Principal's Message
Dear Families,
Congratulations to our 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students who raised over $1,400 for the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. Ms. Barone’s fifth grade class watched a news segment highlighting other elementary students who had sponsored a coin drive to raise money; her class was inspired to do the same! Ms. Barone guided her students to plan and lead their peers in grades 4-6 through the service project and model the Portrait of a Graduate skill of Ethical and Global Citizen. Thanks to the families who were able to attend our workshop with The College Funding Coach, a lot of great information was shared.
If you have any questions or concerns you can contact our main office at 703-279-8400 or contact me directly at cmsmith@fcps.edu
Enjoy your weekend,
Chris Smith
DRES Principal
SOL Schedule
As you plan for upcoming appointments, we want to be sure you have the SOL dates. We encourage you to schedule appointments and any absences that can be avoided with these dates in mind.
3rd Grade: Reading- May 12th; Math- May 18th
4th Grade: Reading- May 11th; Math- May 17th
5th Grade: Reading- May 10th; Math- May 16th; Science- May 23rd
6th Grade: Reading- May 9th; Math- May 19th
Understanding Virginia Growth Assessment (VGA) Reports
Grade 3-8 students across Virginia took VGA tests in fall and winter of 2022-23. FCPS mailed score reports to families earlier this month that combine Fall and Winter results. When viewing students’ scores, it is important to keep in mind that there is no “passing” or “failing” for VGA tests and that each vertical scaled score reflects performance on a single day. VGA results should be used alongside other available data for a more complete picture of students’ academic progress. Also keep in mind that the VGA asks questions from the entire curriculum, including some standards that will not be taught until later in the school year.
The FCPS VGA Score Reports webpage now includes a section on Understanding VGA Results, featuring Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). This section will continue to be updated throughout the spring to address incoming questions and to reflect additional state guidance as it is released.
Lost and Found
Are your children missing any clothing? Our lost and found is near our lobby staircase. Please stop by to take a look if you are missing something before Friday, March 31st. After March 31st, anything left will be packed up and donated.
Kindergarten Parent Information Session
Do you have a kindergartener starting DRES in the fall? If so, please join us for our Kindergarten Parent Information Session. You will learn about our Kindergarten day, get your questions answered, and have the opportunity to register your student for the upcoming school year. This session is intended for parents and guardians. In the summer, we will have opportunities for students to tour the school and visit kindergarten classrooms.
Date: Friday, April 14th
Time: 9:00am – 9:30am (teacher presentation)
9:30am – 11:00am (registration)
Place: DRES Cafeteria
Sesión informativa para padres de kínder
¿Tiene un niño de kindergarten que comience DRES en el otoño? Si es así, únase a nosotros para nuestra sesión de información para padres de kínder. Aprenderá sobre nuestro día de kinder, obtendrá respuestas a sus preguntas y tendrá la oportunidad de inscribir a su estudiante para el próximo año escolar. Esta sesión está dirigida a padres y guardianes. En el verano, tendremos oportunidades para que los estudiantes hagan un recorrido por la escuela y visiten las aulas de kindergarten.
Fecha: viernes 14 de abril
Hora: 9:00 am – 9:30 am (presentación del maestros)
9:30 am – 11:00 am (registro)
Lugar: Cafetería DRES
*Habrá traductores de español disponibles para ayudar a las familias.
 
PTA News
International Night - We NEED you!
We are seeking families to set up a booth/table representing your cultural heritage at International Night in March. Please reach out to us at dresecretary@gmail.com if interested in participating.
Get More involved in PTA Next Year!
It is time once again for the PTA Nominating Committee to recruit candidates for next year's PTA Board and committees. Being in a PTA leadership position is rewarding, important and fun! The Board is a great way to get involved at Daniels Run, get to know our staff and admins, work with other parents, and support our students and school community. Please join us! Email drenominatingcommittee@gmail.com for more information.
Text-to-Speech Available on FCPS Websites
FCPS is introducing an innovative way to address the diverse needs of the community. A new text-to-speech feature, available on the FCPS website and each school website, will read the words aloud from webpages.
The feature will help those with accessibility needs, such as visual impairments, dyslexia, or other difficulty reading large amounts of online text. The text-to-speech feature is available for English, Spanish, and Korean. Learn more and try out the new feature.
Send In Your Yearbook Pictures!
Strategic Planning Updates
Register Now to Attend a Community Forum!
Check out the schedule of Community Forums and register for the one that is most convenient for you. Community Forums will provide every resident an opportunity to participate in and influence the direction of FCPS’ Strategic Plan, prior to its completion and formal adoption by the School Board. Learn more about our strategic planning process.
Notes from the Music Department
🎵 The March musician of the month is Chinese American cellist Yo Yo Ma. Click here for a YouTube playlist: https://youtu.be/1prweT95Mo0
Positivity Project (P2)
Dear Families,
Next week our school community will be focusing on the character strength of Perspective. Perspective means you appreciate when people see things in different ways. You have the ability to understand the world from multiple points of view.
Perspective is also referred to as wisdom and is distinct from intelligence. People with this strength are sought out for advice because they see the big picture and can make sense of the world’s complexity. This strength of perspective gives individuals the ability to see to the heart of difficult matters and achieve clarity. Most importantly, they are honest and behave in an ethically consistent manner.
Perspective helps an individual make sense of the world. It provides clarity on what matters and what does not. Being able to see things from multiple angles helps individuals remain calm and learn from mistakes; they are typically highly self-aware. Reflecting on their own feelings, thoughts, and motives helps them understand and empathize with other people. These individuals are strong listeners and ask great questions. Individuals with the strength of perspective help their group get through difficult or uncertain circumstances because they’re poised and can identify opportunities for success.
To practice and encourage the character strength of perspective with your child, please visit the Positivity Project’s P2 for Families (password: P2), where together you will watch a video, read a quote, and talk about the answers to three questions.
Have a wonderful week!
SoCo Summer Strings
Exciting news! SoCo Summer Strings (formally Stallion Summer Strings) is returning this summer! The camp will be hosted at South County Middle School from July 10th-21st from 8:30am-12:30pm, weekdays only.
Camp is open to all rising 5th-9th grade students with at least one year of experience on the violin, viola, cello, or bass. Students will participate in two large ensemble rehearsals, an instrument-specific technique class, and a sectional each day.
You can find more information and registration for camp at www.schsorchestra.org/soco-summer-strings. Early registration is from March 1st-June 9th so sign up soon!
Important Dates
March 27- PTA Meeting, 7:00pm
March 30 - International Night
April 3-7 - Spring Break
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