Panther Press- December 20, 2024

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Dear Panther Families,

Can you believe 2024 has come to an end. We wanted to express our appreciation to our entire school community. The energy, excitement, and joy that have filled our hallways and classrooms, especially these past three weeks, makes us feel so great about the work we are doing here at Mt Vernon Woods. 

We wish you all a restful and rejuvenating winter break. Our hardworking teachers and staff will also be taking advantage of recharging over the break. Teachers will not be checking email or talk points until January 6th.

The MVW office will be open from 9:00am-2:00pm on December 23, 26-27, 30-31 and January 2-3rd. 

We look forward to welcoming our students back to school refreshed and ready to learn in the new year!

Sincerely, 

Gina O'Neal, Principal 

Christine Berry, Assistant Principal

Kristen Robinson, Assistant Principal 


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December 23- January 3- Winter Break 

January 6- Family Food Market, 4:30pm

January 6- 10- New Year, New You- Make Every Day Count Spirit Week! 


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Winter Break 

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.

Teachers will be reviewing routines and procedures the week after break to support students with a smooth transition back to school. Please make sure your students are present every day so they don't miss out! 


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Be Among the First to Hear About School Delays/Closings

Watch this video to see how FCPS makes weather closing decisions

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 among the first to hear about weather delays and closings! Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE. Emails and text messages are sent to parents and caregivers based on the addresses and cell phone numbers entered on this platform. 


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 A very Merry Christmas to those in our community who celebrate! Christmas is an annual holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the person who stands at the heart of the Christian tradition. It is celebrated in many unique ways across the U.S. and the world, most commonly by the joyous giving of gifts. 


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Chanukah, an 8-day Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple and the miracle of a small quantity of oil that lit the Temple’s menorah for 8 days. This year, Chanukah begins at sundown on Wednesday, December 25. See the complete school year calendar.


Dual Language Immersion Lottery Registration

Registration for the countywide lottery for FCPS’ Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program will open on Monday, January 13, 2025. Current pre-K students may apply for the kindergarten immersion program, and current kindergarten students may apply for the first grade immersion program for the 2024-25 school year. 

Dual Language Immersion is available in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. 

Parents/caregivers who are interested may want to attend an informational meeting held at the school site. Visit the Dual Language Immersion Program Registration page for a list of meetings by language offered

Get more information on the DLI Program webpage and the DLI Program Registration webpage.

Spanish Inscripción en el Programa de Inmersión en Dos Idiomas

La inscripción para la lotería en todo el condado para los programas de Inmersión en Dos Idiomas (DLI) se abrirá el lunes 13 de enero. Los estudiantes actuales de pre-kínder pueden aplicar para el programa de inmersión de kínder, y los estudiantes actuales de kínder pueden aplicar para los programas de inmersión de primer grado para el año escolar 2024-25.

Los programas están disponibles en Francés, Alemán, Japonés, Coreano y Español. 

Los padres que estén interesados en los programas DLI en FCPS son invitados a asistir a una reunión informativa. Los detalles sobre el acceso a las reuniones virtuales estarán disponibles en la página de inscripción de Inmersión en Dos Idiomas para la fecha de la reunión.

Más información sobre los programas DLI y la inscripción.


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Comprehensive Boundary Review Update

The Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee held its second meeting on December 16 at Gatehouse Administration Center. View key takeaways from that meeting and access the meeting agenda, slides, and other materials that committee members received.  If you did not get a chance to attend an in-person Community Boundary Review Meeting, please consider participating in one of the following virtual meetings:

  • Friday, January 10, 2025, 6-7:30 p.m. 
  • Thursday, January 16, 2025, 1-2:30 p.m. 
  • Saturday, January 25, 2025, 9:30-11 a.m. 
  • Monday, January 27, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m. 
  • Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m. 
  • Monday, February 10, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m. 

Language interpretation will be available. 

All virtual meetings will follow the same format as the in-person meetings that were recently held, and the same information will be shared. Please stay tuned for details on how to register. Visit FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage to learn more. Sign up for FCPS’ School Boundary Review newsletter as well.


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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.

Recursos de tutoría para familias

Algunas familias pueden estar buscando recursos adicionales para ayudar a apoyar el éxito académico de sus hijos. El Centro de Recursos Familiares mantiene una lista de empleados de FCPS que poseen una credencial válida de enseñanza de Virginia y que están disponibles para ser contratados por los padres como tutores. Esta lista es un recurso ofrecido por el FRC, pero las familias son responsables de contactar y trabajar directamente con los tutores. Esta lista no está «aprobada» por FCPS y es sólo un recurso para las familias.

FCPS también se asocia con Varsity Tutors para proporcionar a los estudiantes y las familias con recursos adicionales para el aprendizaje. Cada estudiante puede aprovechar los servicios de Varsity Tutors, sin costo alguno, incluyendo clases semanales en línea en vivo, tutoría por chat 24/7 a pedido, edición de ensayos, recursos de estudio como contenido grabado, problemas de práctica y pruebas de diagnóstico.

✨ El Objetivo 3 del Plan Estratégico 2023-30 de FCPS: Crecimiento y Excelencia Académica, nos recuerda nuestro compromiso de apoyar a todos y cada uno de los estudiantes y ayudarlos a alcanzar o superar altos estándares


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"Let's Talk" Platform

This platform is an essential tool that allows anyone within our school community to report incidents of discrimination, harassment, or other concerning behaviors confidentially. More information about the platform, including how to access and use it, can be found at https://www.fcps.edu/submit-discrimination-and-harassment-report


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