Upcoming Events

Sept 25^th – School Holiday - School Closed

Sept 26^th & 27^th – PTA Spirit Night, Spartan’s, Burke, All Day

Sept 27^th - Help us welcome our military students by wearing Red, White and Blue or wear colors to represent a branch of the US military

Sept 27^th – Popsicles on the Playground for New and returning Ravensworth Military Connected Youth and families, 6:00 – 7:00 pm

Sept 29^th – Lake Braddock 50^th Anniversary Night, 5:30 – 7:30 pm, LBSS 50th Anniversary Pyramid Carnival

Sept 29^th – Wear your Ravensworth spirit wear and/or royal blue and yellow

Oct 2^nd – Grades 3 & 4 Parent Information Night: Topic - eCubed Math Instruction, 6:00 pm, Cafeteria

Oct 2^nd – PTA General Membership Meeting, 7:00 pm, Library

Oct 9^th – Student Holiday, Indigenous Peoples’ Day – Staff Development Day

Oct 11^th – Technology Information Session, Virtual Meeting, 7:00 pm

Oct 29^th – Signed SR&R’s due

Nov 3^rd – 2 Hour Early Release, Dismissal at 1:20 pm

Nov 6^th – 7^th – Student Holidays, Teacher Workdays

Link to 2023-2024 School Year Calendar 2023-24 FCPS School Year Calendar

Because of technical difficulties, if any link does not work, please copy, and paste it into your browser.

Blue Star Welcome Week Sept. 25th-29th

Blue Star Welcome Week is a nationwide initiative to provide a warm welcome to the 600,000 active-duty and transitioning military families that move into new communities each year. It is the goal of Blue Star Families to proactively improve military families’ sense of belonging to their local communities by forging strong connections between our military family members and their local neighbors.  If you are a new military family, welcome to Ravensworth ES!  Please check out the FCPS military families Welcome Page  and the FCPS military families Resources Page.

Blue Star Spirit Days and Military Connected Youth/Family Event

All Ravensworth students can help welcome our new military connected families!

• Tuesday Sept 26th  - Help us welcome our military students by wearing Red, White and Blue or wear colors to represent a branch of the US military.
• Wednesday, Sept 27^th – New and returning Ravensworth Military Connected Youth and their families are welcome to attend a Popsicles on the Playground event from 6:00-7:00 pm.  
• Friday Sept 29th - Welcome to the family! We are all Ravensworth Ravens! Show your pride by wearing Ravensworth spirit wear or colors (royal blue and gold)

When a Student Should Stay Home from School

Whether students miss school because of illness or any other reason, missing school leads to learning loss. Help your student succeed by encouraging them to attend as many days as possible, but do make sure your student stays home if they are sick. Visit FCPS’ website for information on when you should keep your child at home. If your child has a chronic illness, make sure to notify their teacher, so that assistance can be provided if needed. Please contact us as soon as you know your child will be absent. Read more about how families can help form good attendance habits.

Cuándo un Estudiante Debe Quedarse en Casa y No Ir a la Escuela

Tanto si los estudiantes faltan a clase por enfermedad como por cualquier otro motivo, faltar a clase conlleva una pérdida de aprendizaje. 

Ayude a su estudiante a tener éxito animándolo a asistir todos los días posibles, pero asegúrese de que su estudiante se quede en casa si está enfermo. Visite el sitio web de FCPS para obtener información sobre cuándo debe mantener a su hijo en casa. 

Si su hijo tiene una enfermedad crónica, asegúrese de notificar a su maestro, para que se le pueda proporcionar asistencia si es necesario. Por favor contáctenos tan pronto sepa que su hijo estará ausente. 

Lea más sobre cómo las familias pueden ayudar a formar buenos hábitos de asistencia.

Absences Add Up – Plan Ahead

As we get closer to the start of school, please plan travel around the school calendar. Every day of school is important to overall academic, social and emotional progress.  

2023-24 FCPS School Year Calendar

Lake Braddock 50^th Anniversary, save the date!

Lake Braddock Secondary School invites the community to begin celebrating its 50^th anniversary –

Friday, September 29, 5:30-7:30 pm – right before Friday football at the school.

Enjoy free admission to the carnival with inflatables, runway games, food trucks, snacks, face painting. There will be fun for the whole family! Cash sales, please.

Volunteers are needed to help staff booths. Add your name to the sign-up sheet here:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0A4AADAE22AAFF2-lake#/

Festivities continue into the football game starting at 7pm.

Family Science Night, #ChildSci #FSN #FamilyFun

The Children’s Science Center Lab is bringing its Family Science Night Program to Ravensworth Elementary School on Tuesday, October 17^th

Family Science Night offers a variety of engaging, hands-on science activities such as: Animal Adaptations: Science in Nature, Monster Math: Creating with Probability, Electric Piano: Making Music with Circuits, Ozobots: Colorful Coding, among many others. These experiments are specially designed to help encourage students to take interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects, as well as to encourage students to develop curiosity in everyday life situations.

Volunteers are needed to help the Science Center Team! No science experience necessary. Please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0848AEAF2AAAFBC16-family

Principal Coffee- Technology Resources for Families, Wed, Oct 11^th, 7:00 pm

Are you wondering how to access things like Talking Points, Ravens’ Nest, SIS Parent Vue, Schoology, Here Comes the Bus, Facebook and Instagram at Ravensworth ES?  If you are, please sign up at the following link Virtual Coffee Registration to join our School Based Technology Specialist (SBTS) Melissa Keller on Zoom. She will help you learn how you can access these items and use them to help your student at Ravensworth ES.

You will receive a Zoom link via your email 1-2 days prior to the virtual coffee.

Positivity Project

Next week our school community will be focusing on the character strength of Teamwork. Teamwork means you work well as a member of a group or team. You are loyal, reliable, and dedicated to helping your team achieve its goals. 

Teamwork is the ability and willingness to place overall group success as a higher priority than individual achievement. Those who demonstrate strengths in teamwork often work to help all group members find success. These individuals are willing to commit time and resources in order to further group goals and help toward the greater good.

An Eagle Project at Ravensworth, Mon, Sept 25^th 

Former student, Kam Pembleton, will be working on an Eagle Project at Ravensworth ES on Monday, Sept 25^th.  Kam and volunteers will be installing a Pollinator Garden in the school courtyard underneath the newly installed stained-glass project. 

Project Date:               Sept 25^th (Rain Date TBD)

Project Time:              8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Location:                     Enter Door #2 and proceed to your left to the courtyard entrance doors

Who can attend?         Anyone willing to help can attend.  Volunteers are needed! Students and Scouts will receive service hours.

If you can volunteer, you will NEED the following items:

• Closed toed shoes (Crocs don’t count)
• WATER!!!
• Clothes that you do NOT mind getting dirty

Optional items to bring (or will be provided):

• Snacks
• Gloves
• Eye Protection (Some sunglasses will work)

Kam chose to do this project because in 2021 Logan Pembleton, brother to Kam, built an outdoor classroom for Ravensworth ES. Kam wanted to do something for her elementary school and this was the perfect choice! Last school year Mrs. Fortenberry, the art teacher, worked very hard to have a stained-glass mural installed in the courtyard. Kam’s project is to help incorporate that mural into the space and give homes to pollinators.

Thank you to all those who have helped this project come together!

Please RSVP at kendallpembleton@gmail.com if you plan to attend.

Substitutes Needed at Ravensworth for 2023-24

We are always looking for kind and caring substitute teachers and substitute instructional assistants to ensure our students continue to thrive when teachers and instructional assistants need to be out of the classroom. Substitute teaching is a great opportunity for future teachers, stay-at-home family members, retirees, college students, part-time employees, and anyone who wants to make a difference! Substitute instructional assistant pay will be $17.08 per hour and substitute teacher pay will be $19.05 per hour for the 2023-24 school year.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please email Erika Aspuria, Principal and apply on-line. Also, you can sign up for a virtual, one hour substitute information session here.  

PTA

PTA is Seeking a New Treasurer

The PTA is looking for someone willing to assume the role of Treasurer for the 2023-2024 school year. Unfortunately, our current Treasurer, Lane, is unable to continue in the position. While we will miss her in that role, it opens up a wonderful opportunity for someone looking to get involved. The position includes:

• Tracking and imputing incomes and expenses to QuickBooks
• Creating Monthly Budget Reports and presenting them at Meetings
• Writing checks and depositing payments received
• Attending monthly meetings

The position demands anywhere between 2-5 hours of work per month. While an accounting background and QuickBooks experience is helpful, it is not necessary.

Anyone interested in the role can send an email to president@ravensworthpta.org. Further questions about the role may be sent to selemefamilia@gmail.org

Fundraiser at Spartans Restaurant

Chess Club

Chess Club will be held every Monday in the Cafeteria, starting September 18th from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., except for days where school is closed or there is early release. We are able to offer this program through partnership with the U.S. Chess Center. Chess club is $130 per semester and includes a club t-shirt and snacks during the meet-ups. Registration can be done through the following link:   https://chessctr.org/ravensworth/

For more information contact Ravensworth club parent coordinators Michael Alt, alt_michael@hotmail.com  or Alexandra Parresol, alexandraparresol@yahoo.com  or the U.S. Chess Center, admin@chessctr.org

Run Fit Kidz

Are you ready to run? Are you ready to learn about nutrition and proper running technique? Then join the Ravensworth RunFit Kidz Fall Team! RunFit Kidz is the only running program in the area taught by certified fitness professionals. Our non-competitive program is a wonderful place where kids are encouraged to strive for their own personal goals, be active with friends, and build confidence. Our fall program includes the following:

• Open to boys and girls in grades 1st – 6th .
• Games, activities, and drills to bring running concepts alive.
• Registration is NOW OPEN.
• 8 weeks for 1hr 15min per session.
• Thursday’s AFTER-SCHOOL starts Sept. 28th from 3:30 – 4:45PM.
• 5K Celebration Run is Sunday, November 19th at Fairfax Corner.
• $115 includes training with a nationally certified coach, entry into the chip-timed 5K, milestone tokens, commemorative RFK t-shirt, finisher’s medal, and post-5K festivities.
• More information about the program, school-specific information and to register can be found at www.runfitkidz.com
• Register early and secure your roster spot.
• For updates follow us on Twitter or Instagram @Runfitkidz

Follow Ravensworth on Social Media

Are you connected to Ravensworth Elementary School and the Ravensworth PTA on social media? The PTA’s Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/ravensworthelementarypta and the school’s accounts are https://www.facebook.com/RavensworthElementary and https://twitter.com/RavensworthES

5411 Nutting Drive, Springfield, VA 22151 |  Main Phone: 703.426.3600   |  Attendance: 703.426.3636 | Web | Twitter