Upcoming Events
Nov 2nd – Religious & Cultural Observation, Dia de los Muertos
Nov 4th – Impact Aid Forms due
Nov 8th – School Holiday, Election Day
Nov 10th –Bravery Breakfast to honor our veterans, active-duty military, and reservists 8:00 – 8:30 am
Nov 11th – Student Holiday, School Planning Day
Plan Ahead – 2022-2023 Standard School Year Calendar
Because of technical difficulties, if any link does not work, please copy and paste it into your browser.
A Message from the Principal
Dear Ravensworth Families,
What is the Science of Reading? Maybe you’ve heard the term or about Equitable Access to Literacy. What does this mean for your child’s instruction? These slides from FCPS can help support your understanding about our transformation in reading and writing instruction and access to effective literacy practices that are aligned with what we now know about how the brain learns. During our Back to School Family Literacy Night in September our teachers shared the shift from our past instructional practices. The PowerPoints from that evening are located in the Parents folder on Schoology.
On November 9th, you will be receiving your child’s Quarter 1 Progress Report. In years past, FCPS used the DRA2 to provide an estimate of a student’s reading level and teachers used this information to fill an indicator bubble on the language arts progress report. Starting in the 2022-2023 school year, the bubble indicating the level of materials used for assessment will no longer appear on the progress report. In order to provide families with specific information about your child’s current level of skill proficiency within each standard, teachers use multiple measures to assign the marks for language arts based on the 4-point Achievement Levels listed on the progress report. Multiple measures include screening assessments, diagnostic assessments, curriculum-based assessments, resource-embedded assessments, with teacher-collected evidence of learning. When determining marks for students, teachers consider the most current assessment data as evidence of learning.
Please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher if you have any further questions. We appreciate your continued partnership.
Sincerely,
Erika Aspuria
Principal
Strategic Plan Student Survey Coming Soon!
Students will soon be shown a short informational video at school and be asked to complete a survey providing feedback on their experience at school. This feedback will be used to help inform FCPS leadership as they work on planning for the future of the school system. Parents are invited to view the survey questions and get more information.
Disponible Próximamente: Encuesta Sobre el Plan Estratégico para los Estudiantes
Pronto se les mostrará a los estudiantes este breve video informativo en la escuela y se les pedirá que completen una encuesta con sus comentarios sobre su experiencia en la escuela. Estos comentarios se utilizarán para ayudar a informar a los líderes de FCPS mientras trabajan en la planificación del futuro del sistema escolar. Los padres están invitados a que vean las preguntas de la encuesta en línea.
Feedback Welcome on Proposed Family Life Education Changes
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 on our website. The public feedback form will be available on our website and will be open October 31 through December 1. Comentarios Sobre los Cambios Propuestos en la Educación Para La Vida Familiar (FLE)
La Junta Escolar del Condado de Fairfax está revisando los cambios recomendados en el plan de estudios de Educación para la Vida Familiar (FLE) e invita a los comentarios del público como parte del proceso de revisión. En mayo de 2022, el Comité Asesor del Currículo de Educación para la Vida Familiar (FLECAC) presentó los cambios recomendados en el currículo, que entrarán en vigor en el año escolar 2023-24. Estos cambios incluyen la adopción de la instrucción combinada de género, y la exploración de la instrucción de la identidad de género, los medios de comunicación recomendados, y otros cambios de instrucción.
Las recomendaciones reflejan las principales investigaciones sobre educación y desarrollo infantil y el asesoramiento de expertos. Según las investigaciones citadas en las recomendaciones, estos cambios crearán un entorno de aprendizaje más inclusivo, darán lugar a un mayor rendimiento académico de los alumnos y mejorarán el clima escolar.
Los comentarios del público serán compartidos con el FLECAC y la Junta Escolar. El personal de FCPS y la Junta Escolar considerarán todos los comentarios pero no pueden responder a individuos.
Aprenda más sobre los cambios recomendados en nuestro sitio web. El formulario de comentarios del público estará disponible en nuestro sitio web y estará abierto del 31 de octubre al 1 de diciembre.
Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid
On October 19th, FCPS sent out to all families 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, sign, date, and return the form.
- For parents who work or live on federal property in Virginia, please fill out all sections that apply, sign and date the bottom of the form.
- All forms must be signed and returned as soon as possible.
- All results are confidential.
El pasado 19 de octubre, FCPS envió a todas las familias una Encuesta de Estudiantes-Padres para Ayuda de Impacto Federal. Devolver esta forma es importante porque la información de esta encuesta resulta en una subvención adicional de $3 millones cada año del Departamento de Educación de los Estados Unidos. Estos fondos se utilizan para apoyar a todas las escuelas y centros públicos del Condado de Fairfax.
Por cada niño en edad escolar en su hogar, por favor complete, firme, feche y devuelva la encuesta a la escuela de su hijo.
Si las secciones 1 y 2 de la encuesta no se aplican a usted, simplemente marque la casilla de la sección 3.
Todos los formularios deben ser firmados, fechados y devueltos a la brevedad posible.
Todos los resultados son confidenciales.
Social and Emotional Learning Activities and Screener
Students in grades K-2 will no longer participate in the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) screener. Instead, the Child Behavior Rating Scale administered in kindergarten, existing attendance, and behavior data will be used to determine necessary social emotional instruction and supports. School teams will use these measures alongside family input, as they develop their understanding of students’ needs and strategies to support them. Students in grades 3-12 will be able to participate in the SEL screener. School teams and families use this information to develop positive school cultures and support students academically and personally. This year, students will participate in the screener in the fall (October/November) and spring (March). Parents are able to opt their child out of taking the SEL screener. Read more about SEL and signature practices online. Los estudiantes de los grados K-2 ya no participarán en la evaluación del aprendizaje social y emocional (SEL). En su lugar, se utilizará la Escala de Calificación del Comportamiento Infantil administrada en el jardín de infancia, la asistencia existente y los datos de comportamiento para determinar la instrucción y los apoyos sociales emocionales necesarios. Los equipos escolares utilizarán estas medidas junto con las aportaciones de las familias, a medida que desarrollan su comprensión de las necesidades de los estudiantes y las estrategias para apoyarlos.
Los estudiantes de los grados 3 a 12 podrán participar en la evaluación SEL. Los equipos escolares y las familias utilizan esta información para desarrollar culturas escolares positivas y apoyar a los estudiantes académica y personalmente. Este año, los estudiantes participarán en el examen en otoño (octubre/noviembre) y en primavera (marzo).
Los padres pueden optar por que sus hijos no tomen el examen SEL. Lea más sobre SEL y las prácticas de firma en línea.
Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health
Identifying whether your child’s behaviors are normal or a warning sign of a mental health concern can be difficult. Talk to your child and pay attention to their actions. Also, consider these warning signs:
- Increased irritability, hyperactivity, energy, and/or aggressive behavior.
- Excessive sadness, hopelessness, or worries.
- Loss of appetite, or significant weight gain or loss.
- Lack of sleep, or too much sleep.
- A decline in grades, school avoidance, or attendance concerns.
- Alcohol or drug use.
- Withdrawal from activities and/or friends and family.
- Thoughts of harming themselves or others.
If you notice any of these warning signs or feel your child may be experiencing a mental health challenge, help is available. All Fairfax County public schools have at least one school counselor, school psychologist, and school social worker. Please reach out to our school counselors: Todd Austin wtaustin@fcps.edu, Dana Smith dmsmith@fcps.edu, or our school social worker Amity Kim ankim@fcps.edu to discuss your concerns and identify resources. Find additional information to support your child’s wellness on FCPS’ website.
If you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health crisis such as thoughts of harm to self or others, please take action:
- Text NEEDHELP to 85511 for the CrisisLink hotline or call them at 703-527-4077.
-
Chat online with a specialist.
- Go to the nearest emergency room or contact the Sharon Bulova Center for Community Health Emergency Services at 703-573-5679. Call 911.
Newsletter for Military-Connected Families
Did you know that the Office of Family and School Partnerships sends out a newsletter around the 15th of each month for military-connected families? Sign up for that newsletter (under “Division Administration News and Updates” then “Professional Learning & Family Engagement”) or other topics on our website.
https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/VAEDUFCPS/subscriber/new
Bravery Breakfast
On November 10th from 8:00am to 8:30am in the cafeteria, Ravensworth Elementary will be hosting a Bravery Breakfast to honor our veterans, active-duty military, and reservists. Students may invite a veteran, active-duty military, or reservist to attend this special event. We would love for our military connected students and parents to join us. We will be displaying student work honoring our military and would love it if you could wear your uniform. We would also like for our military parents to consider talking about their military experience to a few of our classes after the breakfast (if interested, please answer that question in our RSVP link below). If you choose to do this, Mr. Austin will contact you with the details. If you would like to attend, please indicate your child and his or her military parent(s) that will be attending in the RSVP link below. We will be serving donuts and juice. If you have any questions, please contact Todd Austin at wtaustin@fcps.edu or call at 703-426-3638.
Link to RSVP… https://forms.gle/3YruUkj61EDchjpx6
Local Resources for Food and Other Basic Needs
Ecumenical Community Helping Others (ECHO), provides clothing, grade-appropriate school supplies packaged in backpacks, household items, computers, food, and financial assistance in emergencies to families that live in Burke and the greater Springfield area.
ECHO
703-569-9160
Please call for an appointment.
www.echo-inc.org
If you need assistance with rent, mortgage, or utilities please contact Fairfax County Coordinated Services at (703) 222-0880.
Please reach out to our school social worker, Amity Kim, for further questions regarding assistance at ankim@fcps.edu or (703) 426-3682.
Positivity Project
 This week our school community will be focusing on the character strength of Other People Mindset, Knowing that my words and actions affect others. Everything that you say and do can affect others -- and your relationships with them.
Everything we do, say, text, tweet, snap, or post can positively or negatively impact other people. Our words and our actions are our choices to make, but they can have ripple effects long after we make them. Words and actions have the power to lift others up or tear them down, but our words and actions also impact ourselves. When a group is comprised of individuals who are thoughtful about their words and actions -- individuals who show respect and consideration for the people around them -- we’re likely to have a happier and healthier culture.
To practice and encourage the character strength of perspective with your child, please visit the Positivity Project’s P2 for Families (password: P2), where together you will watch a video, read a quote, and talk about the answers to three questions.
PTA
 A Message from our PTA
Ravensworth ES PTA uses Memberhub for enrollment. Memberhub is a custom-made software for PTA’s that puts all our resources onto one platform. Best of all, Memberhub allows you to share your contact information with other PTA members and connect with other families in the same class and grade as your children.
To join Ravensworth PTA, go to: https://ravensworth.memberhub.com/store?category=Memberships
There are two membership options.
Family Membership: $20.00 (two adults)*, Single Membership: $10.00 (one adult)*
*A small processing fee will be added to each transaction
Once your membership is processed you will receive an email with directions on how to set up your profile on Memberhub.
Run for Ravensworth - it's not over yet!
Run Day was a huge success - THANK YOU!! If you have pictures to share from run day please send them to ravensrun@ravensworthpta.org or upload them here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16CKGeo9r6CsIkiZoiayi_mA2cnSQNU7h
We are so close to our stretch goal of $20,000 and a movie night! MemberHub will stay open until Friday, November 11 for donations! There is still time to raise money for our school and win awesome prizes like a Hoverboard (generously donated by Andrew Gause's Martial Arts) and so much more!
Sign up today and keep those donations coming!
Iink: https://app.memberhub.gives/ravensrun/Campaign/Details
Ravensworth Chess Club – Register Now!
The Ravensworth Chess Club is accepting registrations. Chess club meets on Mondays from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. in the cafeteria and is open to grades 2-6. No chess experience necessary. Chess teaches valuable skills such as discipline, critical thinking and sportsmanship. Register at https://chessctr.org/ravensworth/ Contact Mr. Terry Smith at terrysmith209@hotmail.com with any questions.
MAH’KI Update & New Email Address
PTA is still working with Mah'ki to bring two new after school sessions: Feb 2023 and again in late April 2023.
Any questions or concerns -- email Michele at mahki@ravensworthpta.org
Reminder: Teachers, Staff & Parents of registered Mah’ki students are welcome to drop in and Ignite your Energy with us on Thursdays, (now thru 11/17) after school in the gym.
Get Your School Spirit Wear Today!
Show your school spirit and support the Ravensworth PTA—purchase your spirit wear in the MemberHub store anytime: https://ravensworth.memberhub.com/store; youth and adult sizes available. Contact spiritwear@ravensworthpta.org if you have any questions. Show your pride for the Ravensworth Ravens all year long!
Help Support Ravensworth ES While You Shop
 Sign in with your existing Amazon account and select Ravensworth Elementary PTA as the organization you would like to support. Also, be sure to select to use this while shopping from the app! It is one of the easiest ways to help our school earn money for our programs for both students and teachers. It does not cost extra and is the same a shopping on Amazon as you would normally do! Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the Ravensworth PTA.
Follow Ravensworth on Social Media
Are you connected to Ravensworth Elementary School and the Ravensworth PTA on social media? The PTA’s Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/ravensworthelementarypta and the school’s accounts are https://www.facebook.com/RavensworthElementary and https://twitter.com/RavensworthES
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