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Kristen Rucinski - Principal Ebony Opie - Assistant Principal
Gunston Gazette
Principals' Message
Dear Gunston Elementary Families,
As we prepare for the final weeks leading up to the start of a new school year, we are filled with excitement and anticipation. We are thrilled to welcome back our returning Eagles and extend a warm greeting to our new Eagles who are joining the Gunston family this year.
Our theme for this year is "Embrace the Journey: Growing Together, Learning Together, Soaring Together." This theme reflects our commitment to fostering a supportive and collaborative community where every student can thrive. We are dedicated to nurturing a safe, respectful, and responsible environment where all students are encouraged to reach their fullest potential.
To help you prepare for the upcoming school year, we have included a link to our Parent Handbook for you to review. As we receive additional guidance it will be updated. We will send home a hard copy in the first Thursday Folder of the year. This handbook contains important information about our school policies, procedures, and expectations. We encourage you to take the time to read through it carefully.
We are excited to invite you to our Open House on August 16th from 9:00-10:00. In order to assist with parking and large crowds, we ask that families whose last names begin with A-L attend from 9:00-9:30 and last names M-Z attend from 9:30-10:00. This will be a wonderful opportunity for you and your child to drop off school supplies, meet your teacher, and get acquainted with the classroom. Our teachers will be reaching out to you by Wednesday, August 14th, to introduce themselves and provide any additional information you may need.
At Gunston Elementary, we believe in the power of a caring community. Our dedicated teachers and staff are committed to creating a nurturing and inclusive environment where every student feels valued and supported. We are honored to serve such a wonderful school community, and we look forward to partnering with you to ensure a successful and enriching school year.
We are enthusiastic about the year ahead and the many opportunities it holds for growth, learning, and achievement. Together, as partners in your child's educational journey, we will make this year memorable and successful.
Thank you for your continued support and dedication to Gunston Elementary. We are excited to embark on this journey together and look forward to seeing you all soon!
Warm regards,
Ms. Rucinski and Mrs. Opie
Principals, Gunston Elementary School
Welcome New Eagles
We are excited to welcome these outstanding additions to our Gunston family. Join us in giving a warm welcome to the following new Eagles:
Lucia Ortiz - Preschool Inclusion Teacher
Michelle Boynton - Preschool Inclusion Instructional Assistant
Atiya Fagbewesa - Second Grade Teacher
Amanda Baret - Third Grade Teacher
Justin Gilkes - Fourth Grade Teacher
Kay-Deen Jones - Fifth Grade Teacher
Katherine Hart - Music Teacher
Robyn Braswell - Counselor
Leah Hellier - Band Teacher
Diamon Pearson - CAT B Instructional Assistant
Vuong Nguyen - Assistant Building Supervisor
Christiana Kilday - Monitor
Katana Shaw - Site-Based Substitute
Hannah Kessie - Custodian
Class Assignments
Families will receive a phone call from their teacher this year no later than Wednesday, August 14th. Teachers will leave a message if they could not reach you directly. We are still registering students; therefore, are unable to finalize class rosters. As Gunston 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 our staff because they meet the high standards and expectations we have in our community. We appreciate your support of our talented teachers.
Save the Dates
Open House
Friday, August 16 9:00am - 10:00am
(last name: A - L 9:00am - 9:30am and M - Z 9:30am - 10:00am)
First Day of School
Monday, August 19 (8:25am - 3:30pm)
Back to School Night
Thursday, September 5 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Immunizations
In Virginia, it's required by law for students to have certain immunizations to attend school. This is supported by guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Virginia Department of Health, and FCPS Regulation 2101.
Starting Monday, September 30, students who have not provided proof of immunization will not be allowed to attend school.
You can check your child’s immunization compliance by accessing ParentVUE.
Families of students with incomplete immunization records need to provide acceptable proof of immunization to their child's school as soon as possible. You can find the list of required immunizations on the General Registration Immunizations webpage.
If your child’s immunizations are incomplete, here's what you need to do:
- Get your child’s immunization record from one of these places:
- Request immunization records for free through the Virginia Immunization Information System (VIIS).
- If your child was immunized outside Virginia, get records from those states’ systems.
- Request records from your healthcare provider. Some may charge for copies.
- Submit your child’s immunization record to your child’s school.
Families should submit their child’s completed immunization records before September 30.
Please visit FCPS’ website for more information. If you would like to speak with an FCPS staff member, please leave a message at one of the phone numbers below. Thank you for supporting our students' health and well-being.
First Day of School
Gunston 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 8:25 a.m. and school officially begins at 8:35 a.m.
The PTA will be hosting a Tears & Cheers breakfast after the bell rings on the first day of school. Visit the cafeteria and connect with other Gunston parents!
If you are planning to walk your student to class the first day of school, please ensure they come to school the same way they will go home that day. If your child rides the bus, after you put them on the bus you can meet them at the school. We recognize the excitement of the first day of school and are excited to welcome you the opportunity to escort your child to class this first day. Our staff is excited to begin the first day with their students and will not be available for individual conferences at that moment. Please go to the office if you have any specific questions we may be able to assist you with answering.
Please note that for the safety and security of our students, our parents must say good-bye to their eagles at the door after the first day. We have all additional staff in the hallways and patrols assisting our students as they find their classrooms.
Visiting Gunston (driver’s license is needed)
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 Gunston will 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.
Lunch with your Child(ren)
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 September 9th. We have a designated table for families and their student to sit together as the classroom tables need to be available for our students. You must sign into the office with your driver’s license and wear a visitor pass in order to be with your child in the cafeteria.
SIS ParentVue
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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.
Get the App
Now would be a grea time to download important FCPS apps and bookmark key pages to set you up for the school year. Below are our recommendations and their specific use.
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ParentVue - The SIS ParentVUE Account (Student Information System ParentVUE Account) is the FCPS secure solution for accessing information about your child's attendance, class performance, demographic data, and link to Schoology. It provides an additional conduit for communication with your child's school.
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Here Comes the Bus- Know when your bus is approaching your stop! Here Comes the Bus® app is a school bus tracking app that provides real-time bus location. This helps parents and students get to the bus stop on time. Here Comes the Bus® utilizes our GPS data and available on multiple devices. FCPS school district code 28982 and you will need your ParentVue app set up first.
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Talking Points - TalkingPoints is an easy and safe way families can communicate in their home languages with their child’s teachers for free. We will be using this platform to communicate with you about your child’s education and progress.
Transportation, Arrival, and Dismissal
Bus Routes will be posted to SIS ParentVUE accounts the week of August 12.
Kiss and Ride starts at 8:25 am for arrival. Please follow the line and pull up to Door 3. Please do not arrive early as we want to avoid blocking traffic on Gunston Road since it is one lane in each direction. If you arrive at school after 8:35, please park and bring your child to the Main Office to check-in. Pick-up for Kiss and Ride will begin at 3:20 pm, and please place your tag on your dashboard. Please have your child/children enter/exit your vehicle on the passenger side. Remember to stay in your car for Kiss and Ride. A staff member will open your car for your child to exit or enter your car.
Student Consent Forms
Student consent forms currently available on ParentVue will be moved to the Parent Digital Consent System (PDC). Families can log into the PDC using their ParentVue credentials to complete consent forms assigned to their child. If you have a new ParentVue account, you must wait 24 hours after it is created to use the PDC.
https://digitalconsent.fcps.edu/ispb/r/is01/pdcp/login?session=2945843123735
Forms available include:
School Counseling Opt-out Digital Resources Consent SEL Screener Opt-Out Family Life Education Opt-out SOL Retest Permission Objection to Release of Directory Information to the Public Objection to Release of Information to Outside Organizations
Paperless Opt-Outs Available
As a part of our ongoing efforts to streamline paper processes, parents can now select a number of opt-out’s electronically via ParentVUE. Once you have signed into your ParentVUE account, simply select the “Student Info” tab and click on “Edit Information.” You will find opt-out’s listed there. Parents that do not yet have a ParentVUE account will still be able to use paper forms for notification. If you need to set up your ParentVUE account, you can create one online via the FCPS ParentVUE Registration page.
Free and Reduced-Price Meals
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Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications Available
According to the Centers for Disease Control, eating breakfast at school is associated with better attendance rates, fewer missed school days, and better test scores. Students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals receive breakfast and lunch at school at no cost.
Families in FCPS that are earning less than 185% of the poverty level can receive meals for their students at no cost. Families should complete the application before the start of each school year. Approved applications may also qualify students for additional benefits.
Apply on the Free and Reduced-Price Meals webpage.
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Early Release Mondays
As you may have heard, a requirement for Elementary Teachers (classroom, special education, and ESOL) from the Virginia Literacy Act includes approximately 27 hours of asynchronous training focused on the Science of Reading and evidenced-based literacy during the 2024-2025 school year. As a result, Fairfax County Public Schools has planned for 7 early release Mondays starting in September.
Please note the dates and times for your calendars listed below. These dates only apply to elementary school-age students.
Gunston 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.
To help plan for our school’s childcare needs during the early release Mondays, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/jE61CeMZoJ8FoqLLA for each of your children who are enrolled at Gunston 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. Staff will confirm the after school supervision plan for each student. In order to allow sufficient time for us to plan for school needs, please complete this brief form by Monday, August 19, 2024.
FCPS 2024-2025 Calendar
The FCPS School Year 2024-2025 calendar may be accessed here.
We look forward to welcoming our Eagles to the new school year on Monday, August 19 at 8:25!
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