In this week's Paw Print:
1. Principal MessageĀ š¾
2. Attendance Today, Achieve TomorrowĀ ā
3. Save the Date: Chantilly Pyramid Spotlight on Student LearningĀ š”
4. Kindergarten OrientationĀ š
5. Chantilly Pyramid Art ShowĀ šØ
6.Ā K.A. Holt Author VisitĀ š
7. Advanced Academics Spring NewsletterĀ š§
8. Panther PraiseĀ šš¼
9. Testing InformationĀ š
10. PTA InformationĀ š¤²
Dear Poplar Tree Families,
As a reminder, April 3-7 is spring break. Schools and school offices will be closed. We wish our students and teachers a happy and restful Spring Break! Students will return to school on Monday, April 10, 2023. See the complete 2022-23 school year calendar.Ā
We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and Spring Break!
Sue Andujar, Principal
Carol Larsen, Assistant Principal
 Happy Spring Break! We hope you and your families have a wonderful week. We are eager to welcome your children back in school on Monday April 10. Their attendance is very important. In fact, studies have shown that just two absences per month can cause students to fall behind. Letās work together to end the school year with success!
Please reach out to our school counselors Beth Mertens (eemertens@fcps.edu) or Stephanie Girellini (smgirellin@fcps.edu) if you have any attendance concerns. We will work with you to support your student and help them feel comfortable and excited to finish the year strong!
Additionally, we are all so grateful that family travel and trips can once again take place as they did before the Covid pandemic. As families are considering or planning trips for next year, we ask that you please refer to the 2023-2024 FCPS School Calendar and take your trips during scheduled school breaks.
Family trips taken during school days will be counted as āUnexcused Absences.ā Excessive absences can additionally hurt our schoolās accreditation status with the Virginia Department of Education. Most importantly, it creates a very difficult learning gap in a studentās education both academically and socially for all the days that are missed. Again, we ask that families please access the 2023-2024 FCPS School Calendar and schedule your trips during school breaks. Thank you!
 š”Save the Date! š
Chantilly Pyramid Spotlight on Student Learning
The Chantilly Pyramid is excited to host a Spotlight on Student Learning on April 25 from 6:00-7:30 pm at Franklin Middle School. This event will feature students from all schools in the pyramid sharing their learning related to Portrait of a Graduate attributes. There will be a teacher and student panel as well as a showcase of learning. Weāll also be giving away student-designed stickers! Families and students are welcome- see you there!
Kindergarten Orientation
We are so excited to welcome our future Panthers to Poplar Tree! We will be having an orientation on Thursday, April 13. You are welcome to drop off any registration forms and/or required documents starting at 2:00 on that day. You can access these forms HERE!
Our official program will begin at 2:30 in the cafeteria. All students will go to the classrooms with teacher and guardians will meet in the cafeteria for a presentation.
We can't wait to see you all there!
 Chantilly Pyramid Art Show
Our Chantilly Pyramid Art Show is back again and better than ever! Come to Chantilly High School on April 19 between 6-8 to enjoy student artwork from all over the community, enjoy fun crafts, and even more food trucks than last year! Help us support our student artists and have a great night out with the family!
You can also help support our programs by purchasing an awesome art show T-Shirt! The proceeds go towards future pyramid art shows and you will look great in CHS purple! Order your T-Shirt HERE!
K.A. Holt Author Visit
K.A. Holt, author of the award-winning book House Arrest will be coming to Poplar Tree to present to fifth and sixth graders on Monday, April 24 and books are available to purchase for signing! Scrawl Books will deliver all book orders to Poplar Tree before the author visit free of charge!
To order, visit https://www.scrawlbooks.com/ka-holt Enter your information in the delivery address field but make sure to select theĀ Poplar Tree Author VisitĀ option under "Calculate Shipping Cost." Write your student's name, teacher, and how you would like your book personalized by the author in the Order Comments field.
Deadline to order is Sunday, April 16.
A huge thanks to the Poplar Tree PTA for making this visit possible!
Advanced Academics Spring Newsletter
To see the FCPS Spring Advanced Academics Newsletter, click HERE!
Poplar Tree Staff Panther Praise!
We truly appreciate all our Poplar Tree staff and would like to give the community the opportunity to say thank you and/or show appreciation for all of the effort theĀ Poplar Tree StaffĀ is putting in day and night! We will share these praises with the staff members. To submit a Staff Panther Praise, please fill outĀ this form!
Thank you for helping to recognize our amazing staff!
Testing Information
Spring SOL Testing Grades 3-6
Grade 3 Reading: May 10
Grade 3 Math: May 17
Grade 4 Reading: May 3
Grade 4 Math: May 16
Grade 5 Reading: May 4
Grade 5 Science: May 11
Grade 5 Math: May 18
Grade 6 Reading: May 9
Grade 6 Math: May 23
** Students in the AAP program in grades 5 & 6 will take their advanced grade level math tests on the date listed for their current school grade level (e.g. Grade 5 Math AAP students will take the Grade 6 Math SOL on May 18th).
Spring Assessment Information
Spring iReady Assessment Grades 1-6
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) adopted iReady assessments as an academic universal screener for all elementary school students in grades 1-6. In addition to the iReady assessment, all elementary school students in grades 1-6 complete the Developmental Spelling Analysis (DSA).
The purpose of iReady assessments is to identify students who may have gaps in foundational literacy and mathematics skills. iReady tests are also used to measure student progress in reading and mathematics skills. The purpose of the DSA is to measure the development of spelling skills.
The iReady assessment includes a reading test and a mathematics test. In grades 1-3, teachers also assess studentsā oral reading fluency to fulfill state testing requirements. Based on test results, some students may require additional assessments to further diagnose specific skills that may need support.
All students in grades 1-6 will complete iReady and DSA in the spring. iReady and DSA are delivered within the classroom instructional block. Additional information can be found at the iReady Universal Screener webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/us). If you have further questions about these assessments, please contact your studentās teacher or the school test coordinator (Carol Larsen calarsen@fcps.edu). These assessments will be given to all students in at Poplar Tree this spring within the following testing window: April 11-May 19 Grades 1 & 2 & DSA Grades 1-6 and April 11- June 9 iReady Grades 3-6. For the expected dates when your child will test, please contact your childās teacher.
Kindergarten VKRP Spring Testing
The Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP) assessments provide actionable information that will assist teachers, school leaders, and parents/guardians in supporting student success in school and to better understand school readiness skills across the state of Virginia. This spring, all kindergarteners will participate in the three assessment components of the VKRP, which measure literacy, mathematics, self-regulation, and social skills. More information about the assessment can be found on the FCPS Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program Parent Notification webpage. Testing will be conducted between April 11 and May 19. If you have questions about the assessment or the specific assessment dates for your child, please contact your childās teacher.
Poplar Tree Elementary Talent Show
The Talent Show is for everyone! Sign-up to share your talent with the Poplar Tree community!
- April 17 - sign-ups close at 4pm on Monday April 17
- April 20 - Zoom parent meeting is April 20 - one parent from each act must attend.
- May 10 - Mandatory Dress Rehearsal after school on May 10 in the cafeteria, all students in each act and at least one parent per act must attend.
- May 12 - Talent Show!
Sign-up HERE!Ā
Each member of an act must complete the sign-up form separately. Please agree on an act name before signing-up. Each child may only appear in one act. Acts can be no longer than one minute and 30 seconds. Questions? Email PoplarTreeESTalentShow@gmail.com
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šš¼ Spring Color Fun Run šš¼āāļø
We will be having a Spring Fun Color Run! Join us for a 1 mile run starting and ending at PTES! Registration is only $5! Register HERE!
Ā
šš¼ Block Party VolunteersĀ š
We are looking for some parents to help us plan and coordinate the Second Annual PTES Block Party on May 19th! Help us make this a fun event for the school community by signing up HERE!
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šš¼ 2023-24 PTA Officer
& Board Positions ā¤ļø
Our nominating committee is hard at work recruiting for PTA Officers (President and Vice President 2) and many open Board/Committee Chair positions for next school year. If you are interested, please email jenmccabe08@gmail.com to be connected with the committee for more information!
We hope you will consider joining our dedicated and hard-working team - there are positions available with various levels of time committment and skills!
Thank you to all the PTA officers & board members for their service to our school, our students, and our teachers & staff!
Click HERE for the Nominating Form for Officers
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