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 Building a stronger community together! From stocking the South Lakes pantry at our Stuff the Bus event to our Pre-K classrooms cleaning up our playgrounds, it’s been a busy and rewarding week of action.
Important Dates
April
April 28: PTA Chick Fil A Spirit Night at 4 pm
April 29: Advanced Academics Parent Night at 5:00 pm
April 29: Spring Chorus Concert at 5:30 pm
May
May 1: Pastries with Parents (Literacy)
May 4-8: Staff Appreciation Week
May 6: Reading SOL Test (Grades 3 - 6)
May 13: 3 Hour Early Release
May 14: Math SOL Test (Grades 3 - 6)
May 20: Science SOL Test (Grade 5)
May 25: Student Holiday (No School)
May 26: Teacher Workday (No School for Students)
May 27: Student Holiday (No School)
🌞Teacher Appreciation Week – Parent Help Needed!
Teacher Appreciation Week (May 4–May 8) is coming up! The PTA is helping support this special week and would love your help in making sure all of our teachers and staff feel appreciated. We are collecting donations for a Dessert Bar and Snack Lounge — please see the attached flyer and sign up using the link below to contribute. All donations must be dropped off by the morning of Wednesday, May 6th. Thank you for supporting our amazing Dogwood staff!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4FACA922A4F5C34-63634757-teacher
SOL Testing Updates
As we head into May, our students in Grades 3–6 are gearing up to showcase all the incredible growth they’ve made this year! Our teachers and students have been working hard, and we are confident in their ability to tackle the upcoming Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments.
📅 Save the Dates
Please mark your calendars for our primary testing windows:
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Wednesday, May 6th: Reading SOL (Grades 3–6)
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Thursday, May 14th: Math SOL (Grades 3–6)
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Wednesday, May 20th: Science SOL (Grade 5 only)
Preparation & Support
Over the next few weeks, students will be conducting in-class reviews to revisit key grade-level concepts and sharpen their test-taking strategies.
We also want to extend a huge "thank you" to the families whose students participated in our After-School and Saturday Test Prep sessions. These extra hours of dedication are a testament to our students' commitment to their own success!
How You Can Help at Home
To ensure your child feels confident and energized on testing days, we recommend:
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A Good Night's Sleep: Aim for 8–10 hours of rest the night before.
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A Healthy Breakfast: Fueling the brain is key to staying focused.
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Positive Encouragement: A simple "You've got this!" goes a long way in reducing test anxiety.
We are so proud of our students' hard work. Let's finish the year strong!
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Yearbooks are now available to order! Capture the memories from this school year with a keepsake your child can look back on for years to come.
Yearbooks are $25 each. Order forms went home in Thursday's folders. Please be sure to send in your order as soon as possible so your child doesn’t miss out!
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 Action April
At the heart of being an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School is agency and empowering our students to take action. Throughout April, we will engage in Action April, in which our students will be presented with different ways to take action every day. Our students will also reflect and share ways that they took action and how it made them feel.
Please ask your child, “How did you take action today? How did it make you feel?”
Required Immunizations for Rising 7th
The following immunizations are required for students entering 7th grade each school year.
All students entering 7th grade are required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations before the beginning of school: Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis booster (Tdap), Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY), and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
- To meet the Tdap requirement, the vaccination must be administered at age 7 or older.
- To meet the MenACWY requirement, the vaccination must be administered at age 10 or older.
- To meet the HPV requirement, the vaccination should be given between the ages of 11 to 12 or as early as 9 years old.
As a parent/guardian, you may decide that your child will not receive the HPV vaccination. The school does not require documentation if a parent/guardian elects for their student not to receive the HPV vaccination.
Nominations Open for the Bussey Memorial Equity Award
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award. This award recognizes an employee, student, or community member who has demonstrated significant and impactful efforts to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of students from groups who are marginalized or underserved.
Any staff, student, or community member can nominate an individual for the award. All nomination materials must be submitted by Monday, May 18.
The Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) sponsors this award to honor the legacy of Dr. Bussey, a founding member of the MSAOC and a longtime advocate for students and families.
Full details and the nomination information form can be found at the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award webpage.
Our Office of the Ombuds Is at Your Service!
Ombuds staff engage with FCPS staff, families, and students to offer resources and improve the experience of each and every member of the FCPS community. They work as an independent confidential resource to help get answers to questions, resolve concerns, and hear complaints regarding FCPS matters.
Ombuds staff do not make or change decisions, policies, or regulations. They do not take sides, and they do not provide legal advice.
Anyone with concerns, questions, or complaints to share with the Office of the Ombuds may call 571-423-4014, email ombuds@fcps.edu, or visit their webpage, where you may submit a question.
FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- Student Awards and Recognitions
- Military Child of the Year Finalist
- Required Immunizations Reminder
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
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