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 First day magic in the making! ✨ Excited to see our students collaborating, creating, and kicking off a wonderful new year together. 📚
Dear Dogwood Families,
We had a wonderful first week of school! Our students and staff have worked hard to establish routines, build relationships, and create classrooms where every child feels welcomed, supported, and ready to learn. We are so proud of the positive energy and Dragon spirit throughout our school.
As we move forward, regular attendance will be one of the most important ways families can support student success. Every school day matters. When students attend consistently, they are able to build strong relationships, participate in daily instruction, and stay connected to their learning. Our goal is for no child to miss more than 10 days of school during the entire year. Please make every effort to have your child at school on time each day, except when illness or an unavoidable circumstance requires them to stay home.
For the safety of all students, beginning next week, parents and caregivers will drop students off at the school doors. Parents will no longer be able to enter the building during arrival. Staff members will be available to welcome students and help them get to their classrooms safely. We appreciate your partnership as we maintain a secure and consistent arrival routine for everyone.
Thank you for helping us begin the year with such enthusiasm, care, and support. We are looking forward to all that we will accomplish together!
With Dragon pride,
Principal Beckner
Important Dates
September
September 1st - PTA Information Session (See information below)
September 4th - Student Holiday (No School)
September 7th - Student Holiday (No School)
September 14th - 18th - Hispanic Heritage Week
September 16th - Nando's PTA Fundraiser from 5 - 9 pm
September 21st - Student Holiday (No School)
September 24th - Back to School Picnic
September 30th - 3 Hour Early Release (Information coming soon)
October
October 1st - Back to School Night
October 6th - AAP Continuum of Services Family Night
October 7th - Picture Day
October 8th - PTA Meeting
October 9th - Math Pastries with Parents from 8:15 - 8:45
October 9th - 1st grade Chuck E. Cheese Fundraiser 4 - 8
October 29th - Trunk or Treat
October 30th - 2 Hour Early Release/End of 1st Quarter
3 Hour Early Release
This school year, Dogwood Elementary will have four 3-hour early release Wednesdays for state-required teacher professional development. Please complete the digital dismissal form below by Friday, September 11th to let us know your child’s plans.
Early Release Dates:
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September 30
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November 18
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December 10
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January 13
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April 7
Childcare Hardship Supervision
If this schedule creates a childcare hardship and you cannot make arrangements, supervision will be available at school for unique situations.
Action Required:
Please select and complete the appropriate form for your child by Friday, September 11th:
Thank you for helping us prepare for a safe and smooth dismissal!
Three things the Dogwood Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) wants you to know!
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The PTA is hosting an informational session Tuesday, Sept. 1st at 6 pm in the school library. Please come and learn about the PTA and how you can get involved. Virtual option: meet.google.com/hwj-tsqd-quw
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Dogwood T-shirts are still available! Great for when students are asked to wear green for field trips, spirit days, and assemblies. See flyer in your student’s backpack or click here to order shirts online.
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Our first spirit night is coming up! Wednesday, Sept. 16th, 5- 9 p.m., at Nando’s in Reston!
The PTA partners with local restaurants to plan specific dates when the restaurant will donate proceeds from Dogwood families’ purchases back to the school.
We are especially excited about Nando’s because they will donate 40% of sales, which will help us pay for fun activities at the family picnic!
BUT - you must use the spirit night code: NANDOS2026 when ordering in person or online.
Mark your calendar and plan to come have some yummy dinner while helping the school!
Remember to Complete Permission Forms for School Resources
Families can now easily grant consent for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. This online tool can be accessed using your SIS ParentVUE account login. Parents can easily opt their child in or out of a variety of resources, including online educational tools, school counseling services, and more.
Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool.
Opt In or Out to Student Devices Being Sent Home for Grades 1-6
New this year, families can opt out of having student laptops sent home with their student.
- If you do not want your student to bring their FCPS-issued device home, please toggle the Opt Out button to a check mark and confirm by pressing Save Selection.
- If you would like your student to bring their FCPS device home, no toggle action is needed. Confirm by pressing Save Selection.
Students whose families opt out will continue to have access to an FCPS-issued device during the school day. Please reach out to your student’s teacher to understand expectations for homework and any learning activities that may require access to technology outside of the school day.
Everything You Need to Do in SIS ParentVUE
Are you working your way through back-to-school forms and checklists? Make sure you have a SIS ParentVUE account for your family and log in to find important forms and updates.
- Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from your school and FCPS by providing your cell phone number and email in ParentVUE. To update your contact information in ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then click the “Online Verification/Update” icon.
- Submit daylong absences by clicking “Report Absence.”
If you do not have a ParentVUE account, contact your child’s school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage.
Transportation, Patience, and Safety
Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following Kiss and Ride procedures and being patient while waiting for your child’s bus.
If your child’s bus is delayed, you may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays. Please contact the Transportation Office at [phone number] with any additional questions. For concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact the FCPS Office of Safety and Security at 571-423-2000.
Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE to make sure you receive email messages about bus delays.
Have Children in Multiple FCPS Schools?
🏫The FCPS mobile app lets you follow updates from all your children's schools in one place! Simply open the app, tap the teal pull-down menu, then tap the gear icon and select every school you want to follow. See this video of how to follow your school.
Find out about more features of the app. Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
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- Everything You Need to Do in SIS ParentVUE
- Permission Forms for School Resources
- Follow Multiple Schools in the App
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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