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Aldrin Elementary School
Newsletter
December 12, 2024
121224 Newsletter
Mark Your Calendars!
December 18: Region 1 Boundary Meeting, Madison High School Cafeteria, 6:30 pm
December 19: Winter Concert (Band, Orchestra, Chorus) 6 pm
December 23- Jan 3: Winter Vacation (no school)
January 6: Return to school
January 14: General PTA Meeting, 7 pm
January 20: Holiday| Martin Luther King Jr. Day (offices closed-no school)
January 24: PTA Bingo Night, 6 pm
January 28: End of Second Quarter
January 29: Teacher Workday (no school)
February 12: PTA General Meeting, 7 pm
February 17: Holiday| Washington’s Birthday and President’s Day (offices closed-no school)
February 20: Aldrin Literacy Night
March 7: PTA Sixth Grade Basketball Aldrin v Armstrong Basketball Game, 6 pm Herndon High School Gym
March 11: PTA General Meeting, 7 pm
March 17: 3-hour Early Release Monday (1:05 pm dismissal)
March 28: End of Third Quarter
March 31: Holiday| Eid al-Fitr (offices closed-no school)
April 1: Student Holiday|Teacher Workday (no school)
April 9: PTA General Meeting, 7 pm
April 14 - 18: Holidays| Spring Break (offices closed- no school)
April 28: 3-hour Early Release Monday (dismissal at 1:05 pm)
Table of Contents
Winter Break (Student Holiday)
Update on Potential Changes to Middle School Start Times (All Grades)
Food Assistance and Resource Guide (All Grades)
Bundle Up With Books Over Break (All Grades)
Medical Accommodations in the Cafeteria (All Grades)
Winter Weather (All Grades)
Fall Social and Emotional Screener Results (Grades 3-6)
Boundary Review Community Meeting (All Grades)
Services for Hearing-Impaired and Visually-Impaired Students (All Grades)
Tutoring Resources for Families (All Grades)
Winter Coats Needed! (All Grades)
The PTA Buzz Newsletter
HoneyBaked Ham Gift Card Fundraiser (All Grades)
PTA Membership Drive (All Grades)
PTA Volunteer Leaders Needed! (All Grades)
Important Resources
AES Student Links AES Homepage AES PTA AES Parent Resources
Winter Break (Student Holiday)
As a reminder, winter break will be held Monday, December 23, to Friday, January 3. To help make sure you and your children have a restful break, we have asked that no homework be assigned during this time. Teachers may assign long-range assignments in the weeks ahead of the break, allowing students to practice time management skills, but no assignments will be due immediately following the break. We look forward to welcoming students back in the new year.Classes resume on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. See the complete school year calendar.
Update on Potential Changes to Middle School Start Times (All Grades)
At Tuesday’s School Board work session, staff from Prismatic Services, Inc., presented options for adjusting start times at FCPS middle schools. As a reminder, Prismatic is charged with developing an action plan to help the School Board reach its goal of starting middle school at or after 8 a.m.
The presentation includes five options for adjusting middle school start times based on the consultant’s analysis from community forums, surveys, and interviews with staff, parents, associations, and other groups. The School Board will provide next steps to the superintendent.
Watch a video of the work session. Visit the Middle School Start Times webpage for more information on the project.
Food Assistance and Resource Guide (All Grades)
Food insecurity impacts more than 96,000 Fairfax County residents. There are many resources available to support those who need food assistance. Learn how to help these families and the many resources available to support those who need food assistance on Fairfax County’s website or view the county’s Human Services Resource Guide.
Bundle Up With Books Over Break (All Grades)
Fairfax County Public Library’s (FCPL) winter reading adventure has begun and will continue through Friday, January 31, 2025. Visit your local FCPL library branch or visit their website to register and get a sneak peek at the prizes being offered.
Check out their Winter Reading Events webpage to learn about laser tag, movie nights, crafting sessions, Noon-Year Eve celebrations, and book discussions.
Medical Accommodations in the Cafeteria (All Grades)
Starting School Year 2024-2025, the Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) implemented a standardized process for dietary accommodations to ensure the provision of safe and healthy food for our students. If your child will need a medical accommodation (food allergies, texture modifications, or other dietary needs) or a milk substitution in the cafeteria, this is a reminder to submit your completed accommodation form if you have not already done so. This form only needs to be filled out once while your child is enrolled at FCPS. The completed form should be sent to [email protected]. More information including the form can be found here: https://www.fcps.edu/services/families-and-caregivers/food-and-nutrition/dietary-accommodations If you have any questions, please contact FCPS Food and Nutrition Services at: 703-813-4800.
Winter Weather (All Grades)
Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather-related closing decisions are made.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange for childcare if needed.
Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities
We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories which may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. See the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.
If you need assistance supplying your child with cold-weather clothing, please call Fairfax County's Coordinated Services Planning at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health care.
Fall Social and Emotional Screener Results (Grades 3-6)
One of the ways FCPS supports the mental wellness of all students is through the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener. In October, students in grades 3-12 took this screener, which gives information about their skills such as achieving goals, handling emotions, building relationships with adults and peers, and making good choices.
The screener also helps students evaluate their school community’s efforts to make them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to create learning, experiences, and environments for students to succeed.
Families are able to view student SEL Screener results in SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be sent by mail.
Learn more about the screener on the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage. For help understanding your child’s results or ideas to support them at home, review the Family Guide or contact your child’s school.
Register for ParentVUE
Learn how to activate your ParentVUE account, so you can easily access your child’s results and other helpful information.
Testing Windows for all Required Tests for each Grade Level can be found here.
Boundary Review Community Meeting (All Grades)
Community meetings regarding FCPS’ comprehensive boundary review will take place in each of the division's six regions. You are encouraged to attend the meeting in our region (Region 1) which will take place on Wednesday, December 18, 6:30-8 p.m., at Madison High School Cafeteria.
Please register in advance by clicking on the date. Language interpretation will be available.
If you are unable to attend on this date, view the full list of meetings on the Comprehensive School Boundary Review webpage.
Services for Hearing-Impaired and Visually-Impaired Students (All Grades)
Students with sensory disabilities require specialized services and support to access instruction that is typically presented visually and auditorily (by means of hearing). FCPS provides educational services to students who are deaf, hearing-impaired, or visually impaired. They are supported in various settings, including at their school or through itinerant specialists who travel to different schools to work with students, rather than being based in a single school. Learn more about Services for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Services for Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired.
Visit the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) website for Resources for Serving Students with Sensory Disabilities.
Tutoring Resources for Families (All Grades)
Is your family looking for resources to help support your child’s academic success? FCPS’ Family Resource Center (FRC) maintains a list of district employees who hold a valid Virginia teaching credential and who are available to be hired as a tutor by parents. FRC maintains this list, but families are responsible for contacting and working directly with tutors. This list is not “approved” by FCPS and is only meant as a resource.
FCPS also partners with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors' services at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests.
FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan Goal 3: Academic Growth and Excellence, reminds us of our commitment to supporting each and every student and helping them meet or exceed high academic standards.
Winter Coats Needed! (All Grades)
Please help Aldrin families stay warm this winter by donating new or gently used:
- Coats
- Scarves
- Boots
- Gloves
All Sizes are needed! Please drop any items off in the bin located in the front office.
If you have any questions, please contact Celeste Thompson, school counselor at [email protected] or Sarah Connolly, family liaison (habla espanol) [email protected].
The PTA Buzz Newsletter
Look for important information and updates about the Aldrin PTA events in The PTA Buzz Newsletter.
HoneyBaked Ham Gift Card Fundraiser (All Grades)
The PTA is raising money to build shade structures for the Aldrin playground. Please consider purchasing a HoneyBaked Ham gift card to use when buying your holiday hams. They are good for all celebrations throughout the year. Please share with your family, friends and neighbors both near and far! This runs through December 31, 2024.
PTA Membership Drive (All Grades)
Please help the Aldrin PTA meet their membership goal of 200 staff, family or individual memberships by the end of the 2024 year.
PTA Volunteer Leaders Needed! (All Grades)
The Aldrin PTA runs on volunteer leaders and we need YOU so that the PTA can continue to run all of the important programs that enhance your child(ren)'s educational experiences! We need representation from all members of our diverse Aldrin community to ensure that we are fully meeting the needs of the community with our programs.
All PTA programs are volunteer-led and run. Without leadership, these programs are at risk of going away.
If you have questions or if you are interested in discussing a volunteer or leadership position, please contact Jennifer Watson at [email protected]
11375 Center Harbor Rd., Reston, VA 20194 | Main Office: 703.904.3800
Attendance: 703.904.3818 | Web | Twitter
