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Dear Dragons,
We have so much to celebrate! Our incredible music teachers, Mary Crumrine and Kate Shrimpton, have partnered with Music for Life, an organization that supports Title I schools by providing instruments and music instruction. Thanks to their generosity, we’ll soon receive 30 ukuleles! We can’t wait to hear the joyful sound of our students learning to play. The ukuleles will arrive on November 18th, and we look forward to the exciting music ahead.
This week, we were honored to welcome Koons Tyson Toyota and their organization, Kids in Need, to our wonderful school. Earlier this year, they generously donated 200 backpacks to support our students. We are deeply grateful for community partnerships like these that reflect the heart of our school and the power of coming together to make a difference.
We also want to take a moment to honor the memory of a cherished teammate. At the end of the 2023-24 school year, we lost a valued member of our evening custodial team who touched the hearts of many with his kindness and care. In his honor, and with the support of AKG Design Studio and the generous contributions they helped facilitate, we are putting the finishing touches on a beautiful new staff lounge. This space will serve as a lasting tribute to his spirit and remind us of the importance of supporting one another. We are truly grateful for this gift of remembrance.
Meanwhile, our Get 2 Green group, led by Kate Shrimpton, has been busy making magic in our gardens. Today was the perfect day to get outside and dig into the soil as we continue to beautify our school grounds. Take a look at the picture below to see our students hard at work.
And don’t forget—Trunk or Treat is tonight! The fun kicks off at 4:30 PM and wraps up by 5:30 PM. If you’d like to donate candy, we’re still collecting to help our teachers keep the treats flowing. If you’re bringing a child, please guide them through the event once to ensure everyone has a chance to enjoy.
Also, a quick reminder: Tomorrow is a 2-hour early release. Students will be dismissed at 1:35 PM on Thursday.
Thank you, as always, for your partnership, kindness, and for bringing joy into our school community.
With gratitude,
Kate Beckner
Proud Principal
 
Quarter End, Early Release, Diwali/Dia de los Muertos and All Saints Day, Student Holiday Reminders
Thursday, October 31, is the last day of the first quarter, and a two-hour early release for students. Friday, November 1, is a holiday this year for Diwali and Dia de los Muertos and All Saints Day. All schools and offices will be closed. Schools are closed for students on Monday, November 4, for a school planning day, and Tuesday, November 5, for a teacher workday. See the complete school year calendar.
 Thank you to Ms. Emily Davis for hosting our Dogwood Clasico event last Saturday. What a great turnout!
 Some of our fabulous special education preschool team showing their spirit wear for our final week of color days.
Dogwood Trunk or Treat
Our annual Dogwood Trunk or Treat is today! We hope to see all of our families this afternoon at 4:30. Thank you for all of the candy donations to our Dogwood Dragons!
Learning Under the Stars
Families if you have a student in Early Head Start- 2nd grade please join us for Learning Under the Stars on Thursday November 14th from 5-6:30. Come and enjoy a pizza snack with your child’s class as well as learn about some fun math and literacy games you can do at home to help support your child. There will also be booths from various community resources. Be on the look out for a flyer from your child’s teacher. We look forward to enjoying an evening of fun and learning together! If you have any questions regarding the event please contact Ms. Janelle Ali- jnali@fcps.edu.
Outstanding Employee Awards
Nominations are now open for the 24-25 Outstanding Employee Awards! To submit a nomination for a Dogwood ES Outstanding Employee in one of the categories below, please complete the nomination through this: Google Form
- Outstanding Teacher
- Outstanding New Teacher
- Outstanding Principal
- Outstanding Leader
- Outstanding Professional Employee
- Outstanding Operational Employee
You may nominate one or multiple employees at our school (one individual may only nominate one employee per category).
All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this Outstanding Employee demonstrates exceptional work in the criteria for that category. The google form link has more information regarding the eligibility and criteria for each of these awards.
The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, November 8th at 4:00pm. Any questions you may have we ask that you connect with Ms. Viviana Calderon vicalderon@fcps.edu
The county deadline for submitting the AAP Full-Time family referral is Sunday, December 15th.
This is a county set deadline, and late entries will not be accepted. Parents are encouraged to turn in their forms and supporting documents early to ensure that they are formatted appropriately for the screening portfolio. The AAP Full Time Parent Referral form can be found at the bottom of the AAP In FCPS website. All portfolios should be submitted to Lauren Williams at lgwilliams2@fcps.edu.
Elementary School Language Arts Grading Updates
Our teachers have been hard at work teaching with the new Language Arts curriculum, and we are excited to help all of our students become strong readers and writers! This year we also have new assessments, which is how we check if your student needs extra help with reading and writing, and new Standards of Learning (SOLs).
Because of these changes, we are now teaching all of the Language Arts skills your child needs to know (and checking if they need extra help) throughout the whole school year, instead of different skills each quarter. While these skills will be new to your child in the beginning of the year, the goal is for your child to grow strong in all of their new skills by the end of the year.
This means that when you get your child’s progress report next month, it might look different. Your child’s teacher will give you more information on the new progress reporting and how we’re making sure your child is getting any extra help they might need. You can also find more information on FCPS’ Grading and Reporting webpage.
Return Your 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, schools 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).
🎤 Our Schools, Our Future: Register Today for a Community Conversation!
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid invites you to share your thoughts and ask questions at the final community conversation this fall. It will be held Wednesday, October 30, 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Herndon Middle School. Click the date to register. Childcare and language interpretation services will be provided.
FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
- Federal Impact Aid Survey
- Football Players Tackle Literacy
- Tips to Keep Children Safe
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
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October 30: Dogwood Trunk or Treat 4:30 PM Parking Lot
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October 31: 2 Hour Early Release, End of First Quarter Dismissal: 1:25
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November 1: All Schools & Offices Closed, Diwali
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November 4: No School for Students, Teacher Workday
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November 5: No School for Students, Teacher Workday
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November 11: All Schools & Offices Closed, Veteran’s Day
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November 14: Learning Under the Stars 5:00-6:30 PM
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