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Dear Dragon families,
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving break and found many reasons to feel grateful. We are always thankful for your support, partnership, and for sharing your amazing kids with us. The Dogwood staff truly loves what we do, and it’s an honor to serve you and your family.
As we enter the short but busy stretch between Thanksgiving and Winter Break, we’re excited to offer several activities to engage families in our school community. Please read about these events below and watch for more details in the Thursday folders. The stronger the partnership between parents and the school, the more successful our children will be. We hope to see you at these events and are always here to support you if needed.
With colder weather settling in, we want to remind you that outdoor recess will continue daily unless it’s raining or there’s a wind/cold advisory. Many students resist wearing their coats, but it’s important for their safety to be dressed warmly. If your child refuses to wear a coat, please encourage them to bring it along. If your family needs a coat, don’t hesitate to call the school—we have plenty to give away or can help connect you to resources.
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to making this season bright together!
With appreciation,
Kate Beckner
Proud Principal, Dogwood ES
PEACE Dragon Shoutout
We are excited to announce that Mrs. Hadeed and Mr. Tartt have been awarded the PEACE Dragon for the month of November, recognized by their colleagues for their outstanding dedication and unwavering commitment to our students and families.
Both Mrs. Hadeed and Mr. Tartt were nominated for their exceptional ability to connect with our students and build meaningful relationships. They go above and beyond to create a supportive, caring environment where every child feels valued. Their thoughtful approach, dedication to getting to know each student, and active involvement in the school community truly make a difference.
Please join us in congratulating Mrs. Hadeed and Mr. Tartt for this well-deserved recognition. Their compassion, hard work, and ability to foster positive connections with students and families embody the very essence of what makes our school such a special place!
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3 Hour Early Release Day for grades K-6
Our next 3-hour early release day is Monday, December 9th, with dismissal at 12:30 PM. For families who need child care during this time, student supervision will be available. Teachers will be reaching out to confirm how your child has traveled home on previous early release days. It is essential that all families respond and maintain consistent plans. Ensuring student safety requires us to account for every child, so last-minute changes cannot be accommodated. Thank you for your cooperation!
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Dogwood Winter Cheer
🎄✨ Let’s spread some holiday cheer, Dragons! ✨🎄
Join us for 5 Days of Winter Cheer at Dogwood from December 16th to December 20th! Each day has its own festive theme—check them out below and get ready to dress up. Participation is optional for all staff and students, but we can’t wait to see your cheerful outfits light up our school! 🎅🎁❄️
Laptops for Learning
We're hosting our FINAL Learning with Laptops at Home information session for parents of 2nd–6th graders! If you'd like your child to bring their laptop to and from home, join us on Tuesday, December 17, from 4:00–4:20 PM in the Dogwood Library
During this session, you’ll learn about our Family & Student Device Responsible Use Guidelines and sign the consent form. To attend, please complete THIS GOOGLE FORM. Remember to check into the office first when you arrive.
If you have any questions you can contact Ms. Kara Armstrong at karmstrong@fcps.edu or (en español) Ms. Carmen Fonseca Londono at cgfonsecalong@fcps.edu.
Reminder - Impact Aid Forms Due by Friday, December 6, 2024
Parents, if you have not done so, please complete the Federal Impact Aid Survey form by Friday, December 6th. The form can be completed in two ways—online in ParentVUE (preferred) or by paper copy (provided in last week’s Thursday folder). Please follow the directions in each numbered section of the form and provide a signature and date at the bottom of the form. We appreciate your timely completion of the Survey. Please contact Susie Livingood, Office Assistant, at 703-262-3100 with any questions.
Winter Break Assistance Request Form
Dogwood Elementary School is committed to ensuring its students have the resources and support they need throughout the school year to reach their full potential in school and within the community. Through generous local corporate donors, Dogwood has received a limited number of gift cards to support families requiring assistance over the two-week winter break (Saturday, December 21, 2024, through Sunday, January 5, 2025). Should your family need some assistance, please complete the form that will be coming home in Thursday folders on December 5th. The form should be returned no later than 4 pm on Thursday, December 12 to Dogwood Elementary.
If you are receiving assistance through another County agency, program, or community group, such as Cornerstones or Herndon-Reston FISH, please do not also request assistance through Dogwood. Distribution of the gift cards will take place during the week of December 16. Once we determine the number of donated gift cards available, a Dogwood staff member will contact families who have turned in a completed Assistance Request, in the order it was received, to arrange for pick-up of the gift cards.
Should you have any questions about the form, please contact Andy Siegle awsigle@fcps.edu or Carmen Fonseca Londono cgfonsecalon@fcps.edu or please call 703-262-3100.
Dogwood Winter Concert
Dogwood chorus presents our yearly winter concert being held on Thursday, December 12th, 2024 at 5:30 PM in the Dogwood Gym. All chorus students should report to the gym by 5:10 PM wearing white tops, black bottoms, and black shoes. All chorus students must be accompanied by an adult who needs to remain at the school. Please join us for the glow walk after the concert. We hope to see you there!
Annual Dogwood Glow Walk
We hope all of our Dogwood Dragons are able to join us in our annual glow walk after the winter concert on Thursday, December 12th. There has been a change in time, the event will now take place from 6:00-7:30 PM. Hope to see you there.
Level IV Referral Deadline
Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15, 2024.
Parents/guardians of students in Grades 2-6 who would like their student to be considered for Full-Time advanced academic programs may submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to Lauren Williams, lgwilliams2@fcps.edu no later than December 15, 2024.
The window for families to submit a referral for Full-Time AAP services is the first day of school through December 15, annually. Forms for Full-Time and part-time referrals are available on the AAP Forms Page. No late referrals for Full-Time AAP services will be accepted.
Submitting a referral form for Full-Time AAP will initiate a process that begins at the local school and is then completed at the central office level. Our school will put together a portfolio that includes multiple data which are considered holistically. At the central office level, a committee of six trained professionals from various schools and roles will review the portfolio materials to determine eligibility for Full-Time placement. Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of the portfolio that was submitted after they have been turned in for central selection by emailing Lauren Williams, lgwilliams2@fcps.edu.
Referrals for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP are screened at the local school. If you miss this deadline, your student can still be screened for Subject-Specific AAP or Part-Time AAP for the remainder of the year and submit a referral for Full-Time AAP next fall.
For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs website.
Dogwood IB Highlight
One component of the International Baccalaureate framework are the Learner Profile attributes. The learner profile attributes represent who we want our students to be and are the IB mission statement in action. Teachers connect the attributes to the curriculum, discuss their meaning, and provide opportunities for students to reflect on them.
The learner profile attributes include: caring, reflective, open-minded, risk-taker, communicator, thinker, inquirer, knowledgeable, balanced, and principled.
Literacy Resources for Families
Each Benchmark unit comes with helpful letters and activity calendars that explain what your child is learning and how you can support them at home with reading and writing skills. These resources are designed to keep you informed and involved in your child’s learning journey.
We are currently working on translating these letters into the top six languages spoken in our community. As these translations are ready, they will be available on Schoology, and we will make sure you can access them. Please be sure to check that the language preferences in our system (SIS) are updated, so we can send you these materials in the language you prefer.
Please refer to these important links in regards to Benchmark:
Winter Break (Student Holiday)
As a reminder, winter break will be held Monday, December 23, to Friday, January 3. To help make sure you and your children have a restful break, we have asked that no homework be assigned during this time. Teachers may assign long-range assignments in the weeks ahead of the break, allowing students to practice time management skills, but no assignments will be due immediately following the break. We look forward to welcoming students back in the new year.Classes resume on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. See the complete school year calendar
❄️ Preparing for Winter Weather
Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather-related closing decisions are made.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange for childcare if needed.
Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities
We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories which may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. See the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.
If you need assistance supplying your child with cold-weather clothing, please call our family liaisons at the school or Fairfax County's Coordinated Services Planning at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health care.
Fairfax County Public Schools 2024-2025 Standard School Year Calendar
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December 4: Laptops for Learning 4:00-4:20 Library
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December 4: Hour of Code 5:00-6:00 PM Dogwood Cafeteria
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December 9: 3 Hour Early Release Monday Grades K-6
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December 12: Chorus Concert 5:30 PM
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December 12: Dogwood Glow Walk: new time 6:00-7:30 PM
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December 15: Full Time AAP Level IV Referral Deadline
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December 16: Band & Strings Winter Concert 6:00 PM Gym
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December 23- January 3: Winter Break; No School For Students. The school building and office will be closed during this timeframe.
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January 6: School Reopens at 8:35am
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January 20: Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday; school closed
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