In This Message:
- Principals' Message
- Lunch Visitors
- PTA News and Announcements
- Student Rights and Responsibilities
- Strategic Plan
- Safety Drills
- Community Conversations
- SIS ParentVUE
- Advanced Academics Services Information
- Immunizations and Records Updates
- Upcoming Dates
Principals' Message
Dear Floris Families,
We hope you're having a fantastic week! We wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for the PTA Popsicles with the Principals event. Thank you to our PTA for hosting and ensuring our students had a blast enjoying their time playing on the playground and getting their faces painted. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect, enjoy some sweet treats, and spend quality time together as a community.
Your involvement and enthusiasm make all the difference, and we're grateful for the support and engagement from each of you. Here’s to another great week of learning and fun!
Sincerely,
Joshua DeSmyter, Principal
Rob Gibbs, Assistant Principal
PTA News and Announcements
Order your spirit wear today:
https://floris24.itemorder.com
Sale ends Friday, 9/6 (tomorrow)!
2024 Student Rights and Responsibilities
FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities document (SR&R) explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. Read Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s letter to families regarding the SR&R.
Parents/caregivers should talk to their child(ren) about expectations for this school year. Also, please log in to SIS ParentVUE and sign to acknowledge your review of the SR&R, or sign and return the signature sheet to your child’s school by Monday, September 30.
You can submit questions online regarding the SR&R.
✨ 2023-30 Strategic Plan: Foundation of Four Pillars
- While the five goals of FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan focus on student success, the four pillars describe what FCPS must do well to reach our goals for all students:
- The first focus of the pillars is on teaching and learning. We want to make sure each and every student has access to excellent and inclusive learning environments, and that instruction meets students’ individual needs.
- The second pillar focuses on our connection with families and our communities. We cannot do this work alone. Strong partnerships are key to our students’ success.
- The third pillar is centered on our hiring and maintaining a world class, diverse workforce. We want to make sure our incredible employees have what they need to help our students thrive.
- The fourth and final pillar centers on how we bring this all together. We remain focused on creating a culture of equity, excellence, and accountability where data guides our decisions.
Visit our Strategic Plan webpage for more information.
Safety Drills During the School Year
Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for FCPS. Each school has an emergency preparedness plan to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Schools are required by state law to practice emergency drills, including lockdown drills, each year. Schools are also required to notify parents and guardians at least 24 hours before a school conducts a lockdown drill. However, schools are not required to give the specific date and time of the drill in advance.
The first lockdown drill of the school year must take place within the first 20 days of school. Preschool and kindergarten students are exempt from practicing the first lockdown drill.
Your child may come home and talk about their experience during the drill. We encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Please review these frequently asked questions to support your students before and after school lockdown drills.
⚠️ Know Our Security Terms
FCPS uses specific terminology to describe the actions school staff and students should take to ensure safety in a variety of situations. It is important for staff, families, and students to understand what the different terms mean and how they impact school operations.
Watch this video to learn about safety terms including lockdown; secure the building; and stay put, stay tuned.
If students, staff, or community members have a safety concern at school (that is not an immediate emergency), they should submit a tip to the FCPS Safety Tipline. In an emergency, please call 9-1-1.
🎤 Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Reid
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid invites you to share your questions or concerns regarding Fairfax County Public Schools. Your voice matters! Community Conversations will be held this Fall 6:30-7:30 p.m. on:
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Monday, September 9, at Holmes Middle School
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Monday, September 23, at Newington Forest Elementary
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Monday, September 30, at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary
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Monday, October 14, at Fairhill Elementary
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Monday, October 21, at Virginia Run Elementary
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Wednesday, October 30, at Herndon Middle
Click the date above to register. Registration is not required but helps with planning. Additional registration links will be shared in next week’s This Week at FCPS. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.
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.
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 your school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage.
Advanced Academic Services Information
We will be hosting a parent information session for Advanced Academic Program services (AAP) on Monday, September 30 at 6PM in the Floris Cafeteria. Please join us to learn more about AAP services and the process for screening and identification. We hope to see you there.
If you are interested in referring your child for Full-Time AAP services (Grades 3-6 only), and you are New to FCPS please submit the required Full-Time AAP Referral Form and optional Parent/Guardian Questionnaire to Amy Albanese abalbanese@fcps.edu (Grades 3,5) or Katie Pickett kmpickett@fcps.edu (grades 2, 4, 6) by no later than October 15, 2024.
For families that are not new to FCPS, Full-Time Referral Forms (Grades 2-6 only) for the 25-26 school year are due to the AARTs by no later than December 15, 2024.
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.
Dates for the 2024-2025 School Year
September 23: 3-hour early release
September 27: PTA Fun Run
September 30: AAP Parent Info Session, 6:00pm in the cafeteria
October 3: Holiday, Rosh Hashannah – All FCPS schools and offices closed
October 4: No School for Students, Teacher Workday
October 14: No School for Students, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Staff Development Day
October 18: Grades 3-6 Field Day
October 21-25: Book Fair
October 22: Fall Picture Day
October 28: 3-hour early release
October 30: PTA Trunk or Treat, 6:30pm
October 31: Harvest Parade, End of First Quarter and Two-Hour Early Release
November 4-5: No School for Students, School Planning Day and Teacher Workday
Find the 2024-2025 School Year Calendar: https://www.fcps.edu/calendars/standard-school-year-calendar
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