Glasgow Parents and Community:
Greetings! Are you ready for the 2nd week of school? Our students continue to improve on learning their schedules, memorizing their lunch pins and understand our Glasgow rules. We are so proud of the start of the school year, thus far! The Title I Parent Advisory Committee is a committee of parent representation from every Title I School. The committee meets six times throughout the year with a focus on building strong partnerships with the schools and families. Learn more about TPAC here. Please email me if you are interested.
Please be aware that all of us are getting used to new routines at the start of the school year. Thank you for your patience as those routines are established. The doors of the building will open at 7:00AM in the morning, to ensure we have proper supervision for students, so please do not drop your students off at school before that time. They will not be able to enter the building. If a student’s bus is delayed, parents may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report.
Friday, September 1, and Monday, September 4, are Labor Day holidays for all FCPS employees and students. We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year and enjoy time with family and friends. Also, please see Dr. Ricardy Anderson’s 2023 Back to School Message!
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 Back to School Night is September 13, 2023 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
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.
FCPS Transportation
Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following Kiss and Ride procedures and being patient while waiting for your children’s buses.
If a student’s bus is delayed, parents may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays. Contact the Transportation Office at 703.446.2050 with any additional questions. For any concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact Safety and Security at 571-423-2000.
To make sure you receive email messages about bus delays, update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE.
Student Cell Phones
The new section on cell phones prohibits cell phone use in classrooms at Glasgow MS. We recognize that this new policy will be a shift for many students and families this year, but research shows that managing phone use during class time will support students’ attention and ability to fully engage in their learning. Schools are partnering with parents to have students understand the importance of putting their phones away to minimize distractions during the school day. If students violate this policy it will be a parent pick up from the main office.
If a parent or guardian believes their child requires access to a personally owned device(s) as an accommodation, they should contact child’s school team—i.e., 504 Committee, Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team, English Language Committee, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Team—to schedule a meeting to have their request considered.
Parents should talk to their child(ren) before the start of the school year about these expectations for this upcoming school year. Families may also review the parental controls available for all iPhone and Android users. More information about the SR&R is available online.
- Glasgow is aligned with the policy within ensuring when students enter the building their phones and technology need to be off and away.
- Glasgow allows students to be on their phones when they get off/on the bus as they are walking to or from the building or as they are getting out/in their parents cars
- Once students enter the school building, school has begun and they need to be OFF and AWAY
- Clear signage is throughout the building, stating this for students.
- After the first week, it is parent pickup and flexibility depending on the family situation.
New Leadership and Restructured Regions
FCPS leaders have spent the summer aligning resources to ensure that every student receives the premier educational experience FCPS is known for. There have been a number of changes in staff assignments across the regions, and the addition of a new Region 6.
Learn more about the Leadership Team, school regions, and central offices and region leadership.
From Student Services
Our school counseling team has been working hard to ensure that all of our students have a wonderful start to the school year. Over the course of the next few weeks, Glasgow School counselors will be focused on supporting newly registered students, making corrections to scheduling errors and making connections with students who need immediate response. If there is an error on your child’s schedule, please submit the correction you are seeking via this form. Opportunities to change courses by request will be extremely limited and are subject to the approval of our Director of Student Services.
Student schedule requests will be prioritized as follows: Students who are missing classes, students who may be incorrectly placed in a course by level or grade level and then elective choices based upon availability. We cannot accommodate requests to move classes to different periods of the day or to remove required courses. When schedules change, all efforts will be made to communicate changes to students and families in advance of the chance. Please continue to check ParentVue/StudentVue as student schedules are updated each night. The update may take up to 24 hours to reflect in the ParentVue/StudentVue app, but our team is available to assist in any way possible. We thank you for your patience, flexibility and understanding.
Update Contact Information to Receive Messages From FCPS
Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from FCPS and our school by providing your cell phone number and email in SIS ParentVUE. Make sure you complete the Emergency Care Form for your child every year and update when necessary.
To update your contact information in ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then select the “Online Verification/Update” form in the drop down menu. Click “Begin Packet.”
Parents who do not have a SIS ParentVUE account may still communicate updates via the normal paper process. They may also print and complete a blank Emergency Care Information Form with updates and submit it to the front office.
What Is Schoology?
Teachers use Schoology to post their classroom materials online; to provide a secure 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.
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 after August 21. To access Schoology, parents will need to have an active SIS/ParentVUE account. Get more information on how to login and use Schoology.
After School Program
Hello Glasgow Family! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful, exciting summer. We’re gearing up for another exciting year in the After School program. Here you will find the registration form for the 2023-2024 School Year. All students MUST be registered to participate in the After School Program. The hours for the After School Program are 2:25-4:45, Monday through Friday. Late Bus runs will be available Monday through Thursday. Fridays, the After School program will run from 2:25-3:30! Sign ups aren’t required for Friday. Any student staying on Friday will need to be picked up by 3:45.
Club offerings and descriptions will be coming out soon. If you have any questions, please contact me at gwilliams2@fcps.edu. We are in need of Volunteers to sponsor/oversee our Chess Club competitions. If you’re interested in volunteering with us, please send me an email at gwilliams2@fcps.edu. I will contact you to discuss the options and next steps.
Middle School sports has been approved for 2023-2024 School Year. The two events are Cross Country (Fall) and Track and Field (Spring). Students who wish to participate will need a physical, forms will need to be turned into the Sports coordinator or myself.
We’re also planning other intra-mural sports and activities (Basketball, Chess, Soccer and others to be named) between our Middle Schools. More information will be forthcoming in the next few weeks. If you’re interested in Volunteering or have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at gwilliams2@fcps.edu.
Heat Safety and Outdoor Activity
When a Heat Advisory or Excessive Heat Warning is issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) all FCPS school-based outdoor activities on school grounds, including but not limited to physical education classes, recess, and middle school afterschool programs, are prohibited between the hours of 11:00 am and 4:00 pm, or until the NWS advisory or warning expires.
This prohibition excludes in-season high school athletic team practices and competitions. Refer to the Extracurricular Activity during Extreme Hot and Humid Weather Conditions guide available from the FCPS Activities and Athletics Programs Office.
In the event the NWS does not issue a Heat Advisory or Excessive Heat Warning, yet high heat and humidity remain a concern, school administrators may limit or cancel outdoor activities if they deem appropriate or necessary. School administrators should consider the following when determining whether to allow outdoor activities:
- The intensity and duration of the activity
- Access to water and/or shade
- Acclimatization and/or conditioning level of those participating
Required Forms
All students must have Emergency Contact Information and Health Information updated each fall. Log in to Parent VUE to update your emergency contact information. Click here for instructions.
Educational Equity Policy Adopted by School Board
In June, the School Board adopted an Educational Equity policy that demonstrates our commitment to the diverse FCPS community, the promise of welcoming and culturally responsive school and work environments, and the guarantee of access and opportunity for the entire FCPS community. Learn more about educational equity priorities and the plan in practice.
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Upcoming School Board Meetings
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August 29 at p.m. at 10:30 a.m. - Work Session: Policy Governance
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August 31 at 7:30 p.m. - Regular Meeting: FY23 Year End Budget Vote
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