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Dear Dragon Families,
I am thrilled to share some exciting news! Stohlman Subaru has generously awarded $500 grants to 10 of our outstanding teachers at Dogwood, recognizing their innovative classroom initiatives aimed at enhancing your students' learning experiences. Through the Adopt A Classroom initiative, Mr. Ericson, Ms. Waksman, Mrs. Stevens, Ms. Yanes, Mr. Price, Ms. Velikina, Mrs. Escobar, Mrs. Cool, Ms. Bell, and Ms. Ariel have each received a $500 grant to support their incredible work.
We are so proud of our wonderful teachers and grateful for their dedication and thoughtful ideas that make a difference every day!
This is a reminder that there will be no school on Thursday, October 3rd, and Friday, October 4th. Thursday is a holiday, and Friday is a teacher workday.
Shana Tova, to all of our families that are celebrating the Rosh Hashanah.
With appreciation,
Kate Beckner
Proud Principal
Connecting Children to Low-Cost Medical Care
Does your child need affordable, comprehensive medical care? The Fairfax County Health Department is connecting families with local healthcare providers for low-cost sick and well visits for your child.
Visit https://bit.ly/bridge-to-care or scan the QR code to fill out a short, on-line form. A Family Assistance Worker will call you to talk about healthcare resources for your child. Must be a Fairfax County resident to participate. Program eligibility is not dependent upon immigration status.
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Learning from Home
This year students in grades 2nd- 6th can take their FCPS issued laptop from school to home. During Back to School Night last week, many families signed our Laptop Guidelines Contract and learned about the rules and expectations for students taking their FCPS laptops home. If you were unable to attend or didn’t visit our table and would like your child to use their laptop at home, you will need to attend a 20-minute informational session (Spanish translation included) to review the guidelines and expectations. Informational sessions will be held on Thursday mornings from 8:00-8:20am throughout the month of October. Students are welcome.
Please check in the Main Office during this time. Meetings will be held at Dogwood Library with Ms. Kara Armstrong and Ms. Carmen Fonseca.
- October 10
- October 17
- October 24
If you did attend our Back to School Night and were able to hear about the guidelines as well as sign the contract, your student will be able to start taking their FCPS issued laptop home on today, Tuesday, Oct 1. A reminder notice, along with a copy of the guidelines you signed, will be sent home on Monday, September 30.
Order Your Dogwood Spirit Wear Now!
Big thanks to everyone who bought t-shirts during our 'Early Dragon Special' to show your school spirit during the South Lakes Homecoming Parade! Sales went so well we sold out! Now, we’re gearing up for round two. Want in? You can order a t-shirt for $15 or purchase a pair of our brand-new pajama pants for $35! Keep an eye out for the order form in your child’s Thursday folder. Payments are by exact cash only and due tomorrow, Wednesday, October 2, 2024.
If you sent in a payment and tried to buy a shirt during our first round after we sold out, we will add your order to our next round.
Don’t miss out—grab our new gear so you and your child can show off that Dragon spirit in style!"
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 Join Us at Chuck E. Cheese- Family Fun Night on Friday October 11th!
Get ready for a night of endless family fun at Chuck E. Cheese in Herndon, located at 2465 Centerville Rd. Come join your classmates and teachers for the fun.
Date: October 11, 2024
Time: 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Don't forget to bring your fliers or simply mention "Dogwood" with every purchase! If you use the kiosk make sure to check “yes” when asked if there for the fundraiser. This event is all about coming together as a community, and here's the best part: all proceeds will go towards supporting the exciting field trip for our first graders. So mark your calendars, bring your friends and family, and let's create lasting memories while making a positive impact on our children's education. See you on October 11 for an evening of laughter, games, and good times at Chuck E. Cheese!
 At the heart of being an IB school is taking ACTION. As a school, throughout the month of October we are going to come together to participate in SOCKTOBER. Socktober is a movement to help the homeless in your local community. As a school we will be collecting NEW socks and monetary donations (to then buy socks) for the Embry Rucker Community Shelter. Embry Rucker needs the following types and sizes of socks:
- Men's Socks - sizes M, L, XL - white cotton, quarter/ crew/ mid-calf
- Men's Socks - sizes M, L, XL - wool, crew/ mid-calf
- Women's Socks - sizes S, M, L, XL - white cotton, ankle/ quarter/ crew
- Women's Socks - sizes S, M, L, XL - wool, crew/ mid-calf
- Kids' Socks - sizes toddler and larger
Our goal as a school is to donate 1,000 pairs of NEW socks. Please help us reach our goal!
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
We are excited to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a special Spirit Week from October 7-11! As a school with a proud Hispanic community, this is a wonderful opportunity to honor the rich culture, traditions, and contributions of our students and families.
Throughout the week, students will participate in themed dress days and activities to celebrate our heritage. We encourage everyone to join in and show their spirit!
Thank you for your support.
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Monday- Motivational Monday- Dress as your favorite latino role model, celebrity, or athlete
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Tuesday- Traditional Wear Tuesday- Dress in traditional clothing from your country or a Hispanic country
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Wednesday- Western Wednesday- Wear cowboy attire to celebrate Hispanic vaqueros
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Thursday- Twin Thursday- Dress like someone you consider familia
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Friday- Fútbol Friday- Wear a fútbol jersey from your favorite country, person or team.
Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health
FCPS is committed to supporting the mental wellness of all students. The Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener helps our students share their perspectives on how their schools and communities support them and help them develop the skills they need to succeed.
The screener is offered to all students in grades 3 through 12 in the fall and spring. It addresses skills such as achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships with adults and peers, and making responsible decisions. Students also share how successful their school and community are at making them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to plan programming for the division, schools, and individual students.
After each screening, results will be available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families who don’t have a ParentVUE account. For more information, please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.
Families who wish to opt their child out may do so by completing the opt-out form in the Annual Notice packet or SIS ParentVUE. For more information, please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage or contact our front office.
Please note that the SEL Screener is not the same as the anonymous Fairfax County Youth Survey, which will take place later this fall.
Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health
Children go through a lot of changes, and it can be hard to tell if their behavior is developmentally appropriate or if they could benefit from mental health support. It’s important to talk to your child and pay attention to their actions, especially these warning signs:
- Increased irritability, hyperactivity, energy, and/or aggressive behavior.
- Excessive sadness, hopelessness, or worries.
- Loss of appetite, or significant weight gain or loss.
- Lack of sleep or too much sleep.
- A decline in grades, school avoidance, or attendance concerns.
- Alcohol or drug use.
- Withdrawal from activities and/or friends and family.
- Thoughts of harming themselves or others.
If you notice any of these warning signs or feel your child may be experiencing a mental health challenge, help is available. Please contact Dogwood and request to speak to one of our, school psychologist, school counselors, or school social worker to discuss your concerns and identify resources. Find additional ways to support your child’s wellness.
If you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health crisis such as thoughts of harming themselves or others, please take action right away. Call 988, go to the nearest emergency room, or contact the Sharon Bulova Center for Community Health Emergency Services at 703-573-5679.
 🗓️ Attendance Tip: Scheduling Family Trips or Events
Good attendance is an important life skill that will help students succeed in school and beyond.
When planning trips or family events, refer to the FCPS calendar and try to use weekends and school holidays. Every day of learning is a day toward success. Keep in mind that absences add up quickly. Students absent 10% of the school year (or just two days per month) are considered chronically absent.
When possible, schedule appointments for your child outside of school hours. If your child needs to miss school because of an illness or another reason, you must report the absence.
Watch this video with tips on understanding the FCPS school year calendar and visit the Attendance webpage for additional information. Attend today, achieve tomorrow!
Fall Picture Day at Dogwood
Calling All Smiles!
Fall Picture Day at Dogwood Elementary School is on October 15, 2024.
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✨ The 2023-30 Strategic Plan — Goal 3: Academic Growth and Excellence
FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan sets five main goals to create positive change in the division. These goals show where we should focus our attention and will help us align our efforts.
Our third goal is for all students to achieve academic growth and excellence. We want our students to have the academic skills to be successful. For example, making sure they are readers by third grade and taking courses that challenge them throughout their education will help prepare them for lifelong success. See how Goal 3 is being put into practice.
🎤 Our Schools, Our Future: Register Today for a Community Conversation!
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will host a series of Community Conversations this fall. She invites you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Click the dates below to register for any of the following conversations:
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Monday, September 23, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Newington Forest Elementary School.
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Monday, September 30, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School.
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Monday, October 14, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Fairhill Elementary School.
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Monday, October 21, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Virginia Run Elementary School.
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Wednesday, October 30, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Herndon Middle School.
Events will take place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Childcare and language interpretation services will be provided.
TJ Investigative Science Outreach
We are TJ Investigative Science Outreach, a student-led organization at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. We will be hosting our 12th annual invitational science fair on April 5th, 2025 and we would like to invite 5th-8th grade students from your school to participate. Admission to the science fair is completely free.
Participants will complete a research project of their choice and present at the fair in-person on April 5th, 2025. We help students prepare for this fair by holding multiple sessions to teach them important skills in STEM like brainstorming, collecting data, presenting, writing an experiment summary, using statistics, creating an experimental diagram, etc.
Our first interest/brainstorming session is October 11th, 2024 at 6:00 pm. We will be holding this session both in-person at TJHSST and virtually through zoom. During this session we will go over the goals and guidelines of this fair and introduce students to a multitude of project ideas. All interested students should sign up using the form at the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0Y0oodU11TzBUfWFnU5lsxoWaqixuX50fxVNv5A5DxcmRvw/viewform?usp=sf_link
We would greatly appreciate it if you could advertise the fair on a weekly school newsletter or through some other means.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email us back. Feel free to also check out our website at tjsciencefair.wordpress.com or email us at tjhsstsciencefair@gmail.com
Parent Information Night 2: Full-Time AAP Services Screening Information
Parents of students in second through sixth grade, who are interested in having their child screened for the full-time services will learn about the forms, documents, and deadlines for applications. This Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) parent information night will be held on Wednesday, October 16th at 4:45 PM in the Dogwood Elementary Library. We provide a brief question and answer session for families as well.
Note: AAP Level IV parent referrals are due on December 15, 2024. This is a county deadline, and late entries cannot be accepted.
Any questions please contact Lauren Williams lgwilliams2@fcps.edu
Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Wednesday, October 2. That day is an evening-only O day, and important events will not be held after school.
Thursday, October 3, is a holiday for all FCPS staff. Schools and offices will be closed.
Friday, October 4, is a teacher workday and there will be no school for students.
FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
- FCPS Strives to Become Purple Star School Division
- Sign and Return SR&R
- Upcoming Immunization Clinics
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
Fairfax County Public Schools 2024-2025 Standard School Year Calendar
October 2: PTA Charter Meeting 6:00 PM
October 3: All Schools Closed, Rosh Hashanah
October 4: No School for Students, Teacher Workday
October 11: Chuck e’ Cheese Night 3:00- 9:00 PM
October 14: No School for Students, Staff Development Day
October 15: Picture Day
October 16: AAP Parent Night 4:45- 6:00 Dogwood Library
October 28: 3 Hours Early Release Monday Grades K-6- Please complete form: https://forms.gle/bEmijZM4A1NH1Taj9
October 30: Dogwood Trunk or Treat 4:30 PM Parking Lot
October 31: 2 Hour Early Release, End of First Quarter
November 1: All Schools & Offices Closed, Diwali
November 5: No School for Students, Teacher Workday
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