Poe Family Newsletter October 13, 2025

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RAVEN REPORT

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This week we started off strong with our SEL screener. On Wednesday we had a chance to share with families about how we support students’ wellness here at Poe, and families were very appreciative of the way we have systems and structures in place to ensure our students’ SEL needs are being met. At our Parent Advisory Meeting this week families shared how much they appreciated communication from their students’ teachers and how meaningful it was to them to see updated grades in their students’ gradebooks. We love hearing our communities’ needs and your participation is very important to us. We hope to continue seeing you in upcoming events here at Poe!

Follow us on Social Media: To see the latest from Poe MS follow us on Instagram at @poeravensfcps!

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Important Dates

 

10/17: Parent Coffee 9:30-10:30 Raven’s Nest

10/20: Holiday- No school 

10/21 & 10/23- SOS (Signs of Suicide) Screener

10/22 & 10/28: Community Meeting AAP Center at Poe 6:30-8:00 Library

10/31- 2hr early release End of Quarter 1

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Raving Ravens
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Our very own talented Ms. Rachel Wiseman was featured in not one, but two art shows this week. The first was the Artist Teacher Exhibition, celebrating “Color stories” by art teachers in FCPS.  The second featured her work in The “Colorburst” exhibition with a focus on colorblindness, providing special wavelength glasses to colorblind individuals allowing them to experience art with a broader spectrum of colors by filtering in additional wavelengths of light.

Last month, our own Ms. Renee Ruggles was also featured. Her photograph was one of 131 photographs selected by the Juror, who is the Art Critic for the Washington Post.  It will be on display at the Hill Center Gallery.

We are lucky to have such talented staff here at Poe MS!

FRED Cards: Here’s what people are saying about our amazing staff. Below are some of the highlights from the recent FRED Cards that were submitted. The person’s name is who is being highlighted followed by what was said about them by a colleague. I will continue to highlight them in each Raven Report so keep them coming!

  • Mike Hanpeter: “Thank you so much for problem solving around Benchmark and supporting a teacher with her roster. Your quick action helped relieve stress!”
  • Sophia Sozzi: “Sophia, Welcome to Poe! You have been so positive and supportive of literacy intervention. I am excited to tap into you this year. Thank you for being a model of collective ownership.”
  • Yasmin Paraskevas: “Thank you for being such a valuable member of the History 6 CT. Your students are lucky to have you advocate for them”
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Important Information

No-Cost Meals Available for Students on October 13: We’re excited to share that our school will be offering lunch and a snack at no cost to children aged 18 and under on Monday, October 13. As a reminder, all FCPS schools will be closed for students and school staff on October 13 in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Here’s what you need to know:

  • Lunch and a snack will be served together from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Meals must be eaten on site at participating schools.
  • Enrichment activities will be available for children. Participation is encouraged but not required.
  • Only children 18 and under may receive meals.
  • Each child may receive one lunch and one snack.

We are proud to support our students’ health and well-being, even on days when school is not in session. We hope that many of our families will take advantage of this opportunity. If you have questions, please contact the Office of Food and Nutrition Services at 703-813-4800.

All Families Opted in to Lightspeed Student Online Activity Report: FCPS provides families with a free service that allows parents and caregivers a way to stay informed about their child's online activity on any FCPS device. Starting Sunday, October 12, all parents and guardians who have access to student records in SIS ParentVUE will be automatically enrolled to receive a weekly Lightspeed Student Online Activity Report.

This report provides a summary of the websites your child visited during the previous week and is delivered every Sunday to your email directly from Lightspeed, our internet content filter. 

Each weekly report also includes a link to register for the Lightspeed Parent Portal, which provides more detailed browsing information. This portal also gives you the ability to pause internet access on your child’s FCPS laptop during non-school hours, such as dinner or bedtime. 

Visit the Lightspeed Parent Report page for more information and answers to frequently asked questions.

When Cell Phones Are Down, Learning and Engagement Are Up: Help Keep Our Schools Phone-Free: Cell phones can significantly impact academic performance — research has shown that it takes students 10 minutes or more to shift their focus back to learning after being interrupted by a single cell phone notification! You can help keep our schools phone-free (and your child focused on learning) by:

  • Reminding your child about FCPS’ cell phone policyand telling them why you support it.
  • Contacting your school’s front office (rather than your child directly) if there is a family emergency during the school day.
  • Contacting your child about non-urgent matters before or after the school day.
  • Waiting to respond to non-urgent texts from your child until the school day is over.

Learn more about FCPS’ cell phone and personal device policy. Also, view our Media Balance and Well-Being Toolkit for resources to help your child maintain a healthy and balanced relationship with technology at home.

October Community Boundary Review Meetings: FCPS’ October community boundary review meetings will begin on Monday, October 13. Each of the 12 meetings will focus on two pyramids. Our pyramid will be covered at the meeting on October 21 from 6:30-8pm at Annandale High School. Register by clicking  in person or virtual ” based on how you would like to participate. 

At the meeting, the consultant will present the latest draft boundary map (Scenario 4) and potential changes specific to our pyramid and the Annandale Pyramid. Participants will also be invited to ask questions.

If you are unable to attend the meeting for our pyramid, you are welcome to attend any meeting that is convenient. View the full list of October boundary meetings. 

Visit the Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage for more information.

AAP at Poe MS: 

FCPS is proposing to open a new Full-Time Advanced Academic Program Center at Poe Middle School in the Annandale Pyramid. If approved by the School Board, the proposal will allow students whose base middle school is either Poe or Holmes Middle School to remain in the Annandale Pyramid for Full-Time AAP.

Two meetings will be held for interested families to learn more about the proposal, understand potential impacts, and provide feedback:

·       Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.

·       Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.

Both meetings will be held at Poe Middle School in the Library.

Registration is available but not required, and it will greatly assist us with planning. To help us better accommodate individual needs, please RSVP using this form and indicate if you plan to attend in-person or virtually and whether you require interpretation services. 

Not sure which middle school your student is assigned to? Please use the FCPS Boundary Locator to find out.

Parent Advisory Meeting 10/8: Did you miss our Parent Advisory Meeting last week? No worries- you can still join us on October 17 for our Parent Coffee at 9:30 AM in the Raven’s Nest where we will be covering the same topic. Our you can take a look on your own here at our slides.

Inspire Immunization Events for All FCPS Students: Inspire Health Alliance, in partnership with FCPS, will be providing school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students.

  • Immunizations will be provided at no out-of-pocket cost to students or families.
  • Registering families will be required to provide insurance information, if applicable, but students without insurance may still participate.

Current event dates are listed below. Additional dates will be made available throughout the school year, 4-5 weeks prior to the event, on the public webpage.

Willow Oaks Administrative Office, 8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax, VA:  

  • Thursday, November 6; 3-6:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday, November 18; 3-6:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, November 19; 3-6:30 p.m. 
  • Thursday, November 20; 3-6:30 p.m. 

Frost Middle School, 4101 Pickett Rd. Fairfax, VA:

  • Saturday, November 15; 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 

For more information, or to help families schedule an appointment for their student, please visit our