l the families this past week at the Rising 6th Grade Transition Night! As we approach the completion of the first half of the school year, we celebrate all the good things that are part of our school day. This is the first year since the pandemic began where we have run school as we used to in pre-pandemic times. As a reminder, Wednesday, January 25, is the last day of the quarter and a two-hour early release day for students. Schools will be closed for students on Thursday, January 26, for a staff development day and Friday, January 27, for a teacher workday. SIS will be unavailable to all FCPS parents and students from Wednesday January 25th at 4pm until Monday February 6th at 6am. See the complete 2022-23 School Year Calendar.
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:
- 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.
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.
We have just one short week left in 2nd quarter: a 3-day week next. Students should be checking in with their teachers to see if there is any work that they need to make up or complete.
Humbly,
Victor L. Powell, Principal
Contact Information:
Email: vlpowell@fcps.edu
Twitter: @VictorLeonPowe1
Website: http://www.fcps.edu/GlasgowMS/
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Glasgow Course Selection
The course selection process for the 2023-2024 school year is about to begin! Rising 7th and 8th grade Glasgow students will receive lessons about available course options and how to select courses in SIS starting on January 9th. Counselors will be meeting with students for academic advising throughout January and February. 7th grade students will be meeting with counselors during the week of January 16th. 6th grade students will be meeting with counselors beginning on February 2nd. Rising 9th grade students will meet with counselors later in the month of February. Once students meet with counselors for advising, courses will be available for your preview in SIS ParentVue as well as SIS StudentVue by selecting “Course Request”. Please be sure you are talking with your child about their course options for next year in preparation for their academic advising meeting. If changes need to be made after their academic advising meeting, please contact your child’s counselor. Students have until March 15th to make any requests for changes for the 2023-2024 school year. March 15th is our deadline to help us prepare for staffing for the upcoming year.
Second Semester Schedules
The second quarter will end on January 25th. The third quarter begins on January 30th. This is the beginning of a new semester as well. Some students will change electives courses for the second semester. Students will receive new schedules on January 30th. Due to scheduling and staffing constraints, we are unable to accommodate change requests for second semester courses. If there is an error on your child’s schedule or you have questions about their schedule, please reach out to your child’s counselor. Thank you so much for your support.
Student Vue and Parent Vue
All FCPS students have a Student Vue account. All student schedules are active and up to date in SIS Student Vue and SIS Parent Vue. If you do not have a SIS Parent Vue account, we strongly encourage you to sign up for an account. You can find directions on how to do so at this link: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/technology/student-information-system-sis-fcps/sis-parent-account-registration.
Once you have signed up for an account, you’ll need an activation code - which we will work as quickly as we can to provide to you. You can find a video that provides information on how to use SIS Parent Vue and all that you will be able to access with your account here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLwkkemipws.
A message from our After School Coordinator
Hello Glasgow Families! Due to the shortened week (January 23-27, 2023), the After School program will not meet. We will resume After School on Monday, January 30, 2023. If your student has plans to stay after with a teacher, they will need to be picked up when they have completed their work.
We are also excited to announce the return of Basketball in After School. Basketball will take place on Mondays and Wednesdays in the gym during Activity Time (2nd Block). Open Volleyball Club will meet on Thursdays in the gym during Activity Time. This is a slight change in the schedule. If you have any questions, please contact me at gwilliams2@fcps.edu.
The After School Program is proud to announce the return of iCAN Bike. iCAN Bike is a program in partnership with iCAN to work with students with disabilities learn how to ride a two-wheel bike independently. iCAN Bike will take place March 13- 17th, 2023.Students must meet certain criteria in order to participate. If you’re interested in participating, please contact me for more information.
Woodrow Wilson Library - January Events
Join the fun at Woodrow Wilson Public Library! Check out the various activities for January for readers of ALL ages and the new Great Graphic Novel Book Club every Thursday starting at 3:15 ages 12-19. Location: 6101 Knollwood Dr, Falls Church, VA 22041
Great Graphic novel book club (1).pdf
Woodrow Wilson Events January 2023.pdf
Kiss and Ride
We have many families who choose to drop off and pick up students through the kiss and ride line. In order to keep the flow of traffic moving along and to maintain safety, we ask that you pull your cars up and stop at the locations our monitors direct to before allowing your child to exit your vehicle. Please be sure students have all of their belongings ready to exit car doors onto the sidewalk. We also ask that you refrain from parking in the kiss and ride line or double parking in the lane. If you need to enter the building, please find a spot to park in our lot. Most importantly, please maintain a safe speed - we have students and staff members who are crossing the street to enter our building. We want to be sure that we are all doing our part to keep everyone safe. Thank you so much for your cooperation.
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Congratulation to Anne Quigley - Justice Pyramid Outstanding Secondary Teacher Award Winner for 2022-23SY!!!! |
Musical Inspiration
A big THANK YOU to the musicians who performed at Wednesday nights Rising 6th Grade Night. They performed beautifully and our future GMS students were so impressed with them. Great job representing our school in such a positive way. Sharing your music with others is the best thing you can do as a musician 😊
Thank you Ms. Pallotto and the admin team for the opportunity and for a successful night. Your support means the world to us!
FY24 Proposed Budget
Superintendent Reid presented the proposed FY24 budget at the January 12 regular meeting (see materials here). My priorities for the budget remain addressing student learning needs and providing advanced and innovative education to give our students skills and knowledge to be ready for the careers of the future, addressing the needs of students with the largest gaps, such as English language learners and special education students, and recruiting and retaining excellent teachers and staff, more important than ever in this era of significant teacher shortages.
I am pleased to see a 3% MSA, step increase for eligible employees, a retention bonus for new employees, a step extension for all scales, continuation of extended special education teacher contracts and other efforts to address the needs of our excellent work force. Dr. Reid’s budget also continues the multi-year commitments to investments such as environmental initiatives and advanced academics and identifies funds for the Equitable Access to Literacy Plan, achievement gap closing strategies, middle school athletics and more. The proposed school operating fund budget represents a 7.6% increase over the FY23 Approved Budget and a 7% increased transfer request from Fairfax County compared to FY23.
We discussed the proposed budget at our January 17 work session which included a very useful presentation on student enrollment and associated increased needs of our students. I look forward to the ongoing conversations and discussion around the budget in work sessions and the public hearing scheduled for January 23.
School Year 23-24 Calendar
The School Board heard a presentation and had a discussion of proposals for the upcoming school year calendar at the January 17 work session (see materials here). We will have another opportunity to discuss the calendar at the January 31 work session. The School Board is scheduled to vote on the calendar on February 9.
Approving a calendar requires compromise and balancing of many competing priorities. While I know some may be disappointed where we land, we are doing our best to find the right balance between many competing interests. After reviewing the results of the survey, our focus groups, and listening to my constituents, I am interested in approving a calendar that has consistency for student learning, is inclusive of our student and staff community, allows our teachers sufficient planning time, ensures students and staff can have access to summer programs and employment, and is mindful of family child care needs. I would also like to set the calendar for a few years so that our families are able to plan their schedules.
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 the remaining informational meeting for parents/guardians and other stakeholders: Wednesday, January 25, 7-9 p.m.
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
District X Honors Orchestra
This past weekend, six musicians from Glasgow MS performed with the District X Honors Orchestra at South County HS. They rehearsed with a guest conductor, Dr. Beth Reed, all day Friday and Saturday morning. They then gave a performance on Saturday at 2pm and it was incredible! Not only were these students well prepared and hardworking, they also represented our schools with maturity, respect, and kindness. Please congratulate these students when you see them!
How to Talk About Alcohol Safety
Stores have been packed with holiday savings, credit cards have been charged, and food has been consumed. The holidays are often a time for family and friends to come together and create lasting memories with one another. The matching holiday pajamas leave a lasting impression on social media, but what impression does your relationship with alcohol leave on your child. Although difficult, conversations about alcohol safety are necessary. When consuming alcoholic beverages around young people, consider the message you would like for them to receive. Have you caught yourself saying any of the following: “ I need a drink,” “a drink would help me relax,” or “wine helps me sleep better at night”. These statements could inadvertently cause your child to believe that alcohol is a suitable replacement for healthy coping strategies.
It’s never too early to have age-appropriate conversations with your child about alcohol. About 10% of children say they have tried alcohol and that number increases to 50% by the time they are 15 (SAMHSA). Early and frequent conversations about alcohol and other drugs tend to be more effective than having “the talk” once. If you choose to not have the conversation with your child as a parent, they will still have the conversion with their peers. Silence communicates as loudly as a verbal conversation, so it’s up to you to decide what message is explicitly shared.
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 You Should Talk With Your Child About Alcohol and Other Drugs
Talk, They Hear You
FCPS SAPS Program
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