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In this Friday Message you will find:
- Principals' Message
- Read and Ride, Monday, April 26, 1-3pm
- Tip of the Week
- Kids' Clubs
- Soaring Eagles
- Positivity Project
- Staff Spotlight
- Upcoming Dates
Dear Floris Families,
It has been a busy week with many emotions throughout our community. We welcomed back many more in-person students for four days a week, had picture day, and Dr. Brabrand shared plans for five days a week in-person learning for the fall.
SOL Testing begins in just over a week. We were able to schedule our in-person and virtual students to come in and take the SOL tests on the same schedule to maximize instructional time. Teachers and staff are needed to proctor our virtual and in-person students here in the building. On the grade level/class specific testing dates. the class/grade level will be asynchronous
- Virtual students whose parents refused the SOL will be asynchronous for the entire day.
- Virtual students who take the SOL will be asynchronous after their testing time.
Next week is the final week of the Floris Kids' Clubs for the school year. We are so appreciative of all the students and staff who participated in clubs this year and made them one of the highlights of the week.
There will be an opportunity for a limited number of students to receive in-person instruction this summer at Floris. We are continuing to receive updated information and will reach out to the specific families to whom we can offer this opportunity. The dates for the summer program are July 12 - July 30. FCPS is also developing reading and math summer workbooks for elementary students.
We hope you have a wonderful weekend!
#Eagles:SoaringHigherTogether
Holly Walker and Amanda Dorr
hjwalker@fcps.edu
acdorr@fcps.edu
Read and Ride Day
When: Monday, April 26 from 1:00-3:00 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 Monday, April 26 include:
- I Can Read Picture Books
- Picture Books with Cats
- Folktale Picture Books
- All about Outer Space
- All about Sea Animals
- All about Dinosaurs
- Poetry
- All about Pets
- All about the 50 States
- Junie B Jones
- Graphic Novels
- Weird School
- Mythology
- Chapter Books with Animals
- Mystery Chapter Books
- Award Winning Chapter Books
This week's tip is from Jo Gordon, Instructional Coach at Floris.
The Power of Audience
All too often, writing is reduced to something students do for an audience of teachers. A nuanced understanding of audience propels young writers forward more meaningfully. Formal jargon used in a medical journal is very different from layman’s language about physical health used in a brochure for parents. One is not better than the other - they both do their jobs! A legal document contains precise language, written without flowery adjectives or adverbs, whereas a novel that includes a scene from a court case would be more descriptive than technical. Family members text each other with emojis, scientists prepare lab reports, historians pen biographies, mathematicians record explanations of numerate thinking, entrepreneurs draft business plans, actuaries share projections, teachers report observations of student progress, reporters publish factual accounts of events, researchers analyze data, and so on.
At the heart of all quality writing is understanding for whom the written communication is intended. The more academic or scientific the content, the more formal and structured the language will be. The more personal the content, the more creative and free-form the language will be.
Helping young writers identify their audience is a critical literacy step that families can help with at home. Encourage students to write to relatives, friends, authors, store managers, their teachers, and even to newspaper editors. In each case, discuss the language and tone used. A letter to an editor would not end with “Hugs from Johnny.” Instead, it would close with a formal greeting such as “Yours sincerely.” Conversely, a note to grandma would be a perfect place to share a loving closing greeting. Writing a letter to a neighbor whose flowers were flattened by a kicked ball would be apologetic and sincere; it would not include jokes or riddles. Writing and illustrating a picture book for siblings is an opportunity to be creative and humorous or silly.
When young writers appreciate how their audience shapes their language choices, they better understand the many purposes of written communication. That’s a powerful step on the way to lifelong written literacy.
Floris Kids' Clubs
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
Wild Card/Catch-Up Week
This week teachers will be discussing character traits that they may have missed or dive deeper into traits they believe best reflects the needs of the class.
Quote of the Week: “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of that you are doing or learning to do.”-PELE
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.
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.
JACQUELINE (JJ) CHEUNG
Jacqueline (JJ) Cheung has been a member of the Floris teaching team for 16 years. She began her teaching journey right here as a student teacher and has since taught grades 4, 6, and kindergarten. “The best part of teaching kindergarten is the joy and energy the kinders come into class with each day. They are always positive, excited about learning, and have such big hearts,” says Mrs. Cheung.
She has always enjoyed working with kids and seeing their light-bulb moments. “There is nothing better than watching children’s growing excitement about something they are learning,” says Mrs. Cheung, adding, “I love the community at Floris – kids and staff. Many have become like family to me.”
Mrs. Cheung met her husband at UVA. They have been together for 20 years and married for almost 14 years. They have two adorable little boys. In her leisure time, Mrs. Cheung loves crafting, reading, and watching shows and movies. She also loves to travel. “Some of my favorite trips were to Japan and Iceland. Seeing the aurora borealis was a travel highlight,”she shares.
Her favorite kindergarten books are the Book with No Pictures by BJ Novak and anything by Mo Willems. A fan of adult fiction too, Mrs. Cheung recently read and recommends The Girl Beneath the Sea and A Discovery of Witches.
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May 3-7 Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week
May 4- 3rd grade Reading SOL testing
May 5- 4th grade Reading SOL testing
May 6- 5th grade Reading SOL testing
May 7- 6th grade Reading SOL testing
May 18- 3rd grade Math SOL testing
May 20- 4th grade Math SOL testing
May 21- 5th grade Science SOL testing
May 25- Math 6 SOL testing (Math Teacher- McMonigle or Barnes)
May 27- Math 7 SOL testing (Math Teacher Molitor)
May 28- Math 5 SOL testing (Math Teacher Noll)
May 31- No School- Memorial Day Holiday
June 11- Last Day of School and Early Release Day for Students
Find the 2020-2021 School Year Calendar Here
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