FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK

Welcome

From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

I hope everyone takes this last weekend before school to enjoy themselves and get ready for another year!  Exciting things are going on at Cherry Run and we are very happy to have you with us.  For returning families, we hope you are excited to be back and that you had an enjoyable summer.  For our new families, we hope your transition to Cherry Run has been smooth.  If there is anything you need, any questions that you might have, or your child(ren) need anything, please do not hesitate to reach out!

1st week busses - our busses, county wide, run late the first week.  Sometimes up to 30-35 minutes late.  New drivers, different routes, additional stops, increased traffic, and those "first day of school pictures" tend to slow them down.  Once transportation gets a good handle on it, things will work themselves out.  Please be patient this first week!

Walking Students to Class on Monday - we welcome all family to walk their child to class on our first day of school.  You'll be able to get to class, help them hang up their things, get to their seat, and then big hug goodbye!  When you are ready to leave, we do have the BOO-HOO / WOO-HOO breakfast in the cafeteria (Sponsored by our AMAZING PTA).  Please feel free to stop in for refreshments and snacks.  If you aren't able to make it to the "Walk In", we will have about 25 staff at the entryway, and around the building, to help all of our students get to their rooms safely.  Our school counselor and crisis team members will be available to support any of our little ones who are having difficulties.  ** Starting Tuesday, parents will be asked to stop at the entry door.

Have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to an GREAT year!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES


Important Dates:

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


First Day of School

Boo

 

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!


Back to School Nights

BTSN

 

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!


Opt Out Annual Notice

  • Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights

Fairfax County Public Schools wants all parents and caregivers to understand its policies regarding surveys, records, curriculum, privacy, and related rights.

In its Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights and Opt-Out Forms (Annual Notice), FCPS provides explanations of the rights listed above as well as forms that may be used to exercise opt-out choices. Two versions of the Annual Notice are available: a grades K-8 version and a grades 9-12 version. Parents/caregivers with children at different grade levels should read each applicable version of the Annual Notice, because the notices and opt-out rights vary depending on the student’s grade level.

Get more information and view the 2024-25 Opt-Out Booklets.

  • Aviso Anual Sobre Encuestas, Expedientes, Currículo, Privacidad y  Derechos RelacionadosLas Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Fairfax desean que todos los padres entiendan las políticas sobre encuestas, expedientes, currículo, privacidad y derechos afines.En su Aviso Anual sobre Encuestas, Expedientes, Currículo, Privacidad, y Derechos Relacionados y Formularios de Opción de Exclusión (Aviso Anual), FCPS proporciona explicaciones sobre los derechos indicados anteriormente, al igual que sobre los formularios que pueden usarse para ejercer las decisiones de exclusión. Hay disponibles dos versiones del Aviso Anual: una versión para los estudiantes de kindergarten hasta 8.° grado y una versión para los estudiantes de 9.° hasta 12.° grado. Los padres que tengan hijos en diferentes grados deben leer la versión del Aviso Anual que corresponda a cada grado, porque los avisos y los derechos de opción de exclusión varían dependiendo del grado que cursa el estudiante.

Obtengan más información y lean los Folletos de Exclusión 2024-2025.


Welcome Back INFO:

  • 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. 

    • 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

  • 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


Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!

 

bus
  • 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

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

attendance

 

  • 🙋 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.


Tutoring Information

Tutor
  • 📑 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.

Click to edit this placeholder text.


School Hours

School Hours