UPCOMING EVENTS

• Friday, 2/24 - FES PTA Book Blast 6:00pm-8:00pm in the Gym
• Thursday, 3/2 -  2 Hour Early Release from School
• Friday, 3/3 -  School Planning Day-No School for Students
• Friday, 3/3 - FES Read- A-Thon Ends
• Wednesday, 3/6 - PEP Meeting, 6pm in the FES Library
• Thursday, 3/16 - FES International Day Festival 6:00pm-8:00pm
• Friday, 3/24 - Deadline to order Yearbooks
• Wednesday, 4/19 - Kindergarten Orientation 5:30pm-6:30pm

Last Call for Lion King Shirts!

LAST CHANCE to get your ONE-OF-A-KIND Lion King Kids t-shirt before the store closes!

Proceeds from our sales will go toward the Penguin Performer funds for props, future musical purchases and more so spread the word!! Click the link below to order your shirts today. Orders close on Monday, February 27^th. These shirts take about 2 weeks to fulfil and will be delivered to the students by Ms. Lucius. Mark your calendars for our performances on April 27^th and 28^th at 6:30 p.m.!

https://www.customink.com/g/rej0-00cq-81dm

 Read-A-Thon Updates

February 1 - March 2, 2023

Click here to register your Penguin with a Read-a-Thon account, access their reading dashboard and share their fundraising page.

We are SO PROUD of our Penguin Readers!

• 183,418 Minutes Read
• $13,950 Donated- We are SO CLOSE to our goal, thank you to all who have donated!
• Mrs. Blum's 4th Grade is LEADING in MINUTES read (25,196 minutes)
• Mr. Pina's class is LEADING in DONATIONS ($1,555)

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We Need Your Help

We are so excited about our increasing reading that it's easy to forget Read-A-Thon is also the PTA's main fundraiser for the year! Your donations help us keep our events free and fun, and help fund the school's library and Mindfulness Lab.

Choose just one action item to help.

If every student raises just $30 we will reach our goal!

1. Share your child's fundraising page on social media (there's an easy link on the student dashboard).
2. Email or Text your child's fundraising link to grandparents, aunts and uncles (the dashboard makes this easy as well!).
3. Share THIS LINK with local business who may be interested in donating to the Read-A-Thon and receive advertising options to the whole school.

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The PTA would like to thank the following business donors:

Independence Landscape

Harmony Animal Hospital

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Franconia Elementary BOOK BLAST

Friday, February 24 6:00-8:00pm in the Gym

Join your fellow Penguins for a FREE night of literacy based GAMES and ACTIVITIES to win CANDY and PRIZES! Earn reading minutes for our Read-A-Thon and explore how fun reading can be.

Meet local children's authors and purchase a signed book!

• Monica Stoltzfus (The Ripple)
• Lindsay Barry (Journey to Constellation Station, The Backpack   Becky and Kaia's New Addition: A Tale of Penn State Children's Hospital). Check out Lindsay's website here!

**Special Appearance by BELLE from Beauty and the Beast thanks to The Fantastical Character Company.**

Concessions will be sold by Edison class of 2024

This is not a drop-off event, all children must be supervised. Book Blast is open to Franconia Elementary students and their families only.

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We need VOLUNTEERS to have a successful Book Blast!

CLICK HERE to be a part of this fun event!

(The event will take place completely in the gym with children going from station to station to complete activities. Children are welcome to help their parent volunteer, or may attend stations on their own while the parent is volunteering.)

Parents as Educational Partners

(PEP) Meeting March 8th at 6pm

Please join us for our seventh Parents as Educational Partners (PEP) meeting-Wednesday, March 8th at 6 p.m. in Franconia's Library. We will learn about upcoming events at Franconia Elementary including our International Festival and SOL Assessments. 

WHAT:  PEP is a parent-teacher organization for parents of students from Kindergarten to Sixth Grade of any language or cultural background.  

WHY:  The mission of PEP is to increase the academic achievement of students by developing and maintaining strong school-home partnerships tied to improved student achievement. 

HOW:  During our meetings, we will create a safe, informed space through which we can empower families to seek information to best support their children's educational journeys.

WHEN:  We plan to meet the second Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m.  Our next session will take place Wednesday, March 8th .  

WHERE:  We will meet in the library at Franconia Elementary School.  

Your PEP teachers are specifically prepared to provide you with accurate information about Franconia Elementary.  Some of the topics that we may cover during our meetings include:

• School Personnel and the School Day
• School Procedures
• Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Report Cards and Curriculum
• Special Education and Advanced Academics
• Study skills/Homework
• School Health Procedures
• Other school-specific topics that are of interest and benefit to the group 

Questions?  Please email FranconiaPEP@fcps.edu.

Congratulations to our own Ms. Chicarella! Please Join us in congratulating Ms. Ashley Chicarella on winning Edison Pyramid's Outstanding New Teacher Award!  Ms. Chicarella is a Special Education Teacher, supporting 4th and 5th Grade students, here at Franconia. We wish her luck as she advances to the Region 3 level, and are so proud she is a Penguin!

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Chess Club

Franconia ES (sponsored by the PTA)

Magnus Chess Academy will be offering another 12-week series of instruction on Mondays, 3:45-4:45, beginning Feb 27.

CLASS DATES:

• 2/27, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 3/27, (no club 4/3), 4/10, 4/17, 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22

The club will take place at school, is open to all students K-6, at a total cost of $216/student.

REGISTER HERE:

http://www.chessacademy.com   

 Get FREE registration by volunteering on-site during each of the 12 sessions to assist with check-in and check-out!

Contact Matt at vp@franconiaespta.org to find out more details about volunteering!

Fun is the name of the game...

...but Magnus Chess Academy also sneaks in a bit of critical thinking, sportsmanship, and patience into chess club!

Each week students of all levels do a fun but challenging lesson with one of our great coaches from our world class curriculum followed by practice games against other students in the class.

Join the 100,000 (and counting!) kids who've learned chess with the official academy of world champion Magnus Carlsen. This in-person club includes online

Register Today for Girls on the Run

at Franconia ES (sponsored by the PTA)

Registration is now open for the Girls on the Run (GOTR), coached by Ms Borsos and Ms Dickerson. By using a curriculum that creatively integrates running with life lessons, Girls on the Run empowers girls to develop the confidence and character they need to become strong and healthy young adults. GOTR is open to girls in grades 3-6.

GOTR will meet Tues and Thurs from 3:45-4:45pm between March 7 and May 19, with a 5K event on either May 20 or May 21. The standard program fee is $185, but GOTR offers military and sibling discounts, as well as financial assistance available for all families. For more information, go to the Girls on the Run of NOVA website (www.gotrnova.org)

REGISTER HERE:

Girls on the Run 2023 Registration  

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Yearbooks are Now on Sale

Don’t miss out on the chance to get your child a yearbook. 2022-23 Yearbooks are $18.00 and the deadline to order is March 24th. No yearbook orders will be taken after that date. So, make plans to order yours today!

Yearbooks are only sold/purchased online. Start your purchase by going  to: yearbookordercenter.com, typing in 21927 or searching for Franconia Elementary, Alexandria VA, will take you to our ordering site.

International Day Fashion Show

Walk the Red Carpet in Fashion!

Franconia Elementary will be holding an International Day Program on Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 2pm.  We are looking for students who are willing to walk the red carpet and model their culture-based outfits at the International Day Assembly.  Interested students must have a signed permission form and a completed description on the origin of the outfit and any additional information about the outfit.  Filling out this form confirms that you will be in the Fashion Show.  Please return this form to Mrs. Yortzidis by February 28th.

Franconia’s International Festival

The 2023 International Day Festival will be on Thursday, March 16
and families are invited to join us at school from 6 to 8 PM.

You are also welcome to take a “Walk Around the World”
throughout the school building by touring our
creatively decorated classroom doors!

The school will be divided into north, south, east, west regions
with matching continents -
you can visualize our school map like the world map.

All classroom doors will be dedicated to celebrating a specific country
within their assigned continent!

This has been part of a fun, interactive school-wide
multicultural learning project.

Try asking your child today:
“What country is your classroom door decorated for?”
Then, come see it in person on March 16th!

Counselor's Corner

February Guidance Lessons with Mrs. Guillion (K-3 & 6^th) & Mrs. Fry (4^th, 5^th & 6^th)

This month, Kindergarten and 1^st  grade students will learn how to solve conflicts with others by using a method called Kelso Choices. 

Our 2^nd and 3^rd grade students will write action plans for personal goals. 

With Mrs. Fry, our 4^th , 5^th  and 6^th’ grades will have a lesson on empathy for self and others, along with why the words we use matter in regard to how we speak about, and to, ourselves and others.

We are excited to see all our students continue to grow in character and kindness!

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Message to 6^th Grade Parents/Guardians:

In the month of March, sixth-grade students will receive two lessons on the topic of sexual harassment.  These lessons seek to provide students with the necessary information, resources, and strategies to help prevent occurrences of sexual harassment as well as outline the steps to take if they feel they or their peers are targets of these behaviors.  In addition, the lessons share how schools support targeted students so that they can continue to focus on learning in an environment that feels comfortable and secure.  Parents/guardians may request to view these two lessons prior to deciding whether to opt their child(ren) out of the lessons. Please reach out to the school counselor for instructions on where to preview the lessons.

Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of the two sixth-grade lessons on the topic of sexual harassment.  Letters and opt-out forms will be given to your child in the upcoming week. It will provide more information on how to opt your sixth-grade child out of the lessons about sexual harassment.  If you do not receive the letter or opt-out form or have any additional questions, please contact Veronica Guillion, School Counselor at 703-822-2200.

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Character Trait for the Month

February's Character Trait:

Empathy- A feeling or understanding of what someone else is feeling.

Register Now for Kindergarten

We look forward to welcoming our newest Penguins to Franconia ES for the 2023-2024 school year. Registration packets are available in the Franconia ES Main Office or you may download the forms using the link below.

The registration requirements are as follows:

For incoming Kindergarten students – please visit https://www.fcps.edu/registration/kindergarten-registration

It is important that you have filled out all of the paperwork, and bring with you the following:

1. Photo ID
2. Original Birth Certificate
3. Proof of Residency (Deed or Lease to your home)
4. Virginia Physical and Immunization Record (due prior to school starting in August)

When you are ready, and have gathered most of your documentation, please call to make a registration appointment.  All registrations are done by appointment only.

For further information, the Fairfax County Public Schools website is www.fcps.edu and the Franconia Elementary website is https://franconiaes.fcps.edu/

To keep in touch with Franconia ES Community, please consider signing up for News You Choose – our e-newsletter  Subscribe to Franconia's Wednesday Word here

Please contact Patrick Pacak, our Registrar, at  pmpacak@fcps.edu or 703-822-2203 with any questions. 

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A Note From Our K Team Do you have a child who will be 5 years of age by September 30, 2023, and do you plan on sending them to kindergarten at Franconia for the 2023-2024 school year? We are in the process of preparing for our kindergarten registration and orientation.  If your child is ready for kindergarten, call the school at 703-822-2200 so we may add you to our list of rising kindergarten students. Please consider joining us at the school with your future kindergartener for our Kindergarten Orientation on Wednesday, April 19, from 5:30-6:30pm.  During this presentation, we will provide information about the kindergarten program at Franconia Elementary, while the future kindergarteners get to explore the classroom, participate in fun kindergarten activities, and take a ride on a school bus around the neighborhood.  ❤ Kindergarten Team

Immunization Requirements for Rising 7th Graders

The Code of Virginia requires all students to be immunized against certain communicable diseases prior to entrance into Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS).

Questions?  Please contact our Registrar, Patrick Pacak, at pmpacak@fcps.edu or 703-822-2203  

Help Needed in the Library

Do you have a spare moment in the day to lend Mrs. Vandersande a hand?

The library needs volunteers to help scan in returns and shelve books any time during the school day.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040e4caead2faaf49-library1#/

Find Free COVID-19 Testing in Your Community

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a COVID-19 Testing Locator website, which can help families find no-cost COVID-19 testing sites.  Testing is available at pharmacies and other locations and is provided at no cost to individuals with or without health insurance. Results are typically provided within 24-48 hours. 

 February Calendar Reminders

March  2-  Early Release

March 3- School Planning Day (Student Holiday)

• Reminder, students have an early release on Thursday, March 2. There is no school for students on Friday, March 3, for a school planning day.

See the complete 2022-23 school year calendar.

FCPS Inclement Weather Policy

When bad weather or other emergency situations occur, it may be necessary for FCPS to cancel, delay, or close schools early.

The safety of our students and staff is our number one priority any time a decision must be made regarding school closures and delays during a weather situation. We review information from emergency management and state highway administrators about road conditions, and school personnel also go out and inspect the conditions of roads, sidewalks, and FCPS parking lots and bus lanes.

FCPS tries to make decisions in the evening, taking into account that parents need time to make proper arrangements. But when there is a lot of uncertainty, we wait to get the latest morning forecast. In that case, the superintendent makes the decision of whether to delay or close schools by approximately 4:30 a.m.

FCPS provides information about closings and delays in many ways including:

• Posted to www.fcps.edu.
• Posted to the FCPS Twitter and Facebook pages.
• Email and text messages sent to parents (using the parent contact information listed in weCare@school). 
• Email sent to employees (using the employee's FCPS email address).
• Email sent to News You Choose subscribers of Delayed Openings and School Closings.
• Posted on FCPS cable Channel 21 (Cox Communications, Reston Comcast, and Verizon (channel 11) cable customers only).
• Area radio and television stations.

Please remember to notify the school office of any of the following changes that come up for your child.

Notification should be made by 9:00am on the day of the change.

• Absence
• Late arrival
• Planned early pick-up or mid-day appointment (pick-up and return)
  • If your child needs to be picked up unexpectedly, please call the office (703-822-2200) in advance of your arrival
  • This allows the office to contact your child’s teacher to prepare your child for their departure
  • For early pick-ups after 3:00pm, please park on Kathmoor as the school buses start to arrive for dismissal at that time and the front parking lot will be off limits
• Changes in dismissal mode (https://franconiaes.fcps.edu/about/change-dismissal-form)

Below are the 3 options by which to notify the school office (choose one option):

• FranconiaESAttendance@fcps.edu
• 703-822-2222
• Online attendance form - https://franconiaes.fcps.edu/attendance-form

Please do this IN ADDITION to contacting your child's teacher.  There could be times when the teacher is absent and, by also contacting the office, the information will be properly noted.

To email your child’s teacher, click HERE.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

FCPS CARES

Recognize FCPS Employees

FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care.

The start of the school year is a great time to acknowledge someone who has helped to make your child's return to school amazing.

Learn how you can acknowledge an FCPS employee for their great work.

FCPS Parent Resource Center

Dunn Loring Center for Parent Services

2334 Gallows Road, Entrance 1, Room 105

Dunn Loring, VA

The FCPS Parent Resource Center (PRC) offers a welcoming and engaging environment for families, educators, and community members.

PARENT RESOURCE CENTER CONTACT INFO:

Email: prc@fcps.edu

Phone: 703-204-3941

Web: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/family-engagement/parent-resource-center

Twitter: @prc_fcps

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fcpsprc

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/FCPSParentResourceCenter

FREE CONSULTATIONS:

• The PRC offers free, confidential in-person, videoconference, and phone consultations for families and FCPS staff.
• Appointments are highly encouraged.
• They can brainstorm strategies and possible solutions to help you address your concerns by drawing upon resources and support from FCPS, as well as community, state, and national centers.

TUTOR LIST:

• The PRC maintains a list of current FCPS employees who hold a valid and current teaching license in VA and want to tutor after their contracted school day.
• Contact the PRC at 703-204-3941 or prc@fcps.edu for more information.

FREE LENDING LIBRARY:

• Come explore the library for families and staff, 8:00am-4:00pm
• The library contains over 10,000 books, eBooks, DVDs, and CDs on topics related to parenting and educating all children, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities.
• Check out up to 6 items and keep them for 3 weeks.  Renewals are easy - just call or email us.
• Find library resources to support your child with help from the Parent Resource Center staff.
• Call us and we can have library materials ready for you to pick up.
• Return library materials to us 24/7 in our book return or use the FCPS inter-office mail.  Contact us for details.

FREE WEBINARS:

• Register here - https://bit.ly/3hSRIZW
• Watch recorded webinars - https://bit.ly3rpPl3Q
  1. To turn videos into preferred languages, open a video - choose any video on YouTube and follow these directions to have closed-captioning in your preferred language:
  2. Click the CC button - make sure it is underlined in red.
  3. Click the settings button - it looks like a gear.
  4. Click subtitles.
  5. Click auto-translate.
  6. Choose a language.

Penguin Points

Click on a link for information

Franconia Elementary School website

• Attendance
• Health Room
• Parent Resources (registration, SIS Parent Vue, Cafeteria, and BYOD)
• Safety
• Transportation
• PTA
• Inclement Weather
• Schoology
• SIS Parent Vue
• School Menus
• FCPS School Calendar
• FCPS Main Website

6301 Beulah Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22310 | Office: 703-822-2200

Attendance: 703-822-2222 |  | Web | Twitter