Principal.Message.8.31.2020

PRINCIPAL DAUGHERTY

Dear Beech Tree Families,

Last week the majority of preschool and Kindergaten laptops were picked up. This Thursday, September 3rd, we will have our Final Laptop Distribution Day for Preschool through 5th grade. If your child is in preschool or Kindergarten, all you need to do is drive up to the front of the school, stay in your car and tell us who the name and grade of your child and we will bring the laptop to your car. If your student is in 1st -5th grade and they have not picked up their laptop, please email Mr. Mike Meyer at MKMeyer@fcps.edu to make an appointment to pick up the laptop for your 1st through 5th grader this Thursday. They sometimes forget their passwords and it takes a long time for their loaner laptop to be reset with a new password. By scheduling the appointment and providing Mr. Meyer with necessary information, we can make Thursday’s laptop distribution go smoothly. If you cannot make it this Thursday to pick up your child’s laptop, you will need to schedule an appointment with Mr. Meyer at MKMeyer@fcps.edu , our school-based technology specialist, or with Mr. Kindregan at TPKindregan@fcps.edu, our FCPS technology specialist, by emailing them.

If you are still need assistance with internet access, please complete this form to be loaned a MiFi devices from Fairfax County Public Schools:

https://forms.gle/CiEvUmnQqPGUczmo9

We will also distribute students supplies donated to Beech Tree by Britepaths at https://britepaths.org/ . Parents of children in preschool through 5th grade at Beech Tree, may drive up through the Kiss & Ride Loop, at the side of the school to pick up the supplies. Please write on a large piece of paper the following information: Grade, Teacher, and Student’s First and Last Name. Stay in the car and we will bring your child’s supply bag out to your car.

Thursday, September 3rd:

9:30am-12:00pm AND 1:30pm-4:00pm

Laptop Distribution – Stay in car at the front entrance of the school at the Bus Loop

Student Supply Distribution – Stay in car at the side of the school at the Kiss & Ride Loop

As I shared before, FCPS bell schedules for virtual learning will more closely resemble the start and end times our schools were using in 2019-20 before the school closure. Beech Tree’s Pre-COVID Schedule was 9:15am – 4:00pm.

This is our Beech Tree Schedule for Virtual Learning, which will begin on Tuesday, September 8th, 2020:

 

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday (LSC)

8:30-9:15

Teacher Tech Office Hours

Family Tech Office Hours

Teacher Tech Office Hours

Family Tech Off Hours

9:15-9:45

Morning Mtg (SEL)

Morning Mtg (SEL)

Morning Mtg (SEL)

Morning Mtg (SEL)

10:00-10:30

Specials for 3rd & Kgt

Tues/Thur = 4th Strings

Wed/Fri = 5th Strings

ELD/SPED/AAP (for those not in specials)

10:45-11:45

K-2 Language Arts/ 3-5 Math

K-2 Language Arts/ 3-5 Math

K-2 Language Arts/ 3-5 Math

K-2 Language Arts/ 3-5 Math

12:00-12:30

Sc/SS

Sc/SS

Sc/SS

Sc/SS

12:30-1:15

LUNCH

LUNCH

LUNCH

LUNCH

1:15-1:45

Specials for 4th & 1st

Wed/Fri = 5th Band

ELD/SPED/AAP (for those not in specials)

2:00-3:00

K-2 Math/3-5 Language Arts

K-2 Math/3-5 Language Arts

K-2 Math/3-5 Language Arts

K-2 Math/3-5 Language Arts

3:15-3:45

Specials for 5th & 2nd

ELD/SPED/AAP (for those not in specials)

3:45-4:15

*IEPs/504s 3:15-4:15

*IEPs/504s 3:15-4:15

*IEPs/504s 3:15-4:15

*IEPs/504s 3:15-4:15

Specials will be at the times shared above for each grade level. However, the specials schedule will change each week to allow for students to have access to all specials. Specialists have their own virtual classroom, just like they have their own classroom space at school. This will continue after we pivot and have some students at Beech Tree face-to-face because they will need to continue providing virtual instruction, as well. I will share each week’s specials schedule in my principal message. I will also include contact information for each specialist below so that you may contact them if your child loses their specials links or if you have any questions. Only specialists may resend their links to your child. Classroom teachers may only control their own grade level and classroom links.

This is our specialist team:

Kiri Cooper, Music Teacher at kncooper@fcps.edu

Meriem Bacha, Arabic Teacher at MBacha@fcps.edu

Greg Skrtic, Art Teacher at GGSkrtic@fcps.edu

Yolanda Adams, Guidance Counselor at yeadams@fcps.edu

Mike Jenkins, PE Teacher at MWJenkins@fcps.edu

Tina Britton, Librarian at clbritton@fcps.edu

Miller Susens, Strings Teacher (4th & 5th) at msusens@fpcs.edu

Lindsay Bowen, Band Teacher (5th) at ldbowen@fcps.edu

Every Monday will begin with a whole grade level Morning Meeting at 9:15am. Teams have decided to use the Morning Meetings on Tuesday through Friday to build community among their own homeroom and Monday’s Morning Meeting to build community across the grade level. Students will be given a variety of opportunities to participate in from 10am to Noon. I received information about teacher planning, today, that requires that I update what we had planned through 12:30pm. Teachers will have planning time from Noon to 4pm every Monday, now, which I know they will appreciate and thoroughly use to deliver the best possible virtual instruction! I will share Monday schedules each week with you, as well.

Additional events we have scheduled are:

  • Monday, August 31st: 6:30pm, Technology Town Hall
  • Wednesday, September 2nd: 9:30am to 10:15 & 10:15 to 11am, Virtual Open House
  • Thursday, September 3rd: 6:30pm, PTA Family Meeting
  • Thursday, September 24th: 6:30pm, Virtual Back To School Night

*Links will be shared closer to the date of each event

During our Virtual Open House, you will be able to visit two different grade levels. At 9:30am you may join one of your children’s grade levels and at 10:15am, you may join another child’s grade level. For those who have a larger family, like the one I was raised in, please schedule a virtual parent conference with those teachers.

Please remember to check the reminders section at the end of my Principal Messages for contact information and links you may find helpful. One of the links that will take you directly to our school website’s distance learning resources is: https://beechtreees.fcps.edu/resources/parent-student-distance-learning-resources. Additionally, you will find helpful video tutorials here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSz76NCRDYQHSc6ySaw5Nq-We-fzPsQ_i

As always, I thank you for your trust. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Stay safe,

 Karim Daugherty

Principal

Beech Tree ES

703-531-2600

 https://twitter.com/BeechTreeElem

https://beechtreees.fcps.edu/

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell


REMINDERS:

Beech Tree Office Contacts

Spanish Speaking Parent Liaison: Stella O’Brien at msobrien@fcps.edu

School-Based Technology Specialist (logging on/using programs): Mike Meyer at mkmeyer@fcps.edu

Technology Specialist (laptop issues): Tom Kindregan at tpkindregan@fcps.edu

Registrar: Susan Do at sndo@fcps.edu

Attendance Secretary: Sheila Hudson at skhudson@fcps.edu

Principal’s Secretary: Esther Baca at ebaca@fcps.edu

Assistant Principal: Maureen Lopez at mmlopez@fcps.edu

Advanced Academics Resource Teacher: Patty Settel at pasettel@fcps.edu

 

Beech Tree Specialists Contacts

Kiri Cooper, Music Teacher at kncooper@fcps.edu

Meriem Bacha, Arabic Teacher at MBacha@fcps.edu

Greg Skrtic, Art Teacher at GGSkrtic@fcps.edu

Yolanda Adams, Guidance Counselor at yeadams@fcps.edu

Mike Jenkins, PE Teacher at MWJenkins@fcps.edu

Tina Britton, Librarian at clbritton@fcps.edu

Miller Susens, Strings Teacher (4th & 5th) at msusens@fpcs.edu

Lindsay Bowen, Band Teacher (5th) at ldbowen@fcps.edu

Bilingual Community Liaisons

Bilingual community liaisons support student registrars by providing families with information about school and community services offered in Fairfax County. Community liaisons also help parents fill out forms and complete applications:

  • English and Korean: 7032044317
  • English and Spanish: 7032044316
  • English, Arabic, and French: 7032044315

 

Beech Tree Digital Resources

Parent Resources for Distance Learning: https://beechtreees.fcps.edu/resources/parent-student-distance-learning-resources

Video Tutorials for Distance Learning: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSz76NCRDYQHSc6ySaw5Nq-We-fzPsQ_i

 

Grab & Go Food

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will continue to provide “Grab-and-Go” meals during the upcoming school year. Our goal is to provide every student in FCPS daily access to a healthy breakfast and lunch during this pandemic:https://www.fcps.edu/news/coronavirus-update-food-resources

 

Internet Access

If you still need internet access and would like to borrow a MiFi device from Fairfax County Public Schools, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/CiEvUmnQqPGUczmo9 

 

Registration!”

Please let neighbors know that they may register their child by contacting Mrs. Susan Do, Beech Tree Registrar, at sndo@fcps.edu to to make arrangements for specific enrollment information. 

 

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates:

Please continue to check updates through our Fairfax County Public School website.  We hope that you and your family are staying safe, happy and healthy during these ever changing times. 

To find the last updates from Fairfax county please go to https://www.fcps.edu/news/coronavirus-update

You can also find updates from The Center of Disease Control and Prevention at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html