Weekly Words
April 28, 2023
We are Better Together!
Dear Island Creek Community,
We are excited for this evening’s inaugural This is Us Multicultural Night (6-8) where we recognize and celebrate the diversity among us. All Island Creek staff and families are welcome! Thank you to families and community members who will be supporting the event with displays, performances, artifacts, food samples, crafts, etc. An extra special thank you to the following ladies who put forth countless hours to make a dream come to fruition: Jane Horowitz (Family Liaison), Jenelle Walson (PTA), Daphne Callender (ESOL Teacher), Virginia Ughade (3rd Grade Teacher), Maura Keaney (Librarian), Annie Nagaoka (5th Grade Teacher), Lindsey Barber (PE Teacher), and Sarah Laird (Music Teacher).
The Standards of Learning (SOLs) testing starts next week for Grade 3-6, with the Reading SOL on Thursday, May 4. Please make sure your child has a good night’s sleep, eats a healthy breakfast, and is on time for school.
Though we have less than two months of school left, we have exciting events! Field Day will be held for all students on Friday, June 2 (rain date: June 9) and Field Day t-shirts are being sold through www.MySchoolBucks.com until Wednesday, May 10. We will continue to promote a love of reading for every student, with a Read-A-Thon on May 22 – June 3. Additionally, Staff are gearing up to overcome their basketball defeat, with a Staff vs. 6th Grade kickball game on Wednesday, June 7.
Your Proud Principal,
Jen Fallert
Congratulations to our new Building Supervisor, Ana Gonzalez!
Our sweet Crocs!
 
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
People with ancestral roots in Asia and the islands of the Pacific have been integral to the story of America. In 1992, May was designated Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to celebrate their heritage and contributions. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.
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Jewish American Heritage Month
May is a national month of recognition of the history of Jewish contributions to American culture, acknowledging the diverse achievement of the Jewish community in the U.S. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.
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Class Placement: Parent/Guardian Input (due Friday, May 12)
Our staff will be starting to create tentative class groupings this spring, with classroom assignments finalized in mid-August. As we make these placements, we consider many factors including individual student information, teacher input, and social relationships. Every class will have a blend of children with diverse needs, personalities, and learning interests. Due to the many factors we must consider in creating classroom placements, including the staffing of our teachers, requests for a specific teacher cannot be honored.
If you have information that you believe is pertinent to your child’s placement for next year, please complete this form by Friday, May 12. There is no need to complete the form if you do not have any information you would like us to consider.
Field Day T-Shirts (orders due Wednesday, May 10)
All Island Creek Crocs will be participating in Field Day on Friday, June 2 (Rain date: Friday, June 9)!
- Preschool: School Gym; Time, TBD
- Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade: Outside; 8:50-11:35
- 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, 5th Grade, 6th Grade: Outside, 12:15-3:00
Field Day T-shirts are for sale, now through Wednesday, May 10. Youth Sizes-Adult XL are $10; 2XL- $12, and 3XL-$13.
Please log into MySchoolBucks (www.MySchoolBucks.com) for payment by clicking on School Store, browse All Items, and click on the T-shirt icon. Alternatively, payment may be made by checks made out to: Island Creek Elementary.
T-shirts will be distributed to students on Field Day (Friday, June 2)
Additional Field Day information will be shared soon.
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Bike & Roll to School Day 2023: Wednesday, May 3rd
We are celebrating and encouraging students to include a safe route to school as part of a healthy and active lifestyle. Students who ride their bikes can park their bikes during the school day in the gym. Please bring your bike to the back of the school and into the gym, at Entrance #6. Students who are in SACC, childcare or not within walking distance are welcome to participate with parental approval and supervision.
If you ride your bike to school:
- All students must wear a helmet. Fairfax County law requires anyone under 15 to wear a helmet.
- Check their equipment: Air, Brakes, and Chain
- Obey all traffic laws, a bicycle is a vehicle
- See and be seen
- Go with the flow of traffic, ride on the right.
- Be predictable, stay alert
- If riding on a sidewalk, yield to pedestrians and walk your bike if the sidewalk is crowded with walkers
- Beware of cars coming out of driveways if you ride on the sidewalk
- Students crossing in crosswalks should dismount and walk their bikes across the street.
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SOL Testing Dates (Grades 3-6)
Please mark your calendar for Grades 3-6 Standards of Learning (SOL) Testing. It is important that your child arrives to school on time on SOL test dates, get a good night's sleep the night before, and eats a healthy breakfast. All SOL Testing will take place in the morning.
Kindergarten and New Student Registration
We are excited to welcome our newest Crocs to Island Creek Elementary School for the 2023-24 school year!
Beginning March 1st, we will accept registrations on any school day between 9:00 AM-2:00 PM. Please call prior to arriving to make sure the registrar is available. You may begin this process by completing the Registration Intake Form.
If you have new neighbors or rising Kindergarteners in your neighborhood, please share this information with them
PTA News
Lights... Camera... Appreciation!
The PTA has many exciting things planned for Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week, May 8-12. We need lots of help to make it extra special for our staff!
Here are four ways to help:
- Check our sign-up genius at https://tinyurl.com/ICESTAW23 to donate food and supplies for the week or to volunteer for set-up/clean-up.
- Print the thank-you template at https://tinyurl.com/ThankYouandFaves for your child to fill out for their teacher, or have your child create their own. Don't forget specials teachers, classroom aides, custodians, cafeteria staff, administrators, health room staff, and front office staff! We hope that students will make several notes to deliver all week long to our excellent staff!
- Surprise staff members all week with some of their favorite things from their Favorite Things Lists found here: https://tinyurl.com/ThankYouandFaves. You can send gifts on any day the week of May 8-12.
- Staff and students can participate in our movie-themed spirit days all week!
- Monday 5/8: Breakfast Club - Wear your best 1980s outfit!
- Tuesday 5/9: Encanto - Dress for a fiesta!
- Wednesday 5/10: Moana - Wear tropical attire!
- Thursday 5/11: Willy Wonka - Wear violet or your favorite color!
- Friday 5/12: Star Wars - Wear green for Island Creek/Yoda!
PTA Elections
Please join us from 7 - 8 p.m. on May 9, in the Island Creek Elementary School Cafeteria, as we elect our 2023-2024 Executive Board and accept volunteers for committee chairs and committees. Ms. Baxter has graciously agreed to be a member of our nominating committee and help guide our election process.
You can view the current list of open roles and potential candidates here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-yJXXc-G1AeM6b9OSqEYukFCMG983Gn5RBjTCP7276c/edit?usp=sharing
If you would like to be run for a PTA Executive Board position, please reach out to Ms. Baxter kpbaxter@fcps.edu to add your name to the list of interested candidates. Our by-laws currently allow for a President, Treasurer, and Secretary. We’ve increased our volunteers’ roles based on what we accomplished over the 2022-2023 school year. Please indicate if you wish to chair, co-chair, or be a committee member on the document above.
The PTA will also accept nominations for roles from the floor during the PTA General Membership Meeting and Elections on May 9.
Click to view the 2022-2023 FCPS School Calendar
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Tonight: This is Us Multicultural Night (6:00-8:00)
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Wednesday, May 3: Bike and Roll to School Day
- Thursday, May 4: SOL Reading Test (Grades 3-6)
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May 8-12 Staff Appreciation Week
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Wednesday, May 10: SOL Math Test (Grades 3-6); Field Day T-shirt order due
- Friday, May 12: SOL Science Test (Grade 5)
- Monday, May 22 - Saturday, June 3: Read-A-Thon
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Friday, May 29 (No School): Memorial Day, Student and Staff Holiday
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Friday, June 2: Field Day (Preschool, TBD: Grades K-2: 8:50-11:35 and Grades 3-6: 12:15-3:00); Rain date: Friday, June 9
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Friday, June 16: 2-Hour Early Release (Dismissal at 1:20 pm) - Last Day of School
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