Sangster News You Choose 8-22-24


calendar reminders

Upcoming Events

August 30 - Holiday

September 2 - Holiday

September 16 - 3 Hour Early Release

September 17 - Back to School (K-3)

September 25 - Back to School (4-6)


SIS ParentVUE

Want to get ahead of the back-to-school forms and checklists? Make sure you have a SIS ParentVUE account for your family and log in to find forms and updates.

If you do not have a SIS ParentVUE account, contact your child's school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage.

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 needed for updates and submit it to their child’s school.

Complete Permission Forms

Families can now easily grant 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 a variety 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 to the platform and click “Report Absence.” Note: Partial day absences and changes of transportation should still be reported directly to your school’s front office. 



Band & Strings - Sign Up Today!

band and strings

All 5th and 6th Grade students are being given the wonderful opportunity to join the Band or Strings Program this year!!! All 5th and 6th Grade students attended a Band and Strings Instrument Demonstration Assembly this morning, so they should be coming home all excited to play an instrument!!!

5th grade is the first year that Band is available to Fairfax County students, so students have lots of different choices this year.  There are 4 instruments offered in Strings and 11 different instruments offered in Band. All students that would like to play in Band or Strings this year need to sign up with our Band and Strings Online Registration Form to be enrolled for the 24-25 school year. 

All forms are due by Wednesday, August 28, 2024.

Click on link to Band and Strings Online Registration form:  https://forms.gle/sFQ2JckFSgaNi4nz7

Please look through the form. You will see all the Band and String Instruments that are offered.  There will be a picture of each instrument the students heard during today’s demonstration. 

Once your child has completed the Band and Strings Online Registration Form, we will fit your student to the instrument. During the fitting, the students will receive a packet of information which contains information regarding how to get an instrument and supplies that you will need to get for class!!! Please do not go to the music store until your child has been fitted and you have received the packet of information with the details on what to get for Band and Strings.

We will also meet with students who are continuing the same Band/Strings instrument from last year and will give them information for this year. Please tell your child not to worry if they did not practice over the summer. We will be reviewing the first month of class, so they have nothing to worry about! If your child did practice...GREAT!!!

The tentative Band and Strings start date is September 9th! Please have your instrument and supplies from the list we gave you by that time if possible! Once everyone is fitted and the schedule is done, we will send out all the exact information. Please get your registrations forms in ASAP!!! 😊

We are looking forward to another AMAZING Sangster Band and Strings this year and your child will be a GREAT addition/continuing member to the group.

Please contact us if you have any questions about the program:

Band - Kelly Stratil, kastratil@fcps.edu 🎷🎺🥁

Strings - Austin Johnson-Stawarz "Mr. J", ahjohnsonsta@fcps.edu  🎻

Strings - Alicia McMahan, acmcmahan@fcps.edu 🎻

Looking forward to a GREAT year in Band and Strings!


carnival

Save the date!

Lake Braddock Secondary School invites the community to begin celebrating the start of the school year. Friday, September 6th , 5:30-7:30 pm – right before Friday football at the school.

Enjoy free admission to the carnival with inflatables, runway games, food trucks, snacks, face painting. There will be fun for the whole family! Cash sales, please. 


subs wanted

Interested in subbing at Sangster?

Please fill out the application here:

Substitute for FCPS

If you're already an active sub in the system please reach out to Jennifer Sidewand at JLSidewand@fpcs.edu


Friendly Reminders!

reminders

Things to Remember When Visiting Schools

Please know we take the safety and security of our students and staff very seriously. All school visitors must enter schools by way of “Door 1.” Upon ringing a school’s front doorbell, visitors will be asked to identify the reason for their visit before the door is opened. All school visitors will need to check in to the school visitor system in the front office before entering the school. 

When outside, visitors are not permitted to visit school buses or playgrounds or to observe students from parking lots or other areas on school campuses. 

While you may want to peek in on your child during the day, this can be alarming to our staff. Parents/caregivers are welcome to check in with their child's teacher via email during the first week if they are anxious about how their child is transitioning.


🛑 No U-Turns!

U-Turns on Reservation Dr. are both illegal and very, very dangerous.  We continue to get reports of cars making these illegal U-Turns.  The safety of our school community is compromised every time someone does this. Please take the time to use Kiss-n-Ride and/or find another route to get back up to the Parkway. Thank you!

📋 Check-Ins

Please remember, if your child arrives after 9:10AM, you must escort them into the main office and sign them in.

Students are not admitted into the building until 8:45AM. Unless, you have something prearranged with a teacher, your child attends SACC or a before-school club, please do not drop your student off at school any earlier, there will be no adult supervision available. 

Please remember to email or call the attendance line with any messages regarding your student's attendance. Absences and late arrivals should be reported to avoid getting a robo-call from FCPS. If you email the teacher to let them know about your student's attendance, please copy SangsterElem.Attendance@fcps.edu to ensure your message reaches our attendance staff. You can also call, 703-644-8282 to report any attendance messages. 

👕Personal Items

Please remember to label clothing items, lunchboxes, water bottles, and whatever else you think your child may leave behind somewhere. If there's a name in it or on it, Sangster Staff will do their best to get it back to the owner. If not, it will go into the Lost and Found pile. Lost and Found will be placed outside the school for a week or so frequently for families to look for lost items. All items left at the end of the week will be donated. Please make sure to check the Lost and Found frequently, especially as the seasons change. Thanks for your help in making sure all items return back home to where they belong!


parent resources

Early Release Mondays

The Early Release Mondays planned throughout the school year for elementary schools are essential to allow educators time for planning and professional development.  Students will be dismissed 3 hours early, seven times throughout the school year and are encouraged to return home via their normal route.  At Sangster, students will be dismissed at 12:55PM.  However, we understand there may be a childcare hardship because of the early release Mondays for many of our families.  To resolve these concerns, student supervision will be available for families who need it.

The following dates are planned for Early Release Mondays throughout the school year:

• September 16

• October 21

• November 18

• February 10

• March 10

• April 21

• May 12

To help plan for our school’s childcare needs during the early release Mondays, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/r1xPkewmrYHMLeG38 for each of your children who are enrolled at Sangster Elementary.  

If you do not fill out the form, I will assume your child will be coming home their regular way. 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.


FCPS

  • The application for Free and Reduced Price Meals is available online and can be accessed in several languages. Families must apply each year for this benefit to continue!
  • FCPS Family Academy -. The Family Academy compiles classes, webinars, workshops, and programs offered by Fairfax County Public Schools to help you support your child's needs and learning at home. The Family Academy also includes information about resources available to help you ensure your student has what they need to succeed. It’s a one-stop-shop if you have questions about FCPS and how to support your student.

Pre-K Literacy Programs

Family Resource Center - The Family Resource Center (FRC) offers free webinars, confidential consultations, a lending library, and resources to help adults support the success of all students, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities. The center was formerly named the Parent Resource Center

  • Family Resource Center
    • Brochure
    • September Webinars now registering - FREE
      • 7 Simple Strategies for Sibling Support September 6, 2024, 10-11:30 a.m.
      • Back-to-School Toolkit: Proven Systems for Solving Disorganization, Procrastination, and Missed Deadlines with Ann Dolin 
      • The New Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) Participation Decision-Making Tool: Information for Families of Students With Disabilities 
      • Setting Limits and Dealing With Dramatic Resistance 
      • Nurturing Adolescent Growth: A Comprehensive 4-Part Series on Teen Development and Well-Being  
        • 9/27/24 - Part 1: Understanding Adolescent Development: The Physical, Emotional, and Cognitive Changes in Teens 

Health Department

Community Sports ad Park Authority Programs

Virginia Department of Education (VDOE)

All parents of school-aged children and youth with disabilities who receive special education services in Virginia are requested to complete the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE)annual Parent Involvement Survey.

This survey will remain open through December 13, 2024. Please complete one survey for each of your children who received special education services during the 2023-2024 school year.

Military Families

Facebook groups for local military families 

GAMS - https://www.facebook.com/groups/greateralexandriamilitaryspouses/

PCS to DC - https://www.facebook.com/groups/PCSMilitaryMovetoVirginia

Fairfax County Spouses - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2053938148258566/

School Liaison Office – Fort Belvoir

EFMP Military One Source

EFMP – Fort Belvoir

MWR – Fort Belvoir

FCPS Military Families

FCPS Parent Resource Military Family Webinars 

School Transitions for Military Families: Outgoing and Incoming Students (6/2022)

Using tools from her book, “Seasons of My Military Student,” Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman will offer relevant tips and strategies for managing new challenges.

Schools and Military-Connected Students: Supportive Programs and Practices (2/2022)

Using tools from her book, “Seasons of My Military Student,” Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman will offer relevant tips and strategies for managing new challenges.

Preparing for the Unexpected: Challenges of Military Families (12/2021)

Storms in Any Season- What parents need to know about deployments, Injuries, Separations, and Loss



PTA

 

News from the Sangster PTA

 



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