 After reading The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds, Forestdale students have been working hard to explore and collect words to add to their vocabulary each day!
PTA Outdoor Family Movie Night this Friday
Grab your blankets and lawn chairs, and come join other Forestdale families and staff for our PTA Outdoor Movie Night! "Space Jam: A New Legacy" (PG) will be showing at 6:30 p.m. on the back field.
Free snacks will be available, along with food trucks offering items for purchase. In the event of inclement weather, we will reschedule. We hope to see you on Friday!
Thursday: Two-Hour Early Dismissal
This coming Thursday, November 11, is Veterans Day. All students in FCPS will be dismissed two hours early. Forestdale will dismiss at 1:35 p.m.
Calling all Veterans!
Are you a veteran? Are you an active member of the military? We would welcome an opportunity to honor you during our classroom-based Veterans Day celebrations and listen to your story about what Veterans Day means to you. Please fill out this form by Monday, November 8 to let us know if you would like to be honored by your Falcon(s)' grade level(s) and if you would like to submit a video to share a few words with them. Thank you for your service!
Nominate a Forestdale Outstanding Employee
Have you experienced outstanding service, instruction, or relationship-building by one or more of our Forestdale teachers or staff members? If so, you have an opportunity to let FCPS know by nominating that person for an Outstanding Employee Award.
Nominations are now open! To submit a nomination for a Forestdale Outstanding Employee in one of the categories below, please complete the nomination through this Google form link. You may nominate one employee at our school or multiple employees (one individual may only nominate one employee per category.)
All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in the criteria for that category. The google form link has more information regarding the criteria for each of these awards and the eligibility requirements are below.
Outstanding Teacher
Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category
Outstanding New Teacher
Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category
Outstanding New Principal
Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a building principal (in any school/school district)
Outstanding Leader
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in their current position as a Schedule-C or School-Based Administrator scale employee (that is not the building principal):
Common positions in this category: Assistant and Associate Principals, Director of Student Activities, Director of Student Services
Outstanding Professional Employee
Eligibility: At least one year experience in current position as a Schedule-B employee or other non-instructional employee in a school that supports school leadership
Common positions in this category: School-Based Technology Specialist, Technology Support Specialist, Assessment Coach, Career Center Specialist, Instructional Coach, Psychologist, Social Worker, School Counselor, Safety and Security Specialist, Resource Teachers that serve in an administrative role in a school
Outstanding Operational Employee
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in current position as Schedule-A or Classroom Instructional Support Scale employee
Common positions in this category: Administrative and Office Staff, Safety and Security Assistant, Custodial Staff, Food Service Staff, IA, PHA, PHTA, Parent Liaisons
The deadline to submit a nomination is November 23,2021.
If you have any questions, please contact Jeanne Igo jligo@fcps.edu.
 Children Ages 5-11 Now Eligible to VaxUP
Community clinics and local pediatricians will begin administering the COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5-11 very soon. Up-to-date information about vaccination opportunities will be available on the FCPS website.
FCPS has asked local pediatricians to talk with us about some of the questions families have about the vaccine. Take a look at this short video to learn how the vaccine works and its safety.
Cheers to our Forestdale students for being the awesome FCPS models for vaccination (in the photo and video above). As always, we are proud of our Falcons!
AAP Local Level IV Parent Night Resources
We loved seeing many families at our Local Level IV Community Night during Wednesday's PTA meeting!
Forestdale will be starting an Advanced Academics (AAP) Local Level IV program in the 2022-2023 school year. Next year, Local Level IV services will be offered to students in Grade 3. Grades 4-6 will be added subsequently each year thereafter.
We know there are families who could not attend Wednesday's session and are still interested in learning more. Please review the presentation and take the survey so we can hear your feedback and questions about this process.
Remember that Level IV referrals are due December 15,2 021 to Katelyn Spengler at kcspengler@fcps.edu. Please check out the website for referral information.
FLE Parent Preview Night: November 11
The Lewis Pyramid will hold a virtual Family Life Education (FLE) Parent Preview Night for Elementary Schools on the November 11, 2021 from 5:30- 6:30 p.m.
The link will be sent directly to families in advance of the event.
2022-23 FCPS Calendar Survey and Webinar
Take the Calendar Survey
FCPS is seeking your input as the calendar for next school year is being developed. Check your email for the survey (sent from "FCPS Survey") and please complete at your earliest convenience.
The results from the survey will be used to inform and support FCPS staff as well as the Fairfax County School Board as they work to adopt the 2022-23 calendar. All responses are confidential. If you have any questions about the survey, please email FCPSsurvey@fcps.edu. This year, FCPS is using a different process to develop the calendar. Learn about the criteria being used in the development of the 2022-23 calendar about the calendar process in general.
2022-23 School Year Calendar Development Webinar
FCPS will be holding a virtual Calendar Development Webinar on Monday, November 8, at 7 p.m., on Zoom to discuss how the 2022-23 school year calendar is being developed, and for participants to provide feedback on a series of questions related to this process.
FCPS is offering this community engagement opportunity in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Korean. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation will be provided.
Please register online to attend the Calendar Development Webinar and indicate if you will need an interpreter. You will receive the webinar link on November 8, from “Office of Communication and Community Relations.”
 New Library Collections & Books
Great news! Our library just got 200 new books! These are just a few of them. We have new graphic novels, biographies, early readers, early chapter books, fiction, nonfiction, and picture books representing many different cultures and topics. Students can find them and others (and put them on hold) in our Library Catalog! (Click the blue link.)
 Book Fair Starts November 15
Scholastic Book Fair will be November 15-22 this year! Your child will attend the book fair with their class 2 times - once to fill out their wish lists, and once to purchase books. We will also have after-school shopping hours on Thursday, November 18, and Monday, November 22 from 4:15 - 6:30 p.m. You can also shop online. This year, we have eWallet as a payment option! You can sign up on our homepage. You do not need to print anything. You can sign up, see the books, and get more information about the fair here.
Hispanic Early Literacy Program
¡Todavía tenemos espacio en nuestro Programa de Alfabetización Temprana Hispana!
Está invitado a participar en un programa gratuito para padres y sus hijos entre las edades de 2 a 5 años.
Para obtener más información y / o registrarse para la clase, haga clic aquí o comuníquese con Mayra Barraza en barraza@fcps.edu o 703-204-4326.
¡Únase a otras familias en esta gran oportunidad!
 Thank You, Fairfax County Voters, for Supporting the 2021 School Bond Referendum!
Thank you to the voters of Fairfax County who approved the 2021 Bond Referendum for school renovations and improvements. More than 69.6% of those voting in the election on November 2 supported the $360 million bond referendum. We are grateful for the support shown for Fairfax County Public Schools and the 179,000 students who grow and thrive in our schools.
These funds will enable FCPS to proceed with construction, renovations, enhancements, and planning for improvements to 14 schools, plus land acquisition for a future western county high school. Projects funded by the 2021 bond referendum will provide upgraded, current facilities for our students, staff members, and the tens of thousands of Fairfax County residents who use the schools for recreation, meetings, and community events.
FCPS plans to fund the following school projects with bond proceeds.
Important Dates
November 7
Daylight Savings Time, move your clocks back 1 hour
November 11
2- Hour Early Release (1:35 p.m.)
Lewis Pyramid Virtual FLE Parent Preview Night, 5:30 p.m. (link will be sent out to families in advance)
November 12
PTA Outdoor Movie Night, 6:30 p.m.
November 15-22
Scholastic Book Fair
Evening Shopping Hours on November 18 & 22 (4:15-6:30 p.m.)
November 23
Outstanding Employee Award Nominations Due
November 24-26
Thanksgiving Break, No School
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