Viking Voice 10/19/22

To read this newsletter in other languages, please visit our website.

Para leer este boletín en otros idiomas, visite nuestro sitio web.

يرجى زيارة موقعنا الألكتروني لقراءة هذه النشرة الإخبارية بلغات أخرى.


School Hours: 9:15 am - 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday School building opens for students at 9:00 am

Office: 703-988-8900

Attendance: 703-988-8989

 

October 19, 2022


Family Life Education Preview Meeting

Students in grades K-6 participate in Family Life Education (FLE) instruction through their classroom teacher.  Students in kindergarten through grade three receive instruction in an emotional and social health unit.  For more information about the FCPS Family Life Education program, please see the detailed grade-level program descriptions at https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-family-life-education-fle.

In addition, grade level-specific curriculum lessons are available for review in multiple locations.

  • Online in Schoology - includes lessons and media titles that FCPS has streaming rights for. Any additional media or book titles that are not streamed are available at your child’s school library.
    • Parents/guardians login to Schoology using the same username and password as their Student Information System (SIS) Parent account. See directions below on how to access the information. For help setting up a Schoology account, please contact the main office at 703-988-8900.
  • City of Fairfax Regional Library – lessons only. Media is not available.

Alternatively, you are invited to attend an evening opportunity to preview the Family Life Education media and lessons and to talk with school staff about the program.  The meeting will be held on Thursday, November 3, at 6:00 pm in the Library. All program materials and media for all grade levels will be available for your review at this time.

Parents/guardians who do not wish to have their child participate in FLE instruction may choose to opt their child out of any or all of the lessons. If you would like to opt your child out of one or more lessons, please fill out the opt out forms online at https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-family-life-education-fle.  If you have already indicated your desire to opt your child out of FLE lessons by using the form provided earlier in the school year, you do not need to complete another form. Should you opt your child out and then later decide you want your child included in FLE instruction, you must notify your child’s school principal in writing before instruction begins.

An alternative non-FLE health instructional program is provided for students who do not take part in FLE instruction, and every effort is made to foster understanding and respect for family choices and to avoid peer pressure for or against participation in the program.

Instruction occurs at various times during the school year.  Please contact your child’s teacher for specific dates of FLE instruction. We look forward to working as your partner in providing information that will help your child make healthy choices related to the exciting changes and new challenges he/she will be facing in the next few years.

 


Parent/Guardian Access to FLE Materials in Schoology

  1. Go to fcps.edu and click Schoology from the menu bar
FLE1

       2. Log-in to Schoology using your SIS login

       3. Select Course Dashboard

FLE2

       4. Click on the tile of the All Parents course for your child’s school

       5. Select the folder Parent Preview – FLE Instruction

FLE3

Select the grade level you would like to view

 


Upcoming Student Holidays

The following dates are student holidays. There will be no school on these days.

Monday, October 24 - student and staff holiday

Friday, October 28 - 2 hr. early release, students dismissed at 2:00

Monday, October 31 - student holiday

 


Picture Day

Picture Day is TOMORROW, Thursday, October 20, 2022. This is a prepay event. Payment is due on picture day. For online orders, please use the link below and order code 0038736IN

https://www.barksdalestorefront.com/shop/login/?ac=0038736IN

 


Federal Impact Aid Forms

FCPS uses the Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid to identify federally connected students and to support our request for Impact Aid resources. 

Impact Aid Forms will be going home in today's Wednesday folders. 

For each school-aged child in your household, please complete, sign, date, and return the survey by November 4. If sections 1 and 2 of the survey do not apply to you, just check the box in Section 3. To ensure complete accuracy, please use the pre-filled survey form that was sent home with your child.

Visit FCPS’ Impact Aid webpage for more information: https://www.fcps.edu/impact.

 


FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards

Nominate an outstanding employee of Virginia Run for the FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards! ANYONE who works at Virginia Run (and is employed by FCPS) is eligible! Nominations are open now until November 16th! Complete the short google form at this link. 

 


Digital Citizenship Week 2022

Digital Citizenship Week 2022 is happening this week and runs until October 21st. Ten years ago, Common Sense Education started Digital Citizenship Week to highlight the importance of helping kids, families, and teachers navigate our 24/7 digital world. FCPS has been celebrating for the past decade with student learning opportunities, spirit weeks, and community engagement events. Over those years, media and technology have changed dramatically. There have also been big shifts in the ways we teach and learn in today's classrooms.

Here at VRES, we will have a Digital Citizenship Spirit Week to shed some light on digital citizenship and all of the work we have been doing around it. All of the technology lessons for that week will be centered around digital citizenship. 

 

Thursday

October 20th

 

Responsible Decision-Making

How can I make responsible decisions online?

 

Friday

October 21st 

 

Social Awareness

How do I respond to online meanness?

Picture Day!  Dress your best!

Be your best online. Reflect on how you can make positive responsible choices online. 

 

 

Wear your VRES Spirit Wear!

Celebrate the positive impact your kindness and positive digital citizenship have on the Virginia Run community! 

 

 


AAP (Advanced Academic Program) Level IV Screening Parent Information Night

Please join us on Thursday, November 3 from 6:30-7:30 pm, in the VRES Library, to find out more about the winter screening process for full time placement in the Advanced Academic Program.

This information is targeted for families with rising 3rd – 7th grade students.

Ms. Wade, our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, will share information about the screening process and the required components.

The winter referral deadline for level IV referral forms is December 15, 2022.  

More information and referral forms can be found here.

Please contact bwade@fcps.edu with any questions.

 


Veterans Day Collage

Every year at Virginia Run, the 4th graders put on a Veterans Day assembly to honor our Veterans from every branch of the military. As a way of honoring our Veterans from the Virginia Run community Ms. Berg, Ms. Adkins and Ms. Tuben will be putting together a collage of pictures of Veterans, past and present, to display the week of Veterans Day (November 11). This collage will be on display in the main lobby. Feel free to email Ms. Berg (jmberg@fcps.edu) a picture of a Veteran from your family. If you have several Veterans in your family, we welcome multiple pictures. Please be sure to include who the Veteran is in your family (grandpa, aunt, etc.) and their full name and rank. This is for ALL Veterans past and present. If you have a relative who did not return home from their service, please know that we plan to honor these servicemen and women in May for Memorial Day. Please submit all photos by Monday, October 31, 2022. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Berg. Thank you!

 


Attention Parents of 4th Graders 

The 4th grader's Veterans Day Concert will be on Thursday, November 10. This program will showcase the entire 4th grade singing in unity to honor the armed forces and our veterans. There will be two performances in the cafeteria on November 10 at 9:45 am and 3:00 pm. Parents are invited to attend the 3:00 pm performance however, if you cannot make that one you are welcome to attend the 9:45 am performance.

Attire for students for both concerts is casual with a patriotic or red, white, and/or blue theme.

 


scholastic

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to the Virginia Run Library! The book fair will be open for students to browse and shop during the school day Thursday, Oct. 20th - Thursday, Oct. 27th. (The fair closes at noon on Thursday, Oct. 27th for pack up.) Mark your calendars for our Family Shopping Night on Friday, Oct. 21st from 5:00 - 7:00 pm in the VRES library! This event coincides with our Trunk or Treat and Fall Festival events on the same evening. Families are encouraged to use eWallet as it is the easiest way for your child to shop. Please remember to include tax for all purchases. Information about our fair (including eWallet details and the option to shop online) is at www.scholastic.com/bf/virginiarunelem .

Look for book fair flyers in the October 19th Wednesday folders. Contact our librarian, Erin Siwert, with any questions. Hope to see you there!

 


Fall Festival is this Friday!

Friday, October 21 

Bring the whole family dressed in your favorite costumes to this free event!  Participants will get to see all of the fabulous books brought to life at each trunk as they "Trunk or Treat" around the bus loop. Then head inside for crafts, games, DJ and contests. Pre-ordered food will be available for pick up and concessions will be available for purchase from the 6th Grade Celebration Committee. 

Book Fair:  5:00 - 7:00 pm

Trunk or Treat:  5:30 - 6:30 pm

Fall Fest:  5:30 - 8:00 pm

 


Spirit Night

The next Spirit Night is on Wednesday, October 26 at Texas Roadhouse, 4993 Westone Plaza, Chantilly from 4:00 - 8:00 pm. Support Virginia Run ES PTA by presenting the flyer that was sent home in today's Wednesday folder to the Chantilly location and Texas Roadhouse will donate 10% of your total food purchases to Virginia Run ES PTA! 

To order in the Texas Roadhouse app, enter "Va Run Fundraiser" in the notes section.

 


Spirit Wear

Pre-ordered spirit wear will be delivered to your child's classroom this week.

  


Boxtops for Education

Now it is even easier to show your support through the Box Tops for Education  program.  Simply download the app, choose Virginia Run Elementary as your school, and scan your receipt.  

 


Portrait of a Graduate

In 2014, the FCPS School Board developed and adopted the Portrait of a Graduate (POG). This adoption of POG acknowledges that in our rapidly changing world, education needs to evolve to fulfill our mission of supporting student success in school and in life. POG prioritizes the development of skills that will empower students to be productive citizens of a global community and successful in the workforce of the future. 

What skills does a student need to become a successful Portrait of a Graduate?

  1. Communicator
  2. Collaborator
  3. Critical and Creative Thinker
  4. Ethical and Global Citizen
  5. Goal-Directed and Resilient Individual

Each month, we will highlight an Attribute for parents to use as resource in supporting their student in becoming a Portrait of a Graduate!

Family Conversations

  • Consider telling your child when they are demonstrating a skill at home or in a social setting. Example:
    • During soccer practice this morning, when you missed the goal you didn’t give up and kept trying hard to get the ball back to score. (Goal-directed and resilient)
    • When you were playing with your sister, you were being kind to her by sharing your toys and letting her choose a game to play. (Collaborator)
  • Share examples of how you were a [collaborator, communicator, etc.] during your day or within your job. Provide specific details and explain how using these skills helped you. (e.g., I was a collaborator at work today when I _____. This was helpful because ___________.)
  • Instead of asking “What did you do in school today?”, consider asking one of the questions below:

 

Attribute

Skills for Grades K-6

Questions to Ask Your Student

icon for communicator attribute

Communicator

  • I make connections to what I read or hear.
  • I listen and ask questions so I can understand.
  • I speak for a reason so others can understand me.
  • I write to share my ideas.
  • I use digital tools to research and share ideas.
  • How were you a communicator today?
  • What were some ways you shared your ideas today?
  • When did you respectfully listen to the ideas of others?

 


Parent Volunteers at VRES

Parent volunteers are a valued and integral part of the school community at VRES. New VRES volunteers who meet with students on a frequent and regular basis are required to have a background check prior to working with students. FCPS covers the fees for background checks for volunteers and mentors. 

Based on FCPS Regulation 4119.6, here is what you need to know about parent volunteers at our school:

  1. Background Checks for Mentors and Volunteers
    1. Complete a HR 3 - Volunteer or Mentor Application Form
    2. Fingerprint based search for criminal history and sex offender record on file with VA State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation
    3. Search of the Child Protective Services Central Registry
  2. Who can volunteer and does not need to complete #1?
    1. Volunteers who help with occasional events
    2. Volunteers working on a project involving no contact with students

Procedures for securing a Background Check to volunteer in FCPS:

  1. Complete the HR -3 application form
  2. When prompted, complete the online onboarding process to include:
    1. Fingerprint data form
    2. Central registry release of information form
  3. When prompted, schedule an appointment to complete the fingerprint process.
  4. You will be notified by school staff when you can begin volunteering.

Volunteer badges expire each school year on June 30 and must be renewed annually by the school. 

If a badge lapses for one full school year, the volunteer will need to be fingerprinted again before they can serve as a volunteer.

Parent Volunteers who are required to have a background check and do not currently have one will be contacted by our front office staff for follow-up steps in the coming weeks.

 


Save the Date

Bingo Night will be on Thursday, November 10 at 6:30 pm in the cafeteria. Forms will go home in today's Wednesday folders with information and registration options. Pizza, snacks, and soda sales in support of the Sixth Grade Celebration begin at 6:00 pm.