|
English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
 Dear Panther Families,
Happy New Year! We hope your winter break was filled with joy, relaxation, and time with loved ones. As we step into 2025, we are filled with excitement for the opportunities and growth ahead in this second half of the school year.
While the snow this week brought us some unexpected closures, we hope it also brought a lot of fun for students and families to enjoy winter activities!
We have much to look forward to as the year unfolds. WIDA testing is coming up soon, ensuring our multilingual learners are supported in their academic growth. Additionally, we’ll be reviewing our Panther PRIDE Pact with students next week. Our school-wide expectations for being Positive, Resourceful, Intentional, Determined and Empathetic in every aspect of the school day. Reinforcing these values helps create a positive and welcoming environment for everyone at Mt Vernon Woods!
Sincerely,
Gina O'Neal, Principal
Christine Berry, Assistant Principal
Kristen Robinson, Assistant Principal
January 13- Family Food Market, 4:30pm
January 20- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Schools and offices closed
January 28- End of Quarter 2
January 29- Teacher Workday, Student Holiday
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday
Schools and offices will be closed on Monday, January 20, for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. See the complete school year calendar.
Gradebook Available Until End-of-Quarter
Based on community feedback from the first quarter closure, FCPS revisited the scheduled dates for closing the Gradebook and Report Card modules in the SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE apps.
Moving forward, the app will close in alignment with the actual quarter-end dates. This change will allow students and families to view their assignments and grades until the last day of the quarter. Gradebook will be closed for the second quarter from Tuesday, January 28, 4 p.m. to Tuesday, February 4, 6 a.m.
Access Your Child’s Grades Through SIS ParentVueLearn how your ParentVUE account allows you to easily access grade reports and other helpful information about your child.
Phones Down, Engagement Up: FCPS Cell Phone Policy
Keeping cell phones off during the school day helps students focus and learn. It also boosts positive social behavior. Review FCPS’ cell phone expectations by grade level with your child and help keep our classrooms free of distractions! If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call our main office 703-619-2800.
 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.
National Mentoring Month
Imagine a world where young people feel empowered, encouraged, and understood. Mentors can make that world a reality by helping young people find and follow their passions, excel in school, and thrive wherever they are.Learn more about Mentoring Month.
Research has shown that young people with at least one trusted mentor are less likely to skip school, less likely to use illegal drugs or drink alcohol, and more prepared to enter college or the workforce. Yet one in three children lack a mentor.
All it takes is one person to serve as a trusted adult to help change a young person’s path in life. Mentors provide attention, support, and enrichment, and help connect their mentees to resources that may help them on their journey in life.
The FCPS MentorWorks program matches mentors with students in schools near where they live or work. They meet for at least 30 minutes a week. Learn more about how to become a mentor for an FCPS student. Contact Martha Macdonald, mentoring specialist, for additional information at mmacdonald@fcps.edu.
Mes Nacional de la Tutoría
Imagina un mundo en el que los jóvenes se sientan capacitados, animados y comprendidos. Los mentores pueden hacer realidad ese mundo ayudando a los jóvenes a encontrar y seguir sus pasiones, sobresalir en la escuela y prosperar dondequiera que estén.Más información sobre el Mes de la Tutoría. Los estudios han demostrado que los jóvenes que tienen al menos un mentor de confianza tienen menos probabilidades de faltar a clase, de consumir drogas ilegales o alcohol y están más preparados para acceder a la universidad o al mundo laboral. Sin embargo, uno de cada tres niños carece de mentor.
Sólo hace falta una persona que actúe como adulto de confianza para ayudar a cambiar el rumbo de la vida de un joven. Los mentores proveen atención, apoyo, y enriquecimiento, y ayudan a conectar a sus aprendices con recursos que pueden ayudarles en su viaje en la vida.
El programa MentorWorks de FCPS conecta tutores con estudiantes en escuelas cerca de donde viven o trabajan. Se reúnen por lo menos 30 minutos a la semana. Aprenda más sobre cómo ser un tutor para un estudiante de FCPS. Por favor contacte a Martha Macdonald, especialista en mentores, para información adicional en mmacdonald@fcps.edu.
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.
 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.
Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost
FCPS is partnering 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; and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests. Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.
"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
|
