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The Principal's Desk!
Greetings Families,
Next week we welcome back our final group of in-person students, our 3rd through 6th grade students. Please call our main office if you have any questions regarding transportation, days of the week your child is attending, etc. I want to applaud all of our 1st and 2nd grade students who have either transitioned to in-person instruction, transitioned to a new in-person or virtual teacher or welcomed new students into their in-person or virtual classroom this past week.
We have been taking requests from families to change their students from virtual to in-person school, and we have approved many of these requests depending on space in classrooms. On March 26, we, along with all schools in FCPS will no longer allow any changes from virtual to in-person program.
Also, on March 26, students who have not yet appeared for in-person school will lose their space in the class and be switched to a virtual class. 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.
Daylight Saving Time Begins: Move Your Clocks Ahead One Hour on Sunday
This Sunday, March 14, at 2 a.m., daylight saving time begins. Don’t forget to move your clocks ahead one hour!
Health and Safety Reminder: How FCPS Responds to COVID-19 Cases at School
It has been an exciting few weeks welcoming new groups of students back to in-person instruction. We hope you and your student have reviewed the five key mitigation strategies, and discussed the importance of following them every day, to help keep everyone safe inside our school buildings.
While we are doing everything possible to keep our schools safe, we want to remind you of our notification process if we are made aware of a positive COVID case in an FCPS building. FCPS is working closely with the Fairfax County Health Department to help with contact tracing and we will be following their guidance on any potential public health recommendations.
Get more information on the response to a COVID positive case at a school.
Let's Meet Our Staff!
Sheila Brosnan
Hello and welcome to all of our new students and families! My name is Sheila (Brosnan) Gavin and I am the librarian at Daniels Run! Before joining the DR family last year I was a classroom teacher for 10 years. My students and I loved reading together, and since books are my favorite I decided to switch to a job that allowed me to be surrounded by them all day! When I am not at school I love to be outside hiking and exploring, spending time with my friends and family, learning new recipes, and discovering new books to read. If you would like help finding books or learning how to put books on hold that you can pick up at school send me an email @ scbrosnan@fcps.edu! I can’t wait until the day when we can all be together in the building, it will be here before we know it!
Eric Laurits
On the list of things that Eric finds particularly odd, writing about himself in the third person is certainly up there near the top. That aside, he is particularly required excited to share some information about himself with you. In his formalized education, Eric has a B.A. in Music, an M.F.A. In Acting, and an M.Ed. In Elementary Curriculum and Instruction. Chances are very good that he will continue collecting degrees for some time as he has yet to come close to curing his case of Curiosities. His current research interests include how we teach elementary students to communicate both in person and over technology, reforming the methodologies for the teaching of systematic action research to pre-service teachers, and culturally responsive education practices through the lens of formalized prosody instruction. More than anything, though, he loves coffee, pizza and strawberry shortcake. Not together but... well now as he's typing this he wonders... Hello parents and students! Here's what you should know: I have made it my life's work to partner with others and help them develop the skills and systems needed to enable them to find success in our ever changing world. I currently serve as the Innovation Teacher (self titled: Manager of Mischief) and Project Based Learning coach in here at Daniels Run as well as an Adjunct Professor at George Mason University. I have built businesses, worked for myself, as well as been a member of very structured hierarchical organizations and I currently serve on the George Mason University Professional Development School Advisory Board and the NAPDS 9 Essentials Board, where I am looking at the educational systems that support teachers and leading the adaptation process to meet our current needs in the modern day landscape. What's it like to work with me? Well, apologies in advance for the dad jokes. Other than that, we do a lot of laughing and a lot of questioning and wondering. I understand that, if you are anything like me, we aren't passionately in love with every subject that we're required to learn, but I do believe that we can always find something fascinating about what we're learning and use that to fuel our success.
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Kiss and Ride!
With an increased number of parents choosing to use Kiss and Ride it is essential that everyone does the following to ensure safety for all:
- Parents must remain in the car at all times -only allow your child to exit the car when a Daniels Run staff member opens your car door.
- Students should only exit from the passenger side so they can step safely to the curb.
- Do not pass any cars in the Kiss and Ride lane
We appreciate your assistance in making Daniels Run a safe place to drop off students!
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.
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 15-19: Love of Learning
Love of learning means that you master new skills and topics on your own or in school. Those with a love of learning are intrinsically motivated and engaged in a topic regardless of achieving an external standard. They enjoy learning simply for the sake of learning. They don’t need a prize or a high grade as a reward. Their reward is the process of doing the work and improving
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
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Lifetouch Portrait
Retake Day
If you are unhappy with your child's portrait or they were unable to take a photo, Portrait Retake Day will be Wednesday, March 17th from 11:40am-5:00pm. The pictures will be used for our 2020-21 Yearbook! We have included the Sign-up Genius link here.
Prior to coming to school please review the Health Screening Questions located here. If you answer yes to any of the questions, please do not come to school. Please make sure you arrive on time, as pictures will be taken in the Cafeteria every 2 minutes. Please come to the kiss & ride loop. Your child will be escorted into the Cafeteria to have their picture taken and will then be escorted back to the car. Please stay in your car until your child is finished and please make sure your child is wearing a mask. Only students will be allowed to come into the building. Photo package details are here and you may preorder pictures using the DRES Picture Day ID code EVTXKV8CS at the Lifetouch website
Please remember to bring your original photo package to your scheduled retake appointment.
Students that are in school for in-person learning on 3/17 will have their photo taken during school hours.
Please call the main office for questions, 703-279-8400.
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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.
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
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.
Qualcomm Thinkabit Summer Camp
Have you ever wanted to build a robot to clean your room or take out the trash, but didn't know where to start? Or have an idea for an app that will make you rich but are stuck on the details of creating it? Then the Katherine Johnson Middle School Thinkabit summer camp presented by Qualcomm is the place for you! This summer’s camps will be held virtually.
Current 5th and 6th graders may apply to this camp using their FCPS Google account by April 9, 2021 - https://forms.gle/3uePk8ypry4X65xW6
Please direct any questions to Kelsea Owens – kfowens@fcps.edu
 These materials are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Fairfax County School Board, the superintendent, or this school
We thank Merrifield Orthodontics and Jones Family Dentistry for their support.
* This is not an endorsement by FCPS or Daniels Run
PTA NEWS!
Get More involved in PTA for 2021-2022
It is time once again for the PTA Nominating Committee to recruit candidates for next year's PTA Board. Being in a PTA leadership position is rewarding, important and fun! The Board is a great way to get involved at Daniels Run, get to know our staff and admins, work with other parents, and support our students and school community. 2021-2022 will be an important year in defining what PTA can be for DRES. Please join us! Visit www.danielsrunpta.org/getinvolved or email drenominatingcommittee@gmail.com for more information.
Please Donate - PTA No Fuss Fundraiser
Join us next week as we kick off the PTA No Fuss Fundraiser. Visit www.danielsrunpta.org/support-the-pta and watch for updates in your email and on Facebook and Instagram.
Dining for Dollars - Panera Bread - March 16h
Join us at Panera Bread on March 16th from 4-8 PM and earn money for the PTA. Order online and use code PRFUND.
Parent Book Club - Stamped - April 14th
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.
Important Dates
March 16-Grades 3-6 Return
March 29-April 2-Spring Break
April 5-Teacher Workday; no school for students
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