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Every Day Counts at Garfield!
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Help us reach our goal of 6% absenteeism or less this year!
To ensure transparency and celebrate our progress, we will be regularly sharing attendance data and updates in our newsletter. By highlighting this important information, we aim to keep our families informed and energized about our collective efforts to encourage regular school attendance.
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As we are in the second half of the second quarter, we are gearing up to share your child’s State of Attendance reports and celebrate attendance milestones with some fun upcoming events! Stay tuned - Let’s make everyday count at Garfield!
As we head into 2025, we are renewing our focus on daily attendance to ensure every student succeeds. New Year, New Attendance Goals!
We’re asking families to commit to:
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95% Attendance or Higher - Aim for no more than 7 absences this year.
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Plan Ahead - Schedule appointments outside school hours.
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Healthy Routines - Ensure rest and on-time arrival.
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Communicate Early - Notify us immediately about absences.
Gentle reminder: As you are planning for breaks and considering plans for the following year, please refer to the FCPS calendar that has already been published for the following two years:
2025-2026
2026-2027
Together, let’s make every day count!
 “Coming to School
Everyday is Cool!”
Poster Contest Details!
Your child is invited to participate in an exciting poster contest highlighting why coming to school every day is cool! Encourage your student to listen for helpful tips each week on the News Show to spark their creativity. Posters are due to Mrs. Peerman and Ms. Manning by the morning of Thursday, January 31st.
Winners will be announced on GNN and will have the opportunity to showcase their posters on the News Show, around our school!
We can’t wait to see our students' amazing ideas
Mark Your Calendars
- January is National Mentoring Month
- January 20 - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday
- January 28 - End of 2nd Quarter
- January 29 - Lunar New Year (Teacher Workday)
- January 30 - Parent Coffee, 9:30 am - Cafeteria
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday
Preparing for Winter Weather
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.
Winter Assessments
FCPS uses a variety of academic screening, growth, and diagnostic tests to identify students' academic strengths and needs and to monitor growth in their learning across the school year. These assessments fulfill state requirements for screening and growth measures in addition to providing data to develop student reading plans or student intervention plans, as needed. Additional diagnostic tests are available as a resource for teachers when more information is needed to determine specific areas for support.
- These assessments help teachers know each students' areas of strength and need within the content.
- They also provide data on how each student is growing throughout the year.
Students will participate in a variety of assessments this month. More information about the growth assessments can be found on the FCPS website.
Diagnostic Assessments by Grade Level
- Pre-K-2nd (select G3) - VALLS
- Gr 3-6 - iReady Reading
- Scheduled to be completed by mid January, as results determine if additional diagnostic testing is required.
- Gr 1-6 - iReady Math
SR&R and Cell Phone Survey
SR&R and Cell Phone Policy Survey Coming Soon
All FCPS families and middle and high school students will be receiving an email invitation on Tuesday, January 21, to participate in a survey about FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R), cell phone policy, and cell phone storage options. The survey will be available from January 21 to February 3. Please take a few moments to share your feedback and help FCPS make informed, inclusive decisions for all of our schools!
Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost
FCPS is partnering 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; and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests.
Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.
Gradebook Available Until
End-of-Quarter
Gradebook Available Until End-of-Quarter
Based on community feedback from the first quarter closure, FCPS revisited the scheduled dates for closing the Gradebook and Report Card modules in the SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE apps.
Moving forward, the app will close in alignment with the actual quarter-end dates. This change will allow students and families to view their assignments and grades until the last day of the quarter. Gradebook will be closed for the second quarter from Tuesday, January 28, 4 p.m. to Tuesday, February 4, 6 a.m.
Access Your Child’s Grades Through SIS ParentVue
Learn how your ParentVUE account allows you to easily access grade reports and other helpful information about your child.
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