Upcoming Important Dates
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May 29
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Memorial Day - no school
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June 7
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PTA Car Wash for Staff - please sign up below!
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June 9
6:00-8:00
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8th Grade Celebration - 8th grade WIMS students only - no date, formal wear, or dress shoes required. See below for more information
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June 12/13
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Laptop Collection at Irving through science classes
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June 13
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INOVA Blood Drive - 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
We need 30 people to donate blood! Sign Up Here by May 31 - help us meet our goal!
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Let’s Glow Read A Book - 5:30 pm-7:30 pm- Irving Literacy Night for students in grades K-8 and families
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Our students are creative and talented in so many ways! This amazing Lego horseman was created and donated by one of our 8th grade students and his family. We cannot wait to display it for all to see!
Greetings, Irving Families!
The end of the school year is exciting for many reasons, one of the main reasons is we get to see and hear just how much growth has happened since August through outstanding performances. Congratulations to Mr. King and the Advanced Theater Arts students for the great performances of the student written and performed play “The Real Housewives of Tampa, The Mystery” last weekend. I also want to congratulate Dr. Boccuzzi and our Chorus students - their final concert of the year was last night and it was a Disney Spectacular! Thank you, Mr. King, Mr. Kraemer, and Ms. Prunty, for performing and supporting our students! We look forward to the Band and Orchestra concerts coming up.
Yesterday afternoon, we wrapped up an amazing year of After School Activities! Students were able to participate in so many activities - many new to our programming for after school. I want to thank Ms. Natalie Duncan, our After School Activities Specialist, for her continuous efforts to provide engaging and high interest options for our students. I also want to thank our staff who sponsor our clubs and activities. After School Activities are so important and I am appreciative of our staff’s willingness to start new clubs that meet our students’ interests.
Coming up in just a couple of weeks is our 8th grade celebration! Thank you so much to all who have committed to donating food and drinks for the event. There are still a few items available if you would like to donate - the link to the sign-up genius is below. Also, since we invite all of our 8th grade students, we are also in need of chaperones. If you are willing to chaperone the 8th grade celebration, please complete this form. Thank you for supporting this annual end of year tradition.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Take Care!
Cindy Conley
Principal
8th Grade Service Learning and Inova Bloodmobile
Please help us meet our goal of at least 30 people donating blood!
In a couple of weeks, our 8th graders will be participating in service learning days. One of our service learning opportunities includes volunteering to support an Inova Blood Donation Drive. The event is on June 13 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. While our students are not old enough to donate blood, they will be able to learn about the importance of blood donation, volunteer during the drive, and work to create an information campaign to help increase donations throughout Fairfax County.
In order to hold the blood drive, we need at least 30 participants who are willing to try to donate blood on June 13 from 10:00-2:00. If you are willing to commit to trying to donate blood through the Inova Blood Mobile at Irving Middle School, please complete the form below. More information will be shared once we reach our minimum of 30 participants. Our goal is to reach the 30 participant number by May 31.
If you would like to be a part of this service learning opportunity and donate blood - please sign up through this google form and more information will be sent to you soon regarding the drive.
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Medication Pickup
All medication stored in the clinic must be picked up no later than dismissal time (12:15) on the last day of school, Friday, June 16. Medication left in the clinic after that time will be discarded. It is school policy that medications must be picked up by the parent or guardian. Medication cannot be sent home with your student. If you have any questions, please call the clinic at 703-912-4510.
8th Grade Celebration
Friday, June 9 from 6:00-8:00 pm
- The purpose of the 8th grade celebration is to have fun and celebrate one last time as a class with before they head out for the summer and on to high school.
- Only 8th grade students attending Irving Middle School may attend.
- The 8th grade celebration is NOT a formal event.
- This event will be in our gym and out on our tennis courts/black top. Students should be comfortable to dance, play games, and likely take a lot of pictures in our photo section with the horseman backdrop.
- In previous years, students have worn a pair of slacks and a polo type shirt or a skirt/blouse or dress, again NO formal attire or high heels are required or recommended for this event (often high heels are taken off within about 5 minutes of arriving…).
- Students often attend in groups, so having a “date” is NOT a requirement to attend.
- We will be utilizing outdoor spaces for the event - fingers crossed for good weather!
- We need volunteers to make this celebration a success - please see the link below to volunteer as a chaperone for the 8th Grade Celebration and/or donate snacks. Thank you in advance for helping us make this celebration a successful event for our students.
Snack Donation Sign-up
Chaperone Sign-up form
Mathspace Webinar for Families
WSHS Basketball Camps
West Springfield will be hosting summer basketball camps for elementary and middle schoolers. We will also be hosting our all girls camp (3rd-9th) in July. Any questions contact Coach Gibson at wrgibson@fcps.edu or the link below for registration.
WS COED and Girls Basketball Camp
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Middle School Technology Institute (MSTI)
Registration has opened for the 2023 Summer Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology’s Middle School Technology Institute (MSTI). The program will take place at Thomas Jefferson and is open to all FCPS middle school students. Participation in MSTI does not mean one is accepted into Thomas Jefferson.
The Virginia Partnership for Out-of-School Time (VPOST)
The Virginia Partnership for Out-of-School Time (VPOST) is excited to open our recruitment for our second cohort of Youth STEM Ambassadors! Virginia youth ages 13-18 are encouraged to apply to represent teens across the Commonwealth who love participating in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) activities during afterschool. Ambassadors are coached on crafting their unique STEM stories and how to talk to policymakers about their experiences. The Ambassador program will follow a cycle of the Virginia General Assembly season from election campaigns in the summer, through elections, and into the start of the Virginia General Assembly session. It will culminate with an advocacy day at the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, VA in early 2024 where Ambassadors will bring their love of STEM to change-making!
- Ambassadors will participate in one monthly session, virtually, (times to be determined) between June and November 2023 and January-February 2024. Attend an advocacy day in Richmond, VA in early 2024. Successful completion of the program will be rewarded with a gift certificate for $100
Questions can be directed to Christine Jones Monaccio at christine.jones-monaccio@v-post.org. Full program info including the application is available here.
Mental Health Awareness Month
The month of May is a time to pause and raise awareness of the fact that many people live everyday with mental and behavioral health issues and there is a need to reduce the stigma attached with the experience. Post-COVID the reality is that millions of Americans are dealing with an increase in mental, behavioral, and substance misuse illnesses in their families (NAMI). Additional mental health challenges by the COVID-19 pandemic have also increased youth related substance use, mental health struggles, and suicide (HHS). According to HHS, suicide is still the second highest cause of death in youth ages 10 to 14 and adults from ages 24 to 35. This prompted the July 2022 launch of 988 the new three-digit code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7 call, text, and chat access to crisis counselors. It is for anyone experiencing suicidal, substance use, and/or mental health crises or emotional distress. Concerns about loved ones may also be addressed using the 988 dialing code. SAMHSA has described the new 988 dialing code as an important step in transforming how crisis and trauma situations are handled in the United States. Please note that the 800-273-8255 number still works, 988 is just built off of the 10-digit number.
Resources:
Substance Use Prevention and Encouraging Healthy Brain Development
Together for Mental Health
Fact Sheet: Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month 2022
988 Frequently Asked Questions
For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @FCPSSAPS.
For further Information & support:Ken Johnson, M.Ed.
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist
Kwjohnson@fcps.edu
Library News
All books borrowed now are due on June 2nd. The year is winding down. Teachers will be helping to remind students that they should return their library book as soon as they are finished with their class assignments; it would be helpful if this were reinforced by you at home too.
Students can always look to see what items they have checked out by going through the Library’s Schoology Course and logging into the library catalog.
Many students have borrowed books in early September that have not been returned. As always, any help that you can give in aiding your child in locating and returning overdue library books is appreciated.
Stay tuned for information coming soon about Summer Reading incentives!
–Mary Ann Monk, Irving MS Librarian
After School Information
Thank you for a wonderful school year!
PTA News
Our FINAL ITEM OF FUN is the ANNUAL PTA Car Wash! Join us on June 7th from 7:45 AM to 1:00 PM for some end of year fun for parents. PTA volunteers (and maybe Principal Conley) will show teacher & staff appreciation by washing their cars during the school day. We can only do this with volunteers. Please sign up on the Sign Up Genius here (copy & paste, links don't work) - www.tinyurl.com/PTACarWash2023. And if you want to donate supplies (your old towels, buckets, brushes, and SOAP!) we'll take anything for replenishment! As we wrap-up the year, THANK YOU to all the volunteers that helped behind the scenes to keep the PTA running - Spiritwear, Restaurant Nights, Movie Night, and so much more. If you're interested in the PTA doing something new next year, don't hesitate to suggest it...and help! Send it to irvingmspta@gmail.com
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