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Edison High School Weekly
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To read this newsletter in other languages, please visit our website.
Para leer este mensaje en otros idiomas, podrán ver las traducciones automáticas en nuestro sitio web.
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Important Dates
Edison School Wide Calendar
January 23: Rescheduled Hybrid In-Person/on line PTSA Meeting, 7:00 pm
January 24: Rising 9th Grade Orientation to Course Selection
January 25: End of second quarter; 2-hour early release
January 26: Student Holiday
January 30: Pyramid Choir Concert 7pm in Main Gym
January 31: Global STEM Challenges Program Information Night for Rising 9th graders at 6:00 p.m
February 1: Theatre Arts - Mandatory Parent Meeting, 6:30 PM
February 3: Edison Academy Open House, 10:00 AM- 12:00 noon
February 29: Presentation on Trends in the Drug Culture (Parents Only)
March 25-29: Spring Break
June 5: Graduation, 7:30pm, EagleBank Arena at GMU
June 12: Last Day of School
The complete FCPS 2023-2024 School Year Calendar
In this Issue:
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Rising 9th Grade Orientation to Course Selection
- Quarter End, Student Holiday
- FAFSA Application Completion Workshop
- Edison Academy Open House
- Mandatory Meeting for Parents of Addams Family Cast
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Parent Presentation on trends in the drug culture (For Guardians Only)
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National Mentoring Month
- Tracking Your Child's Attendance
- In Case You Missed It
- January Celebrations
- Athletic Boosters
A Message from Mrs. Burke
Dear Edison Families,
Happy Snow Day! I hope everyone enjoyed the snow by either going out or staying in with some hot chocolate. A reminder that we will resume regular classes on Monday, January 22, for our last week of the 2nd quarter. Please note that the quarter ends on Thursday, and we will have a 2-hour early release. Also, there will be no school on Friday as it is a teacher workday.
The PTSA meeting that was initially scheduled for last week has been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 23, at 7 pm. We are excited to welcome some special guests to the meeting, including Mr. Ray Lonnett our new regional assistant superintendent; Mrs. Marcia St. John-Cunning from the Franconia District school board; At-Large School Board Member Mr. Kyle McDaniel, a representative from FCPS's office of safety and security, Mr. Justin Dellow, our security specialist, and Officer Ashraf our SRO. I look forward to seeing everyone.
We are currently in the middle of course selection for our rising 10th-12th grade students. I urge parents to continue having conversations with their children about selecting a well-rounded schedule that allows them to explore advanced classes, courses they are passionate about, graduation requirements, and extracurricular activities. The courses chosen should provide them with a balanced educational experience while still being able to enjoy the high school experience. If you have questions about course selection, please feel free to email your child’s school counselor.
It's hard to believe we're already halfway through the school year; time is flying by. I'm looking forward to the second half of the year and all the exciting events to come.
As always, please reach out if you have any questions.
Amanda Burke
Principal
ajburke@fcps.edu
Follow us on instagram @edisonhseagles
 Discussions continue at Edison's Eagle Council regarding inclusivity and support for all students. The council is made up of 80 students who share their thoughts and suggestion for change with Mrs. Burke and each other.
1. Rising 9th Grade Orientation to Course Selection
Welcome Parents/Guardians of the Class of 2028!
We are pleased to welcome you to Thomas A. Edison High School. We are excited to meet your students and to get them ready to start 9th grade in the fall. Whether you are a first-time parent with a student in high school or an experienced high school parent, the staff in the Student Services Department is here to assist you with the transition from middle to high school.
We hope that we get an opportunity to meet all of you. On Wednesday, January 24, 2024, at 6:30 p.m., we will be hosting an Orientation to the Course selection process for our rising 9th grade students and parents (snow date January 31, 2024, 6:30 p.m.). We will begin the evening with a presentation in the auditorium. Following the presentation, representatives from each department will be available to discuss their offerings and answer any questions you may have about their content area.
We are also hosting an information session on our Global STEM Challenges Program on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 6:00 p.m.
We hope to see you on January 24, 2024!
2. Quarter End, Early Release, and Student Holiday
Thursday, January 25, is the last day of the quarter and a two-hour early release for students. Also, schools are closed for students on Friday, January 26, for a teacher work day. See the complete school year calendar.
3. FAFSA Application Completion Workshop
Saturday, January 27, 10:00 AM - 12:00 Noon
EHS Lecture Hall
Parents and students who bring the required FAFSA documents to the workshop receive one-on-one assistance completing and submitting the FAFSA online. Required Documents here: https://collegeaccessfairfax.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Revised_What-toBring-2024-25-FAFSA.pptx.pdf More information here: https://collegeaccessfairfax.org/
4. Edison Academy Open House
You are cordially invited to attend our in-person Open House event on Saturday, February 3, 2024 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM (snow date is Saturday, February 10). Please come to Edison HS and enter at Door 13 (the Van Dorn Street side of the building). You will have the opportunity to tour our state-of-the-art facilities, meet our instructors and current students, and learn more about our incredible courses! Please feel free to contact Cassandra Deedy at (703) 924-8101 or cjdeedy@fcps.edu if you need any additional information. We look forward to meeting you on Saturday, February 3rd.
Other Academy Open Houses can be found here: calendar of Academy open houses.
 It was great to see our wrestling team seniors on Wednesday night!
Eagle Pride!
5. Mandatory Meeting for Parents of "The Addams Family" Cast
If you have a student who is part of The Addams Family, please come to our MANDATORY parent meeting on Thursday, February 1 at 6:3 PM in the Black Box Theater (Mr. Walker's classroom).
We will be discussing rehearsal schedules, expectations for the students and of course ways that you can help our spring production be successful. If you have any questions, contact president@edisontheatrecompany.org
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6. For Parents Only - Parent Presentation on Trends in the Drug Culture; February 29, 2024
Thank you to our families who attended Dr. Reid's town hall on January 10th.
Many challenges and responsibilities come with being a parent, and having to address a difficult topic with your child, such as drug culture, trends and identifying signs of substance use, can be stressful. Drugs and drug paraphernalia is now being disguised as common everyday items out in plain sight, to go unrecognized by parents or other adults. Substance Abuse Prevention Program want to provide you with information so you will be able to recognize drugs and drug paraphernalia and also the signs of drug use to equip you to have real and meaningful dialog with your child concerning these issues.
Join us on February 29th, 2024 @ 6:00pm at Edison High School where we will be hosting a parent presentation to provide information on the trends in drug culture. After the presentation there will be time to ask questions or to receive more information. The trends in drug culture have created innovative ways to hook your child and we are here to arm you by providing information concerning these topics that will assist in effective communication with your child. Also, a Narcan Training with be provided by a member of the Community Services Board.
Shawn Elliott, BS, QMHP-C Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Sbelliott@fcps.edu
7. National Mentoring Month
Imagine a world where young people feel empowered, encouraged, and understood. Mentors can make that world a reality by helping young people find and follow their passions, excel in school, and thrive wherever they are.Learn more about Mentoring Month.
Research has shown that young people with at least one trusted mentor are less likely to skip school, less likely to use illegal drugs or drink alcohol, and more prepared to enter college or the workforce. Yet one in three children lack a mentor.
All it takes is one person to serve as a trusted adult to help change a young person’s path in life. Mentors provide attention, support, and enrichment, and help connect their mentees to resources that may help them on their journey in life.
FCPS’ MentorWorks program matches mentors with students in schools near where they live or work. They meet for at least 30 minutes a week. Learn more about how to become a mentor for an FCPS student. Please contact Martha Macdonald, mentoring specialist, for additional information at mmacdonald@fcps.edu.
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 Got to catch the gymnastics team competing at TJ on Thursday night.
8. Tracking Your Child's Attendance
Edison High School is committed to providing our students with a high-quality education. Academic success relies upon excellent school attendance. Students who come to school on time every day are building critical life skills they will use the rest of their lives. Like strengthening a muscle, building positive attendance habits early on makes a difference for our students today and for our adults of tomorrow. Attending school regularly helps students feel better about school and themselves.
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To assist families with tracking their child’s attendance, we will be
sending out attendance report card emails starting at the end of 2nd quarter that allows you to see if your child is in good standing, at risk of being chronically absent, or is chronically absent. These emails are meant to help you be more aware of where your student stands regarding their attendance. While we don’t grade on attendance, it can have a direct correlation to how a student performs in class. |
In their April 20, 2023 business meeting, the Virginia Board of Education decided to not suspend chronic absenteeism as part of school accreditation determinations for 2023-24, based on 2022-23 student outcomes. The Board’s rationale was a desire to send a strong message to schools, families, and students about the importance of regular attendance for student success. The Board decision means that schools with Level 3 (red) in any indicator—including chronic absenteeism—based on end-of-year data will receive “Accredited with Conditions” designation.
Edison High School ended the last school year at 21% warning status for chronic absenteeism, just four percentage points from the chronic absence status level. Chronic Absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of the school year, regardless of reason. For a school, no more than 15% of their students can be absent (for any reason) for more than 10% of the school year. Most school years have 180 days, 10% = 18 days. Not only is attendance important for student achievement, but the state of Virginia requires attendance at school.
Support is available:
Edison High School staff is committed to supporting attendance. Additional resources can be found online at http://www.fcps.edu/attendance. We know that parents are the experts on their own child and our school team is here to partner and help solve attendance-related concerns. The System of Support Advisor, School Counselors and School Social Workers and Psychologists are available to provide that support at 703-925-8000. You can find all these support personnel on our website.
Parents and students have asked how attendance is reported to colleges and who sees attendance data. All colleges as well as some scholarships and summer programs request a transcript. On the transcript the attendance data is reported.
Also, please remember to call your school to report all absences. Edison High School has a system for checking students in and out and for reporting absences. Please visit our site to learn how to report accurate and timely attendance.
9. FCPS News - In Case You Missed It
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- FCPS Receives $16 Million to Buy More Electric Buses
- Science Fair Judges Needed
- How Families Can Help Fight Opioid Misuse
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving the weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
10. We Celebrate in January:
- New Year's Day
- Three Kings Day/Epiphany
- Orthodox Christmas
- Martin Luther King Day
- Orthodox Epiphany
- End of 2nd Quarter
 Edison Athletics Booster Club will offer six scholarships to graduating Edison High School seniors that have participated in varsity Edison Athletics as a player. Applicants will be judged on athletic accomplishments, community service, coach’s recommendation, and written essay. Financial need is not a determining factor. Each scholarship award will be in the amount of $500. Scholarships (checks) will be made payable and sent directly to the recipient’s college or technical/vocational school.
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