Hello Hornet Nation! 

Next week is Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week! Let's take a moment to celebrate the incredible educators and superheroes who shape our children's minds and inspire them to reach their full potential. Our teachers dedicate themselves to fostering a love of learning, building confidence, and preparing them for a bright future. Consider sending your child's teachers and specialists a note. Even a simple message expressing your appreciation can make a teacher's day.  We are blessed to have such an amazing staff at Halley and look forward to celebrating them all week!  Below, please see how you can be involved in the fun activities coordinated by our amazing PTO. 

Additionally, each year, we collect gift cards from families to raffle off to our staff. Our goal is to surprise our teachers and staff with raffles and tokens of gratitude throughout the week. We hope you might consider donating to our teacher appreciation gift card donations. 

Gift cards can be brought to the main office. Please put them in an envelope with your child's name as we want to extend our thanks to all who donate.  Thank you for your support in celebrating our incredible team of difference makers!

Blessings and Joy, Mrs. Peerman, Ms. Hubbard, and Mrs. Johnson-Tyler

Chronic Absenteeism

State Board of Accreditation

Last school year, the Virginia Board of Education decided to not suspend chronic absenteeism as part of school accreditation determinations. The Board’s rationale was a desire to send a strong message to schools, families, and students about the importance of regular attendance for student success. The Board decision means that schools with Level 3 (red) in any indicator—including chronic absenteeism—based on end-of-year data will receive “Accredited with Conditions” designation. 

Chronic Absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more of the school year, regardless of reason.  A student is determined to be chronically absent if the rate of their days absent divided by their total days in membership is greater than or equal to 10%.

As of today, May 3, 2024, 15.4% of Halley students are currently considered chronically absent, which is above the state threshold of 15% (of total students).  As we finish out the remainder of this school year, we will continue to encourage school attendance with you in hopes that we can join other South County pyramid schools in having an acceptable chronic absenteeism rate that is below 15%.  

Did you know?

• Regular school attendance in grades preschool through grade 6 makes it more likely that your child will read on grade level. 
• The 2024-25 school year calendar has been published and we highly recommend scheduling vacations around the school year calendar.
• Even excused absences interfere with learning.

• A pattern of absences (whether unexcused or excused) is one of the main reasons children have lower academic achievement.  
• Students who attend 90% or more of the school year are more likely to graduate from high school on time.
• Absences can mask deeper struggles. For example; absences may be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, he or she may be struggling with school work or peer relationships, or possibly facing a medical or mental health concern.

Support is available:

All staff members at Halley are committed to supporting attendance. Additional resources can be found online at http://www.fcps.edu/attendance. We know that parents are the experts on their own child and our school team is here to partner and help solve attendance-related concerns.  Our school counselors, school social worker, and family liaison are available to support!  Please call or email – 703-551-5700.

Margie Ascierto   - School Counselor - maascierto@fcps.edu

Alyssa Concino – School Counselor - alconcino@fcps.edu

Liz Devoll – School Social Worker - ejdevoll@fcps.edu

Kate Murray – School Psychologist - kmurray1@fcps.edu

Family Input for Class

Placements 2024-2025

2024-2025 Class Placement - Family Input Form

As we begin to plan for the 2024-2025 school year, we are inviting your input. Creating class assignments requires careful consideration and the involvement of many perspectives and variables. We know a good teacher-student match and a productive mix of children are ingredients for success. Should you have additional information about your specific child that school staff may not know, particularly regarding learning style and classroom environment; we ask that you please complete the 2024-2025 Class Placement - Family Input Form  no later than Monday, May 13, 2024.  This is a hard deadline.

If you have more than one child attending Halley, please complete one form per child.  We ask that you do not request specific teachers or friendship pairings and keep to the information shared about your child and the type of learning environment you feel would be the most productive. We assure you that with or without a form, each child’s strengths and needs are considered. As in the past, families will receive class placement notification just prior to school starting.

SOL Testing Dates

Standards of Learning (SOL) Testing is right around the corner. SOLs are an opportunity for students to show everything they've learned this school year. Please see our schedule below:

Online Registration for 2024-2025 School Year 

FCPS is excited to announce that Online Registration for the 2024-2025 school year opened on April 2, 2024. Both new and returning (re-enrolling) families can use our Online Registration (OLR) system to register students entering Kindergarten (00) through 12th grade for the upcoming academic year using this link.

 Welcome to Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) Online Registration.  This link provides families with the information to utilize this convenient registration tool. Parents and guardians can still register students using the electronic bundle or choose to complete paper registration forms if they prefer.

May is Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month; a perfect opportunity to learn how to celebrate the vibrant collection of AANHPI cultures in the United States!

There are 24 million people in the United States who identify as Asian, with 1.6 million identifying as Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, or a combination. According to Pew Research Center (2021), Asian American people are the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in the U.S. Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have made significant contributions to American culture and society.

The following are a few resources for your family to learn more about Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander heritage and celebrate the contributions made by the AANHPI community.

• Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Reading List
• 10 Ways to Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with Kids & Teens
• Asian American History Lessons for Educators and Parents

For more information, contact Family and School Partnerships at familyengagement@fcps.edu.

8850 Cross Chase Circle, Fairfax Station 22039  |  Phone: 703-551-5700

Attendance: 703-551-5757 or email HalleyES.Attendance

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