EHS Weekly Update - October 31, 2024


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Edison High School Weekly

Important Dates

Oct 31 - End of the 1st Quarter

Nov 1 - Religious/Cultural Observance Day - Diwali - No school

Nov 4 - Teacher Workday - No school for students

Nov 5 - Teacher Workday & Election Day - No school for students

Nov 6 - NHS Induction Ceremony 5:30pm

Nov 6 - Academic Awards 7pm

Nov 8 - Make-up Underclassmen Photos

Nov 8 - Veterans Day Celebration 

Nov 11 - Veterans Day - No school

Nov 19 - PTSA meeting 7pm

Nov 27 - 29 - Thanksgiving Break - No school


Table of Contents


Message from Principal Burke

Good afternoon, Edison Eagles!

This week has been packed with exciting achievements and memorable moments for our students.

Congratulations to our Edison Eagle Marching Band for an outstanding season! They performed incredibly well in several competitions:

  • 2nd Place in Group 1 at Herndon High School
  • 1st Place in Group 1 at South County High School
  • 2nd Place in Group 1 at Oakton High School
  • 3rd Place in Group 1 at Freedom High School

Our Girls Volleyball team had an exciting week, winning the first round of districts on Monday. Although Wednesday’s semifinal game was a close one, they didn’t pull out a win, but I am excited to cheer them on in the first round of regionals next week!

A huge shout-out to our Girls' Cross Country team for winning the District and to our Boys' Cross Country team for placing 4th! We can’t wait to watch them compete at regionals at Burke Lake this coming Wednesday.

Our Cheerleaders also delivered a fantastic performance at the regional cheer competition on Tuesday. They should be proud of a great season!

Thank you to all the parents who joined me for our recent principal coffee. It’s always great to connect, hear your thoughts, and explore ways we can continue growing as a school community. Our next coffee is scheduled for December 5 at 9:00 a.m. — I look forward to seeing many of you there!

We’re excited to host a Veterans Day Celebration for our military-connected students, staff, and families. Please join us on November 10 from 9:35 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. We're still accepting photos of military-connected families for a slideshow.

Additionally, please complete the Federal Impact Aid forms available in ParentVUE. This survey brings critical funding, totaling over $4 million, to support all Fairfax County Public Schools.

It’s also time to recognize our amazing Edison staff! Consider nominating an outstanding employee who has positively impacted your student’s experience. Nominations for the Outstanding Employee Awards close on November 7; the link to the nomination form is below. Thank you for helping us celebrate the dedication of our wonderful staff!

Please note that ParentVUE and StudentVUE gradebooks are currently unavailable as we finalize first-quarter grades. They’ll be back online by November 12 at 6:00 a.m.

Finally, a reminder that there’s no school tomorrow in observance of a religious and cultural holiday. Students will also be off on Monday and Tuesday for staff workdays. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Wednesday as we begin the 2nd quarter.

Enjoy the long weekend!

Amanda Burke
Principal


Student Spotlight

Student standing in from on a screen that says FBLA Regional Fall Conference 2024

This is student Diane Donkor from the FBLA Regional Fall Conference at George Mason University on Friday, October 25th. Diane is our FBLA Regional President and represents Edison on the leadership/officer team. As the region’s president, she also represents our region as the State Leadership Team and Northern VA Region Vice President. She prepared a presentation for one of the workshops, “The Power of Mindfulness,” highlighting the importance of focus, setting goals, and prioritizing tasks to meet those goals in order to become successful not only as a leader, but a professional individual.

Great job Diane!

 

Would you like to congratulate our Student Spotlight? Fill out the Student Spotlight Congratulations form and we will get the message to them!


Student Spotlight

Is your student doing amazing things that you want to shine a light on? We want to hear from you! Fill out our Student Spotlight Form and let us know. Your student could be featured in our newsletter!


Edison Outstanding Employee Awards

24-25 edison outstanding employee awards nominate an edison staff member

Food For Neighbors

Hunger is an unwelcome guest this holiday season.

For many families in our school community struggling financially, providing daily meals is difficult and a special holiday meal can become a source of worry and stress. Help a local family know the joy of gathering together for a holiday meal. We’re partnering with Food For Neighbors to provide $50 grocery store gift cards to our most vulnerable families. Visit the Food For Neighbors’ website to learn how you can help. Thank you for your generosity.

Learn more here: https://www.foodforneighbors.org/home/holiday-meals/


Junior ROTC RAIDER Team

JROTC students dressed in camo posing for a picture on grass

Congratulations RAIDERS (l to r standing): LTC(Ret) Britt Rosenberry, Alaina Goulding, Team Commander- Alex Geiger, Lian Ballard, Carlo Vella, Daniel Dodds, Phillip Waldron, John Junio   (l to r kneeling): Valerie Wong, Eli Albao, Sun- Team Liaison, Battalion Commander- Bryan Cedillos-Sarmiento

Our Junior ROTC RAIDER Team took second place on Saturday, 26 October, at the event sponsored by Chantilly HS AFJROTC.  There were a total 8 teams from the surrounding area competing.  Our team won first place in 2 of 5 events. 

Collage of JROTC

HBCU Fair

On Thursday, November 7th, Edison will host its Annual HBCU Fair. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 founded to serve the Black Community. By providing access to higher education, HBCUs contributed to the progress and continued success of the Black Community. The HBCU Fair will be held in the Small Auxiliary Gym during Lunches (11:30 am - 1:30 pm), please ask for a pass during lunch to attend. Students only.

Today, there are approximately 107 HBCUs from the United States to the U.S. Virgin Islands. If your student is interested in applying to an HBCU they can see Ms. Rodriguez in A-118 and check out the Common Black College App!


Veteran's Day Photos

Veterans day celebration nov 8 in the library 9:35 - 11:30

Hello Parents,

The Student Ambassador Program (SAP) is trying to get a collection of photos from military connected families. If you or a loved one is/was part of the military and would like to be featured in a video shown in advisory, please fill out this form. You’ll need to upload a photo and fill out what you would like said on the slide. 

https://forms.gle/5nTycqZD84hLv65b8

Thank you so much!

Sincerely,

The Ambassador Leadership Team


10 adults standing in a hallway with Halloween shirts

Edison Admin Team visited the Academy Haunted House!


Federal Impact Aid Survey

FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available in SIS ParentVUE under Online Packets (in the upper right corner after logging in). Please complete it as soon as possible.

For any families who have not completed the survey in ParentVUE, we will provide paper forms starting Wednesday, November 13. Paper forms should be returned by Wednesday, December 4.

Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important. Information from this survey resulted in more than $4 million in funding last year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.

For more information, please watch this video on Impact Aid and visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page.

Need to Register for ParentVUE? 

Learn how to activate your SIS ParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey. 

Technical support for using ParentVUE or completing the survey online is available by submitting a Parent Support Request ticket. Select SISParent in the Application dropdown menu and type Federal Impact Aid Survey under Issue Description. Or, call the Parent Technology Help Desk at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS).


Marching Band Congratulations and Information

band students posing for a group photo

Congratulations to the Edison Eagle Marching band for a stellar season! 

 The Marching Band received:

2nd in Group 1 at Herndon High School

1st in Group 1 at South County High School

2nd in Group 1 at Oakton High School

3rd in Group 1 at Freedom High School

Come out and support them on their final performance on Friday, Nov. 8 2024 for our Last Regular Season Home!

Band/Orchestra Spring Trip:

The initial down payment for those attending the NYC Band/Orchestra Spring Trip in March of 2025 us due THIS FRIDAY (Nov. 1).

Marching Band Banquet

Saturday, Nov. 16 at 5:30pm in the Edison HS Cafeteria.  


Family Assistance Questionnaire

Edison High School is committed to ensuring that all our students have the resources and support they need throughout the school year to reach their full potential in school and within the community. The Family Assistance Questionnaire is entirely optional and confidential. You only need to complete the questionnaire if you are interested in receiving assistance. The questionnaire is available online in English and Spanish. Paper copies and questionnaires in other languages are available upon request. If you have any questions, please contact our Family Liaison, Luisa Espinoza, at leespinoza@fcps.edu or 703-924-8200.

Link to Family Assistance Questionnaire

English: https://tinyurl.com/EHSassistance

Spanish: https://tinyurl.com/EHSasistencia


Collage of students presenting Global Stem Projects

The Edison High School 11th grade STEM cohort team has been busy working on their Air Mobility Project the past several weeks. Students started off the school year by first researching the needs of an assigned community of their choosing, ranging from Lagos, Nigeria to Cusco, Peru to Seward, Alaska and even New York City, New York. Based on their findings, our STEM teams are designing a drone to tackle one of four needs in their chosen location: small supply delivery, disaster response, public security/safety, or natural resource management. 

Students will be presented their designs and showing how they used their understanding of kinematics, forces, piecewise functions, and derivatives to address their chosen issue. 


Moving on to Life in the Community Resource Fair!

This event is designed for students with developmental and intellectual disabilities who will need continuing support after they exit FCPS.

Each fall, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB), and the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) sponsor Moving on to Life in the Community: A Resource Fair. This event is designed for students with disabilities and their families to speak to adult agency and vendor representatives to gather information about available services for adults in need of ongoing support once they transition from FCPS. Agency representatives will be available to share information on adult service providers, employment and training programs, Medicaid, Social Security, residential options, and The Arc of Northern Virginia.

When:             Wednesday, November 13th, 2024, from 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Where:            Fairfax High School Cafeteria
                        3501 Lion Run
                        Fairfax, VA 22030
What:              Exhibitor Fair

Learn about: supported employment options, day support programs, recreation/leisure activities, residential living options, travel training supports, advocacy, funding, and more!

Register online: https://tinyurl.com/ycx4bwec  


No-Cost Therapy for High Schoolers

High school students can access virtual mental health services at no cost through an FCPS program with Hazel Health. Their therapists are licensed and also trained in teen-specific challenges.

Students may be referred by a guardian or designated staff member and participate in weekly video therapy sessions. The therapists will work with students until they achieve their therapy goals, or they can help connect families with long-term mental health services in the community if needed. 

Learn more about teletherapy for high school students.


Yearbook - Ordering

Yearbook

Order your yearbook at:

www.yearbookordercenter.com

school code: 5211

Yearbook Advisor Vanessa Briggs

Visit us on instagram@edison.ybk


Attendance

How to report an absence

Attendance Emails are no longer accepted or monitored. 

Edison Attendance Office  703-924-8080

All Day- Call and leave a message, ParentVue, or drop off a note
Late Arrival-
Call and leave a message, or send your student in with a note
Early Release-
Call and leave a message, or send your student in with a note

Please note: Last minute check outs can take up to 30 minutes to retrieve your student 


FCPS News

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:

  • Calendar Reminders
  • Resources for Families 
  • Complete Impact Aid Survey

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.  


Useful Links