Fairfax Villa Weekly Message 9/15/2023

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 09/15/2023 05:56 PM EDT
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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.

لقراءة هذه النشرة الإخبارية بلغات أخرى ، يرجى زيارة موقعنا على الإنترنت. انقر هنا!

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Để đọc bản tin này bằng các ngôn ngữ khác, vui lòng truy cập trang web của chúng tôi.

Important Upcoming Dates

9/19-9/22: Fall VGAs (Grades 3-6, please ensure students charge and have laptops)

9/19: PTA Meeting #2 (Waples Mobile Home Park) 5pm

9/22: Woodson Feeder Night Football Game 

9/27: AAP Parent Information Meeting via Zoom 7:30pm-8:30pm

9/29: Blue Star Welcome Week Lunch

10/12: Zoom PTA Meeting #3

10/20: PTA Fall Festival

11/9: Zoom PTA Meeting #4

11/16: Thanksgiving Luncheon 

11/17: PTA Glow Party

12/6: FVES Book Fair & Math Game Night

1/18: Zoom PTA Meeting #5

2/9: PTA Heritage Night

4/4: Zoom PTA Meeting #6

4/12: PTA Bingo Night

IN THIS ISSUE

  1. SR&R
  2. STEM Fest
  3. ASHA-JYOTHI 5K Run
  4. Woodson Feeder Night Football Game
  5. Students Sing the National Anthem on Feeder Night
  6. AAP Newsletter and Parent Information Meeting
  7. Blue Star Welcome Week
  8. Monday and Friday Fairfax  Villa Clothing
  9. Technology Updates and Information For Families & ParentVue Accounts
  10. Science Olympiad Returns to Fairfax Villa
  11. Attendance Matters
  12. Important Fairfax Villa Contacts
  13. Be Informed; Stay Involved!

1.SR&R

FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities document (SR&R) explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. In late June, the School Board approved changes to the SR&R for the 2023-24 school year. Updates include a revision of dress code expectations, bystander expectations for students witnessing harmful or unsafe behaviors, bullying, and substance abuse responses. Read Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s letter to families regarding the SR&R. 

Parents/caregivers should talk to their child(ren) about expectations for this school year. Also, please log in to SIS ParentVUE and sign to acknowledge your review of the SR&R, or sign and return the signature sheet to Ms. Sobeski by Friday, September 29

2.STEM Fest

Students are invited to participate in STEM FEST, Saturday, October 14, at South County High School

Participate in STEM FEST: Students in kindergarten through eighth grade can participate in robotics demonstrations, coding experiments, and other activities. High school students are invited to volunteer. Visit the STEAMOLOGY website for more information. 

Volunteer Information: Visit the STEAMOLOGY website

3.Support ASHA-JYOTHI 5K Run and Help (Your School) Students in Need

We are pleased to share that we are partnering with a non-profit named Asha-Jyothi  (https://www.asha-jyothi.org/ ) to support their 15th Annual 5K Run/Walk on Sunday September 17th at Fairfax Corner at 8AM. All proceeds that we raise will go towards (explain how you plan to use money to help underprivileged students at your school). Asha-Jyothi has generously agreed to donate back 100% of the registration money back to each participating schools AND:

  • An additional $500 for 25+ registrations
  • An additional $1000 for 50+ registrations
  • An additional $2000 for 100+ registrations

To sign up, participating staff, students and/or their families visit the webpage: https://asha-jyothi.redpodium.com/2023fairfax5k.  Simply enter the code “AJ4schools” and select your school from the drop down menu. A discounted price of $10 for the 5K will be given to all participants.

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4.Woodson Feeder Night Football Game

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WOODSON HIGH SCHOOL

Cavaliers “FEEDER NIGHT” FOOTBALL GAME

September 22, 2023 at 7:00pm

WOODSON CAVALIERS vs. Alexandria City Titans

5. Students Sing the National Anthem on Feeder Night

On Friday, September 22, 2023 all 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students are invited to join the Woodson and Frost Choruses in singing the National Anthem on Feeder Night! Please click the link for more info and to let Mx. Gaskins know if your student will be singing with us. "National Anthem Sing Info"

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Mr. Gerstner got turned into a sundae during our Boosterthon Fun Run!

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Boosterthon Was A Blast! Thanks to all of our fans that came out to cheer students on!

6.AAP Newsletter and Parent Information Meeting

The Advanced Academics Fall Newsletter is out! Please read it to find out about the AAP continuum of services, screening and ability testing information and important deadlines. The newsletter is available on our school website. You can also find translated versions below.

Amharic | Arabic | Chinese | English | Korean | Spanish | Urdu | Vietnamese

Cat Wilkins, Fairfax Villa’s Advanced Academics Resource Teacher (AART), will be sharing an overview of the Advanced Academics Program in a virtual parent meeting on Wednesday, September 27, at 7:30 p.m. The presentation will include information on the continuum of Advanced Academic services, curriculum, testing, and general screening information. There will be a separate meeting later this fall to address specifics about the Full-time AAP screening process.

Here is the Zoom Link for the meeting.

Meeting ID: 977 0325 6291 Passcode: 575248

7.Blue Star Welcome Week

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Every year, approximately 600,000 military-connected families relocate. Most of these families move to new duty stations, while some transition out of the military and others transition in. Most of these moves take place over the summer, and Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to ensuring our military families feel welcomed and a sense of belonging to their local community. 

Blue Star Welcome Week is an opportunity for our community to welcome our military-connected families and show them our appreciation for their service and sacrifices. Throughout the week, FCPS will help ease their transition through events, messages, actions of welcome, and opportunities to make meaningful connections.  At Fairfax Villa, we would like to recognize our families on Friday, September 29, by joining their students in the cafeteria during lunchtime.

We would like to honor all Fairfax Villa family's military connections.  If you have a military connection you would like to honor - active, retired or deceased - please fill out this form. 

We will be making a display to honor them.
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8.Monday & Friday Fairfax Villa Clothing

Students and staff will be wearing the same clothing to kick off and end each week during the 2023-24 school year!

  • On Mondays, we will be wearing our Positivity shirts to highlight our character strengths and virtues that we will be learning throughout the school year.  The Boosterthon team distributed these green shirts during the fun run for the past 3 years. The shirts highlight our Villa dragon and Positivity logos on the front of the shirts. 
  • On Fridays, we will be showing off our favorite Fairfax Villa spirit wear.  If your son or daughter has outgrown their Fairfax Villa spirit wear clothing, our PTA has some new ones.

9.Technology Updates and Digital Consent Families

  • If your child still has a Fairfax Villa laptop issued from last year, please bring it to the office ASAP. If your child has lost their laptop, please contact Ms. Hachwi and Ms. Payne immediately. If your child has lost their power cord, please pay for it by sending in the exact amount of cash ($23) or  a check for $23 made out to Fairfax Villa ES to your child’s teacher.
  • Preschoolers and kindergartners will receive new iPads in the first few weeks of school. Students in grades 1 and 2 will receive laptops that will stay at school. Students in grades 3-6 will receive laptops, cases, and chargers that will be taken home each day. Please ensure all students return to school the next day with fully charged laptops.

10.Science Olympiad Returns to Fairfax Villa

Calling all budding scientists! We're planning to host two Science Olympiad teams for students in 3rd-6th grades to participate in the Division A and Division B competitions this year. The teams will meet after school on Wednesdays, beginning Sept. 27. For more information, please email Dipta Krishnam at diptaka@gmail.com.

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11.Attendance Matters

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DID YOU KNOW?

  • Students who attend 90% or more of the school year are more likely to graduate from high school on time.
  • Starting in kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.
  • Missing 10 percent (or about 2 days per month) can make it harder to learn to read.
  • Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.
  • Students can still fall behind if they miss just a day every few weeks.
  • Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.
  • Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with peer conflicts or facing some other potentially serious difficulty, and help is available. 

WHAT YOU CAN DO

  • Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.
  • Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
  • Find out what day school starts and make sure your child has the required shots.
  • Introduce your child to her teachers and classmates before school starts to help her transition.
  • Don’t let your child stay home unless she is truly sick. Keep in mind complaints of a stomach ache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home.
  • If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, or other parents for advice on how to make her feel comfortable and excited about learning.
  • Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.
  • Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.

https://www.fcps.edu/attendance

12.Important Fairfax Villa Contacts

13.Be Informed; Stay Involved!