Panther Press: December 5

December 9th will be our 3rd Early Release Monday for teacher planning (Changed from November 25). 

Students will be dismissed at 12:25pm.  SACC will be open for afternoon SACC students and will close at their regular scheduled time.  Students of families that have made arrangements for after school child care provided by Providence, will be dismissed at 3:25pm. 

If you now require childcare for the early release, please contact our main office at 703-460-4400.  Visit PES website for more information

Calling all history lovers! The PES History Fair lets students choose a history topic they do not know much about and explore the past by doing research at their local museum, library, historical place, or online. It's like a science fair, but with history!

Students in grades 2-6 can work by themselves or with a group of friends to create a history project and present it at the fair on February 13, 2025.

After school study sessions will be held on Thursdays at PES in January to help students prepare.

For more information and to sign-up, use this link. The deadline to register is Friday, December 20.

This is a reminder that students spend 30 minutes outdoors during recess each day. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and/or other cold-weather clothing, gloves, and a hat, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. See the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.

Throughout the winter, FCPS and the Providence principals monitor the weather for very low temperatures, wind chill advisories, and weather warnings which may prevent children from being outside and call for us to shorten the time outside for recess.

If you need assistance supplying your child with cold-weather clothing our Family Liaison, Piedad Dwyer (pdwyer@fcps.edu) is happy to support you. 

This is the time of year when we expect to see an increase in the number of respiratory illnesses in our community, including coughs, colds, sore throats, respiratory syncytial virus and influenza. This fall, we are also seeing a rise in pediatric pneumonia. If your child has a fever, a cough that is worsening or you have concerns that their “common cold” is something more, please take them to a medical provider for evaluation and diagnosis.

We are also seeing an increase in gastrointestinal viruses. Vomiting and diarrhea can lead to dehydration, which can be dangerous. It is important to stay hydrated when ill. GI viruses are very contagious, so it is important to follow these tips.

To help prevent the spread of illnesses:

• Look for signs of illness in your child.
• Keep children home when they are ill to prevent the illness from spreading to others. If your child has a fever, they should remain home until the fever has been gone for 24 hours (without fever-reducing medications) and they feel well enough to attend a full day of school.
• Keep children home when they are experiencing vomiting or diarrhea. They may return to school 24 hours after the last episode of vomiting and/or Diarrhea
• Teach your child how to stop the spread of illness by washing their hands often, covering their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. For Gastrointestinal illnesses, washing hands with soap and water is the best practice, not hand sanitizer.
• Stay up-to-date on immunizations.

Providence Clinic: 703-460-4410
Student Health Aide: Kim Cicero: kpcicero@fcps.edu
Public Health Nurse Renee Basile, RN: rbasile@fcps.edu