Katherine Johnson MS - September 20, 2021


Important Dates

September 27

8th gr. SOS Wellness Lessons

September 28

6:30 PM – 8:30 PM - Virtual Back to School Night (BTSN)  

September 29  7:30 AM - Reading VGA Assessments
October 1  7:30 AM - Math VGA Assessments
October 4 Make-Up Picture Day
October 5

7th gr. SOS Wellness Screening Day 1 Hokies, Patriots

October 7

7th gr. SOS Wellness Screening Day 2 Captains, Spartans

October 11 Student Holiday (Professional Development Day - Indigenous Peoples’ Day) 
October 12-15 VGA Assessments Make-Ups
October 29 End of First Quarter - 2-hour Early Release 

 


Good evening,

Can you believe it is the last Friday of September? Leaves are beginning to change, and this morning there was a chill in the air. Next Friday, Fairfax HS will be celebrating Homecoming. It truly is fall in Fairfax. 

In response to the bus driver shortage, schools across the county are experiencing earlier arrival times or later departures. Luckily, we are on the earlier start time. For us, this means that students are arriving on buses at the same time staff is trying to park in front of the school to get into classrooms. We recently passed out information to car riders to let them know that we cannot unload until 7:10 AM to allow for staff to get parked, into school, and open their rooms for the bus riders. We realize that COVID concerns have caused more and more parents to drive their students to school each day.  While some may feel this has resulted in a fairly long line at our Kiss & Ride loop, we are able to have 15 students unload simultaneously along the sidewalk.  

Recently, our bus drivers have made us aware that many students are now being dropped off on the Bevan Drive side of the school.  Please be aware that this side of the school is where we conduct bus operations.  For buses to be able to get our student(s) to school on time and safely, they need to be able to get in and out of school and adjacent streets without obstruction.  We would ask that you please use the kiss and ride in the front of the school for its intended purpose. We have asked the City Police to have a presence out there from 7:10 AM (when we begin unloading) through 7:25 AM as this significantly speeds up the time you can leave school once you have dropped off your students. Please be aware, students sitting at the door are NOT car riders, but our walkers who have arrived a few minutes earlier.     

Thank you for helping us keep all of our Eagles safe and to school each day! We are blessed by your continued support and partnership.

Tammy Silipigni, Principal


World Language Credit Exam Sign-Ups

Can you read and write in a language other than English?

Then see your counselor to register for the World Language Credit Exam. Registration closes Wednesday Oct 13.

The World Credit Exam will be Thursday, November 18th at 7:40 in Cafeteria.  The exam will assess language proficiency. Students who take the exam may earn up to three pass-or-fail credits (levels one, two and three) in the language. This exam is open to any 7th or 8th grade student here at KJMS. If you are interested, please see your School Counselor to register. Registration closes Wed. Oct 13.

The following languages will be offered at KJMS: Amharic, Arabic, Bengali/ Bangla, Chinese/Mandarin, Farsi/Persian, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Pashto, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit/Samskritam, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog/Pilipino, Tamil, Telugu, Tigrinya, Twi, Urdu, and Vietnamese. 

You can register for the following languages outside of KJMS: American Sign Language, Greek, Hebrew, Portuguese, Turkish.

 


Updated COVID-19

Response Flowchart for Families

When a positive COVID-19 case is reported in Katherine Johnson, a collaborative effort to investigate close contacts and determine the appropriate next steps for affected students begins. To help families know what to expect, the process is outlined on the FCPS website

Vaccination status is an important factor in determining the length of time an asymptomatic student will be out of the classroom so, if you are eligible, get vaccinated!

 

Why does FCPS Use the 14-day Quarantine Period?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to recommend 14 days as the safest length for quarantine to decrease the risk of the spread of COVID-19 to others. (Overview of COVID-19 Quarantine for K-12 Schools | CDC). Based on local conditions and needs, local public health authorities may recommend shorter quarantines (after day 10 without testing, or after day 7 after receiving a negative test), but during this time of high community transmission, the Fairfax County Health Department continues to follow the 14-day recommended quarantine length. The CDC estimates an up to 12% risk of becoming positive for COVID-19 after these shortened quarantine periods. These recommendations may be subject to change based on public health guidance.


FCPS Virtual Mental Health and Wellness Conference

FCPS Virtual Mental Health and Wellness Conference Starts September 27

The 8th Annual FCPS Mental Health and Wellness Conference and Inova Act on Addiction presents Strategies for Today and Beyond. The conference will be virtual this year September 27-October 1. The conference will kick off on Monday September 27, with a panel of esteemed guests, moderated by Jummy Olabanji from NBC4. 

On Tuesday, September 28, keynote speaker, Dr. Dan Siegel, will present The Resilient Brain: Cultivating Courage and Curiosity to Expand a Child’s Capacity to Build Inner Strength. Dr. Stacey Hardy-Chandler will be the featured keynote speaker. She will discuss how to embrace our strengths as a means of coping during uncertain times.

Our Minds Matter will host a student session on Tuesday, September 28. Students learn how to use journaling as a method to support their mental health and well-being. 

Registration information and the complete schedule and list of speakers are now available online


Medical Care Resources for Families

Whether your family needs medical care for a COVID-related issue, seasonal cold or allergies, injuries, routine exams, or mental health and wellness, our community has a number of resources for you. Visit the Mental and Physical Health and Community Resources webpage for a full list of organizations that can provide support and care.


career day

Career Day Registration

Career Day will be held on Thursday, November 11th from 7:45-10:10. If you are interested, please take a look at this FAQ with additional information which includes how to register to participate. The last time we held Career Day we had upwards of 50 different careers represented. We had a wonderful turn out in the Career Clusters of Education & Training and Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security. We would love more representation in Marketing, Manufacturing, and Architecture & Construction. Please consider joining us on that day to expose our students to all the different careers that are out there!


Attendance

If your child is not feeling well, please do not send them to school.  Returning Strong is going great.  WE love see our students back at school, but we need to work together in this COVID world we are living in. Please keep your child home if they have any signs of illness.

If a student will be absent or arriving late to school, parents or guardians should always report the details of the absence to the school. Teachers do not have access to mark a student excused for an absence, which is why it is imperative that parents contact the attendance office (instead of, or in addition to, the teacher) when their child is absent so we can mark them correctly. 

To report an absence, parents have these options:

  1. Use the link to our online attendance form (preferred) from the main page of the Katherine Johnson website:
  2. Call the attendance line at 703-934-2424 being sure to include the spelling of your student’s last name and reason for the absence.

If your student will be picked up early for an appointment:
Please send them to the front office in the morning with a note stating the time of the dismissal.
 Students will be given a pass to leave class and meet parents in the office. Parents should come to entrance #1, to the main office, with a photo ID to pick up their student for early dismissals. 

For more information on the attendance policies, please visit the KJMS Attendance page.


library

Would like a Translated Version of this Bulletin?

Using Chrome (google), this bulletin can be translated in many languages.  Click here and it will take you to another web page.  In the upper left-hand corner, click on the flags and choose what language you prefer.

Con Chrome (google), este boletín se puede traducir a muchos idiomas. Haga clic aquí y lo llevará a otra página. En la parte arriba a la izquierda, haga clic en las banderas y elija el idioma que prefiera.

이 게시판은 크롬(구글)을 사용하여 여러 언어로 번역될 수 있습니다. 여기를 클릭하시면 다른 페이지로 이동합니다. 페이지 왼쪽 상단에서 깃발을 클릭하시고 원하시는 언어를 선택하십시오.

 باستخدام كروم (جوجل) ، يمكن ترجمة هذه النشرة بعدة لغات. انقر هنا وسيأخذك إلى صفحة أخرى. في أعلى الجانب الأيسر من الصفحة ، انقر فوق الأعلام واختر اللغة التي تفضلها.

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SIS ParentVUE - See your student’s grades, attendance, and report card!

Watch this video to learn how to navigate SIS ParentVUE - https://youtu.be/vLwkkemipws

Please contact Kelsea Owens with any questions - kfowens@fcps.edu


stay

with us throughout the year by:


FCPSCares

Do you want to celebrate a Katherine Johnson employee who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way, or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to share with everyone.


Spanish Family Liaison

Si necesita comunicarse con nuestra enlace de padres, por favor llame al 703-934-2454 y deje un mensaje con el nombre de su estudiante y numero de telefono. Tambien puede comunicarse con ella por email a: ajmaxey@fcps.edu


FCPSOn

Parent and Student IT Support Portal

FCPS has created this Technology Support Page with videos, guides and frequently asked questions.

Still need help?  

1.  Call the Parent Technology Help Desk at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS).  This will be answered by staff members between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., seven days a week.  Please specify if you need an interpreter when you call. 

2.  Parents and Students may submit a request online


informationline

Please visit HERE to find compilation of Dr. Brabrand's messages to the community.

superintendent