 Welcome Back, Forestdale Falcons!
Greetings, Forestdale Family!
It is our sincere hope that you have had a wonderful summer as a family. The new school year is just around the corner, and we can't wait to welcome our Falcons back to school!
We are looking forward to an incredible year of deepening connections with and among families, honoring student voice, and continuing to meet our students by name and by need through high academic expectations and differentiated learning opportunities. We are inspired by the opportunities that lie ahead for our Falcon Family this year.
So, get ready to soar together, Forestdale! Our teachers and staff are excited to see you soon and have planned lots of exciting opportunities for you to learn and grow in the 2023-2024 school year.
Fondly,
Jennifer Cunneen, Proud Principal
LaDonna Tate, Proud Assistant Principal
Save the Dates: August Family Engagement Events
A core value at Forestdale is deepening connections with and among our families. We look forward to connecting with you during the following events prior to the start of the school year. Save the dates below!
 Tonight! Popsicles with the Principals
Come join Mrs. Cunneen, proud principal, and Dr. Tate, proud assistant principal, on the playground for a popsicle on August 9 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Connect with old Falcon friends and meet new ones!
Welcome Walks: Thursday, August 17
On the afternoon of Thursday, August 17, between approximately 3:00- 6:00 p.m., Forestdale teachers and staff will be stopping by students' homes to say a quick hello from outside the doorway. Your child's teacher will communicate with you via email during the week of August 14 to share more information and an estimated arrival time. Families may opt out of the visit. We can't wait to personally welcome our Falcons back to school!
Forestdale Family Day: Friday, August 18
In an effort to bring families together and streamline schedules for families, we will continue our tradition of Forestdale Family Day, which is a combined Open House and Back-to-School Night! The event will take place on Friday, August 18 from 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. This event will allow students and families an opportunity to visit classrooms and meet the teacher, includes a presentation from the teacher about the 2023-2024 school year, and will culminate in a huge family BBQ in the back field. The schedule is as follows:
 
 Class Placements
We know that you are eager to learn who your child's teacher is this year! Class placements will be emailed to families via eNotify at the beginning of the week of August 14, prior to Welcome Walks.
School Supply Lists
School supply lists for grades K-6 can be found on our school website here. Teachers of students in preschool will communicate with families directly regarding preparation for the school year.
Families needing support to purchase any of these school supplies should contact the Forestdale Clinical Team (Stephanie Felix and Sofia Echaide, school counselors; Amity Kim, school social worker; Ukindra Johnson, school psychologist) at ForestdaleClinicalTeam@fcps.edu.
The First Day of School
The first day of school for our grades K-6 students and our students in the Preschool Autism Classroom (PAC) is Monday, August 21, 2023. Our first day for our AM/PM Early Childhood Class-Based (ECCB) Preschool program and our PreK (formerly called HeadStart) is Monday, August 28, 2023. We can't wait to see you soon!
School Hours
The first day of school is Monday, August 21, 2023, and every minute counts! Arrival begins at 8:40 a.m. when doors open and Kiss and Ride drop off begins. Students in grades PreK-6 should be in their classroom seats no later than 8:50 a.m. or they are considered tardy. Our day begins by connecting with one another and building relationships among staff and students for productive learning.
 Attendance Matters
Our staff works hard to ensure that each minute of the school day provides our students with meaningful learning experiences. Therefore, we ask that students arrive on time and attend school each day. On the rare occasion that your child may be ill, absent or tardy, we ask that you notify the school office by completing this form (preferred method- available in all languages), emailing ForestdaleESAttendance@fcps.edu, or calling the school attendance line at (703)313-4343.
Children who show up for school regularly develop fundamental reading and math skills while building a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers. Research shows that children who were chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade were far less likely to read proficiently at the end of third grade.
Attend today, achieve tomorrow... We all belong! The video is also available in the following languages: Spanish and Korean.
Free Breakfast and Lunch for All Students
Forestdale is one of 44 schools in FCPS that is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision for the 2023-2024 school year as implemented under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Therefore, ALL Forestdale students may receive breakfast and lunch each day at no cost this school year.
Note: Forestdale families do NOT need to complete a Free and Reduced Meals application this year.
If your child chooses to eat breakfast at home and bring a lunch to school, no worries. Please make sure any packed snacks or meals are in plastic containers that your child can open without adult assistance.
More information about the Community Eligibility Provision can be found on the FCPS web here.
Are Your Child’s Immunizations and Records Up to Date?
Immunizations are required for public school entry and help keep students protected from serious diseases. Many children missed their well check-ups and their recommended childhood vaccinations during recent years because of disruptions from COVID-19. It is critical to catch up to keep children healthy and ready for school.
While COVID-19 vaccinations are not required, many other immunizations are. Check with your students’ healthcare providers now to make sure they are up to date on their immunizations.
Visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a list of clinics or contact your family’s healthcare provider. Appointments are required for most clinics.
Remember to request documentation of your child’s immunizations to provide to their school. Get more information on immunization requirements and the necessary documentation to share with your child’s school.
Sign Up for SIS ParentVUE
Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Caregivers should receive an activation code when they register their child.
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. Access SIS ParentVUE by using an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android devices.
Need help creating a SIS ParentVUE account? This video walks through the steps. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE.
School Forms
It’s important for parents to complete all required school forms. Returning families in grades PreK-6 must complete the following forms yearly:
- Health Information
- Emergency Care Information
- Identification of Military Connected Students
If your child is starting kindergarten or if you are new to Forestdale, please know that all school registration forms must be completed in order to receive class placement. Electronic forms for new students can be found here. Parents who have questions about registering in Fairfax County Public Schools can visit the FCPS website for additional information.
New: Update Your Child's Forms Online!
FCPS is offering a new online option where guardians can easily update their child’s information! The Online Verification Update (OVU) packet will allow guardians to review and update phone numbers, emergency contacts and health information (such as health conditions and immunizations) for students in grades preschool- 12. Enrolling parents* can access OVU through their SIS ParentVUE account.
*The enrolling parent is the natural or adoptive parent or legal guardian with whom the student lives the preponderance of the school week and who enrolled the student in school. Regulation 2240.
Parents must have an active SIS ParentVUE Account to access and complete the OVU packet.
Parents can obtain an activation key letter to activate their SIS ParentVUE account by contacting their child’s school or by submitting the Parent Support Request form (select Online Registration in the application dropdown menu) for assistance with this process.
If you prefer to wait, paper forms will be sent home with your child in the first day of school packet for families to complete and return to school.
If you have any questions regarding registration, please contact our registrar, Ms. Blanca Barrios, at bibarrios@fcps.edu or call 703-313-4300 for an appointment.
 It’s Not Too Late to Register for Kindergarten!
If your child will be five years old by September 30, 2023 and has not been registered for kindergarten yet, check out this easy-to-follow five step process.
Students should be registered at the school they will be attending. A boundary locator is available online, along with a list of required documents, and additional help for military families, families who need language assistance, and other forms of support.
If you have not already, be sure to sign up for our newsletter to learn more about school events, celebrations, and deadlines. Find the sign up link on our website, or view the full list online.
 Helping Prepare Young Children for School
Families play an important role in helping children prepare for kindergarten and having a successful school year. Visit these pages to learn how to actively support your kindergartener:
Kindergarten Year at a Glance - Get a general overview of the skills kindergarten students will learn throughout the year.
Your Child’s Health
Your child’s heath needs at school are a priority. School health room services, including the administration of medication and modified first aid, are performed by the health room aide. When we return to school, prescription and most over-the-counter medications at school require strict adult supervision and should not be in the child’s possession. Please let us know if your child has special health needs that may impact learning in school as soon as possible. We will connect you with our Public Health Nurse, Susan Staub, to develop a specific school health plan if needed. A letter regarding school health services will be sent home with your child on the first day of school. For more information about School Health Services and to download medication authorization forms, click here.
Communicating with Forestdale
On the first day of school, all students will receive a Take Home Folder with critical back to school information. We ask that parents complete the forms if they haven’t done so electronically and return those forms in the same folder to the classroom teacher.
News You Choose
Forestdale uses News You Choose to distribute the parent newsletter, The Falcon Press, every week. This newsletter was sent via News You Choose. News You Choose is an electronic communication platform that allows community members the ability to select what information they want to receive and how often from individual schools, the School Board office and members, departments, programs, and PTA/PTO and booster organizations. Subscribers can change their settings or unsubscribe at any time.
Make sure we have your current email so that we can send you updates. Or, you can click here to subscribe!
eNotify
Parents of Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students are automatically enrolled to receive e-Notify Communications. FCPS central offices and schools use this system to communicate emergency, delayed opening and school closing information, attendance, and other essential communications. Contact information from the student information system are uploaded to the eNotify system. It is important that parents keep their child’s emergency contact information up-to-date. To update, email Ms. Blanca Barrios, registrar, at bibarrios@fcps.edu, fill out an emergency care card, or update through your SIS ParentVUE account.
Talking Points
Teachers use the Talking Points messenger app, which allows teachers and staff to connect and communicate with families via text messaging directly to their phones and in their native languages. Families are automatically opted into Talking Points using the phone numbers listed in SIS. Teachers will share more information about Talking Points during the Back to School Night presentation during Family Day.
SIS ParentVUE
Parents can access information about their child’s attendance, class performance, and manage emergency communication and FCPS forms via a SIS ParentVue account. Click here for more information. If you need an activation code, please call the school at 703-313-4300.
Schoology /SKOO-luh-jee/
Schoology is FCPS' Learning Management System. In Schoology, parents will find teacher schedules, information about the curriculum and other important information. It’s also a great platform for teachers to communicate with families. Parents will receive information about accessing classroom sites from the classroom teacher. To learn more, click here.
Communicating with the Teacher
Parents may contact the classroom teacher by leaving a message with the office staff or by emailing the staff member directly. It is best to always start with the classroom teacher if you have a question or a concern, as they are often the person with the most knowledge regarding your child. Staff email addresses can be found on the school website here.
Follow Us!
Don’t forget to take a look at us on Twitter! Follow us @ForestdaleES!
 We Welcome Volunteers!
Forestdale is excited to welcome volunteers into our school to support our students and staff. Some areas where we appreciate support are during lunchtime in the cafeteria, helping shelve books in the library, distributing food packs, making copies or materials for teachers, etc.
If you are interested in helping to support our school community during school hours, please contact our Ms. Claudia Flores, Family Liaison, at clflores1@fcps.edu or at (703)313-4300.
Important Dates
August 9
Popsicles with the Principals, 6:00-7:00 p.m., playground
August 17
Welcome Walks, 3:00-6:00 p.m.
August 18
Forestdale Family Day (Open House/Back-to-School Night/Family BBQ), 2:00- 6:00 p.m.
August 21
First Day of School for grades K-6 and PAC
August 28
First Day of School for ECCB and PreK
September 1-4
Labor Day Holiday, No School
See the complete FCPS 2023-2024 school year calendar.
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