FH Weekly Update - 9/12/21

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Dear Freedom Hill Community,

On Friday, we celebrated togetherness at our PTA Back to School Picnic. We'd like to say a big thank you to our PTA, staff, and community for all of the hard work organizing such a wonderful event. We were lucky to have some fabulous, cool September weather, and we had a great deal of fun being together as a community again. Have any great pictures? You are always welcome to send them to our yearbook contact, Ms. Bliss

In this week's newsletter, we have some important requests for documents. Below you will find a link to the new FCPS SR&R (Student Rights and Responsibilities) for the year. Please go over this document with your student(s) and use the acknowledgement link to confirm that you have done so. In addition, we ask that you complete form allowing us to incorporate digital resources in the classroom. 

Thank you to everyone for ensuring that students who are sick are not coming to school! Staff and students are doing a great job in the building with proper mask wearing. If you missed it last week, we are looking for parents to help supervise outdoor lunch. If you are available on certain days of the week, please complete this form. We will be reaching out with a schedule this week!

In partnership,

Nicholas Zapadka, Principal

Eric Kopacz, Assistant Principal


Upcoming Dates for Your Calendar

2021-22 FCPS School Calendar

  • September 14 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 8PM
  • September 15 - FCPS Religious/Cultural Observance Date - Yom Kippur (No assessments)
  • September 20 - Registration begins for after-school enrichment
  • September 21 - Family Dinner Out - Foster's Grill and Ben & Jerry's
  • September 28 - October 6 - Testing window for VA Growth Assessment (VGA)
  • October 10 - Last day for online spirit wear sales

Safety First!

If you child is experiencing any of these symptoms, please keep your child at home! In addition, if any member of your household has been diagnosed with COVID-19, your student may not report to school. Please contact our clinic or the health department for next steps. 

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SR&R Acknowledgement Due

Student Rights and Responsibilities - Finalized SR&R documents are now posted here.  This handbook explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable and supportive school environment.   

 

Parent/Guardians please acknowledge receipt of the SR&R in your SIS ParentVue Account. If you are unable to do so, you can sign the Parent Signature Sheet to acknowledge that you have reviewed this document and return the signed signature sheet to school.  


Digital Resource Consent

Fairfax County Public Schools uses a variety of resources to support student learning. You can find more information about FCPS’ commitment to student privacy at Digital Privacy in FCPS and a list of all approved digital tools is viewable online in the FCPS Digital Ecosystem Library. If you have questions about any of the digital resources listed below, please contact your child’s school.

To provide your parental consent for each student in your family, please follow this link and follow the provided directions.


Positivity Project: Curiosity

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This week, we are focusing on Curiosity. You like exploration and discovery. You ask lots of questions because you want to learn more about anything and everything.

“Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.”

                                                          ~Voltaire

 

Questions you might enjoy talking about:

  • How is curiosity the opposite of judgement?
  • How do you feel when you discover something new? Learn something new?
  • What are some things you fear? How can CURIOSITY replace that fear?
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Virginia Growth Assessment Testing Dates for 3-6

The Virginia Growth Assessment is a new assessment designed to assess students’ knowledge of concepts from the Math and Language Arts curricula. Assessment results will be used to better align instruction to student needs, and will be taken by all public schools students in Virginia. As with our SOLs at the end of the year, we ask that families not schedule appointments on their students' testing dates. An additional informational email will be arriving with more information. Thank you!

3rd Grade:

Reading - September 28

Math - October 6

4th Grade:

Reading - September 24

Math - October 5

5th Grade:

Reading - September 23

Math - September 30

6th Grade:

Reading - September 21

Math - September 29


Health & Safety Guidance

The health and safety of our families is our utmost priority. Here is some information from FCPS that gives tips on how to stop the spread, as well as explains the process we use when there is a positive case.

FCPS Health and Safety Guidance Webpage

Our Health and Safety Guidance Webpage has the most current information about our layered prevention strategies, what happens if your child becomes ill at school, and the process when there is a pause in instruction or activities after a positive COVID case.

Flow Chart for Notification of a Positive Case

We know the pause process is frustrating and sometimes confusing for families. The flowchart below is posted to the FCPS website and explains the exact process FH, FCPS, and the Fairfax County Health Department use to identify and notify close contacts after a positive case.

Flowchart outlining process for students identified as a close contact

COVID Dashboard

All FCPS COVID-19 cases are reported via a dashboard posted to the FCPS website and updated daily. While this does not outline the number of students quarantining, it has tabs showing total number of cases, cases by school and cases by date.

FCPS Covid-19 Dashboard


PTA Updates

PTA MEETING - TUE., SEPT. 14th at 8PM

Join us for our first PTA meeting of the year on Tuesday, Sept. 14th at 8pm. We'll be meeting virtually so join us here or call 301-715-8592 with meeting id: 934 6979 4615. 

BECOME A PTA MEMBER

Do you know the PTA is a volunteer-driven organization that helps with programs, activities and traditions NOT provided by FCPS? Things like: capital improvements (new water filling stations), Reading Materials (replenishing classroom libraries), Teacher Wishlists, Technology needs (like Peardeck) and many events through out the year? We have a membership goal to raise $10,000 this year. Do what you can and become a member. See Family Forms details here and Teacher discount form here. See our cool thank you gifts in our Family Forms. You can sign up online at http://www.pay4schoolstuff.com too!

ENRICHMENT CLASSES - REGISTRATION SEPT. 20-30TH

In person registration for enrichment classes begin on Sept. 20th and end on Sept. 30th! This is a great way for your child to check out something new! Classes include Hip Hop, Crazy Chem Works, All Sports, Spanish, Pottery, Chess, Soccer, Musical Instruments with Beginner Ensemble and Minecraft using Legos. Classes fill up quickly so sign up early. Details with descriptions and recommended grades are here! Classes start Oct. 18th and run through Dec. 17th.Thank you to Ross Camara for organizing this with Enrichment Matters! 

FAMILY DINNER OUT ON TUE., SEPT. 21st

Save the date for Tuesday, Sept. 21st to take a night off of cooking. Join us at Foster's Grille and Ben & Jerry's in Vienna on Maple Avenue for a Family Dinner Out. Take Out or Dine In both accepted to help contribute to FHES PTA. Be sure to say Freedom Hill! Time for Foster's is 11am-9pm and Ben & Jerry's is 4-9pm. Both located in the Vienna Shopping Center near 138 and 136C Maple Ave. Thank you to Jen King for planning this!

SPIRITWEAR SALE ONLINE - NOW OPEN!

Didn't get the size of FHES Spiritwear you wanted? Hankering for some Freedom Hill gear? Check out our ONLINE sale which *just opened* and will be open until October 1st! Hoodies, polos, tie-dyes, pjs, shorts, shirts, hats, baseball tees - we got it all in both kids and adult sizes. Orders will arrive the week of October 25th. Big props to Michelle Zahalsky for organizing this!

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