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Upcoming Events
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Friday, August 30 and Monday, September 2- No School, Labor Day Holiday
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Thursday, September 5- FES PTA night at Bruster's Ice Cream 4:30pm-8:30pm
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Tuesday, September 10- Back to School Night 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Labor Day Holiday
Friday, August 30, and Monday, September 2, are Labor Day holidays 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.
Mrs. Tran and Mrs. Lantin's Kindergarten class had a great time building a classroom community on the first day of school and exploring their musical talents with Ms. Lucius.
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The Penguin Way
Just as penguins work together as a colony, supporting and caring for one another, we believe our school community should be a place where everyone feels safe, valued, and respected.
The Penguin Way is all about being inclusive and kind. It means treating everyone with respect, regardless of their differences. It means creating a welcoming environment where every student feels like they belong. It means being a friend to all, offering a helping hand, and celebrating our diversity.
This week, we focused on INCLUSIVITY at Franconia. We encourage you to use the following resources to talk with your child about the importance of being inclusive inside and outside of school!
Books- The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig, The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi, It’s Okay to be Different by Todd Parr
Video- Inclusion makes the world more vibrant
Conversation Starters: What is something interesting you learned about a fellow penguin you met this week? How did you learn it?
-The Responsive Classroom Committee
News from the PTA
FES PTA Spirit Night at Bruster's Ice Cream
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Mark your calendars! Our first PTA Spirit Night of the year is happening at Bruster's Ice Cream in Alexandria on September 5th from 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Treat your family to some delicious ice cream while supporting our school—it's a win-win! A portion of the sales will go directly to the Franconia PTA, helping fund our events and programs. So, bring your appetite and your school spirit! We hope to see you there!
School Year 2024-2025 PTA Survey
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We need your input! Please take a moment to complete our brief survey. It's only 5 questions and should take just a few minutes of your time. Your feedback is crucial in helping us improve and better serve our school community.
Take the survey now.
Thank you for your participation!
Are you organized, detail-oriented, and looking for a way to get more involved? The Franconia PTA is in need of a Secretary! This role is vital to keeping our meetings and communications running smoothly. If you're interested in helping us make a difference in our school community, we'd love to have you on board. Reach out to us for more information or to express your interest. Your involvement can make a big impact! If you're interested, please reach out to Brian Smith at President@FranconiaPTA.org.
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 Spirit Wear is Here!
Franconia PTA Spirit Wear is Now Available!
Show your Penguin Pride with new 2024-2025 Spirit Wear! Orders will be accepted now through noon on Friday, September 6 for in-school delivery to your student on or around September 26.
https://shop.burkesports.com/groups/2462-franconia-es-pta-spirit-wear-website/products
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Library Spotlight
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
The library relies on parent volunteers to maintain the library!
YOU can help shelve books in the library anytime during the school day on a drop-in or regular basis.
No training is required!
Email the librarian, Debby Vandersande, at mailto:dmvandersand@fcps.edu if you’d like a quick orientation to get started.
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READING CHALLENGES
All students are invited to join the library reading challenges! Students can count any books that they read independently or books that are read to them! This is a great chance to read with your students and establish strong reading habits.
Book Bingo challenges are monthly, and September Book Bingo starts now! This month celebrates Back-to-School, Hispanic Heritage Month, Patriot Day, Labor Day, and more! View the September Book Bingo Board here. The Million Word Challenge lasts all year! Students and parents simply write down the books they read, and Mrs. Vandersande will look up the word count. View the Million Word Challenge papers here.
Students in Mrs. Wise's fifth grade class were immersed in exciting math challenges!
News from P.E.
Welcome back to school and hope your school year is off to a fast and hot start. We just wanted to remind you that in PE we should come wearing the appropriate footwear. Closed toed athletic shoes will allow you to get the best out of the activities we do in PE and will reduce the risk of injury. Some activities we do are not allowed if you do not have the proper footwear for safety reasons. We also ask that your child/children attend PE with a water bottle as that will allow them to stay hydrated while in PE. We do have water fountains in the gym but those can result in traffic jams pretty quickly so a whereas a water bottle would allow for quick access to water on their own time. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Harris or Mr. Worst.
-PE Team
Save those Pop Top Tabs
in support of the RMHC
Franconia Elementary School is proud to partner with the Ronald McDonald House Charities program. We are asking that you please keep and save your soda pop tabs or tabs that are usually attached to aluminum cans and bring them into school. There will be a collection bin in the gym where the tabs can be deposited. When the bin is full, Franconia will take it the local RMHC to be donated. More information can be found in the flyer that went home this week's Wednesday folders.
Students in Mrs. Octaviano's second grade class learned the importance of being kind, especially with their words. The message for this lesson was, “Before you speak, think and be smart, it’s hard to med a wrinkled heart.”
Calendar Reminders
September
- Attendance Awareness Month
The beginning of the school year is the best time to develop strong attendance habits! Students who attend school regularly are more likely to perform well in reading and math, develop strong social and emotional skills, and graduate from high school on time. Help prepare your child for future success. Visit FCPS’ Attendance web page for tips and strategies.
- National Hispanic Heritage Month
From September 15 to October 15, FCPS recognizes and celebrates the histories and cultures of the members of our community who trace their heritage to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS. Learn more about National Hispanic Heritage Month.
11 - Sept. 11 Commemoration/Patriot Day
September 11 National Day of Service
With the upcoming 23rd anniversary of September 11, FCPS acknowledges the loss of life, the heroism of our first responders, and the resilience of our country. The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, also called Patriot Day, is a chance to reflect and act in service to others to honor those who were injured or killed in the terrorist attacks.
All FCPS students are encouraged to participate in service learning as it supports Portrait of a Graduate (POG) attributes and social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Middle and high school students can learn more about service learning by logging into their Naviance account to access x2VOL.
Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances:
Mrs. Haffner's students were all smiles for their first day of third grade pictures.
Stay Informed, Be Involved
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