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اس نیوزلیٹر کو دوسری زبانوں میں پڑھنے کیلئے ، براہ مہربانی ہماری ویب سائیٹ ملاحظہ کیجیئے۔

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Saturday, 10/28- FES PTA Fun Run/walk & Foam Party 10:30am-Noon
• Friday, 11/3- Quarter End/ Early Release, 1:30pm Dismissal
• Monday, 11/6, Tuesday, 11/7 - No School- Student Holidays
• Wednesday, 11/8- Beauty and the Beast Auditions 3:45pm-6:00pm
• Wednesday, 11/22 - Friday, 11/24- No School- Thanksgiving Holiday

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Mrs. Stump's third graders enjoying the sunshine as they release their class ladybugs

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LAST CHANCE for Spirit Wear

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!

LAST CHANCE to order Spirit Wear. Click here to order your Fall 2023 Penguin Way Spirit Wear by MIDNIGHT TONIGHT:  https://shop.burkesports.com/groups/1619-franconia-es-pta/products This year we are happy to be using a local small business for our sale (Burke Sporting Goods) and we thank 4th Grade teacher Mrs. Blum for designing the awesome logo that reinforces the new motto of the school- The Penguin Way!

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FES PTA Foam Run/Walk Fundraiser

THIS Saturday, Oct. 28 at FES Field

Run/Walk from 10:30 - 11:00 a.m.

Foam Party at the Finish Line from 11:00 a.m. - noon

Let's Get Moving Together, Penguins!

Join your PTA and fellow Penguins as we take part in a one mile run/.5 mile walk followed by a FOAM EXPLOSION!

Participation is FREE for FES families, but donations are encouraged to support the PTA's events and activities. 

Your donations help to keep the PTA's activities free and fun, but we can't do it without your support! Your donations will fund our Picnic on the Playground, Author Visits, Bus Transportation for Field Trips, Movie Night, Book Blast, End-of-Year Celebration, Teacher Appreciation Week, and MUCH MORE! 

Bully Prevention Spirit Week

We're celebrating Bully Prevention Week with five fun spirit days!

Monday, October 30th- Pajama Day

Tuesday, October 31st- Dress as your favorite book character or wear fall colors (no masks). *Kindness Parade Today*

Wednesday, November 1st- Team or College Jersey Day

Thursday, November 2nd- Crazy Hair or Socks Day

* Bully Prevention Laser Assembly Today*

Friday, November 3rd- Twin Day or Wear School Colors

Be an Upstander Against Bullying!

Please Complete Your Impact Aid Form

Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid

The Impact Aid Program is a federal grant program designed to directly compensate local school districts that have been financially impacted by federal activities. The program's mission is to reimburse local school districts for local revenues lost due to the presence of federally owned and therefore tax-exempt property. Your support in identifying students with federal connections will ensure that FCPS can obtain its fair share of grant funds from this program.

For the first time, surveys will be available online this year. Please log into ParentVue from October 16 - 30, 2023. Once logged in, please select the “Online Packets” tab at the top, then select “2023-2024 Federal Impact Aid Survey” from the dropdown menu. Click the ‘Begin Registration’ Button.

Any surveys not completed by October 30 will be sent home in Wednesday folders.  Please be sure to complete and sign the survey, then have your child return the original (fax or email copies may not be sent) to their teacher no later than Thursday, November 16th. 

For questions regarding the Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid, please call 703-329-7750 or email ImpactAid@fcps.edu or visit https://www.fcps.edu/impact.  Additional information about Impact Aid programs and grants is available on the U.S. Department of Education's website at DoED Impact Aid Programs.

Have questions or need a ParentVue account? Please contact the Franconia ES Main Office @ 703-822-2200 for help.

Have a ParentVue account, but need assistance? Complete this Help Request Form: https://itweb.fcps.edu/itsupport/parent/.

Edison Orchestra Pyramid Concert

5^th and 6^th grade strings students participated in the annual Edison Orchestra Pyramid concert on Tuesday, October 24. Students played “Revenge of the Dust Bunnies” and “Spooky Scary Skeletons” along with students from other elementary schools as well as students from Twain Middle School and Edison High School. Many students wore costumes, and it was an evening of great music and great fun! The Franconia Strings program welcomes 4^th, 5^th and 6^th grade students for weekly classes during school and our strings teachers are Bradley Johnson and Danielle Herrera.  You can watch a video of these amazing performances here: 

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8QINud014-3XPFDu--SRuVYUffIZFUZt&si=LDvNO4GB3cwNNGuF

Counselor Corner

October is Bully Prevention Month

In the month of October (Bully Prevention Month) Mrs. Guillion, our School Counselor will teach guidance lessons pertaining how we can prevent bullying behaviors by being an upstander for self and others and showing kindness.

Kindergarten-1^st grade- We will read “The Rainbow Fish,” and discuss kindness and what it means to be an upstander!

2^nd and 3^rd grade- Will play a Jeopardy game to discuss the difference between bullying, conflict, and a mean moment.

4^th grade- We will discuss the difference between conflict and bullying.

5^th grade- We will discuss the difference between harassment and bullying behaviors.  

6^th grade- We will discuss why is it important to show empathy towards people who are bullied and harassed.

Bully Prevention Week is October 30^th-Novmber 3^rd.  The theme is "Being an Our Upstander Against Bullying! Additional details to come.

Get your costumes ready for our Mardi Gras Style Kindness Parade on October 31st! We are looking forward to spreading kindness, smiles and joy to our students and staff!

Character Trait of the Month

The Character Trait for October is Kindness-being friendly, considerate, and willing to help others. 

In September, we highlighted the character trait of Penguin Pride which means to show that you are proud of your school by obeying school/class rules and procedures.  We are so proud of our Penguin Pride winners.

Here’s the student video for student’s who portrayed penguin pride this month: https://youtu.be/Q2jtfngXQFA

Attention all Pokémon fans!

Are you into Pokémon?  Do you want to get together with other Franconia Penguins to play Pokémon games and/or trade Pokémon cards?  If you answered "YES" to these questions, then keep reading!  On the following Fridays, Nov. 10th, Nov. 17th, Dec. 1^st, and Dec. 8th, from 3:30-4:30, Franconia will host a Pokémon after school club. Students are invited to stay after school to enjoy all things Pokémon with their fellow students and some Franconia teachers. Use the link below to sign-up.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4AA4A928A6FB6-45373173-pokmon

Beauty and the Beast Auditions

Did your 4th, 5th, or 6th grade child sign up to audition? Please join us Monday, October 30 at 7:00 p.m. for a ZOOM meeting with Ms. Lucius where she will talk about what to expect and answer all questions!  Link for Monday, October 30 7pm Zoom meeting   Audition packets were sent to all who signed up to audition. Parents need to REVIEW all rehearsal / performance dates, LIST ANY CONFLICTS, SIGN the permission form, and RETURN it to Ms. Lucius by November 1st. Only students who have returned signed permission forms will be allowed to attend auditions. Parents will be notified via EMAIL if their child is going to audition Wednesday, November 8th from 3:45-6:00. Another email will go out to anyone we need to attend callbacks on Friday, November 10th from 3:45-5:00. Specific pick up information will be in each email.

Student Council

NEEDS YOUR HELP!!

Please join the Franconia Elementary Student Council to participate in the Marine Marathon Mile Clean-up!!

Who? 

All Franconia Penguins and an adult to accompany them at the event. Other family members and friends are also welcome!  We need at least 18 participants to earn the full amount of $450. 

What? 

Clean up after the Marine Corp Marathon for the designated assigned mile.

When?

Sunday, October 29, 2023, at 10:00am-12:00pm.

Where?

We will meet at mile marker 10.  See the map on the other side of this paper for the exact location.  Use of Metro is highly recommended due to parking scarcity and road closures due to the marathon route. The closest metro stop to the mile marker 10 is Foggy Bottom.  There is a free shuttle that takes people to the Kennedy Center (not associated with the marathon, but convenient for our location).  From there, it’s a short walk along the river to mile marker 10

Why?

Franconia Penguins will earn up to $450 from this event!!!

How?

Meet us at the assigned mile marker and use the provided gloves and bags to pick up waste left from the marathon participants and spectators.  The clean-up should only take about an hour.  It is imperative that an adult accompany a child.  

THIS IS NOT A DROP OFF EVENT

Please fill out this electronic form if you can help us out at this event.

Participate in the Yearbook Cover Contest

All Franconia students are invited to participate in our yearbook cover competition. Please use a white 8 x 11 sheet of paper and colored pencils. On the back of the paper, write your first and last name, teacher's name, and grade level. This year's yearbook theme is

Penguins Strive to Be Inclusive and Kind

Your cover designs should be related to the theme. Please include Franconia Elementary 2023-2024 on the cover and remember to check your spelling!

Designs are due to your homeroom teacher by Friday, November 3rd

Things to Consider when designing:

1. Draw your picture with a pencil first.
2. When coloring, use colored pencils only.
3. Your design should be Portrait view (not landscape)
4. Remember to use color to really make your picture pop! (don’t have a lot of white space)

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Mrs. Stump's class stretching their minds and bodies during partner yoga!

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FLE Preview Night November 9th

Family Life Education Lessons

Students in grades K-6 participate in Family Life Education (FLE) instruction through their classroom teacher. Students in Kindergarten through grade three receive instruction in an emotional and social health unit.  Students in grades 4-6 receive instruction in a human growth and development unit and an emotional and social health unit. For more information about the FCPS Family Life Education program, please see the detailed grade-level program descriptions at https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-family-life-education-fle.

In addition, grade level-specific curriculum lessons are available for review in multiple locations.

• Online in Schoology - includes lessons and media titles that FCPS has streaming rights for. Any additional media or book titles that are not streamed are available at your child’s school library. Parents/guardians login to Schoology using the same username and password as their Student Information System (SIS) Parent account.
• Your child’s school. Please contact the school to schedule a time to review lessons and/or media.
• City of Fairfax Regional Library – lessons only.  Media is not available.

FLE Preview Night 

We invite you to a Family Life Education Preview Night for all schools in the Edison Pyramid on Thursday, November 9 at Cameron ES.  More info to come.

 LMVSC Recreational Basketball

Registration Open

• Play With Friends
• Scholarships Available
• Pre-K - High School Programs
• Uniforms Provided
• Exciting End of Season Tournament Included

Registration Closes November 22nd

Games Start January 6, 2024

Register HERE

Questions?  Email Tom Fitzpatrick at

TFITZPATRICKDOB@LMVSC.ORG

LMVSC.org

Community Review of Elementary English Instructional Resources

Fairfax County Public Schools will adopt new Elementary School Language Arts Basal Instructional Resources for the 2024-2025 school year. A review committee composed of community members, administrators, and teachers met in August to review the state-approved Cycle I materials. The committee will re-convene in January to review the state-approved Cycle II instructional materials under consideration. Public review of the recommended materials is part of the process for selecting new resources.

Elementary English Language Arts basal instructional resources may be accessed in person and online from November 15, 2023, until noon on December 15, 2023. Digital materials for public review and comment will be available on the Elementary Language Arts Basal Resource Review website. Those reviewing instructional materials may complete an electronic comment sheet that will be available on the website during the review period.

Hard copies of instructional materials will be available for review at:

Pimmit Hills Center, Room 207 7510 Lisle Avenue Falls Church, VA 22043 

Materials may be reviewed at Pimmit Hills Center Monday - Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Visitors should enter through door #4 and check in at the main office or with the building coordinator on duty.

All community feedback will be shared with the review committee and with School Board members before the vote at the School Board regular meeting.

Dyslexia Open House

Fairfax County Public Schools will be holding the Dyslexia Open House on Thursday, October 26, 2023, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at 8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031. This event is open to staff members and families who would like to learn more about dyslexia and how Fairfax County Public Schools supports students with dyslexia.

From 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. participants have the opportunity to visit tables set up with information from a variety of departments in Fairfax including the Office of the Ombuds, Office of School Psychology and the Office of Special Education Instruction.  From 5:00 until 6:00 p.m. a variety of speakers will discuss the importance of dyslexia awareness and how to support your students with dyslexia. Feel free to share the invitation with staff, family and community members. Register using this link.

Calendar Reminders

• Friday, November 3rd, Quarter End, Early Release
• Monday, November 6th, Student Holiday
• Tuesday, November 7th Teacher Workday

As a reminder, Friday, November 3rd, is the last day of the first quarter, and a two-hour early release for students. Also, schools are closed for students on Monday, November 6th for a school planning day, and Tuesday, November 7th for a Teacher Workday.

See the complete school year calendar.

Reporting an Absence or Change to Dismissal

Please remember to notify the school office of any of the following changes that come up for your child.

Notification should be made by 9:00am on the day of the change.

• Absence
• Late arrival
• Planned early pick-up or mid-day appointment (pick-up and return)
  • If your child needs to be picked up unexpectedly, please call the office (703-822-2200) in advance of your arrival
  • This allows the office to contact your child’s teacher to prepare your child for their departure
  • For early pick-ups after 3:00pm, please park on Kathmoor as the school buses start to arrive for dismissal at that time and the front parking lot will be off limits
• Changes in dismissal mode (https://franconiaes.fcps.edu/about/change-dismissal-form)

Below are the 3 options by which to notify the school office (choose one option):

• FranconiaESAttendance@fcps.edu
• 703-822-2222
• Online attendance form - https://franconiaes.fcps.edu/attendance-form

Please do this IN ADDITION to contacting your child's teacher.  There could be times when the teacher is absent and, by also contacting the office, the information will be properly noted.

To email your child’s teacher, click HERE.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Penguin Points

Click on a link for information

Franconia Elementary School website

• Attendance
• Health Room
• Parent Resources (registration, SIS Parent Vue, Cafeteria, and BYOD)
• Safety
• Transportation
• PTA
• Inclement Weather
• Schoology
• SIS Parent Vue
• School Menus
• FCPS School Calendar

6301 Beulah Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22310 | Office: 703-822-2200

Attendance: 703-822-2222 |  | Web | Twitter