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Para leer este boletín en otros idiomas, haga clic en el enlace a continuación y elija su idioma.
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Sr. Spelling Bee Participants
From the Principal's Den
Last week, on Friday, I attended the Spelling Bee sponsored by our PTA. Congratulations to all participants and thanks to the organizers, volunteers, and staff who supported – we appreciate you “bee-ing” a part of this fun and enriching event.
I was asked last week by a student why there was a police officer on Linton Lane during arrival. When I looked into this, I learned from the officer that the Fairfax County Police Traffic Division conducts an unannounced annual assessment of the crosswalks at every FCPS school. The officer on Linton Lane during arrival last week was collecting data on the number of walkers using the crosswalk and the corresponding time intervals. The officer also took note of some double parking, as well as some vehicles parked too close to fire hydrants, entrances, and driveways. Please be reminded to always follow county traffic and parking laws to keep our neighborhood safe, especially during arrival and dismissal when we have such an influx of people and vehicles.
Finally, as I write this, the temperatures are warming, and the sun is shining – spring is coming soon! As the weather gets nicer, I want to encourage everyone to consider how movement can have a positive impact on learning. Consider the following research:
- Physical activity increases blood flow and the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to hardworking brain cells (Sousa, 2012).
- Exercisers outperform ‘couch potatoes’ in tests measuring long-term memory, attention, problem-solving and fluid intelligence tasks (Medina, 2008).
- When students sit for 20 mins or longer, blood pools in two parts of the body, the feet and seat (Sousa, 2011).
- Probably the only known cognitive activity that uses 100% of the brain is physical performance (Jensen, 2008).
Warmest regards,
Lawrence Caines
Principal
ljcaines@fcps.edu
Raise Craze is Happening!
Our annual Fort Hunt PTA Raise Craze Fundraiser through acts of kindness has started! It ends on March 7th.
If you haven't yet, please Register Here!
Our goal is $15,000 and will go towards our Care & Share Program, Teacher & Staff Appreciation and School Beautification.
Questions? Contact Jen Keller - fundraising@forthuntpta.org
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American Heart Association
"Kids Heart Challenge"
FHES families received a flyer about the American Heart Association’s “Kids Heart Challenge” in last week’s Wednesday folder. This is an educational resource that can help not only your student(s), but your whole family, to learn the warning signs of a stroke, as well as hands only CPR and other health related topics for a healthy heart. The FUNDRAISING PART IS OPTIONAL! Dr. Reid along with the American Heart Association has a goal that by the 2025-2026 school year all FCPS elementary schools participate in this added resource. We wanted to start off this school year with this as February is heart month. Enjoy the free health information resources.
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Place Your Yearbook Order Today!
Mr. Green has been working hard on putting together a wonderful yearbook for Fort Hunt. Order yours today!
An order form went home last Wednesday or you can order online using the school yearbook ID code: 14445624. Yearbooks are $18 each. The deadline to order a yearbook is April 12th.
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 Register for Fleet Foxes Today!
Registration is open until Friday, March 22nd for our Spring Fleet Foxes program. Sign up here to join the team and participate in the track meet.
We need 15 parent volunteers to help run the program. Please consider volunteering through the link above.
Practice Dates/Time/Location:
3:45-4:45p on the Fort Hunt Athletic Fields
Grades K-2: Tuesdays April 9 and 16
Grades 3-6: Tuesdays April 9, 16 and 23
Meet Dates/Time/Location:
Grades K-2: Monday, April 22
Grades 3-6: Tuesday, April 30
Family Engagement Survey to Open March 3
FCPS is partnering with independent research firm K12 Insight to administer a Family Engagement Survey, which will be open from Sunday, March 3, to Friday, March 22. Your feedback is critical in helping FCPS to better recognize, understand, respect, and address family strengths and needs throughout the district. Survey topics include:
- Welcoming environment
- Communication
- Student success
- Advocacy
- Family and school partnerships
- Community partnerships
The survey will be available in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Pashto, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
Parents/caregivers will receive the survey link via email from K12 Insight. A public link will also be posted on FCPS’ website. Paper surveys will be available in our front office. Please stay tuned for more information.
March Awareness Events
National Women's History Month - Every year, March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. The month is set aside to honor women’s contributions in American history. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS. Read more about Women’s History Month in National Geographic Kids.
Equity in Education Month - FCPS — in conjunction with the Virginia School Boards Association — observes March as Equity in Education Month, a division-wide opportunity to deepen our commitment to creating a climate and curriculum where all students receive the resources they need to reach their fullest potential.
Disability Awareness Month - In March people throughout the United States will celebrate Disability Awareness Month. This is an opportunity to honor these diverse and important stories.
Celebrating Arts in Our Schools - The Council for Art Education (CFAE) administers Youth Art Month. Youth Art Month encourages support for quality school art programs, and promotes art material safety.
March has also been designated by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) for the observance of Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®), the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools across the nation.
Theatre In Our Schools (TIOS) is a celebration of theatre in our schools and schools in our theatres. Sponsored by the American Alliance for Theatre & Education (AATE) and the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), the goals of TIOS are to raise public awareness of the impact of theatre education and draw attention to the need for more access to quality programs in and out of school for all students.
National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits.
March 3-9 is National School Social Worker Week. Social workers in FCPS help to prevent social, emotional, and behavioral factors from affecting a student's ability to perform at their best. Their primary goal is to remove barriers that prevent a student from fulfilling their academic potential. Social workers are assigned to every school and center in the school system. Most social workers serve one to two sites. Learn more about the role of social workers in FCPS.
March 4-8 - National School Breakfast Week (NSBW) celebrates the importance of a nutritious school breakfast in fueling students for success.
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Save the Date! Dance Around the World
Friday, March 15th is our annual Dance Around the World event where families come together to celebrate all of Fort Hunt's different cultures from around the world.
If you sign up to do a table display or volunteer at the event, you will be entered to win a raffle basket valued at $50. Flyers were sent home in last week's Wednesday Folders or see the flyer above for more information and to use the QR code to sign up.
 FHES Spelling Bee
This past Friday, March 23rd, FHES held its annual Spelling Bee. Both Jr. and Sr. Spelling Bee's turned out to be Bee-riffic!
The event was enjoyed by our student participants, families and volunteers. Big thanks to Johanna and Brian Taddiken for an amazing job at running the program so effortlessly and to all our teachers who volunteered as judges for the event. Congratulations to all of our students on a job well done!!!
Junior Bee:
Champion - Jacob Taddiken
1st Runner Up - Jude Fortner
2nd Runner Up - Emery Lucy
Senior Bee:
Champion - Marie Minez
1st Runner Up - Claire Hammell
2nd Runner Up - Leila Consedine
Marie Minez will represent FHES at the Fairfax County Regional Spelling Bee on March 17 at Lake Braddock Secondary. Good luck Marie!
March 5 Presidential Primary
Student Holiday
The Fairfax Board of Elections has requested that schools be closed on Tuesday, March 5, to accommodate the safe and efficient administration of the 2024 presidential primary election.
Therefore, March 5 will be a school holiday for students and a virtual School Planning Day. As outlined in Regulation 4421, School Planning Days are directed by school-based Administrators in order to devote time to school improvement efforts, including collaboration around data, common assessments, responsive instruction, etc.
Central offices and school offices will remain open. SACC will remain open, as on other professional work days.
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Mark Your Calendar!
February 2024
26 - Raise Craze Fundraiser All Week
27 - Yearbook Club Pictures Taken Today
28 - Walking Wednesday
March 2024
1 - Read Across America Day (Observed) "Snuggle Up With a Book"
4 - Raise Craze Fundraiser Continues Through March 7th
4-8 - School Social Worker Week
5 - Presidential Primary Election - Student Holiday
5 - 6th Grade Election Day Bake Sale
Quick Links
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