WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE FOREST- 8/23/2024

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Friday, August 30 & Monday, September 2- Labor Day Break, No School 

Tuesday, September 10- Grades K-3 BTSN, 6:00-8:30 PM

Wednesday, September 11- Grades 4-6 BTSN, 6:00-8:30 PM

Monday, September 16- 3 Hour Early Release Day (Dismissal will begin at 12:35 PM)

Friday, September 27- PTA Movie Night 


Welcome Back To School 

Open House

Transportation Patience and Safety

Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following Kiss and Ride procedures and being patient while waiting for your children’s buses. 

If a student’s bus is delayed, parents may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays. Contact the Transportation Office at 703-446-2150 with any additional questions. For any concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact Safety and Security at 571-423-2000. 

To make sure you receive email messages about bus delays, update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE


HAVE YOUR DOWNLOADED THE

HERE COMES THE BUS APP?

Here Comes The Bus

Welcome to 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.

How to Get Started

Using the app is EASY! You will need the FCPS school district code 28982 and a Student Information System (SIS) Parent Account. Please contact Mrs. Patricia Helms at phelms@fcps.edu if you do not have an SIS Parent Account. Please be sure to follow the detailed instructions below. 

From a smartphone or tablet, download (for free) the Here Comes the Bus® app from the App Store or Google Play.

Please Note: If a new SIS Parent Account was created, please wait 24-48 hours before proceeding with the detailed instructions below.  

  1. Open the app. Enter your email address associated with your SIS Parent Account. Do not use the Student Login or Sign Up links.
  2. Enter FCPS school district code 28982.
  3. Enter your password associated with your SIS Parent Account.
  4. Click 'Login', just below the password field.
  5. Next, you will be prompted to validate your account.  Please click the Validation Button (the app will close). Next, log on to your email account associated with your SIS Parent Account.
  6. Please open the validation email from Synovia and click the validate account link. (If you do not receive an email, check the junk/spam folder)  A browser window will open. Please close the browser window and return to the Here Comes the Bus® app.
  7. Repeat the previous login steps (Steps 1-4).
  8. Enter the name of your device.
  9. Close and log back onto the Here Comes the Bus® app.
  10. Under 'Students', you should see a list of your student(s) names.
  11. Confirm the information and you are ready to begin using Here Comes the Bus®.

Once signed in, you can customize or edit features, including how the app will communicate with you, and the size and location of the notification radius around your child's bus stop.


Student Accident Insurance Program

Fairfax County Public Schools does not provide medical insurance for accidents that occur at school. Parents can purchase “at school” accident insurance or “24 hour” accident insurance (12 months a year). This is a low-cost insurance program for families to defray medical or dental expenses that results from an accident involving their child. More information can be found on the FCPS public site at Voluntary Student Insurance and on the FCPS Hub Student Accident Insurance Program.

 


Everything You Can Do Through SIS ParentVUE

Want to easily access back-to-school forms and checklists? Log in to your SIS ParentVUE account to find forms and make updates.

Update Contact Information

Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from your school and FCPS by providing your cell phone number and email in SIS ParentVUE. To update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then click the “Online Verification/Update” icon. 

Parents/caregivers who do not have a SIS ParentVUE account should print and complete the Emergency Care Information Form (PDF) and submit it to their child’s school.

Complete Permission Forms

Families can now easily give permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. This online tool can be accessed using your SIS ParentVUE account. Parents can easily opt their child in or out of resources including online educational tools, school counseling services, and tutoring services. They can also change how student information is managed.

Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool

Submit Absences

Parents can submit daylong absences through SIS ParentVUE. Log in and click “Report Absence.” Note: Partial day absences and changes of transportation should still be reported directly to the school front office. 

Don’t Have a SIS ParentVUE Account Yet? Contact Mrs. Helms at phelms@fcps.edu for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage


Supt Strategic Plan

Our Commitment to Excellence, Equity, and Opportunity for Each and Every Student

As we begin a new school year, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid reminds us of the goals of FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan, which guides us in delivering excellence, equity, and opportunity for each and every one of our students. Watch Dr. Reid’s message.


Update Your Child’s Immunizations and Records

Please check with your healthcare provider as soon as possible to make sure your child is up-to-date on the immunizations required by the state of Virginia. 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 and submit their immunization record in SIS ParentVUE. Records may also be delivered to a school’s front office. 

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. If needed, families may also provide other immunization documentation including a healthcare provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption or a notarized Religious Exemption Form. 

Find more information on immunizations on the FCPS website. 


Lightspeed Parent Report on Child’s Device Activity

FCPS has tools to help parents know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided at no cost to families by Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service.

Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for free access to the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.

Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.


FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story so we can all acknowledge the good work of our Newington Forest staff members.

FCPS Cares

FCPSlogo

FCPS News

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and more:

  • Everything You Can Do Through SIS ParentVUE
  • Updating Immunizations and Records
  • Transportation Patience and Safety
  • Superintendent Reid Welcomes Everyone Back to School

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.