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To read this newsletter in other languages, please visit our website.
Para leer este boletín en otros idiomas, visite nuestro sitio web.
اس نیوزلیٹر کو دوسری زبانوں میں پڑھنے کیلئے ، براہ مہربانی ہماری ویب سائیٹ ملاحظہ کیجیئے۔
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Upcoming Events
- May 18 - Summer Program Registration Night, 5pm
- May 29 - Memorial Day Holiday, No School
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 Principals Corner
Hello Garfield Families,
We have reached our final destination, Turks and Caicos! Thank you for coming aboard the Ocean Eagle this week for Staff Appreciation. We loved having our Eagles participating in the fun and showing their team of teachers how much they appreciate them.
In addition to all the fun festivities at Garfield this week, we had a very special visit from WUSA9 news. Meteorologist, Kaitlyn McGrath, gave our 4th and 5th graders a presentation about the weather and how it gets reported to us. Students got to sit in the ECO9 weather truck and Garfield was featured on the 6pm news!
Our Family Liaison, Carol Melim, took an unprecedented parent only field trip to Washington D.C. Garfield Parents experienced firsthand what it’s like to go on a field trip. They had a wonderful time exploring our Nations Capitol and are looking forward to sharing this experience with their friends and family.
Pre-k students visited Clemyjontri Park and were greeted with sunshine and fun with their friends. Our pre-k program is still accepting registrations for next year!
We also want to thank our PTA for an exceptional International Night last Friday. We are still thinking of all the amazing foods we tasted, music we listened to, and beautiful dance routines by our very own eagles. It’s always special when the entire school can gather for events like this and experiences the beauty of the different cultures here at Garfield.
Today, students were part of big surprise to grant teachers a little time to have a treat while we practiced for assemblies and future movies nights. We reviewed how to respond to the chime in case important announcements needed to be made and we had a chance to watch a few clips of the movie Rio because of our wonderful PTA. Staff appreciation week was spectacular! Thank you for all the notes, flowers, gifts, cards, lunch and yummy treats!
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
April L. Cage, NBCT, M.Ed.
Principal
Rachel Waters
Assistant Principal
Therapy Dog Visits Garfield!
Garfield Elementary School has partnered with Alliance Therapy Dogs to have monthly visits with certified therapy dogs. The dogs will be accompanied by a trained handler. Students will be allowed to read to the dogs and pet them. Research suggests therapy dogs can help lower stress levels, thereby optimizing learning capacity.
This opportunity is completely optional. If your child does not want to participate for any reason, they do not need to attend. If you wish to not have your child participate, please click the link below and fill out a google form. https://forms.gle/JJdaZ6cRzL8jHUmz9
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Kindergarten Registration: It’s as Easy as 1-2-3…
There’s an easy five-step process outlined for parents looking to register their child for kindergarten:
- Determine eligibility.
- Identify your local school.
- Gather documents.
- Fill out forms.
- Schedule an appointment.
After the appointment at the school (the student and one caregiver must be present), the student will be ready for orientation, Bridge to Kindergarten, or any other introductory events each school may host. Read more about the registration process. Questions? Please contact our registrar, Sarah Rothman, 703-923-2900, sgrothman1@fcps.edu.
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Lost and Found
Our lost and found is growing! With the warmer weather in the afternoon, jackets and other garments are often left behind. We'd like to make sure they get returned to your student. Please have your student check the lost and found or come by after school!
All items left in the lost and found after June 16th will be donated.
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Garfield's Bus Stop Blast!
We are coming to a bus stop near you!
Garfield staff members will be visiting various bus stops in the morning and afternoon to meet and greet with parents and students.
Come hear how you can talk to your child about reading and receive a FREE book!
We can't wait to see everyone at their bus stop!
Family Liaison Center
The Parent Center will be starting two parent classes:
- Study preparation for the US Citizenship Class, begins March 29th
- Study preparation for the Virginia Drivers permit, begins April 13th
If you are interested in taking one of these classes. Please contact Carol Melim, Garfield’s Family Liaison clmelim@fcps.edu or 703-923-2966.
Parent Information Line Available in Eight Languages
Parents who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese can call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS and to receive support if they are having difficulty communicating with their children's schools due to a language barrier.
Garfield parent field trip to DC!
PreK Registration at Garfield
How to Register for Pre-K or Early Head Start
Fairfax County offers pre-K for students 3-4 years old whose parents meet income requirements and Early Head Start is for infants, toddlers, and expectant mothers who meet income requirements. To register, parents or caregivers should:
- Complete the application form.
- Make a copy of the child’s birth certificate and a residency document (lease, dead, or mortgage).
If your child is selected for one of the programs, the following will need to be completed:
- a school physical.
- dental exam.
- FCPS school registration forms.
A family service partner will be assigned to guide families through the entire application process. Learn more on the Early Childhood application webpage, or call 703-208-7900 (English) or 703-208-7901 (Spanish).
Child Find Screenings
Child Find is the process of identifying children with potential special education needs as well as educating the community about child development and the importance of early intervention. Child Find screenings and services are provided by the FCPS Early Childhood Identification and Services program for children ages 20 months through 5 years who live in Fairfax County or Fairfax city. Learn more on the Child Find website.
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ESSER Online Feedback Form
FCPS received Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) Funding in the fall of 2021. The funds are being used to support the safe operation of schools and address the impacts of COVID-19 on students.
ESSER III focus areas include:
- ensuring continuity of learning services and addressing students’ academic needs.
- maintaining the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff.
- addressing student wellness including their social, emotional, mental health, and other needs.
FCPS would like your feedback on how well the school division is responding to the areas above. Please complete this Online Feedback Form, which will be open through Friday, May 5. Your input will inform the School Board and FCPS staff on the community’s view of our work.
The Fairfax County School Board will hear public comment on ESSER III in-person instruction and continuity of services plan on Thursday, April 27, at 6 p.m., at Jackson Middle School. Register to speak at the ESSER III public hearing. See how FCPS is using ESSER funds to impact student success
Portrait of A Graduate at Garfield
Have you heard about Portrait of a Graduate(POG) at FCPS? POG acknowledges that in our rapidly changing world, education needs to evolve to fulfill our mission of supporting student success in school and in life. POG prioritizes the development of skills that will empower students to be productive citizens of a global community and successful in the workforce of the future.
A goal of FCPS is to provide opportunities for students to demonstrate learning in more authentic ways. Teachers in FCPS are enhancing learning opportunities to include the attributes of Communicator, Collaborator, Ethical and Global Citizen, Creative and Critical Thinker, and Goal-Directed and Resilient Individual.
Final Feedback Opportunity - Strategic Plan Survey
If you haven’t already, please participate in the final opportunity to provide feedback on the draft Strategic Plan goals, measures, and pillars. Take the survey today! Feedback will be reviewed by the School Board at their May 9 retreat. It will also be discussed at the May 25 Board meeting. The survey will close Wednesday, May 17. Visit FCPS’ website to learn about the strategic planning process.
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What is ParentVue and How You Can Sign Up
If you do not already have a ParentVUE SIS account, sign up now to monitor and support your child’s academic success! Through ParentVUE, you are able to monitor your student’s attendance, grades, and assignments at any time. You can also access special reports for your student like progress reports and assessments score reports.
Once you have activated a ParentVUE account for an FCPS student, you will keep the same account until the student graduates. Information about students in the same family can be accessed through the same ParentVUE account. SIS ParentVUE can be accessed using an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android devices.
Need help creating a SIS ParentVue account? This video walks you through the steps on how to do so. You can also find out more about SIS ParentVUE on our website.
Update Your Emergency Care Information Through weCare@school
Fairfax County Public Schools provides weCare@school (weCare), an emergency care information system, to parents/caregivers who have registered for their own parent account. weCare helps manage emergency medical information by allowing parents to enter and update their children’s medical data online at their convenience. That contact information automatically enrolls parents/caregivers to receive eNotify communications from the district and their child’s school. eNotify is the communications tool for FCPS emergency, transportation, attendance, weather closings and delay, and essential outreach messages. Messages are sent via email, text, and occasionally phone.
Learn more about updating your emergency care information.
Medicaid Policy Changes
A change in federal Medicaid policy could impact the health care coverage of millions of students. In order to avoid gaps in coverage, families need to know:
- Families, especially those who have moved residences during the pandemic, should contact their state Medicaid offices to ensure their contact information is up to date.
- Families should watch their mail for letters about Medicaid and the state Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, status.
- Recipients must submit any renewal forms they receive to maintain coverage, which states could mail at any point between March 2023 and February 2024.
- Families who no longer qualify for Medicaid after the review may qualify for coverage through their state’s health insurance exchange.
Learn more in this EducationWeek article.
Title I at Garfield ES
Title I is the nation’s largest assistance program for schools. It provides funding to supplement
educational opportunities for children who are most at risk and increasing student achievement
in schools selected on the basis of the economic level of families. The primary focus is to
ensure student access to provide all children significant opportunities to receive a fair,
equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps.
To learn more about the Title I program at Garfield ES, click here
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Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!
According to a recent study of elementary and middle schools, there is a 5.8% difference between April and June attendance rates. Let's work together to end the school year successfully! Visit our website for attendance resources.
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School Safety and Security
We take the security of our students and our staff very seriously. All exterior doors are locked during the school day. Visitors are to ring the bell at Door 1 to gain access to the main office. Every visitor/adult who enters the building is monitored.
All visitors walking into Garfield ES must ring the doorbell, state their name and purpose of the visit, and come to the office with a valid driver’s license to sign in using the Visitor Management System (VMS). The VMS will issue each visitor a sticker that should always be worn when in the building.
To maintain the momentum of instruction, items brought to the office during school hours (lunch, supplies, homework, etc.) will be held in the office for students to pick up.
Save the Date - Safety and Security Town Hall
FCPS will host a community conversation to discuss our approach to safety and security, and the work we do every day to keep our schools safe. Join us Monday, May 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at South Lakes High School. Registration information will be available soon.
FCPS staff and experts will review our risk assessment processes, the physical measures we already have in place to protect our students and staff, pilot programs to detect vaping, and how we communicate and collaborate with our partners when there is an incident at our schools
School Hours and General Information
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Our school hours are from 9:20 a.m. to 4:05 p.m. Monday through Friday. School doors open at 9:05 a.m. each day to begin receiving students.
Please call the attendance line at 703-923-2929 to report a tardy or absence.
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Garfield PTA
2022-23 School Calendar
View a printable version of the 2022-2023 calendar or find a list view of the calendar on the FCPS Calendar webpage.
 School Board Approves 2023-24 School Year Calendar
The Fairfax County School Board approved a calendar for the 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 school years at their February 9 meeting. Learn more about the approved calendar.
The first day of the 2023-24 school year will be Monday, August 21, and the last day will be Wednesday, June 12.
Developing a school year calendar is a balancing act, involving multiple factors that must be considered. Community input is one of those factors, and we appreciate our community for being involved in the calendar development process.
Find us on Social Media!
Be Informed, Stay Involved!
• 2022-2023 School Year Calendar
• Visit the Garfield ES Website
• Report your Child's Absence
• Monitor your student's academics with a SIS Parent Account
• Join the Garfield PTA
• Recognize a FCPS Employee at FCPS CARES . The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for families, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story, so we can all acknowledge the good work of FCPS employees at Garfield Elementary School. We love our staff members; let's tell them how we feel!
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