 January is a typical time of year to set your yearly resolutions and commitments. While your households are thinking about your 2023 priority we at Stone are also starting to think about our 2023-24 school year priorities, commitments and goals. Starting this month, students will begin the planning process to establish their academic plans for next school year. It is important to have conversations with students about their passions, interests and long term goals so you as caregivers can help them make good decisions. Remember, we are always here to help.
-Sonya Williams, Principal
The Academic Advising season for the 2023-2024 school year is underway! All students will be selecting their academic courses for the 2023-2024 school year with the support of their school counselor. All Academic Advising material, dates and timelines are posted on our Stone Student Services Academic Advising website. If you have questions, contact your child’s school counselor:
Student Last Name A-Gq - Ms. Marrefi Kmarrefi@fcps.edu
Student Last Name Gr-Og - Mr. Garcia AGarcia1@fcps.edu
Student Last Name Oh-Z - Ms.Bricker MBricker@fcps.edu
SAVE THE DATE! Thursday, February 9th - Parent Curriculum Night & Electives Fair 5:30 - 8:00pm
Please see this flyer on our webpage for details!
Registration for English Classes for this term has started and spots are limited! Classes are being offered by several organizations and for different levels and skills. Please follow this link for more information, and you will find 5 different options. If you need the information in a different language, please note you can change the language of the site, by clicking the flags on the top left corner of the page: https://stonems.fcps.edu/resources/family-engagement#english-language-classes
If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to your Family Liaison, Denisse Stein for more information: 703-631-5901 or dstein@fcps.edu
Chantilly Bible Church is hosting another meal packing event in partnership with Generosity Feeds on Saturday, January 21st. Please visit chantillyfeeds.org to sign up to volunteer for this event. Chantilly Bible Church donates some of these meals to Stone MS for families in need.
What Should I Do Before My Child Grows Up
Future Planning for Elementary and Middle School Students in Special Education Session
February 15, 2023
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Luther Jackson Middle School 3020 Gallows Road
Falls Church, Virginia 22042
^Snow Date: February 22, 2023
Join Career and Transition Services (CTS) to learn about planning for life in and after high school!
It’s never too early or too late to start preparing for your future. We want to help you start planning for a successful transition from school to life as a young adult. Ensuring postsecondary success of our students with disabilities is dependent on what is known as transition planning. Please join CTS and other support service personnel for an evening focused on planning for the future.
You will have the opportunity to meet and ask questions of representatives from CTS programs and services for students with disabilities, short- and long-term postsecondary supports, employment and postsecondary education considerations, and Supported Decision Making, and student self-determination as an evidence-based predictor of post school success.
This event also includes a student/parent panel where members describe their firsthand experiences as they navigated Fairfax County Public Schools and planning for their child’s future. A questions/answer session will follow.
FCPS Educators register in MyPDE to receive 2 recertification points for attending the entire event.
Register online: https://tinyurl.com/4ak8b6t7
More information can be found on our website at https://stonems.fcps.edu/resources/family-engagement.
Stone Middle School has partnered with Food For Neighbors to help feed our local students who deal with food insecurity because even in counties as wealthy as Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun at least one in four kids in our area are struggling with hunger.
Food for Neighbors is a local organization addressing this problem by collecting food from our community via the Red Bag Program and donating directly to our local schools. The food is then distributed to our students every week through our food pantry.
We hope you will consider participating in the Red Bag food collection program. You can make a difference in a local student’s life by simply adding a few extra items to your shopping cart every 2 months.
Here’s how it works:
- Request a reusable Red Bag here and Food For Neighbors will drop it off at your house.
- Fill the Red Bag with food items that are listed on a tag on that bag.
- Put the Red Bag outside your front door in the morning on the next bag collection day (all collection dates are listed on the tag). And don’t worry, they send reminders.
Your Red Bag will be picked up from your house, the food sorted at a local school and delivered directly to the school food pantry at our school. As an added benefit, you can get a tax deduction for the food that you donate!
With your help, even more kids can be fed. For more information on the Red Bag program click here. Check out what items FFN collects as they are targeted to ready-made, individually packaged food items that students and teens can eat on-the-go or with little preparation.
The organization also offers volunteer opportunities including Driving to pick up filled Red Bags and Sorting the donated food during the Red Bag Day events. Visit the FFN FAQ page to find out more about and to sign up to volunteer in these 2 very important roles. This is a great way for students to receive community service hours, too.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sonya WIlliams snwilliams1@fcps.edu or Karen Joseph Karen@foodforneighbors.org .
Thanks for helping us provide food to students who need that extra support!
In December, many people will head to their local Target or Michaels to find a new planner. The crisp, fresh feeling of new paper to write new and improved goals gets some of us excited. When thinking of your goals consider making them SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound), this method breaks your goals down into specific objectives and makes it easier for you to track your progress. What goals would you like to share with your child, to show them examples of healthy adult introspection? Introspection, looking within, is necessary to learn how to manage stress in a healthy manner. What regular coping skills can be implemented into your daily/ weekly routine? Some goals may be physical, spiritual, financial, or emotional. Would it be easier to have serious conversations over a family dinner? Or maybe regular family dinners, spark joy and connection that’s often missing.
Research has shown that family therapy is the best treatment option for young people who misuse drugs and alcohol (SAMHSA). Many people use drugs to manage life’s hardships when they feel disconnected from themselves or others. The opposite of addiction is connection, and young people benefit from connection with their families. Families who have a common mission based on autonomy and openness instead of secrecy and silence thrive. Families teach young people how to manage stress when they communicate honestly and openly with one another. Learning how to manage stress early in life could be a major factor in whether or not a young person decides to use drugs.
For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270.
Sources & Resources
Why Small Conversations Make a Big Difference
SMART Goals Quick Overview
Knowing the Signs: Substance Abuse & Today’s Youth
For further Information & support:
Stacey King, MSW, M.Ed
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist
EMAIL: saking@fcps.edu
Stone Quick Links
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