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Kindergarten students eagerly participate in a classroom activity during their first week of school!
Dear GBE Families,
What an amazing start to the school year! It was wonderful seeing so many families at our block party, building tour, open house, and first day of school. We love partnering with you to support your child’s transition into the new year. Thank you for playing such an active role in your child’s education, our teamwork makes a huge difference for our students!
We know many families enjoy joining their students for lunch. We are currently teaching our students procedures for our new cafeteria arrangement, so thank you for your patience. I will share more details about lunch visits during Back to School Night on Tuesday, September 1st. Families are welcome to join us for lunch starting Tuesday, September 8th.
Please note that I sent an important email yesterday regarding safety and security updates. Thank you for your attention to these updates as we work to keep safety our top priority. As always, please reach out if you have any questions.
I look forward to seeing everyone at Back to School Night on Tuesday, September 1st! Presentation times in the cafeteria are as follows:
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5:30 p.m. – Preschool, Kindergarten, & 1st Grade
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6:30 p.m. – 4th, 5th, & 6th Grade
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7:30 p.m. – 2nd & 3rd Grade
We will also have a food truck available if you would like to grab dinner! Weather permitting, tables will be set up in the bus lanes so families can relax together—especially if you have a break between session times.
Let’s make this a fantastic school year together! Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Dave Pietzman
Principal
Looking Ahead
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Tuesday, September 1 - Back to School Night
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Friday, September 4 - Labor Day Holiday - No School
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Monday, September 7 - Labor Day Holiday - No School
Labor Day
Friday, September 4, and Monday, September 7, are Labor Day holidays for all FCPS employees and students. Virginia legislation requires that schools opening prior to Labor Day must be closed the Friday immediately preceding Labor Day. We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year and enjoy time with family and friends. See the complete school year calendar.
Back-to-School Night - Tuesday, September 1
Mark your calendar for Back-to-School Night on Tuesday, September 1! Hear from our principal, Mr. Pietzman, and your child’s teachers as we welcome families from all grade levels for one evening event. Please attend during your child’s grade-level time:
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Pre-K, kindergarten, and grade 1: 5:30-6:30 p.m.
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Grades 4-6: 6:30-7:30 p.m.
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Grades 2-3: 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Lunch Visitors Begin September 8
To help our students start the year successfully, lunch visitors will begin on Tuesday, September 8. During the first weeks of school, we will not have lunch visitors so students have time to learn and practice cafeteria routines and expectations.
We look forward to welcoming families for lunch beginning September 8!
Weekend Food Bags & School Supplies
Beginning this school year, families must sign up each year if they would like to receive weekend food bags and/or assistance with school supplies. Please complete the Weekend Food Bags and School Supplies Request Form to request these resources.
Families who would benefit from these resources are encouraged to sign up. If you participated in previous years, you will still need to complete a new form for this school year.
Please note that the Free and Reduced-Price Meals program is separate from these resources. Families must apply for Free and Reduced-Price Meals online each school year.
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact:
Family Liaison: Ms. Kwon
Social Worker: Ms. Rickerby
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Help Your Child Navigate the Lunch Line
Check out some tips to help your child get through the lunch line quickly and have more time to eat:
- Teach your child their student ID number to receive meals at school.
- Sign up for and add money to MySchoolBucks to purchase meals at school.
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Apply for free and reduced-price meals. Students who were approved for free and reduced-price meals last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should submit a new application as soon as possible, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.
If your child has any food allergies, learn how to submit accommodations for dietary restrictions and allergens.
Access menus for breakfast, lunch, and other school meals, as well as allergen and nutrition information.
You Can Manage Student Web Access at Home
At GBE, we acknowledge that parents are our students' first and most important teachers. Parents now have greater control over their child’s FCPS-issued device outside of school hours through Lightspeed Parent Portal.
In addition to monitoring weekly internet activity, parents can now also customize web access at home on FCPS devices through Lightspeed using Schedules and Web Rules.
With Schedules, you can set tailored times to automatically pause or restrict internet access. This makes it easier to enforce rules around homework time, family dinners, weekends, or bedtime.
In Web Rules, you can create Custom Block Lists to block specific, individual websites they do not want your child accessing at home. This allows parents greater control over what is happening online, under their own roof.
These new custom controls take effect at home, outside of school hours, and when the device is off the FCPS network. They will not override standard district filtering policies during the instructional day.
Customize Your Lightspeed Settings
All parents should be receiving weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report emails. To set up these new features, click the “Log in or Register” button at the bottom of your weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email.
Visit the FCPS Lightspeed Parent Portal Guide for more information. If you have additional questions, submit a Parent Technology Support Ticket.
Parents are encouraged to discuss internet boundaries with their children so that they can understand the reasoning behind any limits and the differences between access at home and at school. Get tips on talking to your children about technology safety.
💻 Catch Up on Your Child’s Classwork in Schoology
Teachers use Schoology to post their classroom materials online; to provide a secure forum for students to discuss their ideas and collaborate on projects; and to assign and collect homework electronically. It helps students stay organized, and it keeps the class connected.
A Schoology Parent Account gives you access to:
- Your child’s classes.
- Your child’s upcoming assignments.
- School, class, and group announcements.
To access Schoology, parents will need to have an active SIS/ParentVUE account. Get more information on how to login and use Schoology.
SEL Screener Parent/Guardian Notification
The Fall Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener will be administered to students in grades 3 through 12 in October. Students use the SEL Screener twice a year to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop skills they need to succeed. The screener works by asking questions or presenting statements that students can think about and respond to. This gives students a way to share how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families without a ParentVUE account. For more information, including SEL Screener questions and opt-out information, please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.
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