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Dear Dragons,
We are entering the beautiful part of autumn, and we have much to be thankful for. Stohlman Subaru’s Adopt a Classroom event awarded fifteen teachers $500 grants at Dogwood Elementary School to improve opportunities for our students. Our teachers will be purchasing items such as flexible seating options, social-emotional learning curricula, new PE equipment, and more!
Congratulations to Mrs. Thompson, Ms. Hone, Mr. Ericson, Ms. Heischman-Pitarque, Ms. Gorey, Ms. Bell, Ms. Delegram, Mrs. Ariel, Mrs. Eshak, Ms. Hudenburg, Mrs. Millnick, Ms. Khare, Ms. Cool, and Ms. El Batal!
Student computers should be coming home soon, so please be sure to sign the permission slip to ensure your child can bring theirs home. Computers may only be used by the student to whom they are issued. They must be used to access school-approved learning programs such as Lexia, ST Math, and K–12 Summit. All of these programs are designed to support and propel your child forward academically.
Thank you to all the parents who joined us for Pastries with Parents to learn about reading with your child and to explore how Summit K–12 supports our multilingual learners. Your partnership means the world to us, and to your child.
Remember to read with your child every day!
With Gratitude,
Principal Beckner
 A little peek at our week—packed with discovery, teamwork, and smiles. So proud of our students, families, and staff! 🍎 #DogwoodSchool #WeeklyWrap
Important Dates
October
Oct 3: Family Fun Night Fundraiser for 1st Grade at Chuck E. Cheese
Oct 6: Picture Day
Oct 9: Pastries with Kindergarten Parents from 8:15 - 8:45 am
Oct 10: South Lakes Homecoming Parade
Oct 13: Staff Development Day (No School)
Oct 17: Dogwood PTA Movie Night at 6 pm
Oct. 20: Student Holiday (No School)
Oct. 29: 3 Hour Early Release
Oct. 30: Trunk or Treat
Oct. 31: 2 Hour Early Release/End of Quarter 1
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Smile! Picture Day is Almost Here! 📸
Get ready to smile! Picture Day is set for Monday, October 6.
To make sure we don't lose valuable learning time, each class has been given a designated time slot for photos. Please ensure your student comes dressed and ready!
We can't wait to see those fantastic Dogwood smiles!
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Every Day Is a Stepping Stone to Success
Attendance is an important life skill that will help your child later in life. It’s a good habit to build now to help them graduate from college on time and routinely report to work on time once they have a career.
Please take a look at the FCPS Calendar. Try to schedule any trips or family events on weekends and school holidays. Every day of learning is a day toward success. Keep in mind that absences add up quickly. Students who are absent 10% of the school year (or just two days per month) are considered “chronically absent.”
When possible, schedule appointments for your child outside of school hours. If your child needs to miss school because of an illness or appointment, you must report the absence to our school. Please call the attendance line at 703-262-3131.
Visit FCPS’ Attendance webpage for resources on attendance.
Title I Family Engagement Compact Policy Feedback Needed
At Dogwood, a strong partnership with our families is essential! We invite you to review our Title I Family Engagement Compact and Policy.
This document outlines our shared commitment to collaboration and your child’s success. We are committed to ensuring that our family engagement efforts are meaningful, so your feedback is invaluable. Please take a moment to review the policy and share your input to help us strengthen our commitment to you and your student. Please complete the feedback form - English & Spanish by Friday, October 10th.
English
Spanish
Vietnamese
Socktober
At the heart of being an IB school is taking ACTION. As a school, throughout October, we are going to come together to participate in SOCKTOBER. Socktober is a movement to help the homeless in your local community. As a school, we will be collecting NEW socks and monetary donations (to then buy socks/winter items) for local shelters. The following types and sizes of socks will help:
- Men's Socks - sizes M, L, XL - white cotton, quarter/crew/mid-calf
- Men's Socks - sizes M, L, XL - wool, crew/ mid-calf
- Women's Socks - sizes S, M, L, XL - white cotton, ankle/quarter/crew
- Women's Socks - sizes S, M, L, XL - wool, crew/mid-calf
- Kids' Socks - sizes toddler and larger
Our goal as a school is to donate 800 pairs of NEW socks. Please help us reach our goal!
🎭Broadway Night 2026🎶
🎤 After-School Music Opportunity for 5th and 6th grade Students
Does your child in 5th or 6th grade like to sing? Do they love musical theater (like Broadway shows)? The South Lakes High School Chorus and Parents for Choral Arts (PCA) sponsors a yearly event called “Broadway Night”. This year, the theme is "Broadway in the Books".
Your child will learn to sing and move in a series of musical theater workshops with professional choreographers and music teachers. They will prepare a song to sing with other elementary students from the South Lakes HS Pyramid at the “Broadway Night” shows at the end of January. Your child must come to ALL rehearsals and shows to participate.
Rehearsals at Langston Hughes Middle School (LHMS) on Tuesdays from 4:30 PM to 5:45 PM
- November 25th
- December 2nd, 9th, and 16th
- January 6th and 13th
Dress Rehearsals at South Lakes High School (SLHS)
- Wednesday January 21st & Thursday January 22nd: 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM (Elementary students might leave earlier)
Shows at SLHS
- Friday January 23rd: 7:00 PM
- Saturday January 24th: 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM (We will tell you the exact time your child needs to arrive later.)
Registration begins on Wednesday October 1st and ends Friday November 7th, or whenever all spots are filled. The cost to participate is $40. Scholarships are available. Elementary Sign Up Link
Questions? Need help with registration? Email Ms. Crumrine at mrcrumrine@fcps.edu or message her on Talking Points.
Supporting Your Child with Dyslexia
Join us on October 15, 10-11:30 a.m., for an informative webinar on Dyslexia Awareness, specifically designed for families in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). This session will provide essential information about dyslexia and the resources available within FCPS to support students with this learning difference.
- What You'll Learn:
- Understanding Dyslexia: Gain a clear understanding of what dyslexia is, its common signs, and how it can affect students' reading, writing, and spelling.
- FCPS Support Systems: Learn about the various supports and interventions FCPS provides, including evidence-based, structured literacy approaches and the role of reading specialists.
- Virginia Literacy Act: Discover how the new Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) and FCPS's Equitable Access to Literacy (EAL) Plan are changing literacy instruction to benefit all learners, especially those with dyslexia.
- Resources for Families: We'll share practical tools and strategies you can use at home to support your child's literacy development and partner effectively with their school.
- This webinar aims to empower families with the knowledge and resources they need to help their students with dyslexia succeed.
- Register here
Reading Plans and Your Student
This 1.5-hour webinar on October 22, 10-11:30 a.m., is designed to help parents and caregivers understand the new reading plans in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). Parents will learn about:
- What a reading plan is: A reading plan is a support system for students who are not meeting literacy benchmarks. It outlines specific, evidence-based instruction and interventions to help them improve their reading skills.
- Who requires a reading plan: All students from kindergarten through eighth grade who are identified as needing additional support based on literacy assessments will receive a reading plan. This is part of a broader effort by FCPS to implement the Virginia Literacy Act.
- How schools will support students: The webinar will explain how FCPS is using a science-based reading approach and will discuss the role of reading specialists, the curriculum used, and the assessments to monitor student progress.
- Resources and tools for parents: Parents will leave with practical resources and tools they can use at home to support their child's literacy development. The webinar aims to empower families to be active partners in their child's reading journey.
- Register here
Comprehensive Boundary Review Update
FCPS will begin holding October community boundary review meetings on Monday, October 13. The new draft map, Scenario 4, will be shared with the community for feedback at those meetings. It will also be uploaded to the Boundary Explorer Tool shortly before October 13. Community members will then be able to provide feedback in the tool at their convenience.
As a reminder, the community provided feedback on draft scenarios 1-3 in the spring. Scenario 4 continues to build upon the first three scenarios. It is informed by the Superintendent's Boundary Review Advisory Committee, which reviewed community feedback received in the spring to help develop priorities that the consultant used to create Scenario 4.
Visit FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage for more information.
⏰ Take the School Start Times Survey
FCPS is continuing to explore options for adjusting school start times, with the primary goal of beginning the middle school day at 8 a.m. or later. In order to minimize any costs associated with this change, elementary and high school start times would need to shift as well.
Providing feedback opportunities for the community is a critical part of this effort. Since 2024, FCPS’ consultant has hosted five community forums and administered two surveys. A new School Start Times Survey is open and includes two options that are designed to support student well-being, align with research, balance transportation logistics, and minimize costs.
Staff, parents and caregivers, students, and community members may provide input on the two options by taking the survey. The survey deadline has been extended to Monday, October 6. Find more information on adjusting school start times on the FCPS website.
🎤 Community Conversations With Superintendent Dr. Reid
Your voice matters, and Dr. Reid wants to hear from you! Parents are partners, working with us to set our students up for long-term success at school and in life.
A series of Community Conversations will be held across the school division to discuss current challenges and future opportunities. These events are also a chance for you to share your thoughts with Dr. Reid and ask her questions. Events are planned for the following dates from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. To register for the October 3 meeting, please click that date below. Registration links for the other dates will be available soon:
Child care and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Please check our website for updates.
Benchmark Updates Toolkit
📚 Finishing Up Uncovering Characters in Language Arts 📚
Benchmark Unit 2 in Language Arts is coming to a close! Over the last several weeks, our students have learned, read, and written about different characters in stories and their own personal sense of character.
Connect with your child’s learning at school with these fun questions and hands-on activities at home:
- Question: How does the way you act change the way you think about yourself?
- Activity: Draw a new cover for a favorite book featuring the main character in a key moment.
At the end of the unit, your child will take their unit magazine home. The magazine includes an activity calendar with fun ways to help students build on what they’re learning at each grade level. You can also find information on how to support your child’s reading at home on the Benchmark Families website.
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