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The Principal's Desk!
Greetings Families,
This year’s virtual start to the school year has created some modifications to the way your child’s teacher marks the Quarter 1 Elementary Progress Report. The information below serves as guidance for understanding the marks and any modifications that have been made due to our current environment.
Elementary Reporting Modifications for Quarter 1:
- Progress report marks for the 20-21 SY are in accordance with Essential Standards for School Year 2020-21.
- Achievement Level marks may include “NT” for material not taught and “NA” for material not assessed. Due to the delayed start of the school year, adjustment to virtual instruction, and emphasis placed on community building in an online environment; there may be a greater number of “NA”s represented on the Quarter 1 progress report than in a typical school year.
- Additional time is needed to accurately indicate your child’s reading progress; therefore, the on, above, or below reading text level for Q1 is not marked. Consult with your child’s teacher for additional information.
Support our PTA tonight as they are hosting a virtual Family Fun Night at 7 pm. Go to the PTA website http://drespta.rsvpify.com to RSVP.
Feel free to call our main office 703-279-8400 or reach out to me directly at cmsmith@fcps.edu if there is anything we can do to help.
Thanks for your support,
Chris Smith
Daniels Run ES Principal
Parent Technology Help Desk: 1-833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS)
Family Guide for Return to School
DRES Parent Portal
Watch Mr. L's videos for students
Watch Mr. L's video for parents
Let's Meet Our Staff!
Kathy Shankle
Hi Everyone! My name is Kathy Shankle and I am one of the Reading Teachers at Daniels Run. This is my third year here and I am just loving it! Prior to becoming a Reading Teacher, I taught grades K-4. I have lived in the Northern Virginia area for a long time and am also a graduate of Fairfax County Public Schools. I attended Greenbriar East Elementary School, Chantilly High School and then went on to graduate from George Mason University. My interest in teaching came from my mother. She was a first-grade teacher in FCPS until she retired. I watched her go to work each day and saw how much she loved her job, the students, her staff and the community. When I was in college, I loved to help her set up her room and work with students. I knew this was the job for me. They say choose something you love, and you will never work a day in your life. That’s what I did!
My husband and I live in Centreville and are the proud parents of 3 daughters! My oldest daughter is a Special Education Teacher in Virginia. Our middle daughter graduated from VT and is currently pursuing a Nursing degree. And our youngest is a junior at W&M, majoring in Psychology. When taking a break from the joys and stresses of job and family, I can always be found sitting on my deck with a good book in my hand. Reading is one of my favorite things to do and I am passionate about helping children find the same joy in reading that I find!
Kathy Polkinghorn
Hello! I am Kathy Polkinghorn, one of the Reading Teachers at Daniels Run. My teaching career began in Maryland where I grew up. I attended Loyola College (now University) in Baltimore and earned my M. Ed. from the University of Maryland. I taught grades K-5 for many years before becoming a reading teacher. In 2000, my husband, 2 children, and I moved to Fairfax County where I continued as a reading teacher and began working with the wonderful children, families, and staff at Daniels Run in 2003.
My favorite activity outside of school is reading a wide variety of books from memoirs and biographies to mysteries and historical fiction. I love that our curriculum exposes children to a wide variety of genres so that they have an opportunity to find their favorites. When I’m not reading a book, I’m usually behind the wheel taking my family on our next road trip. We’ve traveled to all 50 states and enjoyed many wonderful national parks and historic sites throughout our amazing country.
Level IV AAP Parent Information Sessions and Screening Updates
Parent information sessions were held on November 10 and 12 to review the Level IV Full-time AAP screening process. If you are considering referring your 2nd-6th grader for Level IV screening and were unable to attend, you can review the information presented below and use the links to view recordings for both sessions. You can also find additional information at the FCPS AAP Website.
Level IV Screening Parent Session Recording for 11/10
Level IV Screening Parent Session Recording for 11/12
Tips for Level IV Parent Referrals and Optional Materials
All forms and materials should be submitted digitally by e-mail to the Daniels Run Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, Ms. Beth McCrodden at bamccrodden@fcps.edu. The email will count as a digital signature for the referral.
Required: Level IV Referral Form
A Level IV Referral Form is required for any student (grades 2-7) whose parent would like them screened for full-time services but is not in the 2nd grade screening pool. Parents whose child is in the pool may also submit the referral form even though it is not required for those students to be screened.
Parents should not wait for announcement of the second grade pool if they want to be sure their student is screened for Level IV AAP cycle this year.
Referrals will not be accepted past the December 1, 2020 deadline.
Optional: Parent/Guardian Questionnaire
This is your opportunity to express your thoughts on your child’s strengths and advanced abilities. It is helpful to include specific commentary and observations in the text boxes to give the screening committee a better understanding of your student and why they demonstrate a need for full-time services.
Optional: Work Samples (up to 4 pages submitted digitally as JPEG, PDF, MS Word, etc.)
Parents have the option to include up to 4 pages of work samples. Work samples must be submitted in digital form (PDF, JPEG, MS Word, etc.) and are limited to a total of 4 pages.
The committee will be looking for evidence of exceptional critical and creative thinking, reasoning, and problem solving showcased in the student work samples. Keep in mind this is an academic program. Art samples are accepted, however, samples from multiple content areas are most helpful for the screening committee.
If you are planning to submit work samples, consider the following tips.
- Choose samples that highlight your child’s strengths. It is especially helpful to show work that your student has done on their own which extends their learning beyond school. For example, if your child regularly explores and researches topics of interest, writes stories or journals independently, or creates projects/experiments/presentations that have not been assigned in school, you might considering submitting pictures or screenshots of their work as possible samples.
- Choose work that is open ended to show your child’s thinking. Strong work samples highlight a child’s ability to understand big concepts, think critically, make connections, and/or problem-solve. Look for samples that have multiple possibilities and solutions and opportunities to explain their ideas and show their work (it is not recommended to submit quizzes or worksheets that are limited to one answer.)
- Include a sentence or two describing the work sample. An explanation of how and when your child created the work and what type of thinking it shows will help the committee understand the context of the sample.
For more activity ideas and resources for working with your student at home, you can visit the AAP site here: Family Resources – Advanced Academic Programs
Positivity Project!
The next two weeks will have our community focusing on GRATITUDE. Take time each day to show thanks.
Gratitude means that you are aware of and thankful for good things that happen. Gratitude is the quality of feeling and expressing thankfulness and appreciation. It is an affirmation that there is goodness in other people and the world, and that we have received that goodness. People with the strength of gratitude have a readiness to show appreciation for kindness and also to return kindness. A leading expert, Robert Emmons, calls gratitude a “relationship-strengthening emotion because it requires us to see how we’ve been supported and affirmed by other people.”
Winter Coat Drive
November 21, 1-3 PM at Daniels Run ES parking lot
(Rain date: November 22, 1-3 PM)
Daniel’s Run 3rd grade Brownie Troop is partnering with Nurturing Families, a local non-profit organization, for a coat drive to support Fairfax County children and adults in need. We will be collecting winter coats/jackets, hoodies, gloves, hats, & scarves of all sizes on November 21 from 1-3 PM at the Daniels Run ES parking lot. The greatest need is for kids' winter coats, sizes 6-14. All items must be clean and in gently-used or new condition. Please ensure the items are without holes, stains, or broken zippers. Thank you for supporting Troop 55043 and for helping our neighbors in need!
For more information or to schedule an alternate drop-off date, contact Meghan Hyland-Eddy at mhyland@gmail.com or Dawn Mitchell at downhomekentucky@yahoo.com
Music News!
Daniels Run Karaoke
Bravo to the 75+ performers & audience members who came to Karaoke yesterday!
The next Daniels Run Karaoke Hour will be 4pm, Thursday, December 10. The theme will be pop music! Due to popularity, there will be a lottery to choose the singers. Twenty random students from the Karaoke Singer lottery will be chosen. Everyone will be notified on whether their name was chosen or not on December 1. Join the Karaoke Google Classroom here and enter the Karaoke singer lottery here. Questions? Email Michelle McCarten
Pictures Needed: You & Your Animal
Do you have a picture or silent video of you with a stuffed or real animal? Music Teacher Miss McCarten is looking for new media to include in new music class goodbye videos! To see one of last year’s videos click here! Send pictures to Miss McCarten at mmmccarten@fcps.edu or mmmccarten@fcpsschools.net
Girls Tech Day!
Amazon Web Services Girls’ Tech Day is going virtual this year! We hope that you will join us on a magical and adventurous journey to explore Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Coding, Virtual Reality, Robotics, and more! This complimentary event will inspire and motivate girls and young women, ages 8-24, to develop and pursue their interests in technology.
Girls’ Tech Day includes:
Speaker Sessions – Learn about the experiences of students and women in technology.
Interactive Coding Sessions – Compose a melody, code virtual models to walk a runway, program an online robot, or build avatars using artificial intelligence.
Fun with STEAM – Create magic with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Mathematics), download the Girls’ Tech Day playlist, and much more.
Activities are designed so that everyone can go at their own pace, and join the event as many times as they like between November 14 – 28. Only parents, guardians and teachers may register participants under the age of 18. All activities require an electronic device like a computer or mobile phone with Internet connection.
Registration is now open, and simple. Click here. If you would like to learn more about Girls’ Tech Day, and AWS InCommunities, click on our website here, or contact me at deoldham@amazon.com.
Employee Awards!
Nominations will are now open for the Outstanding Employee Awards! To submit a nomination for a Daniels Run ES Outstanding Employee in one of the categories below, please complete the nomination using each individual link below. You may nominate one employee at our school or multiple employees (one individual may only nominate one employee per category.)
All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in the criteria for that category. The google form link has more information regarding the criteria for each of these awards and the eligibility requirements are below.
The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, November 24th
If you have any questions, please contact Lauren Hein
Outstanding Teacher
Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category
Outstanding New Teacher
Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category
Outstanding Principal
Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a building principal (in any school/school district)
Outstanding Leader
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in their current position as a Schedule-C or School-Based Administrator scale employee (that is not the building principal):
Common positions in this category: Assistant Principals
Outstanding Professional Employee
Eligibility: At least one year experience in current position as a Schedule-B employee or other non-instructional employee in a school that supports school leadership
Common positions in this category: School-Based Technology Specialist, Psychologist, Social Worker, School Counselor.
Outstanding Operational Employee
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in current position as Schedule-A or Classroom Instructional Support Scale employee
Common positions in this category: Administrative and Office Staff, Custodial Staff, Food Service Staff, IA, PHA, PHTA, Parent Liaisons.
FCPS Cares!
FCPS CARES is an opportunity for staff, parents, students, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others. Every month, a nominated employee from each region and Central Offices will be recognized as an FCPS CARES of the Month recipient. We’ll share their names in Employee News, and they will also have access to a new FCPS CARES banner for their profile photo in Outlook. Watch this video to learn more about FCPS CARES. We also encourage you to acknowledge a staff member who has gone above and beyond
Is Your FCPS Laptop Running Slow or Having Connectivity Issues?
- It is important to RESTART your FCPS laptop daily. If possible, go to an FCPS site once each week or every other week, log in and restart your laptop twice. Doing this at an FCPS location on the FCPS network allows your computer to get valuable and necessary updates. Most high and middle schools have internet reception in the their parking lots which allows you to get these updates without leaving your car. At Crossfield you will need to sit on the bench in front of the school to get internet connection.
- More help for troubleshooting other issues you may experience can be found on FCPS’s website: Tech Support for Families. It may behoove students to bookmark this site, as it will help solve most common problems. Obviously we want our students to have the best experience possible in this virtual environment!
Safe Routes to School-Walking Wednesday!
FCPS Safe Routes to School in collaboration with Fairfax County Park Authority’s Move Your Way and Healthy Strides campaign will be promoting Walking Wednesdays during the 2020-2021 school year to encourage physical activity.
Walking Wednesdays is a county-wide community program designed to promote physical and mental health. FCPS Safe Routes to School in collaboration with Fairfax County Park Authority’s Move Your Way and Healthy Strides campaign encourages students and parents/guardians to take time each Wednesday to walk and connect with friends, neighbors and classmates before the school day and workday begins. Whether your walk takes you around the block, to the bus stop, or to your school, we hope you will find others out walking and can greet one another from a distance.
Walking Wednesdays will kick off on October 7, 2020, which is International Walk to School Day. Coming in November will be Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day on November 18, 2020. More information about Walking Wednesdays can be found at https://www.fcps.edu/resources/safety-and-transportation/transportation-services/safe-routes-school-srts.
Families, neighborhoods or schools can register their participation in International Walk to School Day on October 7, 2020 at http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/registration/
Parent/Student Tech Support Portal
To support families who are working with their children during distance learning, Fairfax County Public Schools is launching 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 a 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.
Office Hours - Appointment Only
The Daniels Run office will be open daily. Office hours are daily from 8:00am- 4:30pm, appointment only. Visitors will need to call the main office line, 703-279-8400 to schedule appointment. Thanks!
PTA NEWS!
Family Fun Night -TONIGHT- 7 pm
Join us for a virtual family fun night! We have hired MainStages to help us put on a night of fun for the whole family. The event will include a mix of creative challenges, trivia questions, and active games. Get your team (family!) together and join us from your home! Rsvp not required but requested- http://drespta.rsvpify.com/ Login information at https://www.danielsrunpta.org/
Join PTA
It’s not too late to join PTA! Help us support staff and student programs and events. Membership is just $10 (or $18 for family). Join today at Dres.memberhub.store.
Important Dates
November 25-27-Thanksgiving Break
December 8-PTA Meeting
December 10-Karaoke
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