|
Dear Stenwood Families,
It has been an absolutely wonderful start to the school year! Thank you all for helping your children be ready for their first day. We know the first couple of weeks of school can be a big adjustment from the summer, especially maintaining stamina all day long. Keep up the routines and we know in the next few weeks it will become easier for you and your child.
On Tuesday night, August 29th, we will be hosting an in-person Back to School Night. Below are the details for the two sessions. This is a parent-only event.
Also next week, we have Fall school picture day on Wednesday, August 30th. The fall picture day is only for individual portraits.
Below you will find additional information about:
- Back to School Night - Reminder
- Parking at Stenwood - Reminder
- Opt Outs (non-FLE) - Due 8/31 - NEW
- Digital Consent - NEW
- Community Peers Preschool Program - NEW
- Safety Drills - NEW
- SR&R e-signature in ParentVue - Reminder
- Smart Watch Usage at School - NEW
- Parent Book Club - NEW
- Partner Family - Reminder
- Parent Volunteer Survey - Reminder
- Fall Picture Day - August 30th! - Reminder
- School Lunch and Free/Reduced Lunch Applications - Updated
-
Emergency Care Information - Past Due
- Activating your SIS ParentVue Account
- What is Schoology
- Stenwood is Hiring!
- PTA
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Erica Riley, Principal
esriley@fcps.edu
Bryan Case, Assistant Principal
bgcase@fcps.edu
Back to School Night on 8/29/22
Back to School Night on Tuesday, 8/29 from 6:00 - 7:30PM
Please join your child’s teacher for Back to School Night. This session will focus on curriculum, specific grade level information, and Family Life Education information.
Here is the schedule for the evening:
Session 1:
6:00 - 6:40pm
* Transition Time: 6:40 - 6:50pm *
Session 2 (repeat of Session 1):
6:50 - 7:30pm
This is an adult-only event; we ask that you arrange childcare for your children so you can attend fully to the information being presented.
Parking at Stenwood
Parking at Stenwood is very limited during large school events. On a daily basis, we ask families to park in our parking lot. During large school/grade level events, we coordinate with Fairfax County Police Department to allow for parking on the neighborhood streets behind Stenwood. Please be courteous to our neighbors, do not block driveways and please abide by all Fairfax County parking laws. When advertising events, we will communicate if the parking in the neighborhood has been coordinated.
Opt Outs (Non-FLE)
FCPS Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights and Opt-Out
Forms: This booklet can be accessed here. The booklet provides you with detailed information about your opt-out choices which are due no later than Thursday, August 31st.
If you have no objection to the activities described in this booklet, do NOT sign or submit any of the forms.
Digital Consent
Parental Permission to Use Digital Resources
Some FCPS-approved digital resources require parent consent before they can be used by students. Find the list of resources which require consent on the Parent Consent webpage. This page also includes directions for providing permission.
Each digital resource used in FCPS has had an instructional and technical review. Information about the educational technology tools approved for use within FCPS can be found in the online Digital Ecosystem Library.
Parents can find more information about FCPS-approved digital resources on the Digital Resources in FCPS webpage.
Community Peers Preschool Program
Stenwood is pleased to announce that we will have community peers in our preschool program later this fall. The early childhood special education staff members have been investigating the possible opportunities for our students to participate in integration activities with typically developing peers. This will involve teaching preschoolers with delays and without delays in the same classroom. It can provide young children with a more stimulating environment, teach skills for coping with different situations, and provide the opportunity to learn appropriate social skills.
Our program will invite a limited number of community preschoolers (2 per class), who are ages 3.5 (by September 30th) to 5 years, to participate in our daily preschool activities.
The children from the community will have the opportunity to make new friends and share experiences with current early childhood special education students. Our students will, in turn, benefit from being with community peers who can model appropriate language, motor, and social skills.
All children learn through their play. Intellectual growth occurs in a social context, influenced strongly by the quality of social interactions. The goal of this program is to encourage active learning and promote social interaction and acceptance through shared experiences between the community children and our preschoolers with special needs. Feel free to contact us for further explanation of our program.
If you are interested in having your child considered for this opportunity, please complete the Community Peers Preschool Program Interest and Information Form by Friday, September 15th. Stenwood will host a playdate for interested students in early October. The goal is to have the students start in the class by the end of October. If you know of anyone who may be interested and does not receive the Stenwood Hive Happenings, feel free to forward them this information.
Safety Drills
Safety Drills During the School Year
Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for FCPS. Each school has an emergency preparedness plan to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Schools are required by state law to practice emergency drills, including lockdown drills, each year. Schools are also required to notify parents and guardians at least 24 hours before a school conducts a lockdown drill. However, schools are not required to give the specific date and time of the drill in advance.
The first lockdown drill of the school year must take place within the first 20 days of school. Preschool and kindergarten students are exempt from practicing the first lockdown drill.
Your child may come home and talk about their experience during the drill. We encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Please review these frequently asked questions to support your students before and after school lockdown drills.
Students Rights & Responsibilities (SR&R)
The SR&R for the 2023-24 school year has been approved, updated, and posted to the FCPS website. You can review the materials and may also choose to watch a video detailing the SR&R. When logging into ParenVUE, you will be prompted to provide an e-Signature to digitally sign the SR&R.
Students will have lessons reviewing the SR&R with their classroom teachers at school on or by Thursday, August 31st.
Smartwatch Usage at School
In accordance with FCPS SR&R, elementary students are not allowed to use the call/text function on smartwatches during the school day. This policy does include non-instructional times including lunch and recess. If your child is not feeling well, please remind them that they need to tell their teacher and we can support them in the clinic; they can call you from there. Please DO NOT call, message or reply to your child on their cell phone or smartwatch during the school day. Here is the language from the SR&R specific section regarding cell phones and smart watches.
Elementary school Kindergarten-sixth grade
Phones must be silenced and in backpacks for the duration of the school day. Watches that serve a dual purpose (e.g., smart watch) may be worn; however, phone features (e.g., texting, Internet, calls, etc.) are to be off when phone use is prohibited. Students are prohibited from using phones, tablets, and other mobile devices in restrooms and locker rooms, unless there is a medical necessity or emergency. Teachers may allow usage of cell phones for instructional activities where they are the most appropriate tool, however one-to-one FCPS devices should meet most needs. Cell phones may be used on campus only before and after school. The full SR&R document is linked here.
Parent Book Club
We are excited to start a Stenwood parent book club this fall! Books will be selected based on your input and interest. The books will all be related to parenting skills and raising school-aged children. The first book we are reading is Dr. Becky Kennedy’s Good Inside. Please fill out this form to express your interest and feedback and we will provide you with more details directly. The book club will be facilitated by Tammy Berick, School Counselor and Catherine Wideman, Kindergarten Teacher and all parents who want to join!
Partner Families
We are always looking for families who speak other languages to support our families who may need help with understanding weekly communication from the school and classroom and to provide them a connection to another family. If you are interested in serving in this capacity, please fill out this survey so we can work to connect you to a family.
Parent Volunteer Survey
If you are interested in volunteering throughout the year, please complete this survey. It includes opportunities for class parent as well as in the library, clinic, and with the PTA.
Fall Picture Day - August 30th!
 School Picture Day is coming Wednesday, August 30th, 2023! Images will be available to view and purchase approximately two weeks following our school's picture day. Save time and Pre-order online.
We need 2 volunteers from the community to help navigate the flow. Would you like to volunteer? For more information or to sign up, please contact Nora Marrero in the Stenwood front office.
School Meals and
Free/Reduced Lunch Applications
Salad Bar - Now Open!
The salad bar opened on our 2nd day of school! All of our students watched this video to learn more about it before heading to lunch. Here is a flier that provides you with additional information. The Nutrislice menu linked below contains salad bar options for each day so you can help to preview what your child might want to select.
Free and Reduced-Price Status
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals will continue to receive these benefits through the end of September. A new application must be filled out each new school year and forms are available online now: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/food-and-nutrition-programs/free-and-reduced-price-meals. Applications are accepted at any time, but we encourage you to apply or renew your application before the end of September. Call (703) 813-4800 if you need help. This must be completed for eligible students to receive free meals.
Emergency Care Card Form
Emergency Care Card Forms are important in helping us contact you in case of an emergency. Parents can help by assuring that the school has the most up-to-date information.
Please update any information by using the ParentVue/Online Verification Update system. To read more about the OVU, visit the OVU page on the FCPS site. To access your ParentVue to update/verify, visit the ParentVue Login page.
Emergency Care updates were due the first day of school.
Activating Your SIS ParentVUE Account
The SIS (Student Information System) ParentVUE Account is an online tool parents can use to access information about their child’s attendance, report cards, discipline incidents, health information, and more. In ParentVUE, you can also view student progress reports/report cards and SOL scores.
Your secure SIS ParentVUE Account offers you the ability to use one username/password to login to both the SIS ParentVUE Account and Schoology.
Using the SIS ParentVUE account, parents will also be able to view school information, including teacher e-mail addresses, the FCPS calendar, and emergency contact information. Visit the FCPS website and use the search function and keywords “SIS Parent Overview” for more information.
Many of our Stenwood families have already activated your SIS ParentVUE account with the activation key. If you are unable to login to your account, you may need to reset your password on the SIS Parent Account login page (https://sisparent.fcps.edu):
- Select the “Forgot Password” button.
- Your username is the primary email address you have on file with us in our Student Information System.
- More information is available here.
Newly enrolled families should have received an activation key for your account. If you have not yet activated your account, please reach out to Sonja Hunt (snhunt@fcps.edu ) or Brian Spector (bmspector@fcps.edu).
Please take action now to ensure your account is active, so that you won’t miss a beat!
What Is Schoology?
 |
|
Stenwood is excited to continue in our second year with our new learning management system: Schoology. Schoology is a learning space that enhances face-to-face and distance learning through communication, collaboration, and personalized learning. |
Teachers can use Schoology to post their classroom materials online; to provide a safe forum for students to discuss their ideas and collaborate on projects; and to assign and collect homework electronically. It helps students stay organized and it keeps the class connected.
Parent Accounts
A Schoology Parent Account gives you access to:
- Your child’s classes.
- Your child’s upcoming assignments.
- School, class, and group announcements.
Parent accounts will be available in mid-August. To access Schoology, parents will need to have an active SIS/ParentVUE account.
More information on how to login and use Schoology is available online.
Stenwood is Hiring!
We are looking to hire Classroom Monitors and Substitutes! If you are interested in any of these positions, please reach out if you have any questions or if you want more information. Here is a link to FCPS’ application portal.
Classroom Monitors: Monitors will work every day students attend throughout the 2022-23 school year, and will directly support classrooms by providing additional supervision to students during lunch or in the classroom. The pay is $15.73/hour. Teachers will provide directions/assignments for monitors and students to complete. Please apply here and email me at esriley@fcps.edu so we can schedule a time to talk more. Please share this opportunity with others who might be interested. All FCPS schools are looking to hire for this position.
Stenwood Elementary PTA
If you are looking to stay connected with the great work of our PTA, more information about the PTA is available on their website.
First Day of School -
Welcome Back Stingers!
Marshall High School Band, Strings, & Chorus Assembly!
Stay Connected
Here are a few ways to stay connected with all the happenings at Stenwood ES
|
|
 |
 |
|
Facebook
facebook.com/StenwoodElementary
|
 |
|
Instagram
@stenwoodelementary
|
 |
|
Website
stenwoodes.fcps.edu
|
 |
|
PTA Facebook
facebook.com/StenwoodElementaryPTA
|
|
