RAVENS' NEST 08/29/2024


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Upcoming Events

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Aug 30th- Labor Day Break- no school for students

Sept 2nd - Labor Day Break- no school for students

Sept 4th - PTA Meeting in the Library 6:45 pm Meet and Greet – 7:00 pm Meeting

Sept 6th - Lake Braddock Pyramid Night 5:00-6:30 pm at Lake Braddock Secondary School (more details to come)

Sept 11th- Back to School Night, 6:00-7:30 pm

Sept 16th- 3-hour Early Release Day, dismissal at 12:20 pm

Sept 27th- PTA Movie Night 7:00 pm on the blacktop

 

Link to 2024-2025 School Year Calendar 2024-25 FCPS School Year Calendar

Because of technical difficulties, if any link does not work, please copy, and paste it into your browser.

 

A Message from the Principal

 

Dear Ravensworth Families,

What a joy it has been to see your children at Ravensworth these past two weeks.  Mrs. Heiman and I have had the opportunity to visit classrooms and we’ve been particularly impressed by the way our students have handled the transition back to school.  They are excited to be back, and they were eager to learn.  I’m confident that they will have a wonderful year of learning and growth. 

As a reminder, students do not have school on Friday, August 30th and Monday, September 2nd due to the Labor Day holiday.  Our school office will be closed.  I have asked our staff to disconnect over the holiday weekend, so they can return relaxed and refreshed ahead of our very busy month of September.  Our teachers will be available on Tuesday, September 3rd

I want to thank you for your partnership in making these first two weeks a success.  I look forward to working with you throughout the school year.

Sincerely,

 

Erika Aspuria

Principal

 

Family Life Education Instructional Program Information

FLE

 

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) provides a comprehensive, sequential Family Life Education (FLE) program for students in grades kindergarten through grade twelve.  Instruction is seen as a partnership among parents and guardians, the school, and the community in supporting the learning essential to the development of strong families, positive relationships, and a healthy community.

Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program.  Students who are opted out are provided with age-appropriate, nonpunitive alternative health instruction, and every effort is made to foster respect for family choices.  If you wish to opt your child out of all or part of FLE for this school year, opt out forms will be included in your child’s back-to-school/orientation packets and are available online for Elementary (K-6), Middle School (7-8), and High School (9-12).  Please fill in the opt-out form and return it to your child’s school prior to Family Life Education instruction.

Detailed grade-level program descriptions are available online at Elementary (K-6) , Middle School (7-8) , and High School (9-12). FLE grade level-specific lessons and media that FCPS has streaming rights for are available for parents online in Schoology.  Parents/guardians login to Schoology using the same username and password as their Student Information System (SIS) Parent account.  Grade level-specific lessons are also available at the City of Fairfax Regional Library (this location does not have media).  Grade level-specific lessons and media that is not streamed online are available for review at your child’s school library.  Due to copyright permissions, we are unable to stream all media online.

Program questions may be addressed at your child’s school or by contacting Instructional Services at 571-423-4550 or fle@fcps.edu.

 

Everything You Can Do Through SIS ParentVUE

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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.

 

Transportation Patience and Safety

bus picking up students

 

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 student’s bus is delayed, parents 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 significant bus delays. Contact the Transportation Office at 703-446-2050 with any additional questions. For any concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact Safety and Security at 571-423-2000. 

To make sure you receive email messages about bus delays, update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE

 

Lightspeed Parent Report on Child’s Device Activity

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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.

 

Update Your Child’s Immunizations and Records

inmunization req

 

Only for new students to FCPS and rising kindergarteners, 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 Thursday, September 26th, 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. 

 

Cell Phone Policy

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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) 426-3600.

 

Three Hour Early Release Dates

Early Dismissal 3

 

This school year FCPS elementary schools will have seven early release Mondays. The goal of these days is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act (27 hours of training) and other planning requirements. Learn more about the plan here.

Ravensworth will have a three-hour early release on the following days:

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

A survey was sent to families on Tuesday, August 6th by Mrs. Aspuria regarding childcare needs.  All families must respond by September 3rd.

 

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.

 

Varsity Tutors - Free Tutoring Opportunity

varsity tutors

 

Fairfax County Public Schools 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, study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests. To learn more visit the FCPS website.

 

Lake Braddock Pyramid Night

 

lake Braddock pyramid

 

PTA

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Join the PTA Today

join pta rio

 

Hey Ravensworth Families!

We're gearing up for an amazing school year and we need YOU to make it even better! Join Rio the Raven and become a superhero by signing up for the PTA today.

As a superhero, you have the power to make a significant impact on the Ravensworth school community by joining the Ravensworth Elementary PTA! With the PTA's exciting calendar of events for the year, there's a perfect opportunity for you to get involved, share your talents, and help create a vibrant, supportive environment for all students. From fundraisers to fun school activities, your superhero energy will be a valuable asset in making this year unforgettable. 

Join us and be part of something extraordinary!

 

Run Fit Kidz

run fit kidz

 

The Ravensworth PTA is proud to bring back RunFit Kidz this fall. RunFit Kidz is unlike any other youth running program. It is run by coaches who understand the unique needs of young runners and believe an early foundation of fitness will lead to a lifetime of healthy habits. Young athletes will receive instruction on running mechanics, strength training, nutrition, pacing, and goal setting. Participants will build self-esteem, confidence, and determination.

This year we have 2 days of classes, so more kids can get involved.

Registration opens at 8AM on Thursday, August 15th.

  • Open to boys and girls in grades 1st – 6th .
  • Games, activities, and drills to bring running concepts alive.
  • 8 weeks for 1hr 15min per session.
  • Tuesdays or Thursday’s AFTER-SCHOOL starting Sept. 17th or Sept. 19th from 3:30 – 4:45PM.
  • 5K Celebration Run is Sunday, November 17th at Fairfax Corner.
  • $120 includes training with a nationally certified coach, entry into the chip-timed 5K, milestone tokens, commemorative Run Fit Kidz t-shirt, finisher’s medal, and post-5K festivities.
  • More information about the program, school-specific information and to register can be found at www.runfitkidz.com.
  • Register starting August 15th and secure your roster spot.
  • For updates follow us on Twitter or Instagram @Runfitkidz

 

Shell-ebrate with us! Help name the 7 Ravensworth school Turtles.

Turtle

 

Did you know that 7 Eastern Box Turtles call Ravensworth home? Help us enhance their space by suggesting a name for them! For just $5, you can contribute to their habitat and suggest a name.

All name suggestions are due by August 31. Please write your suggested name(s) when prompted on the donation page here.

Ravensworth families will vote on the top 21 names using the Ravensworth PTA Facebook page from September 4-6, so save the date!

All winning names will be announced at Back to School Night on September 11!

Shell-ebrate and help name a turtle today!

 

Spirit Wear Fit For You

spirit wear new

 

Did everyone outgrow their Spirit Wear this summer? The Ravensworth Spirit Wear Store has all the sizes you need to stay comfortable and keep your

Ravens Pride. You can also pick-up Spirit Wear at all August events from the PTA table. Get your gear and start the school year looking stylish.

 

Follow Ravensworth on Social Media

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Are you connected to Ravensworth Elementary School and the Ravensworth PTA on social media? The PTA’s Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/ravensworthelementarypta and the school’s accounts are https://www.facebook.com/RavensworthElementary