Volume 2, Issue 3; January 20, 2023
Stronger Together
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Dear Clearview Families,
Excitement is in the air as students learn more about our salad bar that is (re)opening on Tuesday. Thank you to those of you who have volunteered to help out in the cafeteria on opening day, January 25 and/or on the following school day, January 30. If you are able to volunteer, please let us know. It takes a village!
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or compliments you may have. If you have seen a Clearview staff member going above and beyond, fill out an FCPS Cares here.
Have a FANTASTIC weekend!
Stephanie Almquist Joshua Redford Rachel Charlton
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Welcome to Clearview Mrs. Valerie Catullo!
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Mrs. Val Catullo has served in many roles supporting Clearview students and staff since 2012 such as long-term substitute, PTA volunteer, and Yellow Jacket parent. Next week, she will join Clearview officially as a Special Education Teacher Resident. Mrs. Catullo is from Oregon and has lived abroad in both France and Mexico. Please introduce yourself to Mrs. Catullo and congratulate her on her new role at Clearview! |
Salad Bar
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Great news: Clearview will be opening the salad bar on January 25! We encourage you to watch this video with your child so that they can prepare for the experience.
Salad bars offer a variety of nutritious choices every day and encourage children to consistently build meals based on a
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foundation of colorful fruits and vegetables. Science-based research proves that changing fresh food access and availability in school settings has a direct correlation to wellness. Incorporating salad bars is a strategy that models healthy eating and reinforces positive behaviors.
COVID-19 Compensatory Education Plan Meetings for Families of Students with Disabilities
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.
Lost and Found Donation Day
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All unclaimed lost and found items will be donated to the Salvation Army on February 3rd. Please remind your student(s) to check the lost and found for any lost items, or you may come by the school during arrival or dismissal to check the lost and found items.
Thank you.
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Family Coffee
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Please join us for our monthly Family Coffee Hour January 24, 9-10 am in the cafeteria
where you will have the opportunity to:
-Connect with other Clearview parents and guardians; and
-Learn about educational digital resources available
from our School Based Technology Specialist (SBTS) Mr. Newbold.
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Coffee and pastries will be provided.
Dual Language Immersion Program Registration (Pre-K and Kindergarten)
Registration for the countywide lottery for Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs will open on Monday, January 23. Current pre-k students may apply for the kindergarten immersion program, and current kindergarten students may apply for the first grade immersion programs for the 2023-24 school year.
Programs are available in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. Visit the DLI registration page for more information on where the programs are offered.
Parents who are interested in the DLI programs in FCPS are encouraged to attend an informational meeting at the dual language immersion school site. Meetings will begin on January 11. Details regarding access to virtual meetings will be available on the Dual Language Immersion registration page by the meeting date.
Get more information on DLI programs and registration.
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener Results (Grades 3-6)
SEL screener results will be mailed home in early January. Please review this link https://www.fcps.edu/student-tests-and-assessments/student-assessment-details/social-emotional-screener/score-report to receive information and guidance on how you can talk with your child about their results.
School Board Reviews Draft School Year Calendar Options
At their January 17 work session, the School Board discussed draft calendars that were created for the 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 school years. Draft calendars were developed using the following criteria as a framework:
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- Federal, state, and Virginia Department of Education guidance.
- Superintendent’s priorities.
- School Board input.
- Student absentee data.
- Staff absentee data.
- Surrounding jurisdictions’ calendars.
- Survey results.
- Calendar Feedback Committee input.
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You may view the draft calendars and other related documents in Boarddocs. The calendars will be presented as new business during the School Board meeting on Thursday, January 26. The Board is scheduled to vote on the calendars during their meeting on Thursday, February 9. Watch a recording of today’s Work Session. Get information on FCPS' calendar development process.
FY 2023-24 Proposed Budget Highlights
At the January 12 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid proposed a budget for FY 2024 that focuses on attracting and retaining teachers and staff, initiatives aimed at closing the achievement gap for all students, and gives our youngest learners a strong start, including investments for special education students impacted during the pandemic.
The FY 2024 Proposed Budget totals $3.5 billion—a net increase of $249.6 million or 7.6% over the FY 2023 Approved Budget. Nearly 86% of the budget is targeted at instruction. The Proposed Budget focuses on several key areas:
- Innovative investments that close the achievement gap for all students:
- Equitable access to literacy.
- Increased access to PreK programming.
- Supports for students with special education needs.
- Funding for students in Advanced Academic Programs.
- Changing student enrollment needs.
- Increase in student and family supports, including access to middle school athletic opportunities that support student well-being.
- Continuation of green investments.
- Increased security measures.
- Proposed increases in employee compensation.
Watch Dr. Reid’s presentation to the board. Access the presentation slides.
Does Your Child Refuse to Go to School?
Each year, nearly 5% of youth experience school refusal. This refers to a child refusing to go to school on a regular basis or remain in school throughout the day due to significant emotional distress. School refusal includes kindergarten students with relatively mild separation anxiety and more severe cases where a student misses weeks or months of school because of debilitating anxiety or depression. Read how to get your child back to school in the Healthy Minds Blog or learn more about attendance policies.
New Herndon M.S. Logo
Thank you to the Clearview students (and staff) who participated in the vote for the new logo at HMS! Go Hawks!! |
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Lunar New Year
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The Lunar New Year is a holiday that marks the first new moon of the lunisolar calendar, which is the calendar traditionally used in many east Asian countries including China, Vietnam, Singapore, and South Korea. In these and other Asian countries, it is one of the most important holidays of the year. The Lunar New Year is all about ushering in luck and prosperity with family.
Read more about Lunar New Year and its animal symbols in National Geographic Kids.
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 Tutor.com for Test Prep
Did you know Tutor.com can help with more than just homework? This free, on-demand tutoring service also offers a comprehensive range of resources that include exam prep for AP, SAT, and ACT tests.
Students can take practice quizzes at any time, and if they struggle in particular areas, they can immediately connect to a live tutor through voice or chat options for help. Learn more on the FCPS Tutor.com website.
Learn more on FCPS’ Tutor.com webpage.
January 24 Family Coffee, 9-10 am
January 25 2 hour Early Release-End of Second Quarter
January 26 Student Holiday (Professional Workday, no school) and PTA
Spirit Night at Mod Pizza in Herndon
January 27 Student Holiday (Professional Workday, no school)
February 20 George Washington’s Birthday (no school)
See the complete 2022-23 school year calendar.
 Mark your calendars
- Thurs., Jan. 26: Spirit Night at MOD Pizza in Herndon
- Tues., Feb. 14: Pajama Day for the kids and Valentine’s Day Breakfast & School Supplies for the teachers
- Wed. Feb. 15: PTA Meeting at 7 p.m. in the library and on Zoom (link will be posted on PTBoard)
Join us for our next Spirit Night at MOD Pizza
We’ve raised over $500 this year through Spirit Nights, and we’re are still awaiting official totals for IZZI and Honeygrow! Thank you to everyone who has come out for these fun evenings.
Our next Spirit Night is this Thursday, Jan. 26 at MOD Pizza, located on Elden Street in the same shopping center as Sprouts and LA Fitness. If you are dining in, be sure to bring the flyer from next week’s Tuesday Folders or show the flyer image on your phone (we’ll post it to our PTA Facebook group and send out an email reminder). If you are ordering online, please use code MODF14126.We’ll get 20% of your bill back as a donation to the PTA!
Love is All around on Valentine’s Day
On Tuesday, Feb. 14, we’ll be showering our teachers with love by hosting a breakfast and supply drive. Valentine’s Day will also be when our students can wear pajamas to celebrate that we fully funded our field trips thanks to amazing fundraising efforts the first half of the year!
It’s time to donate supplies! Many classrooms are running low or are completely out of items like disinfecting wipes, dry erase markers, pencils, and more. Purchase items from the Amazon Wish List for delivery to Clearview or drop off donations at Sarah Stein’s home (email her to coordinate). All donations are due by Friday, Feb. 10. Thank you for your donations!
Would you enjoy another round of BINGO?
You have done such an amazing job of raising funds for field trips (thank you!), that we can now shift our focus to another major budget item: showing appreciation for our wonderful Clearview staff. To raise funds for Staff Appreciation Week in May, we thought it would be fun to host a spring bingo fundraiser (SPRINGO!). If you’d like to be involved, here are a few ideas:
- Donate prizes: we welcome any new, unopened items that would be enjoyed by our families (just in case you’ve been doing any post-holiday clean outs…). If you have connections to local businesses, we would greatly appreciate any donations, including gift baskets, gift cards, or gift certificates.
- Plan the event: choose the date, identify volunteers, check inventory of bingo cards/markers and order any additional supplies.
- Volunteer: prize collector, set up, greeter, sales, caller, prize distributor, clean up
Email us at ClearviewElementaryPTA@gmail.com if you’d like to get involved! Whoever volunteers to be the event planner can work with Mrs. Almquist to choose the date!
Coming Soon: Spirit Wear, Round Two
You asked and we’re going to make it happen! Watch for more details about how you can score adorable Clearview winter hats and socks. And if you missed your chance to order a hoodie or t-shirt, we’ll have some options available again.
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