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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Thursday, 9/22 - Back to School Night 6:00-8:00
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Monday, 9/26 - Student Holiday, Rosh Hashanah
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Monday, 10/3 through Friday, 10/7- Book Fair Week
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Wednesday 10/5 - School Closed, Yom Kippur
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Friday 10/7 - Fall Festival 5:30-8:30
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Friday 10/7 - Chili Cook Off 5:30-8:30
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Monday, 10/10 - Student Holiday, Staff Development
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Monday,10/24 - School Closed, Diwali
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Saturday, 11/5 - Fun Run
Join Us Tomorrow Night
Please join us for our 2022-23 Back-to-School Night Thursday, September 22nd 6:00-8:00 pm. BTS Night provides an opportunity for you to meet your student's teachers and learn more about the curriculum, as well as classroom expectations, and procedures.
Schedule of Events:
- 6:00 - 6:45 Session #1 Attend your child’s classroom teacher’s presentation
- 6:45 - 7:00 Transition
- 7:00 - 7:45 Session #2 Attend your child’s classroom teacher’s presentation
These sessions are identical to allow parents with more than one student the opportunity to attend multiple teacher's classroom presentations.
***Please see the attached for a printout of the schedule, locations, and school map***
PDF version: Franconia ES Back to School Night 2022.pdf
Word version: Franconia ES Back to School Night 2022.docx
 Get Ready to Show Some Spirit!
Start planning your outfits now, Proud Penguins spirit week is almost here! Let's show our "School Pride" the week of September 27th-30th by ending the month strong as Proud Penguins!
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Tuesday 9/27 Shine Bright! - Wear yellow or gold
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Wednesday 9/28 Go Green! - Wear green
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Thursday 9/29 Penguins - Dress like, or wear penguins
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Friday 9/30 School Gear - Wear your favorite Franconia gear
Music Corner
Band and Strings Update:
We started Band and Strings this week! If you haven’t done so already, please make sure your child has their instrument. You can rent them from places like Music & Arts, Alexandria Music, or Foxes Music. Musicians should drop off their instrument in the strings/band classroom the morning of their class and take it home that day. If you have any questions, feel free to email Mr. Johnson for strings at bmjohnson1@fcps.edu or Mr. Jakes for band at dajakes@fcps.edu.
It’s RECORDER Time!
Grades 3-6 received permission forms and recorder information last Wednesday. If you haven’t done so already, please go over it with your child, complete it and have the return the form and bring their LABELED RECORDER to school before September 26th. They will place them in their homeroom teacher’s music bin.
Thank you!!
-Ms. Lucius
Our First Field Trip of the Year!
4th Grade National Symphony Orchestra field trip to the Kennedy Center is coming up on Tuesday, October 17th! All 4th graders will receive a letter about the field trip along with a permission form today. Please read the letter carefully, pay the $5.00 via myschoolbucks.com and return the form no later than September 30th. We can’t wait to see everyone look their best as we head to the theater! If you have any questions, feel free to email jdlucius@fcps.edu.
-Ms. Lucius
Art Room Volunteers Wanted
Ms. Menotti is looking for parent volunteers in the art room to help with material preparation. Prep would include things like making copies, cutting paper and sketchbook organization. This would be a reoccurring volunteer opportunity twice a week, preferably on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The time of volunteering can be flexible, but please make sure you can available for at least 1-2 hours. Please reach out to Ms.Menotti at vmenotti@fcps.edu if you are interested in receiving more details.”
Calendar Reminder: Rosh Hashanah
Monday, September 26, is a student holiday/professional work day for teachers.
It is also Rosh Hashanah, the celebration of the Jewish New Year. “Shanah tovah” to our Jewish community celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year! Meaning “head of the year,” Rosh Hashanah is one of Judaism’s holiest days and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection that ends with Yom Kippur.
Looking Ahead: Yom Kippur, October 5
Yom Kippur is the holiest day in Judaism.
Wednesday, October 5, is a holiday for teachers and students.
See the complete 2022-23 school year calendar.
Mindfulness Lab News
We are so excited to announce the opening of our mindfulness lab at Franconia! In this lab, teachers can take their students in a safe, calm and relaxing space in order to explore different mindfulness techniques through centers and mindful movement. Please view the attached video in order to view our centers and mindfulness lab. If you have any questions, please contact your school counselors, Veronica Guillion or Leslie Calhoun-Fry at 703-822-2200.
New mindfulness lab: https://youtu.be/1ZdR7O2Q6bk
Mindfulness centers: https://youtu.be/0TRsmcyVQU4- We have also added a new center this year called the “Affirmation Station,” which is not listed. Students can spend time reading and saying positive affirmation to themselves.
Interested in Joining Girl Scouts?
Girl Scout Troops are now forming at Franconia Elementary School! For more information, come to the troop formation meeting: Tuesday, September 27 at 7:00pm on Zoom. For the Zoom link please RSVP at https://bit.ly/girlscouts-536 or contact Tiffany Haffner, Volunteer Troop Organizer at troop53110@gmail.com
Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) Elementary Continuum of Services
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to challenging all students through talent development efforts and differentiated instruction to meet the needs of advanced learners.
FCPS offers a continuum of advanced academic services for all students in Grades K-12. The continuum of services approach recognizes unique student needs and focuses on matching services, not labeling students. Through the continuum, students have:
- Multiple entry points for deeper learning opportunities in specific areas of need as they develop.
- A cluster group of students with similar academic needs to continue growing in their learning.
Teachers, Advanced Academic Resource Teachers (AARTs), and school administrators work together to provide the following levels of service at the elementary level:
Access to Rigor, Grades K-6 (Level I)
All students have opportunities to think critically, reason, and problem-solve.
- All teachers use critical and creative thinking strategies in their lessons.
- Classroom teachers provide opportunities using materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework a minimum of once per quarter.
Because Access to Rigor is for all FCPS students, there is not a screening process.
Subject Specific Advanced Differentiation, Grades K-6 (Level II)
Some students are strong in a specific subject area. Classroom teachers may adjust instruction for students in these area(s) by:
- Providing different assignments and resources in those subjects,
- Grouping students by their strengths, interests, and readiness, and
- Providing additional challenges using materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework.
Student needs for subject specific differentiation are re-evaluated each year at the local school.
Part-Time Services, Grades 3-6 (Level III)
Some students have advanced academic needs in multiple subject areas in addition to specific subject differentiation. They need part-time AAP services.
- Students work with other students that have similar academic needs through weekly pull-out classes or weekly co-taught lessons with the AART and classroom teacher.
- Teachers provide frequent opportunities to use materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework in Language Arts, science, social studies, and/or mathematics.
Part-time services continue through Grade 6. Students do not need to be evaluated each year.
Full-Time Services, Grades 3-8 (Level IV)
Some advanced learners need a full-time advanced academic program with differentiated instruction in all four core content areas (Language Arts, mathematics, social studies, and science).
Students eligible for full-time AAP services are cluster grouped on a full-time basis and receive:
- Full-time use of materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework in Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, and
- Curriculum that is differentiated through acceleration, depth, and complexity of content.
Full-time services continue through Grade 8. Students do not need to be evaluated each year.
Screening for Advanced Academic Program Services
Multiple data points are reviewed holistically to determine eligibility for all FCPS advanced academic services. Committees consider student work from opportunities with AAP lessons, examples of student reasoning or gifted behaviors from class discussions and activities, progress reports, achievement and ability scores, and parent input. Committees consider whether students have access to a group of students with similar academic needs to support academic conversations and growth in the classroom. No pieces of the data are weighted in the holistic screening process.
Eligibility decisions for subject-specific advanced differentiation and part-time services are made by a committee at the local school, and screening is ongoing throughout the school year. To refer for subject-specific advanced differentiation and part-time services, submit the AAP School-Based Referral Form to the AART at the local school.
Eligibility decisions for full-time services are made by the countywide central selection committee.
Screening for full-time services occurs during specific screening cycles:
- Fall screening is available for students who are new to FCPS since January.
- The fall screening referral window is from the first day of school - October 15.
- Spring screening is available for any Grade 2-7 FCPS-enrolled student.
- The spring screening referral window is from the first day of school - December 15.
Please do not wait for test scores before submitting a referral for your student in Grades 2-7. Referrals submitted after the full-time services referral windows noted above will not be accepted.
Referral forms for all advanced academic program services are found at https://www.fcps.edu/node/38893.
For more information, please visit the AAP website at: https://www.fcps.edu/registration/advanced-academics-identification-and-placement/current-fcps-students.
Ability Testing
FCPS uses ability testing as one consideration of the holistic screening process for advanced academic services. Test scores are not weighted or prioritized in the holistic screening process.
- All students in Grade 1 take the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT).
- All students in Grade 2 take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT).
- NNAT and/or CogAT may be administered to students in Grades 3-6 who do not have an ability test score during the regularly scheduled testing windows.
Parents or guardians may request a one-time retest of either the CogAT or the NNAT in grades 3-6. Requests must be made during the fall testing windows. Please contact the school testing coordinator Ms. Pinski lnpinski@fcps.edu , no later than September 15 to request the CogAT or October 15 for the NNAT.
Elementary Parent Information Meeting
A parent information meetings will be held in October and November. Specific dates will be advertised in the Wednesday Word email to parents. The AART will provide information about levels of service, explain the screening processes, and answer questions about advanced academic services.
Young Scholars
The FCPS Young Scholars model seeks to identify and affirm, from an early age, students with high academic potential from groups historically underrepresented in advanced academic programming. The goal of the model is to eliminate barriers for Young Scholars’ access to and success in advanced academic opportunities in elementary, middle, and high school.
Twice-Exceptional (2e)
Some gifted students with advanced learning needs may also have a learning disability. Twice-exceptional (or “2e”) students need strengths-based instruction while receiving advanced programming. The FCPS continuum of AAP services provides multiple entry points to meet student needs while also supporting their learning challenges. FCPS has created a 2e handbook to help schools and families understand how to identify and serve 2e students. You can find these resources by going to www.fcps.edu and searching “2e.”
Please remember to notify the school office of any of the following changes that come up for your child.
Notification should be made by 9:00am on the day of the change.
- Absence
- Late arrival
- Planned early pick-up or mid-day appointment (pick-up and return)
- If your child needs to be picked up unexpectedly, please call the office (703-822-2200) in advance of your arrival
- This allows the office to contact your child’s teacher to prepare your child for their departure
- For early pick-ups after 3:00pm, please park on Kathmoor as the school buses start to arrive for dismissal at that time and the front parking lot will be off limits
- Changes in dismissal mode (https://franconiaes.fcps.edu/about/change-dismissal-form)
Below are the 3 options by which to notify the school office (choose one option):
Please do this IN ADDITION to contacting your child's teacher. There could be times when the teacher is absent and, by also contacting the office, the information will be properly noted.
To email your child’s teacher, click HERE.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
FCPS CARES
Recognize FCPS Employees
FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care.
The start of the school year is a great time to acknowledge someone who has helped to make your child's return to school amazing.
Learn how you can acknowledge an FCPS employee for their great work.
FCPS Parent Resource Center
Dunn Loring Center for Parent Services
2334 Gallows Road, Entrance 1, Room 105
Dunn Loring, VA
The FCPS Parent Resource Center (PRC) offers a welcoming and engaging environment for families, educators, and community members.
PARENT RESOURCE CENTER CONTACT INFO:
Email: prc@fcps.edu
Phone: 703-204-3941
Web: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/family-engagement/parent-resource-center
Twitter: @prc_fcps
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fcpsprc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCPSParentResourceCenter
FREE CONSULTATIONS:
- The PRC offers free, confidential in-person, videoconference, and phone consultations for families and FCPS staff.
- Appointments are highly encouraged.
- They can brainstorm strategies and possible solutions to help you address your concerns by drawing upon resources and support from FCPS, as well as community, state, and national centers.
TUTOR LIST:
- The PRC maintains a list of current FCPS employees who hold a valid and current teaching license in VA and want to tutor after their contracted school day.
- Contact the PRC at 703-204-3941 or prc@fcps.edu for more information.
FREE LENDING LIBRARY:
- Come explore the library for families and staff, 8:00am-4:00pm
- The library contains over 10,000 books, eBooks, DVDs, and CDs on topics related to parenting and educating all children, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities.
- Check out up to 6 items and keep them for 3 weeks. Renewals are easy - just call or email us.
- Find library resources to support your child with help from the Parent Resource Center staff.
- Call us and we can have library materials ready for you to pick up.
- Return library materials to us 24/7 in our book return or use the FCPS inter-office mail. Contact us for details.
FREE WEBINARS:
- Register here - https://bit.ly/3hSRIZW
- Watch recorded webinars - https://bit.ly3rpPl3Q
- To turn videos into preferred languages, open a video - choose any video on YouTube and follow these directions to have closed-captioning in your preferred language:
- Click the CC button - make sure it is underlined in red.
- Click the settings button - it looks like a gear.
- Click subtitles.
- Click auto-translate.
- Choose a language.
Penguin Points
Click on a link for information
Franconia Elementary School website
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