In this week's Paw Print:

1. Principal Message 🐾

2. SCA Spirit Day

3. Light the Night Campaign ❤️

4. Save the Date: Chantilly Pyramid Spotlight on Student Learning 💡

5. Opioid Community Conversation 🗣️

6. Panther Praise 🙌🏼

7. Testing Information 📋

8. PTA Information 🤲

Dear Poplar Tree Families,

This week we had a number of fun events at Poplar Tree. On Wednesday, we celebrated our military connected children by wearing purple and enjoying popsicles on the playground. We know that our military connected children make many sacrifices along with their family members.

Wednesday evening we had an excellent turnout at Chantilly High School for the pyramid art show! Thank you to Ms. Williams and Ms. Rogers for their hard work preparing for the show! The display was beautiful and all our students did an amazing job!

Starting Monday, April 24 we will be welcoming a new registrar! Her name is Claudia Munson and we look forward to adding another friendly face to our front office! 

We have some more fun events this week! The Chantilly Pyramid Spotlight on Student Learning will be Tuesday evening at Franklin Middle School starting at 6:00 pm. We also will have our Spring Color Fun Run on Friday evening starting at 5:30. Can't wait to see many of our families there!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sue Andujar, Principal

Carol Larsen, Assistant Principal

SCA Spirit Day

The next SCA Spirit Day is Friday, April 28th, and it is Dress Like Your Favorite Animal Day! Students are encouraged to show their school spirit by dressing like their favorite animal! As a reminder, all costumes and props must be school appropriate (no sharp objects like claws, weapons, guns, swords, etc. or masks of any kind will be permitted!)

Light the Night Campaign

Our school is participating in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Light The Night campaign, a service-learning program that helps raise critical funds for blood cancer patients like Harper (above). Did you know that leukemia is the #1 most diagnosed form of childhood cancer? LLS is the world’s largest nonprofit fighting blood cancer and is working to change this statistic through its Children’s Initiative, which seeks to accelerate treatments with fewer harmful side effects, so that young cancer patients like Harper not only survive but thrive for generations to come.

As a school, Poplar Tree has a goal of raising $5,000! The grade level that raises the most money will have teachers complete a dare voted on by students. In the past, teachers have been slimed and played egg roulette! We can’t wait to see what dare teachers complete this year! We invite you to join our school as we fundraise to help end blood cancers. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Sniffin at smsniffin@fcps.edu. Thank you for your support!

There are THREE ways to donate:

1. Through your child’s classroom page (for the specific link, please contact your child’s teacher)
2. Our school website by clicking HERE.
   • Click “Join Team” to create a fundraising page
3. Sending in a check made payable to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (please send in an envelope and have your child bring to Mrs. Sniffin’s class or mailbox)

Our campaign will run from Monday, April 17 - Friday, May 5!

💡Save the Date! 💜

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. We’ll also be giving away student-designed stickers! Families and students are welcome- see you there!

Fentanyl and Other Drugs in FCPS

A Community Conversation 

Last month, FCPS hosted a conversation on the dangers of fentanyl. Most fatal overdoses in Fairfax County in recent years involved fentanyl.

FCPS will hold a second event with new information focused on the opioid crisis in Fairfax County Public Schools. The conversation will continue on Monday, April 24, 6:30 to 8 p.m., at Woodson High School. Families and students will learn how, as a community, we can partner  to reduce the impact of these harmful—and often deadly—drugs. All attendees will receive a free REVIVE! Narcan training during the event and learn about support services currently available within FCPS and Fairfax County.   

Childcare will be available. Transportation will also be available from select schools throughout the county. View the registration page for details. 

Visit our Opioid Awareness webpage for more information. Visit the Fairfax County Government webpage on opioids for information on how you can take action and get help for yourself or loved ones.

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!

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 the Poplar Tree Staff is putting in day and night! We will share these praises with the staff members. To submit a Staff Panther Praise, please fill out 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 students’ 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 student’s 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 child’s 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 child’s teacher.

🏃🏼 Spring Color Fun Run 🏃🏼‍♀️

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!

👏🏼 Block Party Volunteers 🎈

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!

13440 Melville Lane, Chantilly, VA 20151  |  Main Phone: 703.633.7400
Attendance: 703.633.7474 or PoplarTreeESAttendance@fcps.edu
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