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Good evening Stone families,
Last week, we had two events in our building that caused an interuption to our school day. On Tuesday, we had an odor in a portion of the building that the fire department researched and deemed safe. On Thursday, we had an incident near the school requiring our school to secure the building for approximately 30 minutes until we received an all clear. I am grateful to our staff and students who followed directions quickly. These events could cause fear and anxiety in students. Here are some suggestions of how you might be able to support your student if they are feeling some of these emotions.
Keep your explanations age appropriate.
Reassure students that they are safe.
Make time to talk. Be patient; children do not always want to talk about their feelings. Watch for clues that they may want to talk, such as hovering around while you do the dishes or yard work. Some children prefer writing, playing music, or doing an art project as an outlet.
As always, our school counselor, school psychologist, and school social worker can be of support to your family.
Addtionally, this is holiday weekend honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As I am enjoying the weekend, I am reflecting on Dr. King's quote "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?". I hope that you will encourage your student to get out in the community or at home and to do something for someone else. Volunteer Fairfax collaborates with FCPS to offer opportunities for students to build their portrait of a graduate skills, such as becoming an ethical and global citizen. To learn more about the MLK Jr. Weekend of Service and the specific service activities, visit Volunteer Fairfax’s website.
Enjoy your holiday weekend. We will see students on Tuesday, January 17th.
-Sonya Williams
Principal
 As a reminder, schools and offices will be closed on Monday, January 16, for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.
The end of the quarter is quickly approaching. Wednesday, January 25, is the last day of the quarter and a two-hour early release for students. Also, schools are closed for students on Thursday, January 26, for a staff development day and Friday, Jan. 27, for a teacher workday.
Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to implementing a plan for COVID-19 compensatory education as part of its obligation to provide a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to students with disabilities. Please join us at an informational meeting for parents/guardians and other stakeholders:
Visit our website to see what language interpretation services will be available at each meeting and to learn more about the COVID-19 Compensatory Education Plan.
The Strategic Planning process is well underway, with the Community Forums beginning in less than three weeks. But why do we need a new strategic plan?
Similar to a roadmap, a strategic plan clearly defines the best route for us to take in the years ahead to reach our goals. Our students are preparing for careers that don’t exist today. In order to keep pace with these needs, we need to rethink our plans for the future—and how we will best serve our students for this new era.
Register Now for Community Forums!
Visit our Strategic Planning webpage for the schedule of Community Forums. Register for the one that is most convenient for you and get more information on our exciting Strategic Planning process!
This group is a good fit for neurodivergent tweens who can verbally communicate with others and may be experiencing challenges due to a particular diagnosis. This may include but is not limited to: Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Depression, and Anxiety.
Date: Starts mid-late January until mid-late March
Time: Thursdays, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Ages: Middle School age
Location: In Person at JSSA Fairfax Office (3025 Hamaker Court, Suite 450, Fairfax, VA 22031)
This is a 10-week social skills program for motivated tweens eager to learn ways to develop and keep friendships through building social skills that show Kindness, Empathy, Engagement, Perceptiveness, and Self-Esteem (KEEPS).
Structure:
The weekly group sessions will highlight a different social skill related to the five core traits (KEEPS) that are emphasized in this program. Weekly activities to take home will be assigned each week to practice the skills learned in the session. Two virtual parent sessions will provide feedback on the progress and generalization of social skills learned in the program. These sessions will be held on weeks 4 and 8.
Enrollment: Ongoing enrollment until maximum enrollment is met. A minimum of 6 participants is needed. The program is being offered to Virginia and Maryland residents if they are willing to drive to the Fairfax office. This group will be in person and will not have a virtual capacity.
Cost: FREE
To register or learn more about the program, contact Sheena Reddick at sreddick@jssa.org or Jessica Eliason at jeliason@jssa.org.
Group Facilitators:
Sheena Reddick is a graduate student intern at JSSA. She is completing her master’s degree in clinical psychology at Pepperdine University. She enjoys working with children and families and has experience in working with families and children on the autism spectrum through Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in a variety of settings. She has also worked as a student volunteer with both teens and adults in an inpatient setting.
Jessica Eliason is a graduate student intern at JSSA. She has extensive experience assisting parents and families with children who experience behavioral and intellectual challenges navigate the school system and facilitating peer support systems.
Cornerstones is an organization that helps families stay warm, by providing free coats. Please refer to this link for dates and more information:
https://www.cornerstonesva.org/donations/drives/winter-coat-closet/
If you have an emergency and need faster assistance with winter clothing, please contact your Social Worker, Amy Young, or Family Liaison, Denisse Stein, here at Stone Middle School 703-631-5500.
Registration for English Classes for this term has started and spots are limited! Register soon.
Classes are being offered by several organizations and for different levels and skills. Please use this link for detailed information. Once you click the link, if you need the information in a different language, you may 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, please contact Denisse Stein, our Family Liaison, @ 703-631-5901 or email her dstein@fcps.edu
FCPS high school academies will hold open houses for interested students beginning in mid-January.
A high school academy is a center within a high school that offers advanced technical and specialized courses that can prepare students for postsecondary education and/or career fields. Students enrolling in Academy elective courses will have opportunities to participate in a variety of career experiences including shadowing, mentoring, and/or internships with local businesses.
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/high-school-academics-9-12/career-and-technical-education-cte/academies-and-specialized?utm_campaign+=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
FCPS Parent Center is offering several webinars, on a variety of topics, that you may register for free: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/family-engagement/parent-resource-center/register-free-workshops-parent-resource-center
Some of their previous Workshops and Webinars posted on their site. If you were not able to attend to a past Webinar, or are looking for information on a specific topic, please take a look at the Workshops and Webinars they offer…there is a lot of good information for parents and great topics to be able to refer to (i.e. Digital Citizenship, Mental Health, Special Education, Executive Functioning, Early Learning, General Parenting & Wellness Supports, Military-Connected Youth, etc)
The Parent Resource Center will present the following webinars in January:
Social-Emotional Milestones in Early Childhood on Friday, January 20, at 10 a.m.
Morning Meeting and Responsive Advisory Meeting: Building Positive Classroom Communities through Social and Emotional Learning on Tuesday, January 24, at 10 a.m
January 20th: Volleyball Game at Stone MS vs Liberty MS
January 25th: End of the 2nd Quarter, 2 hour early release
January 26th & 27th: Student Holidays
February 6th: 2nd Quarter Report Cards Distributed
February 10th: Bingo Night
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