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Dear Island Creek Families,
It’s hard to believe we are already approaching the end of the first quarter! It's truly remarkable how quickly the first quarter has flown by! We are continually amazed by the growth, curiosity, and sheer joy for learning our students demonstrate every day. We are grateful for your ongoing partnership and unwavering support—it truly makes all this success possible.
As we start the final week of the first quarter, I want to share a gentle reminder to sign up for a First Quarter Conference. These conversations are an invaluable opportunity for us to connect and discuss your child's progress, celebrate their unique strengths, and collaborate on actionable goals for the months ahead.
Next week is SCA Fall Spirit Week (Monday-Friday), Book Character Day (Friday), and a 2-hour Early Release at 1:20 for all students (Friday)!
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Warmly,
Jen Fallert, Principal
Karen Baxter, Assistant Principal
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Every Day Counts at Island Creek!
Help us reach our goal of 4% or less this year!
Attendance is a vital life skill that will benefit 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.
To ensure transparency and celebrate our progress, we will be sharing weekly attendance data 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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Families of students who receive ESOL Services are invited to attend an information sesssion on Monday, October 27 at 3:40 in the library. Children are welcome to attend with their parent/guardian.
Please reach out to Ms. Daphne Callender at mdcallender@fcps.edu should you have any questions.
Monday – Mad About Plaid: Kick off Spirit Week in style! Wear your favorite plaid and show off those cozy patterns.
Tuesday – Be-LEAF in Yourself: Fall into fun! Rock your autumn colors and leafy outfits to celebrate the season.
Wednesday – Cozy Sweater: Stay warm and stylish! Grab your favorite sweater for a comfy midweek vibe.
Thursday – Pumpkin Patch Palooza: Pumpkins everywhere! Show your pumpkin pride with orange, jack-o’-lanterns, or fall-themed outfits.
Friday – Book Character Day: Bring your favorite story to life! Dress as a beloved book character and celebrate the magic of reading.
Congratulations to 58 Island Creek Chorus Students who participated in singing the National Anthem at Hayfield Secondary's Homecoming Football Game. Thank you to our amazingly talented Music Educators, Ms. Arslan and Ms. Laird, for their work with our musical Crocs!
On Friday, October 31, Island Creek will have our Third Annual Book Character Day! Students and Staff are invited to find a great book and dress up like their favorite character. Book Character Day is a fun, voluntary activity for both students and staff that promotes a love of reading, specifically favorite book characters. We look forward to seeing which characters inspire our students!
Dressing up is optional. If students choose to do so, please adhere to the following so that our students have a safe and productive day.
- Costumes should not be scary nor have words, graphics, or toy weapons that are inappropriate for school
- No costume face masks
- No painted faces
Whether your child is wearing a costume or not, please remind them to bring their favorite book.
Please RSVP if you would like to attend the Island Creek Thanksgiving Luncheon with your child on Thursday, November 20. Student meals are $3.25, additional meals for any family members attending can be purchased for $5.00. Student meals will be charged to student accounts. Please make sure your child has money on their MySchoolBucks lunch account if they are purchasing a student lunch. Family members can only pay for their meal ($5.00) with cash or check. We are not able to charge guest meals to the student account. Please RSVP by Friday, November 7
Please Note: Island Creek’s Fourth Grade students will be on their Field Trip to Jamestown on Thursday, November 20. Families are more than welcome to eat lunch with their children on another day
FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available in SIS ParentVUE under Online Packets, which is in the upper right corner of the screen after logging in. Please complete it as soon as possible. We will provide paper forms to families who have not completed the survey in ParentVUE starting Wednesday, November 12.
Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important. This year, FCPS expects to receive approximately $4 million in Impact Aid funding. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
For more information, visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page.
Register for ParentVUE
Learn how to activate your SISParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey and have access to other helpful information about your child.
Technical support for using ParentVUE or submitting the survey online is available by submitting a Parent Support Request ticket. Select SISParent in the Application dropdown menu and type “Federal Impact Aid Survey” in the Issue Description section. You may also call the Parent Technology Help Desk at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS).
The Fairfax County School Board and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors work together to administer the Fairfax County Youth Survey. The survey is given each fall to all students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12. It provides information about a variety of topics related to our students that influence their physical and mental well-being, from sleep, physical activity, and nutritional habits to protective factors, substance use behaviors, and symptoms of depression.
The 2025 Fairfax County Youth Survey will be taken by students between Monday, November 10, and Friday, November 21. Parents and caregivers can opt their student out of participating in the survey if they so choose.
Visit the Fairfax County Youth Survey webpage for more information and to review the opt-out forms.
All Island Creek families are invited to attend the following events hosted by Island Creek Staff!
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STEAM Night: Wednesday, November 12 (5:30-7:00)
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Book Fair: Thursday, December 4 (5:30-7:00)
Reminder: Window for Full-time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15, 2025
Parents/guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for full-time advanced academic programs may submit the Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) Full-Time Referral Form and optional materials to Principal Jen Fallert at jrfallert@fcps.edu no later than December 15, 2025.
The window for families to submit a referral for full-time AAP services is the first day of school through December 15, annually. All forms may be found on the AAP forms page. No late referrals for Full-Time AAP services will be accepted.
Submitting a referral form for full-time AAP will initiate a process that begins at Island Creek and is then completed at the central office level. Island Creek will put together a portfolio that includes multiple data points that are considered holistically. At the central office level, a committee of six trained professionals from various schools and roles will review the portfolio materials to determine eligibility for full-time placement. Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April.
Slides from the Family Information Session may be accessed here.
For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs website.
 Meeting the Moment: FCPS Forward — AI and the Future of Learning
Join FCPS on Monday, November 3 from 6–8 p.m. at West Springfield High School for Meeting the Moment: FCPS Forward — AI and the Future of Learning, marking the launch of the FCPS AI Roadmap. Educators, students, families, and community members are invited to learn about the opportunities and challenges of AI in education; explore how AI can support FCPS student achievement and workforce readiness and engage in a thought-provoking panel and keynotes. Register here. Questions? DITEvents@fcps.edu.
Upcoming Webinars from FCPS:
Listening Beyond Words: How to Hear What Your Twice-Exceptional (2E) Child Is Really Saying
Friday, November 7, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
Families will learn how to recognize and interpret the underlying emotions and needs behind their 2e child’s words and behaviors and practice strategies to build trust and open communication at home. Interpreters are available if requested (on the registration form) one week prior to the webinar. Register here.
Family Engagement in the Special Education Process
Friday, November 14, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
This webinar will support participants to better understand a parent/guardian’s role in the special education process, ensuring their right to participate; parent/guardian’s rights, as outlined in federal and state regulations regarding parental participation in these processes and where and how parent/guardian’s input is recorded during local screening, eligibility, reevaluation, and individualized education program (IEP) meetings. Interpreters are available if requested (on the registration form) one week prior to the webinar. Register here.
Community Resources: Employment
Virginia Career Works has resources for Federal workers and contractors recently impacted by workforce reductions. Learn more about accessing employment and training assistance through the Northern Virginia Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Programs by attending one of our virtual and in-person orientation sessions, filling out our online Interest Form, and finding out about other resources here. https://vcwnorthern.com/dislocated-federal-workers-and-contractors/
Community Resources: Food
The Capital Area Food Bank is committed to providing food for our neighbors in need, throughout the year and in unexpected moments of economic hardship. To support federal employees and contractors affected by the government shutdown, the food bank is holding additional food distributions at locations throughout its partner network. These new food distributions begin the week of October 20th and will offer boxes of shelf-stable pantry items and fresh produce for the duration of the shutdown. To receive food, visitors will need to show a government work ID. Distribution in our area will be on Fridays, 11:00am-1:00pm at United Community, 7511 Fordson Rd, Alexandria, VA 22306. For additional days/locations please visit https://www.capitalareafoodbank.org/dmv-help/
The Capital Area Food Bank also hosts mobile markets in the community. The Journey Church, 6427 Franconia Rd, Springfield, VA, 22150 (703-971-0277) hosts a free food market on the 2nd Saturday of each month from 11:00am-1:00pm. Open to all community members. No registration or ID is required, bring your own bags.
❤️Monday, October 27: Information Session for families of students who receive ESOL Services (3:40, Library)
❤️Friday, October 31: Book Character Day; End of 1st Quarter (2-Hour Early Release at 1:20)
❤️Sunday, November 2: Daylight Saving Time Ends
❤️Monday, November 3 and Tuesday, November 4: Teacher Workdays- No School for Students
❤️Tuesday, November 11: Veterans Day; School closed
❤️Wednesday, November 12: STEAM Night (5:30-7:00)
❤️Wednesday, November 19: 3-Hour Early Release at 12:20 for school-age students
❤️Thursday, November 20: Thanksgiving Lunch; 4th Grade Field Trip to Jamestown
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