🐝Hornet Happenings

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 11/04/2024 03:22 PM EST

English | Español | አማርኛ | äž­æ–‡ | 한ꔭ얎 | Tiáșżng Việt | Ű§Ù„ŰčŰ±ŰšÙŠŰ© | ÙŰ§Ű±ŰłÛŒ | Ű§Ű±ŰŻÙˆ

halley ES logo

Hornet Happenings

Week of November 4th

Veterans Day

Hello Hornet Nation!  The season of Fall is in full bloom
and I absolutely love it!  The weather has truly been picture perfect.  I hope you have taken time to enjoy the beautiful foliage of the season.

I would like to remind each of you to support our Halley PTO at their Election Day Bake Sale on Tuesday, November 5th.  They will be located near the entrance of our school selling baked goods to support various initiatives around the school.  Scroll to the bottom of our newsletter for details!

Once again, this week’s newsletter is a focus on our upcoming Veteran’s Day celebration which occurs on Friday, November 8th.  This year will look a bit different from last year. 

Fuel Up for our Freedom: Continental Breakfast

A celebratory continental breakfast sponsored by Halley’s PTO will be available for any service member who joins us on this day beginning at 9:20. Enjoy a musical selection from our own Halley chorus as you indulge in a tasty treat. 

We Love our Military Family Members Parade

We invite all family members who have served in our armed forces to participate in the: If you would like to be honored by walking through the hallways of Halley Elementary wearing your uniform or attire which represents your branch of the military, please arrive at Halley by 9:30 to participate.  Our Halley students will be cheering you on as you walk past their classrooms!

Military Photo Showcase

 Please submit the photo of a loved one who is currently serving or has served in a branch of the military by using this link below.  A slideshow will be shared during our Halley Morning News Program to our students, the community Newsletter: Hornet Happenings, and our Halley School Website.

Use this link to submit your photo by November 6th.

All About You: Military Classroom Panel Discussion

Would you like to share why you joined the military and your experiences with your child’s classroom?  If so, please sign up to attend the All About You Military Classroom Panel Discussion. 

Due to time constraints, we will not be able to host all families who sign up to participate in the discussion panel.  It is on a first come, first serve basis.  Please use the link below to sign up for a slot with your child’s teacher.

5th & 6th Grade: 1:00-1:30

3rd & 4th Grade: 2:00-2:30

Kindergarten, 1st, & 2nd: 3:00-3:30

All About You!: Military Discussion Panel Sign-Up Form

thanksgiving lunch

Parents and caregivers are invited to join their student(s) for a traditional Thanksgiving lunch right here at school on November 8th.  Please enter Door 1 and have your ID ready.  We will get you singed in and off to eat lunch with your student.

If you would like to purchase Thanksgiving lunch, please make sure you have sufficient funds in your student’s MySchoolBucks account. 

The student price for lunch is $3.25 and the adult price is $4.75.

If you need to create a MySchoolBucks account, please see the instructions below:

*Go to www.MySchoolBucks.com  or, to the MySchoolBucks link located on the Laurel Ridge homepage to establish an account.

*Add your students using the name of the school they are attending, and either their student ID or birthdate.

*You will receive a confirmation email that your account has been established

 

Paula Johnson-Tyler             Dee Hubbard                 Kayliegh Merritt

            

halley administration

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.

We will also have new ways for you to help your child practice their reading and writing skills at home. These resources are coming soon!

attend today achieve tomorrow

How Can You Help Your Child Have Good Attendance in 2nd Quarter?

Just a few missed days here and there, even if they’re excused absences, can add up to too much lost learning time and put your child behind in school.  This is as true in kindergarten as it is in high school.

  • Talk about the importance of showing up to school every day, make that the expectation. 
  • Help your child maintain routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.
  • Find out if your child feels engaged by his classes and feels safe at school. Make sure he or she is not missing class because of behavioral issues and school discipline policies. If any of these are problems, work with your school.
  • Stay on top of academic progress and seek help from teachers or tutors if necessary. Make sure teachers know how to contact you.
  • Stay on top of your child’s social contacts. Peer pressure can lead to skipping school, while students without many friends can feel isolated.
  • Encourage meaningful afterschool activities, including sports and clubs.

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, talk to your children’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work.  But remember, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that goes on in the classroom.

Visit our website for more attendance resources. 

calendar reminder graphic

Native American Heritage Month

 

Native American Heritage Month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native Americans. It is also a time to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges they have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.
Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.

 

National Family Engagement Month

This month reminds us that families are children's first and most important teachers, advocates, and nurturers. Strong family support is vital to student well-being and success. 

FCPS has many resources designed to increase engagement and partnerships with families while fostering academic success and social-emotional growth. Additionally, every school has a family liaison who will welcome and orient families, and help them understand the school's culture, policies, procedures, and practices. They can help connect families to resources in the community. Family liaisons might also assist a family in transitioning to a new school and encourage family-school partnerships to help ensure their student's success and healthy development.

If you have questions or would like more information, ask our school office staff to connect you with your family liaison or visit FCPS’ website for a list of region representatives

Veterans Day

Veterans Day Monday, November 11, is a holiday and schools will be closed for students

Halley PTO logo

Election Day Bake Sale:

The PTO needs your help to make our November 5th Election Day Bake Sale at Halley Elementary school a success! This fundraiser will support lower-cost field trips and the 6th-grade promotion celebration. Check out the volunteer page here .

Donate baked goods: Bake or buy individually wrapped items to sell by donation.  

Help sell: We need parent and responsible student volunteers to assist at the bake sale table during different time slots throughout Election Day.

Can't volunteer? No worries! You can still contribute by making a donation. We’re already accepting donations, here !

Your participation, big or small, will make a huge difference! Let’s make this a great event for our school community!

Hornets Dine Out:

Help support Halley Elementary and the PTO on November 12th and 13th by dining out at Fuse Box!  Located at 8961 #130 Ox Road, Lorton, VA 22079 ,15% of dine-in or take out sales will be donated to the Halley Elementary School PTO. Please be sure to mention the "Halley Elementary School PTO Fundraiser" when you place an order.

All School PTO Meeting:

Save the date for the first all school PTO meeting of the year on November 14th from 7-8:30pm. More details coming soon!

Thank you for your support!

Â