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Upcoming Events
Dec 11 - 15: Spirit Week
Dec 18 - 29: Winter Break
Jan 2: First Day Back from Break
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 Federal Impact Aid Survey: Now Online!
Sangster is missing many impact aid forms - please take the time to check to make sure you have submitted yours. Thank you!
FCPS is asking all families to fill out the Federal Impact Aid Survey. To make it easier, the form is available online in SIS ParentVUE this year. After you log-in to your account, look to the upper right-hand corner for the "Online Packets" tab, click Impact Aid to complete. Families are to complete the online form for each school-aged child in every household.
This 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, visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page.
Sangster Spirit Week!
Advanced Academic Program Information
Full-Time (Level IV) AAP Services
Some advanced learners need a full-time advanced academic program with differentiated instruction in all four core content areas (Language Arts, mathematics, social studies, and science). Students eligible for full-time AAP services are cluster grouped on a full-time basis and receive:
- Full-time use of materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies, and
- Curriculum that is differentiated through acceleration, depth, and complexity of content.
Full-time services continue through Grade 8. Students do not need to be evaluated each year.
Full-Time (Level IV) AAP Referral and Deadline
Parent referrals to be considered for Full Time AAP (Level IV) services for the 2024-2025 school year for current students in grades 2-6 are due no later than December 15.
Link to Full-Time (Level IV) AAP Referral: https://www.fcps.edu/system/files/forms/2023-08/aap-fulltimeservicesreferralform-english.pdf
Referrals will not be accepted after the deadline. Referral forms must be submitted as an attachment via email and must include both of the following contacts:
You will receive an email reply confirming receipt of your referral. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Biberaj.
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Social and Emotional Learning Screener - Results Coming Soon
One of the ways FCPS supports the mental wellness of all students is the SEL Screener.
Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener during the month of October, providing information on their skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships with adults and peers, and making responsible decisions.
The SEL Screener also helps students evaluate their school community’s efforts to make them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to create the learning, experiences, and environments students need to be successful.
Beginning in early December, individual student SEL Screener results will be available to families in SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be sent via postal mail.
For more information about the screener please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage. For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or contact your student’s school.
🌏 World Languages Offerings in Elementary Schools Survey
Fairfax County Public Schools is considering expanding our Dual Language Immersion programs to include new languages and school sites, and new languages for our Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools program.
Parents/caregivers with elementary school students, please check your email for a link to our survey and let us know your thoughts about World Languages offered in elementary schools. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Urdu, and Vietnamese. Please complete the survey by Friday, December 8.
🙋♂️ Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!
The weeks surrounding winter break often see more empty seats in classrooms. This year, let's nurture a rock-solid attendance habit. Every hour of every school day is a unique opportunity for students to learn, connect, and grow.
A big thank you to:
🌟 Students who show up every day and the parents/caregivers supporting them.
👩🏫 Teachers who create a welcoming environment for learning.
👨💼 Administrators who provide a safe and engaging place to grow.
👏 Bus drivers, support staff, and volunteers who help our learners.
If you or your child need support, please reach out to a school counselor, social worker, or family liaison.
If your child is not feeling well, please refer to our When Should I Keep My Child Home? resource for guidance.
Visit our website for more attendance resources.
Rising 7th Grader News
LBMS Curriculum Fair
Lake Braddock is offering a virtual Curriculum Fair! Parents and students can go to the LBSS Curriculum Fair Site, which will go live on January 2nd and will allow parents and students to learn more about the courses we offer. The site will include a synchronous parent presentation, course descriptions, videos and Padlets for questions organized by department.
Instructions - Click Here
LBMS Curriculum Night
 Friendly Reminders
🧥Lost and Found Items
All lost and found items will be outside the school from 7:45am – 6:45pm December 11th through December 15th.
Stop by and find your student’s missing items. Any items not picked up by the 15th will be collected and donated.
🔖Labeling Student Items
Now that the weather is getting colder, please make sure student names are in jackets, sweatshirts, coats, hats, mittens, etc. When they inevitably get lost or forgotten somewhere, if we can find a name we will return the item to the student. Labeling these items helps to keep our Lost and Found collection to a minimum. Thanks for your help!
🧼 Staying Healthy This Cold/Flu Season
Cases of RSV, the flu, and other viruses often rise this time of year. It is important for students to wash their hands regularly and cover their coughs and sneezes. Please monitor your child’s health daily and follow recommendations for when to keep them home due to illness. Visit FCPS' Health and Safety Guidance webpage for more tips.
❄ Winter Break
As a reminder, there will be no school from Monday, December 18, to Monday, January 1, 2024, for winter break.
To help make sure you and your children have a restful break, no homework will 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 will resume on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. See the complete school year calendar.
❄️ Preparing for Winter Weather
Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather-related closing decisions are made.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place where we will announce an emergency weather closing. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and plan for childcare if needed.
This week’s Positivity Project focus is the Other People Mindset with an emphasis on supporting others when they struggle. Ask your student to share their own experiences with helping others when they struggle.
The site P2 For Families is available for connecting P2 to your home and you can learn more about the site here. Many of the slides are password protected and the password is P2 (case-sensitive).
Next Week’s Character Strength: Self-Control
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Resources from Sangster's Family Liaison
Fairfax County Winter Break Camps
Sign your child up for an exciting, fun-filled day at camp during winter break or an upcoming Teacher Workday this winter season! Children can learn the arts, cooking, sports, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and more. Don’t miss the opportunity to secure a spot today:
Winter Break Camp:
- December 18-22
- December 26-29
Winter Teacher Workdays:
- Monday, January 15
- Friday, January 26
- Monday, February 19
REGISTER FOR WINTER CAMPS
Westminster School Winter Camp
3819 Gallows Rd. Annandale, VA, 22003
P: 703-340-7268
Winter Camp at Westminster
SportRock Winter Camps
Registration for Sportrock's rock climbing Winter No-School Day Camps in Northern Virginia
SportRock
The ST James Camps
The STJ Schools Out Camps
During this year's school holidays, The St. James has you covered with Ultimate Adventure Camp for students ages 6-13. This popular program will keep them entertained so you don't have to! Camp runs 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM or sign up for extended hours, 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM.
My Gym Winter Break Camp
3yrs to 8yrs 11mos - Winter Break Camp
Children move and stay active for three hours of non-stop fun including gymnastics, sports, games, music and crafts! Using structured activities that focus on movement, play, and imagination, our amazing staff create a safe and fun environment for all campers!
My Gym Winter Camps Burke
FCPS Family Resource Center – Upcoming Webinars
Register for Free Webinars
December
Coping Strategies for Anxiety, Depression, and Stress: A Two-Part Series
Join Dr. Erin Berman, a Clinical Psychologist at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland for these important sessions to help children cope with anxiety, depression, and stress.
Part 2 Highlights:
Identify stress in children of all ages
Explain common sources of stress
Provide strategies for lowering stress levels so that all caregivers can benefit
NEW DATE Part 2: 12/12/23 10-11:30 a.m Share this event with others.
January
Meet the Author Series: Raising a Kid that Can
Why are kids today struggling? And based on all that modern science has to offer, what are the most important things I can do in raising my kid? Learn from a child psychiatrist, a parent psychologist, and a child therapist, who have reinvented the parenting book. Organized in a novel “guidebook” style that’s illustrated, skimmable, and fun to read, it’s easy to find immediately useful strategies that you can apply to your specific kid. Usable at any stage in your child’s life, this book helps parents get right to the information they need, when they need it. It’s time to parent smarter, not harder!
The authors have created a playbook that arms families with the tools needed to navigate a complex world and help children move from an age of anxiety into an age of adaptability.
Join authors Catherine McCarthy, M.D.; Heather Tedesco, PhD.; & Jennifer Weaver, LCSW as they discuss their book and take your questions.
1/5/24 10-11:30 a.m. Share this event with others.
Military Families
Winterfest and Tree Lighting Ceremony at Fort Belvoir
Kick off the winter season with holiday cheer, snowball fights, loveable characters, and a tree full of sparkles to carry you into the New Year!
Dec 2 2023, 1:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Come celebrate the holiday season with us at our annual Winterfest and Tree Lighting Ceremony. Visit with Santa and holiday characters for a fun photo op experience. Throughout this holiday celebration, you can enjoy train rides, s'mores by the fire pit, food and beverages, and so much more. To culminate the festivities, join us as we light the 19-foot holiday tree. Some activities will be ticketed. See below for details.
Winterfest Schedule of Events | 1:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Garrison Headquarters Parade Field, 9820 Flagler Rd.
1:30 – 5:30 p.m. | Santa and Mrs. Claus photo opportunity (with breaks).
1:30 – 6 p.m Character meet and greet (with breaks) The “Ice Queen” and her adventurous sidekicks
Food and beverage for purchase
Birria y Mas (Tacos)
AAFES dessert truck (mini donuts)
Firehouse Subs
Kids crafts (while supplies last)
Gingerbread House Contest
1:30 - 4 p.m. | Entry period
4:15 p.m. | Judging begins
4:45 p.m. | Winners announced
Submissions will be judged in the following categories:
Adult Cateory - 18+ entering as a single entrant or team.
Teen Category - 13 - 17 years of age entering as a single entrant or team.
Youth Category - 9 - 12 years of age entering as a single entrant or team.
Child Category - 8 and under entering as a single entrant or team.
Tree Lighting Ceremony | 5:30 - 6:30p.m.
* In case of inclement weather, some activities may be cancelled.
Free admission!
Installation Access Information
This event is open to all DoD ID card holders, their guests and installation visitors. Non-Military/DoD ID holders must request a visitor's pass prior to entering Fort Belvoir. To learn more about visitor passes and additional gate operations, visit the Installations Access Page on the Garrison's website.
  Hat Day!
Sangster had a Spirit Day last Friday, Hat Day! Many students and staff were sporting their favorite hat. It was fun to see all the interesting hats. Thanks for participating! 👒
News from the Sangster PTA
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