Dear Island Creek Families,
We loved meeting some of our new families today for Welcome Tours and seeing returning and new students at our popsicles' events. Today was extra special as we met with our rising 6th Grade students for Chat and Chew and they shared their insights with Island Creek.
To help plan for our school’s childcare needs during the early release Mondays for elementary school-age children, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/rERUuFGfULyzTvre8 for each of your children who are enrolled at Island Creek Elementary. The form covers the first two early release Mondays, scheduled for September 16, 2024 and October 21, 2024. If you have multiple children, you will need to submit multiple forms.
We look forward to welcoming our staff to school on Monday and our students and families to Open House on Thursday from 3:00-5:30 (please stop-in any time during the 2.5 hours).
All our best,
Jen Fallert, Principal
Karen Baxter, Assistant Principal
Denise Cash-Pinckney, Assistant Principal
Students’ individual classroom teacher assignments will be emailed directly to families after 4pm on Wednesday, August 14. We are still registering students; therefore, are unable to finalize class rosters. As Island Creek is a dedicated Professional Learning Community, teachers at every grade level collaborate interdependently throughout the school year to support the academic and social-emotional achievement of all students. All teachers are highly qualified and were selected as members of the Island Creek staff because they meet the high standards and expectations we have in our community. We appreciate your support of our talented teachers.
During the 2023-24 school year, Island Creek completed its Family Engagement survey where all families had the opportunity to share their feedback, celebrations, and areas of growth for our school. Thank you to all of you who completed the survey - this feedback matters to us as we strive to meet the needs of our students and families. We are proud to share the following:
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96% of families feel Island Creek values diversity (7 percentage points higher than the FCPS average)
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90% of families feel Island Creek is safe (9 percentage points higher than the FCPS average)
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99% of families feel Isalnd Creek welcomes families of different backgrounds and cultures (7% percentage points higher than the FCPS average)
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86% of families feel Island Creek encourages families to share strengths and learning preferences (13% percentage points higher than the FCPS average)
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84% of families feel Island Creek encourages family engagement with school improvement (12% percentage points higher than the FCPS average)
One area that our community has indicated as an area of growth for Island Creek is hosting events at times in which families can participate. We appreciate the feedback and altered and lengthened our Open House time so it does not directly overlap with Hayfield Secondary. Additionally, the Administration will continue to host monthly Zoom-In with Island Creek Administration virtual chats for families to have a virtual opportunity to connect and share questions, concerns, suggestions, and/or accolades. Another area that was communicated as an area of growth for Island Creek is receiving information about how to help your student at home. This will be a continued focus for us this year as we work to strengthen our already strong bond between school and community.
Who: Families and Students
What: Open House: families and students are invited to meet their new teachers, bring school supplies, stop by the clinic and/or cafeteria, and sign-up for the PTA. This is a drop in and out event.
When: Thursday, August 15 (3:00-5:30); this is a drop in and out event
Where: To assist with traffic flow, please enter through the Main Entrance (Door 1) and exit from the cafeteria (Door 6) or kiss and ride (Door 2).
How: Island Creek Staff will be wearing navy blue staff shirts and are happy to suport students and families with locating classrooms.
Kona Ice is expected to be on campus around 3:30.
Thank you to Ms. Mehrtash, our amazing School-Based Technology Specialist, for centralizing frequently accessed Island Creek Tech Tools shown below.
 
Starting on the first day of school, Monday, August 19, parents/caregivers can submit full-day absences through FCPS’ SIS ParentVUE platform. This will make reporting and tracking absences easier for our school.
Parents/caregivers may report absences by using ParentVUE or by contacting the front office. Please find important details below:
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How to Use ParentVUE: Log in to your ParentVUE account and select “Report Absence.”
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More Ways to Report: Use our [attendance phone line and/or email] for absences longer than two days, late arrivals, and early dismissals.
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Where to Get Help: Visit FCPS’ Attendance Reporting webpage for step-by-step instructions.
If you need to set up a ParentVUE account or have questions, please contact Ms. Bickerstaff at sabickerstaf@fcps.edu or 571-642-6300. She will provide you with an “activation key” and instructions to create a ParentVUE account. We are excited to see your student on August 19!
Island Creek Staff will be available to help students find their classroom on the first day of school, Monday, August 19. Doors to school will open at 8:20 a.m, and school officially begins at 8:35 a.m.
Due to our concern for safety and our desire to begin establishing important routines on the first day of school, we do not allow parents/guardians to walk children to classrooms on the first day of school, with the exception of our kindergarten students and new to Island Creek students. Please note the exception for our kindergarten students and new students is only for the first day of school.
Parents of returning students in Grades 1 – 6, please say “goodbye” at the front door. We will have plenty of staff on hand to help your child find their classroom once they are inside the building.
 
To ensure school staff have time to teach and reinforce cafeteria routines and procedures, we will be delaying the visitation of family members during lunch until October 1.
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Support Your Child’s Success
Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Caregivers should receive an activation code when they register their child.
Once you have activated a ParentVUE account for an FCPS student, you will keep the same account until the student graduates. Information about students in the same family can be accessed through the same ParentVUE account. Access SIS ParentVUE by using an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android devices.
Need help creating a SIS ParentVUE account? This video walks through the steps. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE.
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The safety and security of our students and our staff are of utmost importance. Every visitor who enters the building is monitored. All visitors entering Island Creek need to have a valid driver’s license and sign-in using the Visitor Management System (VMS). The VMS will issue each visitor a sticker that should always be worn when in the building.
Please note the dates and times for your calendars listed below. These dates only apply to elementary school-age students.
To help plan for our school’s childcare needs during the early release Mondays, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/rERUuFGfULyzTvre8 for each of your children who are enrolled at Island Creek Elementary. The form covers the first two early release Mondays, scheduled for September 16, 2024 and October 21, 2024. If you have multiple children, you will need to submit multiple forms.
Island Creek Elementary will release school-age students at 12:20 pm on the following days:
- September 16
- October 21
- November 18
- February 10
- March 10
- April 21
- May 12
FCPS has created a webpage to provide detailed information about the early release Mondays.
Parents and caregivers can access free webinars, confidential consultations, a lending library, and resources to help adults support the success of all students, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities. Learn more about the Family Resource Center (FRC).
In September, the FRC will host webinars for families on supporting siblings of children with disabilities, helping students organize their school work, working with children who like to push boundaries, and teen development and well-being. Sign up for the FRC newsletter for their latest offerings or visit their webinar website.
FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors’ services at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests. Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.
The FCPS School Year 2024-2025 calendar may be accessed here.
We look forward to welcoming our Crocs to the new school year on Monday, August 19 at 8:20!
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