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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
- June 14 - Field Day
- June 15 - 6th Grade Promotion, 10 AM
- June 16 - Garfield Talent Show, 10 AM
- June 16 - Last Day of School
- June 19 - Juneteenth, Holiday
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 Principals Corner
Hello Garfield Families,
Our hearts are so full this week as we begin to prep for year end and witness the wonderful achievements of each Eagle at Garfield!
Our 6th graders held an Open House in STEAM class. Each student virtually engineered their own house with accessories to sell and printed a brochure with all the important details. They were priced on a varying market scale with upgrades like a heart shaped pool, greenhouse, and garage that can produce a fully functional car. It was wonderful listening to them try and close a sale, making the final choice on where to buy quite difficult.
2nd graders traced themselves to encompass all their favorite highlights in a visual way. Students collaborated with each other sharing ideas and helping create these beautiful drawings that brought to life all the amazing experiences of 2nd grade, like going on a field trip to the National Zoo.
Our Kindergarten students had their Success Day. Parents visited the classroom and our students shared all the amazing work they’ve created. From the beginning of the school year to now, our Kindergarten students have continuously been building on a solid learning foundation. They were so proud to showcase their hard work and are ready for 1st grade!
We had our final visit with Keeva from Alliance Therapy Dogs. A big thank you to her handler Fred Evans for volunteering his time and sharing Keeva with us! She has made such a positive impact in our classrooms this year. We look forward to our partnership for the coming school year.
John Lewis High School, Class of 2023, came for their grad walk. We cheered them on as they walked down familiar hallways. We wish them all the best as they set sail into the world and embark on their next adventure.
Thank you to all the families who attended our final parent coffee of the year. Ms. Strotman provided families with take-home steam kits to encourage summer learning with students. We appreciate you taking time each month to connect with the staff at Garfield supporting your child in their learning.
Next week is the last week of school. We will be hosting our 6th grade promotion, talent show, and classroom end of year parties. Please communicate with your child’s teacher about how you can support your students events for next week!
Have a wonderful weekend!
April L. Cage, NBCT, M.Ed.
Principal
Rachel Waters
Assistant Principal
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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Updates on Online Student Registration
FCPS plans to have online registration in place at all schools across the district starting June 30, ensuring a simple and efficient new student registration application process for the upcoming school year. Learn more about registration.
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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State Student Assessment Summary Reports
At the May 25 School Board meeting, Dr. Reid presented information on a new Virginia Department of Education report called Virginia’s Visualization and Analytics Solution (VVAAS) Student Assessment Summary.
Virginia school divisions will be distributing a report to parents showing their student’s past Standards of Learning (SOL) testing data. Reports will be provided, through SIS ParentVUE or by mail, for any student who has an SOL testing history in the state of Virginia as of Spring 2022.
In addition to showing a student’s performance on SOL tests over time, it also shows how that performance compares to other Virginia students who took the same test. This report, along with a companion letter, will be available mid-June.
FCPS uses various data sources to determine student growth and success. The Student Assessment Summary Report is just one piece of information in the larger picture of student assessment in FCPS. Learn more about what to expect regarding assessment reporting practices and timelines.
Medication Pick-up From the Clinic
The school health room is reminding parents and guardians that all medication stored in the health room must be picked up no later than the student dismissal time on the last day of school. Medication left in the health room after that time will be destroyed. It is school policy that medications must be picked up by the parent or guardian. Medication cannot be sent home with your student. However, with parent or guardian permission, a high school student may transport over-the-counter medications to and from the school health room. If your student will be enrolled in a summer program sponsored by Fairfax County Public Schools, the existing medication authorization form(s) may be used for the summer program, but you will need to pick up the medication on the last day of school and deliver the medication and completed forms to the summer learning site on the first day of the summer program. Please let the health room know if you would like a copy of the form(s).
🏃♀️ Middle School Athletics Coming This Fall
FCPS has designated funding in the budget for 2023-24 for middle school spring and fall athletic activities to support student well-being at no cost to students. Pending budget adoption, this will be the first time FCPS has offered middle school students a chance to participate in extracurricular sports programs.
Middle schools will start with cross country this fall. Track will follow in spring 2024.
Any middle school students who would like to participate in athletics will need to have a Virginia High School League (VHSL) pre-participation examination (PPE). The physical exam form must be completed and signed by a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant. Fairfax County public high schools will offer PPEs at a cost of $50 per student through June 17. Students who receive free or reduced meals are eligible to receive an exam at no cost. Learn more about PPE and middle school athletics.
Making the Transition to Middle School
Making the move from elementary school to middle school can be an exciting and unsettling time for a parent and child. In a recent episode of FCPS multilingual podcast, En Pocas Palabras, learn ways to ease the transition including:
- Understanding the developmental changes in your child.
- Getting to know middle school culture.
- Encouraging independence, but remaining available.
- Offering emotional support to your child.
- Reiterating your family values and expectations.
- Staying involved in your child’s school.
The podcast is available in Arabic, English, Korean, and Spanish. Listen and subscribe.
Portrait of A Graduate at Garfield
This year, Garfield is focused on the Communicator skill from Portrait of a Graduate (POG). Effective communicators exhibit the following skills:
- Applies effective reading skills to acquire knowledge and broaden perspectives.
- Employs active listening strategies to advance understanding.
- Speaks in a purposeful manner to inform, influence, motivate, or entertain listeners.
- Incorporates effective writing skills for various purposes and audiences to convey understanding and concepts.
- Uses technological skills and contemporary digital tools to explore and exchange ideas.
Being a good communicator means that your child can effectively express their thoughts and ideas to others, both verbally and in writing. This skill will not only help them in their academic pursuits but also in their personal relationships and future professional endeavors. Encouraging your child to develop good communication skills early on will benefit them for years to come.
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Strategic Plan to Be Voted on at Next School Board Meeting
Superintendent Reid recently presented FCPS’ new Strategic Plan to the School Board. The School Board will vote on the plan at their meeting on Thursday, June 15. Find out how to view the Board meeting.
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.
Tutoring Grants Available for Families
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is now accepting applications from parents for tutoring microgrants for their children through the K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants program.
The program was created to help Virginia families address the impact of the pandemic on student learning. It provides $1,500 grants to parents of school-age children for tutoring in specific subjects. Children from homes with family incomes at 300% or less of the federal poverty level may qualify for $3,000 grants.
Available services include in-person, online, and hybrid tutoring provided one-on-one or in small group or large group settings. The first step in the process is to visit VDOE’s K-12 Learning Acceleration Grants page and create an application account.
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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💪 Let's Finish the School Year Strong!
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Student attendance at school is important all year long, up to the last day of school. Attendance has an effect on student performance and on school accreditation. See how to:
- Check your child’s attendance record.
- Help your student stay engaged at school.
- Report future absences.
- Understand the FCPS school calendar.
Learn more about 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 OR photo ID/Passport 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.
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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