Fairhill Forum December 15, 2020

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News from Fairhill

Dates to Remember:

December 17th:  PTA Family (Take) Out, Panera, Mosaic District, 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

December 18th:  Food pantry pick up, Way of Faith Church, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

December 21st-January 1st: Winter Break, no school, Fairhill Office will be closed

January 4th:  Return to school from Winter Break, No Reading on the Run Curbside Pick-up. 

January 11th:  Reading on the Run Curbside Pick-up, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.

January 11th: Fairhill Coffee Talk, Mr. Magliola, Principal from Luther Jackson Middle School, 3:00 p.m.

January 14th: PTA Meeting, 6:30 p.m.

January 18th: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday - Student Holiday

January 20th:  Inauguration Day - Student Holiday

January 22nd:  End of Second Quarter, 2 Hour early release

Join the Fun of Celebrating the 12 Days of December!

Even though we are not all together we are always looking for ways to build our community and have some fun! 

Please consider joining in the fun and posting pictures of you and your family celebrating December! 

For an easier-to-view document please click this link. 

Food Pantry on Friday, December 18th Way of Faith Church, located one block from Fairhill, at 8800 Arlington Blvd, is having a drive-up community pantry pick up on Friday, December 18th from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.  Just drive up and their workers will load the food into your vehicle.  It is open to the community and you don’t even need a ticket.

2020-2021 Fairhill Yearbook The 2020-21 school year has and will always be a year like no other. To help us capture and celebrate these moments for all time, please consider submitting a candid photo of your students for our FES yearbook. Consider capturing memorable moments throughout the school year such as spirit days, school activities, and more!  Click here to submit 20-21 yearbook photos. Your submission will be sent to Ms. Florjancic, our yearbook sponsor.

Updated Technology Supports for Families    *Please note there will be no technology appointments or computer assistance at Fairhill during Winter Break.*   Parent Help Guides and Video Tutorials-access videos and resources to help your student in the virtual learning environment. Parent Technology Help Desk- (1-833-921-3277) available to support families 7 days a week from 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. Fairhill Parent/Student Support Request- this form should be completed when help is needed from Fairhill. Fill in all of these fields so that the Technology Team at Fairhill can reach out to you with solutions or schedule a time to get help with equipment.

Fairhill Town Halls/Coffee Talks Now that we have gotten into the groove of virtual learning, we are kicking off our Monthly Town Hall Meetings.  Please see our schedule below for dates, times and topics and MARK YOUR CALENDAR. Links to join will be sent out prior to each Town Hall.  January 11th at 3:00 p.m.: Mr. Magliola, Principal from Luther Jackson Middle School February 17th at 6:00 p.m.: Conversation about Equity with Ms. Gauta and Mrs. Dux March 15th at 3:00 p.m.: Reading at Home with Mrs. Norris, Ms. Gauta and Ms. Piesto. April 21st at 6:00 p.m.: Math Strategies with Mrs. Hartman, Mrs. Santiago, Ms. Chen and Mrs. Deneault.  May 17th at 3:00 p.m.: Mental Health Conversations with Fairhill Mental Health Team

Weekly Character Strength: Self-Control WHAT DOES Self-Control MEAN? You have the ability to control your emotions and behaviors. You think before you act. We will continue to be a Positivity Project Partner School. Learn more about it here. Click here for the full explanation of Self-Control and what it means in terms of P2 in the classroom.

News from Fairhill PTA

Become a Fairhill PTA Member! Please consider becoming a PTA member for the 20-21 school year.  Click this link for membership options!

Holiday Gifts for Teachers/Staff

 As we head into the holidays, it is a great time to show our appreciation to the wonderful teachers and staff at Fairhill.  Traditionally, room parents coordinate group gifts, students create cards or bring in gifts of their own.  Our virtual environment is going to make this approach very difficult.  The PTA is here to help with a new approach to holiday gift giving! Through our online store, we will offer families the option to donate to the GrubHub accounts of their favorite teachers and staff members.  This holiday season, let's treat the teachers and staff to a fun meal delivered to their home!  

How to participate:  We have added individual teachers and staff members to our online store.  Parents can select as many teachers/staff members as they would like and enter the desired gift amount for each teacher/staff member.  The PTA will direct the funds into the teacher/staff member's GrubHub account.  Any personal messages entered will be sent to the teacher/staff member as well.  This is a great way to remember the specialists, teaching assistants and office staff in addition to our classroom teachers.

Click the link here to access the online store.  Deadline to participate is Friday, December 18th.

We are currently updating the staff list.  If you have any questions or can't find a teacher/staff member, please contact president@fairhillpta.org

As always, participation is optional.  

Boon Supply Holiday Gift Store

Looking for some unique holiday gifts?  Even better, gifts that will also give back to the Fairhill community?   Check out the Fairhill "We Miss Our School" fundraiser store with Boon Supply.  40% of all purchases will go to the Fairhill PTA.  Boon Supply offers a variety of home and kitchen items (many of them waste-free).

Click here to see the catalog and start shopping!

PTA Family Night (Take) Out Even though we are not physically in the school building, we still are trying to raise funds for our students. Please consider taking the night off from cooking and order in some food.  Fairhill gets a percentage of money spent from each location. It's a WIN--WIN! Mark your calendars NOW!  December 17: (4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.) Panera (Mosaic – 8191 Strawberry Lane) Bring this flyer or show an electronic version to the cashier when you place your order and Panera will donate a portion of the proceeds to Fairhill.

PTA Meetings Mark your calendars for upcoming PTA meetings this  school year.  January 14, 6:30 p.m.   February 11, 6:30 p.m. March 11, 6:30 p.m.   April 8, 6:30 p.m. May 13, 6:30 p.m.

News from FCPS

Weather Update As many of you may know, snow is in the forecast this week. FCPS will utilize additional approaches for observing “snow days” during the 2020-2021 inclement weather season. These approaches include both synchronous instruction (teacher-led) and asynchronous instruction (independent). If conditions are warranted, we do anticipate that there will be “typical” snow days as we have had in past years. As with any inclement weather event, each one is very different than the other, and they can present unique challenges for our students, staff, and community.  For your understanding, please see some of the potential options for snow days this season: All Schools and Central Offices Closed. No In-person or Virtual Learning Synchronous (teacher-led) Virtual Learning for All Students. Division Operations are Open, School Building Workspaces May or May Not Be Available Asynchronous (independent) Virtual Learning for All Students, Division Operations are Open, School Building Workspaces May or May Not Be Available The safety of our students and staff is a priority any time a decision must be made regarding school closures and delays during a weather situation. Poor road conditions may affect bus transportation for students learning in school buildings. Road conditions also impact staff from going to work to prepare student meals and distribute them on bus routes. In order to count as a day of instruction, schools are required to provide  meals to students according to the Virginia Department of Education. Power outages can impact students and staff during an instructional day whether they are in person or in virtual instruction. There are many possible scenarios that will influence our decisions. Fortunately, all students have been provided devices to be able to participate in virtual learning. We will continue to evaluate how weather conditions impact our operations and we will notify you as we have in the past through the FCPS website, Twitter, Facebook, email, text messages, and the local media. FCPS leadership will continue to monitor weather forecasts and conditions and make determinations regarding inclement weather delays and closures on an individual basis. Fairfax County Public Schools

Fairfax County Public Schools is providing all students access to meals during the FCPS Winter Break.

The following plan will be in place from Friday, December 18 through Wednesday, January 6, 2021.

Bus Routes

• Friday 12/18: will offer 4 days of breakfast and lunch
• Monday 12/21: will offer 4 days of breakfast and lunch
• Tuesday 12/22: will offer 4 days of breakfast and lunch
• Wednesday 12/23  through Friday 1/1/21:  no meal service 
• Monday 1/4/21: will resume regular daily breakfast and lunch delivery

See below or click here for more bus stop information.

Arrival times at bus stops may be delayed several minutes due to unexpected issues.

Family Guide for Return to School

The FCPS Family Guide for Return to School has a wealth of information on topics like concurrent instruction, lunch, the mandatory mask policy, recess, laptops, health protocols, and more.

Encouraging Positive Behaviors at Home:
A Behavioral Support Series for Families

Register for Free Webinars- Parent Resource Center

Attend our free parent and educator webinars to learn the latest information to help your child succeed.

In collaboration with FCPS Behavior Intervention Services, the PRC brings you this series of webinars. This series will provide families with strategies and positive supports to help encourage social, emotional, and behavioral growth.

For more information about each session click here

New FCPS COVID-19 Dashboard 

FCPS has launched a COVID-19 dashboard to share weekly COVID-19 cases that have been self-reported to us. Data is updated weekly on Friday by 1 p.m. Any cases occurring after that time are reported for the following week.

This data should be interpreted with caution as it only reflects cases that have been shared with FCPS through self-reporting and may not be aligned to future epidemiological investigations. This data is currently being shared from a division level, as opposed to school or work site, so that it does not jeopardize sharing personally identifiable, confidential health information involving FCPS students and staff. Case reports indicate the total number of COVID-19 cases self-reported to principals, administrators, and program managers. Reports were shared with the Fairfax County Health Department to initiate contact tracing.

Effective November 2, the FCPS COVID-19 dashboard will be disaggregated and will present case data by school and case type (student, staff, visitor) and data will be updated daily. 

Updated information is available on the FCPS website. 

FCPS Cares Do you know a Fairhill employee who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to share with everyone.

News from the Community

Girl Scouts Virtual Camp Tagalong

Join us December 21^st – 23^rd for Girl Scouts Virtual Camp Tagalong.  Please see click here to see the flyer and if you need more information contact:  Michele Randall, mrandall@gscnc.org or 703-372-4352.  We hope to see you there! 

Fairhill's Mission 

Fairhill Elementary fosters academic excellence in a respectful environment which instills strength of character and embraces community involvement.

Fairhill's Vision

The staff of Fairhill Elementary prepares children for a productive future by providing for successes in a positive, enriching and academically stimulating environment. We celebrate diversity, foster mutual respect and embrace collaboration as we unite to achieve common purposes and clear goals.

Our vision for the 2020-2021 school year

To be:

A place where every staff member and students feels included and loved.

A place where every student and staff member can be their best and true self.

A place where every student and staff member feels seen and valued.

A place for joy!

Important Contact Information

Fairhill Phone Numbers:

• Health Room 703-208-8110

• Cafeteria 703-208-8121

Administration e-mail addresses:

• Principal, Candace Hunstad: cjhunstad@fcps.edu 

• Assistant Principal, Courtney Korb: cbkorb@fcps.edu

3001 Chichester Lane, Fairfax, VA 22031 | Main Office: 703-208-8100
Attendance: 703-208-8181 | Web | Twitter | Facebook