|
English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
Dear Island Creek Families,
What a wonderful week with our Crocs and, as an added bonus, the weather has been gorgeous for recess!
-
Wednesday, March 19: 5th Grade IRW (Integrated Reading and Writing) SOL
-
Friday, March 21: Rock Your Socks for World Down Syndrome Awareness Day!
Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for sharing your amazing children with us!
 |
|
All our best,
Jen Fallert, Principal
Karen Baxter, Assistant Principal
Denise Cash-Pinckney, Assistant Principal
|
Help us reach our goal of 5% or less this year!
Regular attendance is a significant factor in a student’s success:
- Chronic absenteeism (missing 10% of the school year) correlates to low academic achievement;
- Absenteeism is a powerful predictor of dropout rates;
- Absenteeism has been linked to poor outcomes later in life.
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
|
❤️Questions?
❤️Suggestions?
❤️Concerns?
Should you have questions, suggestions, or concerns, please reach out to your child's teacher. Additionally, the following staff are here to support and may be reached via email or by calling the front office at 571-642-6300.
Jen Fallert, Principal (jrfallert@fcps.edu)
Karen Baxter, Assistant Principal (kpbaxter@fcps.edu)
Denise Cash-Pinckney, Assistant Principal (dcashpinckne@fcps.edu)
Nikki Bohnert, School Counselor (anbohnert@fcps.edu)
Trina Clinkscales, School Counselor (trclinckscale@fcps.edu)
Jermaine Perkins, School Psychologist (jtperkins@fcps.edu)
Allison DeGregorio, Social Worker (amdegregorio@fcps.edu)
Corine Washington, Public Health Nurse (cwashington@fcps.edu)
On Monday, March 24, parents and guardians of Island Creek Elementary will receive an email with a link to the FCPS Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Feedback Form. This questionnaire is part of the Performance Evaluation Program and provides an opportunity to share anonymous feedback about our school’s leadership and environment.
Topics covered in the survey include:
✅ Instructional leadership
✅ School climate
✅ Management (human resources and organizational)
✅ Communication and community relations
✅ Culturally responsive and equitable leadership
✅ Professionalism
The questionnaire will be open March 24 – April 4 and will be collected online. Keep an eye out for an email from FCPSSurvey@fcps.edu and take a few minutes to complete it.
Your input is valuable and helps shape the future of our school. Thank you for your time and feedback!
Congratulations to our Croc Stars who demonstrated the Crocs Creed character traits of being Collaborative and Creative!
  
 Every year, March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. The month is set aside to honor women’s contributions in American history. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS. Read more about Women’s History Month in National Geographic Kids.
Shown below is a beautiful display our 3rd Grade Classes made in recognition of National Women's History Month!
Island Creek students and staff will be recognizing World Down Syndrome Day on Friday, March 21 with “Rock Your Socks” where students may wear their favorite, wackiest, silliest, most colorful, fun socks! At Island Creek we want ALL students to be seen, valued, heard, and appreciated for their uniqueness. Did you know according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in every 772 babies in the United States is born with Down syndrome, making Down syndrome the most common chromosomal condition?
Mr. Korrow and Mrs. Rozycki were so happy to see many students and families at “Authors and Artists” night. We loved seeing the pure joy of our students sharing with their families their creativity with their writing and, of course, their art! It was also great fun to debut our first “glow show/ glow gallery” to the evening with the help of our administration, many staff members, and parents. A great deal of “behind the scenes” work made this evening happen. We’d specifically like to thank the following parents who volunteered their time to help mount, label, organize, and prep artwork: Ms.Cooper, Ms. Bauman, Ms. Minnix, Ms. Paasch, Ms. Berhanu, and Ms. Motta. We’d also like to thank those again who supported our Square 1 art fundraiser earlier this year – some of the proceeds went to funding supplies/ resources for this special evening.
Mrs. Rozycki’s classes are completing their clay units with kiln fire clay and are transitioning to painting with tempera. Kindergarteners are creating “Elmer the Elephant” paintings to complement a story shared about a very unusual, colorful elephant. 2nd grade has begun a study on “seasonal colors in art” and the concept of “abstract” to create a “weaving” of two self-created paintings representing two different seasons. Third grade is creating a “dot/ pointillism” style painting inspired by the work of Aboriginal artists of Australia with ties to their studies of world civilizations. 4th grade will begin Virginia landscape paintings representing the five regions and create Native American-influenced coil pottery tied to their social studies curriculum. 6th graders are painting a landscape of their choosing and incorporating one point perspective.
"Authors and Artists" has wrapped up, and Mr. Korrow's classes are diving into clay! First grade is crafting unique pinch pot luminaries, fourth grade is exploring Virginia's Indigenous cultures with Native American coil pots, and fifth grade is bringing clay gargoyles to life—a true 5th Grade classic! We can't wait to see where their creativity takes them!
|
Parents of rising kindergartners please contact Ms. Bickerstaff, Island Creek Registrar, to schedule an appointment to register your rising kindergartner for the fall of 2025!
Spread the news with neighbors and friends who may also have a kindergartener ready to begin their journey at Island Creek!
|
|
There’s an easy five-step process for parents wanting to register their child for kindergarten:
1. Determine eligibility: Children must be age 5 or older by September 30.
2. Identify your local school.
3. Gather documents.
4. Fill out forms.
5. An in-person appointment is still necessary. Please schedule with Ms. Bickerstaff.
Read more about the registration process.
Rising Kindergarten Student Intention 2025-26 Please complete this form if you have a rising kindergartner and plan on attending Island Creek Elementary School. We are not using this data for evaluative purposes nor for placement purposes but merely to collect information for the beginning of the school year. All students come in at various levels academically and socially. We are excited for our 2025-26 kindergarten students!
Tuesday, April 1, 2025: 9:30-11:00 (sign-in at 9:15)
We are excited to welcome our newest Crocs to Island Creek Elementary School for the 2025-2026 school year!
This event is intended for the rising kindergarten student and their parents/guardians. Last year we tried something new and it was a success, so will be repeating this year! Rising kindergarten students and their parents/guardians will be placed in tour groups and visit eight different locations at Island Creek to see our amazing school and meet our fantastic staff. At 11:00 we will have Popsicles on the Playground and the opportunity for students to board a school bus.
Due to limited space, we ask that only rising Kindergarten students and their parents/guardians attend.
For your planning purposes and reference, please see the Spring 2025 Standards Of Learning (SOL) Testing Dates. When possible, please avoid scheduling appointments and/or activities that would prevent your child from arriving at school on time on the days your child(ren) are participating in an SOL Assessment.
Students who are fasting during the school day between now and March 28 can take school meal kits home at the end of the day. Families must fill out a separate request form for each week and for each student in order to receive school meal kits. To receive meal kits for the week of March 24, please fill out this form by March 17.
Please remind your child to pick up their meals each day at our school’s designated location. Visit the Food and Nutrition Services webpage for more information, including weekly request forms and deadlines.
Cameras have been installed on the stop arms of 50 FCPS school buses. These cameras will be used to identify drivers who pass stopped school buses while children are entering and exiting the bus (called a “stop arm violation”).
Warnings for drivers will begin on Wednesday, April 9. After a 30-day warning period, citations will begin to be issued on Monday, May 12.
According to Virginia law, drivers must stop for stopped school buses with flashing red lights on and their stop signs extended. Motorists should stop when approaching from any direction (unless there is a barrier or median separating their lane from where the bus is stopped). They should remain stopped until everyone is clear and the bus is moving.
We appreciate our law enforcement partners for working with us to improve road safety and reduce accidents. Read more information about the stop arm cameras and all of the ways that we work with our county partners to keep students safe on their way to and from school.
Your voice matters, and Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid wants to hear from you! Share your thoughts and ask questions regarding FCPS on Tuesday, April 1 at Lorton Station Elementary from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.
Upcoming Dates
❤️Wednesday, March 19: 5th Grade IRW (Integrated Reading and Writing) SOL
❤️Friday, March 21: Rock Your Socks for World Down Syndrome Day!
❤️Monday, March 31: Eid al-Fitr (No school for students and staff)
❤️Tuesday, April 1: Teacher Workday (No school for students); Kindergarten Orientation (9:30-11:00)
❤️Wednesday, April 9: Purple Up! Day
❤️Monday, April 14-Friday, April 18: Spring Break (No school for students and staff)
❤️Monday, April 21: 3-Hour Early Release (12:20)
|
