|
English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
A Note from the Principal
DRES Families,
What a wonderful week of events for our DRES community. Thank you to our hosts at Fairfax High School and our opponents from Providence ES for a great night of basketball and fun. Thank you to our PTA for all their work in organizing this event and all of our students, staff and families who participated in the event.
We went outside Monday afternoon to view the eclipse, read more about the excitement of our students. Thanks to our staff for taking the time to organize this event and keep students safe.
Last night we hosted our annual International Night and celebrated the many cultures that comprise our diverse community. I know we all enjoyed the food and learning about each culture that was represented. The night was capped off with outstanding student performances. Thank you to Ms. McCarten and Mr. Tilman for all their work organizing this event along with our PTA as well as everyone that attended.
Our 6th graders begin their celebration of leaving 6th grade with the 6th grade dance this evening! Thanks to all the 6th grade families who have helped organize this event.
A reminder our of our spirit day next Wednesday (4/17). Please join FCPS for Purple Up! Day on April 17, 2024, as we proudly wear purple as a sign of our appreciation for military families.
Take a couple minutes to view my weekly message to students.
If you have any questions or concerns you can contact our main office at 703-279-8400 or contact me directly at cmsmith@fcps.edu
Go Dragons!
Chris Smith
DRES Principal
🗓️ SOL Testing Dates 🗓️
Our Spring Standards of Learning (SOL) tests are coming up in May.
These assessments measure the extent to which students have learned the content and skills reflected in state standards. The content tested varies by grade level. See below for the scheduled dates this Spring.
Grade 3:
-
📖 Reading: Thursday, May 9
-
🧮 Math: Friday, May 17
Grade 4:
-
📖 Reading: Wednesday, May 8
-
🧮Math: Thursday, May 16
Grade 5:
-
📖 Reading: Friday, May 10
-
🧮 Math: Wednesday, May 15
-
🔬 Science: Tuesday, May 21
Grade 6:
-
📖 Reading: Tuesday, May 7
-
🧮 Math: Tuesday, May 14
SOL Make Up Testing: May 22-24
SOL Retakes: May 28-31
If you have any questions about SOL tests, please reach out to our School Testing Coordinators, Sara Van Aalst (smvanaalst@fcps.edu) or Janelle Alabi (jgalabi@fcps.edu).
PTA News
Save the Date for our Spring BOGO Scholastic Book Fair April 22nd-26th during school
Keep an eye out for a volunteer sign up genius and more details to follow!
Save the Date for Donuts with Dragons- May 1st 8-8:45am(behind the school)
Join us on the back blacktop behind the school for a community building event. Our dragons and their grownups are invited to come enjoy a donut with us on the back blacktop before school starts on May 1st from 8-8:45am.
Parents will be required to stay with their children until school opens at 8:45am.
You DONUT want to miss this great event!
AAP News
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction to meet the needs of advanced learners. Students may be screened for subject-specific and part-time AAP services at any time in the school year. However, in the spring, schools review data on all students to determine services for the start of the next school year. Because all students are screened in the spring, it is not necessary to submit a referral form. Families will be notified of eligibility of newly-identified, part-time services during the second week of June.
The AAP spring newsletter can be viewed on our Daniels Run All Parents/Guardians Course in Schoology. Parents/guardians can login to Schoology using the same username and password as your Student Information System (SIS) parent account.
If you have any additional questions or concerns please contact Daniel Run’s Advanced Academic Resources Teacher (AART), Ms. Danni James at dfjames@fcps.edu.
|
Music News
🎵 Congratulations to all the International Day/Night performers! If you have any pictures to share, please send them to Michelle McCarten.
🎵 The April Musician of the Month is American pop singer/songwriter, Taylor Swift.
🎵Upcoming Spring Music Concerts:
Summer Choir Camp Offer: Come sing with Miss McCarten this summer!
P2 News
Dear Families,
Next week our school community will be focusing on the Other People Mindset of Identifying and Appreciating the Good in Others. It’s important to deliberately work to identify and appreciate others’ character strengths.
Identifying and appreciating the good in others is a core tenet of the Other People Mindset. This isn’t always what comes naturally. Often, it’s easier to blame others for our problems or find flaws in others to use as excuses for our own jealousy, bitterness, or resentment. The problem is that this negativity usually leads to problems -- for ourselves, for the other person, and for our relationships.
Identifying and appreciating the good in other people helps you see the world through a more positive -- and less threatening -- lens. If you’re constantly seeing the negative traits of people, you’re going to think the world is comprised of bad people -- and you’re going to operate from a defensive posture. This isn’t to say that we should be naive or see the world, and its people, through “rose-colored glasses.” It’s just that we should strive to understand people’s intent. If you see the good in another, they are likely to see the good in you.
To practice and encourage the character strength of perspective with your child, please visit the Positivity Project’s P2 for Families (password: P2), where together you will watch a video, read a quote, and talk about the answers to three questions.
Have a wonderful week!
Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) School Health Services Internal Survey
The Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) employs school health aides and public health nurses who provide school health services to the students in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). To determine the quality of these services, a survey has been developed by the FCHD to be shared with all parents or guardians of FCPS students. Parents/guardians will be asked for feedback on the level of satisfaction with School Health services provided to the school community. The survey will be distributed electronically via FCPS This Week. The survey window is April 15 - April 26, 2024. Survey link: http://www.redcap.link/FCHDSchoolHealthSurvey
Survey results will provide a basis for quality improvement of School Health services. The data-driven process is in alignment with the FCPS Strategic planning process, and the survey results will contribute positively to the FCPS Strategic Plan that reflects a shared consensus among stakeholders.
🗳️ Nominations Open for the Bussey Memorial Equity Award
The Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) sponsors the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award to honor the legacy of Dr. Bussey, a founding member of the MSAOC and a longtime advocate for students and families. Read more about Dr. Bussey
This award recognizes staff or community members who have demonstrated significant and impactful efforts to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of students from groups who are marginalized or underserved.
Any FCPS employee, student, or community member can nominate an individual or group for the award. All nomination materials must be submitted by Wednesday, May 1. The winner will be recognized at the FCPS Equity Symposium on Tuesday, June 18.
Full details and the nomination information form are available on the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award webpage.
Safe, Supported, and Included — the FCPS Family Summit 2024
-
Register Today for the FCPS Family Summit Registration is open for the FCPS Family Summit, which will take place on Saturday, April 20, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at Marshall High School. The conference will cover topics that are helpful for all families, such as social-emotional resources, along with a specially curated online component to provide supports for students with disabilities and their families.
Some of the topics include raising resilient, independent children; forming meaningful connections with children; addressing big emotions; and the dangers of opioids and fentanyl. The theme — Safe, Supported, and Included — aligns with Goal 2 of FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan.
🎤 Our Schools, Our Future: Community Conversations Continue
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.
⏰ Community Forums on Middle School Start Times
Fairfax County Public Schools is exploring options for adjusting middle school start times and invites the public to be part of the process. All forums will deliver the same presentation and provide the same feedback opportunities. Please attend the event that works best for your schedule:
-
Monday, April 29, 6-8 p.m., at Glasgow Middle School.
-
Monday, May 6, 6-8 p.m., at Whitman Middle School.
-
Monday, May 20, 6-8 p.m., at Hughes Middle School.
-
Wednesday, May 22, 6-8 p.m., at Frost Middle School.
Registration is not required but does help with planning. Click one of the dates above to register. Language interpretation and childcare will be provided. Learn more about the project exploring middle school start times.
FCPS Calendar Dates
 FCPS 2023-2024 Calendar: Click Here
Important Dates
April 22-26 - Spring BOGO Scholastic Book Fair
May 3 - Teacher Work Day/ No School
|
