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اس نیوزلیٹر کو دوسری زبانوں میں پڑھنے کیلئے ، براہ مہربانی ہماری ویب سائیٹ ملاحظہ کیجیئے۔
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Monday, 12/4 - Friday, 12/8 - National Inclusive Schools Week
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Monday, 12/11 - Winter Concert
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Monday, 12/18 - Monday, 1/1/24 - Winter Break, classes resume on January 2, 2024
Winter Concert
December 11, 2023 at 6:30 PM
(Gym doors open at 6:15 for friends and family)
Call time for Chorus:5:45 in the music room
Call time for Band/Strings: 6:00 in the gym
**Attire: Crazy fun winter sweater with jeans/black pants
OR Penguin Pride Shirt with jeans/black pants
Congratulations Yearbook Winners!
Thank you to everyone that submitted artwork for the yearbook cover contest! The winners for this year’s yearbook cover contest are:
Front Cover Winner for the 2023-2024 yearbook – Natalia Bonachea, Grade 6
Back Cover Winner – Alyssa Nguyen, Grade 6
Our 4 Honorable Mention Winners that will be featured somewhere in the yearbook – Zoe Knox, Grade 5, Victoria Young, Grade 5; Avery Packard, Grade 4; Andrea Dreyer, Grade 5
Congratulations to all our winners!!
Kudos to our GOTR Team!
The Franconia Girls on the Run Team celebrate the end of their season at their 5K Race
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Counselor Corner
Character Trait of the Month
The character trait for December is Generosity - To share and give to others.
In November, we highlighted the character trait of Gratitude - The feeling of being thankful, or showing appreciation towards others.
Here’s the student video for student’s who showed Gratitude this month:https://youtu.be/PlI6HCb7r-E
We are so proud of our Gratitude 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.
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.
Toy Drive
Toy drive to support our local Children’s Hospital in DC
Toys should be new, please do not gift wrap.
Drop off dates are:
You can download wishlist suggestions by age here.
Questions?
Please reach out to Melisa Francisco at 571-330-7109 or Katie Lee at 540-850-4997 for the exact drop off locations.
Thank you in advance for your consideration!
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
Franconia Elementary School Innovation and Improvement Plan (SIIP)
You can view our outcome goals for this academic year here.
Calendar Reminders
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
Inclusive Schools Week has celebrated the progress that schools have made in providing a supportive and quality education to an increasingly diverse student population, including students who are marginalized due to disability, gender, socio-economic status, cultural heritage, language preference, and other factors. The week also provides an important opportunity for educators, students and parents to discuss what else needs to be done in order to ensure that their schools continue to improve their ability to successfully educate all children.
December 7-15 - Chanukah
Chanukah, an 8-day Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple and the miracle of a small quantity of oil that lit the Temple’s menorah for 8 days. This year, Chanukah begins at sundown on Thursday, December 7. That day will be a half-O day, and major events cannot be scheduled that evening. Learn more about Chanukah in National Geographic Kids
December 8 - Bodhi Day
Bodhi Day, Friday, December 8, is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni), experienced enlightenment, also known as bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali. The school calendar recognizes many religious and cultural observances (O days) during the school year, including Bodhi Day. There is school on these days, however, the School Board has directed that tests, quizzes, field trips, graduation, homecoming, or FCPS-scheduled athletic events will not be held on these observance days.Learn more about Bodhi Day in this video from the Miami Children’s Museum.
December 18 - January 1 - Winter Break (Student Holiday)
As a reminder, winter break will be held Monday, December 18, to Monday, January 1. To help make sure you and your children have a restful break, we have asked that no homework be assigned during this time. Teachers may assign long-range assignments in the weeks ahead of the break, allowing students to practice time management skills, but no assignments will be due immediately following the break. We look forward to welcoming students back in the new year.
Classes resume on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024.
December 25 - Christmas
Learn more about Christmas.
January 1 - New Year's Day (Holiday)
See the complete 2022-23 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
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