FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S DESK

Cherry Run

From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

We have successfully completed week 2 of the school year and we are wrapping up the month of August as well.  Next week will also be a short, 4-day week, as we celebrate Labor Day on Monday.  At this point, we have successfully implemented our classroom norms, established routines for our daily practices, and launched our 'first 20 days' unit in language arts.  Next up, we are getting baseline data on students from a variety of testing (e.g. iReady, VALLSS, etc.) and then we will be grouping students together for academic periods.  Upper grades will be rotating through different teachers for each subject and primary grades stay put in their classrooms for all of their content.

Mrs. Gatton and our team will be hosting a "Parent View" on the new language arts curriculum.  The new BASAL resource is provided by Benchmark Advance and is being used in all elementary schools throughout the county.  The program is highly structured and allocates time and resources to the classroom teachers for instruction.  A date for this parent night will be forthcoming, but for now, I have included a link below with more information.

Have a wonderful long weekend and we look forward to seeing all of the student's smiling faces on Tuesday!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES


Important Dates:

August 30 & September 2 - Student Holiday  - School is closed.

September 6 - LBSS Pyramid Night - 5:00-6:30 @ LB

September 9 - Back To School Night (K-3 Only)

September 10 - Back To School Night (4-6 Only)

September 16 - 3 Hour Early Closing - Students released at 1:05

September 17 - Principal's Coffee - 9:30 am - Cafeteria

October 3 - Student Holiday - School is CLOSED

October 4 - Teacher Workday - School is OPEN


Opt Out Annual Notice

  • Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights

Fairfax County Public Schools wants all parents and caregivers to understand its policies regarding surveys, records, curriculum, privacy, and related rights.

In its Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights and Opt-Out Forms (Annual Notice), FCPS provides explanations of the rights listed above as well as forms that may be used to exercise opt-out choices. Two versions of the Annual Notice are available: a grades K-8 version and a grades 9-12 version. Parents/caregivers with children at different grade levels should read each applicable version of the Annual Notice, because the notices and opt-out rights vary depending on the student’s grade level.

Get more information and view the 2024-25 Opt-Out Booklets.

  • Aviso Anual Sobre Encuestas, Expedientes, Currículo, Privacidad y  Derechos RelacionadosLas Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Fairfax desean que todos los padres entiendan las políticas sobre encuestas, expedientes, currículo, privacidad y derechos afines.En su Aviso Anual sobre Encuestas, Expedientes, Currículo, Privacidad, y Derechos Relacionados y Formularios de Opción de Exclusión (Aviso Anual), FCPS proporciona explicaciones sobre los derechos indicados anteriormente, al igual que sobre los formularios que pueden usarse para ejercer las decisiones de exclusión. Hay disponibles dos versiones del Aviso Anual: una versión para los estudiantes de kindergarten hasta 8.° grado y una versión para los estudiantes de 9.° hasta 12.° grado. Los padres que tengan hijos en diferentes grados deben leer la versión del Aviso Anual que corresponda a cada grado, porque los avisos y los derechos de opción de exclusión varían dependiendo del grado que cursa el estudiante.

Obtengan más información y lean los Folletos de Exclusión 2024-2025.


Language Arts Programming

As mentioned in my opening message, we will be hosting a Parent night around the new Language Arts program in the near future.  In the meantime, I have included some links below for you to see the introductory video for parents.  FCPS has shared with me that a parent resource page will be added soon that allows you to see more of the curriculum that we will be using.

Language Arts Video: Literacy Back to School Night Message (youtube.com)

 


Lake Braddock Pyramid Night

Pyramid

 

Lake Braddock will be hosting their 2nd annual Pyramid Night on September 6th.  The event includes a "festival" with fun games and activities for the students, Music, Food Trucks, Petting Animals, and so much more!  The first home football game will follow the festival and we hope you will be able to stay and participate.  Tickets are $5 for children and $7 for adults.

** I will be selecting 1 student per classroom to participate in a "Tunnel Run" to open the game!  Teachers will solicit families who would like to participate and we will hold a "lottery" to select students in each grade level.


Back to School Nights

BTSN

 

This year, our Back to School Nights will be on September 9th & 10th.  Parents will be able to visit with teachers and get a peek into what a typical school day looks like for their child(ren).  The schedule is as follows:

Monday, Sept. 9 - 6:30-7:15 (K-1 only) and 7:20-8:05 (2-3 only)

Tuesday, Sept 10 - 6:30-7:15 (4-5 only) and 7:20-8:05 (6 only)

** Teachers and grade levels will share the locations of your meeting if it is not in their classroom!


BTSN Babysitting!!

Girl Scout

Our wonderful girl scout troop will provide babysitting for parents who may need child care during our BTSN events.  Please use the links below to help them plan how many scouts to bring.  They do take walk-ins for those who have a last minute change!  The sessions are free, but they do hope for donations to support their 2025 trip.  Please make sure to support these awesome young ladies!

INFO:

The 11th graders of Girl Scout Troop 4425 will be back this year to provide babysitting during the Back to School Nights on Sept. 9 and 10 in the school gym from 6:15-8:15 p.m. We’ll have balls, jump ropes, coloring books and other activities, and some of our troop parents and leaders will be on hand to help supervise. There is no set fee per child but there will be a donation jar. Please help us earn money for our Switzerland trip in June 2025!

If interested, please fill out the correct Google Form below so we know how many kids to expect.

Sept. 9 (grades K-3):  https://bit.ly/BTSN9-9-24 

Sept. 10 (grades 4-6):  https://bit.ly/BTSN9-10-24

Thank you!


School Board Welcome Back

Linked below is a welcome back message from our school board representative, Mrs. Sandy Anderson.

2024 Back to School Message – Sandy Anderson (youtube.com)

The captions are defaulting to English, but you can change them to Spanish or Korean:

How to change the subtitle language

 

  1. Settings (gear wheel)
  2. Subtitles/CC (choose language)
  3. Toggle CC (closed captions) on/off

 

 


Principal's Coffee

coffee

 

On September 17th, I will host the first "Principal's Coffee" of the school year.  This session will be a general Q&A with no particular agenda.  This will be an opportunity for parents & guardians to come, meet me on a more personal level, and ask questions with regards to the school and our operations.  I hope you can join me for this event!



Student's Rights & Responsibilities

  • 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.

Los padres/cuidadores deben hablar con sus hijos sobre las expectativas para este año escolar. También, por favor ingrese á SIS ParentVUE y firme para confirmar su revisión del SR&R, o firme y devuelva la hoja de firma que se encuentran en la página 3 del folleto de SR&R a la escuela de su hijo antes del Lunes, 30 de Septiembre.


SIS ParentVUE

  • 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 your school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage

 

Todo lo que puede hacer a través de SIS ParentVUE¿Quiere acceder fácilmente a los formularios y listas de comprobación para la vuelta al cole? Acceda a su cuenta SIS ParentVUE para encontrar formularios y ver actualizaciones.Actualice la información de contactoEsté entre los primeros en saber sobre cierres por mal tiempo, retrasos de autobuses y otras comunicaciones críticas de su escuela y FCPS proporcionando su número de teléfono celular y correo electrónico en SIS ParentVUE. Para actualizar su información de contacto en SIS ParentVUE, haga clic en la opción "Paquetes en línea" en la parte superior derecha de la pantalla, luego haga clic en el ícono "Verificación/actualización en línea". 

Los padres/cuidadores que no tengan una cuenta SIS ParentVUE deben imprimir y completar el Formulario de Información de Cuidado de Emergencia (PDF) y enviarlo a la escuela de su hijo.

Completar formularios de permisoLas familias pueden ahora fácilmente dar permiso para que sus hijos accedan a una variedad de recursos escolares a través del sistema de Consentimiento Digital de los Padres. Se puede acceder a esta herramienta en línea utilizando su cuenta SIS ParentVUE. Los padres pueden optar fácilmente por que sus hijos accedan o no a recursos que incluyen herramientas educativas en línea, servicios de orientación escolar y servicios de tutoría. También pueden cambiar cómo se gestiona la información del estudiante.Visite la página web de Consentimiento Digital de los Padres para acceder al sistema. Vea este vídeo para aprender a utilizar la herramienta. 

Cómo reportar las ausenciasLos padres pueden enviar ausencias de un día a través de SIS ParentVUE. Inicie sesión y haga clic en "Reportar Ausencia". Nota: Las ausencias de día parcial y los cambios de transporte aún deben informarse directamente a la oficina de la escuela. ¿Aún no tiene una cuenta SIS ParentVUE?Póngase en contacto con su escuela para obtener un código de activación y siga las instrucciones de la página web de la cuenta SIS ParentVUE


Technology Resource: Lightspeed

  • 🔍 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.

  • 🔍 Lightspeed Reporte de los Padres sobre la Actividad de los Dispositivos de sus HijosFCPS tiene herramientas para ayudar a los padres a saber más sobre la actividad de sus hijos en cualquier dispositivo de FCPS. Estas herramientas son proporcionadas sin costo a las familias por Lightspeed, el servicio de filtrado de contenido de Internet de la división escolar.Los padres pueden inscribirse para recibir un Informe Semanal para Padres, que les proporcionará una lista de los sitios más visitados por sus hijos. El informe también ofrece a los padres la posibilidad de inscribirse para obtener acceso gratuito al Portal para Padres sobre el Uso de Internet. A través del portal, los padres pueden pausar el acceso de su hijo a Internet en su dispositivo FCPS durante las horas no escola

Aprenda más sobre los Informes para Padres de "Lightspeed."


Limited Early Release Mondays

  • Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update

As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.

You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.

We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers. 

Early release Mondays for our school include:

  • September 16
  • October 21
  • November 18
  • February 10
  • March 10
  • April 21
  • May 12

Learn more about Early-Release Mondays


Community Conversations

  • 🎤 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:

  • Monday, September 9, at Holmes Middle School 
  • Monday, September 23, at Newington Forest Elementary
  • Monday, September 30, at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary 
  • Monday, October 14, at Fairhill Elementary 
  • Monday, October 21, at Virginia Run Elementary 
  • 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.


Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!

 

bus
  • 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.

To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.

Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to HCTB@fcps.edu.  

Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.

  • 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)

¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.  

Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.

Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.

¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a HCTB@fcps.edu.  

Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.


Student Attendance

attendance

 

  • 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement

During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan

Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.

Data shows that:

  • Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. 
  • Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
  • Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
  • By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Attendance is critical for academic success!

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.


Tutoring Information

Tutor
  • 📑 Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost

FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors’ services at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests. Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.

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School Hours

School Hours