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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.
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 Dear Stone Families,
With the upcoming 22nd anniversary of September 11th, Fairfax County Public Schools & Stone Middle School acknowledges the loss of life, the heroism of our first responders and the resilience of our country. Tomorrow is known as a National Day of Service, also called Patriot Day. The day is a chance to reflect and act in service to others. We will start our morning with an extended moment of silence to reflect.
Last week, we had our first lockdown drill of the school year. I want to say thank you to all the students and staff for following instructions and taking the proper lockdown safety procedures. Throughout this school year, we will have various drills to practice our safety protocols. This week, we will have our first bus evacuation drill as students arrive at school on Tuesday. It is so important for students to be attentive to instructions and follow the safety instructions given to them.
On Friday, September 22, 2023 the Westfield High Homecoming parade starts right here at Stone MS. Please be advised that Sully Park Drive, Kamputa Drive, Jaslow St, Hibner St and Cranoke St will be blocked off and closed starting at 4pm due to the parade. Please take the proper precautions, grab a spot on the parade route and cheer on the parade.
Stone Middle School is partnering with Western Fairfax Christian Ministries to provide nutritional food items for students to eat over the weekend at no cost to families. We started our program this past Friday with our 7th grade students. Participating students may bring home a grocery sized bag of perishable food items on the last school day of alternating weeks. Food bags will be available to participating students on a first-come, first served basis beginning with September 8, 2023. Please encourage your child to check their school email account for pick up reminders! If you would like more information about this program, please contact one of our social workers, Amy Young aeyoung@fcps.edu or Siena Lee slee7@fcps.edu at 703-631-5526. For assistance in Spanish, please reach out to Denisse Stein at 703-631-5901 or dstein@fcps.edu.”
As we are quickly moving along this school year, please remember to check your ParentVue account for updates on your student’s attendance, assignments and grades for all classes. Mark your calendar for September 19th at 7pm for our first PTSA meeting of the year in which our administrative team will present a State of Stone address. Hope to see you there.
Let’s have another great week STONE!
Sincerely,
Sonya Williams
Principal
September 11 National Day of Service
 With the upcoming 22nd anniversary of September 11, FCPS acknowledges the loss of life, the heroism of our first responders, and the resilience of our country. The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, also called Patriot Day, is a chance to reflect and act in service to others to honor those who were injured or killed in the terrorist attacks.
All FCPS students are encouraged to participate in service learning as it supports Portrait of a Graduate (POG) attributes and social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Middle and high school students can learn more about service learning by logging into their Naviance account to access x2VOL.
Get started this fall with two great opportunities: Public Lands Day (September 23) and Volunteer Fairfax’s VolunteerFest (October 21). Information on service projects can be found on the Volunteer Fairfax website.
Caregiver Checklist: Have You Completed These Important Forms?
During the first weeks of the year, caregivers receive many forms to complete. Several of the most important ones are below:
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Digital Resources Consent: Some FCPS-approved digital resources require parent/caregiver consent before they can be used by students. Find the list of resources which require consent on the Digital Resources - Parent Consent page. This page also includes directions on how to provide permission.
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Student Rights and Responsibilities: This document explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses. Parents using SIS ParentVUE will be prompted to sign the document when they log in to that platform. A printable version of the document with a signature sheet is available on the SR&R webpage.
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Opt-Outs: The Opt-Out Booklet is online or available from your child’s school. It contains information on:
- Parents’ rights to inspect and consent or opt out before their child participates in certain surveys.
- Parents’ rights to inspect instructional materials.
- Rules regarding student records and disclosure of student information (including photo/video of students) and the right to opt out.
- Parents’ rights to opt out of the Social Emotional Learning Screener, physical exams not required by state law, career or social emotional counseling, Library Equity Access Pass Project, and/or Tutor.com.
- The process by which complaints may be filed if parents or students believe their rights have been violated.
Paper forms can be signed and returned to school.
If you don't have a ParentVue account, you can register for one at, https://www.fcps.edu/family-resources/technology/student-information-system-sis/sis-parentvue/sis-parent-account.
Attendance Awareness Month - When Should I Keep My Child Home?
When students miss too many days of school, they fall behind and struggle to keep up with their classmates. Whether the days missed are due to illness, truancy or for any other reason, the end result for the student is the same — learning time is lost. Children and adolescents will get sick at times and may need to stay at home, but we want to work with you to help minimize the number of days your student is absent from school.
Learn more about when you should keep your child home from school by visiting, https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/policies-regulations-and-notices/attendance-policies/attendance-when-should-i-keep-my .
What's Happening at Stone
Stay in the know with your student and on top of Stone MS events by visiting our online Stone Events Calendar found at https://stonems.fcps.edu/events.
Click Subscribe to Calendars to not miss out on the happenings at Stone and around FCPS!
Stone MS After School Program Registration
 The After-School Program will begin on Tuesday, September 26th. In order for students to stay after, they MUST register to sign up via this link.
Late buses will also start on September 26th. Students that currently ride a bus to school will be eligible to ride a late bus in the afternoons at the duration of the program at 4:30. Late buses will be available to students Monday - Thursday during the week.
The First Quarter calendar of After-School Activities can be viewed here.
For more information, please contact Nick Anderson nmanderson@fcps.edu, After-School Program Coordinator.
Westfield HS 2023 Homecoming Parade
Come out with your friends and enjoy the Westfield High School Homecoming Parade on Friday, September 22, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.!
Line up along the parade route to view the parade of homecoming floats, court princes and princesses, school clubs, teams, faculty, police officers, motorcycles, and more!
This year the parade will be lining up at Stone Middle School, but will be using the roads around the Stone Middle School neighborhood during the parade.
Please be advised---Sully Park Dr, Kamputa Dr, Jaslow St, Hibner St, and Cranoke St will be blocked off and closed Friday, September 22, 2023 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m., DUE TO THE HIGH SCHOOL HOMECOMING PARADE. Please take proper precautions to avoid this delay on that day.
Thank you for your cooperation and we hope that you enjoy the parade!
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News from your Family Liaison
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Did you know Stone has a Family Liaison and a Family Engagement Room for you to stop by and ask questions? My name is Denisse Stein, and I am here to help all of our Stone families. If you have questions on academics, how to get connected or use our school technology (ie. SIS/ParentVUE), need assistance submitting any forms, or are in need of any resources for your family, please call me or email me (703-631-5901 or dstein@fcps.edu) to make an appointment and I will be happy to guide you. |
Free & Reduced Lunch
Free & Reduced lunch is an application that you must submit every year for your student to qualify. Please use apply at, https://www.fcps.edu/frm.
If you need assistance in person, please stop by the Stone MS Family Engagement Center on Tuesday, September 12 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.or contact me to make an appointment.
Coffee with Your Counselors!
Topic: Meet Your Counselors & Transition to Middle School
Thursday, September 14, 2023 from 9:00-10:00am at Stone MS.
Join us for an informative session at our parent workshop. Gain tips and share experiences as we discuss supporting your student's wellbeing and academic success.
There will be coffee, tea, raffles, and resources.
Please register: https://forms.gle/H4tENTSjZkjiaVuz5
Empowering Parents and Transforming Teens: Changing Destructive Adolescent Behavior
- 10-week training class being held virtually, except first and last sessions which are in-person. Tuesdays, starting September 12th from 6:00-8:00pm
- Class is held in both, English and Spanish. There is a $30 Material Fee per family; scholarships available as needed.
Register Now, registration closes soon! Please register here, or email Mary Valad (mary.valad@fcps.edu), Dianne Stansbery (DEStansbery@fcps.edu), or Alissa Green (adgreen@fcps.edu) if you have any questions.
For more information, please visit, https://parentproject.com/changing-destructive-adolescent-behavior/
Adult English Classes
Chantilly Bible Church is pleased to announce new dates for their weekly English classes! All nationalities and cultures are welcome!
Classes are held Monday evenings, beginning September 11 - November 20, 2023 from 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. New and returning students should arrive by 7:00 for testing and registration.
- Class cost is FREE!
- Workbook cost is $13.00
- 4390 Pleasant Valley Road, Chantilly
For more information, please visit www.chantillybible.org/english
English Empowerment Center, Learn English & Change Your Life
https://englishempowermentcenter.org/for-students-2/
Registration has started and classes are filling up.
Call 703-237-0866 or In-person registration is available THIS Saturday, September 9th.
Classes are offered at different times and on different days for your convenience. They have different levels offered depending on your availability and proficiency in English.
There are scholarships available. They can assist in many different languages, and their site has translation available.
Ox Hill Baptist Church
Registration is open. Please email either, Scilla Trinidad scilla250@icloud.com or, Wilson Maca wilsonrp@oxhillbaptist.org to register. Feel free to email them in any language.
Classes starts September 21st, but they do rolling admission so please join them anytime.
Classes will be in-person, every Thursday morning (10:00am) and/or afternoon (7:00pm), for your convenience.
Classes cost $50 for the entire year, and they offer beginner, intermediate & advanced levels.
Food for Neighbors
Stone Middle School is partnering with Food For Neighbors to help feed our local students who deal with food insecurity outside of school hours. Even in a county as wealthy as Fairfax, one in four kids in our area are struggling with hunger.
Food For Neighbors is a local organization addressing this problem by collecting food from our community via the Red Bag Program and donating directly to our local schools. The food is then distributed to the students every week through our food pantry.
We hope you will consider partcipating in the Red Bag food collection program. You can make a difference in a local student’s life by simply adding a few extra items to your shopping cart every two months.
Here’s how it works:
1. Request a reusable Red Bag here and Food For Neighbors will drop it off at your house.
2. Fill the Red Bag with food items that are listed on a tag on that bag.
3. Put the Red Bag outside your front door in the morning on the next bag collec on day. Collection dates are also listed on the bag tag. And don’t worry, FFN will send reminders.
Your Red Bag will be picked up from your house, the food sorted at a local school and delivered directly to the school food pantry at Stone MS. As an added benefit, you can get a tax deduction for the food that you donate.
With your help, even more kids can be fed. For more information on the Red Bag program click here .
District News/In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- Immunization Reminder
- Free Tutoring Resources
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving the weekly newsletter, sign up today.
Stone Quick Links
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