Hornet Happenings

snowman image its the most wonderful time of the year

Winter Break:

December 19 - January 2

As a reminder, winter break will be held December 19 to January 2. To help make sure school-based staff and students have a restful break, we have asked that no homework be assigned during this time. Teachers may assign long-range assignments in the weeks ahead of the break, allowing students to practice time management skills, but no assignments will be due immediately following the break. We look forward to welcoming students back in the new year. 

Classes will resume on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. See the complete 2022-23 School Year Calendar


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 Halley Office at 703-551-5700 with any questions.

Please help us keep children safe and comfortable during the winter by sending them to school prepared to learn and play outdoors with jackets, hats, and gloves.  Dressing in layers is also encouraged as we know that temperatures inside our building may differ from those outside.  To make sure students keep track of these extra items it is a good idea to label your student’s clothing. 

Even during these wintery months, we value recess as an important part of our students’ daily schedules and our hope to hold recess outside as much as possible.  Fresh air, running and outdoor play allows for a break in the structure of the day and helps students to release energy and come back into the classroom with better focus.  With this in mind, we do recognize that during this time of year we often have to consider several factors related to student activity outdoors.  We look beyond a specific temperature and consider factors such as wind chill, what activity the children are participating in, and the length of time to be spent outside.  Deciding on when students may play outside remains the responsibility of the administrative team, with two exceptions:

  • During a National Weather Service (NWS) issued Wind Chill Advisory outdoor activity should be limited to no more than fifteen (15) minutes.
  • During a NWS Wind Chill Warning outdoor activities are not permitted.  Outdoor activity includes: general and physical education classes, recess and scheduled fire drills.  This does not include students walking to and from school, students waiting at bus stops, student patrols or staff related outdoor duties before, during, or after the school day.  All staff and students shall exit the building during an activation of the fire alarm system.

Thank you for sending your children prepared for outdoor recess.  Should you need any assistance getting jackets, gloves, or hats please let your child’s teacher know or contact either of our school counselors:  Mrs. Ascierto maascierto@fcps.edu and/or Ms. Concino alconcino@fcps.edu.

 


Winter Spirit Week Starts Monday

December 12th – December 16th

 Let's have some fun on the last 5 days of school before winter break! 

halley spriit week

Inclusive Schools Week

Inclusive Schools Week (December 5-9) celebrates the progress that schools have made in providing a supportive and quality education to an increasingly diverse student population. This includes students who are marginalized due to disability, gender, socio-economic status, cultural heritage, language preference, and other factors.

The week also provides an important opportunity for educators, students, and parents/caregivers to discuss what else needs to be done in order for schools to continue to improve their ability to successfully educate all children. This year, the Inclusive Schools Week’s theme is “Unity Within Our Community.”


bodhi

 

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.

The school calendar recognizes many religious and cultural observances (O days) during the school year. There is school on these days, however, the School Board has directed that tests, quizzes, field trips, graduation, homecoming, or FCPS-scheduled athletic events will not be held on these observance days. Learn more about Bodhi Day in this video from the Miami Children’s Museum.


schoalstic book fair thank you

Thank you so much for supporting our Halley Book Fair.  A portion of the proceeds provide books to our Halley students and support our library program! 

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  We can’t wait to see you at the Spring Book Fair!


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. 
  • 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. 
  • 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. 

 Visit the Family Engagement webpage for more resources.


halley admin team

YOUR PARTNERS IN EDUCATION

We are honored to work with you this year and will work every day to ensure a safe and positive learning environment for your child. We can't do it alone. Please contact us if there is anything we can do to further support your child's learning and experience at Halley. We are here to listen and partner with you to help your child have a successful school year! 

Your Halley Administrative Team,

Mrs. Peerman, Principal

Mrs. Johnson-Tyler, Assistant Principal

 Mrs. Zamora, Assistant Principal


Mark Your Calendar

  • 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

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Stay in touch!

Make sure to join us on social media!

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Halley Website


Halley PTO Logo

ART Night Official information:

Painter registration: (https://givebutter.com/c/bO4yy1)

Volunteers: William Halley PTO 22-23 Sign Up Genius https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F49ACA72AA3FAC61-william1)