 |
|
In this Issue
♥️First Day of School!
🗓️Important Dates
😀Reach out to Family Liaison for Support
🏈Pyramid Night
📱Follow Sangster on Instagram
|
🛝Popsicles on the Playground
Sangster Student Ambassadors were on hand last week at Popsicles on the Playground meeting new students and families!
🗓️Mark Your Calendars Now
Monday, 8/24: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! School hours are 9:10 am-3:55 pm
Friday, 9/4 - Monday, 9/7: No School for Labor Day Holiday
Thursday, 9/10: Pyramid Night at Lake Braddock 5-6:30 pm
Monday, 9/14: Back to School Night for grades K-3 (6-6:45 pm & 7-7:45 pm)
Monday, 9/21: No School for Yom Kippur Holiday
Wed, 9/23: Back to School Night for grades 4-6 (6-6:45 pm & 7-7:45 pm)
Wed, 9/30: 3-Hour Early Release. Dismissal at 12:55 pm
📱No Smart Devices
Across all grade levels at FCPS, cellphones and other smart devices (including smart watches) must be off and put away in backpacks) for the duration of the school day, bell to bell.
This policy does not apply to school-issued devices. More details are available on the FCPS Cellphone Policy webpage.
|
🍌Lunch/Food Services Information
- If your child will be buying breakfast or lunch, use www.myschoolbucks.com to add money to, or create, their account. Breakfast is $1.75 and lunch is $3.75 this year.
- Free & Reduced-Price Meal Applications are due online by Oct. 7. Use this link to apply: Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FRM). You must reapply each year.
- Menu: Menus, allergens, and nutrition information are available on MealViewer.
- Submit all Dietary Accommodation requests through the centralized FNS process at dietary.forms.fns@fcps.edu.
Forms:
🚌Students Riding the 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 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.
🚶Walkers
Plan ahead if you are dropping off a walker, especially on the first day, as drop-off will take longer during the first few days.
No U-turns are allowed on Reservation Dr. Please do not block driveways on Reservation Dr. at any time during the school year.
Walkers will wait in a supervised grassy area until the doors open at 8:55 a.m. Signs will be posted, and staff will begin supervision at 8:45 a.m.
Parents and students may not wait on the main platform outside the doors, as that area must stay open for arriving buses.
|
💋Kiss-n-Ride Drop Off
Students may begin exiting cars at 8:45 a.m. and will wait with the walkers until the doors open at 8:55 a.m.
Students may only enter or exit curbside.
Your child should know their teacher’s name or grade level, but staff will help them get to the correct class.
 |
|
🧇Breakfast
For those students wanting breakfast, they can enter the school and proceed to the cafeteria at 8:45 a.m.
|
😀Meet Ms. Huisman
“I’m here to help make Sangster feel like home.”
Ms. Huisman’s role as Sangster’s Family Liaison is to help all families feel welcomed, connected, and supported at Sangster and within FCPS.
She can help:
- If your family is brand new to the area
- Transition into or out of FCPS
- Find community resources
- Or if you simply need a little extra help navigating the school
She has a wide network of school and community resources and can help connect families with information, programs, and support based on their individual needs.
If your family could use a connection, a resource, some guidance, or simply someone to help make Sangster and FCPS feel a little easier to navigate, please reach out.
For military-connected and State Department families, she can provide additional support with:
- PCS moves
- deployments and extended TDYs
- geo-baching
- homecomings
- school transitions
- helping students and families establish connections within their new community.
To connect, email Stacy Huisman, or call her at 571-425-8339.
|
🎈FCPS Resources/Upcoming Events
Thriving As a Special Needs Caregiver
Wed, August 26
6 - 7:30 pm
Virtual
This supportive workshop is designed to help parents and guardians move beyond survival mode and reconnect with themselves.
Together, we’ll explore practical strategies for reducing stress, restoring balance, and creating small, meaningful shifts that support both your well-being and your child’s needs.
Register here
Starting Strong & Organized with Brain Strategies
Wed, Sept. 2
10 - 11:30 am
Virtual
Students with neurodiversity are more likely to struggle with back-to-school transitions.
Join Formed Families Forward as they offer solid strategies and tools for improving organization and strengthening routines that help kids feel more ready to tackle the new school year stronger than ever.
Register here
Military Families: Welcome BBQ
Wed, Sept. 9
5:30-7:30 pm
Lake Braddock SS
Complete the registration form for this event by noon on Friday, Aug. 28. For more information or to connect with FCPS resources, please email militaryfamilies@fcps.edu.
For more information, visit FCPS Family Resource Center
⚕️Medicine at School
A medication authorization form is required for any medication (prescription or over-the-counter) to be kept at school.
Approved over-the-counter medications given for headaches, muscle aches, orthodontic pain, or menstrual cramps do not need a health care provider’s signature. Antibiotic or antiviral medications for 10 consecutive school days or less do not require a health care provider’s signature either.
For all asthma medications, a Virginia Asthma Action Plan must be provided. Visit the FCPS Health Services site for more information.
- Over-the-counter medication must be in the unopened original container and clearly labeled by the parent or guardian
- No more than 100 pills/tablets of OTC medication should be brought to school at a time.
- All prescription medication must be labeled by the pharmacist or health care provider with your student’s name, the name of the medication, the dosage of the medication, and the time to be given.
If you have questions, please call Sangster’s school health room aide Jennifer Stuebner at 703-644-8210, or Sangster’s school public health nurse Kim McNally at 571-595-7363.
|
🏈Pyramid Night: 9/10, 5 pm-6:30 pm
Pyramid Night will be celebrated at Lake Braddock Secondary School during the first home football game on Thursday, Sept. 10. Free admission to the celebration on the front field start at 5 pm and wrap up at 6:30 pm before the 7 pm football game.
It includes:
- Bounce Houses
- Mascots
- Dunk Tank
- Obstacle Course
- Food Trucks
- Music
Hope to see you there!
|
📸#FirstDayFairfax
FCPS parents, students, and staff members are invited to share their favorite pictures or videos from the first day of school on social media using the hashtag #FirstDayFairfax.
📱Connect with Sangster Elementary
Click the falcon on the right ➡️ to follow Sangster ES on Instagram and stay up to date with all the happenings!
|
⏰3-Hour Early Release Wednesdays (Dismissal at 12:55 pm)
September 30
November 18
January 13
April 7
⏰2-Hour Early Release Days for End of Quarter (ALL students dismissed at 1:55 pm)
Friday, October 30
Thursday, January 28
Friday, April 16
‼️Keep Transportation Consistent
Consistency is key with transportation. Whenever possible, keep your child’s transportation method the same each day.
If an emergency comes up and you need to change transportation, call the office (703-644-8200), as only an administrator can approve the change.
Due to the number of students we dismiss each day, we do not allow parents to take other students home for playdates unless there is an emergency approved ahead of time by Principal Ms. Jankovich.
🍎Attendance
Report absences online through ParentVue, by email, or by calling 703-644-8282. Visit our attendance page for more information!
⏰School Hours, Late Arrival Policy, Early Pick Up
- School hours are 9:10 a.m. to 3:55 p.m.
- Students who arrive after 9:10 a.m. must be walked into the main office and signed in by an adult.
- If you need to pick your student up early, come to the office with your ID, and we will call your student down. Early pick up cut-off time is 3:30 pm.
❎No Glass Containers
Please do NOT send glass containers with students for lunch or snack. They are a safety hazard if they break.
👍Label All Belongings
LABEL all sweatshirts, jackets, lunchboxes, water bottles with your student's name. If it ends up in the Lost and Found, we can easily return to students.
Quick Links
|
