 Hello Mustangs,
We are just wrapping up our fourth week of school and having the time of our lives. It is incredible to see all the things our students are learning consistently and daily and the joy our staff has when interacting with them. We are so lucky and grateful to be a part of this wonderful community, and we look forward to sharing information about some incredible events taking place on campus in the next few months. Today also marks National Hispanic Heritage Month’s first day (September 15 – October 15). If you want more information about National Hispanic American Heritage Month, the government site for National Hispanic Heritage Month is a great place to start. As always, please contact us to share any feedback, questions, or concerns. Enjoy the weekend, and we look forward to seeing everyone on Monday.
Other Information:
- Testing Information from Melissa (Can you see if she has any please? If not, we can probably use the information below.)
- TJHSST Invitational Science Fair 2024 (This can be trimmed to the most important information)
- Principal Toolkit Topics
- Attendance/Absenteeism Information
Testing Message:
State assessments measure the extent to which students have learned the content and skills reflected in state standards and may also be used to measure growth in learning state standards. On September 20 and 27, South County Middle School students will participate in the Fall Virginia Growth Assessments (VGA) standardized tests in reading and mathematics. The format and timing of state assessments vary by grade level and content area, as noted in the table below. These include:
- Fall Virginia Growth Assessment (VGA) standardized tests are in reading and mathematics. More information is available on the VGA webpage.
The Grade Level Tests webpage provides information by grade level about the general assessment schedule and reporting method for each required assessment type in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). If you have questions about state assessments, contact Melissa Shaffer, our test coordinator, at mjshaffer@fcps.edu.
Justin Simmons | Principal | South County Middle School
September 25: No School - Yom Kippur
Day of Atonement (Judaism) *Begins sundown September 24, fasting and work restriction start sundown September 24 and continue through September 25.
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Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener
FCPS is committed to supporting all students’ mental wellness and social and emotional learning. FCPS approved a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener that students use to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop skills they need to succeed. These skills include 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. These factors are critical to positive academic, social, and emotional success. All students in grades 3-12 have the opportunity to participate in the screener twice a year, in the fall and spring. The SEL Screener elevates the voices of our students by making sure their perspectives are considered in decision-making. Screener data is used to plan programming for the division, schools, and individual students. Division and school level results, which do not include individual student information, may be used by staff to improve SEL and mental wellness practices and to inform strategic plans. Division and school level results may also be shared with the community to describe the needs of our student body and provide opportunities for partnership. Individual students’ Screener data will only be accessible to teachers, administrators, and staff with legitimate educational interests. Results will be maintained in secure files and databases accessible only to these individuals. In partnership with families, staff review this data alongside other information to plan interventions for students with identified needs. Parents and guardians will receive an individualized report regarding their student’s screener results following each assessment window. South County MS will be giving the SEL screener to all students during seminar on Tuesday October 24th. If you do not want your child to take the SEL screener, please complete the attached parent opt-out form and return it to the school no later than Tuesday October 17th. The opt-out will last the whole year, so your child will be opted out of the fall and spring SEL screeners.
SEL Notification of Testing-Spanish
SEL Notification of Testing - English
Important Forms for Caregivers to Complete
- 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.
Alejandra Stephens, is another resource at South County Middle School as the MFLC (Military and Family Life Counselor) and will be providing additional support to active-duty military children and their families (or those retired within 180 days/6 months). Ms. Stephens can provide free, nonmedical counseling to individuals, groups, and families in-person during the school week on Thursdays, Fridays, and some Wednesdays to enhance social, academic, and emotional skills to support the wellbeing of military students and their families.
Phone: 202-253-4706 (please leave a voicemail)
Attached is the consent form for Ms. Stephens to speak to your child.
 Every year, approximately 600,000 active-duty and transitioning Veteran families—or roughly 33% of the All-Volunteer Force—relocate. Many have school-aged children. The majority of these moves take place during the summer. What’s more, according to the 2022 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, only 33% of military family respondents reported feeling a sense of belonging to their local community. But did you know that when a military child feels welcome and like they belong at a new school, everything else improves—mental and physical health, and so much more? That’s why we’re joining Blue Star Families and Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) to help military children all over the country feel welcome in their new schools. To show military families how great South County Middle School is, we’re proclaiming September 23rd - October 1st as Blue Star Welcome Week!
Learn more and get involved today at https://www.bluestarwelcomeweek.org/!
TJ Investigative Science Outreach
We are TJ Investigative Science Outreach, a student-led organization at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. We will be hosting our 11th annual science fair on March 16, 2024 and we would like to invite 5th-8th grade students from your school to participate. Admission to the science fair is completely free.
Participants will complete a research project of their choice and present at the fair in-person on March 16, 2024. We help students prepare for this fair by holding multiple sessions to teach them important skills in STEM like brainstorming, collecting data, presenting, writing an experiment summary, using statistics, creating an experimental diagram, etc.
Our first interest/brainstorming session is Friday October 6th, 2023 at 6:00 pm. We will be holding this session in-person at TJHSST. During this session we will go over the goals and guidelines of this fair and introduce students to a multitude of project ideas. All interested students should sign up using the form at the link: https://forms.gle/RMfQYuvACK3YajRw8
We would greatly appreciate it if you could advertise the fair on a weekly school newsletter or through some other means.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email us back. Feel free to also check out our website at tjsciencefair.wordpress.com or email us at tjhsstsciencefair@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
TJ Investigative Science Outreach
COVID Guidance
- 😷 2023-24 Health and Safety Guidance for Schools
Although the COVID-19 hospital transmission level (previously the COVID-19 Community Transmission level) for Fairfax County is currently low, COVID-19 cases have risen in Virginia during the last few weeks, and flu season will soon be upon us. Be sure to review FCPS Health and Safety Guidance for the best ways to prevent the spread of disease and to find out when students should stay home from school.
Attendance/Absenteeism
September is Attendance Awareness Month. Please use our Attendance Toolkit for sample messages, graphics, videos, and other resources.
- 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.
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