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In this Friday Message you will find:
- Principals' Message
- New Parent Information about Progress Reports
- National School Counseling Week, February 1-5
- Read and Ride- Tuesday, February 2nd 3:15-4:15pm
- Tip of the Week
- Kids' Clubs
- Draft Return to In-Person Learning Dates
- Soaring Eagles
- Positivity Project
- Food and Nutrition Services
- Staff Spotlight
- Diversity Talks Series Opportunity from TJHSST PTSA
- Upcoming Dates
Dear Floris Families,
We had a little wintry weather this week, but thankfully, no big storms. It sounds like there could be some more wintry weather in the near future.
Our next Read and Ride is next TUESDAY, February 2nd from 3:15-4:15pm. We hope to see many of you Tuesday afternoon for some great book choices.
Please remember that the School Board will be talking about the draft Return to School Plans (shared by Dr. Brabrand last week) at their meeting on Tuesday, February 2. The agenda is available on Board Docs. You can watch the School Board Meetings on Channel 99 (Channel 11 on Verizon) or stream at https://www.fcps.edu/tv/ch99.
If the school board decides to move forward with the plan, students will begin returning to the school buildings in the hybrid model. As we shift to the hybrid model, some students will have a change to their class and teacher. Due to the new bell schedule, the Floris daily schedule will also change. Please watch for emails with specific information as we move forward.
Have a great weekend,
Holly Walker and Amanda Dorr
hjwalker@fcps.edu
acdorr@fcps.edu
NEW Parent Information Available
FCPS has created a parent information document which includes information about the Elementary Progress Report specific to each quarter in our current environment. The link below will take you to the information.
National School Counseling Week
National School Counseling Week 2021 (#NSCW21), "School Counselors: All In for All Students," will be celebrated from February 1-5, 2021, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by ASCA, highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success.
Please take a moment during National School Counseling Week to share your appreciation and gratitude to Sarah DeKramer and Diane Ramia, our fabulous Floris School Counselors!
Read and Ride Day
When: Tuesday, February 2 from 3:15-4:15 PM
Who: Floris Students
What: An opportunity to check-out and return library books from the comfort of the car.
How:
- Families drive up to Door 1
- Remain in the car with face masks on
- Have a piece of paper with their child’s name and student ID number ready
- Student tells a staff member the book choice
- Books will be delivered to the car
Book choices for Tuesday, February 2 include:
- Poetry for all ages
- Picture Books with animals as characters
- Biography Picture Books
- All about Asia
- All about Birds
- All about Football
- Award winning chapter books
- Dog Man
- Rainbow Fairy Series
As we begin the second semester, we are also starting a new section in the Friday Message. Each week, you will find different tips, resources and ideas about a variety of topics. This is just another way we are working to further strengthen our home-school connection and support our families as they are more engaged than ever in student learning.
This week's tips come from Shannon Daly, our Reading Specialist.
Ideas When Reading with an Early Reader
- Start with a picture walk, going page by page and “reading” the pictures. Introduce any difficult vocabulary.
- Have your child read aloud. If he/she makes a mistake, then ask:
- Do you know a word like that?
- Can you find a chunk/part you know in that word?
- Does that make sense?
- Can you try that again?
DON’T CORRECT EVERY SINGLE MISTAKE. Children don’t want to be told that they’re wrong all the time. It will turn them off to reading.
- Retell the story. Share a favorite part. Make connections. Have natural conversations.
Ideas When Reading with an Experienced Reader
- Read the back of the book or preview the first chapter to make predictions and see if there is an interest in the story.
- It’s great if your child is still reading aloud sometimes. When prompting for errors say:
- Are you thinking about the story and what looks right?
- You said “___”, but that didn’t make sense. Can you fix it?
- Reread the sentence and look for clues to the word.
- Have a genuine discussion like you would at a book club. At advanced levels the focus should be more on comprehension.
- What point is the author trying to make?
- How did the character change? Why?
- Are you enjoying this book? Why?
- How does the character feel?
- Keep it FUN! No one wants to write a report or get drilled after every book. Think about what you enjoy when you share a book with someone.
Floris Kids' Clubs
Draft Return to School Dates:
February 16:
- Group 3 returns to in-person learning
- New Bell Schedule Begins 9:45-4:15
February 23:
- Kindergarten Students begin in-person learning A group
February 25:
- Kindergarten Students begin in-person learning B group
March 9:
- 1st and 2nd grade students begin in-person learning A group
March 11:
- 1st and 2nd grade students begin in-person learning B group
March 16:
- 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grade students begin in-person learning A group
March 18:
- 1st and 2nd grade students begin in-person learning B group
Soaring Eagles
Please continue to share your love, gratitude and kindness with our staff on Soaring Eagles, the new online tradition at Floris. Please take a moment to say thank you and/or show appreciation for our staff and the hours of hard work happening day and night!
Please click HERE to share your Floris Soaring Eagles!
#EaglesSoaringHigherTogether
#PositivityinAction
Positivity Project
Prudence
What does Prudence mean? You plan for the future and achieve your goals by making careful everyday choices. Prudence is the ability to do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reason. It's a future-oriented way of thinking that helps a person set goals, make plans, and have the discipline to accomplish them.
Why does it Matter? Prudence supports effective individual self-management. Whether aspiring for an athletic record, academic grade, or purchasing a car, foresight and planning are necessary. However, long-term goals – even with a plan – can only be obtained by overcoming those impulses and desires that steer you away from your goals. Prudence provides the wisdom to know which character strength to leverage, at which time, to achieve your desired end state.
Quote of the Week: “Prudence is the knowledge of things to be sought, and those to be stunned.” -Cicero
You may also visit P2 for Families and use the password P2 to access activities and tools for you to use at home with your children.
Food and Nutrition Services
The Office of Food and Nutrition Services will be distributing fresh, local fruits and vegetables at the meal kit sites throughout January and February. Families that pick up no-cost meals from these sites will also be provided a whole, fresh fruit or vegetable sourced from a local farm for each child, along with an activity sheet and recipe for that item. This item will vary each week and will be available on the following dates:
Floris is a Meal Kit Distribution Site and kits are available from 8:00am-12:30pm each Wednesday.
For a full list of bulk sites where these fresh fruits and vegetables will be served, please visit https://www.fcps.edu/return-school/food.
This week's spotlight...
We started the school-year sharing about our new to Floris Staff and are now sharing some fun details about more Floris Staff members.
SYDNEY DRINKO
Sydney Drinko has seen a tremendous amount of resilience and empathy in all of her 1st graders during this strange school year. “They never cease to impress me. I enjoy working at Floris for many reasons, especially the emphasis on building connections with students. I adore my teaching team and know I can always count on them for support – both professionally and personally.” She has taught at Floris for three years.
“I knew I wanted to become a teacher when I was little,” says Ms. Drinko. “Starting in Kindergarten, I’d come home from school, pull out my white board and teach my parents what I learned that day. If they were too busy, I had a class full of stuffed animals.” She recalls how her AP Calculus teacher in high school helped her through a tough time and showed how important connections are, especially for students needing extra support. “My goal as a human being is to be someone that others can turn to at their most vulnerable and share in the glory of the good times when they come!” She says if all else fails and we are still feeling down, just head to the beach! This makes sense because she comes from a close Virginia Beach family.
Ms. Drinko is the youngest of four siblings and a first-generation college student. One of her noted accomplishments is working with Virginia Tech Relay For Life which raised over $1,000,000 for cancer research during her time as part of that team. When she is not teaching, you can find Ms. Drinko spending time with friends and family, walking her dog, hiking, having game nights and cookouts, traveling, and, of course, spending time at the shore.
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TIFFANY DOWLING
An educator for 15 years and at Floris for the past eight, Tiffany Dowling is our school’s librarian. She loves working with children “because they are so curious about everything; they want to know more about topics big and small which makes the library a perfect place.” The mother of two sons, both at Floris, and two adorable mini bulldogs, Ms. Dowling enjoys painting and traveling - she has visited 49 states (Alaska is the last one standing).
A life-long learner, Ms. Dowling is currently relearning Spanish and teaching herself science. “I struggle understanding science concepts so much, it’s a family joke,” she shares. “Because of it, I’ve been reading more nonfiction about the universe and listening to podcasts. It’s not how I would typically choose to relax, but I know it’s important for me to learn more in order to be a better teacher.”
Ms. Dowling has read more children’s books than most. One title that stands out for her is Miss Todd and Her Wonderful Flying Machine, a story about Lily Todd, the first woman in the world to build and design an airplane.
While school remains virtual, you can find Ms. Dowling in front of the school building every other Monday afternoon where she runs Read & Ride, a Floris program that puts books in students’ hands. Thank you, Ms. Dowling, for ensuring that our community keeps reading and learning, even when we are apart!
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Diversity Talks Series Opportunity from TJHSST
Parents, register at this Zoom link: http://bit.ly/TJStemTalk2
Submit questions in advance here: https://bit.ly/tjdiversitytalks
February 2: School Board Return to School Work Session
February 15: No School, President's Day Holiday - FCPS Schools and Offices Closed
February 17: PTA Meeting, 6:30pm, Zoom Link from PTA
Find the 2020-2021 School Year Calendar Here
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