Important Upcoming Dates
9/8 First Day of Virtual Class
9/8 Laptop Distribution (Details Below)
9/21 Virtual Back to School Event - more information to come
9/23 Virtual PTA Meeting
10/12 School Planning Day / Student Holiday
IN THIS ISSUE
- NEW: Resolving Laptop Issues
- NEW: Laptop Distribution, September 8
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LAST CHANCE Student School Supply Pick Up Day, September 8
- Meet our Specialists
- NEW: Registration for Band and Strings
- Virtual Back to School Event
- NEW: Health Information and Emergency Care Forms
- Parent Approval Needed for Digital Resources
- Student Passwords
- Laptops at Home
- Student Attendance for the 2020-21 School Year
- Family Life Education Instructional Program Information
- Student Registration (Kindergarten Registration/ 1-6 New Student Registration)
- Not Returning to Fairfax Villa Next School Year?
- PTA News
1. Resolving Laptop Issues
If you are having any problems with the laptop you were issued from Fairfax Villa, the first place to go is this parent help website. It has troubleshooting ideas for everything from finding your child’s google account to how to resolve audio/video issues.There is a helpline (833-921-3277) that you can call from 7am to 11pm 7 days a week. If you need a translator for your call, please let them know.
If none of those fix your problems, there is also a link where parents can put in a RequestIT to the FCPS Service Desk. Please do not let your students put in a RequestIT. There are also parent information phone lines in different languages. Please do not contact your child’s teacher about technology problems unless it is a classroom specific issue (i.e. Google classroom code).
2. Laptop Distribution
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Parents of Students In PS-6 Who Have Not Filled Out a Laptop Request Form: If you have not yet filled out a form to request a laptop and would still like to have one for your student, here are your directions:
- Fill out the information in this form. You will be asked to pick a day and time to come to the school office with your student to get the laptop. You should allow about 15 minutes to follow the directions you will be given. Please fill out the form at least one day before you plan to pick it up so that we have time to get your child’s laptop ready.
- It is VERY important that if your child does not know his or her password to let us know that in the form. It will be reset and emailed to the parent.
- You will come to the school office to get your laptop. Be sure to wear a mask and bring your own pen.
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Parents of Students in Preschool - 3rd Grade Who Filled Out the Laptop Request Form This Week: Thank you to those who needed a laptop and requested it in the last round of signups. Please come (with or without your child) anytime on Tuesday, September 8 from 12:00pm to 4:30pm. Please follow the directions below. This will save you lots of time.
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Parents of Any Students in Grades 4-6: If you did not pick up your laptop yet, you may come (with or without your child) on Tuesday, September 8 between 12:00pm and 4:30pm. Please read and follow the guidelines below. This will save you lots of time!
What to Do
- One parent must attend on Distribution Day. You may bring your child if you would like. Both must wear masks at all times. You are also welcome to wear protective gloves.
- When entering school property, please park in the side parking lot and walk to the table at the Kiss and Ride door for a staff member to check you in and give you the ID tag cards for your child.
- You and your child must stay 6 feet away from all other families and staff members.
- You will be given a Covid-19 form to fill out for both you and your child.
- Once checked in, you will be given a laptop that is for your child’s grade and directed to a table where your child will log into the laptop. You and your child will follow the directions for signing in and finding the Google email and Google Classroom. The parent will sign the parent responsibility forms.
- If your child does not remember his/her password from last year, Ms. Schmidt will reset the password when you are there.
- Your child will leave with a laptop and power cord.
What to Bring
- Student’s First and Last Name
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A pen for you to use to sign the papers with.
Mandatory Safety Guidelines
- Masks are required throughout the distribution process.
- Additional staff will be on hand to ensure safety measures are followed.
- All staff members involved with distributing student items will be wearing gloves.
- If there are 10 families already in the cafeteria, you will need to wait outside until one has left. We are limiting the number to ten student/parent groups in the cafeteria.
3. LAST CHANCE Student School Supply Pick Up Day, September 8
On September 8 between 12:00pm and 4:00pm, we will be hosting our LAST CHANCE Student School Supply Pick Up Day for anyone who missed the September 3rd pick up day. We have a supply bag for all students and these supply bags will include:
- Art materials for all grade levels
- Music materials for K-2 students
- Grade-level specific materials that teachers are putting together for our students
Please note that these supply bags are for the first quarter only and we may have additional supply pick up days coming up in September and October. Also, you are still encouraged to purchase school supplies (i.e., folders, notebooks, pencils, crayons, markers, etc.) for your child for a successful start to the school year!
Please follow these procedures for our no contact environment to meet all current safety and distancing guidelines:
- You can come anytime between 12:00pm and 4:00pm to pick up a supply bag for your child. No sign-ups necessary and please come directly to Fairfax Villa, door 8 (our kiss n ride door)
- You will tell the staff member your child's name and grade level.
- The staff member will then bring you the bag of supplies that is for your child’s grade level.
If you ordered school material supply kits via the PTA, please let the staff member know that and it will also be brought out to you. The PTA supply kits are separate from what we will be handing out to each student.
4. Meet our Specialists
Welcome back, Fairfax Villa families! The Specials Team is looking forward to teaching your children this year! Take a moment to meet our fantastic team in this brief video. See you soon!
Please click the YouTube link to view the video. https://youtu.be/Bv4Od1RQog8.
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5. Registration for Band or Strings
Would you like to be part of something “noteworthy” this year? Consider joining BAND (for 5th & 6th graders) or STRINGS (for 4th, 5th, & 6th graders)! Ms. Ammirati (band) and Ms. Reilly (strings) would be delighted to welcome you to their classes and promises there’ll be lots of awesome music-making and fun! Please take a look at the resources below to help guide your decision about joining one of the exciting programs! Online registration closes on Friday, September 18th and must be completed via the Google Form included in these links.
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6. Virtual Back to School Event, September 21
On September 21st, Fairfax Villa will be holding our first ever Virtual Back to School event for families. This event was originally scheduled for August 28; however, we have decided to select this date to allow families the opportunity to begin engaging in the learning process and to experience the virtual platform and practices for this year. We look forward to meeting with families to answer any questions that you may have in the first two weeks about online learning.
Here is the schedule for the virtual Back to School Event. A guest link will be shared by your child’s classroom teacher as we get closer to the date.
Start time for Back to School Event is as follows:
- 1:00 - Kindergarten
- 1:30 - 1st Grade
- 2:00 - 2nd Grade
- 2:30 - 3rd Grade
- 3:00 - 4th Grade
- 3:30- 5th Grade
- 4:00- 6th Grade
7. Health Information and Emergency Care Forms
The Health Information Form (HIF) (SS/SE -71) and the Emergency Care Information form (SS/SE-3) 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. Along with the development of Healthcare Plans (HCP) and Action Plans, the Public Health Nurses (PHN) utilize the information contained in the HIF to develop teaching strategies for FCPS staff in order to meet the requirements of Regulation 2104 Health Services-School Health Related Needs.
As the school year begins virtually, it is important to communicate to our Fairfax Villa parents that both these forms are required for all students for SY 20-21 and are available for electronic submission by parents via their FCPS 24/7 (Blackboard) accounts within the weCare@school (weCare) module.
8. Parent Approval Needed Now For Digital Resources
All parents are required to visit this page on our Fairfax Villa website to find the information and the link to the form that all parents need to submit for approval of digital resources. The information page lists the digital tools that may be used at Fairfax Villa that require parental approval. Not all tools will be used by every student. The tools have been carefully reviewed to ensure that they align with the FCPS Learning Model and FCPS conducts the same technical evaluations for all products that use student information.
Please click here to get the link and submit your approval as soon as you can. Until you do, your child will not be able to use any of the tools that the teacher may want to use with the rest of the class. Teachers are able to see which parents have approved use of the resources.
https://fairfaxvillaes.fcps.edu/adopteddigitalresources
9. Student Passwords
Student passwords will not expire this year! Your student can continue to login to their FCPS computer, Google Apps, FCPS 24/7 Blackboard, and other FCPS applications that require their username and password.
Password Recovery: (Rising 1st-6th only) We encourage parents to setup password recovery information for their student using the FCPS Account Manager system located here https://itweb.fcps.edu/AccountManager/
10. Laptops at Home
. If you currently have an FCPS issued laptop at home, please help your school’s technology team prepare devices to receive county updates by doing the following once per week until school starts:
- Plug the laptop into an outlet.
- Turn the laptop on and let it boot up.
- Login to ensure it connects to the internet at that location.
- Launch Google Chrome and visit the FCPS website to ensure the internet is connected on the computer.
- Leave the laptop on and connected to the internet for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, the laptop may be shut down.
11. Student Attendance for the 2020-21 School Year
In Virginia, students enrolled in public schools are required to attend school regularly, regardless of the type of instruction offered. Our students need to be present, engaged, and supported as they return for the 2020-21 school year. Teachers will take attendance daily and ensure that all students are counted.
During our virtual opening:
- FCPS must record student attendance every school day.
- Parents should report their student’s absences to school any day students are unable to participate in learning, including on Mondays. They may report the absences by calling the school attendance line or emailing the school-designated attendance address.
- When parents do not report their students’ absences, teachers and school personnel will call to identify the student’s absence reasons.
- An eNotify (electronic) message will reach parents about the student absence.
- Parents then can reach the school and provide information about the student absences.
Common reason why students may not be able to participate in virtual learning:
- Student illnesses
- Religious holiday observances
- Temporary family hardship, such as temporary relocation
- Lack of reliable Internet connection.School personnel need to know if families are experiencing challenges in accessing online instruction, so that they can offer support and connect families to resources.
- Stay in contact with your students’ schools so that we can work together to support their learning.
12. Family Life Education Instructional Program Information (REVISED)
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) provides a comprehensive, sequential Family Life Education (FLE) program for students in grades kindergarten through grade twelve. Instruction is seen as a partnership among parents and guardians, the school, and the community in supporting the learning essential to the development of strong families, positive relationships, and a healthy community.
Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program. Students who are opted out are provided with age-appropriate, nonpunitive alternative health instruction, and every effort is made to foster respect for family choices. If you wish to opt your child out of all or part of FLE for this school year, opt out forms will be included in your child’s back-to-school/orientation packets and are available online for Elementary (K-6) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-academics-k-6/elementary-family-life-education , Middle School (7-8) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/middle-school-academics-7-8/family-life-education-fle, and High School (9-12) https://www.fcps.edu/academics/high-school-academics-9-12/family-life-education-fle. Please fill in the opt-out form and return it to your child’s school prior to Family Life Education instruction.
Detailed grade-level program descriptions are available online at Elementary (K-6) , Middle School (7-8) , and High School (9-12). FLE grade level-specific lessons and media that FCPS has streaming rights for are available for parents online in FCPS 24-7 (Blackboard) Parent View https://fcps.blackboard.com/. Account information is available at your local school or online at http://www.fcps.edu/is/instructionaltechnology/247help/parents.shtml. Grade level-specific lessons are also available at the Fairfax County Regional Library in the City of Fairfax (this location does not have media). Grade level-specific lessons and media that is not streamed online are available for review at your child’s school library. Due to copyright permissions, we are unable to stream all media online.
Program questions may be addressed at your child’s school or by contacting Instructional Services at 571-423-4550 or by contacting Carrie Reynolds, Health and Physical Education Coordinator at cfreynolds@fcps.edu.
13. 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.
14. Not Returning to Fairfax Villa?
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 as soon as possible. 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.
15. PTA News
The following message is sent on behalf of the Fairfax Villa ES School PTA. Its content reflects the views of the PTA.
Memberships
Membership is open for the 2020-2021 school year! Please join online at https://fairfaxvilla.memberhub.store/.
PTA Meeting
Mark your calendars for the first PTA meeting of the year! We will be meeting virtually on Wednesday, September 23 at 7:00 PM. We will share more information and the Blackboard meeting link soon.
Please contact Jessie Crain & Simon Bowyer (CO-PRESIDENTS) anytime with questions at villapta@gmail.com.
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