Dear Wakefield Forest Families,
As we get ready to wrap up 2020, we would love to show our staff our appreciation for all of their hard work so far this year. If you are able and willing to share some messages of appreciation, please have your child or family add to this flipgrid, which will be shared with all staff on December 18, 2020.
https://flipgrid.com/1085db02
Students can leave a video using their fcpsschools.net login.
Families can access as a guest using the password: WFES2020
Last Friday we held a virtual Family Session for grades 1 and 2. If you were unable to attend, the recording can be found here. Information about changes to class groupings, days of the week your child will attend in-person instruction, and details on the return for grades 3-6 will be shared during a Grades 3-6 virtual Family Session on December 17 at 4:00 pm. The link will be provided in next week's News You Choose.
As a reminder, we have been anticipating a time shift in January or February to begin at 9:10 AM. When enacted, this shift will impact both in-person and virtual students.
The School Board will meet on Thursday, December 10, 2020 at 6:00 PM to discuss Return to School, watch here.
Thank you for your continued support. Once more information is available about the Return to School plan, that will be shared with families.
Sharyn Prindle
Principal
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Positivity Project: Knowing my words and actions affect others |
Everything we do, say, text, tweet, or post can positively or negatively impact other people. Moving beyond our words and social media posts, our actions can also have ripple effects long after we make them. Through our actions – and the character strengths we do/don’t exemplify in them – we have the power to make somebody happy, sad, inspired, or discouraged. And, always remember, our words and actions are our choices to make.
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Health Screening Commitment Form |
If your child is returning to school in-person, you will need to complete a Health Screening Commitment Form before the start date of your child’s grade. Please print it out, complete it, and return it to Wakefield Forest Elementary School. You may bring it in person to the school between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm, scan it and email it to jsruskin@fcps.edu, or mail it to Wakefield Forest Elementary, 4011 Iva Lane, Fairfax, VA 22032, ATTN Julia Ruskin. If you don’t have access a printer, please contact Julia Ruskin at 703-503-2300 or at jsruskin@fcps.edu.
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WFES Outstanding Employees |
We are proud to announce that the following WFES staff members will advance to the Woodson Pyramid level of the FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards program:
Briana Trone, WFES Outstanding Teacher
Marina Hincapie, WFES Outstanding Operational Employee
Additionally, Sharyn Prindle has been nominated as Outstanding Principal.
Reading Specialist Suzanne Rubinstein was a nominee for Outstanding Teacher, and Parent Liaison Miriam Pitchford was a nominee for Outstanding Operational Employee.
Congratulations to these amazing staff members!
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Giving Tree Gift Card Drive |
In the spirit of giving, Wakefield Forest is hosting a gift card drive to support our families in need. We are collecting gift cards for the upcoming holidays in December. At this point we are only accepting gift cards from local stores; Target and Walmart are great choices, as are Giant, Safeway, Food Lion, or other local grocery stores. Gift cards can be dropped off at WFES through December 16, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm. Please press the buzzer outside of the front doors, and we will be happy to come and get your donation. Thank you for supporting our community!
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Technology News |
- As we approach winter break, we would like to inform you that FCPS laptops are not allowed outside of the country (USA) but are allowed outside the county (Fairfax) for a temporary time with administration approval.
- Please make sure you continue to restart your child’s laptop in order to accommodate updates.
- If your child is having technical problems with their laptop (for ex, microphone not working, screen going dark, etc.), please go to this site:
https://www.fcps.edu/return-school/technology-support-families
You will be able to reference troubleshooting videos or place an online request for assistance (you will need to scroll down to Parents and Families – Do you need Tech Support?). Those requests go directly to WFES tech staff, who will respond as quickly as they are able.
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WFES Students in Virtual Choral Concert |
Woodson High School and Frost Middle School choral directors, in collaboration with Fairfax High School, organized a virtual concert for high school, middle school, and 5th and 6th graders in our pyramid; we are proud to say that 18 Wakefield Forest students participated! This beautiful concert aired last week but is available at this link. With its inspiring song choices and amazing voices, this is 20+ minutes you will enjoy with your family!
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Sixth Grade Families - Save the Date |
Families of current 6th grade students who will be attending Frost Middle School during the 2021-2022 school year are invited to an upcoming transition event. On January 14 at 6:30 PM, Frost will be hosting a virtual Rising 7th Grade Orientation. Students and parents will be provided an overview of Frost, the registration process, class options, and more. More information, including the link to access the event, will be sent at a later date.
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School Portrait Slots Still Available |
There are still available appointment for individual school portraits on Monday, December 14 from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Wakefield Forest. Photography set up will follow social distance guidelines, and the photographers will complete a COVID-19 check before they enter a school. They will be wearing masks the entire time as well as cleaning any touched surfaces and using hand sanitizer often.
For appointments on December 14, please go to this link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050C4BAEAE2FA3FE3-wakefiled1
If you are interested in submitting your own portrait of your child for the class page in the yearbook, you may do so at this link:
https://plicbooks.com/guest/uploader/ff586902-f7e8-44f1-b999-f99160245f32?school=Wakefield%20Forest%20Elementary%20School%202021%20YB&embeddedTags=destinationAlbum-91fde7c0-ce39-4a08-abf4-0b92df442a53&destinationName=Misc
Please make sure you photograph your child from the chest up, and tag the photo with the child's name as you would like it to appear in the yearbook, plus the child's classroom teacher.
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WFES Awarded Dominion Energy Grant |
We are happy to announce that Tony Gray, WFES Advanced Academics Resource Teacher, has been awarded a grant from Dominion Energy’s Environmental Education and Stewardships Grants department. Mr. Gray’s proposal involves exploring traditional and non-traditional gardening systems. Wakefield Forest students, under Mr. Gray’s guidance, will participate in a year-long STEAM project to use and experience three different systems - Aquaponics, Hydroponics and Traditional Soil Farming - to grow vegetables, fruits and/or flowers. Students will learn about Aquaponics and Hydroponics as fairly new methods that will challenge their current thinking of horticulture. They will compare the two systems against soil farming to assess which system is more effective and how and why each should be used. As they engage with each system, students will encounter expected and unexpected challenges which will require that they use critical problem-solving skills to successfully maintain their horticulture crops.
We look forward to the time when we will be able to begin this exciting project.
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Library News |
We are continuing to offer curbside book pick up for all WFES students!
The last two pick up days before winter break will be tomorrow, Wednesday, December 9 and Tuesday, December 15. Here’s how it works.
- Students may put up to 5 books on hold for pickup.
- Students may also request additional books or fill out a form to request a “mystery bag” of books chosen for them by Mrs. Rapuano.
- Please see this link for all the details: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qpOs8zofqJXdalZIY-IAC3UeP4A6rMzP/view?usp=sharing (you must be logged in to your child’s FCPS Google apps account to access the link). This flyer is also available on all the specials Google Classrooms.
- Emails will be sent to parents/guardians and to student Gmail accounts when holds are ready to be picked up and the day/date of the next pick up day. Please wait for this email before coming to school for book pick up.
Returning books
- Library books may be returned to WFES on weekdays from 8:30am to 3:30pm. There will be marked bins outside the front door for books being returned.
- Emails and printed notices were sent to the parents/guardians of all students who still have books checked out from last school year. If you received a notice, please return the books or pay the replacement costs ASAP.
If you have any questions about any library-related matters, please contact Mrs. Rapuano at alrapuano@fcps.edu.
Today, Tuesday, December 8 from 4:00 pm until closing: PTA Restaurant Night at Giardino Restaurant in the Kings Park Shopping Center
Wednesday, December 9 at 7:30 pm: PTA Meeting
Thursday, December 17 at 4:00 pm: Grades 3-6 Family Session with Principal
Monday, December 21 through Friday, January 1: FCPS Winter Break
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