English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
Garfield’s 2024 Book Character Pumpkins
The Scarecrow, Narwhal and Jelly, Gerald and Piggy, David, The Bad Seed, Dog Man, and Pete the Cat and Rainbow Fish have really added character to our front entrance!
November 11 - Veteran's Day, Student Holiday
November 18 - Early Release #3
November 20 – Family Cardboard Challenge, 5:30 pm
Sign Up Here: Cardboard Challenge Google Form.
November 27-29 - Thanksgiving Break
December 5 – Winter Family Festival
Please bookmark the FCPS School Calendar to stay informed about school holidays, breaks, and observances.
November 18th
3 hour Early Release Survey
 November 18th Early Release Survey - Please Complete ASAP
Please let us know your student’s plans for our next Early Release on November 18th. We will dismiss at 1:05pm.
Please also note that Here Comes the Bus App does not track accurately on the early release days until your students regular dismissal at 4:05pm. The App tracks the bus itself, not your student, and their regular bus may be on a different route at 1:05pm.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Join us for…
The Cardboard Challenge!
Get ready for an evening of hands-on family fun! Garfield Elementary invites you to our Cardboard Challenge, a unique event that lets families build boldly and celebrate creativity together.
Date: Wednesday, November 20th
Time: 5:30-6:45 pm
Location: Garfield Elementary School
Families will have the chance to work together to create incredible designs using just cardboard and duct tape. This is a STEAM event and a national challenge.
How to Prepare:
-
Sign Up: Please let us know if your family will be joining by completing this Cardboard Challenge Google Form.
-
Gather Supplies: Start collecting cardboard and duct tape – you’ll need them for your project! We’ll also have lots of cardboard to share!
-
Plan Ahead: Begin brainstorming ideas for your creation – let your imagination run wild!
This exciting challenge is part of a national movement encouraging innovation and problem-solving. Check out this video to learn more about how it all began and to get inspired.
We can’t wait to see the amazing designs our Garfield Eagles will create! Remember, sign-up here: Cardboard Challenge Google Form.
AAP Informational Zoom Meeting
We will host an Advanced Academic Program (AAP) Full Time Identification Information presentation on November 14. This presentation is for parents of students in grades 2-6; who are interested in learning more about the AAP Full Time identification process.
Information will be presented by Heather Jenkins, Garfield Elementary’s Advanced Academic Resource Teacher. The meeting will be held virtually through Zoom on Thursday, November 14 at 6:30pm. The Zoom link will be shared closer to the meeting.
Questions? Please contact Heather Jenkins, AART, at hkjenkins@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 Heather Jenkins, AART, at hkjenkins@fcps.edu.
Veteran's Day - November 11
Monday, November 11, is a holiday and schools will be closed for students.
📍 Boundary Review Community Meetings Start This Month
As a reminder, FCPS has started the process of reviewing school boundaries across the division. This important work will help the district better support student population growth, changes in school capacity, and evolving community needs. Community input is vital to this process. With that in mind, FCPS, in partnership with Thru Consulting, will be hosting a series of community meetings in each of FCPS’ six regions. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts, ask questions, and learn more about the boundary review process.
Please visit FCPS’ website for meeting dates, locations, and other information. Sign up for the School Boundary Review newsletter for updates.
|
 Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey
A big 🎉THANK YOU🎉 to all families who have already filled out and submitted their form through ParentVue!!
Garfield currently has 28% submitted!
We are missing Several surveys.
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.
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.
IEP Palooza and Community Resource Fair
Parents/caregivers, school staff, and students over the age of 14 are invited to attend an interactive event celebrating the individualized education program (IEP) process. The IEP Palooza and Community Resource Fair will take place on Saturday, November 16, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Jackson Middle School.
The event is sponsored by Fairfax County Special Education Parent Teacher Association (SEPTA). Activities include simulated IEP meetings, break-out sessions on the various parts of an IEP, and a resource fair to learn more about community supports. Register in advance.
Come Learn How to Play Chess
Who: 2nd through 6th Grade Students
What: Learn to play chess or improve your chess skills.
Where: Garfield ES
When: Wednesdays, beginning November 6th from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m.
Tutoring Resources for Families
Is your family looking for resources to help support your child’s academic success? FCPS’ Family Resource Center (FRC) maintains a list of district employees who hold a valid Virginia teaching credential and who are available to be hired as a tutor by parents. FRC maintains this list, but families are responsible for contacting and working directly with tutors. This list is not “approved” by FCPS and is only meant as a resource.
FCPS also partners 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.
✨ FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan Goal 3: Academic Growth and Excellence, reminds us of our commitment to supporting each and every student and helping them meet or exceed high academic standards.
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, connect with our Family Liaison, Melody Wheatley, mdwheatley@fcps.edu or visit FCPS’ website for a list of region representatives.
Garfield Elementary School 2024
November Family Engagement Month
Activities and Calendar
|
Nov. 4th – Nov. 8th
Webinar for the week- Nov. 8 from 10 AM to 11:30 AM
5 Ways to De-Escalate Nuclear Meltdown
- Two Recipes to make as a family from the GES food bag.
-
Family Connection Fun Game – Charades
Nov. 10th – Nov. 15th
- Family Conversation Starter to How to Clever for Lexia/ST Math Navigate
Nov. 11th – Happy Veteran’s Day
Webinar for the week: Nov. 12th from 6:30 PM to 8 PM
Nov. 18th – Nov. 22nd
- ·Family Conversation Starter -What did you talk about in morning meeting today?
- Webinar for the week: Nov. 19th from 6:30 to 7:30 PM
- Lexia Core 5 and Lexia Power up
- Two Recipes to make as a family from the GES food bag.
November 21st- National Family Engagement Day (eat lunch with your child or volunteer in their class)
Family Connection Fun Game – Simon Says
Nov. 25th – Nov. 29th
- Family Conversation Starter- Let’s talk about making a family journal.
- Family Activity- Read and review the family academy brochure-
- The Family School Team - It’s Never Too Late to Get Involved
- Two Recipes to make as a family from the GES food bag.
- November 28th – Happy Thanksgiving
-
Family Connection Project- Make and write in your family journal.
|
Garfield PTA
Join the PTA! Help us build a stronger future together!
Please join the Garfield PTA by clicking here.
Free Webinars for Families
In October, the Family Resource Center (FRC) will host webinars for families on:
- Supporting siblings of children with disabilities.
- Helping students organize their schoolwork.
- Benchmark Advance, the new K-6 language arts curriculum.
- Ways to engage with your children in mathematics.
- Transitions from school to work and adult life for students with disabilities.
Sign up for the FRC newsletter to learn about their latest offerings or visit their webinar webpage.
Quick Links
YOUR PARTNERS IN EDUCATION
We are in this together!! We are thankful to have the opportunity to work with your family this year and will work every day to ensure a safe and positive learning environment for your child. Please contact us when there is a question or concern. Thank you for your support and being part of our team!
Your Garfield Partner Principals,
Mrs. Peerman, Principal, Klpeerman@fcps.edu
Ms. Manning, Assistant Principal, eamanning1@fcps.edu
|
