The BULLS Bulletin (March 4-10)

March 5: Presidential Primary

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.

March 10: Daylight Saving Begins (Spring Forward)

Sunday, March 10, at 2 a.m., daylight saving time begins. Don’t forget to move your clocks ahead one hour! As a result of the time change, many students will be walking to school or to bus stops in the dark. Help your child stay safe by having them wear reflective clothing and bright or light colors, or add reflective items to their backpacks or clothes. Also, encourage your child to be especially alert for cars that are turning or backing up and not to run into the street or cross between parked cars.

March 11: *First Full Day of Ramadan (O day)

This year, the first full day of Ramadan is Monday, March 11. In Islam, Ramadan is the most sacred month of the year. During this month Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn to sunset each day while striving to increase their spirituality, through prayers, charity and good deeds. Read more about Ramadan in National Geographic Kids.

March 11 is an O day. The school calendar recognizes many religious and cultural observances (O days) during the school year. There is school on these days, however tests, quizzes, field trips, graduation, homecoming, or FCPS-scheduled athletic events will not be held on these observance days. Half-O days are full school days, but important events will not be held after school on those days. See the complete 2022-23 school year calendar.

Throughout the year, as we celebrate and recognize various cultural holidays and observances, families are encouraged to contact their student’s principal regarding accommodations, including but not limited to those around lunch, prayer/meditation and silent reflection spaces and times, and instruction.

2024-25 Kindergarten and New Student Registration

Kindergarten Registration for the 2024-2025 school year is open! FCPS is conducting its annual Survey of Preschool Children. The survey was sent home to all families and can also be found here. If you have a child eligible for Kindergarten this August (rising Kindergarten students need to be 5 years old before September 30, 2024), please complete the form and return it to our office by March 22. If you have no need for the form, please check with your neighbors who may have children eligible for kindergarten and share this form with them.

Information pertaining to registration, including eligibility and forms is outlined on our student registration page Enroll.

Registrations are done by appointment and walk-in. Appointments are open now and continue throughout the summer.  Questions? Please contact our registrar, Maria Betancourth, 703-227-1400, mcbetancourt@fcps.edu.

✅ Look for the FCPS Family Engagement Survey This Sunday

Parents/caregivers will receive the FCPS’ Family Engagement Survey Sunday, March 3, from independent research firm K12 Insight. Please participate — your feedback is critical in helping to inform and improve practices to best support our students. Taking this survey will also help strengthen the partnership between your family and our school. When that partnership is strong, students can experience a range of benefits including improved school readiness, higher student achievement, better social skills and behavior, and an increased likelihood of graduating high school. The survey will take about 10-15 minutes to complete and will be available in 10 languages.

A general survey link that families can use is also available on FCPS’ website. Please visit the Family Engagement Survey webpage for more information. Your voice matters!

Join Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid for Our Schools, Our Future – A Community Conversation. Your voice matters! Share your thoughts about FCPS and bring your questions to a conversation on:

• Tuesday, April 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Graham Road Elementary School.
• Tuesday, April 30, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at South County Middle School.
• Thursday, May 2, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Terraset Elementary School.
• Wednesday, May 8, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Hybla Valley Elementary School.
• Thursday, May 16, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Poe Middle School.
• Tuesday, May 21, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Katherine Johnson Middle School.

Pre-registration for a Community Conversation is not required but will help FCPS plan. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided for all events based on staff availability. Events are open to all. Learn about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.

Attending kindergarten provides children with an opportunity to learn and practice the essential social, emotional, problem-solving, and self-regulation skills they will use throughout their lives. Fairfax County public schools typically conduct kindergarten registration events—including orientation—in the Spring during March or April. Eligible children can also be registered throughout the summer, but registering your child early helps schools prepare and ensure they have the teachers and resources on hand that they need on the first day of school. 

After determining which school their child will attend, families should prepare for registration by gathering documents and completing forms, details can be found on the FCPS kindergarten registration webpage. FCPS offers support and resources for all families to help with registration and the transition to kindergarten. For support in other languages, visit the kindergarten registration webpage.

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.

FCPS News

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:

• Where FCPS Funding Comes From
• Community Conversation on Fentanyl and Other Drugs
• FCPS Family Engagement Survey Opens March 3

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving the weekly newsletter, please sign up today. 

Your Partners In Education

We are in this together!!  We are thankful to have the opportunity to work with your family this year and will work every day to ensure a safe and positive learning environment for your child. Please contact us when there is a question or concern. Thank you for your support and being part of our team!

Your Partner Principals,

Jason Pensler (Principal)             

Jenna Campbell (Assistant Principal: K,2,4,6)                  

James Marotta (Assistant Principal: K,1,3,5)