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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.
ይህንን ዜና መፅሄት በሌሎች ቋንቋዎች ለማንበብ፤ እባክዎን ድረ ገፃችንን ይጎብኙ።
اس نیوزلیٹر کو دوسری زبانوں میں پڑھنے کیلئے ، براہ مہربانی ہماری ویب سائیٹ ملاحظہ کیجیئے۔
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Hello Stratford Landing Families,
Wow! We are off to a great start this school year. I’m so proud of our students and teachers. Our teachers have established routines, expectations and procedures to maximize our school day, and our students are excelling. Each school day I’ve observed students trying their best, working hard to make safe choices and treating each other kindly. A 2nd Grade student shared with me, “I really like the company during my school day.” What a great feeling for a student! Each morning on our live news show I share these “feel good” stories that students stop and share with me. Some students have written “feel good” stories and shared them with me.
Our teachers are busy with beginning of the year assessments for students as well as instructing first quarter academic standards. I spent some time with the 1st Grade team reviewing their beginning of the year writing assessments from students about their favorite toy. The care the team put into reviewing the assessments and talking about their students’ strengths was terrific. These conversations inform instruction and help our teachers identify individual needs of students.
Be sure to review the weekly newsletters your teachers are sending you to identify what your child is learning each week. If you have any questions about this weekly communication, please reach out to your child’s teacher.
Until next time …
Mr. Morris, Principal
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Zones of Regulation
We’ve committed to social emotional learning (SEL) schoolwide by utilizing Zones of Regulation with our students, K-6. This provides an opportunity for our students to understand and express their feelings and build a toolbox of skills to help self-regulate. All four zones are a-okay for students to be in, and we are providing opportunities for students to explore these big emotions and feelings. A 5th grade student shared with me, “I was feeling in the red zone all day, so I just took a lot of breaks. My teacher helped me, too, and I felt okay at the end of the day. I was proud that I didn’t get in trouble or make any of my friends angry.” Ask your child to share what they’ve learned so far this school year about self-regulation, their feelings and the four zones.
Parent/Guardian Advisory Council
This is the last call for volunteers to serve on our Parent/Guardian Advisory Council. Complete this google form to help us to plan deeper for our work together this school year. Family input is critical to our success. The Advisory Council will provide feedback, ask questions, and engage in conversation and activities with other families and Stratford Landing Leadership to problem-solve and advise implementation of best practices for academic, social and emotional learning.
Managing COVID-19 and Other Illnesses, FCPS Attendance Requirements
We’ve come a long way in FCPS since March 2020. Use these links to best navigate your decisions to keep your child home from school. COVID-19, and other illnesses, should be communicated with the school when your child is absent.
Health and Safety Guidance
FCPS Attendance Guidance
Back-to-School Preventative Health Practices
Flu season is quickly approaching, and communicable diseases continue to be present in our schools. We are committed to providing students with the education and support to help them succeed while maintaining a safe environment for in-person learning. Families and staff are encouraged to engage in the following health practices to prevent the spread of illnesses.
- Make an appointment to get a flu vaccine as soon as possible. Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine (with rare exceptions). Flu vaccines are widely available at doctors’ and pediatricians’ offices, grocery stores, and pharmacies.
- Get vaccinated against COVID-19 if you have not done so already. An updated COVID booster for the 2023-2024 season should be released in the coming weeks and will more effectively target the current circulating strains of the virus. Find out where you can get a COVID-19 vaccine or booster in your community by visiting: vaccinate.virginia.gov or call (877) VAX-IN-VA or (877) 829-4682.
- Check with your students’ healthcare providers to make sure they are up to date on their required school entrance immunizations. Immunization records can now be updated online in SIS ParentVUE through the Online Verification Update form.
- Check for mild, cold-like symptoms each day, such as fever, runny nose, cough, or shortness of breath. Parents/caregivers are advised to keep their children home if sick and get them tested for COVID-19 to stop further spread from occurring. Employees are also advised to stay home and get tested when feeling sick.
- Don’t forget to wash hands regularly, avoid touching the face with unwashed hands, cover the mouth when coughing or sneezing, and limit the time children spend in large group settings with contagious individuals whenever possible.
Family Liaison Resources
by Inge Gatti
Hello, I am Inge Gatti, your new Family Liaison at Stratford Landing. This is my first year working at FCPS and my second year as a FCPS parent. My kids have attended schools in a few different countries, so I know how important it is to engage with people and find resources in a new school/community environment. Prior to joining SLES, I worked overseas as a community liaison for the U.S. State Department.
As your family liaison, my goal is to keep you informed about the valuable resources, events, and family engagement opportunities available through SLES, FCPS, and the community.
If you have questions about navigating the school, learning about FCPS resources, or getting your student set up for success, I'm glad to be here to help you and your kids. Please email, or call 703-619-3690 to set up an appointment. I am looking forward to meeting you!
Visit the SLES Family Liaison homepage for additional information and resources.
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AAP News (Advanced Academics Program)
Please find out everything you need to know about the Advanced Academics Program at Stratford Landing clicking on this link. For detailed information for this Fall view the AAP Fall Newsletter. Spanish version available here.
The general AAP overview parent information meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 20 in Stratford Landing’s cafeteria from 6:00-7:00 pm. The AART will provide information about the continuum of services, explain the screening process and answer questions about advanced academic services for interested K-6 parents. Information will also be provided for new families (new to FCPS since Jan. 2023) who are interested in referring their child for the full-time Level IV AAP.
Students Are Learning Every Day
As you plan upcoming trips and other family events, please remember the importance of sending your child to school every day. Review the FCPS School Year Calendar and try to plan any time away during long breaks from school.
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 (missing 18 days or more) in kindergarten and first grade were far less likely to read proficiently at the end of third grade.
Read more about how families can help form good attendance habits.
Support Your Child’s Success
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.
Wednesday, October 4 Walk and Bike to School Day
Let's walk or bike to school on October 4. See flyer below.
STEAMOLOGY STEM Fest Offers Hands-On Activities for Students
Students are invited to participate in STEM FEST on Saturday, October 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at South County High School. Students in kindergarten through eighth grade can participate in robotics demonstrations, coding experiments, and more. High school students are invited to volunteer. Visit the STEAMOLOGY website for more information.
SEL Screener Parent Notification and Updates
FCPS is committed to supporting the mental wellness of all students. The Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener helps our students share their perspectives on how their schools and communities support them and help them develop the skills they need to succeed.
The screener is offered to all students in grades 3 through 12 in the fall and spring. It addresses skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships with adults and peers, and making responsible decisions. Students also share how successful their school and community are at making them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to plan programming for the division, schools, and individual students.
Key updates to the screener this year include:
- Different versions for students in grades 3-5 and 6-12.
- Fewer topics with more questions to provide schools and families with more data to support planning.
- Additional questions aligned with FCPS’ commitment to educational equity.
Results are mailed home to families after each screening. Families who wish to opt their child out may do so by completing the opt-out form in the Annual Notice packet or SIS ParentVue.
For more information, please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage or contact us at (703) 619-3600.
Please note that the SEL Screener differs from the anonymous Fairfax County Youth Survey. For more information about the Youth Survey, see the Fairfax County Youth Survey site.
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.
Diapers needed for the preschool classrooms
We are in need of diapers size 4T-5T (SM) for boys. If you would like to help, please get in touch with the school and tell them you would like to donate to the Family Resource Center. We are very grateful for all your support.
How to Access Free Resources from Tutor.com
 Students learning with tutor.com
All FCPS students continue to have unlimited access to live, 24/7, one-on-one online tutoring services through Tutor.com at no cost to families. Student participation is optional and parents/caregivers can opt their student(s) out of accessing the services. Get more information on the Tutor.com Online Tutoring Services webpage.
Students can access Tutor.com via a link in Schoology. Additional information about how to log in and access a tutor is provided to families via the following: Elementary - How It Works and Middle & High - How It Works. Questions not answered in the posted resources may be sent to onlinetutoring@fcps.edu.
Saturday, September 16 Stock the Block - Volunteer opportunity
See flyer below for this great volunteer opportunity to help our Community. Use the flyer QR code or go to this link for registration.
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