 If you are able to donate or make some baked goods (individually wrapped please) you can drop them off on Monday 11/07 at the kiss and ride ( drop off OR pick up) You can also drop off on Tuesday 11/08 before 9am at the school entrance.
Beginning on October 18, FCPS will be asking all families to fill out a Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid. Returning this form is important because information from this survey results in an additional $3 million in grants each year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
For each school-aged child in your household, please complete, sign, date, and return the survey to your child's school. If sections 1 and 2 of the survey do not apply to you, just check the box in Section 3. All forms must be signed, dated, and returned by November 4. All results are confidential.
 Please join us in the Pine Spring library on November 3rd from 7 PM-8 PM. This will a great opportunity to learn about what is happening at Pine Spring, share your ideas on how to make our community even better, and learn how to get involved.
PTA meetings are the first Thursday of each month, and the PTA provides childcare for all school aged children while their parents attend the meeting.
Nominations are now open for the 2022-2023 Outstanding Employee Awards! To submit a nomination for an outstanding Pine Spring employee, please complete the nomination through this Google form, you will have until Friday, November 18th.
Teachers and families are strongly encouraged to nominate one or more employees (one employee per category) to highlight the outstanding work that happens every day here at Pine Spring. All that is required for a nomination is a paragraph or two about how the employee demonstrates exceptionalism in two or more criteria for their category, which are listed below.
Outstanding Teacher
-Instills in students a desire to learn and achieve
-Understands the individual needs of students, encourages their talents, and fosters their self-esteem
-Demonstrates a thorough knowledge of subject matter and the ability to share it effectively with students
-Fosters cooperative relationships and engages with their colleagues and the community
-Demonstrates outstanding leadership
-Fosters an environment where diversity in all of its forms is valued and appreciated and demonstrates keeping equity at the center of their work
-Contributes to one or more of the following Ignite Goals, in the FCPS Strategic Plan (Student Success, Caring Culture, Premier Workforce, Resource Stewardship)
Outstanding New Teacher
-Exhibits superior instructional skills
-Interacts exceptionally well with students
-Demonstrates excellent ability to communicate and engage with faculty, staff, parents, and the community
-Fosters an environment where diversity in all of its forms is valued and appreciated and demonstrates keeping equity at the center of their work
-Contributes to one or more of the following Ignite Goals, in the FCPS Strategic Plan (Student Success, Caring Culture, Premier Workforce, Resource Stewardship)
Outstanding Principal
-Manage effectively
-Demonstrate and encourage creativity and innovation
-Foster cooperation between the school and the community
-Maintain a continuing dialogue with students and parents as well as faculty and staff
-Keep abreast of developments in the field of education
-Encourage team spirit
-Demonstrate leadership and exemplify commitment
-Continue to play an active role in the classroom
-Foster an environment where diversity in all of its forms is valued and appreciated and demonstrates keeping equity at the center of their work
-Contribute to one or more of the following Ignite Goals, in the FCPS Strategic Plan (Student Success, Caring Culture, Premier Workforce, Resource Stewardship)
Outstanding Leader
(Common positions in this category: Assistant Principals)
-Provides a unique and exceptional contribution to FCPS through their work
-Demonstrates commitment and leadership in their field
-Fosters cooperative relationships with colleagues and/or the community
-Fosters an environment where diversity in all of its forms is valued and appreciated and demonstrates keeping equity at the center of their work
-Contributes to one or more of the following Ignite Goals, in the FCPS Strategic Plan (Student Success, Caring Culture, Premier Workforce, Resource Stewardship)
Outstanding Professional Employee
(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)
-Provides a unique and exceptional contribution to FCPS through their work
-Demonstrates commitment and leadership in their field
-Fosters cooperative relationships with colleagues and/or the community
-Fosters an environment where diversity in all of its forms is valued and appreciated and demonstrates keeping equity at the center of their work
-Contributes to one or more of the following Ignite Goals, in the FCPS Strategic Plan (Student Success, Caring Culture, Premier Workforce, Resource Stewardship)
Outstanding Operational Employee
(Common positions in this category: Administrative and Office Staff, Safety and Security Assistant, Custodial Staff, Food Service Staff, IA, PHA, PHTA, All Parent Liaisons)
-Provides a unique and exceptional contribution to FCPS through their work
-Demonstrates commitment and leadership in their field
-Fosters cooperative relationships with colleagues and/or the community
-Fosters an environment where diversity in all of its forms is valued and appreciated and demonstrates keeping equity at the center of their work
-Contributes to one or more of the following Ignite Goals, in the FCPS Strategic Plan (Student Success, Caring Culture, Premier Workforce, Resource Stewardship)
The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, November 18, 2022.
If you have any questions, please contact your Awards Liaison Bridget Lovas @ belovas@fcps.edu
We have completed the first quarter of the school year. Please keep in mind that parent conferences can happen throughout the year. Please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher to find a time that works.
Working directly with your child's teacher is the best way to ensure that your child's needs are met, and that you are updated on what is happening in their day.
If a conference is not needed, and you want to share information with the teacher or ask a questions, we still encourage you to reach out via Talking Points and email. Your child's teacher will respond to you the next business day.
The Fairfax County School Board is reviewing recommended changes to the Family Life Education (FLE) curriculum and invites public feedback as part of the review process. In May 2022, the Family Life Education Curriculum Advisory Committee (FLECAC) presented recommended curriculum changes, to go into effect for the 2023-24 school year. Those changes include adopting gender-combined instruction, and exploring instruction of gender identity, recommended media, and other instructional changes.
The recommendations reflect leading education and child development research and expert advice. According to research cited in the recommendations, these changes will create a more inclusive learning environment, result in higher academic achievement for students, and improve school climate.
Public feedback will be shared with FLECAC and the School Board. FCPS staff and the School Board will consider all feedback but are unable to reply to individuals.
Learn more about the recommended changes. The public feedback form will be open October 31 through December 1.
You may have heard FCPS is developing a Strategic Plan that will serve as the school division’s roadmap for the future. We encourage every parent/caregiver, student, employee, and community member to participate in this important work.
The first engagement opportunity will be an optional survey, which will be open to students in grades 3-12. Knowing what is important to students will be very helpful to Dr. Reid, as she leads the planning of FCPS’ future. All schools, including ours, will schedule a date and time during the school day to administer the survey between November 2-18. If you would prefer that your child not participate, you may opt your child out of taking the survey. Please visit FCPS’ website for more information.
Several federally funded programs were authorized to support schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of these programs was to address the impact the pandemic had, and continues to have, on students and their schools.
Since 2020, there have been stimulus funding opportunities for school divisions to apply for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds in the state of Virginia. Fairfax County Public Schools has pursued stimulus funding grant opportunities that assist our students and families.
FCPS was allocated $84 million for ESSER II and $188.8 million for ESSER III, and has been using this funding to support various divisionwide programs. The $177 million that was recently reported as “available funding” is the remaining balance for both the ESSER II and ESSER III grants combined. As of the end of September, FCPS has spent more than 75% of its ESSER II funding allocation with remaining funds being used for longer term projects (like HVAC and air quality improvements) that have been committed to, but have not been completed. We have until September 2023 to spend that funding.
FCPS has spent 40% of its ESSER III funding, and we have until September 30, 2024 to use the funds. Funding was allocated to 29 programs using an intentional multi-year approach. Detailed information describing how these funds will be used is available online. As a recipient of ESSER III funding, we are required to ask for public feedback on how we used the funds. We would like to hear from you. This feedback form will remain open through October 31. The ESSER III plan will be reviewed at an update to the School Board on November 1.
Each month our grade level teachers are sharing what their classes are focusing on in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. We encourage you to take a moment each month to look at what your child is learning, and read about ways you can help at home.
Please click on your child's grade level page to find out more about their day.
The FCPS Parent Resource Center (PRC) offers a welcoming and engaging environment for families, educators, and community members. It provides access to information and resources to support the success of all students, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities.
Throughout the year, the PRC hosts family and educator webinars. Upcoming sessions include:
To join the PRC email list and receive notices of upcoming webinars, sign up for their News You Choose newsletter.
The Fairfax County Police Department reminds parents and caregivers that it’s important to talk to their children about safety. Visit their website for more details on how to discuss safety topics including:
- What parents should know about their children’s plans.
- Having a meeting spot in case of getting separated.
- Establishing safe areas.
- What to do if you are followed.
November 3: PTA Meeting
November 7: Understanding Level IV- Pine Spring library from 6PM- 7PM
November 8: Election Day- No School, Student Holiday
November 11: Veterans Day- Teacher Professional Development Day
November 23-25: Thanksgiving Holiday
See the complete 2022-23 school year calendar
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