Good afternoon families!! Lots of really good information in both my principal's note and the body of the bulletin!
To sign up for the Principal's Newsletter in News You Choose (this is the last eNotify that I will use), please follow these directions:
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NEWS YOU CHOOSE: This is a subscription-based platform that you need to sign up for. I will send weekly messages via “NYC” and the PTA also sends a weekly newsletter. I encourage you to sign up for both! To sign up for News You Choose, please do the following:
Please remember that I will be hosting a "New Family Orientation" on August 15th from 11:30-12:30, immediately before the PTA Bash and Open House.
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NEW FAMILY ORIENTATION: Based on feedback I received last year, I wanted to provide the opportunity for new families to come and learn more about the school and our operations. We’ll discuss just about everything you need to know (e.g. attendance, K&R/Buses, Cafeteria, Volunteering, Clinic, Clubs, Technology, PTA, and much more!) and finish with a Q&A. We’ll host this event on Thursday, August 15th from 11:30-12:30 in the cafeteria. All families are welcome, but it is geared towards families new to Cherry Run.
A welcome back letter was mailed out this morning (Friday) that includes lots of school specific information (e.g. school hours, kiss & ride protocols, bus information, etc.). That letter will also contain the name of your child's teacher(s) for this year. Your child's teacher will also be available in ParentVue starting at 6:00 am on Thursday, August 15th (in case you don't get the letter). This is the official teacher assignment for this school year. Please know that 3rd party listings are not always accurate. Refer to your ParentVue account on the 15th for the official assignment.
** IMPORTANT NOTE ** - due to ongoing growth in enrollment, we have qualified for an additional position in 1st grade. Luckily, we had already created class assignments for two or three teachers back in the spring and were able to implement either scenario. Now that we have the position, we need to hire the additional teacher. We have interviews scheduled and hope to have someone on board soon! Students in this class will have their teacher listed as "VACANCY", but will report to room.23. A staff member will be present to welcome the students at Open House. Also, we have had a staffing change in 4th grade. Similar to 1st grade, we are interviewing and hoping to hire ASAP. Students in that classroom will report to room 41 (teacher will be listed as VACANCY). A staff member will also be present in this room during Open House.
I look forward to seeing you soon!
Sincerely,
Mark Bibbee
Principal
Cherry Run ES
August 15 - New Family Orientation - Cafeteria, 11:30-12:30
August 15 - PTA Bash is 12:30 - 1:00 pm in front of the school!
August 15 - Open House!! Classroom visits are from 1:00 - 2:00 pm
August 19 - First Day of School!! Boo-Hoo/Woo-Hoo in the Cafeteria @ 9:15
August 30 & September 2 - Student Holiday - School is closed.
September 9 - Back To School Night (K-3 Only)
September 10 - Back To School Night (4-6 Only)
October 3 - Student Holiday - School is CLOSED
October 4 - Teacher Workday - School is OPEN
PTA BASH - Thursday, August 15th, 12:30 - 1:00 pm
The PTA invites you up to school for fun and activities. They have food, games, dancing, and the opportunity to sign up for clubs, organizations, PTA membership, and to purchase spirit wear.
CLASSROOM VISITS - Thursday, August 15th, 1:00 - 2:00 pm
We invite you to visit the school and you child's classroom(s). This is a great opportunity to bring in school supplies, have a quick 'meet and greet' with the classroom teacher, drop off any medications in the clinic, meet our counselor and specialists, and visit with other adults who may support your child.
The Clinic and Cafeteria will be open during these times to accept medications and lunch money, respectively.
** We will host 'back to school' nights separately so that you can learn about a typical day in your child's classroom and schedule any conferences that are needed.
The first day of school is on Monday, August 21st this year! As in previous years, we are happy to have you escort your child to their classroom door, if you wish! I will also have staff spread throughout the building to help guide you to classrooms and to support students who will be heading to class on their own!
Beginning Tuesday, we will have our staff escort any children that need assistance and parents will 'drop' their students at the front door.
** On the first day of school, the PTA will host a "Boo Hoo - Woo Hoo" breakfast in the cafeteria from 9:15-10:00. Please feel free to drop by!
This year, our Back to School Nights will be on September 11th & 12th. Parents will be able to visit with teachers and get a peek into what a typical school day looks like for their child(ren). The schedule is as follows:
Monday, Sept. 9 - 6:30-7:15 (K-1 only) and 7:20-8:05 (2-3 only)
Tuesday, Sept 10 - 6:30-7:15 (4-5 only) and 7:20-8:05 (6 only)
** Teachers and grade levels will share the locations of your meeting if it is not in their classroom!
- We’re Eager to Welcome You Back-to School!
As summer winds down, our school and staff are looking forward to welcoming students back to our classrooms. Before the first day of school, make sure you have completed the following:
- Sign Up for SIS ParentVUE
Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Parents/caregivers should receive an activation code when they register their child. Contact the school registrar, Yasmin Naldo - 703-923-2800 or ymnaldo@fcps.edu, if you need a code.
Once you have activated a SIS 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 SIS ParentVUE account. Access SIS ParentVUE using an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android devices.
Need help creating an account? This video walks through the steps. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE.
- Update Your Contact Information
To be sure you receive important information from your schools, update your phone numbers and/or email addresses in the Parent/Guardian section of SIS ParentVUE.
- Update Immunizations and Records
Immunizations are required for all students to attend school in Virginia. This is an important part of protecting them from certain diseases and keeping them healthy. Please log in to SIS ParentVUE to see what immunizations your child has recorded.
Please check with your healthcare provider to make sure your child is up-to-date on the immunizations required by the state of Virginia as soon as possible. If your child needs a vaccine, please make an appointment with your healthcare provider, visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a list of child immunization clinics, or access other local services.
Remember to request your child’s immunization record and bring that to the school’s front office or submit the record via SIS ParentVUE as soon as possible. Find more information on FCPS’ website.
- Prepare for Meals at School
Parents/caregivers need to provide their students with money to purchase meals at school, send them with a packed lunch, or apply (and be approved) for free and reduced-price meals benefits. School breakfast for students costs $1.75. Lunch is $3.25 for elementary students and $3.50 for middle, secondary, and high school students.
The best way to purchase meals and additional food items is to use MySchoolBucks. If you have not already, set up your student’s MySchoolBucks account today.
MySchoolBucks accounts can be set up to add money to the account automatically as needed, and families with multiple children can use the same MySchoolBucks account.
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Apply for Free and Reduced-Priced MealsThe application for free and reduced-priced meals is now available for the 2024-25 school year. Students who were approved for free and reduced-price lunch last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should re-apply as soon as possible, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.
- 🔖 Bookmark the School Year Calendar
Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances:
- Days marked with a blue “H” are student holidays. Schools are closed on these days.
- Days marked with an orange “O” are religious and cultural observance days (or evenings if only half marked). There is school on these days, but certain events that cannot be made up may not be scheduled on these days.
- Days marked in pink are holidays for students, but working days for teachers and staff.
Note: Some holidays and observances, such as Eid al-Fitr, may shift and the calendar may be adjusted.
- Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update
As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.
You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.
We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers.
Early release Mondays for our school include:
- September 16
- October 21
- November 18
- February 10
- March 10
- April 21
- May 12
Learn more about Early-Release Mondays.
Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer.
Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.
To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.
Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to HCTB@fcps.edu.
Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.
- 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)
¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.
Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.
Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.
¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a HCTB@fcps.edu.
Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.
- 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement
During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan.
Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.
Data shows that:
- Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance.
- Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
- Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
- By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
Attendance is critical for academic success!
Missing School Over the Holidays
Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.
Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.
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- 📑 Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost
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.
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