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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.
.يرجى زيارة موقعنا الألكتروني لقراءة هذه النشرة الإخبارية بلغات أخرى
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Dear Cardinal Families,
The crispness of fall is in the air and we are welcoming a new season with open arms. We are getting to know our students better each day and we want to get to know you better as well. We are wondering what your family traditions are, where is your family from, and what do you celebrate with your family? Please take a moment to fill out our Family Culture Survey so we can learn more about you and your family.
💗Family Culture Survey - English 💗Family Culture Survey - Spanish
Sincerely,
Allison Hoak, Principal
Jon Kemmerer, Assistant Principal
During the first weeks of the year, caregivers receive many forms to complete. Please ensure you have not miss the most important ones 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.
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.
We will be hosting two parent information sessions in the Fall for families interested in learning more about advanced academic programs (AAP) at Cunningham Park. Please save these dates:
Thursday, September 28th from 6:00pm-7:00 pm, online: Parent Information Meeting regarding an Introduction to AAP and the Continuum of Services at Fairfax County Public Schools, and specifically, Cunningham Park Elementary School. This information session will be open to all K-6 families and will take place online. Please RSVP to attend and a link will be emailed to you before the meeting.
Thursday, October 5th from 6:00-7:00 pm, online: Parent Information Meeting on understanding the Full Time AAP Screening Process. This information session will be open to all K-6 families and will take place online. Please RSVP to attend and a link will be emailed to you before the meeting.
This year, your child will be using Lexia® Core5® Reading (Grades K-5) or Lexia® PowerUp Literacy® (Grade 6), both are computer-based programs that have helped millions of students improve their literacy skills. The activities in Core5 and PowerUp Literacy® support and build on your child’s classroom curriculum and focus on developing reading skills in many areas.
Here’s how it works:
- Your child begins at a starting point that fits his or her needs and then engages in online activities at school throughout the week.
- Online activities should only be completed at school and will include direct instruction and immediate feedback as your child learns new skills.
- Progress and performance in the program are reported directly to teachers so that they can provide assistance during school when needed.
- Paper-and-pencil activities are also used for practice and may be completed in school or brought home.
- Achievement certificates will be sent home to celebrate success and to show progress in the program.
We hope you share in our excitement about this program! To learn more, visit www.LexiaLearning.com.
The Zones of Regulation framework categorizes emotions and energy states into four color-coded Zones: Blue (low energy such as sad or tired), Green (neutral energy such as calm and focused), Yellow (elevated energy such as frustrated or excited), and Red (highest energy such as angry or overjoyed).
Here are a few best practices for a Zones Check-In:
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Mandana Mehrtash is our new Special Education teacher at Cunningham Park. She completed her Master’s degree at The George Washington University in Bilingual Special Education and is certified in both ESOL and Special Education. Ms. Mehrtash has been an educator for 17 years with experience in middle school and high school in both Virginia and California. Ms. Mehrtash is originally from Iran but grew up in Germany and moved to America when she was 16. She speaks Farsi and German! In her spare time, she like to go hiking, cooking, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Ms. Mehrtash is looking forward to an amazing school year!
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Micah Kienzle is our new 2nd grade teacher! He graduated from college in the spring and majored in physics and literature. In his free time, Mr. Kienzle enjoys learning new languages and likes to reading. He was an FCPS student from kindergarten through twelfth grade, starting out at Cunningham Park and graduating from Marshall High School. Mr. Kienzle is so excited to come back and teach the next generation of Cardinals!
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🧪 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.
📽️ Hidden in Plain Sight
Please join us for a Hidden in Plain Sight (HIPS) Presentation at James Madison High on October 3, 2023 from 6:30PM – 8:30PM. The presentation is led by the FCPD, and we encourage parents and staff to attend to better understand the current trends and signs of risky behavior. More information and how to register for the event are posted on our website.
Our neighboring elementary school, Stenwood 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 the 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.
The 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. The 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 Erica Riley, esriley@fcps.edu 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, feel free to forward them this information.
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