Dear Great Falls Families,
As we begin the process to close out the end of the school year, we are reminded that summer is almost here, and yet we still have much to do to continue and celebrate the learning and achievement of our students. To that end, this newsletter is packed full of the following information:
Thank you,
Sara Harper
Fond Farewells
As is true with the closing of any school year, we have staff movements and changes. We are excited to celebrate these opportunities for growth and change with you as some of our staff members set out on their next great adventure:
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Mrs. Kathleen Chewning will be retiring. In her time she plans to travel and support her grandchildren through their many activities and homework.
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Mrs. Karen Farfan will be moving to Deer Park Elementary to work as a librarian.
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Mrs. Yuko Frost will be retiring. In her newfound time, she plans to paint, read, write and travel all over the world.
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Mr. Erik Niessen will be moving to North Carolina.
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Mrs. Ellen Rohrer will be retiring after many years of love and support for our students, staff, and community.
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Ms. Jackie Smith will be transferring to Deer Park Elementary to be closer to her new home.
I hope you will join me in wishing each and every one of these wonderful staff members happiness and success in their future endeavors!
JUNE 8: Virtual Synchronous Day
Election day is on Tuesday, June 8. Because so many schools are used as polling locations, all FCPS students will have a virtual synchronous school day on the 8th.
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Class Placement Survey - Tomorrow is the last day to provide input!
We would like your input as we begin the task of determining class placements for the next school year. Soon, our staff will work collaboratively to begin planning teacher and student assignments for next year. We'd like you to assist us in determining class placement by sharing your insights about your child through our google form located here.
Please note:
- All comments should be positive. These forms will be shared with all school staff as we work to create class groupings.
- Due to constant changes in personnel, we will not accept requests for specific teachers; this includes hints that reference specific teachers.
- While it’s helpful to share names of your child’s friends, remember that assigning a child to be with all of their friends cannot be our highest priority.
- If you prefer, handwritten forms will also be accepted. Please print, then enclose the form in a sealed envelope and submit to the front office.
- The deadline for any correspondence regarding the upcoming school year is Friday, May 21.
Although we have much more to accomplish this academic year, it is very exciting to prepare for the new school year! We look forward to another successful and collaborative effort between the GFES staff, students, and community.
Junior Japan Bowl
On May 7th, 15 GFES students competed in the Junior Japan Bowl 2021, a Japanese academic competition with 150 participants from Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., North Carolina, Georgia, and Oregon. We are SO VERY PROUD of our students for taking top honors for answering difficult questions centered around Japanese language, culture, history and social studies.
For the Level 1 Division (Grades 1-3), three GFES students won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place individually, and their team the Flying Tacos took 1st place in the team competition!
For the Level 2 Division (Grades 4-6), two GFES students won 1st and 2nd place, and their team the Smart Usagis took 1st place in the team competition.
Congratulations to our Great Falls students for their huge success in this year’s competition, and thank you Ms Ohta for your hard work and encouragement you provided for our students!
What a great way to celebrate Asian Pacific Islander Heritage month! To learn more, please consider clicking on the links below:
Junior Japan Bowl: https://sites.google.com/view/j-learn/jr-japan-bowl...
National Japan Bowl: https://japanbowl.org
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GFES PTA Wins Outstanding Award
We've always known our PTA is top notch, and now they are also being recognized by the NOVA District PTA! Our Great Falls PTA has been awarded the "Outstanding PTA of the Year".
We are so very thankful and proud of our PTA's tireless efforts to provide wonderful and unique learning opportunities to our students and staff.
Congratulations to our PTA, and thank you to everyone in our community who co-pilots this educational journey alongside us.
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GFES Summer Learning Resources
Many of the online learning platforms your student has used during the 2020-2021 school year will be available over the summer. Click here to view the summer resource flyer.
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FCPS Issued Summer Practice Books
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. Digital versions of books will be emailed to the enrolling parent SIS account in PDF format the week of June 7, 2021.
- Pre-Kindergarten students will receive one interdisciplinary Summer Practice Book.
- 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.
Laptop and MiFi Wireless Devices Collection
Please note that we will be collecting ALL student laptops and any MiFi wireless devices prior to summer vacation. We are working on a drop off schedule (for virtual students) and will have that schedule to you in the coming weeks. In-person students will simply leave their laptop and charger at school on Friday, June 11 (last day for students). Laptop collection is necessary, so that all equipment can be cleaned, repaired and reimaged for students to use in the fall. Please remember that students who have been issued a FCPS laptop and charger and/or a MiFi wireless device will need to return them during this time to avoid being charged for the equipment. Any student who requires their FCPS issued laptop to participate in FCPS summer programs will be reissued a computer prior to the start of those programs. Thank you in advance for your help in this process.
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Immunization Update (gr. 6 students only)
The Code of Virginia requires all students to be immunized against certain communicable diseases prior to entrance into Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).
Effective July 1, 2021 all students entering 7th grade will be required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations prior to the beginning of school: Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis booster (Tdap), and Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY).
7th grade students cannot begin school in August without proper Tdap and Meningococcal documentation.
Please provide one of the following documents to Great Falls Elementary School, Abeer El Gharib, amelgharib@fcps.edu as soon as possible:
- An updated immunization record showing that the student has received the missing immunization(s).
- A note on a healthcare provider’s letterhead stating the date the vaccine(s) was given.
- A healthcare provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption.
- A notarized Religious Exemption Form which is available online at: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/health_medical/certificate_religious_exemption.pdf
Immunizations are available from your student's healthcare provider or the Fairfax County Health Department. The Health Department clinic locations and hours are available online at: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health/immunization/school or by calling 703-246-2411.
Cooper Prep Information
(gr. 6 students only)
Cooper Prep sessions will take place on August 11th and 12th. Morning sessions will take place from 8:00-10:30 am and afternoon sessions will take place from 12:00-2:30 pm. Each session is identical, students should attend one day and one session only.
Who: All rising 7th grade students enrolling at Cooper Middle School for the 2021-2022 school year.
What: Cooper Prep is a program intended to ease the transition from elementary to middle school for rising 7th graders. Students will become familiar with Cooper and learn about expectations for students by familiarizing themselves with the building, understanding our schedule, meeting our staff and students, and learning more about “life at Cooper”. Students will also learn about organization, time management, and cooperative learning strategies that will help them have a successful school year.
Where: In addition to the face-to-face Cooper Prep orientation, all students will have access to virtual learning opportunities during the summer to help them prepare for the transition to middle school. The virtual Cooper Prep program will be posted on Cooper’s website. Synchronous, face-to-face sessions will occur at Cooper Middle School on August 11th & 12th. Each day will have two sessions, one offered in morning, and another in the afternoon. The morning and afternoon sessions will be identical. Students should attend one session only.
When: Registration links to sign your child up for a Cooper Prep session will be posted on the Cooper Website on May 24th, space is limited. Transportation will not be provided- parents are responsible for pickup/drop off. Carpooling is encouraged.
How: Once you have successfully registered your child, you will receive an email confirming their registration for the program. Please reach out to Emily Knupp (eaknupp1@fcps.edu) or Sarah Hartman (sahartman2@fcps.edu) with any questions you may have.
We look forward to welcoming your child to Cooper Prep this summer!
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6th Grade Virtual Promotion Ceremony
ST Math: Help Children Love Math This Summer: A Webinar for K-6 Families by the Parent Resource Center
*This webinar will NOT be recorded.
Every student has the potential to deeply understand, and truly love math. This belief helps ST Math become a powerful tool many students are using in FCPS. Students develop their math knowledge through challenging puzzles, non-routine problem solving, and informative feedback.
Join us for this important webinar to learn how families can use ST Math with their children to help them develop a deep conceptual understanding of mathematics.
Webinar Highlights:
- Discover how learning occurs in ST Math.
- Support students working in the program from home.
- Uncover how to view student progress.
- Locate additional resources for ST Math use at home.
Presented by Jim deBerjeois, and Vivian Doughty, Professional Learning Specialists at MIND Research Unit.
Monday, May 24, 2021, 10 - 10:45 a.m. & 6:30 - 7:15 p.m.
Monday June 7, 2021, 10 - 10:45 a.m. & 6:30 - 7:15 p.m.
Register for ST Math: Help Children Love Math This Summer: A Webinar for K-6 Families
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