Upcoming Events
Nov 13th– Family Life Education (FLE) Parent Information Meeting, 5:45 – 6:45 pm in Ravensworth Library
Nov 13th – PTA Meeting, 7:00 – 8:00 pm, Virtual (more info to follow)
Nov 16th – Run for Ravensworth, more details to follow
Nov 21st – PTA Spirit Night, McDonald’s, Kings Park
Nov 22nd – School Closed, SACC Open
Nov 22nd, 23rd & 24th – Thanksgiving Holiday, No School
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.
A Message From The Principal
Dear Ravensworth Families,
It’s been a busy week here at Ravensworth. We’ve enjoyed seeing many of our families at teacher conferences, Family Curriculum Night, and the Bravery Breakfast. We appreciate your continued partnership and support of your children. Thanks to our teachers and staff who have worked countless hours planning and preparing for these events.
On Thursday, November 16th, the Ravensworth PTA will be hosting our Run for Ravensworth event. You are welcome to come watch your child run at their assigned time. Here is the schedule for the run:
9:00 - 9:45 am – 4th and 6th grades
10:15 – 11:15 am – 3rd and 5th grades
11:30 am – 12:30 pm – Kindergarten
12:45 – 1:45 pm – 1st and 2nd grades
This is our PTA’s largest fundraiser of the year. Boosterthon is organizing this fundraiser. Please have your student log onto mybooster.com to donate and learn more about this year's character program and how to earn rewards for sharing and donating. We hope you will consider sharing our Run for Ravensworth Boosterthon information with family and friends. The money raised supports our STEAM program, field trip buses, and teacher classroom grants.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Erika Aspuria
Principal
Family Life Education
Students in grades K-6 participate in Family Life Education (FLE) instruction through their classroom teacher. 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. (Parent/Guardian Access to FLE Materials in Schoology)
- City of Fairfax Regional Library – lessons only. Media is not available.
Parents/guardians who do not wish to have their child participate in FLE instruction may choose to opt their child out of any or all of the lessons. If you would like to opt your child out of one or more lessons, please fill out the form provided to you in your child’s beginning of the year folder or you may access the opt out forms online at https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-family-life-education-fle. If you have already indicated your desire to opt your child out of FLE lessons by using the form provided earlier in the school year, you do not need to complete another form. Should you opt your child out and then later decide you want your child included in FLE instruction, you must notify Mrs. Heiman assistant principal, in writing before instruction begins.
You are invited to learn more about the Family Life Education media and lessons and to talk with school staff about the program. The meeting will be held on Monday, November 13th at 5:45 p.m. in the Ravensworth Library. Program materials and media will be available for your review at this time. Please rsvp at https://forms.gle/yN4vFS9Ym4udYEdU8 by Friday, November 10th if you plan to attend.
Kiss and Ride Reminders
We recently have noticed more families dropping off their children in the Kiss and Ride loop. To ensure the safety of your child and others, please drop your child off between 8:20- 8:35 am. Those students who arrive after 8:35 am must be walked into the building by the adult bringing them. Thank you for your cooperation.
Reminder: Window for Full-time AAP Referrals Closes Soon
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 Andrea Trumbull, Advanced Academic Resource Teacher at astrumbull@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 Andrea Trumbull at astrumbull@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.
Community Review of Elementary English Language Arts Basal 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.
Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid
Each year, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is eligible to apply for Federal Impact Aid grant funds. Impact Aid is a federal formula grant program designed to assist local school districts that enroll Federally connected students. This year, FCPS is pleased to announce that the Federal Impact Aid Survey will be available electronically through your ParentVUE account.
Ravensworth need your assistance to complete the Federal forms by October 31, 2023. Please see attached instructions Parentvue Impact Aid Instructions on how to complete the survey online in ParentVUE.
For those parents/guardians that do not have a Parentvue account, an activation Key is being sent home next week.
If you should need assistance please contact the Impact Aid Coordinator, Teresa Dunbar in the office at 703-426-3600
Positivity Project
This week our school community will be focusing on the character strength of Gratitude. Gratitude means you are aware of and thankful for good things that happen.
Gratitude is the quality of feelings and expressing thankfulness and appreciation. It is an affirmation that there is goodness in other people and the world and that we have received that goodness. People with the strength of gratitude have a readiness to show appreciation for kindness and also to return kindness. A leading expert, Robert Emmons, calls gratitude a “relationship-strengthening emotion because it requires us to see how we’ve been supported and affirmed by other people.”
Winter Break Enrichment Opportunity
We have an exciting Winter break learning opportunity for FCPS students. ACE has launched a new STEM kit program for students (grades 3-5) focused on extending learning when students are out of school. ACE is offering a comprehensive STEM kit that includes five exciting projects and fifteen learning activities. And better yet, all materials are included! ACE STEM Kits will surely stimulate curiosity and engage students in the rapidly growing area of science, technology, engineering, and math.
Order now at: https://bit.ly/FCPSACE_STEM_Kits
Music Notes
 Hello from Music! General Music classes have finished all things pumpkins (5 little pumpkins, 5 perfect pumpkins, Pass the Pumpkin game). We sang songs, played xylophones, and used rhythm sticks to read quarter and eighth notes.
We now turn our attention to fall songs and Veterans’ Day. Older students will learn how to play the Round Robin Rondo on the xylophones and learning about the form of a Rondo. We continue to review note names and are excited to announce Ravens in grades 3-6 will be playing recorders starting in January. More information to come!
The 5th and 6th grade Ravensworth Chorus is busy practicing for their winter concert on Thursday, December 14th at 6PM. In addition, singers have been invited to participate in the LBSS Pyramid Chorus Concert on November 28 (with a practice on November 27th). Make sure students return interest forms for this event! Ask Ms. Blend or Ms. Dutko if you need another form.
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.
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.
Library support needed!
Our librarian, Mrs. Sloan, is looking for a couple of parents who can provide consistent weekly support in the library. Days and times include Mondays from 9:00 -12:00 and Wednesdays from 9:00 -10:15. The highest priorities for support include checking out books to students as well as shelving books. Additional needs include delivering holds to teacher mailboxes, book repair, processing new books, creating book displays, and cutting paper for student bookmarks. Library experience is preferred.
If you’re interested or have questions, you can contact Mrs. Sloan at jasloan@fcps.edu
Thank you for your consideration!
PTA
Run 4 Ravensworth
We are hosting our BIG fundraiser of the year for future PTA endeavors. Log onto mybooster.com to donate and learn more about this year's character program and how to earn rewards for sharing and donating.
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 a wonderful opportunity for someone looking to get involved. The position includes:
- Tracking and inputting 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
PTA Scholastic Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair is coming back to Ravensworth Elementary on November 21 (In-Person dates begin November 27). Children, parents, and staff will all get the opportunity to shop for the best new books and other great items during and after school. Parents can set-up an e-wallet for their kids starting today, so cashless transactions can be made.
Volunteers are needed to assist with set-up in the library and day-to-day function of the store for the week it is open in-person. Sign-up dates are available for anyone who can help out.
Sign up to volunteer: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050544AFAB29A6FD0-scholastic1#/
Open an e-wallet: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/content/fairs/how-ewallet-works.html?fairId=5429981
Browse Books: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/ravensworth
Chess Club
Chess Club will be held every Monday in the Cafeteria, starting September 18th from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm, 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
Get Your School Spirit Wear Today!
Show your school spirit and support the Ravensworth PTA—purchase your spirit wear in the MemberHub store anytime: https://ravensworth.memberhub.com/store; youth and adult sizes available. Contact spiritwear@ravensworthpta.org if you have any questions. Show your pride for the Ravensworth Ravens all year long!
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
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