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Dear Freedom Hill Community,
We hope everyone enjoyed a true wintry week in Northern Virginia. Thank you to everyone who sent a picture of your activities in the snow. We loved seeing our students and families enjoying the time together.
Monday evening at 5:30 we are holding our annual Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) kickoff dinner and social. This is a time for students and their dads/male caregivers to come together to enjoy a pizza meal and to learn more about our volunteer program for our FH fathers. If you have not already signed up, please do so by 5:00PM today to ensure we have enough pizza and refreshments. A big thanks to our "Top DOG", Mr. David Hay, for his ongoing coordination of this school program. And don't worry, FH moms, we are excited to have you into the building as well! You can always check with your child's teacher to learn about any upcoming class events and volunteerism needs (and definitely mark your calendar for Field Day on June 7!)
This week, we will wrap up the 2nd quarter. We have seen such tremendous growth in our students so far this year, we can’t wait to see what the 2nd half of the year holds. As a reminder, we have a 2-hour early release on Thursday and a student holiday on Friday. Our hardworking staff will be using this time to complete Q2 grading and to begin planning engaging instruction for February.
In partnership,
Nicholas Zapadka, Principal
Eric Kopacz, Assistant Principal
2023-24 FCPS School Calendar
FCPS Lunch Menu
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January 22 - Watch D.O.G.S. Kickoff Pizza Night (5:30 - Sign Up Here)
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January 23 - PTA Family Dinner Out - Noodles and Co.
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January 25: End of Q2 - 2-Hour Early Release at 2:05
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January 26 - Teacher Workday - Student Holiday
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February 7 - Q2 Progress Reports Sent Home
Our expert Instructional Support Team is excited to share the dates and topics for our new Family Learning Series. Our goal is to provide learning opportunities for parents / caregivers interested in a variety of topics related to our students' experiences. These will be held (mostly) virtually so that topics can be recorded for families to view at a later time if desired. The first 30 minutes will be in English, and the second 30 minutes in Spanish. We look forward to seeing you!
Completed:
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Introduction to Advanced Academics with Mrs. Fredericks (September 2023, Link)
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Full-Time Advanced Academics Screening with Mrs. Fredericks - for families with students in grades 2-6 (October 2023, Link)
Coming Soon:
- Date TBD - Introduction to Special Education & Section 504 with Mrs. Tingler and Mr. Grumbach (7PM English, 7:30PM Spanish, Link)
- Jan. 22 - Watch D.O.G.S. Kickoff Pizza Night with Dr. Zapadka, Mr. Kopacz, and Mr. Hay (In-Person Only, 5:30PM in Cafeteria, Reserve Your Spot)
Later this Year:
- March 13 - The Science of Reading - Our New Approach to Teaching with Mrs. Rossman and Mrs. Mansuy (7PM English, 7:30PM Spanish, Link TBD)
- April 4 - All About the SOLs with Mr. Kopacz and Dr. Zapadka (7PM English, 7:30PM Spanish, Link TBD)
Attendance is an important indicator of student success in school. Recently, we sent home a flyer highlighting the significance of student attendance and the success students see when they achieve regular attendance in school. This week, families who have a student who has missed 5 or more days of school will be receiving a letter as a reminder of the importance of arriving to school with consistency, every day and on time. As we establish our 2024 routines, please have a conversation with your child/children about ensuring continued attendance and participation in school. Thank you, and as always, please feel free to reach out to the school for support if needed.
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This week, we are focusing on Social Intelligence. You are aware of other people’s thoughts and feelings. You understand why they do things.
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"When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
~Ernest Hemingway
Questions you might enjoy talking about:
- What does a good listener do?
- What does being a good listener have to do with Social Intelligence?
What can you do to be a better listener?
As the weather grows cooler, we monitor for very low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories which may prevent children from being outside. At this time, it is our intention to have outdoor recess on most days as weather permits.
Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and/or other cold-weather clothing so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. See the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.
If you need assistance supplying your child with cold-weather clothing, our Family Liaison, Ms. Riera Pineros, can assist you. You can also call Fairfax County's Coordinated Services Planning at 703-222-0880. The multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and healthcare.
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.
    
DINE OUT AT NOODLES & COMPANY
Save the date for another fun family dinner out this Tuesday, January 23rd from 4-9PM at Noodles and Co. located at 201 Maple Avenue East in Vienna. Make sure to mention FHES PTA when placing your order to dine-in or carry-out. Ordering online? Use code “Giving25” to make sure we get credit for your order. Thank you Camille Paredes for organizing this FDO!
PTA SCHOOL DIRECTORY
Looking for the PTA's School Directory? The directory is online! Visit https://freedomhillespta.memberhub.com/directory and log in using the email address you previously provided to the school. If you log in and do NOT have access, please send an email to directory@freedomhillpta.org with your name (first and last), the name of your student(s), and the corresponding teacher's name(s). Contact directory@freedomhillpta.org with any questions or concerns.
PREPARE TODAY FOR THE SCIENCE FAIR
No plans for the upcoming long weekend? Start a science fair project! This year’s Science Fair is scheduled for Friday, February 23rd from 6:30-7:30PM in the cafeteria. Last year we had participants from Kindergarten through 6th grade! For more information - check out the flier on our PTA website here. Project submissions/sign-ups due by Friday, February 9th.
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