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To read this newsletter in other languages, please visit our website.
Para leer este boletín en otros idiomas, visite nuestro sitio web.
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School Hours: 9:15 am - 4:00 pm, Monday - Friday
School building opens for students at 9:00 am
Office: 703-988-8900
Attendance: 703-988-8989
January 17, 2024
REMINDERS
Thursday, January 25th - End of Second Quarter, 2-hr. Early Release Day - Students dismissed at 2:00 pm
Friday, January 26th - Student Holiday - No School
Are you or someone you know interested in working at VRES in a paid position?
Virginia Run ES is looking for MONITORS to provide lunch coverage, recess coverage, and other supports for the 23-24 school year. This is a paid position with full time and part time opportunities available. Interested? Do you know someone else who might be interested? Please email our Administrative Assistant, Shannon Soria, at srsoria@fcps.edu or call VRES (703-988-9800) for more information on applying for this position.
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Snow Days This Winter
For the current school year, FCPS will be returning to its previous procedure for snow days — there will be no virtual learning days when school is closed due to bad weather.
During snow days, students may still access Tutor.com, complete any supplemental learning opportunities recommended by their teachers, and view educational programming (available virtually and on public access television channels):
Eleven snow days are built into the existing FCPS calendar. Eliminating virtual learning days will allow us to maximize students’ in-person learning and provide equitable access to instruction and student services.
Kiss 'n Ride and Walkers - REMINDERS
- Kiss and Ride
- Drop off time - between 9:00 and 9:10 am
- All students need to be in class by 9:15 am (tardy bell)
- Pick up time – 4:00 pm
- Walkers – are encouraged to walk in pairs or groups home for safety reasons
Car riders must use the Kiss N’ Ride area in front of the school. For safety reasons, the side driveway (bus lane) is restricted to bus traffic in the morning and afternoon. Parents are not permitted to use the bus lane. Dropping your child off in the parking lots presents a safety hazard for students, staff, and vehicles. While in the Kiss N’ Ride Line, the students must exit the vehicle on the right-hand side. For safety reasons and to keep the line flowing, we ask that parents do not exit their vehicle to help their child out of the car while in the Kiss N’ Ride line. Please be mindful of students and staff moving about this area as you exit the line SLOWLY.
Students arriving to school after 9:15 am should be accompanied into the office by a parent or guardian.
El Fresco Spirit Day - Save the Date!
The next Spirit Day will be on Thursday, January 18th at El Fresco, 6005 Centreville Crest Ln, Centreville, VA 20121. Order take-out online www.elfresco.com or eat in. 20% of sales will go to the 6th Grade Celebration!
*Mention the El Fresco flyer when ordering.*
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Paint Night is Back!
Paint Night will be held on Wednesday, January 24th in the Cafeteria from 6:30-7:30pm. Ms. Adkins and Ms. Tuben will teach step by step instructions on how to create a Starry Night scene. Registration forms went home in last week's Wednesday folder! Space is limited to 60 people.
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Immersion Registration
Dual Language Immersion Program Registration for the countywide lottery for Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs will open on Monday, January 22. Current pre-K students may apply for the kindergarten immersion program, and current kindergarten students may apply for the first grade immersion programs for the 2024-25 school year. Programs are available in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.
Parents/caregivers who are interested may want to attend an informational meeting. Meetings are held at the school site. Check the FCPS events calendar for the most current information. Meetings will begin on Tuesday, January 16.
A virtual meeting hosted by the World Languages Office will include general program information. Access to this virtual meeting will be made available on the FCPS events calendar and the Dual Language Immersion registration site on the day of the meeting.
Get more information on the immersion program webpage and registration page.
Magnet School Application and Lottery Information
The Magnet Program registration window will be open from Tuesday, March 5, 2024 through Friday, April 12, 2024. No late applications are accepted.
To learn more about the programs and the registration process, families are encouraged to attend one of the Parent Information Nights:
- Bailey’s Upper, February 6, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. (Virtual only)
- Hunters Woods Elementary, February 12, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. (In-person)
- Snow date: February 26, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.
- Bailey’s Primary, February 13, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. (In-person)
- Snow date: February 21, 2024 at 6:00 p.m.
Parent Volunteers Needed for 2023-2024
The VRES Student Council and PTA have partnered up to collect and deliver the leftover unopened school lunch items (milks, yogurts, cheese sticks, bananas, chips, etc.) to our local food pantry at Western Fairfax Christian Ministries. Our students are already doing their part by filling the cafeteria fridge each week. But to make this program a success, we need a parent volunteer, one per week, to pick up and deliver the food to WFCM. Learn more and sign-up for a shift (or more!) at VRES Food Pantry Delivery 2023-2024. Each shift takes about one hour, and clear instructions will be emailed to you once you sign up. Thank you for helping VRES keep good food out of landfills and to serve our community in this way again!
Lightspeed Software
As part of our commitment to creating a safe and focused learning environment for your children, we are excited to introduce a new tool that our 1st-6th grade teachers will utilize: Lightspeed Software.
Lightspeed Software is designed to empower both teachers and students in the digital learning landscape. One of its key features is the ability for teachers to actively monitor student activity on laptops from their computer screens, fostering an environment that encourages focus and on-task behavior while teachers work with students in small groups.
Here are some key benefits of Lightspeed Software:
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Enhanced Focus: With real-time monitoring capabilities, teachers can closely monitor students' laptop activities during class. This helps ensure students stay engaged with the lesson material and minimize distractions.
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Support for Individualized Learning: Lightspeed Software allows teachers to tailor their approach to individual student needs. Educators can provide personalized support by understanding how each student interacts with digital resources, ensuring that every student receives the attention and guidance they require. They can create groups and push out websites and tasks targeted to students’ needs, whether researching for a project or reviewing for a test.
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Silent Assistance Signals and Check-Ins: One of the unique features of Lightspeed Software is the ability for students to signal when they need assistance silently. This ensures that students feel comfortable seeking help without disrupting the class flow. Teachers can also send out polls, reminders, and check-ins for students as a class or individually.
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Restricting Access to the Web: Teachers can turn off or pause internet access and restrict students to specific sites during school hours. This, again, ensures students are focused on learning and minimizes distractions.
We understand the importance of balancing technology in education with maintaining a focused and secure learning environment. Lightspeed Software is designed with these considerations in mind, and it will contribute significantly to the overall success of our students.
We also want to inform you that students will only be monitored during school hours. The regular filters remain in place on school devices, but once they are home, teachers cannot monitor your students. As parents, we would like to encourage you to sign up for your own Lightspeed reports, which will allow you to see how your child is spending time on the computer during and after school hours.
Lightspeed Parent Report on Child’s Device Activity
FCPS has tools to help parents know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided at no cost to families by Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service.
Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for free access to the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.
Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.
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