Principals' Message
Dear Gunston Families,
We are so excited to begin our new school year on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. We can’t wait to visit the students in their virtual classrooms. We would like to extend a special welcome to all of the new families joining Gunston this year and welcome back all of our returning families! I am honored to be your principal. Our goal is to work together to provide our eagles with a rich learning environment. We believe that every eagle will continue to soar. In a collaborative effort, we want children to thrive in all ways possible. It has been amazing to see students at open house sessions this week, the beginning of the year excitement is in the air!
Student success is attributed to the partnership and the relationships we build within our community and this is most important now more than ever. It truly does take a village and at Gunston we value teamwork and collaboration! Education is a joint venture and we greatly appreciate the support you provide for your children to help them meet their learning goals. Without the support of parent contributions through our extraordinary PTA, we would not have been able to provide our learning toolkits.
Although this year looks different than any other year, we are dedicated to providing your child(ren) a memorable, interactive, engaging distance learning experience. Our staff has been engaging in learning and planning engaging experiences in order to build connections with their students and to help foster new relationships with their peers. We will be focusing on all of the positives that we can take from this experience and as the role models in our little eagles’ lives it is important that we display a positive attitude towards distance learning each and every day. I encourage you to do the same at home and when you face challenges, please reach out to your teachers, they are there to support your family.
We look forward to a fantastic school year!
Fondly,
Ms. Rucinski and Mrs. Opie
“Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you greater than any obstacle.” -Christian Larson
Important Notice:
We are so excited for the first day of virtual school on September 8th! Please makes sure you are aware how to access your child’s FCPSSCHOOLS.NET Gmail account. That is the same email where students received their class links. If there is a need to address any challenges that may arise, that will be the way teachers can communicate next steps.
How to Access Flipgrid
- Click on the link
https://flipgrid.com/dc22f1c1 with the flipgrid code.
- Students will log in with their Username: studentid@fcpsschools.net (Student ID number) and Password:______
3. Click the plus sign to record a video.
4. The topic is moderated so the video will not show up right away.
Email Ms. Opie if you need support with loading videos.
New Virtual Learning Tech Tips Videos
New videos have been posted on the virtual learning playlist. They include tips on signing in, locating assignments, and submitting assignments in Google Classroom, as well as how to use Blackboard Collaborate Ultra (BBCU). Go to the video learning playlist.
Technology Support for Families
Access videos and resources to help your student in the virtual learning environment on the Technology Support for Families webpage.
Consent Needed for Select Digital Resources
At Gunston Elementary, our teachers will use a variety of digital resources to support student learning and promote communication and collaboration with students and families. Some of the digital resources your child may use this year will require your consent before they can be used. You can find our school’s list of the resources that require parental consent here https://gunstones.fcps.edu/adopteddigitalresources
Included on this page is also a link to a form where the enrolling parent or guardian will need to indicate whether or not their student is allowed to use the list of digital resources this year. This page also provides more information about how FCPS carefully reviews digital resources for approval and why we must request your consent before using certain tools. We encourage you to complete the parental consent for digital resources form as soon as possible, as your child will not be able to use the digital resources until we have received your permission. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have questions or concerns about the digital resources we’ve chosen to use this year.
Tech Support for Parents and Students
To support families who are working with their children during distance learning, FCPS has launched a new Parent Technology Help Desk, effective Monday, August 24. The help desk can be reached at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS) and will be answered by staff members between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., seven days a week.
Parents or guardians can call this number for basic tech support with parent accounts, help with FCPS student devices and technical assistance with other FCPS applications. If help desk staff members are unable to solve the issue, they will enter a support ticket on behalf of the parent/guardian to escalate the issue to the appropriate FCPS team. Parents who need help in a language other than English can inform the help desk staff when they call of their preferred language, and an interpreter will join in on the call.
FCPS has also set up Parent and Student Technology Support portal at https://itweb.fcps.edu/itsupport/ to allow older students and parents/guardians to request technology help directly. When a support request ticket is entered through the portal, it is auto-routed to the TSSpec at the appropriate site to expedite service.
Students Rights and Responsibilities
Parents and guardians, please review the Student Rights and Responsibilities and related resources at www.fcps.edu/srr. After reviewing the information, fill out the SR&R Parent Acknowledgement Form using this link we have provided. The form must be filled out one time per student.
Encouraging Positive Behaviors at Home:
A Behavioral Support Series for Families
Thursdays September 2020 - April 2021
10:00 am – 11:30 am AND 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
In collaboration with FCPS Behavior Intervention Services, the PRC brings you this series of webinars. This series will provide families with strategies and positive supports to help encourage social, emotional, and behavioral growth.
For more information about each session and registration visit: https://bit.ly/3hahky7
Health Information and Emergency Care Forms
The Health Information Form and the Emergency Care Information form provide valuable information regarding student health conditions. These forms are critical in the early identification of students who may need healthcare support in the educational environment. These forms are required for all students for the 2020-2021 school year and are available for electronic submission by parents via their FCPS 24/7 (Blackboard) accounts within the weCare@school (weCare) module.
The deadline to complete these forms is Monday, September 7, 2020.
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PTA News & Announcements |
Join the PTA today!
We hope that you will join us in our efforts this year and choose to renew your membership in the PTA or choose to join the PTA. It is $10 for the year and is a very easy process. You can sign-up in the store on our website, gunstonpta.org. You will receive your membership card right away.
 Spirit Wear will be mailed directly to your address (shipping costs will be incurred).
******** Please order using this LINK. *********
Kona Ice Fundraiser
Date: Monday, September 14th
Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Food Truck will be parked at Gunston Plaza Shopping Center
Why: Let's celebrate the beginning of the school year and support the PTA by enjoying Kona Ice! Kona Ice will donate 20% of the proceeds to the Gunston PTA.
SAVE the Shoes
Our school plans to collect gently used shoes this fall. Our goal is to collect 1000 pairs of shoes to raise $1,200. The shoes will be sent to developing nations to provide an economic opportunity for micro-entrepreneurs. It is also a way to help the environment by repurposing shoes. We plan to use the money to buy supplies to help the school purchase distance learning supplies for when we eventually return to school. We will leave a donation box near the front door of the school. Thank you for your support!
Start Date: September 30th
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