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Dear Stenwood Families,
We have had such a great first week of school! It was so wonderful to have our classrooms filled with joy and learning again. We even lucked out with transportation this year and had many fewer kinks to work out. Our teachers are working really hard to build classroom community and routines and procedures this week and over the next few weeks. These foundations of routines really help maximize instructional time throughout the school year.
Thank you all for helping your students get back into the school routine with bedtime, wake up, and arriving on time! All of these really help set the stage for a successful start to the day.
Our Virtual Back to School Night is fast approaching on Wednesday, August 31st!
- Session 1: 6:00pm - 6:40pm
- Session 2: 6:50pm - 7:30pm
However please plan to login early at 5:45pm to make sure you can get in the virtual session and to watch a live stream of our principal’s message AND a message from our wonderful PTA!
The PTA will have outdoor lunch up and running starting on Monday for K, 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades. They hope to have the rest up and running by Wednesday of next week. See below for more information.
Here are some additional items included in today’s newsletter:
- Outdoor Lunch Option - NEW
- Parent Volunteer Survey - NEW
- SR&R Acknowledgement - NEW
- AAP Levels of Service Information Session 9/9 and Level IV Information Session 9/16 - NEW
- Positivity Project - NEW
- Virtual Back to School Night - Reminder
- Emergency Care Information – Reminder
- Activating Your SIS ParentVUE Account – Reminder
- What Is Schoology – Reminder
- School Meals/Menu and Free/Reduced Lunch Applications - Reminder
- Stenwood is Hiring! – Reminder
- Stenwood Elementary PTA – Reminder
- Health and Safety – Reminder
Sincerely,
Erica Riley, Principal
esriley@fcps.edu
Twitter @esriley1
Lauren Herr, Acting Assistant Principal
lmherr@fcps.edu
Outdoor Lunch Option
For those of you new to Stenwood, in coordination with the PTA we offer outdoor lunch for any students who would like to eat outside. There are stools and benches for students to use, or they may choose to eat on the sidewalk. Please communicate with your child what your preference is.
There are some procedures/rules to outside lunch that any students choosing to eat outside must follow:
Students will be exiting the cafeteria through the side cafeteria door and placed in a sectioned off area outside designated for their grade level. The parent volunteers and one staff member will be outside to ensure they stay in the sectioned off area. Students will need to remain outside for the duration of the lunch block and will need to remain seated. At the end of lunch students will be lined up by grade level and return inside to the cafeteria to be picked up by their homeroom teacher. If for some reason a child drops or spill their lunch during the transition outside, they will be able to return to the lunch line to retrieve a new meal. Please make sure you talk to your child about the expectations of this eating option. Should your child be unable to follow these expectations, they will need to return to the cafeteria. We do have a stop sign that we hang up to indicate that outdoor lunch is not available. This happens when weather does not allow or we do not have sufficient parent volunteers.
If you would like to volunteer for outdoor lunch please respond here, Outdoor Lunch Volunteer Survey.
Parent Volunteer Survey
If you are interested in volunteering throughout the year, please complete this survey. It includes opportunities for class parent as well as in the library, clinic, and with the PTA.
SR&R Acknowledgement
While use of ParentVUE to digitally sign the SR&R acknowledgement is preferred, parents/guardians may elect to download and print the SR&R Parent/Guardian Signature Sheet from the FCPS public website. If a parent/guardian needs assistance accessing the signature sheet, they may contact their child’s school and ask that the school provide the form. The SR&R Parent/Guardian Signature Sheet is due September 30th, 2022.
AAP Levels of Service Information Session 9/9 and Level IV Information Session 9/16
Consider joining the Stenwood administration and Advanced Academics Resource Teacher Kaleigh Hartman to learn more about FCPS and Stenwood’s Advanced Academics Program. Both meetings will be held virtually. The sessions be recorded if you are unable to attend.
- Advanced Academics Overview and Curriculum – Learn about the levels of service and curriculum in grades K-6.
- Friday, September 9th at 9:15am
- Level IV Referral and Screening Process – Geared for parents of students in grades 2-6 interested in referring their child for Level IV services.
- Friday, September 16th at 9:15am
Links will be sent out the day before through eNotfiy.
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?
Virtual Back to School Night on 8/31/22
Virtual Back to School Night on Tuesday, 8/31
from 6:00 - 7:30pm
Join your child’s teacher for a virtual Back to School Night! This session will focus on curriculum, specific grade level information, and Family Life Education information.
Here is the schedule for the evening:
Session 1:
6:00 - 6:40pm
* Transition Time: 6:40 - 6:50pm *
Session 2 (repeat of Session 1):
6:50 - 7:30pm
Stay tuned for session links from your child’s teacher. The session will be recorded if you are unable to attend.
Emergency Care Card Form
Emergency Care Card Forms are important in helping us contact you in case of an emergency. Parents can help by assuring that the school has the most up-to-date information.
Please update any information by using weCare@School, via your SIS ParentVue account (located under “FCPS Links” when you log in to https://sisparent.fcps.edu/), then you click on the weCare@School section. Once you have verified the information is correct, you will “Send the Form” and you are all set. Please see the weCare website for more detailed information about how to complete this form.
Families who are unable to complete the form online will receive a preprinted copy which will need to be updated and returned with a signature. When you submit information via weCare@School, you do NOT have to submit a signed paper form.
For your convenience, many FCPS forms (such as the Emergency Care form and medication forms) can be found on the FCPS website, using the search function and keywords: general registration forms. Choose the form you need, complete it, print it, and send it in with your child. This will save time if you need to complete forms for more than one child. Once you print the form for one child, click “reset” and all the parent information will remain the same.
Emergency Care Card Forms updates/verification are due the first day of school.
Activating Your SIS ParentVUE Account
The SIS (Student Information System) ParentVUE Account is an online tool parents can use to access information about their child’s attendance, report cards, discipline incidents, health information, and more. In ParentVUE, you can also view student progress reports/report cards and SOL scores.
Your secure SIS ParentVUE Account offers you the ability to use one username/password to login to both the SIS ParentVUE Account and Schoology.
Using the SIS ParentVUE account, parents will also be able to view school information, including teacher e-mail addresses, the FCPS calendar, and emergency contact information. Visit the FCPS website and use the search function and keywords “SIS Parent Overview” for more information.
Many of our Stenwood families have already activated your SIS ParentVUE account with the activation key. If you are unable to login to your account, you may need to reset your password on the SIS Parent Account login page (https://sisparent.fcps.edu):
- Select the “Forgot Password” button.
- Your username is the primary email address you have on file with us in our Student Information System.
- More information is available here.
Newly enrolled families should have received an activation key for your account. If you have not yet activated your account, please reach out to Sonja Hunt (snhunt@fcps.edu ) or Brian Spector (bmspector@fcps.edu).
Please take action now to ensure your account is active, so that you won’t miss a beat!
What Is Schoology?
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Stenwood is excited to continue in our second year with our new learning management system: Schoology. Schoology is a learning space that enhances face-to-face and distance learning through communication, collaboration, and personalized learning. |
Teachers can use Schoology to post their classroom materials online; to provide a safe forum for students to discuss their ideas and collaborate on projects; and to assign and collect homework electronically. It helps students stay organized and it keeps the class connected.
Parent Accounts
A Schoology Parent Account gives you access to:
- Your child’s classes.
- Your child’s upcoming assignments.
- School, class, and group announcements.
Parent accounts will be available in mid-August. To access Schoology, parents will need to have an active SIS/ParentVUE account.
More information on how to login and use Schoology is available online.
School Meals and
Free/Reduced Lunch Applications
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Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast and lunch are NO longer provided at no cost. Breakfast will be $1.75. Lunch will be $3.25, milk $0.60. Breakfast and lunch will be served beginning the first day of school. Money can be added to your child(ren)’s accounts using www.myschoolbucks.com. You can also write a check to Stenwood Food Services and deliver it to our Food Services Manager at Open House. You can find the menu for breakfast and lunch at https://fcps.nutrislice.com/menu/stenwood-elementary.
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Free and Reduced-Price Status
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals will continue to receive these benefits through the end of September. A new application must be filled out each new school year and forms are available online now: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/food-and-nutrition-programs/free-and-reduced-price-meals. Applications are accepted at any time, but we encourage you to apply or renew your application before the end of September. Call (703) 813-4800 if you need help. This must be completed for eligible students to receive free meals.
Stenwood is Hiring!
We are looking to hire an Instructional Assistant, Classroom Monitors, and Substitutes! If you are interested in any of these positions, please reach out if you have any questions or if you want more information. Here is a link to FCPS’ application portal.
Classroom Monitors:
Monitors will work every day students attend throughout the 2022-23 school year, and will directly support classrooms by providing additional supervision to students during lunch or in the classroom. The pay is $15.73/hour. Teachers will provide directions/assignments for monitors and students to complete. Please apply here and email me at esriley@fcps.edu so we can schedule a time to talk more. Please share this opportunity with others who might be interested. All FCPS schools are looking to hire for this position.
Stenwood Elementary PTA
Interested in volunteering to be a class parent, volunteering in our cafeteria or library, OR just looking to stay connected with the great work of our PTA?
More information about the PTA is available on their website.
Health and Safety
Covid Safety updates will continue to be published to the FCPS website.
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