Weekly Update from Irving MS


 

Upcoming Important Dates

All FCPS Schools are closed until further notice. For more information regarding building closures, please go to fcps.edu.

November 22

Deadline to nominate an outstanding Irving staff member for the annual FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards. See the info below to nominate our amazing staff for this recognition.

After School Activities Every Day

We have great after school clubs meeting virtually! Check out the schedule click here! For more information - see the spotlight on After School below!

November 24

Full Day of School - Periods 1,3,5, & 7 will meet

November 25-27

Holiday (Thanksgiving) - No School

 

happy thanksgiving

 

Over Thanksgiving Break, we will be encouraging all our staff and students to step away from their computers and school work to spend time with their families. To further encourage this, students will not be assigned any work over Thanksgiving Break and there will be no assessments or assignments given on Monday, November 30!  We know this is not likely to be the time with friends and family that we are used to and wish for, however we do want you to know we are so grateful that you are a part of our Irving Family! We wish you a wonderful and safe holiday break!


Want a way to support families in our community this holiday season?

Normally, Irving staff adopts families in the community to provide gifts during the holiday season. As you can imagine, there is even more need this year in the Irving community. Instead of providing gifts this year just from Irving staff, we are requesting donations and plan to provide gift cards to these families. If you would like to provide a gift card that will go directly to a family in need at Irving, please sign up using this Sign Up Genius. You have the option to deliver the gift card to Irving or can send it by email to our social worker, Traci Jamison, at tdjamison@fcps.edu by December 1st. 

If your family needs assistance, please reach out to Ms. Jamison at tdjamison@fcps.edu.


SCA Holiday Store Drive for ECHO

Help spread the holiday spirit by participating in a Holiday Store Drive for ECHO (Ecumenical Community Helping Others). ECHO is a non-profit charity in the Springfield area that provides food, clothing, and other items to families in need in our community.  If you would like to participate, please visit the Amazon Wish List and purchase a gift. Gifts will be mailed directly to ECHO.  ECHO staff members will be assembling the gift baskets during the week of 11/30, so if you wish to contribute please do so as soon as possible! 

Thank you in advance for helping spread joy to families in need during this holiday season.  For questions, please email Emily Geary (emgeary@fcps.edu).


Library News 

UPDATE:  On Monday, November 23rd, we will have two tables full of narrative nonfiction books that your student may browse and borrow.  Lots of options to choose from.  These books are needed for 7th grade English classes.  Just drop by from noon until 3 on Monday.  No holds on book titles required.  We’ll have hand sanitizer available and will discourage touching books until one has decided that they want to borrow it. Social distancing is required and there will be no more than 2 students at the table at one time. 

7th grade students should have already gotten a narrative non-fiction book to read for their quarterly reading project.  Students can email us, or drop in at our office hours through the library Schoology Course’s Blackboard Collaborate link, on Tuesdays and Thursday, right after school.  Irving has many new, appealing titles to choose from.  Please take advantage of the collection that we’ve built for this assignment and for our students.

Curbside pickup service  of library books continues each Monday afternoon, from noon until 3 pm.   We had a good turnout and were so happy to start providing our students with the books that they’ve requested.  

The deadline for placing books on hold is Thursday (NEW!!) at 11:59 pm, prior to the Monday pick-up times.  We are distributing books at Door 2, near the Band Room.

If getting to the school on Mondays is an impossibility for your family schedule, email Ms. Monk and other arrangements will be made for getting the books to your student.

The first step is for students to place books on hold, using the library catalog.  Here is a short video that explains how to put books on hold:  https://youtu.be/pugYVMyu7Ow  Looking forward to waving to many of you “at the curb!”

Readers Unite Book Club  is thriving during our after-school meetings on Wednesdays.  We’re beginning discussion of our second book of the year starting on 12/2.  It’s a perfect time to join in.   Students who are interested in joining can find the join link for “Readers Unite” in the After School Program’s website.  The club meets from 2:30-3:30 on Wednesdays through the Blackboard Collaborate link available in the Readers Unite Group page.

--Ms. Monk & Mrs. Gawalt


Technology News

Digital Resource Parent Permission

Action Item: Irving teachers use some digital resources that require parent consent. These have been carefully vetted by IS and IT for instructional appropriateness, technical functionality, and student data management which is compliant with FERPA and state law. If you have not yet provided consent for your child to use these digital resources, please do so today. Thank you!

Link to the Parent Permission Form   |   Link to Irving MS Digital Resources

Digital Drama

Have you ever heard your kids talk about “digital drama?” Digital drama to kids could be what grown-ups think of as “cyberbullying.”  Digital drama often begins offline and transfers online, where kids may have the courage to say and do things that they normally wouldn’t when face-to-face.  Checking in with your kids and observing them as they interact with technology can ensure your conversations are productive and helpful. Refer to this tip sheet by Common Sense Media for ideas about how to do this.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/DigitalDramaTipSheet-English.pdf 


After School Program

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It’s not too late to get involved in the After School Program!

If your child is interested in joining one of our clubs, please have them visit the After School Program Student Website in the All Students Course in Schoology.  If your child needs help signing up for a club, check out this video tutorial!  Tutorial for Accessing the Irving After School Program Student Website  

Club Schedule

To view the weekly club schedule, click here.

Questions about After School?  Please email Emily Geary (emgeary@fcps.edu) 


News from Your PTA

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Amazon Smiles: Please consider signing up to support the Washington Irving PTA through AmazonSmile with your purchases year round at no additional cost to you!  Please see the picture below for directions on how to set up your account.

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We were planning to host a drive-in movie in December, but we won't be able to do that with the new Covid-19 guidelines from the Governor.  We're meeting with the SCA leaders to determine a different family activity for December or January, so stay tuned!

For any questions, comments or ideas, please contact us at IrvingMSPTA@gmail.com. 

If you haven't joined the PTA yet, you can do that on our MemberHub site here.

We hope to see you at the next PTA meeting on January 12th!