Weekly Words
January 6, 2023
We are Better Together
Dear Island Creek Community,
We hope our Island Creek students, staff, and families are having a wonderful start to 2023 and we wish you good health, happiness, and joy! It has been a wonderful week of learning and it was great to see so many smiling faces on Tuesday with our first school day of 2023. This afternoon our 6th Grade versus Staff basketball game was held and many points were scored by the students and a few by staff!
The Hayfield Pyramid Principals invite all parents and guardians to a virtual presentation on Bullying and Harassment Prevention and Intervention facilitated by FCPS Office of Student Safety and Wellness. The virtual session will take place on Thursday, 1/12/23, from 6:30-7:30 and the Zoom link will be sent early next week.
Warmly,
Jen Fallert Karen Baxter
JRFallert@fcps.edu KPBaxter@fcps.edu
Principal Assistant Principal
|
Sites Around School at Specials
 
Learning Fun During Specials!
Please read the monthly updates from our Specialists where they share about the learning taking place during Specials as well as some great photos! You may access the Specialists Corner on our school website using this link.
Virtual Presentation for Hayfield Pyramid Parents and Guardians
Bullying Education, Prevention and Intervention in FCPS
We invite you to join the Hayfield Pyramid Principals on Thursday, January 12, 2023, from 6:30-7:30 pm via Zoom for a presentation given by Stefan Mascoll, coordinator for the office of Student Safety and Wellness at FCPS. Stefan will be giving a presentation for Hayfield Pyramid parents and guardians on Bullying and Harassment Prevention and Intervention. Topics to be covered are the definitions and examples of bullying, harassment, and other types of concerning behaviors, school bullying, and harassment prevention and response, and tips and resources for parent prevention and response. We look forward to connecting with you on this important topic! Zoom link to come.
Island Creek Celebrates Diversity
We encourage all students to make a poster to showcase a family and/or cultural celebration, observance, or holiday to display in the hallway at Island Creek. Students should bring their poster to the front office and will receive a "Croc" bracelet During the month of January we would like our students to learn about the following observances:
- New Year’s Day
- Three Kings’ Day/Epiphany
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s Birthday
- Chinese New Year
-
Additional January observances or celebrations that your child would like to share
|
January Character Trait: Responsible
Congratulations to the December Island Creek Croc Stars! These students were our models for the character trait of Kindness. They were recognized on the morning news show and received certificates from their homeroom teachers.
For January, teachers and students will focus on the character trait Responsible. Island Creek students are excellent at demonstrating this trait every day! Responsible students take care of their materials, complete their work and follow school rules. They are prepared for a wonderful day of learning each and every day! We are looking forward to recognizing our Responsible Croc Stars at the end of January!
|
Online Typing Practice
During the December Coffee & Conversations, parents asked for resources to support students with keyboarding skills. Shown below are links to online Keyboarding and Mouse Practice sites.
Curriculum Night at Hayfield SS for Grade 6 Parents
Come learn about course selections and school logistics at Hayfield Secondary School for rising seventh graders!
Wednesday, January 11, Hayfield Secondary School Curriculum Night, 6:00 - 7:30 PM.
Lost and Found
Shown below are our Lost and Found items. If you see your child’s item, please call the front office (571-642-6300) with your student's name, classroom teacher and item number, and it will delivered to your child’s classroom.
 
Coffee and Conversations: Friday, January 20
Ms. Fallert and Ms. Baxter are excited to host our next parent/guardian Coffee and Conversation on Friday, January 20 from 9:30 - 10:15 AM, in Room 249. Families are welcome to discuss various items happening at Island Creek and we will provide opportunities to receive information around certain topics, get to know each other, share experiences, ask questions and learn about resources that can help you and your child.
|
FCPS Family Math Week
Come together as a community for students in K-8 for 5 nights the week of January 9, 2023, with delightful math games and stories - all on your own time and from the comfort of your own home. All content will be available for free directly to all families in English and Spanish.
Through rich story-based mathematics experiences, math week offers families an opportunity to experience math, literacy, history, and geography in a positive way. The games and stories feature several countries including Lesotho, Madagascar, Ghana, and China.
All content will be available completely free on the website starting January 9, 2023. To access the games, families will be able to simply click on the day of the week and find their child's grade and language. View the website at anytime for explanations and videos.
Families can play for as little as 15 minutes or replay over and over lasting more than an hour on any given night. For families that want to reduce screen time, we will have physical print options for access to the content and games as well.
Use the games and stories on our website or dust off your favorite math game and play it as a family.
Any and ALL math experiences outside of a normal week count. Our goal is for FCPS to experience 1,000,000 minutes of math outside of the school day. Join us!
Tips Families Can Use to Help Children Do Better in School
The Helping Children Learn newsletter, updated monthly September through May, has school success ideas for parents, tailored to the ages of their children.
Free, On-Demand, Online Tutoring
 Did you know?
- Students who’ve used Tutor.com have provided positive feedback.
- Unless they’ve been opted out, students can access Tutor.com through Schoology.
- Every session is personalized to meet students’ needs from remedial to advanced levels.
- Sessions focus on conceptual learning and critical thinking—not quick answers.
Learn more on FCPS’ Tutor.com webpage
FCPS Cares - Recognize Island Creek Staff!
FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize those who go above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story so we can all acknowledge the outstanding work of FCPS, and more specifically, Island Creek Elementary School employees.
Morning Meeting and Responsive Advisory Meeting: Building Positive Classroom Communities through Social and Emotional Learning
Join us to hear about how teachers and school staff are building positive schoolwide and classroom communities through social and emotional learning.
During this session, families will:
- Learn about the evidence-based Responsive Classroom practices of Morning Meeting and Responsive Advisory Meeting.
- Understand how teachers are using these practices to engage students in learning that is challenging, developmentally appropriate, and supportive of the whole child.
- Learn new tips so you can continue these responsive practices at home.
The presenter is Ivette Robles, FCPS Curriculum Resource Teacher, Office of School Improvement and Supports.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023, at 10-11:30 a.m.
Register for Morning Meeting and Responsive Advisory Meeting: Building Positive Classroom Communities through Social and Emotional Learning
Follow Island Creek ES on Social Media
Twitter: @islandcreekes
Jen Fallert, Principal (Twitter): @FallertJen
|
Click to view the 2022-2023 FCPS School Calendar
-
Tuesday, January 10: PTA Meeting, Cafeteria (7:00 – 8:00 PM)
-
Wednesday, January 11: Rising 7th Graders: Hayfield Secondary School Curriculum Night, Hayfield SS, 6:00 - 7:30 PM
-
Thursday, January 12: Hayfield Pyramid Presentation: Bullying Education, Prevention and Intervention in FCPS (6:30 - 7:30 PM, Virtual)
- Monday, January 16 (No School; Office Closed): Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday
- Friday, January 20: Coffee & Conversations, Room 249 (9:30 - 10:15 AM)
-
Wednesday, January 25 (1:20 PM dismissal): Second Quarter ends, 2-hour Early Dismissal
-
Thursday, January 26 (No School): Staff Development, Student Holiday
-
Friday, January 27 (No School): Teacher Workday, Student Holiday
-
Monday, January 30: Hayfield Pyramid Presentation: Preparing Families for Difficult Conversations About Drugs and Alcohol (Adults-only), Hayfield SS, 6:00 - 8:00 PM
-
Monday, February 20 (No School; Office Closed): Presidents’ Day
|
