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Dear Island Creek Families,
What a fantastic full week of school with our Crocs! We are so fortunate to have the best families and students in FCPS!
We are excited about our 3rd annual This is Us Multicultural Night on Thursday, January 30 (5:30-7:00)! Your child will receive (or may have already received) a multicultural cardboard doll to decorate with an international culture they associate with or know about. Please send the decorated multicultural dolls back to school as soon as possible so we can display them in the cafeteria for our multicultural event.
As a reminder, schools and offices will be closed on Monday, January 20, for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday and the Presidential Inauguration.
We hope everyone enjoys a wonderful weekend and spends time with a good book! We look forward to seeing our Crocs on Tuesday, January 21.
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All our best,
Jen Fallert, Principal
Karen Baxter, Assistant Principal
Denise Cash-Pinckney, Assistant Principal
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❤️Questions?
❤️Suggestions?
❤️Concerns?
Should you have questions, suggestions, or concerns, please reach out to your child's teacher. Additionally, the following staff are here to support and may be reached via email or by calling the front office at 571-642-6300.
Jen Fallert, Principal (jrfallert@fcps.edu)
Karen Baxter, Assistant Principal (kpbaxter@fcps.edu)
Denise Cash-Pinckney, Assistant Principal (dcashpinckne@fcps.edu)
Nikki Bohnert, School Counselor (anbohnert@fcps.edu)
Trina Clinkscales, School Counselor (trclinckscale@fcps.edu)
Jermaine Perkins, School Psychologist (jtperkins@fcps.edu)
Allison DeGregorio, Social Worker (amdegregorio@fcps.edu)
Corine Washington, Public Health Nurse (cwashington@fcps.edu)
Help us reach our goal of 5% or less this year!
Regular attendance is a significant factor in a student’s success:
- Chronic absenteeism (missing 10% of the school year) correlates to low academic achievement;
- Absenteeism is a powerful predictor of dropout rates;
- Absenteeism has been linked to poor outcomes later in life.
To ensure transparency and celebrate our progress, we will be sharing weekly 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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Congratulations to our Croc Stars who demonstrated the Crocs Creed character traits of being Open and Honest!
  
Schools and offices will be closed on Monday, January 20, for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday and the Presidential Inauguration.
FCPS is collaborating with Volunteer Fairfax for the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Students and families can volunteer on Saturday, January 25, at Give Together at the James Lee Community Center.
Volunteer Fairfax invites families to participate in thoughtful, engaging service projects working alongside local nonprofit and government agency partners across a variety of mission areas. Projects will include food packing, creating care packages, environmental stewardship, and support for animal welfare. This event is free and open to the public but registration is required.
There will also be Financial Literacy Workshops offered at Give Together for students in grades 3-12. If you would like to attend one of the workshops, sign up during check-in on January 25.
On the third Monday of January, people throughout the United States join in honoring the life and works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As we witness nations around the world continue to struggle under the weight of violence, hate, and poverty, today’s social, political, and economic landscape reveals the urgent necessity of Dr. King’s philosophy and methodology of Nonviolence (Nonviolence365™). This history is a foundational part of American history.
Students deserve meaningful, sustained opportunities to learn about the experiences and contributions of Dr. King year-round, and the celebration of a Day of Service is an opportunity to honor his work and legacy by actively participating in making our communities cleaner, safer, and more welcoming.
Congratulations to Mrs. Arslan and Mrs. Laird for leading some of our extraordinary Island Creek students at the VOKE Choral Festival last weekend! The students rehearsed all-day Saturday and had a Sunday evening concert. They have been rehearsing after school and at home since October!
Croc Students: Amira, Jaelyn, Malala, Ramona, Hailey, and Zoe (who could not attend because of illness).
 
The Island Creek Elementary Staff are excited to host our third annual This is Us Multicultural Night on Thursday, January 30 from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. The This Is Us event will be a celebration where our students and families can come together to learn about the various cultures, countries, and traditions at Island Creek.
Island Creek Elementary is fortunate to have numerous countries and cultures reflected in our students, as well as families who have traveled or been stationed abroad and throughout the United States. We plan activities for the This Is Us event to enable the Island Creek Elementary School community to connect and learn more about their classmates and families through their cultures, travels, food, and traditions.
We’d love for you to contribute something from your culture, country of heritage, or from a country or culture you know well. If you wish to prepare an activity, please register online by Friday, January 24. Registration is only needed for tables and performances.
During the second quarter in PE students practiced gymnastics skills, worked to create a gymnastics routine, and practiced their basketball skills. We are looking forward to starting our mid-year fitness, dance, and striking units in quarter three! Students in grades Kindergarten through 3rd grade will be able to spin our Wheel of FITNESS for their warmup and go grocery shopping on scooters with our nutrition cards! Students in grades 4th through 6th will complete their mid-year VA wellness fitness tests and submit their scores into Welnet. We are excited for a fun 3rd quarter of PE classes with all students!
Even on snowy or rainy days please make sure your child is prepared with the correct tennis shoes for their PE classes.
Tuesday, January 28, is the last day of the second quarter. Wednesday, January 29, is Lunar New Year and a teacher workday. There will be no school for students. See the complete school year calendar.
Since 2008, the Asian Community Service Center (ACSC) has endeavored to spread the spirit of traditional Chinese culture and values to our diverse community in Northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland by holding an annual Festival right before the Chinese New Year.
The program includes traditional dragon and lion dance,classical and ethnic folk dances, dances, musical instruments and vocals, arts and crafts, children’s games, as well as ethnic cuisines. Children learn a little Chinese and how to play Chinese games. At past events, some lucky children even learned how to do the dragon dance! Please visit the following link to view past Chinese New Year celebration events: www.ChineseNewYearFestival.org. Along with entertainment, our festival provides educational opportunities. The mission of our event is: Return to Tradition. We promote a specific, traditional Chinese value each year so everyone can learn some ancient Chinese wisdom. The value of 2025 we have selected is Harmony (和 in Chinese). We hope that our event can help improve family and social Harmony.
EDUCATIONAL TOUR China's 5,000 year history leaves us some of the most amazing stories and wisdom to learn from. Chinese culture is full of inner meaning. Through stories and presentations designed for school-age children and their parents, as well as teachers and school administrators, participants will get a feel for the true essence of Chinese culture. Group reservations are appreciated although we will try our best to accommodate everyone on a first-come, first serve basis. We sincerely invite all the Island Creek Elementary School students to join our 16th Annal Chinese New Year Festival on Jan. 25 from 10am to 5:30pm at Luther Jackson Middle School, 3020 Gallows Road, Falls Church, Virginia 22042.
SCHEDULES Performances- 1:15pm-2pm; 3:45pm-4:30pm. Dragon Parade -2:45 p.m. Educational Tours-11 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m., Start from Information Desk All activities are free but children may wish to purchase their favorite Asian dish (all affordably priced) or buy a beautiful Chinese craft. They are encouraged to wear Chinese or Asian dress during the event. We hope you can make it.
Help us kick off the second school semester with our Croc Staff and Teacher Appreciation Breakfast on Friday, January 31.
If you can bake something yummy or bring a food item, please access this link to sign up or the QR code below. Please bring your delicious items to the front office by 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 30, OR between 7:15 and 7:45 a.m. on Friday, January 31.
All contributions are greatly appreciated!
Monday, February 10 is Island Creek's next 3-Hour Early Release Day for school-age students at 12:20 pm. We will follow parent/guardian repsonses from the Early Release on Monday, November 18. If you need to change your child’s plans, please call the school office at 571-642-6300 as soon as possible and no later than Thursday, February 6.
Upcoming Dates
❤️Monday, January 20: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday and Inauguration Day (No school for students and staff)
❤️Friday, January 24: Coffee and Conversations: Supports for Multilingual Learners (8:45)
❤️Tuesday, January 28: End of 2nd Quarter
❤️Wednesday, January 29: Lunar New Year and Teacher Workday (No school for students)
❤️Thursday, January 30: Spirit Day and This is Us Multicultural Night (5:30-7:00)
❤️Monday, February 10: 3-Hour Early Release (12:20)
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