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In this Friday Message you will find:
- Principals' Message
- Back to School Nights
- Digital Resources Consent
- Safety Drills
- Return to School Safety – Masks
- Schoolwide Birthday Policy
- Cultural and Religious Observations
Floris Families,
This week was amazing as we welcomed our students back into the building for the 2021-2022 school year! The energy, smiles, and excitement radiated throughout the school. We are working out many of the arrival/dismissal challenges which are greater this year than in previous years, and it is getting incrementally better each day.
We are so delighted to see students bringing healthy, nourishing lunches. We notice that many of our younger students have difficulty opening their lunch containers. Please have them practice at home to reduce the need for staff having to touch these containers. Please don’t forget to include forks/spoons in lunch bags.
Community members have reached out to Floris to ask that we remind parents not to park on private property while attending school events or at arrival/dismissal. We ask if you are parking behind the school that you are not blocking anyone's driveway, you are at least 15 feet from the fire hydrant, and you are not on anyone's private property or on the sidewalk. Please be respectful of others' homes and property.
Our teachers are excited to see families virtually next week during Back to School Nights. Links will be shared by the teachers for each evening. We will be offering an Admin Meet and Greet from 7:00-7:30pm all three evenings, and those Zoom links will be shared with the Back to School Night links.
We know there are many unknowns ahead of us this school year, and we will continue to provide important communication throughout the year. Thank you in advance for your grace, flexibility, and understanding throughout this school year.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Holly Walker, Principal, hjwalker@fcps.edu
Amanda Dorr, Assistant Principal, acdorr@fcps.edu
#FlorisStrongerTogether
Back to School Nights are a time for parents to learn about the curriculum and expectations in both the class and grade level for their children.
This year's Back to School Nights will be held virtually and teachers will be sending links to parents.
- Tuesday, August 31: Kindergarten-1st Grade, 6:30-7:30pm
- Wednesday, September 1: 2nd-3rd Grade, 6:30-7:30pm
- Thursday, September 2: 4th, 5th and 6th Grade, 6:30-7:30pm
Digital Resources Consent
At Floris, we use a variety of digital tools to support meaningful student learning. Some of these tools require parental consent before they can be used.
If you have already provided consent - THANK YOU! For those of you that have not, you can find our school’s list of the resources that require parental consent here: https://florises.fcps.edu/adopteddigitalresources.
After reviewing these resources, please complete 🔗 this form 🔗 to indicate whether or not your student is allowed to use the list of digital resources this year. Your child will not be able to use the digital resources until we have received your permission, so the sooner we can get the permission the better!
Please reach out to our School Based Technology Specialist, Willa McGrath (wimcgrath@fcps.edu) or your child's teacher if you have questions or concerns. THANK YOU!
Along with the COVID Safety Mitigation Strategies, we are also focusing on our safety drills. Students and staff will be masked and social distance as much as possible during drills. Students will be instructed by teachers that during a true incident, their safety and required quick action overrules all social distancing requirements.
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Evacuation/Fire Drills- two in the first 20 days of school and then one per month through June 2022
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Bus Evacuation Drills- one each semester
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Lockdown Drills- Our first one will be next Monday, August 30 and the second required drill will be in January 2022.
Return to School Safety – Masks
We begin the new school year with a mask requirement in place for everyone indoors on school properties and buses. Any student who does not comply with the mask requirement, and is not exempt from the requirement as outlined in Regulation 2109.1, will not be allowed to participate in face-to-face learning. Students who refuse to attend school due to a refusal to wear a mask, will receive an unexcused absence. Intentional removal of or refusal to wear a face covering will be treated as a violation of the FCPS dress code policy (Regulation 2613).
Please talk with your child about the importance of wearing masks at school to protect each other against the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, and the consequences of refusing to wear a mask. We appreciate your help in encouraging students to do their part to contribute to a safe school environment.
Floris Schoolwide Birthday Celebration Policy
Due to safety and allergy concerns, we are not allowing edible birthday treats in the school to celebrate student birthdays. This includes homemade and prepackaged treats. You are welcome to send in non-edible birthday items, provided one per student in the class is supplied. Another great birthday treat is to send in a book for the class library.
Thank you for your understanding!
Cultural Observances and Religious Holidays on the FCPS Calendar
The Fairfax County School Board voted to approve a calendar for the 2021-22 School Year that is designed to recognize, respect, and honor the plurality of religious and cultural observances in Fairfax County. The calendar ensures students will not have to make choices between honoring their cultural or religious beliefs and missing a test or school activity.
On the 15 observance days listed below, Floris will not schedule tests or quizzes. Tests and quizzes will be given before any of these days, so students are not expected to study on the observance day.
In addition, Floris will not schedule events including field trips or special activities on any of the 15 observance days.
The calendar recognizes 15 diverse religious and cultural observances including:
- Eid al-Adha
- Rosh Hashanah
- Yom Kippur
- Día de los Muertos
- Diwali
- Bodhi Day
- Three Kings Day/Epiphany
- Orthodox Christmas
- Orthodox Epiphany
- Lunar New Year
- Ramadan
- Good Friday
- Theravada
- Orthodox Good Friday
- Last Night of Passover
- Eid al-Fitr
The 2021-22 calendar also separates spring break from any religious or cultural observances.
Please remember you can find the breakfast and lunch menus and nutritional facts at FCPS Nutrislice- Floris
August 31: Virtual Back to School Night for K-1st grade parents, 6:30-7:30pm
September 1: Virtual Back to School Night for 2nd-3rd grade parents, 6:30-7:30pm
September 2: Virtual Back to School Night for 4th, 5th & 6th grade parents, 6:30-7:30pm
September 3 and 6: No School - Labor Day Break
September 7: Rosh Hashanah Observance
September 16: Yom Kippur Observance
October 11: No School- Staff Professional Development Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day
Find the approved 2021-2022 School Year Calendar Here
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