Dogwood Digest 12/8/2022

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Dogwood ST Math Night

TONIGHT

December 8, 5-6 p.m.

We invite you to come to Dogwood for our ST Math Night. This will be a time that you will learn new ways to support your child in elementary math. ST Math is a computer program paid for by FCPS that supports student learning of math concepts. Accessing this program will help your child succeed. 

During our evening you will learn about ST Math puzzles, how to set learning goals, and keep track of your child’s progress on ST Math.

Families that attend will have the opportunity to sign out a device to use over winter break to access ST Math with a chance to win a prize for participating while improving their math skills during our winter break, 

If you’d like your child to participate, you must attend this evening. 

Pizza and refreshments will be served to everyone who attends. Students must be accompanied by an adult.

GG

Winter Wonderland Party

We are excited to invite you to a Winter Wonderland Party, and celebrate the upcoming winter break with your students! On December 15th, A Little Bit of Hope, supported by Walmart’s  Infosec team will host a Winter Wonderland Party at Dogwood Elementary School for our students and our families. This will take place between the hours of 11-3.  There will be a DJ, treats and a photo booth as part of the fun. Parents are welcome to join their students. Please check in at the main office during your child’s designated time listed below. 

Please come for the time slot allotted for your child. 

6th grade

11:00-11:50

5th and 4th grade

12:00-12:50

2nd and 3rd grades

1:00-1:30

Kindergarten and 1st grades

2:00-2:50

Hope to see you there as we celebrate the Holiday Season!


Dogwood Ten Days of Cheer

Students and staff will celebrate 10 Days of Cheer with spirit days listed below. Our first week was a huge success! We look forward to you joining us as we work together to show our Dogwood Spirit!

Ten Days of Cheer

Snow

Holiday/Winter Break Assistance

 We realize that many of our Dogwood families may be struggling financially this holiday season.  We will have a limited number of $25 gift cards available to assist families with the purchase of a holiday gift for their Dogwood student.  Please understand we may not have enough gift cards to assist all families who request assistance; thus, please request assistance only if your Dogwood student will not receive a holiday gift otherwise.  If you are receiving holiday assistance through another county program or community group such as Cornerstones or FISH, please do not request assistance through Dogwood.  The cards will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to those who have completed a request form with a Dogwood staff member.  Starting Monday, December 5th, through Friday, December 9th, please call the main office at 703-262-3100 to complete a request form between the hours of 9 am-4 pm.  No further requests for holiday assistance will be taken after 4 pm on Friday, December 9th.  Distribution of the cards will take place during the week of December 12.   Once we determine the number of gift cards available, a Dogwood staff member will contact families with completed request forms, in the order they were received, to arrange for pick-up of the gift cards.


snow

Preparing for Winter Weather

Winter weather will be here before you know it! 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. Please call the Dogwood Office at 703-262-3100 with any questions.


Referrals for Full Time Advanced Academic Services Due December 15th:

Parents or guardians may refer students in 2nd grade who are not in the screening pool, and students in Grades 3-7 by submitting the Advanced Academics Referral Form to the school.  You may turn in a paper copy or email a copy of the referral form to our AART at kksymionow@fcps.edu. The referral is due by December 15th.  Please do not wait for test scores to arrive before submitting a referral for your student as there will be no referrals for Level IV screening accepted past the December 15th deadline.

Next Steps: The local school screening committee prepares and submits completed Level IV screening files to be evaluated by the countywide central selection committee. Multiple sources of information are reviewed to determine eligibility for placement in full time services (Level IV).  You may also wish to complete the Parent/Guardian Questionnaire and return it with the referral.  You can find more information on what you may include with the referral form and the referral process on the FCPS AAP website .  If you have any questions please email Katie Symionow at kksymionow@fcps.edu


health

Staying Healthy This Cold/Flu Season

Although the community level of COVID-19 in Fairfax County is currently low, cases of RSV, the flu, and other viruses are on the rise. It continues to be important to wash your hands regularly, cover coughs and sneezes, monitor your health daily, and stay home if you are sick. For more tips, visit our Return to School website.



Glow walk

Dogwood Elementary School Fitness Club Presents: Glow Walk

We have a fun event to promote community engagement and fitness with our 2nd annual Glow Walk hosted by our PE teacher, Jason Ericson. Wednesday, December 14th we will gather at Dogwood Elementary School at door 1 at 6:00 PM. Using glow sticks to light our way and brighten our streets we will walk through the community together and end at Cathy Hudgins Community Center at Southgate to enjoy hotdogs, hot chocolate, games and music. A parent or guardian must be present. Please see the flier that was sent home in the Thursday folder.


FCPS Cares

The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story, so we can all acknowledge the good work of FCPS employees, specifically at Dogwood.

Stay in Touch


Hands

Social Media: Follow @DogwoodFairfax on Twitter or @Dogwood.Fairfax on Facebook

Email Updates: Sign up for Dogwood News You Choose to receive weekly updates

On the web: Check out the Dogwood website and FCPS website for updates.


Upcoming Dates

December 5th-16th- Dogwood 10 Days of Cheer 

December 8th- Dogwood ST Math Night 5-6 P.M.

December 14th- Dogwood Glow Walk 6-8 P.M.

December 19 - January 02- Winter Break (No School)

January 16- Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday (No School)

January 25- End of Second Quarter- 2 hour early release (Dismissal: 2:05 p.m.)

Bell Schedule

8:35 am - 3:35 pm 

Calendar