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We hope this newsletter finds you warm and well!
We are still buzzing with excitement from our recent "Winter Wonderland of Learning" family event last night. Thank you so much to everyone who braved the cold and joined us for a truly magical evening of family engagement and educational fun!
It was inspiring to see so many of our students and parents working side-by-side, exploring literacy, math, and science through festive, winter-themed activities and our Winter Scholastics Book Fair. There was creativity flowing in the art rooms making snow bottles and snowflakes. Students and staff competed in number cube math games, families had an opportunity to learn about our Get to Green initiatives, play some creative thinking games and build their vocabulary with literacy games. Additionally, students had a chance to build a 'homework kit' with school supplies in our Family Resource Center.
A special thank you goes out to our incredible, dedicated staff for their hard work in planning and running the stations. Events like this truly show how strong our school community is when we work together.
We believe that learning is a continuous journey, and seeing you all actively participate is the best reminder that education is a partnership between home and school. The skills practiced during this event are wonderful ways to keep your children engaged in learning over the holiday break!
Sincerely,
Gina O'Neal, Principal
Christine Berry, Assistant Principal
Kevin Heron, Assistant Principal
 MVW Winter Concert
On Tuesday, December 16, the Mount Vernon Woods Music Department will perform their Winter Concert at 6pm in the gym.
Performers from 6th grade band, 6th grade strings, and 5th and 6th grade chorus will showcase their talents. Performers should wear a white top and black bottom for the event, and should arrive at 5:30.
Students and families of all ages are welcome to attend. This is a great way to kick off your holiday season!
 Attendance Matters!
We are committed to partnering with families to promote positive attendance habits. Please see important tips below regarding attendance.
Reporting Student Absences
We are committed to partnering with families to promote positive attendance habits. Whenever your child is unable to attend school, please let us know. Reporting absences helps our staff support students and connect them with resources they may need.
Full-day absences can be reported in SIS ParentVUE. Parents can also report absences by calling the office at Mt Vernon Woods.
Parents may monitor their child’s attendance records in SIS ParentVUE.
Attendance Codes in SIS ParentVUE Explained
Attendance codes in SIS ParentVUE are assigned by school staff to better identify the reasons behind student absences. This allows us to respond thoughtfully and provide appropriate support. Visit the FCPS Attendance Policy webpage to learn more about the codes.
When Your Child Is Sick
It is also important to keep your child home when they are sick. The Can My Child Go to School? webpage provides helpful recommendations on when to keep your child home.
For instance, a child should attend school if they have cold symptoms, as long as they are feeling like they can participate in school activities. However, if they have severe, uncontrolled, or rapid coughing; wheezing; or difficulty breathing, definitely keep them home and contact your health care provider.
 Winter Resources for Families
A list of resources has been compiled for students and families in case they or someone they know needs assistance while schools are closed for winter break. Please visit FCPS’ winter resources page for information on academic support, mental health support, and county resources related to food, clothing, housing, and other needs.
Winter Break Literacy Adventures
Engaging in literacy activities over winter break helps students maintain the reading, writing, and speaking skills they built during the first half of the school year. Even a little daily practice, such as these 10 fun family activities, helps ensure they return to school confident and ready to continue growing in literacy. Enjoy these literacy adventures as a family!
The New Way Virginia Measures School Success
Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to providing our community with transparent information about changes impacting our schools. Recently, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) developed a new School Performance and Support Framework to measure school performance, replacing aspects of the previous accreditation system.
What changed?
The new framework introduces four performance categories: Distinguished, On Track, Off Track, and Needs Intensive Support.
Accreditation is now separate from the school performance category. You may be familiar with the previous accreditation model in which schools are rated Accredited, Accredited with Conditions, or Accreditation Denied. In the new framework, schools will continue to receive this accreditation status, however accreditation does not reflect academic performance. Instead, schools will be accredited by meeting basic requirements such as having qualified teachers and certain safety requirements. For additional details including school performance components and indicators visit our information page New Evaluation System for Virginia Schools.
Potential impacts:
The new framework places a greater emphasis on standardized test results, alongside student growth and readiness measures that vary by school level. For high schools, graduation rates are also a key component.
This new system may lead to schools with diverse student populations, including those with higher percentages of multilingual learner students and economically disadvantaged students, being labeled as underperforming due to the increased weight on standardized tests and the shortened adjustment period for multilingual learner students to acquire academic language.
The "Off Track" category is broad and may not clearly indicate specific areas of struggle. It's important to remember that a school's label is not the only measure of success.
What FCPS is doing:
FCPS is actively working to understand the full implications of this new framework. We are advocating for a fair and equitable system that accounts for the diverse needs of all our students. We are also monitoring and reporting our own internal metrics as part of our FCPS 2023-30 Strategic Plan to provide a more comprehensive picture of school success.
The FCPS Future Ready Index highlights our commitment to preparing every learner for future opportunity and long-term success. FCPS will work to provide you clear and timely communication about state accountability and keep the community informed about school and division performance.
What you can do:
Stay informed about the new framework through FCPS communications. Continue to support your local schools and engage with school leaders to understand their efforts. Advocate for adequate resources and policies that support all students in achieving their full potential.
Share your opinions with the Virginia Board of Education. Your voice in the community is vital to ensuring our schools remain strong.
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