IMPORTANT INFO & EVENTS
🖍️ It’s Kindergarten Registration Time!
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. Our school typically conducts kindergarten registration events, including orientation, in the spring during April. Eligible children can also be registered throughout the summer, but registering your child early helps us plan, so that we have the teachers and resources needed on the first day of school. Kindergarten Orientation will be Tuesday, April 2nd from 1:45-3:45 pm.
Prepare for registration by gathering documents and completing forms. We are happy to support families with registration and the transition to kindergarten. For more information in other languages, visit FCPS’ Kindergarten Registration webpage.
Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!
This year, Spring Break is March 25-29. We will be eager to welcome your children back to school on Wednesday, April 3, after two teacher work days. Student attendance is very important. Every day, our teachers will be teaching, and students will be learning. Studies have shown that just two absences per month can cause students to fall behind. Let’s finish this school year strong. Visit FCPS’ website for attendance resources.
✅ Take the Family Engagement Survey!
FCPS’ Family Engagement Survey is now open. Survey partner K12 Insight emailed a link to families on March 3 and again on March 6. Please participate! Your feedback is critical in helping to inform and improve FCPS practices to best support our students.
The survey is available in 10 languages. All responses are confidential. Parents/caregivers may stop by the front office to fill out a paper survey or complete the survey online. Please check your email for the survey invitation or use this survey link. Get more information on the Family Engagement Survey webpage
Join a Conversation on Fentanyl and Other Drugs
A community conversation on the opioid crisis in Northern Virginia will be held Monday, March 18, 6:30-8 p.m., in the auditorium at Lake Braddock Secondary School. (Please enter through Door #14). Attendees will receive free REVIVE! Narcan training during the event and learn about support services within FCPS and Fairfax County.
This discussion will provide families, staff, and students with valuable knowledge about the dangers of drugs and deadly fentanyl. The material discussed will be suitable for students in grade 6 and higher. Language interpretation will be available as well as American Sign Language accommodation. Childcare and transportation will also be provided, as needed.
🩹 Measles Is Preventable
Measles is making headlines as the number of cases nationwide has topped 40, with three confirmed cases in people living in or traveling through the National Capital Region.
The good news is that measles is preventable through vaccination! Vaccines help teach the immune system how to defend against germs, helping to build up natural defenses. Give your child the best protection against measles with two doses of the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine. Visit the Fairfax County Health Department website to find out more about measles.
Extended Hours at Immunization Clinics
To help parents/caregivers obtain vaccinations for their children, the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) will offer immunization clinics with extended hours:
Parents/caregivers should make an appointment but a limited number of walk-ins will be accepted. Please call 703-246-7100 to schedule an appointment.
Learn more about vaccinating your child and find community resources to support their health and well-being.
Note: All students enrolling in public and private schools in Virginia are required to be adequately immunized per the Code of Virginia.
Learn more about the event and register online.
🏅 Nominations Open for First Class Award for Inclusion
The Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities (ACSD) is seeking nominations for the First Class Awards. The awards are presented annually to educators, administrators, and students who support, design, and/or implement programs or activities that include students with disabilities that result in positive outcomes for all students. The ACSD will recognize award winners at the Family Summit on Saturday, April 20.
Nominate an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to inclusive practices in Fairfax County Public Schools by Friday, March 22. Email SpecialEdConf@fcps.edu with questions.
#InvestInExcellence 📊 Did you know Virginia provides less funding per student than many neighboring states including Maryland, Kentucky, and West Virginia? This is about $1,900 per student in state underfunding of Virginia’s students and $345 million for FCPS.
In July 2023, results were released from a study that was requested by the Virginia General Assembly to understand the costs of education in Virginia and the Standards of Quality funding formula.
This Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) study revealed that on average, school districts in other states get 14% more funding per student than in Virginia, even after considering the differences in labor costs between states. This means that localities (like Fairfax County) go above and beyond in local funding to make up for state funding shortfalls.
Learn more about the findings in the JLARC study: https://bit.ly/JLARC-Study
🗣️ Contact your state and federal elected officials to provide feedback on funding for K-12 education: https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov
✅ Learn more about the FCPS FY 2025 Advertised Budget: https://bit.ly/FCPS-AdvBudget-FY25
😎 Looking for summer plans for your child? Check out our FCPS Family Resource Center’s Summer Camps Guide! It includes local options, camps for students with special needs (sorted by need), and camps for students experiencing grief or who have parents in the military: https://bit.ly/SummerCampsGuide24
☀️ Safely View the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8
A total solar eclipse will occur on Monday, April 8, and will be viewable, depending on weather, in Fairfax County. The eclipse will begin in our area around 2:04 p.m. and end around 4:32 p.m., with the maximum eclipse occurring around 3:20 p.m.
Because the timing overlaps with dismissal, it is crucial that students understand the importance of safe viewing practices. We encourage families to review these Solar Eclipse Resources, especially the eye safety information. We hope everyone takes the opportunity to learn more about this extraordinary natural phenomenon while prioritizing safe solar viewing.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
-
March 25th - March 29th: Spring Break - No School
OBSERVANCES
- Read Across America Day
- National Women’s History Month
- Equity in Education Month
- Celebrating Arts in Our Schools
- National Nutrition Month
- Daylight Saving Time
- Ramadan
QUICK LINKS
Health and Safety Guidance Webpage
Visit Washington Mills Website
Positivity Project
Report Absences
Student Links
|
