Kristen Rucinski - Principal Linda Ferguson - Asst. Principal
Gunston Gazette
Upcoming Events & Reminders
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December 9 - December 13: Scholastic Book Fair
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December 16 - December 18: Holiday Shop Fair
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December 18: Winter Concert - 6:30 pm
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December 23 - January 3: Winter Break (No School)
Principals' Message
Dear Gunston Families,
As we enter the final month of 2024, I am excited to share some wonderful news about a new addition to our Gunston Elementary family! Please join me in warmly welcoming Ms. Linda Ferguson, our Interim Assistant Principal, who joined us this week. Ms. Ferguson brings a wealth of experience, enthusiasm, and dedication to her work with students, staff, and families. Her passion for fostering positive school culture and her collaborative approach align beautifully with Gunston's mission of growing together, learning, and soaring. We look forward to learning from and with her as we continue embracing this journey together.
I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our amazing PTA for their dedication and hard work! They recently hosted a successful Turkey Trot, bringing our community together for fun and fitness. Their efforts continue as they prepare to host the Holiday Gift Shop before winter break, giving our students an opportunity to experience the joy of giving. Your support of these events makes a big difference in creating a vibrant school community—thank you!
As the winter break approaches, I hope each of you finds time to rest, recharge, and enjoy meaningful moments with loved ones. This is a special time of year—a chance to reflect on kindness, gratitude, and the importance of caring for one another. Let's continue to encourage our students to be safe, respectful, and responsible both in school and out in the community.
Please note that the school building will be closed for winter break from December 23rd through January 3rd. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday, January 6th, refreshed and ready to soar into 2025!
Thank you for your continued partnership in making Gunston a place where every student can grow and thrive. As we look forward to winter break, I encourage families to use this time to create special memories together. Here are a few ideas for activities that promote connection, joy, and relaxation:
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Cook or bake together: Share favorite recipes or try something new as a family.
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Explore the outdoors: Take a walk, visit a local park, or enjoy a family hike.
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Create something: Try arts and crafts, decorate together, or work on a family puzzle.
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Have a family game night: Bring out board games, card games, or try charades!
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Share stories: Read books together or tell stories about your favorite holiday traditions.
These moments of connection are a wonderful way to recharge and model the importance of family and kindness for our children.
Wishing you a joyful and restful winter break!
Warm regards, Ms. Rucinski and Ms. Ferguson
 Book Fair eWallet, and Family Shopping
The excitement of the Gunston Book Fair has begun! Come one, come all to shop for your favorite books starting on Monday, December 9, 2024 to Friday, December 13, 2024. Monday is preview day for our students. Thursday, December 12, 2024 the book fair has extended hours for families to come a shop together from 3:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
https://www.scholastic.com/bf/gunstonelementaryschool2
eWallet Setup
Creating an eWallet for your child is the easiest way to allow them to shop during the school day without worrying about carrying/losing cash. You can create an eWallet and pre-authorize purchases up to a certain amount, and your card will only be charged for the amount spent. Create your eWallet here:
E-wallet money: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/content/fairs/how-ewallet-works.html?fairId=5636129
 Boundary Review Community Meeting
Boundary Review Community Meetings provide a great opportunity for families, staff, and community members to share their thoughts and questions, and learn more about the boundary review process. The schedule of remaining meetings is below:
Family and community members are able to attend one or all of the meetings. You may want to attend a meeting in your region, but are free to attend a meeting in another region if that works better for their schedule.
Visit the Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage to register or view other community meeting dates. Also, sign up to receive our School Boundary Review newsletter.
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 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.
Reminder: Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals for closes December 15
Parents/guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for Full-Time advanced academic programs may submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to Kevin Fahy, kjfahy@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 Kevin Fahy at kjfahy@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.
Student Feedback Opportunity for FCPS Cell Phone Policy and SR&R
FCPS is working with K12 Insight to host a community forum for families, staff members, and students to provide feedback on the school division’s cell phone policies and practices, and the Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) document. FCPS is looking for more student participants (grades 3-12) to help ensure diverse perspectives from our community.
The community forum will be held on Tuesday, December 10, 6:30-8 p.m., at the Willow Oaks Administrative Center. If your student is interested in providing feedback, please visit the Cell Phone Policy Forum registration page to learn more. Families must register their child by Monday, November 25.
Social and Emotional Learning Screener Results Coming Soon
One of the ways FCPS supports the mental wellness of all students is through the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener. In October, students in grades 3-12 took this screener, which gives information about their skills such as achieving goals, handling emotions, building relationships with adults and peers, and making good choices.
The screener also helps students evaluate their school community’s efforts to make them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to create learning, experiences, and environments for students to succeed.
In early December, families will be able to view student SEL Screener results in SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be sent by mail.
Learn more about the screener on the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage. For help understanding your child’s results or ideas to support them at home, review the Family Guide or contact us.
Attendance Matters
During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan.
Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.
Data shows that:
- Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance.
- Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
- Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
- By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
Attendance is critical for academic success!
Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.
Impact Aid forms are over due! Families can still fill out the survey in ParentVUE, or ask for a form from the front office.
For more information, please watch this video on Impact Aid and visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page.
Click here to view the video on the Federal Impact Aid Survey.
PTA News & Information
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