Floris Family Message 3/20/25

In This Message: 

• Principals' Message
• PTA News and Announcements
• Kindergarten Registration
• Attendance
• Information About Bullying and Harassment
• AAP Information
• Yearbooks on Sale
• Budget

• Bus Stop Arm Camera

• Summer Learning and Camps
• Community Conversations
• Spring SOL Schedule
• District News/ In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)
• Upcoming Dates   

Principals' Message

Dear Floris Community,

Thank you so much for attending the PTA meeting last night! Mr. Gibbs and I were thrilled to have the opportunity to share our midyear data with you, and we are excited to report that there is so much to celebrate. We are on track to meet and even exceed our school goals for this year, and we are looking forward to finishing the school year with excellence!

If you’d like to preview the presentation from last night’s meeting, you can access it here:Read our midyear report from Wednesday's PTA meeting.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Joshua DeSmyter, Principal

Robert Gibbs, Assistant Principal

PTA News and Announcements

👉Join the PTA! 👈

🍎Sign up to donate to the 4th grade snack pack service project. Read more about the program here.

🧪Science Fair is next week Wednesday, 3/26 at 6:30 PM. Please come to see what our budding scientists have discovered! 

🏫Schoolwide assembly on April 11 (students only, during school hours)

🌎International Night is April 30. Learn more and sign-up here!

👉Interested in joining the PTA Board for the '25-'26 school year? Please reach out to Florispta.pres@gmail.com

🧸 Kindergarten Registration: It’s as Easy as 1-2-3…

There’s an easy five-step process for parents wanting to register their child for kindergarten:

1. Determine eligibility. 
2. Identify your local school. 
3. Gather documents. 
4. Fill out forms. 
5. Schedule an appointment.

After the appointment at the school (the student and one guardian must be present), the student will be ready for [orientation and any other introductory events your school may host]. Read more about the registration process. For additional information, please contact [name], our school registrar. 💻 Try Online Registration

Online registration for the 2025-26 school year is open. Parents/caregivers may register their children online for kindergarten through 12th grade. Learn how to begin the online registration process. 

When registering, parents/caregivers will need to create or log in to an existing SIS ParentVUE account. 

Attendance

Let's get your child to class when the bell rings. Every school day is a unique opportunity for students to learn, connect, and grow. The life skills children need to get ready for school are the same life skills that will help them reach graduation and beyond!

A big thank you to:

• 🌟 Students and families who show up every day, even when it's busy.
• 👩‍🏫 Teachers who create a welcoming and safe haven for learning.
• 👨‍💼 Administrators who provide a safe and engaging learning environment.
• 👏 Bus drivers, support staff, and volunteers who lend a helping hand to our students.

If your child is not feeling well, please view the Can My Child Go to School? webpage.

Attending school regularly helps students feel better about school — and themselves. See these tips on how to encourage positive school attendance in elementary school: https://bit.ly/3TP2gdB.

Daily school attendance is required by law in the state of Virginia. Watch this short video that helps explain attendance policies.

👉Visit Attendance Resources and Support for more attendance insights and support – because every day is a step toward a brighter tomorrow!

What is Bullying and How do we as School Respond?

Bullying is defined in the Students Rights and Responsibilities as, “Any aggressive and unwanted behavior that is intended to harm, intimidate, or humiliate the victim; involves a real or perceived power imbalance between the aggressor or aggressors and victim; and is repeated over time or causes severe emotional trauma. “Bullying” includes cyberbullying. “Bullying” does not include ordinary teasing, horseplay, argument, or peer conflict.”

Harassment involves emotional abuse and includes verbal or physical threats, physical assaults, bullying and theft of property. When bullying or harassment is targeted at members of religious groups, is based on shared ethnic characteristics, or includes gender and sexual harassment of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender individuals it is considered a violation of federal anti-discrimination laws enforced by the Office of Civil Rights.  Schools where such behavior is reported will take immediate action to investigate, and if discriminatory behavior has occurred will take action to end the harassment, to eliminate any hostile environment and its effects, and to prevent the harassment from recurring.  Any suspected discrimination or harassment must be reported to the Office of Equity and Compliance.

The page on Fairfax County Public Schools' website provides comprehensive information about bullying prevention and intervention. It highlights the importance of educating students about bullying through age-appropriate language within the health and counseling curriculum. The resources emphasize the role of families, caregivers, and school staff in preventing and addressing bullying. It also outlines various programs and strategies for supporting a safe and inclusive environment, including reporting mechanisms and guidance for addressing incidents. You can read more directly on the provided link for detailed resources and contacts for intervention: FCPS Bullying and Prevention Resources

AAP Information

If you are interested in having your child screened for subject specific AAP services or Part-Time AAP services for the 25-26 School Year:

• Subject Specific Differentiation (Level 2) – students grades K-5
• Part - Time Services (Level 3) –  students currently in grades 2-5

Please submit the Subject Specific and Part-Time AAP Services Referral Form to Katie Pickett kmpickett@fcps.edu (Grades K, 2, 4) or Amy Albanese abalbanese@fcps.edu (Grades 1, 3, 5) by no later than April 15, 2025.

For more information about the different levels of service, please refer to the AAP spring newsletter article - AAP Spring Newsletter ES.  Please do not hesitate to reach out to either Katie or Amy with any AAP related questions.

📕Yearbooks on Sale Now! 📕

• Cost: $20
• Order Deadline: April 11, 2025
• In order to ensure everything is tracked appropriately and efficiently, we will only be conducting online orders.  

👉👉You can order the Floris Yearbook from 🔗this direct link 🔗👈👈

• You will need to enter your student's first name, last name, grade level, and provide online payment.
• If you are ordering more than one yearbook, you'll need to complete the above process for each student (separate transactions).

We can expect our yearbooks to arrive from Walsworth at the end of May and they will be distributed to students in June!  Thank you!

FCPS Budget — Our Students Deserve the Best

More than $240 million of FCPS’ Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Advertised Budget is dedicated to increasing compensation for our teachers and staff to stay competitive and reduce turnover. Currently, FCPS ranks fifth out of eight neighboring districts in regards to starting salary for teachers with a master’s degree. 

Our families expect — and our students deserve — the best teachers.

Next Steps in the Budget Process

The next steps in the FCPS FY 2026 Budget process include the School Board presenting the budget to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 22, and then the Board of Supervisors will conduct public hearings Tuesday, April 22, through Thursday, April 24. Community members can submit testimony or sign up to speak. 

Visit the county government website to view the Fairfax County FY 2026 Advertised Budget. The community is also invited to complete an online survey to provide feedback on the county’s FY 2026 Advertised Budget. 

Learn more about the FCPS FY 2026 Budget process.

🛑 Cameras Installed on School Bus Stop Arms

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.

🚀 Prepare for a Summer of Learning and Fun

We’ve got an engaging summer planned for your students!

The Career and Technical Education (CTE) office will offer two enrichment camps this summer - Tech Adventure Camp and CTE Summer Academy. For details on the activities we have planned, please read below.

All information can be found on our webpages! For Tech Adventure Camp go to bit.ly/FCPS_TAC. For CTE Summer Academy go to bit.ly/FCPS_CSA.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR ALL OUR ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS! Click here to register!

READY TO REGISTER? GO ONLINE NOW!

Tech Adventure Camp | CTE Summer Academy

🎤 Save the Date: Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Reid

Your voice matters, and Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid wants to hear from you! Share your thoughts and ask questions regarding FCPS on Monday, April 7 at Greenbriar West Elementary School 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.

District News/In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)

FCPS News:  In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:

• • Second Annual Food Show
  • Cameras on School Bus Stop Arms
  • Comprehensive Boundary Review Process Explained

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today. 

Dates for the 2024-2025 School Year 

March 28: End of 3rd Quarter

March 31: Eid Holiday, No School

April 1: Teacher Workday

April 10: Spring Picture Day

April 14-18: Spring Break

May 2: K-2 Field Day

May 8: 5th Grade Science SOL

May 12: 5th and 6th Grade Reading SOL

May 13: 3rd and 4th Grade Reading SOL

May 15: 5th and 6th Grade Math SOL

May 16: 3rd and 4th Grade Math SOL

Find the 2024-2025 School Year Calendar: https://www.fcps.edu/calendars/standard-school-year-calendar

2708 Centreville Road, Herndon, VA 20171 | Main Office: 703-561-2900
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