themselves. We will have a theme for each week so you can plan ahead. Feel free to come to one or all. We might also have some special guests join us so you can meet some of our other Stenwood staff.
Here is the schedule:
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Wednesday, August 19 @ 2:30pm, bring your favorite stuffed animal
- Tuesday, August 25 @ 2:30pm, bring your favorite snack
- Tuesday, September 1 @ 9:00am, bring something that is your favorite color
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*UPDATE* : The session link has been communicated to our Kindergarten families via eNotify, but we will continue to send out the session link the day before so it is handy.
Schoology Parent Workshop Schedule
In the coming weeks, you and your student will be given login directions and information about how to use your Schoology accounts. We will also be hosting parent information sessions later this month to orient our families with this new system: |
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Student Schoology Account Access Tutorial - We will discuss how to log in, find student courses and virtual classrooms within Schoology, and review the tools in Collaborate Ultra (which is embedded within Schoology - no external links needed!).
- Session 1: Monday, 8/24 6:00 - 7:00pm
- Session 2: Tuesday, 8/25 8:00 - 9:00am
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Parent Schoology Account Access Tutorial - We will discuss the parent access features in Schoology and how you can utilize your account to monitor student progress and communicate with your child’s teacher. Please make sure you have activated your SIS Parent Account prior to the session if you would like to follow along!
- Thursday, 9/3 8:00 - 9:00am
We will record and share all sessions in case you aren’t able to attend synchronously. Session links will be shared through eNotify prior to the sessions.
We look forward to using Schoology in our classrooms this fall to enhance connectivity and communication across our school. If you have questions or feedback regarding Schoology or want to learn more, please visit: https://www.fcps.edu/schoology.
Activating Your SIS Parent Account
The SIS (Student Information System) Parent Account is an online tool parents can use to access information about their child’s attendance, report cards, discipline incidents, health information, and more.
Your secure SIS Parent Account offers you the ability to use one username/password to login to both the SIS Parent Account and Schoology, our new Learning Management System that will be replacing FCPS 24/7 Learning (Blackboard) this school year.
Using the SIS Parent account, parents will also be able to view school information, including teacher e-mail addresses, the FCPS calendar, and emergency contact information. Visit the FCPS website and use the search function and keywords SIS Parent Overview for more information.
Newly enrolled parents will receive an activation key by email from Sonja Hunt or Brian Spector beginning the week of August 10th.
If you have previously activated your account with the activation key but are unable to login to your account, you may need to reset your password on the SIS Parent Account login page (https://sisparent.fcps.edu): Select the “Forgot Password” button. Your username is the primary email address you have on file with us in our Student Information System. More information is available here.
Please take action now to ensure your account is active, so that you won’t miss a beat once we introduce our new learning platform.
New Family Orientation
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We know there is a lot of anticipation and excitement from our new families. You likely engaged in some level of distance learning regardless of where you are moving here from, but we know there is a lot you are eager to learn about Stenwood! We invite you to join us on Friday, August 21 from 8:00 - 9:00am for a New Family Orientation session. We will share general information about Stenwood, introduce various staff members you might need to connect with during the year, and provide an introduction to how to access the learning platforms your child will be using this school year. Virtual session link to follow. |
Forms for the Beginning of the School Year
Every school year we collect vital information from our Stenwood families during the first few days and weeks of school. Below you will find links for downloadable copies and some digital submission options for these important forms. If you are able, we encourage your family to complete and submit the forms digitally (when possible). Thank you in advance for your cooperation in helping us obtain this information prior to the start of our school year.
Required Forms
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Emergency Care Card Form - Please be sure that all information on this form is correct. While you may download this form and return a physical copy to schoo at a later datel, we request, if possible, you make any changes using weCare@School via your FCPS 24/7 Parent View account. We must have an updated form for every student on file at the school. It is extremely important that we have the name and phone numbers of at least two people in the “Other Contact Information” section of the form. Please be sure to notify the school office of any changes in phone numbers or email addresses that occur during the school year by using weCare@School via your FCPS 24/7 Parent View account.
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Health Information Form (Grades 1- 6 ONLY) - This form needs to be completed annually to inform us about your student’s health condition that affects his or her school day. Please sign and date prior to returning
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Digital Permission Form (coming soon) - This form asks for the required parental consent of certain apps and instructional software that may be used in instruction. We will ask for a digital submission of parental consent after the form is generated by FCPS.
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Students Rights & Responsibilities (coming soon) - Finalized SR&R documents will be posted here in mid to late August. We will ask for a digital submission of your parent acknowledgement after the 20-21 SR&R handbook is completed.
Optional Forms (Return ONLY if applicable):
1. Objection to Release of Directory Information to the Public
2. School Counseling Opt-Out Forms
3. Objection to Release of Information for Commercial Purposes
If you have no objection to the activities described in this booklet, do NOT sign or submit any of the forms.
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Family Life Education Opt Out Forms - Please read and return the opt-out form for your child’s grade level ONLY if you do not want your child to participate. Program questions may be addressed at our school by contacting our assistant principal, Meredith Mitchell. If you choose to have your child participate in the Family Life Education Program, you do not need to return the form.
- Identification of Military Connected Students - Local school divisions are required to identify students who have a parent in the United States uniformed services.
Food Resources and Free/ Reduced
Lunch Applications
Please use this link to access the most up to date locations and times for food distribution. If you need additional support, please contact Mrs. Hapangama or Mrs. Appleton. |
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Free/Reduced Lunch Applications are available for those who qualify and wish to initiate or renew their applications for the 20-21 school year. Your child(ren)’s application from last school year is only good for the first few days of this school year. You must send in a new household application for each school year. The application is available HERE.
A very special THANK YOU to Craig Fenton and Jackie Krum for getting laptops ready for our student pick up next week!!!!
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