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In this Friday Message you will find:
- Principals' Message
- Tip of the Week
- Read and Ride, May 10, 1:00-3:00pm
- Summer Learning Information
- Soaring Eagles
- Positivity Project
- Staff Spotlight
- Upcoming Dates
Dear Floris Families,
Our staff is so amazing, and they have worked harder than ever this year with adjusting, planning, shifting, and learning. We want to thank everyone, especially our PTA, for all the appreciation you have shown our staff this week. Our PTA outdid themselves with all the messages, meals, treats, and especially the Kona Ice Truck today! Floris staff are a dedicated group of professionals, and we are grateful for each and every one of them. We know they don't do what they do for accolades and praise, though it was so nice to see them appreciated this week. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
The first week of SOL testing is complete. Kudos to Ms. Dorr, Ms. Daly, and the many staff who worked together to help make it such a successful week of testing. There are no scheduled SOL tests next week. Math and Science SOL tests will resume May 18.
Our final Read and Ride of the school year will happen on Monday, May 10 from 1:00-3:00pm. See details below.
Just a reminder that Floris is accepting parent input as part of the class placement decisions for the 2021-2022 school year in the Google Form until June 4, 2021. Please do not request a specific teacher in your information. Teacher requests cannot be guaranteed for multiple reasons.
We wish a very Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms, grandmas, aunts, and caregivers on Sunday.
Have a wonderful weekend!
#Eagles:SoaringHigherTogether
Holly Walker and Amanda Dorr
hjwalker@fcps.edu
acdorr@fcps.edu
This week's tip is from Willa McGrath, our School Based Technology Specialist.
In our ever-growing technological environment, we often bemoan our reliance upon screens. This has never been more true than in the past year, as we've been mostly residing in a virtual world, educationally and socially. It's true that increased screen time has been proven to have some negative effects, including a disconnect from reality. Ironically, sometimes "plugging in" allows us to unplug from our surroundings. However, technology can also be a huge asset and way to connect us and expand upon what we previously thought capable. Case in point: our students' ability to connect with their teachers and classmates and learn virtually for the past year!
With all of these mixed messages, it can be a difficult line to walk to determine how much screen time is too much and what our children should be accessing. This is where we should be picky with which tech we choose, as all tech is not created equal! It takes a little bit of detective work and planning to ensure the screen time our children have is meaningful and not just a mere occupier or time waster.
A good rule of thumb is to opt for tech resources that move your child from being a passive consumer of technology to an active creator, using tech tools as means of creation and self expression. Some good (free) resources to check out include:
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Adobe Spark: allows creation of movies, graphics, and books with some great templates and ready made themes for ease of use. There are stock photos available, as well as the ability to record your voice. Students in FCPS automatically have access and can sign in with their Google accounts.
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Scratch: an interactive coding site where students can play ready made games, but also create their own scenes through coding. Students need to create their own login information.
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Wixie: has a user friendly format for students to create scenes, drawings, and books using pictures, drawing tools, text, and voice recording features. Students can log in via Clever at the link.
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Book Creator: an interactive site where students can design and write their own stories. Students can log in using their Google accounts and start writing!
Read and Ride Day
When: Monday, May 10 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:
- Funny Picture Books
- Picture books with beautiful pictures
- All about Sports
- Craft books
- All about Science
- All about Bugs
- Rainbow Magic
- Easy Chapter books
- Graphic Novels
- Rick Riordan chapter books
- A-Z Mysteries
- Dork Diaries
Please note this will be the final Read and Ride of the school year.
Summer Learning
Floris has a limited opportunity for some of our students to receive in-person instruction this summer. We are continuing to plan for this program and have been allocated a specific number of spaces. We will reach out to specific families to whom we can offer this opportunity in the next weeks. The dates for the summer program are July 12 - July 30.
In addition, Summer Practice Books will be mailed home to FCPS students to provide suggested activities for students to support continued learning. Families who have opted-out of paper mailings from the division will only receive digital copies of the Summer Practice Books. Books will be mailed home to families in early June to arrive before the last day of school, June 11, 2021. Families will receive email communication later in May about upcoming book arrival. Digital versions of books will be emailed from FCPS to the enrolling parent SIS account in PDF format the week of June 7, 2021.
- Students enrolled in grades K-8 in 2020-21 will receive one Language Arts Practice Book and one Math Practice Book by course enrollment. These books will also include information and guidance about digital tools that can be accessed by students and families to support learning throughout the summer.
- English Learners and Special Education students may receive additional or customized books.
More information can be accessed on the Summer Practice Books public webpage
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
Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence
What does Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence mean? You notice and value the world’s beauty and people’s skills. You don’t take things for granted. Appreciation of beauty and excellence is the ability to identify and enjoy that which is admirable in the world. There are three types of goodness in which positive psychology focuses: physical beauty (e.g. a sunset, song, or building); an exceptional skill or talent; and moral goodness (e.g. a character strength).
Why does it matter? Appreciating excellence and beauty helps an individual experience positive emotions and connect to the world around him/her. It’s an outward facing strength, meaning the individual is focused on the world outside his/her head. On a group level, those who appreciate excellence and beauty make our lives more enjoyable.
Quote of the Week. “Appreciation is a beautiful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” - Voltaire
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.
CAITLIN POMERANTZ
“I worked as a teacher’s assistant at a religious school in high school where I realized I really enjoyed working with kids, building a classroom community and a skillset that will prepare students for the world outside of school,” explains Caitlin Pomerantz. She was born and raised in Maryland where she graduated from Towson University with an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education, and a minor in English. Last December, she completed her master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Virginia Tech. She has taught for seven years.
Ms. Pomerantz enjoys reading, writing poetry and short stories, and napping. Her favorite foods are steak with mashed potatoes, mac ‘n cheese, and kebabs with basmati rice. Her favorite animal is the giraffe; she keeps many hidden throughout her home and in her classroom. A fun fact: Ms. Pomerantz was bitten by a lion cub, licked by an adult cheetah, and walked through the woods with two adult lions while visiting South Africa! “I love traveling, but definitely have a great many places still to go. My most memorable trips included a life-changing month studying my faith in Israel and visiting South Africa twice - once as a tourist, and once for a wedding,” she shares.
Ms. Pomerantz says she feels so supported and encouraged to pursue her professional passions by the staff and community here at Floris. “As I tell my students all the time: I couldn’t do this without them!”
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May 18- 3rd grade Math SOL testing
May 20- 4th grade Math SOL testing
May 21- 5th grade Science SOL testing
May 24- Virtual Kindergarten Orientation- details to follow
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 8- No in-person learning- Virtual Synchronous Day for all FCPS students
June 11- Last Day of School and Early Release Day for Students
Find the 2020-2021 School Year Calendar Here
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