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Glasgow Parents and Community:
Greetings! The Title I Parent Advisory Committee is a committee of parent representation from every Title I School. The committee meets six times throughout the year with a focus on building strong partnerships with the schools and families. Learn more about TPAC here. Please email me if you are interested. Also, please see Dr. Ricardy Anderson’s 2023 Back to School Message! September 13th from 6-8PM - Back to School Night.
For SY23-24, forms will be required for all students. Enrolling parents/guardians who have a SIS ParentVUE account may submit them electronically by using the Online Verification/Update packet. For families without SIS ParentVue accounts, forms can be located in the Back to School packets and on the General Registration Forms page. Some FCPS-approved digital resources require parent consent before they can be used by students. Find the list of resources which require consent on the Parent Consent webpage. 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. We hope you enjoy the long weekend, and we look forward to seeing students back at school on Tuesday.
Humbly,
Victor L. Powell
Glasgow Back to School Night - September 13, 2023; 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Back to School Night is an opportunity for parents and guardians to connect with all of their student’s teachers, counselors, and administrators. Our event this year will be in person. Glasgow Panthers and their families will rotate through students’ schedules to meet each of their teachers in their classrooms. We are looking forward to seeing you for Back to School Night!
Family Life Education (FLE) Preview Night
The Glasgow Health and Physical Education department invites families to come to the Family Life Education (FLE) preview night on Wednesday, September 13 prior to the beginning of Back to School Night. Lesson materials and teachers will be available in the health rooms from 5:30pm-6:00pm. The presentations will be in room C137A/B.
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) information Session - September 13th 5:00pm - 6:00pm. Do you have a student who is interested in applying for enrollment at TJHSST next year? Would you and/or your student like to learn more about TJHSST? Representatives from TJHSST will be at Glasgow on September 13th from 5:00pm - 6:00pm to present on the programming/curriculum and application process in our lecture hall. All are welcome.
Course Requests/Schedule Changes - the window to submit course change requests has closed. Counselors are currently working through course corrections (students who have been placed in the wrong classes as per beginning of year assessment data and/or program participation) and will begin to look at requests that were submitted by the deadline during the week of September 5th. The school’s schedule is built based upon the request students make during the spring course selection process. The options to make changes at this time are extremely limited and will be based upon approval from the Director of Student Services, Jenn Pallotto. If a course request change can be granted, students, parents/guardians and teachers will be notified. We thank you for your patience and understanding.
World Language Credit Exam - November 9, 2023 Glasgow will host the World Language Credit Exam. The exam is designed to assess students’ native language proficiency and enable them to earn one to three credits toward fulfilling the world languages requirement for the Advanced Studies Diploma, see more information on the credit exam website. The registration window opens on Tuesday, September 5, at 8 a.m. and closes on Thursday, October 5, at 4 p.m. for more information about the exam and the registration process, your student should speak with their school counselor:
Assignment
Counselor
6th grade
Craig Small. last names A-L, [email protected]
Sydney McNamee, last names M-Z,
[email protected]
7th grade
Adrienne Cooper, last names A - K [email protected]
HIna Zafar, last names L-Z
[email protected]
8th grade
Mike Isner, last names A - F, [email protected]
Rachel Margolis, last names G-N, [email protected]
Danile Shelton, last names O-Z,
[email protected]
ESOL 1 & 2
Betis Sorto-Sanchez,
[email protected]
Behavior Support
Emily Wasserman,
[email protected]
Student Vue and Parent Vue
All FCPS students have a Student Vue account. All student schedules are active and up to date in SIS Student Vue and SIS Parent Vue. If you do not have a SIS Parent Vue account, we strongly encourage you to sign up for an account. You can find directions on how to do so at this link: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/technology/student-information-system-sis-fcps/sis-parent-account-registration. Once you have signed up for an account, you’ll need an activation code - which we will work as quickly as we can to provide to you. You can find a video that provides information on how to use SIS Parent Vue and all that you will be able to access with your account here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLwkkemipws.
Health Information and Emergency Care Forms
The Health Information Form (HIF) (SS/SE -71) Health Information Form and the Emergency Care Information form (SS/SE-3) Emergency Care Information provide valuable information regarding student health conditions. These forms are critical in the early identification of students who may need healthcare support in the educational environment. Along with the development of Healthcare Plans (HCP) and Action Plans, the Public Health Nurses (PHNs) utilize the information contained in the HIF to develop teaching strategies for FCPS staff in order to meet the requirements of Regulation 2104 Health Services-School Health Related Needs.
For SY 23-24, these forms will be required for all students. Parents/guardians may subm
it these forms either through electronic submission accessed within the weCare@school (weCare) module.
Kiss and Ride
We have many families who choose to drop off and pick up students each day from school. We ask that all families use the kiss and ride line for student drop off and pick up. To keep the flow of traffic moving along and to maintain safety, we ask that you pull your cars up and stop at the locations our monitors direct to before allowing your child to exit your vehicle. Please be sure students are ready to exit cars with all their things out of car doors that exit onto the sidewalk. Please wait for the car in front of you to pull forward before you begin to depart. We also ask that you refrain from parking in the kiss and ride line or double parking in the lane. If you need to enter the building, please find a parking spot to park in our lot – do not double park in the parking lot or drop students off in the parking lot. Cones will be placed in the first two lanes of the parking lot to close off traffic and prevent families from dropping off students in the lot. Thank you so much for your cooperation.
2023-24 Student Rights and Responsibilities
FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities document (SR&R) explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. In late June, the School Board approved changes to the SR&R for the 2023-24 school year. Updates include a revision of dress code expectations, bystander expectations for students witnessing harmful or unsafe behaviors, bullying, and substance abuse responses. Read Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s letter to families regarding the SR&R.
Parents/caregivers should talk to their child(ren) about expectations for this school year. Also, please log in to SIS ParentVUE and sign to acknowledge your review of the SR&R, or sign and return the signature sheet to your child’s school by Friday, September 29.
🔍 Lightspeed Parent Report on Child’s Device Activity
FCPS has tools to help parents know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided at no cost to families by Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service.
Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for free access to the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.
Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.
Virginia Growth Assessment
The Virginia Growth Assessment (VGA) is a test required for students in grades 3-8. For the 2023-2024 school year, students will take a reading and mathematics VGA in the fall and winter. For fall 2023, VGA will address content that was taught in the previous school year. There is no “passing” or “failing” outcome for the VGA. Results will provide starting and mid-year data about student growth and will offer information about areas of strength and growth in reading and mathematics. All middle school students take the VGA for reading. However, middle school students enrolled in a high school credit-bearing math course, such as Algebra 1, will not take a VGA for mathematics. The following points may help you and your student better understand this assessment.
- VGA must be taken in person at school.
- This online, computer-adaptive test is about half as long as the spring SOL test.
- Questions use Standards of Learning (SOL)-like items to measure current knowledge and skills in the content area.
- Student results will be used to help school staff plan for instruction and support.
Future Scientists
If you are interested in joining the 2023-24 Glasgow Science Olympiad team, fill out the 2023-24 interest form available at this link: tinyurl.com/muvnjs4h
Please fill it out by Friday, Sept. 1.
Our first meeting will be held online Wednesday, Sept. 6 from 7pm-8pm using Google Meets at this link: https://meet.google.com/idf-sscs-ueo We will briefly introduce Science Olympiad for new students/parents; we will discuss the tournaments we are planning to attend; we will see who from last year is interested in returning for the 2023-24 season; and we will make sure everyone understands the extra work that is required when taking on building events. You or a parent must attend this meeting if you wish to be on the team this year (or be excused ahead of time by the coaches).
The regular after-school meeting time for Science Olympiad will be on Wednesdays, block 2, once the after-school program starts up (later in September—watch for Mr. Williams’ emails). We plan to hold one in-person general interest meeting during the after-school time before making the event assignments and closing the team to new members. We can only take 30 students for the team, but we do keep a wait-list of 6-8 people and invite waitlist students to attend meetings (last year everyone on the waitlist made it onto the team). Team members need to commit to being on the team all year, attending 3-4 weekend tournaments, and attending the Science Olympiad team meetings every Wednesday in block 2 unless excused by the coaches (plan to attend even if the lunch time sign-up fills up).
For more information about the Science Olympiad, visit www.soinc.org or www.virginiaso.org. Feel free to reach out to the coaches with any questions:
Teresa Trissell ([email protected])
Tucker Trissell [email protected]
Safety Drills During the School Year
Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for FCPS. Each school has an emergency preparedness plan to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Schools are required by state law to practice emergency drills, including lockdown drills, each year. Schools are also required to notify parents and guardians at least 24 hours before a school conducts a lockdown drill. However, schools are not required to give the specific date and time of the drill in advance.
The first lockdown drill of the school year must take place within the first 20 days of school. Preschool and kindergarten students are exempt from practicing the first lockdown drill.
Your child may come home and talk about their experience during the drill. We encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Please review these frequently asked questions to support your students before and after school lockdown drills.
Parental Permission to Use Digital Resources
Some FCPS-approved digital resources require parent consent before they can be used by students. Find the list of resources which require consent on the Parent Consent webpage. 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.
FCPS Transportation: 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 children’s buses.
If a student’s bus is delayed, parents 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. Contact the Transportation Office at 703.446.2050 with any additional questions. For any concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact Safety and Security at 571-423-2000.
To make sure you receive email messages about bus delays, update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE.
💻 Chromebook Tips
High school and secondary school students are receiving a new Chromebook this year. These devices feature larger screens than previously issued devices and battery life that easily lasts the school day.
Encourage your student to visit the following helpful links to:
If your child prefers to use their personal laptop, make sure it meets our minimum requirements. Students may access our student Chromebook FAQs (FCPS Google login required) for more information.
If your student runs into any issues while using their Chromebook, please have them reach out to their school’s tech team for support.
New Leadership and Restructured Regions
FCPS leaders have spent the summer aligning resources to ensure that every student receives the premier educational experience FCPS is known for. There have been a number of changes in staff assignments across the regions, and the addition of a new Region 6.
Learn more about the Leadership Team, school regions, and central offices and region leadership.
Update Contact Information to Receive Messages From FCPS
Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from FCPS and our school by providing your cell phone number and email in SIS ParentVUE. Make sure you complete the Emergency Care Form for your child every year and update when necessary.
To update your contact information in ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then select the “Online Verification/Update” form in the drop down menu. Click “Begin Packet.”
Parents who do not have a SIS ParentVUE account may still communicate updates via the normal paper process. They may also print and complete a blank Emergency Care Information Form with updates and submit it to the front office.
What Is 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.
Parent accounts will be available after August 21. 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 Notification and Updates
FCPS is committed to supporting the mental wellness of all students. The Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener helps our students share their perspectives on how their schools and communities support them and help them develop the skills they need to succeed.
The screener is offered to all students in grades 3 through 12 in the fall and spring. It addresses skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships with adults and peers, and making responsible decisions. Students also share how successful their school and community are at making them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to plan programming for the division, schools, and individual students.
Key updates to the screener this year include:
- Different versions for students in grades 3-5 and 6-12.
- Fewer topics with more questions to provide schools and families with more data to support planning.
- Additional questions aligned with FCPS’ commitment to educational equity.
Results are mailed home to families after each screening. Families who wish to opt their child out may do so by completing the opt-out form in the Annual Notice packet or SIS ParentVue.
For more information, please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage
Please note that the SEL Screener differs from the anonymous Fairfax County Youth Survey. For more information about the Youth Survey, see the Fairfax County Youth Survey site.
Required Forms: All students must have Emergency Contact Information and Health Information updated each fall. Log in to Parent VUE to update your emergency contact information. Click here for instructions
Educational Equity Policy Adopted by School Board
In June, the School Board adopted an Educational Equity policy that demonstrates our commitment to the diverse FCPS community, the promise of welcoming and culturally responsive school and work environments, and the guarantee of access and opportunity for the entire FCPS community. Learn more about educational equity priorities and the plan in practice.
All parents of school-aged children and youth with disabilities who receive special education services in Virginia are requested to complete the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) annual Parent Involvement Survey.
This survey will remain open through December 15, 2023. Please complete one survey for each of your children who is currently receiving special education services during the 2022-2023 school year.
If you have any questions regarding this survey, please contact Chiquita Seaborne, Family Engagement Specialist/Special Projects Coordinator, via email at [email protected], or via telephone at (804) 225-3898.
🏗️ Projects Supported by the 2023 Bond Referendum
The 2023 $435 million Bond Referendum — which will be on the ballot this Election Day, Tuesday, November 7 — is expected to fund projects at Franklin Middle School and Armstrong, Bren Mar Park, Brookfield, Centre Ridge, Cub Run, Dranesville, Herndon, Lees Corner, Poplar Tree, Sangster, Saratoga, Union Mill, Virginia Run, Waples Mill, and Willow Springs elementary schools.
The building and renovation of our schools are not funded through the division’s operating budget. Voter-approved bonds allow payment for these projects over time. Read more about the 2023 Bond Referendum. Learn about registering to vote.
Vote on Tuesday, November 7.
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