Glasgow Parents and Community:
Greetings! We are in the December month and the weather it brings is here! This weekend I spent time volunteering at the NABSE conference at the National Harbor. It was great to support and connect with other awesome educators from across the country. Thank you to all those who came out to Fridays Kick It Up Night at Glasgow MS! We have VGA Testing for Math coming up this week for the VDOE and there are two weeks left before Winter Break!
Winter weather is here! Watch this video to see how weather-related closing decisions are made. FCPS’ inclement weather procedures will remain the same as last year. The first five inclement weather days will be traditional “snow days” with no school activities. After those five days, we will use the flexibility provided by the Virginia General Assembly to have unscheduled virtual learning days, whenever possible, to maintain the continuity of learning. Virtual learning on these days will be synchronous/live instruction, following the inclement weather virtual learning day schedule (includes a two-hour delay).
FCPS’ website is generally the first mode of communication during emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated. Be sure to plan ahead for the winter season. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date in weCare@school, bookmark the FCPS website, plan for childcare, if appropriate, and know what items your child may need to take home before a weather event.
This week I will be ho;ding a student panel with select students who have expressed interest in meeting with me to share concerns, ideas, thoughts and to ask questions. The window is still open for students to express interest in participating. Ask your child to check Schoology to access the google form to express their interest in participating. Only 20 students will be selected and students who are selected will be notified by email no later than WEdnesday December 7th,
You are also invited to a Zoom webinar. When: Dec 13, 2022 08:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Topic: Virtual Parent Coffee - Tutor.Com. Register in advance for this webinar:
https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_G5XlN3hOSJyEQs02NF6Q2Q
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Family Panel
Would you like to share your voice, your cultural background, and your school expectations with us? The Equity Team is organizing a Family Panel and an interactive CT event for January 26th from 9 -11 AM at Glasgow Middle School. We want to flip the dashboard and amplify your (parents’ and guardians’) voices at Glasgow. The goal is to listen to your perspectives around educational experiences, cultural backgrounds, and school expectations.
This two hour event will have two parts. The first hour will be a Family Panel, in which parents/guardians on the panel will be invited to volunteer to share with teachers and staff their educational experiences, cultural backgrounds, and school expectations. The discussion will be facilitated by a moderator. We are looking for six parents/guardians to volunteer for this panel.
For the second hour, we plan to have an additional fourteen parents/guardians volunteers to work alongside Teacher Teams to develop next steps to ensure that we are creating learning environments that are equitable and respectful of our students’ diverse cultures.
To make this happen, we need you. Please complete THIS Google Form if you would like to participate in the Family Panel, work alongside a team of teachers of a specific content area, or suggest topics or questions for the parent panel.
If you have any questions about this event or want to volunteer, you can also contact Lauren Herr at lmherr@fcps.edu
Humbly,
Victor L. Powell, Principal
Contact Information:
Email: vlpowell@fcps.edu
Twitter: @VictorLeonPowe1
Website: http://www.fcps.edu/GlasgowMS/
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CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS!
On January 3rd-5th and 9th-10th our 8th Grade Civics classes will attend Finance Park near Irving Middle School. Finance Park is a simulation where students learn about making informed decisions to ensure lifelong success by having the opportunity to:
- -Align the realities of life – and personal choices – with financial stability
- -Connect education and career decisions with income expectations
- -Experience first-hand what it takes to make it
You can read more about this amazing program here.
We need approximately 25 volunteers each day our school attends to run the full program. We are reaching out to the entire GMS community and asking for help! (you do not need to have an 8th grade student to volunteer!) If you can spare a day to support this amazing opportunity for our 8th graders, please contact Carmen Andersen at ncandersen@fcps.edu.
December 7th, afterschool volleyball game VS students!
On December 7th, the 7th grade HPE classes will hold an after school volleyball tournament of champions for the winning teams from each class period. During academic block, the teams will play elimination games. Students not playing in the game will report their academic sessions (2:25). During Activity block(3:45), students will all go to gym to watch the championship games. The winning team will then play the teachers! Questions, please contact bkhaggett@fcps.edu.
After School Program Reminder
Glasgow Families! As a reminder, the After School program will not convene the week of December 12th-16th, 2022! We will resume the After School program on Wednesday, January 4th, 2023! If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Williams gwilliams2@fcps.edu.
  
Picture Day
Pictures will be taken on December 8th and 9th. Students will be escorted to the lecture hall with their History or Civics teacher. Use this link to create an account and purchase your package in advance.
Science Fair Judges
The science team is currently seeking judges for school-based Science Fairs and the March Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Please see the attached flyer below and reach out to Michelle Gilligan (mpgilligan@fcps.edu) with questions/additional information. We appreciate your support!
Get Ready for Winter Weather
Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather closing decisions are made.
FCPS’ inclement weather procedures will remain the same as last year. The first five inclement weather days will be traditional “snow days” with no school activities. After those five days, we will use the flexibility provided by the General Assembly to have unscheduled virtual learning days, whenever possible, to maintain the continuity of learning. Virtual learning on these days will be synchronous instruction, following the inclement weather virtual learning day schedule (includes a two-hour delay).
FCPS’ website is generally the first mode of communication during emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
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COVID Diagnostic Testing Available Now
COVID diagnostic testing will be available for FCPS teachers, staff, and students at five locations across the county November 29 and 30, from 5 to 8 p.m. This testing is for those who are either experiencing COVID symptoms or have been exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID. Appointments are not required, but registration must be completed before testing. Visit the COVID Testing webpage for more information
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National Special Education Day is recognized each year on December 2. It commemorates President Gerald Ford’s signing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975. We celebrate our teachers and staff who serve and support our students with special needs!
Learn more about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
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Bodhi Day, Thursday, December 8, is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni), experienced enlightenment, also known as “bodhi” in Sanskrit and Pali. Learn more about Bodhi Day in this video from the Miami Children’s Museum.
The school calendar recognizes many religious and cultural observances (O days) during the school year. Schools are open on these days, however, the School Board has directed that certain events that cannot be made up at another time will not be held on these observance days. See the complete 2022-23 School Year Calendar.
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Native American Heritage Month
Rufus “Rick” Kelly knows he could do information technology work anywhere. However, the Fairfax County Public Schools’ senior technology specialist says his Native American roots and cultural upbringing led him to a 30-year career in public education. Read about Rick's path to FCPS.
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Multicultural and Language Resources for Families
FCPS’ Office of Family and School Partnerships would like to remind families of some of the many resources available to them:
- Bilingual community liaisons support student registrars by providing families with information about school and community services offered in Fairfax County. Liaisons are available to help families speaking Spanish, Korean, and Arabic. Once registered at a school, families can contact their family liaison for assistance.
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Early literacy programs are available to Fairfax County residents for parents of children up to 5 years old. These programs help prepare children for school and build confidence in parents as their child’s first teacher. They also help parents become active partners in their child’s education. Programs are available in African-Heritage, Arabic, Spanish, and Korean.
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Parent Information Phone Lines are available in eight languages for parents who speak languages other than English.
- A Multilingual Family Podcast is produced by the offices of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Family and School Partnerships, and Professional Learning and Equity. It covers important information for parents in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Korean.
- ESOL services are available in Fairfax County not only for students, but also for adults and families. Information on Spring classes will be posted in March 2023.
Coat & Food Distribution Event
We are excited to announce that we are collaborating with Communities in Schools to host a winter jacket and food drive. As the weather gets colder and the holidays are nearing, we understand the needs increase during this time of year. This event will be held 12/15/2022 at Glasgow Middle School from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. There will be opportunities to connect with community resources as well. For this to be a success we will need your attendance. In addition to jackets, food will be available to assist with the holidays. Families are encouraged to bring large shopping bags to the distribution to be able to carry all their items. If there are any questions about this event, please reach out to our Site Coordinator Calvin Anderson (calvin@cisofnova.org)
Low-Cost Internet for Free and Reduced-Price Eligible Students
VA DOE has provided the following resources to promote the federal Affordable Connectivity Program.
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a new FCC program to lower internet costs for families with children who have been eligible for free or reduced-price meals within the last 12 months. A qualifying household will receive $30 per month toward internet services and a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet. Families can check their eligibility and register at AffordableConnectivity.gov or by calling 877-384-2575.
Student Vue and Parent Vue
All FCPS students have a Student Vue account. All student schedules are active and up to date in SIS Student Vue and SIS Parent Vue. If you do not have a SIS Parent Vue account, we strongly encourage you to sign up for an account. You can find directions on how to do so at this link: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/technology/student-information-system-sis-fcps/sis-parent-account-registration. Once you have signed up for an account, you’ll need an activation code - which we will work as quickly as we can to provide to you. You can find a video that provides information on how to use SIS Parent Vue and all that you will be able to access with your account here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLwkkemipws.
What You Can Do to Prevent Substance Misuse
It’s true, youth are more inclined to listen to their peers than their parents, this is part of the way the brain develops. When a baby is born, their brain’s sole responsibility is keeping them alive, then as they grow into adolescence, finding their tribe becomes important. Think of your top three happiest memories. What were you doing? How did you feel? Who was there? Each of these memories was likely a shared experience. You were laughing and smiling with loved ones, maybe food was even involved. Now think of your three worst memories. What was going on? How did you feel? Who was there? In each of these memories, you likely were alone or felt alone.
Substance use becomes a problem for some because they either are alone or felt alone. Connection has been shown to be important in our everyday lives, again think of your happiest memories. Fairfax County’s “Three to Succeed” describes protective factors that youth need to achieve their higher selves. If a child has at least three of these protective factors, they are more likely to succeed in life: having high personal integrity, having community adults to talk to, performing community service, participating in extracurricular activities, having teachers recognize good work, and having parents available for help. What you notice is five of the six protective factors involve connection with someone else, the first protective factor describes connection with oneself.
Here’s Some Helpful Resources:
Knowing the Signs: Substance Abuse & Today’s Youth
Adverse Childhood Experiences
Substance Use Prevention & Encouraging Healthy Brain Development
REVIVE Training for Opioid Overdoses
FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program
For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270 and be sure to follow us on Twitter at @FCPSSAPS.
SUBSTANCE ABUSE/ADDICTION PRESENTATION
Fairfax Prevention Coalition is hosting a presentation with guest speaker Aaron Weiner, PhD is licensed board certified psychologist and master addiction counselor. Dr. Weiner is a clinician, author, and frequent speaker on addiction treatment and related issues. You are invited to register for the upcoming virtual presentation. Please feel free to share this information with others as well.
December 15th, 6:30pm-8:00pm
Drug Use and Popular Media – Talking with Teens
Register here: bit.ly/FPC-Dec15
Visit the Family Engagement webpage for more resources.
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