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Wednesday, August 19: Open House and Kona Ice Truck!
We are excited to welcome our families and students back for another wonderful school year! There’s nothing quite like the magic of meeting new and familiar faces, greeting our teachers, and coming together to welcome a new school year.
Please join us for our annual Open House on Wednesday, August 19. Come explore classrooms, meet teachers and staff, and reconnect with friends!
Who: Island Creek Families and Students
What: Families and students are invited to meet their new teachers, bring school supplies, stop by the clinic and cafeteria, and learn about the PTA, etc. .
When: Wednesday, August 19 (4:00-6:30); this is a drop-in and out event
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4:00-4:30: Optional early time for Preschool, Kindergarten, and Students with IEPs
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4:30-6:00: All Students
Where:To keep traffic moving smoothly, please enter through the Main Entrance (Door 1) and exit through either the cafeteria (Door 6) or Kiss and Ride (Door 2).
How: Island Creek Staff will be wearing blue staff shirts and are happy to suport students and families with locating classrooms.
Non-profit organizations and school organizations may distribute materials at Open House. Please notify Administrative Assistant Kathleen Black (knblack@fcps.edu) to reserve a table.
Kona Ice Truck will be at Open House from 4:00 PM-6:00 PM. Treat yourself to Kona Ice while supporting the Island Creek PTA!
Classroom Assignments and Island Creek's Collaborative Approach
Teacher Assignment Information
Parents and guardians will receive an email with their child’s classroom teacher assignment after 4:30 PM on Tuesday, August 18. We are actively registering new students, we appreciate your patience while we finalize our rosters!
Our Collaborative Approach
At Island Creek, our teachers work in Collaborative Learning Teams (CLTs) across every grade level to support each student's academic and social-emotional growth. Every member of our staff is highly qualified and dedicated to meeting the high standards of our school community. Thank you for partnering with us and supporting our talented teaching team!
First Day of School: Mon, August 24
On Monday, August 24, Island Creek staff will be ready to help students find their classrooms.
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Arrival: Doors open at 8:20 AM; school begins at 8:35 AM.
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Classroom Escorts: To build independence and ensure a smooth, safe start, parents/guardians may not walk students to their classrooms.
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Kindergarten Exception: Kindergarten parents may walk their child to class on the first day only.
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All other students (Grades 1-6): Please say goodbye at the front door. Extra staff will be inside to help students find their rooms!
Arrival and Dismissal
As we gear up for a fantastic new school year, your children's safety and a smooth daily routine are our top priorities. We are so grateful for your incredible partnership in keeping our school grounds safe and welcoming!
How You Can Help Us Make This a Success:
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🚌 Hop on the Bus or Walk! School buses are statistically the safest vehicles on the road, and walking is a wonderful, healthy way to start the day. Utilizing these options is the absolute best way to beat the traffic and keep our neighborhood gridlock-free!
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🚌Bus Loop: The bus loop is closed to all family vehicles during arrival and dismissal. Please do not park or wait in this area. It closes specifically at 3:00 PM each afternoon.
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🎒Kiss & Ride: For safety, students must enter and exit the vehicle on the passenger side. You can help keep the line moving quickly by making sure your kids have their backpacks on and are ready to exit the vehicle (curb side) as soon as you pull up to Kiss and Ride
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Walkers: Please use Door 1. This includes families who park nearby and walk to meet their children.
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Bus and Van Riders: Enter and exit through the cafeteria.
Kindergarten & Preschool Students: These students must be met at school or the bus stop by a parent, guardian, or an authorized daycare provider who is at least 13 years old.
FCPS is launching a new bus navigation system, which includes student ID cards for students who ride the bus. Students will use the cards to tap on and off the bus, helping FCPS and families know exactly which students are riding which buses.
Learn more about the new system and how it will improve route efficiency, safety, and transparency with families. Check out the frequently asked questions for families.
FCPS Transportation will notify parents of bus assignments. If you do not see bus route information in ParentVue by 4:00 PM, August 20, please email Assistant Principal Denise Cash-Pinckney at dcashpinckne@fcps.edu
If your child arrives on an FCPS bus, staff will meet students at the bus doors to help them find their classroom. Student patrols are also assigned to kindergarten students.
Kindergarten students will receive yellow tape around their backpack strap at Open House to identify them on the bus. They will also sit at the front of the bus.
All kindergarten bus students must be met at the afternoon stop and asked for by name. If not, they will be returned to school.
Contact Christine Mehrtash at ctmehrtash@fcps.edu if you need help getting a ParentVue account.
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Be First-Day Ready
The first day of school, Monday, August 24, is just around the corner! Check out these back-to-school tips to make sure your child gets off to a great start.
Also find out what will be new this school year.
Island Creek's Family Handbook may be accessed here on our website. A few tibdits of information to note:
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Birthday Treats: Island Creek Elementary does not allow edible birthday treats in school to protect student safety. Non-edible items—such as pencils, stickers, or a donated class book or board game—will be distributed at the end of the school day rather than during instructional time. Thank you for your support!
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Party Invitations: Due to School Board policy, students may not distribute non-school materials—including party invitations—at school or on school grounds during school hours (including bus pickup and drop-off).
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Pets: Animals are not permitted on school grounds. This excludes service animals.
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Island Creek's Parent Teacher Association (PTA): The Island Creek Parent Teacher Association (PTA) exists to promote the education and welfare of the students at Island Creek. Parents are encouraged to join and participate in the activities of the PTA. Special events will be scheduled periodically throughout the year. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of every month. Information about the PTA is available on the PTA website. The PTA can be reached by email at islandcreekptapresident@gmail.com.
Study Help and Support Available to Students in Schoology
A new Schoology Study and Support Hub is available for students in Schoology. This space was developed by the FCPS Educational Technology Team with input from students. It is designed to provide essential study tools and academic support resources directly to our learners.
Students can log in to Schoology and read their Schoology announcements or watch this video on the support hub for more information.
💻Digital Resource Consent
Some FCPS-approved digital resources require parent/caregiver consent before they can be used by students. Find the list of resources which require consent on the Digital Resources - Parent Consent page. This page also includes directions for providing permission.
Each digital resource used in FCPS has had an instructional and technical review. Information about the educational technology tools approved for use within FCPS can be found in the online Digital Ecosystem Library. Parents can find more information about FCPS-approved digital resources on the Digital Resources in FCPS webpage.
Updated Cellphone Policy: No Phones OR Devices
Senate Bill 108 is a new Virginia law that went into effect on July 1. It requires that all schools in the state follow a “bell-to-bell” phone-free policy and prohibit cellphone possession and use for the entire school day. The updated FCPS Cellphone Policy aligns with this law, which means high school students are no longer able to use cellphones, cellphone accessories, or smart devices (like smart glasses, earbuds, headsets, and other items connected to the phone) during lunchtime.
Across all grade levels, cellphones, cellphone accessories, and all smart devices must be off and personally stored for the duration of the school day. Watches that serve a dual purpose (like a smartwatch) must be off and personally stored for the duration of the school day, too. Personal devices that connect to a cellphone or cellphone accessory or operate as a smart device must also follow the FCPS Cellphone Policy.
This policy does not apply to school-issued devices. However, school-issued devices must be used in accordance with FCPS Regulation 6410, Acceptable Use Policy, which allows the use of school-issued devices for educational purposes. More details are available on the FCPS Cellphone Policy webpage.
🍴Lunch with your Child
To help our students get settled and master cafeteria routines, lunch visits from family members will begin on Monday, September 28. Thank you for supporting a smooth start to the school year!
Visiting Island Creek
The safety and security of our students and our staff are of utmost importance. Every visitor who enters the building is monitored. All visitors entering Island Creek need to have a valid driver’s license and sign-in using the Visitor Management System (VMS). The VMS will issue each visitor a sticker that should always be worn when in the building
Building a Brighter Future, Together: FCPS Family Academy
The FCPS Family Academy is where families can learn and get support for their child’s school journey.
We know that parents and caregivers are critically important in their child’s education. The Family Academy lists classes, webinars, workshops, and programs offered by FCPS to help you support your child's needs and learning at home. The Family Academy also includes information about resources available to help every family ensure their child has what they need to succeed.
Visit the Family Academy webpage. Check out its catalog for upcoming classes, workshops, and webinars to help families learn about FCPS, parenting, early literacy, and how to partner with schools.
New ParentVUE Mobile App
A new ParentVUE mobile app will is now available in the Apple and Google app stores. This new app provides parents and caregivers with a more secure sign-in. The current “classic” app will remain active for about six months. Families must download the new app by December 2026 to ensure they have continued mobile access to their child’s school data.
In the new app, families can enroll in multi-factor authentication (MFA) for FCPS Single Sign-On. While enrollment is optional, we strongly recommend that everyone enable this security feature.
Learn more about installing the new ParentVUE app. Parents needing assistance should submit a Parent Support Request.
Open House and Meet the Teacher for Students and Families
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Wednesday, August 19
- Optional early time (4:00-4:30) for Preschool, Kindergarten, and Students with IEPs
- All Students (4:30-6:00)
First Day of School!
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Monday, August 24 at 8:20: Parents/Guaridans of kindergarten students may walk their child to their classroom only on the first day of school only.
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All other students (Grades 1-6): Please say goodbye at the front door. Extra staff will be inside to help students find their rooms!
Back to School Night for Parents/Guardians
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Tuesday, September 1
- Session 1: 5:45-6:20
- Session 2: 6:40-7:15 (Repeat of Session 1)
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