Principals' Note
Cameron Families,
We had a smooth opening to the school year! Thank you for your patience as we worked through a few glitches that typically happens at the beginning of the school year. It was great seeing our students and families this week. We had a “Back to School Assembly” to welcome everyone back and celebrate our success. We look forward to seeing you at “Back to School Night” Wednesday, August 30th at 6:00pm-7:30pm.
Below is the schedule:
6:00pm-6:10pm- Meet specialists in the gym or art room for parent resources
6:10pm-6:40pm- Attend your child’s grade level presentation, meet specialists in the gym, or art room for parent resources
6:40pm-6:50pm- Visit you child’s classroom, meet specialists in the gym, or art room for parent resources
6:50pm-7:20pm- Attend your child’s grade level presentation, meet specialists in the gym or art room for parent resources
7:20pm-7:30pm- Visit you child’s classroom, meet specialists in the gym, or art room for parent resources
Locations:
Enhanced Autism & NCE: Rm 101
Kindergarten: Cafeteria
1st Grade: POD by the main office
2nd Grade: Library
3rd Grade: Rm 310
4th Grade: Rm 312
5th Grade: Rm 302
6th Grade: Rm 13 (Modular)
Please reach out to the main office or your child’s teacher if you have any questions. Have an awesome
weekend!
Thank you,
Mr. Eric T. Johnson and Ms. Amanda Snyder
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 On Thursday, all students attended an assembly to celebrate the rollout of Cameron P.R.I.D.E! P.R.I.D.E. represents our school values, and how we strive to act at school. We will be sharing more about the values of P.R.I.D.E. in the coming weeks.
Meeting Classroom Teachers
Parents must report to the main office and receive a visitor’s badge at all times. If you do not have an appointment with your child’s classroom teacher, you are not allowed to visit the classroom. Teachers are preparing for the day and will be happy to meet on a scheduled visit.
Meet the Mental Wellness Team
Our Mental Wellness Team is made up by our School Social Worker Ms. Baumgardt, School Psychologist Ms. Fava, and School Counselor Ms. Heath, left to right in the photo.
Gayla Baumgardt, School Social Worker - School social workers are mental health professionals who address the social, emotional, behavioral, and environmental factors impacting a student's ability to perform at their best.
I am new to Cameron this year. I moved from Williamsburg, VA over the summer. I like music and tennis. I am married and have two children who attend FCPS schools. I have lived in 4 different countries: USA, Albania, UK, and Kuwait. I am excited to be a Cameron Cheetah!
Katie Fava, School Psychologist - I’m Katie Fava and I am your School Psychologist. I grew up the daughter of public school educators and I spent my weekends and holidays in schools because my father was always my principal. Getting to roller skate down empty hallways on the weekends was actually a pretty cool perk. When I was in middle school, my family moved to Cairo, Egypt. It was the greatest opportunity I have ever been given. In my 38 years, I have travelled to more than 30 countries, and I am just getting warmed up. I am the mom to two epic kids (6 & 1) who also love to travel and make new friends wherever they go.
I started my career in education as a teaching assistant in a 3rd grade classroom and instantly fell in love with the energy. I went on to earn my undergraduate in Psychology from Salve Regina University in Rhode Island and my graduate degree in School Psychology from Lewis and Clark College in Oregon. I love my job and I am so grateful to be part of the Cameron Family.
Lisa Heath, School Counselor - I am originally from Georgia and am the youngest of 12 children. My husband and I have 2 adult daughters and a son-in-law. I have been a Middle School and Elementary Grades teacher and School Counselor since 1993. Our family moved 13 times over the past 30 years of my husband serving in the Army. My grandfather, uncles, brothers, sister and other extended family also served in the military. My husband is now retired and we have settled into the Northern Virginia community. During my leisure time, I enjoy nature, reading, and quiet time. My personal belief is that the purpose for my life is helping others. I consider it to be a privilege to be here to support your child with any social-emotional needs that may arise this year.
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Cameron Summer Reading Celebration
Did you complete the Summer Reading Adventure at the public library? If you completed the program–either with a paper reading log or online with Beanstack–join with other Cheatah readers to celebrate your summer reading!
including a Kindle Fire tablet!
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To get an invitation to the celebration, share your completed summer reading adventure with Mrs. Migs (jtmigliorini@fcps.edu) by Thursday, August 31st.
You can share your reading with any of these options:
- Bring your paper reading log to Mrs. Migs in the library.
- Snap a photo of your paper log (front and back) and email it to Mrs. Migs.
- Screenshot your Beanstack completion badge and email it to Mrs. Migs.
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COME TO BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT! Ms. Jill from the public library will be at Cameron to verify summer reading and give out prizes!
*Do you need a FCPL library card? You can sign up and receive a card at Back to School Night. Be sure to bring a photo ID with your Fairfax County address. (You can also use a piece of mail or online bill that shows your address.)
Volunteer at Cameron
Cameron would like to have you as a volunteer. You can help us with events, picture day, preparing arts and crafts for our Kindergarteners, and helping teachers as needed. See Ms. Trupo at the Family Liaison table to sign up as a volunteer at our Back to School Night or contact the Family Liaison, Ms. Trupo, at 703-329-2021.
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Assessment Information for Cameron
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) adopted iReady assessments as an academic universal screener for all elementary school students in grades 1-6. In addition to the iReady assessment, all elementary school students in grades 1-6 complete the Developmental Spelling Analysis (DSA).
The purpose of iReady assessments is to identify students who may have gaps in foundational literacy and mathematics skills. iReady tests are also used to measure student progress in reading and mathematics skills. The purpose of the DSA is to measure the development of spelling skills.
The iReady assessment includes a reading test and a mathematics test. In grades 1-3, teachers also assess students’ oral reading fluency to fulfill state testing requirements. Based on test results, some students may require additional assessments to further diagnose specific skills that may need support.
All students complete iReady in the fall, winter and spring each year. They take the DSA in the fall and spring. iReady and DSA are delivered within the classroom instructional block. Schools set the specific dates for testing in each class. Your student’s teacher or the school test coordinator will share the specific dates scheduled for testing. You can find information about general timing of iReady and DSA testing on the grade level tests webpage https://www.fcps.edu/student-assessment/grade-level-tests
Additional information can be found at the iReady Universal Screener webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/us). If you have further questions about these assessments, please contact your student’s teacher or Amanda Snyder, Assistant Principal.
🙋 Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!
The beginning of the school year is the best time to develop strong attendance habits! Students who attend school regularly are more likely to perform well in reading and math, develop strong social and emotional skills, and graduate from high school on time. Help prepare your child for future success. Watch this video with tips from Fairfax Pyramid principals and visit FCPS’ Attendance webpage for tips and strategies.
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2023 Student Rights and Responsibilities
FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities document (SR&R) explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. In late June, the School Board approved changes to the SR&R for the 2023-24 school year. Updates include a revision of dress code expectations, bystander expectations for students witnessing harmful or unsafe behaviors, bullying, and substance abuse responses. Read Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s letter to families regarding the SR&R.
Parents/caregivers should talk to their child(ren) about expectations for this school year. Also, please log in to SIS ParentVUE and sign to acknowledge your review of the SR&R, or sign and return the signature sheet to your child’s school by Friday, September 29.
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.
🔍 Lightspeed Parent Report on Child’s Device Activity
FCPS has tools to help parents know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided at no cost to families by Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service.
Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for free access to the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.
Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.
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.
☎️ Parent Information Phone Lines Available in Eight Languages
Parents/caregivers who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese may call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS. View the list of phone numbers.
✨ The 2023-30 Strategic Plan — Goal 1: Strong Start: Pre-K-12
The 2023-30 strategic plan sets five main goals to create positive change in FCPS. These goals show where we should focus our attention and will help us align our efforts. Our equity commitment and a set of measures in each goal will measure our success.
Our first goal in the strategic plan is to help all students develop academic skills, curiosity, and a love for learning. These skills and attitudes are crucial for success from pre-K to 12th grade. Our related equity commitment is to ensure authentic and affirming partnerships with families and key stakeholders through collaborative decision making that results in each student's success.
Visit the Strategic Plan webpage to learn more about how we will measure the success of Goal 1.
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 From the FCPS Office of Psychology Services
September 1-4 Labor Day (Holiday)
Friday, September 1, and Monday, September 4, are Labor Day holidays for all FCPS employees and students. Virginia legislation requires that schools opening prior to Labor Day must be closed the Friday immediately preceding Labor Day. We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year and enjoy time with family and friends. See the complete school year calendar.
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Important Dates
Aug 28 - First Day of School for Pre-K
Aug 30 - Back to School Night, 6-7:30pm
Sept 1, 4 - No School, Labor Day
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