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To read this newsletter in other languages, please visit our website.
Para leer este boletín en otros idiomas, visite nuestro sitio web.
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August 7, 2024
IN THIS ISSUE
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Welcome Back Message with Important Dates
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Welcome Walk
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Open House/Supply Pickup/Drop Off
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Popsicles on the Playground Back-to-School Social
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Limited Early Release Mondays for 2024-25 School Year
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PTA Meeting Dates
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Support Your Child’s Success in SIS ParentVUE
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FCPS Strategic Plan
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Elementary School Grading and Reporting
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Kindergarten and New Student Registration
- Family Life Education
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Asha-Jyothi 5K Run/Walk
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Important Upcoming Dates
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Frequently Visited Links and Important Virginia Run Contacts
1. Welcome Back Message with Important Dates
Dear Virginia Run Elementary School Community,
Welcome back to another exciting school year at Virginia Run Elementary! We hope you've all had a wonderful summer filled with relaxation, fun, and memorable moments with family and friends. As we prepare to embark on the 2024-25 academic year, Lauren, Nick, and I want to extend a warm welcome to both our returning students and families, as well as those who are new to our school community.
We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Dustin Lee, 6th grade VRES teacher, who has recently accepted the position of School Based Technology Specialist at Burke Alternative Learning Center. Dustin has been a tremendous asset to our 6th-grade team and has supported both our students and staff with unwavering dedication. While we will miss him dearly, we wish him the very best as he embarks on this new journey.
In light of Dustin's departure, we are thrilled to announce that Cara Priester has accepted the position of grade 6 Teacher effective August 12, 2024. Cara comes to us with a wealth of experience and enthusiasm, and we know she will be a wonderful addition to our team. Please join us in giving her a warm Virginia Run welcome!
We have several important events lined up to kick off the school year:
Virginia Run Welcome Walk
- Date: August 15
- Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Virginia Run Open House
- Date: August 15
- Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Stone Middle School Open House
- Date: August 15
- Time: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Westfield High School Open House
- Date: August 15
- Time: 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM
FCPS First Day of School
Virginia Run Back to School Night
- Date: September 10
- Session I Grades PS, Kindergarten, 3 and 4 5:30 PM – 6:15 PM
- Session II Grades 1, 2, 5 and 6 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM
These events are fantastic opportunities for students and parents to meet teachers, tour the school, and get prepared for the new school year. Our dedicated staff is eager to welcome everyone back and ensure a smooth transition into the academic routine.
As always, communication between home and school is essential for the success of our students. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns throughout the year. Together, we can make this a fulfilling and productive year for every student at Virginia Run Elementary.
Here's to a fantastic year ahead!
Our best,
Dave Gerstner, Principal
Lauren Arreaza, Assistant Principal
Nick Rousos, Assistant Principal
2. Welcome Walk
We are excited to host our Welcome Walk on Thursday, August 15 from 9:00 AM- 12 PM. Your child will meet their teacher for the new school year when the teacher drops by your home for a brief “door visit” to introduce themselves and welcome your family.
If you are not home during the Welcome Walk, the teachers will leave a door hanger that contains the teacher assignment and room number. Please call the school by 4:00 PM on Tuesday, August 13th if you will not be home and do not want the hanger left on your door.
3. Open House/Supply Pickup/Drop Off
Students can bring their school supplies and visit their classrooms for the first time on Thursday, August 15 from 2:00-3:00 PM. All pre-ordered school supplies will be in the classrooms for those families who ordered them in the spring. If you did not pre-order supplies, supply lists are available on the school website and in the front office. If you did not receive your child’s “First Day Packet” during the Welcome Walk, these packets will be available during the Open House Visit. If you do not receive the packet that day, it will be sent home with your child the first day of school.
During 2:00-3:00PM on August 15, you will also be able to drop off medication at the school clinic, sign up for a SIS ParentVUE account, and put money on your child’s lunch account.
4. Popsicles on the Playground Back-to-School Social
The PTA will be hosting a “Popsicles on the Playground” Back-to-School Social on Thursday, August 15 on the blacktop from 2:00-3:30. Students can hang out with friends, meet new ones, and enjoy a popsicle sponsored by the PTA. You can also enter into a raffle to win a FREE birthday party from Bach to Rock! We hope to see you there!
5. Limited Early Release Mondays for 2024-25 School Year
We are eagerly preparing for the 2024-2025 school year and can't wait to see what it holds for our Virginia Run community.
As you may have heard, the Virginia Literacy Act requires Elementary Teachers (classroom, special education, and ESOL) to complete approximately 27 hours of training focused on the Science of Reading and evidence-based literacy during the 2024-2025 school year. As a result, Fairfax County Public Schools has planned seven early release Mondays starting in September.
Please note the dates and times for your calendars listed below.
Virginia Run Elementary will release students at 1:00 PM. on the following days:
- September 23
- October 28
- November 25
- February 24
- March 17
- April 28
- May 19
To support our families, FCPS has created a webpage with detailed information about the early release Mondays. We encourage you to visit this page for any additional information you may need.
6. PTA Meeting Dates for 2024-2025
PTA Meeting Dates for the 2024-2025 school year. Meetings start at 7:00 PM.
9/10- Meet and Greet in the Virginia Run Lobby
10/8- General Meeting
11/12 – General Meeting
2/11 – General Meeting
3/11 – General Meeting
4/8 – General Meeting
5/12- General Meeting
7. Support Your Child’s Success in SIS ParentVUE
Signing up for a SIS ParentVUE account helps you to support your child’s academic success. Caregivers can view important information in ParentVUE such as attendance, grades, progress reports, and assessment scores.
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. A SIS ParentVUE app is available for Apple and Android devices.
Need help creating a SIS ParentVUE account? This video explains the steps. Find out more. To create a new account, please contact our school registrar, Afkham Hosseini at ahosseini@fcps.edu for an activation letter.
If you already have an account, be sure your contact information is up-to-date. Parents/guardians can update their phone numbers or email addresses in the Parent/Guardian section. View more information.
8. FCPS Strategic Plan
FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan continues to guide FCPS with a focus on excellence, equity, and opportunity for each and every student. See 2023-30 Strategic Plan webpage.
- Successful completion of Algebra I by eighth grade is one of the measures for Goal 3 (academic growth and excellence) of the strategic plan.
- Students reading on grade level by the end of third grade is another measure of our progress in fostering academic growth and excellence for all students. This measure is supported through FCPS’ Equitable Access to Literacy (EAL) Plan.
See the EAL Plan webpage.
9. Elementary School Grading and Reporting
FCPS is committed to being a responsive, caring, and inclusive culture where all feel valued, supported, and hopeful. Research tells us that a sense of hope and a sense of belonging are important to student learning. As we look toward the 2024-25 school year, we remain committed to fostering a responsive, caring, and inclusive culture where all feel valued, supported, and hopeful.
Student progress is evaluated every quarter. At the elementary level, the effort and academics are reported separately so the parents know the effort of the student as well as understanding of specific skills. Individualized comments are an important part of parent communication on the report card.
The progress report will:
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Provide parents with comprehensive information about how their child is learning.
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Align with the Program of Studies (POS) curriculum students are learning.
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Provide teachers with resources to communicate a more exact and consistent assessment.
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Provide parents with comprehensive information about how their child is learning.
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Incorporate research-based best practices in student grading and reporting.
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Report Life, Work, and Citizenship skills separately from academic achievement.
To view a copy of our FCPS progress report, please click on the link below:
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/grading-and-reporting/elementary-school
10. Kindergarten and New Student Registration
Calling All New Vikings!
 Virginia law requires that all children who will be 5 years old on or before September 30, 2024, must be enrolled in kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year. If you do not wish your child to attend school until the following year, you must notify the school in writing.
If you have a child who will attend Virginia Run Elementary next year, please contact Betty Bancroft to register. This will allow accurate numbers for staffing and classes next year!
Register your child by:
For more information on registration requirements please visit https://www.fcps.edu/registration/kindergarten-registration
General kindergarten information can be found at https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary-school-academics-k-6/kindergarten
Please spread the word to your neighbors who have children attending Virginia Run ES.
11. Family Life Education
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) offers a comprehensive Family Life Education (FLE) program. FLE instruction begins in kindergarten and continues through grade 12. FLE includes topics in human growth and development and social and emotional health. FLE instruction helps students gain knowledge and skills needed to make healthy, responsible, and life-enhancing decisions related to relationships and their physical, emotional, and social health. Parents and guardians are partners in their child’s learning. FLE instruction supports the development of strong families, positive relationships, and a healthy community.
Parents and guardians can review FLE materials. Parents/guardians can access FLE lessons in Schoology using their SIS username and password. Due to copyright permissions, we are unable to stream all media titles online. Lessons and media are available for review at your child’s school. Lessons only are also available at the City of Fairfax Regional Library (this location does not have media).
To foster respect for family choices, parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program. A student who is opted out will receive alternative health instruction. To opt your child out of all or part of the FLE program for this school year, please complete the opt-out form. Return the completed form to your child’s school before FLE instruction begins. The opt-out form is available online. You do not need to return the form to the school if you wish for your child to take part in FLE instruction.
FLE program descriptions and opt-out forms are available on the FCPS website.
12. Asha-Jyothi 5K Run/Walk
This coming school year, Virginia Run will partner with Asha-Jyothi to support Virginia Run students! Asha-Jyothi 5K Run/Walk is a fun-filled family event with foot tapping music, delicious food and a friendly course. It is a volunteer based non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of the underprivileged by providing access to education and health care. Asha-Jyothi partners with schools by donating 100% of all registration money from each school back to the school for its STEM needs.
Last year the Asha-Jyothi foundation granted Deer Park Elementary School over $100,000 to recreate their STEAM Lab into Bucky's Learning Lab. Please join us in supporting this wonderful organization and our Virginia Run students.
Race Date: Sunday, September 15 Location: 4250 Fairfax Corner Avenue; Fairfax, VA 22030 Race Time: Fun Run starts at 8:00 AM and 5K starts at 8:30 AM Price: $30 / Coupon Code "AJ4Schools" for $10 off the 5K
Register Here - Fairfax 5K, hope to see you there!
13. Important Upcoming Dates
8/15: Virginia Run Welcome Walk, 9 AM-12 PM
8/15: Virginia Run Open House, 2 PM - 3 PM
8/15: Stone Open House, 3 PM - 4 PM
8/15: Westfield Open House, 5 PM - 7:30 PM
8/19: First day of school
8/30 & 9/2: Labor Day Break - Student Holiday
9/10: Virginia Run Back to School Night
9/23: Early Release Monday- Virginia Run will release students at 1:00 PM
10/3: Rosh Hashanah- Student Holiday
10/4: Teacher Workday- Student Holiday
10/14: Staff Development Day- Student Holiday
10/28: Early Release Monday- Virginia Run will release students at 1:00 PM
10/31: End of Quarter 1 - 2 Hour Student Release at 2:00 PM
11/1: Diwali- Student Holiday
11/4: School Planning Day- Student Holiday
11/5: Teacher Workday- Student Holiday
11/11: Veterans Day- Student Holiday
11/25: Early Release Monday- Virginia Run will release students at 1:00 PM
11/27-11/29: Thanksgiving Break- Student Holiday
12/23-1/3: Winter Break- Student Holiday
1/20: Martin Luther King, Jr’s Birthday- Student Holiday
1/28: End of Quarter 2
1/29: Teacher Workday- Student Holiday
2/17: Washington’s Birthday and President’s Day- Student Holiday
2/24: Early Release Monday- Virginia Run will release students at 1:00 PM
3/17: Early Release Monday- Virginia Run will release students at 1:00 PM
3/28: End of Quarter 3
3/31: Eid-al-Fitr- Student Holiday
4/1: Teacher Workday- Student Holiday
4/14-4/18: Spring Break- Student Holiday
4/28: Early Release Monday- Virginia Run will release students at 1:00 PM
5/19: Early Release Monday- Virginia Run will release students at 1:00 PM
5/26: Memorial Day- Student Holiday
6/11: Last Day of School- 2 Hour Student Release at 2:00 PM
View the calendar online here: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/2024-2025-standard-school-year-calendar.pdf
14. Frequently Visited Links and Important Virginia Run Contacts
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