Weekly Update from Irving MS


Board Games, Lego & Cards

Do you have complete board games that your family no longer plays, Lego that isn’t used anymore, and/or some extra card decks around the house? If so, please send them in with your child, who can drop them off outside of the main office. Our students will use the games and cards during our daily 15-minute breaks when we have inclement weather and the Lego for an upcoming Lego Masters Competition.


 

Upcoming Important Dates

Monday, October 11, 2021

Indigenous Peoples’ Day – Teacher Workday and Student Holiday

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Orchestra Concert - 7:00 pm at West Springfield High School

October 25-29, 2021

Red Ribbon Week - SCA Spirit Week

Friday, October 29, 2021

End of 1st Quarter

2-hour Early Dismissal - students dismissed at 12:15 pm.

Monday, November 1 & 

Tuesday November 2, 2021

School Planning Day & Teacher Workday - student holidays - both days


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We are excited to share Peer Tutoring started this week during Advisory. Students are able to get help with any subject during one of two 20-minute sessions during every 3rd period. Thank you to Dr. Frenck for sponsoring the Peer Tutors! The first two days of Peer Tutoring have been a great success!


Share the Joy of Thanksgiving with a Neighbor!

What does Thanksgiving look like for you? Visiting with loved ones? Watching parades and football? Enjoying the sights, smells, and flavors of some favorite foods? Help create these memories for one or more school families who struggle with food security. Our school is partnering with Food For Neighbors to provide some of our students and families with a $50 gift card to a local grocery store. Your gift will help your neighbors to put food on their tables this Thanksgiving. The goal is to raise enough money for Food For Neighbors to provide a total of nearly 700 of the $50 grocery store gift cards to 24 participating schools, which includes ours!

Donate: https://www.foodforneighbors.org/home/holiday-meals/

Thank you for anything you can do. Every donation counts. Together, we can make a big difference!

If your family needs assistance, please contact Traci Jamison, Irving’s Social Worker, at tdjamison@fcps.edu or 703-912-4547.


Military and Family Life Counselor (MFLC)

My name is Richard A. Villa, and I am the new Military and Family Life Counselor at Washington Irving Middle School.  I look forward to working with military students, their families, and the school staff. My role is to provide non-medical counseling to enhance the social, academic, and emotional skills that empower military students to reach their goals.  I am available to military families and school staff members Monday-Friday.  Please feel free to contact me to request a session. I look forward to this opportunity to support the WIMS community.

PHONE: (703)966-0471; EMAIL:  villar@magellanhealth.com


Irving’s NEW Family Liaison

David Rolls started this week as Irving’s new Family Liaison (a role formerly known as Parent Liaison). Family Liaisons work in the schools and community to help families get the information and assistance they need to support their children and to ensure their academic success. The family liaisons represent a variety of cultures, languages, and races. Family Liaisons will welcome and orient families who are new to the school and community, and help them understand the school's culture, policies, procedures, and practices. They can also help connect families to resources in the community. Family Liaisons might also assist a family in transitioning to a new school and encourage family involvement to help ensure their student's success.To reach Mr. Rolls, you can email him at djrolls@fcps.edu or call 703-912-4691.


After School Program Information

Current and up to date information is available on the Schoology platform, in the All Student and All Parent Course tabs, respectively.  After school announcements are shared during all lunch periods and during Rock Block. To reach the After School Specialist, please email Ms. Natalie at naduncan@fcps.edu

COMING SOON

  • SCA interest meeting - Thursday, October 14, 2021; 1st block
  • Basketball Club (8th Grade) - Begins Monday, October 18, 2021; club will be held on Mondays and Thursdays during 1st block
  • MARVELous Mondays - Begins Monday, October 18, 2021; club will be held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month during 1st block
  • Play Sports! - Begins Tuesday, October 19, 2021, during 1st block
  • Open Gym - Begins Wednesday, October 20, 2021, during 1st block; prearranged transportation is REQUIRED because Wednesdays are not late bus days.
  • Anime Club - TBD
  • Lego Masters Competition - TBD

Previous School News

Hydration Stations

All water fountains in FCPS are for water bottle filling/refilling only. We HIGHLY encourage your child to bring a water bottle (LABELED with your child’s name on it) to school daily. As many water bottles do look alike, it is very important that the bottle is labeled with the student’s name as we have several bottles left behind on a daily basis. 

School Owned Laptops

We have given out a laptop to each student who wanted one and we are now all out of laptops, due to increased enrollment this year. We anticipate getting a few more laptops, however the supply will be limited and will only be used to replace/repair broken laptops. 

Please remind your child to bring their CHARGED laptop to school with them every day. We do NOT have any computers available to loan students who forget theirs for the day. 


Digital Resource Consent

Thank you to all parents/guardians who have already submitted the Digital Resource Consent (DRC) this year! If you have not yet done so, please visit Irving’s DRC page on our website and complete the form today!


Library News

Our Readers Unite Book Club began meeting September 27th.  The group meets in the library after school on Mondays.  For our second club meeting we discussed a short graphic novel that we read quickly.  We have now just selected our first novel for the new year.  Any students who are avid readers are encouraged to join.  Students can express interest by asking in the library or by emailing either of the librarians.

Reading for pleasure is trending!!!  We’re happy to report that circulation rates are UP!  Irving students are borrowing and returning library books at a record pace.  We’re happy that students are finding plenty of good books to read.

Mary Ann Monk & Diane Gawalt, Librarians ( mamonk1@fcps.edu and dlgawalt@fcps.edu )


News from Your PTA

It’s not too late to sign up for the Teacher Appreciation Breakfast. Sign up and details can be found here. Items can be dropped off Monday morning in front of the school. Volunteers will be waiting to assist you for a quick and easy delivery!

Keep it up! Let’s continue walking, biking, or carpooling to school. It helps minimize traffic congestion on the roads and at the school, and it is Earth-friendly!

Spirit-wear is here! We have begun distributing orders to students and will hand out the remaining orders next week during Advisory. Please be aware that there was a delay in the delivery of masks. We will distribute those as soon as they arrive. Thank you for your patience.

Take a break from making dinner! October 19 is our next Spirit Night, and your chance to support Irving MS and our local restaurants. This month’s Spirit Night will be at Coal Fire in Burke.   

For questions or comments, you can always email us directly IrvingMSPTA@gmail.com.

Find us on Facebook! Washington Irving Middle School PTA

Thank you for your support of your PTA - Every child, One voice!