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Dear Dragons,

I am thrilled to share that Dogwood’s family liaisons—Carmen Fonseca Londono, Andy Sigle, and our former liaison, Susie Livingood—have been honored with the 2024 Team Excellence Award by FCPS! This well-deserved recognition speaks to the incredible impact they have on our community.

Our liaisons go above and beyond in their roles, tirelessly working to support our families. From connecting with community partners to provide school supplies, food, clothing, and shoes, to teaching English and parenting classes, they are always there to lend a helping hand. They meet the diverse needs of our families with unwavering dedication and a warm smile.

We are truly fortunate to have such a remarkable and strong connection within our Dogwood family. Their hard work and compassion make all the difference.

We had a fantastic first week, and the smiles on everyone’s faces truly brought the school back to life. We’re excited about all the possibilities this year holds.

As we continue to plan for upcoming training days, please be sure to complete the 3-hour early release form linked below. Your input is essential in helping us move forward smoothly.

Thank you for all of your support and making such a beautiful start.

Kate Beckner

Proud Principal

Early Release Monday’s

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.  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 with dismissal at 12:35 PM.

• September 23
• October 28
• November 25
• February 24
• March 17
• April 28
• May 19

To help plan for our school’s childcare needs during the early release Mondays, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/Up8i1tJxVaKdJVaE7 for each of your children who are enrolled at Dogwood Elementary. The form covers the first two early release Mondays, scheduled for September 23, 2024 and October 28, 2024. If you have multiple children, you will need to submit multiple forms. Staff will confirm the after school supervision plan for each student.

Check-In With Your Child

• What made you smile today?
• Can you tell me about an act of kindness you did or saw?
• What is something creative you did today?
• Who did you sit with at lunch today?
• Tell me something you learned today.
• What did you eat first at lunch?
• If you could change one thing about the day, what would it be?
• What made your teacher(s) smile today?
• What is your favorite thing to do at recess?
• What is the best thing that happened today?
• Did you help anyone today?
• What was your thorn, and what was your rose today?
• What are you looking forward to for tomorrow?
• Teach me something you learned. 
• What kinds of things did you see people eating for snack?
• Did you learn any new words today?

Absences Add Up-Plan Ahead

Did You Know?

• Students who attend 90% or more of the school year are more likely to graduate from high school on time.

• Starting in kindergarten, too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school.

• Missing 10 percent (or about 2 days per month) can make it harder to learn to read.

• Being late to school may lead to poor attendance.

• Students can still fall behind if they miss just a day every few weeks.

• Absences can affect the whole classroom if the teacher has to slow down learning to help children catch up.

• Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with peer conflicts or facing some other potentially serious difficulty, and help is available. 

What Can You Do?

• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine.

• Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.

• Find out what day school starts and make sure your child has the required shots.

• Introduce your child to her teachers and classmates before school starts to help her transition.

• Don’t let your child stay home unless she is truly sick. Keep in mind complaints of a stomach ache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home.

• If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, or other parents for advice on how to make her feel comfortable and excited about learning.

• Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.

Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.

School Hours at Dogwood Office Hours: 8:00 AM-4:00 PM Breakfast Hours for Students: 8:20 AM School Hours for Students: 8:35 AM-3:30 PM Doors Open with Welcome Bell: 8:35 AM Final Bell Rings: 8:50 AM

🚍 Beep! Beep! Stay Up-to-Date on Transportation 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 bus is delayed, parents/caregivers 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 bus delays of 30 minutes or more. Visit the Transportation Services contact webpage to see who to contact with specific questions. To make sure you receive email messages about bus delays, update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE.

Phones Down, Engagement Up: FCPS Cell Phone Policy

Keeping cell phones off during the school day helps students focus and learn. It also boosts positive social behavior. Review FCPS’ cell phone expectations by grade level with your child and help keep our classrooms free of distractions! If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call our Main Office 703-262-3100.

Parent Digital Consent

Student consent forms currently on ParentVUE will be moved to the Parent Digital Consent System (PDC).

Families can log in to the PDC using their ParentVUE credentials to complete consent forms assigned to their child. 

Example of forms available in the PDC:

1. School Counseling Opt-Out
2. Digital Resources Consent
3. SEL Screener Opt-Out
4. Family Life Education Opt-Out
5. SOL Retest Permission

As we update the PDC, more district-wide forms will be added.

https://www.fcps.edu/family-resources/technology/digital-resources/consent

Immunizations and Records

🩹 Are Your Child’s Immunizations and Records Up to Date?

Immunizations are required for public school entry and help keep students protected from serious diseases. Many children missed their well check-ups and their recommended childhood vaccinations during recent years because of disruptions from COVID-19. It is critical to catch up to keep children healthy and ready for school. 

 While COVID-19 vaccinations are not required, many other immunizations are. Check with your students’ healthcare providers now to make sure they are up to date on their immunizations.

Visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a list of clinics or contact your family’s healthcare provider. Appointments are required for most clinics.  

Remember to request documentation of your child’s immunizations to provide to their school. Get more information on immunization requirements and the necessary documentation to share with your child’s school.

Support Your Child’s Success in SIS ParentVUE

Signing up for a SIS ParentVUE account helps you to support your child’s academic success. Caregivers can view important information in ParentVUE such as attendance, grades, progress reports, and assessment scores. 

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. A SIS ParentVUE app is available for Apple and Android devices. 

Need help creating a SIS ParentVUE account? This video explains the steps. Find out more. To create a new account, please contact our school registrar, Afkham Hosseini at ahosseini@fcps.edu for an activation letter. 

If you already have an account, be sure your contact information is up-to-date. Parents/guardians can update their phone numbers or email addresses in the Parent/Guardian section. View more information. 

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

As we begin a new school year, FCPS 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.

🔍 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 their 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.

Labor Day Friday, August 30, and Monday, September 2, is the Labor Day holiday for all FCPS employees and students. Virginia legislation requires that schools opening prior to Labor Day must be closed the Friday immediately preceding Labor Day. We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year and enjoy time with family and friends. See the complete school year calendar.

🔖 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.

District News/In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)

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

• 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.  

Social Media: Follow @Dogwood.Fairfax on Facebook Email Updates: Sign up for Dogwood News You Choose to receive weekly updates On the web: Check out the Dogwood website and FCPS website for updates.

August 26: First Day of School for Students Accessing the Pre-K Head Start Program and for students accessing the ECCB Program

August 30 & September 2 Labor Day, Holiday (FCPS Schools Closed)

September 13 South Lakes Homecoming Parade & Game 

September 19 Back to School Night 5:00 - 6:30 PM 

September 23 Three Hour Early Release 12:35 PM Please complete form: https://forms.gle/Up8i1tJxVaKdJVaE7

12300 Glade Drive Reston, VA 20191 | Main Office: 703-262-3100
Attendance: 703-262-3131 | Web | Twitter | Facebook