Daniels Run ES- April 24, 2023


Principal's Message

Dear Families,

The fourth quarter is off to a busy start, some highlights of what our students and staff have been doing the past week:

  • Thank you to our Kindergarten team for hosting a great parent information session for rising Kindergarten families last Friday. 
  • Our 6th grade students took a field trip to Georgetown University last Friday as part of our AVID program.  They also have been learning all about the American Shad fish in science class in preparation of the release of the Shad in Belmont Bay.  
  • Kindergarten and 3rd grade have been learning and playing ultimate frisbee. 
  • We had about 30 Fairfax High School students visit our students during lunch and recess. 
  • 2nd grade students have been learning about economics and the bartering system.
  • 4th grade students have been learning about interpreting functional text.
  • Congratulations to our students whose art work was displayed at the Fairfax pyramid art show.   

We have partnered with George Mason University baseball team this year and have a great event planned for next Saturday, April 29th.  More details are below and you can order your tickets with this link: 

https://am.ticketmaster.com/gmu/quickbuy?e=QlMyMzA0Mjk=&promoCode=RFJFUw==

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

Chris Smith 

DRES Principal 


Spirit Week April 24-28

Spirit Week

Save the Date - DRES Day at GMU Baseball 

Additional information regarding ticket purchase will be sent after Spring Break!

GMU

pyrmid

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. 


Kindergarten Registration- OriginalKindergarten Registration- Spanish

PTA News

 

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.

 

Volunteer for the BOGO Book Fair

The Buy One Get One Scholastic Book Fair is coming soon to Daniels Run!!Students will have a chance to visit the fair with their classes and families can also stop by during school hours to shop. Please consider signing up to volunteer: www.danielsrunpta.org/getinvolved

book fair

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.


 Strategic Planning Updates

Registration Open for Virtual Strategic Planning Community Forums

We invite parents/caregivers, students, employees, and community members to join us for a virtual community forum to discuss the first draft of proposed goals for the new Strategic Plan. Forums are scheduled for Monday, April 10, at noon; Tuesday, April 11, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. (in Spanish); and Monday, April 17, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Click on the date to register for the event.


Notes from the Music Department

🎵 American trombonist, Trombone Shorty is the April musician of the month.  He plays funk, jazz & hip hop.  Listen to his music here.  


Positivity Project (P2)

Dear Families,

Next week our school community will be focusing on the character strength of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence. Appreciation of beauty and excellence means you notice and value the world’s beauty and people’s skills. You don’t take things for granted.

Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence is the ability to identify and enjoy that which is admirable in the world. There are three types of goodness in which positive psychology focuses: physical beauty (e.g. a sunset, a song, or building); an exceptional skill or talent; and moral goodness (e.g. a character strength). Appreciation of beauty can generate awe; appreciation of a skill can generate admiration; and appreciation of moral goodness can generate moral elevation. All of these feelings (awe, admiration, and moral elevation) help us forget ourselves and find increased joy and meaning in the world. 

Appreciating excellence and beauty helps an individual experience positive emotions and connect to the world around them. It’s an outward facing strength, meaning the individual is focused on the world outside their head. And, not only is the individual outwardly focused, but often deeply absorbed in a sense of awe or admiration, freeing them to forget anxieties and troubles. And it is associated with other strengths, such as gratitude, curiosity, love of learning, and purpose.

To practice and encourage the character strength of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence 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!


Sister Act

Important Dates 

May 10- PTA Meeting