Sangster News You Choose
Message from the Principal
Dear Sangster Families,
Happy New School Year! We hope you had a wonderful start to the 2020-21 school year this week. Our teachers have been preparing and adjusting for distance learning for weeks and are so happy to finally be working with your children. As we begin our learning journey this school year, we know your children will be building stamina as the days and weeks progress. Our teachers are too. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions along the way. We are partners with you.
We would love to see pictures of your children as they are learning from home virtually. Please Tweet them to us @Sangster_ES or even send us an email.
Our PTA is hosting a virtual meeting this evening at 7:00 p.m. tonight. We hope to see you there. Details are listed below.
Please mark your calendar to attend Back to School Night (BTSN) this Tuesday, September 15, 2020 from 6:00 - 6:45 p.m. or 6:55 -7:40 p.m. Two live sessions with the same presentation are offered to fit your schedule. Please use your child’s secured Blackboard Collaborate Ultra (BBCU) classroom link to log-in for BTSN. The BTSN session will be recorded and provided to you from your classroom teacher.
On behalf of the entire Sangster staff we are grateful for your patience, positivity, flexibility, and support. We’re in this together! Take good care and stay healthy.
Sincerely,
Lisa M. Reddel
Principal
Back to School Message from Laura Jane Cohen, Springfield District, Fairfax County School Board
Best wishes for a successful school year in this 1-minute video from Ms. Laura Jane Cohen, Springfield District, Fairfax County School Board. https://youtu.be/vdMRcKTi8iI
Meet the Specialists
Our super team of Sangster specialists can’t wait to work with your children this school year! Click on this link to learn more about the specialists that will be teaching your child(ren): Meet the Sangster Specialists Flipgrid . Your homeroom teacher will provide you the names of each specialist your child(ren) will be working with throughout the school year.
Virtual Back to School Night (BTSN) –
September 15, 2020
Sangster’s BTSN is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15 from 6:00 – 7:45 p.m.
The schedule for BTSN is as follows:
- 6:00 – 6:45 P.M. Live Session I
- 6:55 – 7:40 P.M. Live Session II (repeat of Session I)
The link you use to sign-in for BTSN is your child’s individual Blackboard Collaborate Ultra (BBCU) classroom link. Because it is a secure individual link, multiple people in multiple locations cannot sign-in. Only one sign-in from one location. If parents are watching from two different locations, only one will be able to sign-in. Not to worry! All sessions will be recorded and made available for those unable to attend.
The purpose of BTSN is to learn more about the year-long curriculum, grade level expectations, how the teacher will support your child, answer your questions, and much more. The parent and school partnership we have at Sangster is key to the success of our students and has been a critical element of our school culture. We are looking forward to the virtual evening with you.
Immunizations and Physicals
The Code of Virginia requirements for immunizations and physicals for school entry have not been waived for School Year (SY) 2020-2021.
During this public health crisis, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) recognizes that it may be difficult for families to obtain access to timely healthcare for physicals and required immunizations. FCPS strongly encourages all families to contact their primary care physician or the Fairfax County Health Department immediately to schedule an appointment to meet these requirements.
As SY 2020-2021 will begin virtually for all students, FCPS will allow additional time for families to obtain and to submit to FCPS the necessary documentation for the required immunizations, tuberculosis screenings, physicals and Tdap. These requirements are outlined in Section 22.1-271.2 and Section 32.1-46 of the Code of Virginia.
For newly enrolling students not meeting the Code of Virginia requirements, FCPS will provide provisional access to virtual learning only. Students will not be permitted to access face-to-face instruction without meeting all compliance requirements and providing their school with documentation of immunizations, tuberculosis screenings and physicals and Tdap. All requirements must be met by October 8, 2020.
For students who are conditionally enrolled and have not completed the necessary immunizations as required by the Code of Virginia, FCPS will provide provisional access to virtual learning only. Schools will continue to notify families of remaining immunization requirements. Students may not participate in “in school” instruction and activities until meeting this requirement.
Physicals are required to be completed prior to admission regardless of whether a division is providing in person, hybrid or fully remote instruction. First-time public kindergarten or elementary school students will be admitted if such student can furnish, prior to admission, a comprehensive physical examination that was performed within the 12 months prior to the originally scheduled school reopening date. For students who are unable to meet this requirement, FCPS will provide provisional access to virtual learning only. Students may not participate in “in school” instruction and activities until meeting this requirement.
For questions about school entry requirements for physicals and/or immunizations for your child, please contact Sangster’s student registrar, Marian Hoelscher at mthoelscher@fcps.edu or 703-644-8200 immediately.
Forms to Complete On-Line
Please fill out these forms electronically. Forms can be accessed through WeCare, scanned and emailed to Marian Hoelscher, student registrar at mthoelscher@fcps.edu. Some of the forms are explained in greater detail below.
Emergency Care Form
Health Information Form
Homeless Student Referral Form
Identification of Military Families
FLE Opt Out
Parent consent for digital tools
Online Registration for Band and Strings (Grades 4-6) – Due by September 15, 2020
Music education is important for every student. At Sangster all 4th, 5th and 6th graders are required to choose either a general or instrumental music class for the school year, even during virtual learning.
- 4th Graders may choose either General Music or Strings.
- 5th and 6th Graders may choose either General Music, Strings, or Band
For more information or to register your child for band or strings by September 15, please click on the following links. Otherwise, they will be placed in general music.
4th Grade Strings:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdXWQ0bjoOokf0nT34d9_HvOuPrst7THqkBNt4P6c-fWaPP5g/viewform?usp=sf_link
5th / 6th Grade Band or Strings:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe4Dtnht9eo-DU86NK4vNMjtss9xZu_Q9OVCzb8hlMdazc9xA/viewform?usp=sf_link
Positivity Project
This year, Sangster will continue implementing the Positivity Project(P2). P2 is dedicated to empowering America’s youth to build strong relationships and to understand, appreciate, and exemplify the character strengths in us all. Every 1-2 weeks, students learn about a new character strength.
It is easier than ever for Sangster families to access P2 resources this year! The site P2 For Families is available for connecting P2 to your home and you can learn more about the site here. Many of the slides are password protected and the password is P2 (case-sensitive).
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Positivity Project - Week of September 6
This year, Sangster will continue implementing the Positivity Project (P2), a program dedicated to empowering America’s youth to build strong relationships and to understand, appreciate, and exemplify the character strengths in us all. Every 1-2 weeks, students learn about a new character strength. This week and next week students will get started with the Positivity Project by learning about the Other People Mindset, which is the motto of the program.
The site P2 For Families is available for connecting P2 to your home and you can learn more about the site here. Many of the slides are password protected and the password is P2 (case-sensitive).
Next Week’s P2 Focus: Other People Mindset Part 2
How to Stay In-Touch at Sangster
Please stay in touch throughout the year through these official FCPS and Sangster sites:
Sangster sends a weekly News You Choose with the latest school updates.
FCPS Parent Resource Center and Supports
Friday, September 11: FCPS Parent Resource Center Free Webinar: Survive and Thrive with Virtual Learning: Practical Strategies to Make At-Home Learning Work for You (10:00-11:30 a.m. - Register Here)
Friday, September 18: FCPS Parent Resource Center Free Webinar: 10 Ways to Stop Power Struggles & Start Motivating Your Kids (10:00-11:30a.m. OR 6:30-8:30 p.m. - Register Here)
Thursday, September 24: FCPS Parent Resource Center Free Webinar: Encouraging Positive Behaviors at Home Series - Setting the Stage for Good Behavior: Routines, Procedures, & Expectations (10:00 - 11:30 a.m. OR 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. - Register Here)
Food Distribution
FCPS will continue to provide “grab-and-go” meals during the upcoming school year. Our goal is to provide every FCPS student daily access to a healthy breakfast and lunch during this pandemic. Visit our Food Resources for Families page for more information.
PTA Virtual Meeting
Welcome back Sangster Parents and Teachers! Please join us tonight for Sangster’s September PTA Meeting on Thursday, September 10th at 7:00pm. Please join us on the online platform Zoom. When you open Zoom choose “Join” and you will be asked for a meeting ID.
Our PTA meeting ID is: 956 4737 9471. Our meeting password is: 369261.
When joining our meeting please name yourself with the following format:
- Full name - parent/teacher grade level.
- For example:
- Julie Green - parent 6th/2nd grade
- John Brown - teacher art
PTA will not be live-streaming on FaceBook. The PTA Zoom account will allow up to 500 participants.
PTA New Family Welcome Website
The brand-new Sangster PTA New Family Welcome Website is now online! We hope that the information included is helpful to new families as you begin your journey as Sangster Falcons.
PTA Fall Club Information
Sangster PTA will offer 6 student clubs this fall. Links to all clubs are available here: https://sangster.digitalpto.com/student-activities/
PTA Falcon Family Friends and Virtual Coffees Coming Soon
Our new PTA family programs will begin after Back to School Night (BTSN) on September 15th.
Falcon Family Friends is a group of veteran Sangster families that volunteered to help answer your Sangster/Burke/Springfield/Fairfax Station community questions. New families interested in this PTA program, please get more info here. The PTA will be hosting small-group virtual coffee meet-ups for new families that will occur after BTSN is over and school is in full swing. Interested? Click here. If you have any questions about new family resources, please reach out to us at SangsterWelcome@gmail.com
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