Dear Wakefield Forest Families,
We were very excited to welcome the first group of first and second graders this morning. Check out our Twitter feed @wakefieldforest for some pictures of our school day.
If your child is returning for in-person instruction, information that was shared at the Family Sessions can be viewed here on our website. We also created a video to give you and your children a sense of what it may look like when they return to in-person learning. As a reminder Thursday, March 11th and Friday, March 12th are asynchronous days for all third -sixth grade students. We look forward to welcoming our in-person third-sixth graders next week.
I will host a Breakfast with the Principal for third through sixth graders Friday, March 12 at 8:15 AM. Please have them meet me here.
If you have a question or concern, please contact me at sbprindle@fcps.edu.
Thank you.
Sharyn Prindle
Principal
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Positivity Project: Social Intelligence |
Social intelligence refers to a person’s ability to understand and manage interpersonal relationships. It includes an individual’s ability to understand, and act on, the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors of other people. This type of intelligence can take place “in the moment” of face-to-face conversations but also appears during times of deliberate thinking.
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Message for Grades 3-6 families with in-person students |
If you haven’t done so already, please remember to log into Parentvue and submit the Parent Health Screening Commitment form before March 16. This is REQUIRED for students returning to school in the building. (It is not required if your child is remaining in virtual mode.) The Health Screening Commitment Form will pop up once you sign into your Parentvue account if you have designated your child as returning to school in person. If you are not sure whether or not you have completed the form, please contact Julia Ruskin at jsruskin@fcps.edu or at 703-503-2300 between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm.
You may also submit this form via hard copy (scan and email/US mail/deliver in person). It is available here: Parent/Guardian Health Screening Commitment form - in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.) Please contact Julia Ruskin to have a paper copy sent to you.
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Kiss and Ride/Walkers Review |
WFES staff will be on hand at all arrival and dismissal locations to help students and parents.
Kiss and Ride
Student pick up/drop off is only in the designated Kiss and Ride traffic pattern in the front of the school. Kiss and Ride begins at 8:50 am for our school start time of 9:00 am. Students are dismissed at 3:30 pm, and you may start lining up in the loop in front of the school before then.
In the morning:
- Pull your car forward as far as possible in the line; parents must remain in the car.
- Please make sure you and your child are wearing masks, even in the Kiss and Ride line.
- Make sure that your child enters and exits your car on the building side.
- Do not pass other cars in line.
- No cell phone use/texting while in the Kiss and Ride lane.
- Please drive slowly.
- Kindergarteners will be met by IAs in the Front Lobby.
In the afternoon:
- Kiss and Ride tags should be displayed from the rearview mirror. Please contact Julia Ruskin at jsruskin@fcps.edu to acquire a hang tag for your car. Hang tags can be picked up at the school before your child starts in-person or will be sent home in student backpacks on the first day of school.
- Please stay in your car and your child will come out to you. Kindergarteners will be brought to your car.
Walkers
We will use multiple locations for walkers to enter and exit the building. Families will not be allowed to wait in the lobby or under the overhang in front of the school.
Arrival locations for walkers beginning at 8:50. (Any walker arriving after 9:00 must enter through the main entrance/Door 1.)
- Kindergarten specific by teacher
- G1-3 (except Marucchi) walkers may enter at Door 7*
- G4-6 (and Marucchi) walkers may enter at Door 9** or the Quad
*Door 7 is located in the courtyard near the playground.
**Door 9 is at the end of the playground closest to Iva Lane.
Dismissal locations for walkers beginning at 3:30. Parents may meet their students at the exit doors.
- Kindergarten specific by teacher
- G1-3 (except Marucchi) walkers will dismiss from Door 7*
- G4-6 (and Marucchi) walkers will dismiss directly from Door 9** or the Quad
*Door 7 is located in the courtyard near the playground.
**Door 9 is at the end of the playground closest to Iva Lane.
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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.
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What's for Lunch on In-Person Learning Days? |
Please visit this website for the menu:
https://fcps.nutrislice.com/menus-eula
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Attendance Reminder |
Please remember to contact the WFES Office via the attendance line at 703-503-2323 or report it here if your child will not be attending school, either in person or online.
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Using School Grounds |
We know that many families enjoyed the fields and playground during distance learning. We will no longer be able to have families enjoy school grounds during school hours, 9:00 am – 3:30 pm. Now that we have students attending in person, we will need to have school fields accessible at all times during the school day. We hope that you can enjoy the fields outside of school hours.
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School Spring Portraits/Retakes |
Spring Portrait/Retake day will take place on Monday, March 22, 2021 at Wakefield Forest ES. As in December, hygiene practices and social distancing will be in place. These photos will be available to order and will also serve as your child’s portrait on their class page in the WFES 2020-2021 Yearbook. The Sign-Up Genius for this photo session can be found here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050c4baeae2fa3fe3-111429
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Home portraits for Yearbook |
If you did not have your child take a school portrait in December and do not plan on having your child's photo taken on March 22 (see above), you are encouraged to submit a “head shot” of your child (actually from the mid-chest up) for their class page in the yearbook. These home shot portraits can be submitted here (use Chrome for best results). Please make sure to include your child’s and teacher’s name with the photo.
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Yearbook Orders due by April 2 |
We are happy to provide you with instructions for ordering your yearbook from Strawbridge Studios. The direct link to access the ordering site is:
https://strawbridge.fotomerchanthv.com/search/FMYB111429
The online code for WFES is FMYB111429.
Orders may be placed online no later than April 2, 2021.
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Counselor Check In |
We would like to remind our families that we are here to support you and your students. If your child needs a check in with Nancy Garcia-Henderson or Carole Mullarkey, WFES counselors, please complete this survey.
Healthy Minds Fairfax is also a community resource for Mental Health Concerns if there is an issue beyond the academic setting
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Library Book Check Out |
The next curbside pick up will take place from 12:00 – 3:00 pm on Thursday, March 11. Here’s how it works.
- Students may put up to 5 books on hold for pickup.
- Students may also request additional books or fill out a form to request a “mystery bag” of books chosen for them by Mrs. Rapuano.
- Please see this link for all the details: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qpOs8zofqJXdalZIY-IAC3UeP4A6rMzP/view?usp=sharing (you must be logged in to your child’s FCPS Google apps account to access the link). This flyer is also available on all the specials Google Classrooms.
- Emails will be sent to parents/guardians and to student Gmail accounts when holds are ready to be picked up and the day/date of the next pick up day. Please wait for this email before coming to school for book pick up.
Returning books
- Library books may be returned to WFES on weekdays from 8:30am to 4:00 pm. There will be marked bins outside the front door for books being returned.
- Emails and printed notices were sent to the parents/guardians of all students who still have books checked out from last school year. If you received a notice, please return the books or pay the replacement costs ASAP.
If you have any questions about any library-related matters, please contact Mrs. Rapuano at alrapuano@fcps.edu.
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Technical Support (FCPS Laptops only) |
If your child is having technical problems with their laptop (for ex, microphone not working, screen going dark, etc.), please go to this site:
https://www.fcps.edu/return-school/technology-support-families
You will be able to reference troubleshooting videos or place an online request for assistance (you will need to scroll down to Parents and Families – Do you need Tech Support?). Those requests go directly to WFES tech staff, who will respond as quickly as they are able.
Wednesday, March 10 at 7:30 pm: PTA Meeting
Thursday, March 11:
- Library Curbside Pick Up from 1:00 – 4:00 pm
- Grades 3 through 6 – Asychronous Day
Friday, March 12:
8:15 – 8:45 am: G3-6 Breakfast with the Principal
Grades 3 through 6 – Asynchronous Day
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