The Dunne Dispatch (Calendar Edition) - 12/13/2024

• Mount Vernon HS Hosts Curriculum Night, January 9, 6 p.m. Mount Vernon HS invites its students and families to come learn about class options, advanced academics, diploma options, and much more. Participants will learn more about the International Baccalaureate program and Advanced Placement courses. Save the date now and stay tuned for more information!

• Whitman MS Science Study Sessions, December December 16-20. Students who did not perform well on the Unit 1 Science assessment will have the opportunity to retest. The retests will take place during advisory sessions the week of December 10-13 and December 16-20. Students will receive passes for a study session, which will include review and reteaching. On the day of the retest, students will receive a pass to retake the test. Notifications will be given to students in class.

• Save the Date for Upcoming Events at Fort Belvoir Primary and Upper Schools. Mark your calendars for these upcoming activities for the Fort Belvoir ES community.
  • December 13: Food Market
  • December 17: Volunteer Orientation, 10-11 a.m.
  • January 14: New Families Welcome, 10-11 a.m.
  • January 15: Blue Star Starbucks Meet Up, 10-11 a.m.
  • January 24: Food Market

• Fort Belvoir ES PTO Presents Santa Sacks. Order a Santa Sack for your favorite Fort Belvoir ES student or staff members. Orders are due by December 13 and can be picked up on December 16.

Riverside ES Hosts Winter Wonderland Party, December 21, 12-2 p.m. Join the Riverside ES community for a winter-themed party filled with snacks, games, fun, and more! Staff and families will celebrate the hard work of Riverside students and will also announce its semi-annual $100/100 winner. This event will take place at Mathnasium of Mount Vernon (7696h Richmond Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22306). Friends and family are welcome to join. RSVP online.

• Rising 9th Family Night / Curriculum Night / Electives Open House, January 7, 6-8:30 p.m. Please join us on Tuesday, January 7 for Rising 9^thGrade Family Night, Curriculum Night, and Electives Open House! With academic advising right around the corner, this is a great opportunity to come and learn about the wide variety of courses that West Potomac HS offers. We look forward to sharing some curriculum option changes at the 9^th and 10^th grade level. West Potomac HS looks forward to seeing you on Tuesday, January 7 at 6pm!

• PTSA Five Guys Restaurant Night, December 17, 4-8 p.m. It’s the holidays. Let somebody else cook dinner! PTSA Five Guys Restaurant Night on December 17^th from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Both the Quander Road and Hybla Valley locations are participating. Five Guys will donate 20% of your purchase to West Potomac HS’s PTSA.

• Bucknell ES Winter Concert, December 17, 6 p.m. Join us for our annual Winter Concert featuring the talented band, strings, and chorus students of Bucknell ES! This joyful performance will take place on Tuesday, December 17th at 6:00 PM in the school gym. Come celebrate the season and enjoy an evening of beautiful music performed by our amazing young musicians.

• Hollin Meadows ES Plastic Bag Collection for Get to Green Recycling. Help Hollin Meadows ES earn a free bench from Trex Decking by contributing to their plastic bag recycling drive. Let’s help them reach their goal to collect 1000 pounds! Before Thanksgiving, they had collected 114 pounds of clean plastic bags.  There are collection containers in the front lobby of the school. Drop off your clean: grocery bags, bread bags, cereal bags, shrink wrap, bubble wrap, and plastic mailers.

• Fort Hunt ES Holiday Market, December 14, 9-11 a.m. Come shop to support the Fort Hunt Foxes and friends! Join Fort Hunt ES for its first annual Holiday Market. Enjoy food, drinks, shopping, music, and activities for the kids. Visit the Fort Hunt PTA online for more information.

• Support the South County HS Used Shoe Drive Fundraiser. The South County Cross Country team is excited to announce our shoe drive fundraiser! They are collecting gently used shoes to support micro-businesses in developing countries and raise funds for our team. Every pair of shoes makes a difference! Their goal is to collect 2,500 pairs. Please join in making a positive impact on our community and the world!

• South County MS Curriculum Night, January 16, 6-7:30 p.m. Don’t miss this opportunity for rising 7^th and 8^th grade South County MS families to learn about the courses available to students during the 2025-2026 school year. Meet core and elective teachers, counselors, and administration. Attend an information session to learn about math and core pathway options. Students are encouraged to attend as well!

• Last Day of Gunston ES Book Fair, December 16. The excitement of the Gunston Book Fair is underway!  Come one, come all to shop for your favorite books. The fair ends December 16. Check online for more information.

• 2024 Fairfax Motor Squad’s Santa’s Ride Toy Collection at Island Creek! During December, Island Creek ES’s Preschool, Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade students will welcome Santa's Ride presented by the Fairfax County Police Department Motor Squad! The purpose of this event is to collect new toys, books, and games for children who are sick in local area hospitals. Collected items will be donated to INOVA Children's Hospital Child Life Unit. A Toy Collection Box is outside Island Creek’s main office. There is also a QR code to donate through the 501(c)(3) charity Making Everything Good. View the INOVA Child Life “wish list” online. Diaper donations are also needed this year.

• Edison HS International Baccalaureate (IB) Information Night, January 15, 6-7 p.m. Join Edison’s IB Coordinators on January 15, 2025, from 6– 7 p.m. in the Auditorium. They will provide an overview of the IB Program at Edison as well as answer some of the most frequently asked questions, such as: How do you become an IB student? What is the IB MYP Personal Project? What is the FCPS/IB MYP Certificate? What are the benefits of taking IB DP courses? What is the IB Diploma? What is the difference between the IB Diploma and the IB Diploma Certificate?

• Twain MS Book Fair Ends December 13. The Scholastic Book Fair is underway at Twain MS until December 13. Students can experience the limitless possibilities of reading! Every purchase benefits the school.
• Twain MS Winter Formal, December 13. Twain MS’s Student Council Advisory will host the school’s annual Winter Formal dance on Friday, December 13, 6:30-8:30, with doors opening at 6 p.m. Come early to take pictures and eat before the dance starts. 

• Don’t Miss Mount Eagle ES’s Winter Sing-a-Long, December 20, 2 p.m. Mount Eagle ES’s Winter concert is Friday, December 20 at 2:00pm. Get into the holiday spirit with the school’s staff and students. Contact the school office or your child’s teacher for more information.  

• Take the Plunge with Key Center School, January 25. The Key Center community is invited to join GOING FOR THE COLD to benefit Virginia Special Olympics and Key Center School.  The Key Center team will participate in the Mosaic Polar Plunge on January 25th, 2025.  Key Center School will receive 50% of the funds raised by the Key Center Team.  Key Center staff, families, and community partners are invited to join the Key Center Rockets Polar Plunge Team! Got cold feet? You can still support the team. Learn more online about how you can sponsor one of our team members.

• Join Your Local Library’s Winter Reading Challenge. Now – January 31. Fairfax County Public Library’s winter reading adventure has begun and will continue through Friday, January 31, 2025. Visit your local FCPL branch or their Winter Reading Adventure website to register and get a sneak peek at the prizes being offered. Check out their Winter Reading Events webpage to learn about laser tag, movie nights, crafting sessions, Noon-Year Eve celebrations, and book discussions. Looking for ways to help support your child’s reading and writing at home? Visit the FCPS Literacy Resource page for tips and information about the Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System.

• NOVA Virtual Sessions Coming in 2025! Join a Virtual Discover NOVA webinar to explore program options, gain an understanding of our student support resources, and learn how to enroll in classes.  All sessions begin at 6:30pm and run for approximately one hour. Concurrent Spanish-speaking sessions will be available on February 20th and April 22^nd.  See the NOVA Virtual Sessions Flyerfor all dates and to register.