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Volume 3, Issue 21; January 29, 2025
🌟CRES All-Stars!🌟
🎉 Ronnie Ram is pumped for Quarter 3! ⚾️ Our students have stepped up to the plate with enthusiasm and determination, ready to take on new challenges! 📚 We are already half a year smarter and just two weeks away from celebrating the 100th Day of School! 🎉
Dear CRES Community,
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Every Day Counts at CRES!
Help us reach our goal of 6% or less this year!
To ensure transparency and celebrate our progress, we will be sharing weekly attendance data and updates in our newsletter. By highlighting this important information, we aim to keep our families informed and energized about our collective efforts to encourage regular school attendance.
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We love having your children at school all year--however, our chronic absenteeism numbers are rising--which means we are missing many students! ❄️ Winter weather, illnesses, and other challenges, can make it hard to get to school, but daily attendance is key to helping students stay engaged and connected.
Here are some steps to keep your children healthy and in school:
- Have backup plans for getting your children to school.
- If your child is sick, consult with the school nurse or a medical provider.
- If anxiety is a concern, talk to your child’s teacher, nurse, or counselor.
- Encourage good hygiene habits like handwashing.
- Dress your children warmly for the cold weather.
- Promote healthy habits like sleep, nutritious foods, and exercise.
We are here to support you! If you need help, resources, or advice, call us at 703-227-2600. Please note, we are sending out invites to some of our families for additional after-school learning opportunities beginning in February!
Thank you for partnering with us to keep our students healthy and in school!
Together, let’s make every day count!
FCPS News Updates
Proposed Budget Presented to School Board
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid presented the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Proposed Budget at the School Board meeting on Thursday, January 23. Watch a video of the presentation.
The proposed budget reflects FCPS’ continued focus on providing a world-class education for each and every student while recognizing the hard work and commitment of our outstanding employees. The budget focuses on competitive compensation — including a 7% salary increase for all staff — investing in students who require additional support, and the continuation of multiyear investments. It reflects the needs of and FCPS’ commitments to Fairfax County students, families, and community members. Learn more on the Budget website.
🏗️ FCPS’ Proposed Construction Projects Offer Community-Wide Benefits
Fairfax County Public Schools’ updated plans for new school construction, capacity enhancements, and renovations are outlined in the proposed FY 2026-30 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Projects include constructing two new elementary schools; renovations at 18 elementary schools, two middle schools, and two high schools; and relocation of modular buildings.
The proposed CIP was presented to the School Board at the January 14 work session. A public hearing was also held January 14. The School Board will take action on the proposed CIP at its Thursday, February 6 meeting.
What Families Can Do to Fight Drug Misuse
FCPS is committed to raising awareness about the opioid epidemic with our educators, parents/caregivers, and students. Together, we can help ensure our students thrive.
What can families do?
- Show you disapprove of underage drinking and other drug misuse. More than 80% of young people ages 10-18 say their parents are the leading influence on their decision whether to drink.
- Show you care about your child’s health, wellness, and success.
- Show you are a good source of information about alcohol and other drugs. Find helpful resources on the FCPS Opioid Awareness webpage.
- Pay attention to your child and discourage risky behaviors.
- Build your child’s skills and strategies for avoiding drinking and drug use. Talk with your child about what they would do if faced with a decision about alcohol and drugs, such as texting a code word to a family member or practicing how they will say, “No thanks.”
Get more information on opioid awareness.
📍 Virtual Community Boundary Review Meetings
If you have not been able to attend an FCPS Community Boundary Review meeting yet, it’s not too late! The following virtual meeting will have the same format and information available as the previous in-person meetings:
Click on the date above to register and receive your unique Zoom link. Each virtual meeting will be capped at 400 participants to help provide a meaningful experience for all. Language interpretation will be available. Learn about FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review. Sign up for the School Boundary Review newsletter for updates.
📈 Virginia’s Student Assessment Summary for Families
This month, families of students who took any Standards of Learning (SOL) test between school years 2015-16 and 2023-24 will receive a Student Assessment Summary Report. The report shows a student’s state percentile ranking for each test. This allows families to see how their child ranked compared to all Virginia students who took the same test that year.
Reports are available now in SIS ParentVUE Documents. We will distribute them to students whose families do not have ParentVUE access. Learn how to access ParentVUE.
The report is intended to help families reflect on how their child performed across all tested subjects over the years. Our staff members are committed to working with families to help every student reach their highest potential. Learn more about student assessments in FCPS.
FCPS News: In Case You Missed It!
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
- SOL Score Reports
- Upcoming Budget Presentation
- Science Fair Judges Needed
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
Ronnie Ram's Homerun Highlights!
We love highlighting learning experiences that support the acquisition of Portrait of a Graduate attributes and skills across our classrooms!
Did you know that your child can start learning a musical instrument in school as early as 4th grade?
At Centre Ridge, we have a wonderful strings program! Learning an instrument fosters #communication, enhances #critical and #creative thinking, and builds #resilience.
Our students are incredibly talented! 🎻🎶
For more information on Portrait of a Graduate, ask your child how they are a communicator, collaborator, critical and creative thinker, goal-directed and resilient individual, or ethical and global citizen. Or, click here!
Please click on our main hashtags, #CRESSchoolofDreams and #CRESAllStars, for more awesome highlights from Centre Ridge!
We will continue to expand our social media presence this year!
Twitter and InstagRAM
DedicatED: For Parents and Teachers
Play Helps Children Build Better Brains. Here Are Some Ways to Get Kids Learning
Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child shares insight on why brain-building through play is an essential part of childhood development.
By: Ryan Nagelhout
(To read the entire article, click here.)
Play is an important part in any child’s life. But games and play are much more than just keeping a child occupied: The act of play is an essential part of a child’s overall development. Playful interactions with adults help babies develop executive function skills, while older children need unstructured play and down time as their commitments like homework, sports, and clubs complicate their growing lives. Discovering ways to play is important at any age as children grow to find their way in the world, which is why it’s essential adults help encourage that productive play.
The Center on the Developing Child (CDC) recently shared some ways adults can help support brain-building through play. Developed with support from the LEGO Foundation, the toolkits provide suggestions for games and play-based activities based on a child’s age, from babies (6 months) to teens (13–17 years).
Children at 4–7 Years
Children’s activities like “freeze dance,” “Simon says,” and “I spy” are classics for a reason: They are simple games that children this age can learn quickly while still developing executive function, self-regulation, and physical skills at their own pace. As children grow and develop, the guidance suggests they exercise independence by managing their own games with friends and peers, with adults only stepping in occasionally to sort out disagreements.
Children at 8–12 Years
Children’s play develops in complex and challenging ways as children get older. Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, word finds, and mazes are great brain teasers to challenge kids at this age. Strategy games like Go, Battleship, or Clue help kids build memory skills as they contemplate their next moves and develop mental flexibility in responding to opponents. And fantasy games like Minecraft and Dungeons & Dragons build further on these skills, allowing imaginations to run wild.
Adults should encourage kids to focus on having fun and learning new things, rather than on winning and losing, and to take note of each child’s unique interests and talents as they take shape.
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Family Literacy Program: Learn English!
Who: For parents with children in FCPS or with children from 3-5 years old.
When: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10 am-12 pm (You can join anytime!)
Where: At Centre Ridge Elementary!
For more information, please contact Mary Pierri, our Family Liaison, at (703) 227-2600.
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Please Mark Your Calendars!
Great news! Centre Ridge Elementary School's events are now easily added to your own personal calendar. To find out how to download our calendar feed, please go here.
Wednesday. January 29th: Lunar New Year - Teacher Workday; no school for students
Tuesday, February 11th: PTA Meeting, 7 pm, via Zoom; RSVP here!
Monday, February 17th: Presidents' Day - no school
Friday, February 21st: Staff vs. Staff Basketball Game: Centre Ridge vs. Bull Run at Liberty Middle School, 5:30 pm. Stay tuned for more information!
See the complete 2024-2025 school year calendar.
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Food Distribution at Centreville Library |
14200 St. Germain Drive, Centreville, VA 20121
The food distributions will be offered from 5:30-6:30 PM
on the following dates in 2025:
Thursday, February 27, 2025
Thursday, March 27, 2025
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Thursday, May 22, 2025
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Free food, clothes, household items, toys, furniture, and diapers |
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Second Saturday of each month
Distribution from 7:30-9:30 am
February 8
March 8
April 12
May 10
June 14
July 12
August 9
September 13
October 11
November 8
December 13
Centreville United Methodist Church
6400 Old Centreville Road
Centreville, VA 20121
Tel: 703-830-2684
www.centreville-umc.org
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FCPS Cares Program
Recognizing employees who go above and beyond
FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize those who go above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story so we can all acknowledge the outstanding work of FCPS, and more specifically, Centre Ridge employees.
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Ram Reflection
To provide feedback directly to Dr. Hertzberg, please use the QR code, or click on this link. Thank you, in advance, for sharing your thinking!
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