October 31 News from Sleepy Hollow

October 31, 2022


Menbere

My Dearest Sleepy Hollow Family,

We hope this newsletter finds you in the best of health and in great spirits. A special thanks to all who attended our Advanced Academics Information Night and Octoberfest-Bingoween Extravaganza. Staff and students enjoyed Book Character Day as well. In addition to the above events, Parent-Teacher Conferences were also a huge success. If by chance you were not able to connect with your child’s teacher, please reach out immediately. Home-school partnerships are vital to the success and well-being of our future leaders—our children.

We have a new staff member!  Please join us in welcoming Menbere Degefu, Enhanced Autism Classroom Teacher. Menbere is originally from Ethiopia. She has made Lorton, VA, her home since 2011. She loves reading and watching soccer. Menbere joins us from Falls Church as a head start program teacher, where she previously worked for eight years. Menbere is thrilled to join our Sleepy Hollow Family!

Wishing you a wonderful week filled with LOVE!

~The most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard but must be felt with the heart. ~ Hellen Keller

~Love is a fruit in season at all times--and within reach of every hand. ~ Mother Teresa

All the best,
Mattie S. Fallen
Principal


Get Involved…Join our Sleepy Hollow PTA!

 

Join the PTA

November_Calendar

Bingoween

School Volunteers

Every day, volunteers change the lives of students across FCPS and we offer several ways for people in the community to get involved.

Examples of volunteer opportunities in FCPS include:

Business and Community Partnerships allow organizations to engage.  We encourage and support the development of partnerships that strengthen and enhance the quality of education and community connectedness.  Our Business and Community Partnerships team helps establish Ignite Partnerships, and we promote them so that there are some defined returns on your investment

Family Members Looking to Volunteer at their child’s school should call the school’s main office for information about their volunteer program. Please contact Karla Lobo, Administrative Assistant, if you are interested in volunteering at Sleepy Hollow. All volunteers are to be vetted through FCPS. This is simple process.

View procedures about Volunteer Procedures/Background Check Information.

Students in Grades 6-12 Looking to Volunteer in FCPS and elsewhere to meet the requirements of their service learning hours can find information on the Service Learning page.


Parent Lunch with Students

Parents who wish to have lunch with their children. Please . . .

·       Notify the classroom teacher.

·       Let us know if you are purchasing lunch(es) in advance.

·       Report to door 1 and check in the front office.


science_fair

      We are TJ Investigative Science Outreach, a student-led organization at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. We will be hosting our 10th anniversary science fair on March 18th, 2023 and we would like to invite 5th-8th grade students from your school to participate. Admission to the science fair is completely free.

      Participants will complete a research project of their choice and present at the fair in-person on March 18, 2023. We help students prepare for this fair by holding multiple sessions to teach them important skills in STEM like brainstorming, presenting, writing an experiment summary, statistics, creating an experimental diagram, etc.

      Our first interest/brainstorming session is Friday November 4th, 2022 at 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm. We will be holding this session both in-person and virtually. During this session we will go over the goals and guidelines of this fair and introduce students to a multitude of project ideas. All interested students should sign up using the form at the link: https://forms.gle/kDHmtqUefP2WdFey5

      Attached below is a flyer showcasing our fair and where to find additional information about this event. We would greatly appreciate it if you could include this flyer on a weekly school newsletter or advertise the fair using some other means.

      If you have any questions or concerns, please email us back. Feel free to also check out our website at tjsciencefair.wordpress.com or email us tjhsstsciencefair@gmail.com Sincerely, TJ Investigative Science Outreach


Family Life Education Instructional Program Information

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) provides a comprehensive, sequential Family Life Education (FLE) program for students in grades kindergarten through grade twelve.  Instruction is seen as a partnership among parents and guardians, the school, and the community in supporting the learning essential to the development of strong families, positive relationships, and a healthy community.

Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program.  Students who are opted out are provided with age-appropriate, nonpunitive alternative health instruction, and every effort is made to foster respect for family choices.  If you wish to opt your child out of all or part of FLE for this school year, opt out forms will be included in your child’s back-to-school/orientation packets and are available online for.  Please fill in the opt-out form and return it to your child’s school prior to Family Life Education instruction.

Detailed grade-level program descriptions are available online at Elementary (K-6) ,. FLE grade level-specific lessons and media that FCPS has streaming rights for are available for parents online in Schoology.  Parents/guardians login to Schoology using the same username and password as their Student Information System (SIS) Parent account.  Grade level-specific lessons are also available at the City of Fairfax Regional Library (this location does not have media).  Grade level-specific lessons and media that is not streamed online are available for review at your child’s school library.  Due to copyright permissions, we are unable to stream all media online.

Program questions may be addressed at your child’s school or by contacting Instructional Services at 571-423-4550 or fle@fcps.edu.


Parent Resource Center

Register Now for November Workshops

Nontraditional Families: Fostering Resilience and Inclusivity While Welcoming and Affirming All Families

Welcoming nontraditional families into authentic partnerships takes effort and can reap great rewards. Nontraditional families include those with parents, caregivers, or youth who identify as LGBTQ+, as well as those formed through foster care, adoption, and kinship care by grandparents, other relatives, or close family friends.

Join Dr. Kelly Henderson, Executive Director of Formed Families Forward, for this important webinar.

Highlights include:

  • Identifying unique strengths and challenges faced by nontraditional families raising children and youth, including those with special needs.
  • Practicing effective communication strategies between families and school partners to increase comfort and inclusivity for students and families.
  • Collaboratively strategizing and planning supports for adults (families, caregivers, teachers, and support staff), while boosting personal resilience as they face stressful circumstances.

November 3, 2022, 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Register for Nontraditional Families: Fostering Resilience and Inclusivity While Welcoming and Affirming All Families


Where to Start: Supporting Children When Someone They Love Has Cancer

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with cancer, this presentation will provide information and guidance on how to support your children throughout the cancer journey. 

Webinar Highlights:

  • How to have open communication about cancer with your children
  • Strategies to use in the home to help your children adjust to changes
  • Activities that the entire family can use to support each other

Presented by Jemma Stratton, MSW Pediatric Oncology Clinical Therapist I, Supervisee of Social Work, Life with Cancer, Family Center

November 4, 2022, 10 - 11:30 a.m.

Register for Where to Start: Supporting Children When Someone They Love Has Cancer


Moving On to Life in the Community:

Resource Fair

Once students with significant disabilities graduate, they may require additional, ongoing support in the areas of residential, leisure, recreation, independent living, advocacy and more.

This event will include:

  • various support programs in the community available to students.
  • A brief presentation about FCPS transition services and the bridge to adult services
  • An exhibitor/vendor fair.

Designed to assist parents, guardians, and caretakers with future planning for students with disabilities who may require ongoing supports after graduating from high school. 

  • Thursday, November 10, 2022
  • Willow Oaks Administrative Center – Room 1000 A&B, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Register online for Moving On To Life in The Community: Resource Fair


Everything You Need to Know About Opioids

Join us for this important webinar designed to inform and raise awareness about the dangers of children and adolescents using and overdosing on opioids. This webinar is for adults only due to the content.

Webinar Highlights:

  • How young people are getting drugs
  • Opioid risk, misuse, withdrawal, and overdose symptoms
  • The dangers of Fentanyl 
  • Naloxone and how it works

Presented by Tiffany Jones, FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist 

Thursday, November 10, 2022, 10-11:30 a.m.

Register for Everything You Need to Know About Opioids


Bullying Prevention

FCPS is deeply committed to creating a safe and positive school environment where all students can learn. Through school-wide positive behavior approaches and participation in K-12 health and guidance lessons, students are taught to behave respectfully and to resolve conflicts in positive ways. 

The Bullying Prevention Webinar seeks to educate listeners on the following:

  • FCPS definition of bullying
  • Types of bullying
  • Differences between bullying and other forms of inappropriate behavior
  • How FCPS responds to allegations of bullying
  • How parents and schools can work together to prevent bullying

Presenters: 

  • Stefan Mascoll: Coordinator Student Safety and Wellness, Fairfax County Public Schools
  • Joan Lee: Educational Specialist, School Counseling Services, Fairfax County Public Schools

November 18 10:30 a.m. - noon

Register for Bullying Prevention


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