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Dear Union Mill families,
Thank you to those that were able to join us on Tuesday evening for our Advanced Academics Parent meeting. If you were unable to attend, materials are posted on our UMES website. Please take note that 2nd graders will NOT take the Cognitive Abilities test this year and the county will use 1st grade Naglieri tests to determine the screening pool. The deadline for referral for consideration for Level 4 Advanced Academics placement for next year is Tuesday, December 1, 2020.
Ms. LaBarbera will also host two question and answer sessions as follow-ups from the October 6 parent information meeting. If you have questions while navigating the Level IV screening process, please bring those questions to the session of your choice. Please email Ms. LaBarbera directly to receive links to the sessions. (mclabarbera@fcps.edu)
Session 1: Level IV Screening Question and Answer Session - Friday, October 23, 2020 - 9:15-9:45
Session 2: Level IV Screening Question and Answer Session - Wednesday, November 18, 2020 - 3:45-4:15
The county and our school are planning for the Return to School for many of our students. The first groups of students to return are those that are new to the country in grades 3-6 and our more involved special education students. These plans are being formulated and families of these students will be notified when their children will return to school. We will continue to receive additional information about the plans to return more students in the coming weeks after School Board meetings and decisions are made. We will share information as it is finalized.
Our next Virtual Family Learning session will be held on Monday, October 26. The topic of this session is Supporting the Social and Emotional Learning Needs of Students. Our Union Mill counselors and clinical staff will discuss strategies and share resources to support your child’s peer relationships, mental health, and social well-being. Please join us for this informational session. More details and the link will be sent as we get closer to the date.
Thank you for your continued support during these challenging times.
Enjoy the 3-day weekend,
Kathy
#UMES2021United
Meet Our Literacy Team
Wendy Hare, Reading Specialist, and Diana Douds, Resource Teacher, make up part of the team of people at our school that support literacy. Wendy and Diana have been very busy working with children to assess their literacy skills so staff can plan the best instruction possible for your children to make progress in reading this year. Both Wendy and Diana also work with teachers to help them build their literacy skills.
Meet Our Instructional Coach
Jordan Loftis is in his 4th year at Union Mill and in a new role. Although he has spent his time at UMES working with administration, teachers, and staff in various roles, he took on a new title as an Instructional Coach this year. In this capacity, Jordan is receiving powerful professional development that will help all of us grow in our practice and that will ultimately result in improved instruction for your children.
Meet Our School Social Worker
In these challenging times, we all need someone to go to for support. Union Mill is lucky to have the services of an amazing Social Worker, Dorothy Van Gorder. Dorothy works in conjunction with the counselors and psychologist at our school to provide social-emotional support for our students (and staff) and she works with county agencies to provide families with lists of resources when needed. Dorothy also runs our mentoring program which matches students with staff members to provide an extra friendly adult in the building for those children.
FCPS Offers Free Breakfast and Lunch
Fairfax County Public Schools is providing free breakfast and lunch pickup Monday through Friday mornings for all children 18 years of age and younger. Children do not need to be enrolled in a FCPS school. Here are the UPDATED bus stops for our area:
6:56 - 7:06 - Braddock Road & Braddock Springs Road
7:08- 7:18 - Little Rocky Run Circle & Waterdale Court
7:20 - 7:30 - Little Rocky Run Circle & Rockton Court
7:23- 7:33 - Gosling Drive & Ruddy Duck Road
7:35- 7:45- Braddock Road & Orchard Hill Lane
7:49 - 7:59 - Cavalier Woods Lane & Cavalier Woods Drive
7:56 -8:06 - Liberty Middle School
8:06 - 8:16 - 13630 Bent Tree Circle
8:08 - 8:18 - Centreville High School
8:00 - 12:30 pm - Centre Ridge Elementary - 14400 New Braddock Road
For additional information, please visit this webpage.
Parent Technology Help
To support families who are working with their children during distance learning, Fairfax County Public Schools has launched a new Parent Technology Help Desk. The number is 1-833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS). It will be answered by staff 7 a.m.to 11 p.m., seven days a week. If the help desk is unable to solve the issue on the phone with the parent or guardian, they will enter a ticket on the parent’s behalf and the request for help will be transferred to the appropriate FCPS team.
Parents or guardians who need help in a language other than English should let help desk staff know, and an interpreter will join them on the line. (FCPS also has existing parent information phone lines, available in eight different languages, that can assist with general questions about FCPS.)
FCPS has also set up an online portal to allow older students and parents and guardians to request technology help directly.
Get more information about the new Parent Technology Help Desk.
Photos from the Week
Thank you to those that are sending photos from the week. Click on the pictures below to see more pictures from this week including teaching from an empty classroom, flowers for staff donated by the Reston Trader Joe's, participating in the PTA Walk-a-thon, and more. If you would like your photos shared with the community, please email them to unionmillbears@gmail.com.
News from the PTA
Thank you to those who are supporting our school by joining the PTA. Here is a link to their last newsletter. For membership information and more about our PTA and their scheduled activities, please visit their website.
Upcoming Dates
Monday, October 12 - No School for Students - Indigenous People's Day
Friday, October 23 - AAP Q and A Session with Ms. LaBarbera - 9:15
Monday, October 26 - Virtual Family Session - Supporting the Social Emotional Needs of Children
Friday, October 30 - Last Day of 1st Quarter
Monday, November 2 and Tuesday, November 3 - No School for Students
Wednesday, November 18 - AAP Q and A Session with Ms. LaBarbera - 3:45
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