Wednesday Word 11/15/23

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 11/15/2023 05:00 PM EST

To read this newsletter in other languages, please visit our website.

Para leer este boletín en otros idiomas, visite nuestro sitio web.

Để đọc bản tin này bằng ngôn ngữ khác, xin quý vị truy cập vào trang mạng của chúng tôi.

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

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

 

  • Wednesday, 11/22 - Friday, 11/24- No School- Thanksgiving Holiday
  • Monday 12/18- Monday 1/1/24- No School- Winter Break

 

 

Nominate an Outstanding Franconia Staff Member

 

Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Employee Awards! To submit a nomination for a Franconia Outstanding Employee in one of the categories below, please complete the nomination through this Google form link: https://forms.gle/yGn7ep2VWm4seW2D6 You may nominate one employee at our school or multiple employees (one individual may only nominate one employee per category.)

The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, November 17th.

If you have any questions, please contact Lizzie Pater at eapater@fcps.edu

 

 

Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey

FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available online in SIS ParentVUE. If you have not already filled out the form online, your school should be providing paper forms this week. Please be sure to return paper forms by Friday, November 17. The electronic form will continue to be available in SIS ParentVUE until January 2024. 

Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important because information from this survey results in an additional $3 million in grants each year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.

For more information, watch this video and visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page. 

Need to Register for ParentVUE?

Learn how to activate your SISParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey.  

Technical support for using ParentVUE or completing the survey online is available by submitting a Parent Support Request ticket. Select SISParent in the Application dropdown menu and enter Federal Impact Aid Survey under Issue Description. Or, call the Parent Technology Help Desk at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS).

 

aap

 

Students strategize during game day in AAP.

 

 

Free Turkey Dinner

Free turkey dinners available from Franconia United Methodist Church

Meals available for carryout/to go, No RSVP required

Includes turkey, sides, and dessert

Sunday, November 19

Starting at 4 PM until the meals are gone!

Franconia Methodist Church

6037 Franconia Rd., Alexandria

www.FranconiaUMC.org | 703-971-5151

 

 

Become a Bus Driver for FCPS

 

Fairfax County Public Schools Needs School Bus Drivers to Meet Our Growing Requirements.

School Bus Drivers earn $24.55/hour plus excellent benefits.

$2,000 signing bonus!

For more information call 571-423-3023

 

 

Counselor Corner 

 

Character Trait of the Month

 

The character trait for November is Gratitude - The feeling of being thankful, or showing appreciation towards others.

 

In October, we highlighted the character trait of Kindness.  We can show Kindness by being friendly, considerate, and willing to help others.  

Here’s the student video for student’s who portrayed Kindness last month: https://youtu.be/GP8yhx_FR28

We are so proud of our Kindness award winners!

 

 

 

Attention 6th Grade Families

To build and maintain safe and supportive school environments, Fairfax County Public Schools has developed two lessons at the sixth-grade level to educate students on the topic of sexual harassment. These two lessons seek to provide students with the necessary information, resources, and strategies to help prevent occurrences of sexual harassment as well as outline the steps to take if they feel they or their peers are targets of these behaviors. In addition, the lessons share how schools support targeted students so that they can continue to focus on learning in an environment that feels comfortable and secure. The two lessons are taught by the school counselor as part of their counseling curriculum. These lessons will be taught to sixth graders beginning November 27th- December 1st.  Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of the two sixth-grade lessons on the topic of sexual harassment. Students who are opted out are provided with age-appropriate, non-punitive alternative instruction, and every effort is made to foster respect for family choice. If you wish to opt your child out of the sexual harassment lessons, please return the form that was sent home in the beginning of October.  Please note that those families who have opted their child out of school counseling services will automatically be opted out of the two sixth-grade lessons on the topic of sexual harassment. Parents/guardians may request to view these two lessons prior to deciding whether to opt their child(ren) out of the lessons. Please reach out to the school counselor for instructions on how to preview the lessons. Your child will be included in the two sexual harassment lessons unless you request that he/she be opted out using the opt-out form or unless he/she has been opted out of school counseling services. You do not need to return the form to the school if you wish for your child to participate in the lessons. If you return the opt-out form and later decide you want your child to receive the lessons, you must notify the classroom teacher or Mrs. Guillion, school counselor.

 

 

 

Franconia Elementary School Innovation and Improvement Plan (SIIP)

 

You can view our outcome goals for this academic year here.

 

 

 

Full-Time AAP Referral Window Reminder for Parents

Parents/guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for full-time advanced academic programs may submit the AAP Full-Time (Level IV) Referral Form to Jo-Anne Fouad, jpfouad@fcps.edu  or Katelyn Glines kjglines@fcps.edu no later than December 15, 2023. 

The window for families to submit a referral for full-time AAP services is the first day of school through December 15, annually.  Forms for full-time and part-time referrals are available on the AAP Forms Page. No late referrals for Full-Time AAP services will be accepted. 

Submitting a referral form for full-time AAP will initiate a process that begins at the local school and is then completed at the central office level. Our school will put together a portfolio that includes multiple data which are considered holistically. At the central office level, a committee of six trained professionals from various schools and roles will review the portfolio materials to determine eligibility for full-time placement.  Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of the portfolio that was submitted after they have been turned in for central selection by emailing Jo-Anne Fouad, jpfouad@fcps.edu  or Katelyn Glines kjglines@fcps.edu

 

Referrals for subject-specific and part-time AAP are screened at the local school. If you miss this deadline, your student can still be screened for subject-specific AAP or part-time AAP for the remainder of the year and submit a referral for full-time AAP next fall. 

For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs website.

 

 

 

 

Gingerbread Decorating Workshops

at the Edison Academy of Culinary Arts

Edison Academy is excited to announce that Chef Walden and our Culinary Arts students are sponsoring Gingerbread House Decorating Workshops on Saturday, December 9, 2023.   Enjoy the holiday season with friends
and family with Gingerbread FUN! Let us take care of all the mess and stress.

Our talented culinary students will assist you in creating a truly unique house for display during the holiday season. The workshop includes all the ingredients to decorate a beautiful gingerbread house. Hot cocoa and cookies will be available after your decorating experience.

  • Pricing: $45 and a minimum of 4 canned goods per house (the canned
    goods will be donated to the Koinonia Foundation food pantry).
  • Two sessions are available to choose from: Session 1: 9:00 am-10:30 am
    Session 2: 10:30 am-12 noon
  • Due to limited space a maximum of three people per house, including
    parent and/or guardian.
  • Recommended age: 5 years old and up. Participants 13 and under
    must have an adult chaperone.
  • Workshops will take place at the Edison Academy of Culinary Arts 5801 Franconia Rd, Alexandria, VA 22310, in room H-128.

Registration and money payment is required by December 1st
.(limited to 24 paid participants).

You can register for this event HERE

 

In case of inclement weather and cancelled event, take home kits will be available for pick up before noon on the 15th and 16th.

 

 

Calendar Reminders

 

November 22-24 - 

  • Thanksgiving (Holiday)

Schools and offices will be closed November 22-24. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Classes will resume on Monday, November 27. Learn more about the first Thanksgiving.

 

December 2nd-

  • National Special Education Day

National Special Education Day is recognized each year on Dec. 2 and commemorates President Gerald Ford’s signing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975. We celebrate our teachers and staff who serve and support our students with special needs, as well as our families who are partners in the education and support of those students! 

Learn more about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 

FCPS Special Education Resources

Kathy Murphy, the assistant ombuds for special education, serves as a confidential resource, providing information and support to parents and students regarding special education services. The assistant ombuds provides transparency and understanding to families of children with special needs so that they may receive all the services and supports required to equitably access public education. The assistant ombuds can be contacted by submitting a question, calling 571-423-4014, or emailing ombuds@fcps.edu.

 

December 5-9 - Inclusive Schools Week

 

 

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):

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