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The Principal's Desk!
Greetings Families,
It was great to welcome our in-person Kindergarten students back to the building this week. A special thank you to our Kindergarten team and our transportation office who helped make this week successful. Some key dates next week for 1st and 2nd grade parents:
- Tuesday (3/2) - 1st & 2nd Grade Parent Meeting 5:00; 6:15 (Spanish speakers) - we will send a Google Meet link on 3/2
- Thursday (3/4) & Friday (3/5) - Teacher Prep Days/Asynchronous Learning
Friday, March 5th is a two hour early release (1:30) for students in Kindergarten and 3rd-6th grade. Classroom teachers will send additional information.
We will continue to work with our families who have concerns or desire to change their current preference. Individual requests will be considered on a space available basis. Please contact Chris Smith (cmsmith@fcps.edu) and Lauren Hein (ldhein@fcps.edu) if you would like to submit a request.
Please contact me directly at cmsmith@fcps.edu or call the main office (703-279-8400) if there is anything our school team can do to support your student and family.
Thanks for your support,
Chris Smith
Daniels Run ES Principal
Return to School Updates:
video #1
video #2
Celebrate a DRES Staff Member - FCPS Cares.
Read Across America!
Each year, National Read Across America Day is celebrated each year on March 2nd. This special day calls on every community across the United States to celebrate reading!
While we can’t celebrate in the way we would like to this year, we still found a way to make the day special at Daniels Run. We will be hosting guest readers in classrooms throughout the day and enjoying wonderful stories being read by classroom parents, Daniels Run staff, and George Mason student athletes!
Wondering how you can support and inspire your kids to read at home?
- Keep books anywhere you spend a lot of time in (the car, bedrooms, family room, etc.). Make books easily accessible!
- Visit your library (or use curbside checkout while they are closed). If you are unsure how to utilize the public/school library email Ms. Brosnan (scbrosnan@fcps.edu)
- Get caught reading! Kids imitate what they see the people around them do. Let them catch you reading a newspaper, a magazine a novel- anything!
- Read to or with your children- no matter their age. It strengthens their vocabulary and gives opportunities for bonding and discussion.
- Have your children read to you! You never know what they will teach you 😊
Celebrating Read Across America Day at home?
Email Ms. Brosnan a picture of your celebration of reading (scbrosnan@fcps.edu) or tag us on social media along with #ReadAcrossAmericaDay!
Megan Baker
Hello Daniels Run Community! I am Megan Baker and I am the virtual special education preschool teacher. This is my second year at Daniels Run but my 25th year teaching in FCPS. I started teaching special education at Hutchison Elementary in Herndon in 1996. In fact, I met my husband who was also teaching there. We now have two children. One is in first grade at Daniels Run now and the other will be starting kindergarten in two years. We love to go on hikes and bike rides throughout the city trails and used to enjoy all the fun City of Fairfax festivities in the city center pre-Covid. We are patiently awaiting the time when we can all gather and celebrate our wonderful community again. I absolutely love my job and our school and look forward to working with everyone in-person again someday.
Liz Cassidy
Liz Cassidy is one of the preschool special education teachers at Daniels Run ES. This is her second schoolyear with FCPS (and what crazy schoolyears they have been!) but her eighth year teaching preschool. Previously, Liz worked at a community preschool in Fairfax City, so she loves to see many of her former students in the halls of Daniels Run. In her spare time, Liz volunteers with the Northern Virginia Association for the Education of Young Children (NVAEYC) doing public policy work related to child care and early childhood education issues. She enjoys spending time with her husband and crazy dog Oliver, cooking, traveling abroad, spending time outdoors, and doing projects at home! She is so glad to continue to be a part of the Fairfax City community at Daniels Run!
Elizabeth Nagagata
Go Dragons!! My name is Elizabeth Nagagata and I am the Preschool Autism Class (PAC) teacher. PAC is a preschool special education class. This is a new program at Daniels Run that I started last year. I am really happy we have this class so we can help many children in the Daniels Run area. Teaching has always been my passion, especially preschoolers. I have a bachelor’s degree in biology and two master’s degrees in education. I have been teaching preschool for more than 20 years. I am married to a wonderful husband (a wildlife biologist) for 28 years. I have one daughter who lives in New York City and works in cancer research! I love sewing and making quilts, and now I especially like to find new places to hike. I am looking forward to spring to plant new seeds in my garden. I love gardening and warm weather which bring memories of my home country, Brazil.
Here Comes the Bus!
Would you like to check if your child's bus is running late? Fairfax County Public Schools Office of Transportation offers two different ways you can access information on your child's bus arrival information.
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Bus Delay Notification System - This gives you FCPS School Bus Delays for both AM & PM.
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Here Comes the Bus - This is a school bus tracking app that provides parents/guardians with real-time bus locations through text or email alerts. A Student Information System (SIS) parent account is required to download the app. The app tracks the bus route-not the student.
Cloth Masks and Face Coverings
If your child will be returning in person, please review the types of masks that are approved for student use. Students must wear a mask to school. We recommend students have an extra mask in their backpack.
The following cloth masks/face coverings are NOT supported by FCPS:
- Gaiters with a single layer - NEW
- Face masks/face coverings with exhalation valves/vents
- Cloth masks/face coverings with a single layer - NEW
The following cloth masks/face coverings are acceptable and supported by FCPS:
- Gaiters with 2 or more layers - NEW
- Cloth masks/face coverings with 2 or more layers – NEW
Please refer to the following resources for detailed information: Your Guide to Masks.
Join the PTA!
If you are interested in learning more about DRES’ educational program, networking with other Daniels Run parents, or finding new ways you can support our teachers, consider joining the PTA! PTA membership costs just $10 for an individual or $18 for a family. Benefits include a monthly newsletter, invitation to monthly meetings with Mr. Smith and other DRES luminaries, as well as opportunities to support your student’s curricular and extracurricular opportunities. Join today at the DRES PTA MemberHub store or by e-mailing DRESecondVicePresident@gmail.com for assistance.
PTA & Equity Team Book Club
The PTA, in partnership with the equity team at DRES, has selected Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-Winning Stamped from the Beginning as the next parent book club selection. Join us by reading the book over the next few weeks and participating in this important discussion on April 14th following our PTA meeting.
Positivity Project!
Character trait for March 1-5: Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm means you approach life with excitement and energy. You energize people around you. It is the ability to bring life and excitement to different situations. It often leads to a higher level of involvement and engagement both for individuals and for groups. Those who demonstrate zest and enthusiasm bring an energy and level of intensity to individual and group work. These people are often identified as early leaders and innovators as a result of their outward excitement about a task or project. Look for these people to recruit new group members and generate ideas.
Stop the Spread: Protect Yourself and Slow the Spread of COVID-19
Your actions keep all of us healthy, and we need to keep it up and continue working together to help slow the spread of COVID-19. There are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. Testing, contact tracing, and staying home and away from others when sick or after contact with someone who is sick, are also critical to help “box in” COVID-19 and prevent it from spreading further in our community.
We Need Your Artwork!
Yearbook Cover Contest!
We are looking for our wonderful artists to help make our yearbook the best ever. Please consider submitting an entry. If you have any questions or to submit an entry, please email Mr. Parker: mrparker@fcps.edu
Music News!
 SINGING TELEGRAMS FOR SALE
The chorus club is selling virtual singing telegrams. Who would you like to send a song to? Promo here: https://youtu.be/P2OGOZgTf2k Click here to order: https://forms.gle/BZii9QrPGkm4Ph9d7
Favorite Songs KARAOKE: March 25; 4:30PM
Choose your favorite song and sign up for the lottery here. Lottery sign up ends Monday, March 15, 12pm; Fifteen students will be randomly selected. Results will be announced March 16. Click here to join the Karaoke Google Classroom. Contact Miss McCarten with any questions.
Musician of the Month: The March Musician of the Month is cellist: Yo Yo Ma. Here’s a video playlist of Yo Yo Ma. Here is a YouTube audio only video.
Summer Enrichment Programs through The College of William and Mary
William & Mary’s SEP is an academically challenging program with an emphasis on inquiry-based learning for students. The program is not meant to replace the regular school curriculum; rather, it recognizes the importance of allowing able children to explore additional specialized areas of science, mathematics, humanities, and the arts. Click for More Information.
Summer 2021 SEP registration is now open for students in grades 2-12. William & Mary’s Center for Gifted Education is excited to offer 2 weeks of virtual opportunities with courses available in the morning and afternoon each week. We have virtual courses available in the areas of robotics, civics, STEM, coding, writing, social science, and many more. Please see our Summer 2021 brochure for more information.
Attendance Matters!
- This is the time of year when winter weather and children’s illnesses can take a toll on school attendance. But it’s important to get your children to school every day possible.
- If you are unsure whether to send your children to school, consult your doctor or this website for guidance: https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/policies-regulations-and-notices/attendance-policies/attendance-when-should-i-send-my. Our school nurse is also a terrific resource for chronic health conditions.
- Do what you can to keep your children healthy. Dress them warmly for the cold weather and make sure they’ve got hats and gloves. Encourage them to wash their hands regularly, and send them to school with a bottle of hand sanitizer.
- Help your child learn to persevere. Today, he learns to overcome a snowdrift. In the future, he will have the grit to triumph over even greater obstacles to his dreams.
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.
- 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!
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.
Elementary Magnet School Lottery
The Magnet Program registration window will open March 2, 2021. No late applications will be accepted.
Families wanting to apply for the Magnet Lottery must have a SIS account. If a student is not currently enrolled in FCPS, registration at the base school for the upcoming school year will be required.
A separate application must be completed for each sibling applying. Legacies also must apply to be eligible. Acceptances into one of the magnet programs is not transferable into another program or school.
Registration for the elementary magnet school lottery closes on Tuesday, April 6, at 4:00 p.m. No late applications are accepted.
PTA NEWS!
Next PTA meeting - Thursday, March 11, 7 pm
Please join us at our next PTA meeting on March 11th via google meet - meet.google.com/zsp-ahqg-mgs
PTA Newsletter
Did you know the PTA has a newsletter? Each month we publish a newsletter full of PTA, DRES and community news. Check your email inbox Monday for the March issue. Past issues from this year can be found at: https://www.danielsrunpta.org/newsletters
Important Dates
March 5-Two-hour early release (1:30pm)
March 8-Teacher workday; no school for students
March 9-Grades 1 & 2 Return
March 16-Grades 3-6 Return
March 29-April 2-Spring Break
April 5-Teacher Workday; no school for students
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