Dogwood Digest - 2/25/2021

Dear Dogwood Families,

 

This week we welcomed back our in-person students in Early Head Start, Head Start, and Kindergarten. It has truly warmed our hearts to have students with us in the building again. We are so proud of how well they have adapted to new routines and procedures, while also having fun meeting each other and their teachers in person, safely. Our amazing teachers and staff have successfully interacted with virtual and in-person students in various ways. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and flexibility through the twists and turns the COVID-19 global pandemic has caused schools. Teachers and staff are getting their vaccines, and we are excited to begin our uphill climb towards more normalcy. 

Thank you for all your continued support and partnership.

 

Your Dogwood Administrative Team,

Rachel Charlton          Katie Aldridge                 Kim Seck

Acting Principal           Assistant Principal         Assistant Principal

Kinder Concurrent Art

School Building

Return to School Dates for In-Person

 

Group(s)

Grade Level(s)/Programs Included

Return Date 

1-4

Preschool Autism

Preschool Class-based Students

Elementary Comprehensive Service Sites (CSS)

Adaptive Curriculum Programs:

  • Enhanced Autism Class (EAC)
  • Intellectual Disabilities (ID) Classes
  • Intellectual Disabilities Severe (IDS) Classes
  • Non-Categorical Elementary (NCE) accessing curriculum in a special education setting

Key Center and Kilmer Center

Burke School (Elementary)

February 16

5

Early Head Start (infants and toddlers)

PreK (three and four year olds)

Kindergarten

Intensive Support Needs (students instructed w/ modified curriculum for at least 50% of their core courses and instructed in special education settings 50% or more of their instructional day)

Specialized Center-based Programs- Special Education:

  • Vision Program at Robinson SS
  • Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) Programs at Canterbury Woods ES, Frost MS and Woodson HS
  • Students with 50% or more of core content areas in special education settings

February 23

6

Grades 1-2

March 9

7

Grades 3-6

Secondary Public Day Programs - Special Education:

  • Burke Middle School
  • Davis & Pulley Centers - all other students that have not previously returned to in-person instruction and Davis STEP

March 16


Mark Your Calendars! Dogwood Family Town Halls

Attention

Group 6 (Grades 1-2): March 4th at 5:30pm

Group 7 (Grades 3-6): March 11th at 5:30pm

Join us to hear about our Return to School plans and important information including our new schedules, arrival/dismissal plans, meals at school, illness at school and more.  A link for this virtual meeting will be shared prior to the 4th and 11th.  Hope to “see” you there!


Health Screening Commitment Form

This is required for all students returning in-person and now available in ParentVUE for 45 days prior to the student’s first day of in-person instruction.

The student’s start date will be entered in the SIS Return to School tab on the Student view will trigger the acknowledgement form to appear in their parent(s)/guardian(s) ParentVUE account. The ParentVUE acknowledgments will be automatically updated in SIS every 15 minutes. At least one parent/guardian must acknowledge the commitment once prior to their child coming In-Person. If a student has been In-Person and returned to virtual, their parent/guardian will not have to submit the Health Screening Commitment acknowledgment.


Face Masks

All students will be required to wear a mask, properly over their mouth and nose all day, except when eating. Students who are unable or unwilling to comply with this mitigation factor will be required to attend school virtually until they have learned to tolerate mask wearing. This will ensure a safe environment.

Face Mask

Stop the Spread Campaign

Stop The Spread

To promote stopping the spread of the COVID-19 virus, FCPS has begun the Stop the Spread campaign. This highlights the importance of consistently implementing the CDC mitigation strategies.  The Stop the Spread Campaign focuses on teaching and reinforcing the what, why, and how of each mitigation strategy. A community video has been created, and all staff will participate in a required professional development that highlights their role and responsibility as an employee to ensure the mitigation measures are being used across the division with fidelity. We need to work together to ensure a successful return back to school. This benefits ALL of us. Please watch the community video with your family and check out the community FCPS site:  Stop the Spread


Student Transfer Renewal Applications Open February 15

Forms

A student transfer is valid for one year only.  A parent or guardian must submit a renewal application each year for student transfer consideration. A renewal application may be submitted for students who continue to meet the same student transfer criteria as indicated on the original student transfer request. For students no longer meeting the same student transfer criteria, a new transfer request must be submitted.

Letters from the principal will be automatically generated from the online student transfer application in February for students eligible and not eligible for renewal and sent to the enrolling parents primary email address.


For 6th Grade Families

In the week of March 8 to March 12, sixth-grade students at Dogwood Elementary School will receive two lessons on the topic of sexual harassment.  These lessons seek to provide students with the necessary information, resources, and strategies to help prevent occurrences of sexual harassment as well as outline the steps to take if they feel they or their peers are targets of these behaviors.  In addition, the lessons share how schools support targeted students so that they are able to continue to focus on learning in an environment that feels comfortable and secure.  Parents/guardians may review the lessons through their ParentVue accounts, which may be activated at www.fcps.edu/it/MyParentAccount.  

Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of the two sixth-grade lessons on the topic of sexual harassment.  Letters and the opt-out form will be emailed to families February 5th, 2021 that provide more information on how to opt your sixth-grade child out of the lessons about sexual harassment.  If you do not receive the letter or opt-out form or have any additional questions, please contact Dogwood Elementary School at 703-262-3100.  


Dogwood Technology Solution Station

Laptop

The Solution Station remains available from 9:00 am - 11:00 am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and no appointment is necessary.  


Tech Support for Families

Help for troubleshooting issues you may experience can be found on FCPS’s website: Tech Support for Families. It may be very helpful for students to bookmark this site, as it will help solve most common problems. 

Light Bulb

Stay in Touch

Hands

Social Media: Follow @DogwoodFairfax on Twitter or @Dogwood.Fairfax on Facebook

Email Updates: Sign up for Dogwood News You Choose to receive weekly updates

On the web: Check out the Dogwood website and FCPS website for updates.


Upcoming Events

Monday, March 1st - Friday, March 5th - Read Across the World Week. We will celebrate children’s literature from around the world!

Thursday, March 4th - Family Town Hall for Group 6 (Grades 1-2) at 5:30 pm.

Tuesday, March 9th - Grades 1 & 2 in-person students return.

Thursday, March 11th - Family Town Hall for Group 7 (Grades 3-6) at 5:30 pm.

Tuesday, March 16th - Grades 3, 4, 5 & 6 in-person students return.

Calendar