FCPS

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From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!  We are wrapping up our third "3 hr early closing" today.  This is our last early closing until February (the remaining schedule is listed below).  This week, we do not have a lot of 'events' that are happening outside of our FLE Parent Preview Night (November 20th) and picture 'retakes' (November 21st).  You can find out more information about both of those events in the summaries below.

The FCPS Boundary Review is underway.  This is a system-wide look at every school boundary and school utilization.  Community nights are scheduled by region and the Region 4 night is set for Tuesday, December 3rd, 6:30 pm @ Lake Braddock HS.  Links can be found below that will provide a wealth of information about the process.

Last Thursday, the FCPS School Board recognized Cherry Run (and many other schools) for our recognized status as a "Purple Star School".  I was thrilled to participate in this event along with our Purple Star sponsors, Mrs. Angela Lock and Mrs. Chelsea Kelly-Sipe.  We had a fantastic time meeting with our LT team, the FCPS School Board, and several special guests.  I am extremely proud, and grateful, of the work that the committees put in for us to achieve this designation.

Have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

Important Dates:

November 20 - FLE Parent Preview Night - 7:00pm - Zoom

November 21 - Make Up Pictures - All Day

November 27-29 - Student Holiday - No Students - School is CLOSED

December 11 - PTA Meeting - Cafeteria & Zoom - 7:30-8:30

Dec 23 - Jan 3 - Winter Break - No Students - School is CLOSED

January 20 - Student Holiday - No Students - School is CLOSED

FLE Parent Preview Night

Each year, students in grades 4 - 6 participate in our Family Life Education (FLE) curriculum.  This ranges from 1 day (4th grade) to 5 days (5th & 6th grades) and includes 1 hour lessons on a variety of topics.  Parents have the opportunity to preview these lessons PRIOR to our instructing of students.

Mrs. Goss and Ms. Valenzuela have scheduled the FLE parent preview night for Wednesday, November 20th at 7:00pm.  They plan on hosting a virtual meeting again this year.  The link will be sent closer to the day of the event so families can have it at the top of their inbox.  This meeting will provide an overview of the curriculum and share some examples of the materials that will be used.

For a deeper inspection of the materials used, you are welcome to schedule a visit to the school to look at the full curriculum.

Boundary Review Starting!

• 📍 Boundary Review Community Meetings Start This Month

As a reminder, FCPS has started the process of reviewing school boundaries across the division. This important work will help the district better support student population growth, changes in school capacity, and evolving community needs. Community input is vital to this process. With that in mind, FCPS, in partnership with Thru Consulting, will be hosting a series of community meetings in each of FCPS’ six regions. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts, ask questions, and learn more about the boundary review process.

Please visit FCPS’ website for meeting dates, locations, and other information. Sign up for the School Boundary Review newsletter for updates.

• Tuesday, December 3, 6:30-8 p.m., at Lake Braddock Secondary School Cafeteria. 

• Reuniones Comunitarias sobre la Revisión de Límites Empiezan Este MesComo recordatorio, FCPS ha comenzado el proceso de revisar los límites escolares en toda la división. Este importante trabajo ayudará al distrito a apoyar mejor a nuestra creciente población estudiantil, las capacidades cambiantes de las escuelas, y la evolución de las necesidades de la comunidad. La opinión de la comunidad es vital para este proceso. Con eso en mente, FCPS, en asociación con la Consultoría Thru, será el anfitrión de una serie de reuniones de la comunidad en cada una de nuestras seis regiones. Animamos a los participantes a compartir sus pensamientos, hacer preguntas y aprender más sobre la revisión de límites.

Por favor visite el sitio web de FCPS para las fechas de las reuniones, lugares, y otra información. Suscríbase a nuestro boletín de noticias de la Revisión de Límites Escolares para actualizaciones.

• Martes, 3 de diciembre, 6:30-8 p.m., en la cafetería de la Escuela Secundaria Lake Braddock. 

Make Up Pictures - 11/21

 

Make up pictures are this Thursday, November 21st!!

Victor O’Neill Studios is coming back for underclassmen portrait
makeups/retakes! This session is open to those who meet the following criteria:

● Any student or staff member who was absent for the original sessio
● Any new/transfer students or staff who joined after the original sessio
● Any student/staff who was dissatisfied with their original picture day portrait. 

 

HERE IS THE LINK FOR PHOTOS: 

https://vando.imagequix.com/g1001147808#login

 

NOTES:
○ No purchase is necessary to retake photos. Any student may retake their photo for use in the yearbook.
○ Students retaking their portrait will not receive a new ID card, exceptions below.
○ The new portrait will replace their original yearbook portrait and then be available for purchase.
○ Students who previously purchased a photo package and would like to retake their photo MUST return their original photo package to the photographer in order to receive a new package. Please communicate this important piece of information to students/parents.

Impact Aid Forms

Here is a link for parents to look at for information and how to complete the survey though ParentVue https://www.fcps.edu/impact

We also sent home the forms on Tuesday for students that still needed them completed.

Please reach out to Ms. Naldo if you have any questions: [email protected]

Cherry Run Cold Weather Policy

 

FCPS - SEH-23

How Cold is Too Cold to Allow Students to Play Outdoors??

Deciding when students may play outdoors remains the responsibility of the principal, based on his or her professional judgement after considering the information provided on the fact sheet.  Principals should communicate with their community that it is the intention of the school to hold recess during cold spells and that parents should have their children prepared to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats).

Based on the guidance provided in the regulation, Cherry Run has adopted the following "Cold Weather Policy" for students:

When temperatures drop below 50 degrees we do not allow students who are not wearing leg coverings (e.g. pants/sweats, etc.) and a warm jacket/sweatshirt/hoodie to go outside. Long-sleeve tee-shirts do not count. Students without appropriate covering will be brought to the office or library where they can read until their class returns. 

Please remember to have your students dress appropriately for recess and PE!  While outside recess is at the teacher’s discretion, and we ask that they use good judgment, teachers are able to take students outside for up to 15 minutes when the temperatures reach ZERO!!  

We are aware that sunshine, cloud cover, wind, etc. impact the 'relative' temperature, but having a clear guideline helps with planning for parents/students and gives teachers an objective measure in making determinations.

Limited Early Release Mondays

• Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update

As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.

You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.

We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers. 

Early release Mondays for our school include:

• February 10
• March 10
• April 21
• May 12

Learn more about Early-Release Mondays. 

Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!  

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.

To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.

Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to [email protected].  

Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)

¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.  

Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.

Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.

¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a [email protected].  

Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.

Student Attendance

 

• 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement

During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan. 

Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.

Data shows that:

• Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. 
• Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
• Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
• By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Attendance is critical for academic success!

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.

Tutoring Information

• 📑 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.

Click to edit this placeholder text.

School Hours

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

I will be following up with a more complete "weekly bulletin" on Monday.

I wanted to send out this reminder for our Early Release that is coming this Monday, November 18th. I currently have responses for 331 of our 446 K-6 students and I am hoping that we can get the rest this weekend!  I will be making our after-school groupings this weekend and wanted to let specialists and support staff know who they will be supporting.

The link and QR code are listed below.  Thank you very much for taking the time to fill out the survey!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

November 18th - Early Closing Info

 

On November 18th, Cherry Run will host the third "Early Release Monday" so that teachers can participate in professional development and planning with the new Language Arts program.  In order to accurately plan for students, I am asking parents to click the link below (or use the QR Code in the flyer), to designate their child(ren)'s intention for this day.  Please fill out the form one time for each child.  We appreciate your attention to this matter!

LINK: https://forms.gle/TDvDJoBrc6i7QjCq5

 

A HUGE shout out to our Military Committee and Purple Up club for the work they put in to our Veteran's Day Celebration.  Special guests and speakers helped make this a wonderful experience.  The pictures submitted were amazing and we really appreciated the music provided again this year!  We were extremely pleased that the weather cooperated and we were able to host our "Clap Out" parade line outside!!

Thank you to all of our Veterans and guests who attended to celebrate with us!

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and had a chance to celebrate Veteran's Day!  From today, through Winter Break, we have a 3 hour early closing (November 18) and a 3-day break for Thanksgiving (Nov 27-29), and the rest of the days are school days!  Please make sure that students are in school as much as possible (unless they are sick!) since "Chronic Absenteeism" is now a factor in school accreditation!

FCPS HONORS: Please see the section below with regards to nominating some of our amazing staff!  If you have had a great experience with a staff member, please make sure to reach out and nominate them for and "FCPS Honors" award!

For our 3 hour early release next Monday, I have included a link (and a QR code) for you to submit your intentions.  The October early release went so much smoother and I can only thank all of you, the parents, for that!  The survey is basically the same survey as before.  If you select that you will NOT be staying after school, please select "N/A" in the final question.

This Thursday night, the FCPS School Board will be honoring Cherry Run (along with other schools) for becoming a first time Purple Star School.  I want to again thank all of the people who made this happen and who supported our work towards this goal.  Mrs. Angela Lock and Mrs. Chelsea Kelly-Sipe will be joining me at the school board meeting for the recognition of this accomplishment.

For our veteran's (active, retired, reserve) and their families, I want to send you a personal "THANK YOU" for all that you do, and all that you sacrifice, on behalf of the rest of us.  Beyond the personal sacrifice and risk of being in harm's way, it is the other things you sacrifice such as a baby's first step, a son's/daughter's birthday, an anniversary, and other special moments that you can never get back.  Those things are so incredibly important and you sacrifice those moments for us as well.  I will often see on YouTube "Soldier comes home surprise" and you cannot help but tear up watching the reactions of these families when their loved ones return.  Those videos show the impact and the sacrifices of the families affected by deployments better than any words ever could.  I always try to keep that in mind, especially in a community as special as ours.

Have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

Important Dates:

November 18 - 3 Hour Early closing - 1:05 Dismissal

November 27-29 - Student Holiday - No Students - School is CLOSED

December 11 - PTA Meeting - Cafeteria & Zoom - 7:30-8:30

Dec 23 - Jan 3 - Winter Break - No Students - School is CLOSED

January 20 - Student Holiday - No Students - School is CLOSED

November 18th - Early Closing Info

 

On November 18th, Cherry Run will host the third "Early Release Monday" so that teachers can participate in professional development and planning with the new Language Arts program.  In order to accurately plan for students, I am asking parents to click the link below (or use the QR Code in the flyer), to designate their child(ren)'s intention for this day.  Please fill out the form one time for each child.  We appreciate your attention to this matter!

LINK: https://forms.gle/TDvDJoBrc6i7QjCq5

FCPS Honors Outstanding Staff

 

2025 Outstanding Employee Awards Nominations

Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Employee Awards! To submit a nomination for a Cherry Run ES Outstanding Employee in one of the categories below, please complete the nomination through this Google form link: Nomination Form. You may nominate one employee at our school or multiple employees (one individual may only nominate one employee per category.)

All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in one more of the criteria for that award category. The Google form link has more information regarding the criteria for each of these awards. The eligibility requirements are below. 

Outstanding Teacher  

Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district)

Outstanding New Teacher 

Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district)

Outstanding Principal

Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a building principal (in any school/school district) 

Outstanding Leader  

Eligibility: At least one year of experience in their current position as a Schedule-C or School-Based Administrator scale employee (that is not the building principal) at their current location 

Common positions in this category: Assistant and Associate Principals

Outstanding Professional Employee  

Eligibility: At least one year experience in current position as a Schedule-B employee or other non-instructional employee in a school that supports school leadership at their current location 

Common positions in this category: School-Based Technology Specialist, Technology Support Specialist, Psychologist, Social Worker, School Counselor, Special Education Department Chairs that teach less than 50% of their time, Reading Specialists that do not have a regular course load/do not give grades 

Outstanding Operational Employee 

Eligibility: At least one year of experience in current position as Schedule-A or Classroom Instructional Support Scale employee at their current location 

Common positions in this category: Administrative and Office Staff, Safety and Security Assistant, Custodial Staff, Food Service Staff, IA, PHA, PHTA, All Parent Liaisons 

The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, November 15.

If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Hammond at [email protected]

Veteran's Day Celebration!!

 

A HUGE shout out to our Military Committee and Purple Up club for the work they put in to our Veteran's Day Celebration.  Special guests and speakers helped make this a wonderful experience.  The pictures submitted were amazing and we really appreciated the music provided again this year!  We were extremely pleased that the weather cooperated and we were able to host our "Clap Out" parade line outside!!

Thank you to all of our Veterans and guests who attended to celebrate with us!

FLE Parent Preview Night

Each year, students in grades 4 - 6 participate in our Family Life Education (FLE) curriculum.  This ranges from 1 day (4th grade) to 5 days (5th & 6th grades) and includes 1 hour lessons on a variety of topics.  Parents have the opportunity to preview these lessons PRIOR to our instructing of students.

Mrs. Goss and Ms. Valenzuela have scheduled the FLE parent preview night for Wednesday, November 20th at 7:00pm.  They plan on hosting a virtual meeting again this year.  The link will be sent closer to the day of the event so families can have it at the top of their inbox.  This meeting will provide an overview of the curriculum and share some examples of the materials that will be used.

For a deeper inspection of the materials used, you are welcome to schedule a visit to the school to look at the full curriculum.

Boundary Review Starting!

• 📍 Boundary Review Community Meetings Start This Month

As a reminder, FCPS has started the process of reviewing school boundaries across the division. This important work will help the district better support student population growth, changes in school capacity, and evolving community needs. Community input is vital to this process. With that in mind, FCPS, in partnership with Thru Consulting, will be hosting a series of community meetings in each of FCPS’ six regions. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts, ask questions, and learn more about the boundary review process.

Please visit FCPS’ website for meeting dates, locations, and other information. Sign up for the School Boundary Review newsletter for updates.

• Reuniones Comunitarias sobre la Revisión de Límites Empiezan Este MesComo recordatorio, FCPS ha comenzado el proceso de revisar los límites escolares en toda la división. Este importante trabajo ayudará al distrito a apoyar mejor a nuestra creciente población estudiantil, las capacidades cambiantes de las escuelas, y la evolución de las necesidades de la comunidad. La opinión de la comunidad es vital para este proceso. Con eso en mente, FCPS, en asociación con la Consultoría Thru, será el anfitrión de una serie de reuniones de la comunidad en cada una de nuestras seis regiones. Animamos a los participantes a compartir sus pensamientos, hacer preguntas y aprender más sobre la revisión de límites.

Por favor visite el sitio web de FCPS para las fechas de las reuniones, lugares, y otra información. Suscríbase a nuestro boletín de noticias de la Revisión de Límites Escolares para actualizaciones.

"IEP Palooza"!

• IEP Palooza and Community Resource FairParents/caregivers, school staff, and students over the age of 14 are invited to attend an interactive event celebrating the individualized education program (IEP) process. The IEP Palooza and Community Resource Fair will take place on Saturday, November 16, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at Jackson Middle School. 

The event is sponsored by Fairfax County Special Education Parent Teacher Association (SEPTA). Activities include simulated IEP meetings, break-out sessions on the various parts of an IEP, and a resource fair to learn more about community supports. Register in advance. 

• IEP Palooza y Feria de Recursos Comunitarios

Los padres / cuidadores, personal de la escuela, y los estudiantes mayores de 14 años están invitados a asistir a un evento interactivo que celebra el programa de educación individualizada (IEP) el proceso el sábado, 16 de noviembre, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., en la Escuela Intermedia de Jackson Luther.  

Patrocinado por el Condado de Fairfax Educación Especial Asociación de Padres y Maestros (SEPTA), el evento contará con reuniones simuladas IEP, sesiones de trabajo sobre las diversas partes de un IEP, y una feria de recursos para aprender más acerca de los apoyos de la comunidad. Inscríbase con antelación. 

Cherry Run Cold Weather Policy

 

FCPS - SEH-23

How Cold is Too Cold to Allow Students to Play Outdoors??

Deciding when students may play outdoors remains the responsibility of the principal, based on his or her professional judgement after considering the information provided on the fact sheet.  Principals should communicate with their community that it is the intention of the school to hold recess during cold spells and that parents should have their children prepared to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats).

Based on the guidance provided in the regulation, Cherry Run has adopted the following "Cold Weather Policy" for students:

When temperatures drop below 50 degrees we do not allow students who are not wearing leg coverings (e.g. pants/sweats, etc.) and a warm jacket/sweatshirt/hoodie to go outside. Long-sleeve tee-shirts do not count. Students without appropriate covering will be brought to the office or library where they can read until their class returns. 

Please remember to have your students dress appropriately for recess and PE!  While outside recess is at the teacher’s discretion, and we ask that they use good judgment, teachers are able to take students outside for up to 15 minutes when the temperatures reach ZERO!!  

We are aware that sunshine, cloud cover, wind, etc. impact the 'relative' temperature, but having a clear guideline helps with planning for parents/students and gives teachers an objective measure in making determinations.

Limited Early Release Mondays

• Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update

As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.

You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.

We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers. 

Early release Mondays for our school include:

• November 18
• February 10
• March 10
• April 21
• May 12

Learn more about Early-Release Mondays. 

Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!  

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.

To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.

Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to [email protected].  

Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)

¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.  

Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.

Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.

¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a [email protected].  

Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.

Student Attendance

 

• 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement

During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan. 

Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.

Data shows that:

• Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. 
• Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
• Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
• By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Attendance is critical for academic success!

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.

Tutoring Information

• 📑 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.

Click to edit this placeholder text.

School Hours

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

I wanted to send a reminder about our Veteran's Day celebration happening tomorrow morning, Friday, November 8th.  The program will start in the cafeteria at 8:45 and conclude at 9:30.  Please see below for details!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

Veteran's Day Celebration!!

 

Cherry Run Elementary School is so excited to celebrate our Veterans for the upcoming Veteran's Day Celebration. We would love to showcase all the amazing service members who have served (retired or veteran) or are currently serving, and your family. 

We will be celebrating Military Families on November 8th from 8:45am-9:30am. We will start the program with our Purple Team leading the pledge of allegiance, then as you enjoy refreshments, the slideshow will play in the background, and you will enjoy music from the Air Force Woodwind Band. In addition, our Cherry Run chorus will sing a song and we will have a guest speaker.

Lastly, at 9:25, Cherry Run students and staff will "Clap Out" our beloved Veteran's, spouses, and other family members in attendance.

Looking forward to seeing our Cherry Run Families!

School Hours

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

We are happy to celebrate the last day of the first quarter and we are ready to launch ahead into quarter #2!  As we move into the 2nd quarter, we also move into November which has multiple disruptions to the school calendar.  Teacher conferences, election day, Veteran's Day!!, and Thanksgiving all impact our schedule.  We do have a major celebration (Veteran's Day!) on tap for November 8th.  Please see below for more information.

November also brings about the annual "FCPS Honors" event where families can nominate Cherry Run staff for their exemplary efforts on behalf of students and families.  Please look through the categories below and, if you feel a person fits the criteria, we encourage you to nominate our amazing staff members!

Lastly, as we wind down the 1st quarter, I wanted to share some information about "Chronic Absenteeism".  Chronic absenteeism (CA) is defined as any student who misses 10% of the schools days, for any reason.  There is no discrepancy for students who stay home sick vs students who go on multiple vacations.  10% of days missed makes you chronically absent.  While we encourage students who are sick to stay home (!), students who are frequently sick AND go on vacations during the school year tend to fall into this CA category.  Starting this year, CA is now a part of our school accreditation and counts 10% towards our accreditation status.  It is imperative that students attend school regularly.

Last year, students who were chronically absent were notified at the semester mark indicating their CA status. This year there will be a slight change to that process.  During the 1st quarter, we are not sending home letters because we have only had 44 days of school and a student with 5 absences would be "chronically absent".  So, any student who had the flu or a stomach bug and missed a week would be "CA".  As we add school days, the threshold for CA continues to go up (e.g. any student with five absences now (out of 44 days) is CA, but in two weeks, that same student with 5 absences (out of 54 days) would no longer be considered CA).  At the end of the second quarter, the threshold for CA would be 10 days absent (out of 96 days) to be considered "CA".  At the end of the 3rd quarter the "CA" status would be 14 days and for the year, 18 absences would make a student CA for the year, assuming they were enrolled on day 1.

At the end of the 2nd quarter, those students who are "CA" will receive a letter indicating their current status, whether they were "CA" last year or not, and a notice that an action plan will need to be created for students on track to be CA for the year.  At this time, we have over 50+ students who are technically "CA".  As we add days of school, my hope is that the number of students in this category will go down, but those students will need to continue to attend on a regular basis.

Please feel free to ask me any questions about Chronic Absenteeism and how it impacts our school's accreditation status.  Have a great LONG weekend.

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

Important Dates:

November 1 - Student Holiday - No Students - School is CLOSED

November 4 - Teacher Workday - No Students - School is OPEN

November 5 - Teacher Workday - No Students - School is OPEN

November 7 - PTA Monthly Meeting - 7:30 - Cafeteria/Zoom

November 8 - Veteran's Day Celebration!!

November 11 - Student Holiday - No Students - School is CLOSED

November 27-29 - Student Holiday - No Students - School is CLOSED

Veteran's Day Celebration!!

 

Cherry Run Elementary School is so excited to celebrate our Veterans for the upcoming Veterans. We would love to showcase all the amazing service members who have served (retired or veteran) or are currently serving, and your family. Please email our Family Liaison, Stacy Huisman ([email protected]) to send a picture and information about your family and service member. Feel free to include any service member that you would like to honor including, but not limited to Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, parents and children. We will put all the photos into a slideshow and classes will be able to view the slideshow as Veteran’s Day approaches. If you have submitted a photo and information from previous year, no need to send one in unless you’d like info/photo updated.  Please submit your photos by November 4th to be included in the slideshow.

In addition, we will be celebrating Military Families on November 8th from 8:45am-9:25am. We will start the program with our Purple Team leading the pledge of allegiance, then as you enjoy refreshments, the slideshow will play in the background, and you will enjoy music from the Air Force Woodwind Band. In addition, our Cherry Run chorus will sing a song and we will have a guest speaker.

Lastly, at 9:25, Cherry Run students and staff will "Clap Out" our beloved Veteran's and spouses.

Looking forward to seeing our Cherry Run Families!

Fall Festival Recap!

 

Thank you, Cherry Run community, for an amazing Fall Festival! The evening was filled with excitement, fun games, face painting, pies in faces, music, and lots of sugar! We had around 250 families and over 500 people present!  This year's proceeds will help fund new instruments for the music program, teacher appreciation events and teacher wish list items, as well as other requests that come up throughout the year. The PTA would like to thank all the volunteers who helped run this event – it would not have been possible without you!

A very special thank you to the following people and families who donated off the Amazon Wish List: Sarah Taylor, Brittany Blake, Mark E Scepansky, Lisa, Robert Poubelle, Kara Goehring, Laura Davis, Lauren Tower, Brian Juola, Jennifer, The Watson Family, Meagan Van Hoy, Christian & Holly Cunningham, Anne Neumann, Garrett Johnson, Freude Family, Anastasia Gunberg, Laura Lewis, Patricia and Daniel Davila, Marcia Lundin, Kristin Wiley, Melanie Vrabel Adams, Christine Lee, Lucinda Klingensmith, and Nico and Andre Castro and Mirella Tafur. Thank you so, so much for your generosity! Our wish list was completely bought out by these amazing folks which allowed more money to go back the school and teachers.

CANDY CORN GUESS WINNERS: Total Candy Corn 1,349

WINNER: Eva, Ms. Bills 2nd grade, guess 1346

2nd: Addie, Mr. McCain 5th grade, guess1344

3rd: Abby S., Mr. Callahan, guess 1342

4th: Sunny S., Ms. Ko 2nd grade, guess 1300

5th: Charlotte, Ms. Waggoner 4th grade, guess 1255 

PUMPKIN PALOOZA WINNERS:

With 49 fabulous pumpkin entries and an astonishing 178 ballots (totaling over 450 votes), our pumpkin decorating contest was nothing short of a spooky success!

We were absolutely spellbound by the creativity displayed in this year’s entries! Each pumpkin was a true masterpiece, showcasing the incredible talent of our K-6 students and making it a tough decision for our voters! But without further ado, here are the spine-tingling results of the 2024 Cherry Run PTA Pumpkin Decorating Contest:

Scariest Pumpkins: 1st Place: Pumpkin #5: Cauldron – Braydon Sipe (4th Grade) 2nd Place: Pumpkin #12: Snake Eggs Hatching – Hadley Fried (4th Grade) 3rd Place: Pumpkin #17: Jack Skeleton – Joshua Callister (3rd Grade)

Funniest Pumpkins: 1st Place: Pumpkin #42: Olaf – Ella Arca (6th Grade) 2nd Place: Pumpkin #1: Dunkin Donuts – Ester Nobles (6th Grade) 3rd Place: Pumpkin #6: Peas in a Pod – (If this is your pumpkin, please come forward to claim your prize! We wouldn’t want you to be left hanging in a pickle!)

Most Creative / Original Pumpkins: 1st Place: Pumpkin #1: Dunkin Donuts – Ester Nobles (6th Grade) 2nd Place: Pumpkin #34: Spa Day – Sage Sutton (5th Grade) 3rd Place: Pumpkin #42: Olaf – Ella Arca (6th Grade)

Thank you again for supporting this event and helping strengthen our community!

And last but certainly not least, shout out to the following teachers for winning this month’s teacher appreciation gifts!

• Connelly 1st
• Ganahl- ID
• Stockburger- PM/PS

FCPS Honors Outstanding Staff

 

2025 Outstanding Employee Awards Nominations

Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Employee Awards! To submit a nomination for a Cherry Run ES Outstanding Employee in one of the categories below, please complete the nomination through this Google form link: Nomination Form. You may nominate one employee at our school or multiple employees (one individual may only nominate one employee per category.)

All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in one more of the criteria for that award category. The Google form link has more information regarding the criteria for each of these awards. The eligibility requirements are below. 

Outstanding Teacher  

Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district)

Outstanding New Teacher 

Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district)

Outstanding Principal

Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a building principal (in any school/school district) 

Outstanding Leader  

Eligibility: At least one year of experience in their current position as a Schedule-C or School-Based Administrator scale employee (that is not the building principal) at their current location 

Common positions in this category: Assistant and Associate Principals

Outstanding Professional Employee  

Eligibility: At least one year experience in current position as a Schedule-B employee or other non-instructional employee in a school that supports school leadership at their current location 

Common positions in this category: School-Based Technology Specialist, Technology Support Specialist, Psychologist, Social Worker, School Counselor, Special Education Department Chairs that teach less than 50% of their time, Reading Specialists that do not have a regular course load/do not give grades 

Outstanding Operational Employee 

Eligibility: At least one year of experience in current position as Schedule-A or Classroom Instructional Support Scale employee at their current location 

Common positions in this category: Administrative and Office Staff, Safety and Security Assistant, Custodial Staff, Food Service Staff, IA, PHA, PHTA, All Parent Liaisons 

The deadline to submit a nomination is Friday, November 15.

If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Hammond at [email protected]

FLE Parent Preview Night

Each year, students in grades 4 - 6 participate in our Family Life Education (FLE) curriculum.  This ranges from 1 day (4th grade) to 5 days (5th & 6th grades) and includes 1 hour lessons on a variety of topics.  Parents have the opportunity to preview these lessons PRIOR to our instructing of students.

Mrs. Goss and Ms. Valenzuela have scheduled the FLE parent preview night for Wednesday, November 20th at 7:00pm.  They plan on hosting a virtual meeting again this year.  The link will be sent closer to the day of the event so families can have it at the top of their inbox.  This meeting will provide an overview of the curriculum and share some examples of the materials that will be used.

For a deeper inspection of the materials used, you are welcome to schedule a visit to the school to look at the full curriculum.

Elementary Grading Policy Update

• Elementary School Language Arts Grading Updates

Our teachers have been hard at work teaching with the new Language Arts curriculum, and we are excited to help all of our students become strong readers and writers! This year we also have new assessments, which is how we check if your student needs extra help with reading and writing, and new Standards of Learning (SOLs).

Because of these changes, we are now teaching all of the Language Arts skills your child needs to know (and checking if they need extra help) throughout the whole school year, instead of different skills each quarter. While these skills will be new to your child in the beginning of the year, the goal is for your child to grow strong in all of their new skills by the end of the year.

This means that when you get your child’s progress report next month, it might look different. Your child’s teacher will give you more information on the new progress reporting and how we’re making sure your child is getting any extra help they might need. You can also find more information on FCPS’ Grading and Reporting webpage.

We will also have new ways for you to help your child practice their reading and writing skills at home. These resources are coming soon!

• Actualizaciones de las Calificaciones de Lenguaje para la Escuela Primaria

Nuestros maestros han estado trabajando duro enseñando con el nuevo currículo de Artes del Lenguaje, ¡y estamos emocionados de ayudar a todos nuestros estudiantes a convertirse en fuertes lectores y escritores! Este año también tenemos nuevas evaluaciones, que es como comprobamos si su estudiante necesita ayuda adicional con la lectura y la escritura, y los nuevos Estándares de Aprendizaje (SOLs).

Debido a estos cambios, ahora estamos enseñando todas las habilidades de Artes del Lenguaje que su hijo necesita saber (y comprobar si necesitan ayuda adicional) durante todo el año escolar, en lugar de diferentes habilidades cada trimestre. Aunque estas habilidades serán nuevas para su hijo al principio del año, el objetivo es que su hijo se fortalezca en todas sus nuevas habilidades al final del año.

Esto significa que cuando reciba el informe de progreso de su hijo el mes que viene, puede que tenga un aspecto diferente. El profesor de su hijo le dará más información sobre los nuevos informes de progreso y sobre cómo nos aseguramos de que su hijo reciba la ayuda adicional que pueda necesitar. También puede encontrar más información en la página web de Calificaciones y Reportes de FCPS.

También tendremos nuevas maneras para que usted ayude a su niño a practicar sus habilidades de lectura y escritura en casa. ¡Estos recursos vienen pronto!

Cherry Run Cold Weather Policy

 

FCPS - SEH-23

How Cold is Too Cold to Allow Students to Play Outdoors??

Deciding when students may play outdoors remains the responsibility of the principal, based on his or her professional judgement after considering the information provided on the fact sheet.  Principals should communicate with their community that it is the intention of the school to hold recess during cold spells and that parents should have their children prepared to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats).

Based on the guidance provided in the regulation, Cherry Run has adopted the following "Cold Weather Policy" for students:

When temperatures drop below 50 degrees we do not allow students who are not wearing leg coverings (e.g. pants/sweats, etc.) and a warm jacket/sweatshirt/hoodie to go outside. Long-sleeve tee-shirts do not count. Students without appropriate covering will be brought to the office or library where they can read until their class returns. 

Please remember to have your students dress appropriately for recess and PE!  While outside recess is at the teacher’s discretion, and we ask that they use good judgment, teachers are able to take students outside for up to 15 minutes when the temperatures reach ZERO!!  

We are aware that sunshine, cloud cover, wind, etc. impact the 'relative' temperature, but having a clear guideline helps with planning for parents/students and gives teachers an objective measure in making determinations.

Family Engagement

• The application period for Fuel Assistance 2025 began October 8th and will end on November 8th. This year, the state of Virginia pre-approved selected households for Fuel Assistance. If a family is unsure if they were pre-approved, please have them contact [email protected]. If they were pre-approved, there is no need for them to submit an additional application. More information in attached English and Spanish flyers.
• The Getting to Know FCPS interactive orientation seminar provides information about the school system, the links between family engagement and student achievement, school staff you should know, and programs and technology considerations for families. The orientation includes a discussion that is helpful for families new to the United States. Sessions in English will be held online on Tuesday, November 12th, at 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday, December 10th, at 6 p.m.; and Thursday, December 19th, at 6 p.m. The Family Academy Catalog page has registration information and dates this orientation will be offered in Arabic, Korean, and Spanish.
• Looking for a way to support military families in the NOVA area?  Operation Homefront provide Holiday Meals and gifts military families who qualify. Volunteer to pack, wrap, or distribute this season at Operation Homefront/NOVA

Reflections Contest - LAST CHANCE

 

Calling All Cherry Run Artists!

The PTA Reflections National Art Contest is back at Cherry Run Elementary School! The 2024 theme is "Accepting Imperfection."  Submissions will be accepted until November 1, 2024. Below you will find the guidelines for each art category, as well as a Digital Dropbox where you will submit photos of your child's art and the Entry Form.  Happy Creating!

Entry Form with Guidelines

Digital Dropbox - For Entry Submission

Cherry Run Kindness Pledge Limited Early Release Mondays

• Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update

As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.

You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.

We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers. 

Early release Mondays for our school include:

• November 18
• February 10
• March 10
• April 21
• May 12

Learn more about Early-Release Mondays. 

Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!  

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.

To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.

Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to [email protected].  

Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)

¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.  

Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.

Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.

¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a [email protected].  

Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.

Student Attendance

 

• 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement

During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan. 

Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.

Data shows that:

• Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. 
• Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
• Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
• By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Attendance is critical for academic success!

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.

Tutoring Information

• 📑 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.

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School Hours

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

There is one week left in the first quarter (and October) and we close out with a great event!  Fall Festival is Tuesday, October 29th, from 4:30-6:30 after school.  There is a link below for "pre-ordering" tickets and food.  There are games, events, and the annual "pieing" of the administrators!  Make sure you buy raffle tickets for that fun opportunity!

We also have the last day of the 1st quarter on Thursday, October 31st.  That day will also be a 2 hour early release.  All students will be released at 2:05 to go home (or to SACC).

Thursday is also Halloween.  While we love this fun day and celebrate it in a variety of ways, we do not allow students to wear Halloween costumes to school (pre-school is exempt).  While some costumes are fun, others can be scary and we do not want to disrupt instruction.  I also do not want to tell some students they can wear a costume and others they cannot.  Students who arrive in costume will be kept in the main office until a parent can arrive with regular school clothing.

Lastly, I want to give a HUGE shout out to our Military Connected Families Committee and our Purple Up Team for all the work they have done over the last three years.  During that time, we have had professional development exercises, programs & events, community outreach, and school improvements with regards to our military connectedness.  The end result is that we were awarded our FIRST "Purple Star Designation" as a military connected school.  Thank you to Angela Lock, Chelsea Sipe, and their committees, for all of the work they did to earn us this prestigious honor!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

Important Dates:

October 29 - Fall Festival - Blacktop & Field - 4:30-6:30

October 31 - Last Day of Quarter - 2 hr Early Release

November 1 - Student Holiday - No Students - School is CLOSED

November 4 - Teacher Workday - No Students - School is OPEN

November 5 - Teacher Workday - No Students - School is OPEN

Elementary Grading Policy Update

• Elementary School Language Arts Grading Updates

Our teachers have been hard at work teaching with the new Language Arts curriculum, and we are excited to help all of our students become strong readers and writers! This year we also have new assessments, which is how we check if your student needs extra help with reading and writing, and new Standards of Learning (SOLs).

Because of these changes, we are now teaching all of the Language Arts skills your child needs to know (and checking if they need extra help) throughout the whole school year, instead of different skills each quarter. While these skills will be new to your child in the beginning of the year, the goal is for your child to grow strong in all of their new skills by the end of the year.

This means that when you get your child’s progress report next month, it might look different. Your child’s teacher will give you more information on the new progress reporting and how we’re making sure your child is getting any extra help they might need. You can also find more information on FCPS’ Grading and Reporting webpage.

We will also have new ways for you to help your child practice their reading and writing skills at home. These resources are coming soon!

• Actualizaciones de las Calificaciones de Lenguaje para la Escuela Primaria

Nuestros maestros han estado trabajando duro enseñando con el nuevo currículo de Artes del Lenguaje, ¡y estamos emocionados de ayudar a todos nuestros estudiantes a convertirse en fuertes lectores y escritores! Este año también tenemos nuevas evaluaciones, que es como comprobamos si su estudiante necesita ayuda adicional con la lectura y la escritura, y los nuevos Estándares de Aprendizaje (SOLs).

Debido a estos cambios, ahora estamos enseñando todas las habilidades de Artes del Lenguaje que su hijo necesita saber (y comprobar si necesitan ayuda adicional) durante todo el año escolar, en lugar de diferentes habilidades cada trimestre. Aunque estas habilidades serán nuevas para su hijo al principio del año, el objetivo es que su hijo se fortalezca en todas sus nuevas habilidades al final del año.

Esto significa que cuando reciba el informe de progreso de su hijo el mes que viene, puede que tenga un aspecto diferente. El profesor de su hijo le dará más información sobre los nuevos informes de progreso y sobre cómo nos aseguramos de que su hijo reciba la ayuda adicional que pueda necesitar. También puede encontrar más información en la página web de Calificaciones y Reportes de FCPS.

También tendremos nuevas maneras para que usted ayude a su niño a practicar sus habilidades de lectura y escritura en casa. ¡Estos recursos vienen pronto!

Cherry Run Cold Weather Policy

 

FCPS - SEH-23

How Cold is Too Cold to Allow Students to Play Outdoors??

Deciding when students may play outdoors remains the responsibility of the principal, based on his or her professional judgement after considering the information provided on the fact sheet.  Principals should communicate with their community that it is the intention of the school to hold recess during cold spells and that parents should have their children prepared to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats).

Based on the guidance provided in the regulation, Cherry Run has adopted the following "Cold Weather Policy" for students:

When temperatures drop below 50 degrees we do not allow students who are not wearing leg coverings (e.g. pants/sweats, etc.) and a warm jacket/sweatshirt/hoodie to go outside. Long-sleeve tee-shirts do not count. Students without appropriate covering will be brought to the office or library where they can read until their class returns. 

Please remember to have your students dress appropriately for recess and PE!  While outside recess is at the teacher’s discretion, and we ask that they use good judgment, teachers are able to take students outside for up to 15 minutes when the temperatures reach ZERO!!  

We are aware that sunshine, cloud cover, wind, etc. impact the 'relative' temperature, but having a clear guideline helps with planning for parents/students and gives teachers an objective measure in making determinations.

Pumpkin Decorating!! Fall Festival - October 29th!!

 

Fall festival is right around the corner and we need your help to make it a success! We have lots of fun games planned, concessions, a "treat" walk, and not one but two inflatables! Please consider volunteering your time before, during, or after the event. See the sign up genius for all the opportunities to help. If time is not something you can donate, consider purchasing something from our amazon wish list. This year's proceeds will fund fun new instruments for the music program, teacher appreciation events and teacher wish list items, as well as other requests that come up throughout the year. Preorders for unlimited game wristbands, concessions, and the famous pie in the face raffle will be coming in the next few weeks. 

Contact: [email protected] 

Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/16PM1LBUY5T88?ref_=wl_share

Sign Up Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4FADA92BA4F5C07-51358591-cres

A sign up genius for games is circulating at Lake Braddock. If slots are not filled, we will post that sign up here closer to the event. 

Family Engagement

• The application period for Fuel Assistance 2025 began October 8th and will end on November 8th. This year, the state of Virginia pre-approved selected households for Fuel Assistance. If a family is unsure if they were pre-approved, please have them contact [email protected]. If they were pre-approved, there is no need for them to submit an additional application. More information in attached English and Spanish flyers.
• Safeway Pharmacy has been hosting free immunization clinics at Frost Middle School for any FCPS student age 18 or younger. The clinics are one of many ways FCPS is providing opportunities for students to receive their required immunizations. The next clinic will be Monday, October 28th, 3-7 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are highly encouraged to avoid wait times.
• The Getting to Know FCPS interactive orientation seminar provides information about the school system, the links between family engagement and student achievement, school staff you should know, and programs and technology considerations for families. The orientation includes a discussion that is helpful for families new to the United States. Sessions in English will be held online on Tuesday, October 22nd, at 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday, November 12th, at 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday, December 10th, at 6 p.m.; and Thursday, December 19th, at 6 p.m. The Family Academy Catalog page has registration information and dates this orientation will be offered in Arabic, Korean, and Spanish.
• Looking for a way to support military families in the NOVA area?  Operation Homefront provide Holiday Meals and gifts military families who qualify. Volunteer to pack, wrap, or distribute this season at Operation Homefront/NOVA

Reflections Contest

 

Calling All Cherry Run Artists!

The PTA Reflections National Art Contest is back at Cherry Run Elementary School! The 2024 theme is "Accepting Imperfection."  Submissions will be accepted until November 1, 2024. Below you will find the guidelines for each art category, as well as a Digital Dropbox where you will submit photos of your child's art and the Entry Form.  Happy Creating!

Entry Form with Guidelines

Digital Dropbox - For Entry Submission

Cherry Run Kindness Pledge Limited Early Release Mondays

• Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update

As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.

You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.

We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers. 

Early release Mondays for our school include:

• November 18
• February 10
• March 10
• April 21
• May 12

Learn more about Early-Release Mondays. 

Community Conversations

• 🎤 Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Reid

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid invites you to share your questions or concerns regarding Fairfax County Public Schools. Your voice matters! Community Conversations will be held this Fall 6:30-7:30 p.m. on:

• Monday, October 21, at Virginia Run Elementary 
• Wednesday, October 30, at Herndon Middle 

Click the date above to register. Registration is not required but helps with planning. Additional registration links will be shared in next week’s This Week at FCPS. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.

Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!  

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.

To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.

Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to [email protected].  

Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)

¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.  

Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.

Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.

¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a [email protected].  

Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.

Student Attendance

 

• 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement

During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan. 

Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.

Data shows that:

• Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. 
• Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
• Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
• By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Attendance is critical for academic success!

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.

Tutoring Information

• 📑 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.

Click to edit this placeholder text.

School Hours

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

As we wind down the last two weeks of the 1st quarter, we have a LOT of things going on here at school.  Two different early closings, the teacher workdays for conferences, book fair, fall festival, and more!  Please peruse through the information below to stay up to date!

At this time, I have 368 out of 450 K-6 student responses for Monday, October 21st.  If you haven't filled that out, please do so ASAP.  I'll be making groups over the weekend and what to make sure I can account for every student!

This week it was COLD in the mornings!  Luckily, it warmed up by lunch time and our students were able to enjoy recess and PE outside in milder weather.  However, this is a great time to remind everyone of our cold weather policy.  The details of the policy are below, but in short, students have to wear 'appropriate' clothing to access outside activities when the weather is below 50 degrees.

If you haven't scheduled a conference, it is not too late!  Make sure you sign up with your classroom teacher to talk about your child's progress so far this year!

Enjoy the weekend!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

Important Dates:

October 21 - 3 Hr Early Closing - 1:05 dismissal

October 22-25 - BOOK FAIR!!

October 29 - Fall Festival - Blacktop & Field - 4:30-6:30

October 31 - Last Day of Quarter - 2 hr Early Release

November 1 - Student Holiday - No Students - School is CLOSED

November 4 - Teacher Workday - No Students - School is OPEN

November 5 - Teacher Workday - No Students - School is OPEN

Early Release Info Needed - Oct. 21

 

On October 21st, Cherry Run will host the second "Early Release Monday" so that teachers can participate in professional development and planning with the new Language Arts program.  In order to accurately plan for students, I am asking parents to click the link below (or use the QR Code in the flyer), to designate their child(ren)'s intention for this day.  Please fill out the form one time for each child.  We appreciate your attention to this matter!

LINK: https://forms.gle/iCpiCizeiZLNcm7VA

Cherry Run Cold Weather Policy

 

FCPS - SEH-23

How Cold is Too Cold to Allow Students to Play Outdoors??

Deciding when students may play outdoors remains the responsibility of the principal, based on his or her professional judgement after considering the information provided on the fact sheet.  Principals should communicate with their community that it is the intention of the school to hold recess during cold spells and that parents should have their children prepared to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats).

Based on the guidance provided in the regulation, Cherry Run has adopted the following "Cold Weather Policy" for students:

When temperatures drop below 50 degrees we do not allow students who are not wearing leg coverings (e.g. pants/sweats, etc.) and a warm jacket/sweatshirt/hoodie to go outside. Long-sleeve tee-shirts do not count. Students without appropriate covering will be brought to the office or library where they can read until their class returns. 

Please remember to have your students dress appropriately for recess and PE!  While outside recess is at the teacher’s discretion, and we ask that they use good judgment, teachers are able to take students outside for up to 15 minutes when the temperatures reach ZERO!!  

We are aware that sunshine, cloud cover, wind, etc. impact the 'relative' temperature, but having a clear guideline helps with planning for parents/students and gives teachers an objective measure in making determinations.

Book Fair Volunteers Needed

 

Volunteers are needed for the upcoming Cherry Run Book Fair. Please use the Sign-Up Genius link below.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805054EAAA729ABFE3-51952215-cherry#/

Any questions? Please email Ms. Hammond, CRES Librarian: [email protected]

Pumpkin Decorating!! Fall Festival - October 29th!!

 

Fall festival is right around the corner and we need your help to make it a success! We have lots of fun games planned, concessions, a "treat" walk, and not one but two inflatables! Please consider volunteering your time before, during, or after the event. See the sign up genius for all the opportunities to help. If time is not something you can donate, consider purchasing something from our amazon wish list. This year's proceeds will fund fun new instruments for the music program, teacher appreciation events and teacher wish list items, as well as other requests that come up throughout the year. Preorders for unlimited game wristbands, concessions, and the famous pie in the face raffle will be coming in the next few weeks. 

Contact: [email protected] 

Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/16PM1LBUY5T88?ref_=wl_share

Sign Up Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4FADA92BA4F5C07-51358591-cres

A sign up genius for games is circulating at Lake Braddock. If slots are not filled, we will post that sign up here closer to the event. 

Downs Syndrome Awareness Month Reflections Contest

 

Calling All Cherry Run Artists!

The PTA Reflections National Art Contest is back at Cherry Run Elementary School! The 2024 theme is "Accepting Imperfection."  Submissions will be accepted until November 1, 2024. Below you will find the guidelines for each art category, as well as a Digital Dropbox where you will submit photos of your child's art and the Entry Form.  Happy Creating!

Entry Form with Guidelines

Digital Dropbox - For Entry Submission

Cherry Run Kindness Pledge Family Engagement Opportunities

Adaptive Sports and Recreation

The adapted resources listed here are provided for informational purposes only. They do not reflect recommendations or endorsements by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) or The FCPS Family Resource Center. Please contact the locations directly for fees, availability, and whether they meet your needs.

Adaptive Recreation Services and Programs PDF

Community Sports ad Park Authority Programs

• Fairfax County ParkTakes
• Springfield Youth Club
• Burke Athletic Club
• Braddock Road Youth Club
• South Run Recreation Center  

Family Community Events/Parent Interest

Corn Mazes in Virginia

Virginia Corn Mazes

Apple Picking – Pick Your Own

Great Country Farms Virginia

Fall Festivals

Virginia Fall Festivals

Annandale's Fall Festival  October 19 Petting zoo, delicious food, and festive activities for all ages, adds up to an autumnal extravaganza! 

George Washington's Mount Vernon Fall Harvest Festival October 19 - 20  Celebrate the crisp autumn season with 18th-century activities & demonstrations at the Farm at Mount Vernon.

OmBaked Global FallFest October 20  Embark on a captivating exploration of distinct regions, each represented as its own autumn traditions. Treat your taste buds to an array of culinary delights and look through handcrafted treasures. 

Military Families

Our Miliary Kids

Our Military Kids® is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering extracurricular activity grants to children and teens of deployed National Guard, deployed Reserve, or post-9/11 combat wounded, ill, or injured Veterans in treatment. OMK activity grants build the children's self-confidence, enhance family wellness, and strengthen a shared sense of community.

Military Child Care

Access to childcare directly affects mission readiness, morale, and retention of defense personnel worldwide. For this reason, the Department of Defense is committed to connecting military and DoD-affiliated families to quality, affordable childcare programs. For an overview of MCC and how you can request childcare for your family, watch this short video and/or select Learn More.

National Museum of the United States Army (Fort Belvoir)

Free general admission ticket reservations are encouraged. Walk-up tickets are available. 
Up to 9 tickets per request. See Group Tickets for 10 tickets or more.

Military Family & Life Counselors

The Military and Family Life Counseling Program provides free, confidential non-medical counseling to service members, their families and survivors on or near installations. Trained to work with the military community, military and family life counselors deliver valuable counseling services, briefings and presentations to the military community.

Quantico USO

USO Quantico Fall Fest

24010 Montezuma Ave. Quantico, VA United States

🍁🎃 Fall into fun with us at the USO Quantico West Fall Festival! 🍂

Oct 25th, 2024

5:00 PM EDT

Facebook groups for local miliary families 

GAMS - https://www.facebook.com/groups/greateralexandriamilitaryspouses/

PCS to DC - https://www.facebook.com/groups/PCSMilitaryMovetoVirginia

Fairfax County Spouses - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2053938148258566/

Other Resources

School Liaison Office – Fort Belvoir

EFMP Military One Source

EFMP – Fort Belvoir

MWR – Fort Belvoir

Limited Early Release Mondays

• Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update

As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.

You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.

We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers. 

Early release Mondays for our school include:

• October 21
• November 18
• February 10
• March 10
• April 21
• May 12

Learn more about Early-Release Mondays. 

Community Conversations

• 🎤 Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Reid

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid invites you to share your questions or concerns regarding Fairfax County Public Schools. Your voice matters! Community Conversations will be held this Fall 6:30-7:30 p.m. on:

• Monday, October 21, at Virginia Run Elementary 
• Wednesday, October 30, at Herndon Middle 

Click the date above to register. Registration is not required but helps with planning. Additional registration links will be shared in next week’s This Week at FCPS. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.

Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!  

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.

To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.

Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to [email protected].  

Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)

¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.  

Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.

Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.

¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a [email protected].  

Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.

Student Attendance

 

• 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement

During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan. 

Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.

Data shows that:

• Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. 
• Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
• Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
• By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Attendance is critical for academic success!

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.

Tutoring Information

• 📑 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.

Click to edit this placeholder text.

School Hours

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

Today's bulleting includes a LOT of new information as well as some reminders for upcoming events.  Please let us know if you have any questions.

We have about 3 week remaining in the first quarter.  We have some early closing, school closings, and special events.  Please make sure you view each of the sections below.  If you have not yet scheduled a conference, please make sure you do so ASAP.  Every family has the opportunity to meet with the classroom teacher at the end of the first quarter.  If you'd like to schedule a meeting with a specialist, please reach out to them directly.

Enjoy the fall weather!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

Important Dates:

October 14 - Teacher Workday - No Students - School is OPEN

October 21 - 3 Hr Early Closing - 1:05 dismissal

October 29 - Fall Festival - Blacktop & Field - 4:30-6:30

October 31 - Last Day of Quarter - 2 hr Early Release

November 1 - Student Holiday - No Students - School is CLOSED

November 4 - Teacher Workday - No Students - School is OPEN

November 5 - Teacher Workday - No Students - School is OPEN

Early Release Info Needed - Oct. 21

 

On October 21st, Cherry Run will host the second "Early Release Monday" so that teachers can participate in professional development and planning with the new Language Arts program.  In order to accurately plan for students, I am asking parents to click the link below (or use the QR Code in the flyer), to designate their child(ren)'s intention for this day.  Please fill out the form one time for each child.  We appreciate your attention to this matter!

LINK: https://forms.gle/iCpiCizeiZLNcm7VA

Book Fair Volunteers Needed

 

Volunteers are needed for the upcoming Cherry Run Book Fair. Please use the Sign-Up Genius link below.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805054EAAA729ABFE3-51952215-cherry#/

Any questions? Please email Ms. Hammond, CRES Librarian: [email protected]

Pumpkin Decorating!! Fall Festival - October 29th!!

 

Fall festival is right around the corner and we need your help to make it a success! We have lots of fun games planned, concessions, a "treat" walk, and not one but two inflatables! Please consider volunteering your time before, during, or after the event. See the sign up genius for all the opportunities to help. If time is not something you can donate, consider purchasing something from our amazon wish list. This year's proceeds will fund fun new instruments for the music program, teacher appreciation events and teacher wish list items, as well as other requests that come up throughout the year. Preorders for unlimited game wristbands, concessions, and the famous pie in the face raffle will be coming in the next few weeks. 

Contact: [email protected] 

Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/16PM1LBUY5T88?ref_=wl_share

Sign Up Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4FADA92BA4F5C07-51358591-cres

A sign up genius for games is circulating at Lake Braddock. If slots are not filled, we will post that sign up here closer to the event. 

Digital Citizenship Week FCPS Youth Survey - 6th Grade

The Fairfax County Youth Survey, a collaboration between the Fairfax County School Board and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, is a comprehensive, anonymous, and voluntary survey given each year to students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12. The survey examines behaviors, experiences, and other factors that influence the health and well-being of Fairfax County's youth. The results, published each year at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/youthsurvey, identify trends and areas of need, providing a snapshot of the county's youth and serving as a barometer of the community's effectiveness in fostering healthy choices in young people. Cherry Run ES will be administering the Fairfax County Youth Survey on November 13, 2024 during science class.

While it is our hope that as many students as possible will participate, if you do not wish for your child to take part in the Youth Survey, please complete the form linked here and return it to your child's school counselor no later than November 8, 2024. If you have already opted your child out of this survey using the Parental Digital Consent Portal you do not need to provide additional information to the school counselor.

National School Lunch Week

• Celebrating the Power of School Lunches

Multiple studies show that school lunches are important in supporting overall student health by improving students’ diets and combating food insecurity. Students who eat school lunches consume more fruit, vegetables, and fiber than their peers. 

This School Lunch Week, FCPS Food and Nutrition Services reminds families that they are dedicated to providing flavorful, healthy, sustainable, and student-focused meals. Also, new menu items have been launched this year based on student feedback. 

Want to know what’s for breakfast or lunch? Nutrition Services now has printable menus. 

• Celebrando el poder de los almuerzos escolares

Múltiples estudios demuestran que los almuerzos escolares son importantes para apoyar la salud general de los estudiantes al mejorar sus dietas y combatir la inseguridad alimentaria. Los estudiantes que comen almuerzos escolares consumen más frutas, vegetales, y fibra que sus compañeros. 

Esta Semana de Almuerzo Escolar, los Servicios de Alimentos y Nutrición (FNS) de FCPS les recuerda a las familias que están dedicados a proveer comidas sabrosas, saludables, sostenibles y enfocadas en los estudiantes. Nuevos artículos de menú han sido lanzados este año basado en la retroalimentación de los estudiantes. 

¿Quieres saber lo que hay para el desayuno o el almuerzo? Los Servicios de Nutrición ahora tienen menús para imprimir disponibles.

Family Engagement Opportunities

Math is Everywhere! Talking to Your Children about Mathematics

Join the FCPS Elementary Math Team to discuss ways to engage your children in mathematics.

During our time together we will highlight books, games, and other materials that assist you in talking about mathematics with your child throughout the day.

Teaching math to your children doesn’t have to be intimidating. This webinar will provide concrete examples for caregivers with ideas to spark math joy.

October 18, 2024 10-11:30 A.M.

Register Online 

Adaptive Sports and Recreation

The adapted resources listed here are provided for informational purposes only. They do not reflect recommendations or endorsements by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) or The FCPS Family Resource Center. Please contact the locations directly for fees, availability, and whether they meet your needs.

Adaptive Recreation Services and Programs PDF

Community Sports ad Park Authority Programs

• Fairfax County ParkTakes
• Springfield Youth Club
• Burke Athletic Club
• Braddock Road Youth Club
• South Run Recreation Center  

Family Community Events/Parent Interest

Corn Mazes in Virginia

Virginia Corn Mazes

Apple Picking – Pick Your Own

Great Country Farms Virginia

Fall Festivals

Virginia Fall Festivals

City of Fairfax Fall Festival October 12 Enjoy more than 400 arts, crafts, information, food & gourmet food vendors, children’s activities and three stages of music and entertainment for all ages.

Clifton Day Festival October 13 Festival includes arts and crafts, antiques, demonstrations, the Town Market, live music, children’s activities and lots of good food.

Annandale's Fall Festival  October 19 Petting zoo, delicious food, and festive activities for all ages, adds up to an autumnal extravaganza! 

George Washington's Mount Vernon Fall Harvest Festival October 19 - 20  Celebrate the crisp autumn season with 18th-century activities & demonstrations at the Farm at Mount Vernon.

OmBaked Global FallFest October 20  Embark on a captivating exploration of distinct regions, each represented as its own autumn traditions. Treat your taste buds to an array of culinary delights and look through handcrafted treasures. 

Military Families

Our Miliary Kids

Our Military Kids® is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering extracurricular activity grants to children and teens of deployed National Guard, deployed Reserve, or post-9/11 combat wounded, ill, or injured Veterans in treatment. OMK activity grants build the children's self-confidence, enhance family wellness, and strengthen a shared sense of community.

Military Child Care

Access to childcare directly affects mission readiness, morale, and retention of defense personnel worldwide. For this reason, the Department of Defense is committed to connecting military and DoD-affiliated families to quality, affordable childcare programs. For an overview of MCC and how you can request childcare for your family, watch this short video and/or select Learn More.

National Museum of the United States Army (Fort Belvoir)

Free general admission ticket reservations are encouraged. Walk-up tickets are available. 
Up to 9 tickets per request. See Group Tickets for 10 tickets or more.

Military Family & Life Counselors

The Military and Family Life Counseling Program provides free, confidential non-medical counseling to service members, their families and survivors on or near installations. Trained to work with the military community, military and family life counselors deliver valuable counseling services, briefings and presentations to the military community.

Fort Belvoir -USO

Fall Fest Cupcake Bake Off

5940 9th Street Fort Belvoir, VA 22060 United States

Oct 12th, 2024

11:00 AM EDT

Knitwell

5940 9th Street Fort Belvoir, VA 22060 United States

Whether you are a Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced Knitter….Let’s Knit Together! Join us for a session where you get to learn new skills, meet new friends, and best of all have fun! For new participants, Knitwell has a Welcome Kit with everything…

Oct 14th, 2024

6:00 PM EDT

Baker's Bounty

5940 9th Street Fort Belvoir, VA 22060 United States

Join us every Tuesday at USO Fort Belvoir starting at 9am for a relaxing morning with some freshly brewed coffee, delicious pastries for you and your friends, and while you are here enjoy a variety of fresh bread and other baked goods from Panera

Oct 15th, 2024

9:00 AM EDT

Quantico USO

USO Quantico Fall Fest

24010 Montezuma Ave. Quantico, VA United States

🍁🎃 Fall into fun with us at the USO Quantico West Fall Festival! 🍂

Oct 25th, 2024

5:00 PM EDT

Facebook groups for local miliary families 

GAMS - https://www.facebook.com/groups/greateralexandriamilitaryspouses/

PCS to DC - https://www.facebook.com/groups/PCSMilitaryMovetoVirginia

Fairfax County Spouses - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2053938148258566/

Other Resources

School Liaison Office – Fort Belvoir

EFMP Military One Source

EFMP – Fort Belvoir

MWR – Fort Belvoir

Limited Early Release Mondays

• Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update

As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.

You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.

We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers. 

Early release Mondays for our school include:

• October 21
• November 18
• February 10
• March 10
• April 21
• May 12

Learn more about Early-Release Mondays. 

Community Conversations

• 🎤 Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Reid

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid invites you to share your questions or concerns regarding Fairfax County Public Schools. Your voice matters! Community Conversations will be held this Fall 6:30-7:30 p.m. on:

• Monday, October 14, at Fairhill Elementary 
• Monday, October 21, at Virginia Run Elementary 
• Wednesday, October 30, at Herndon Middle 

Click the date above to register. Registration is not required but helps with planning. Additional registration links will be shared in next week’s This Week at FCPS. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.

Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!  

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.

To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.

Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to [email protected].  

Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)

¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.  

Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.

Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.

¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a [email protected].  

Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.

Student Attendance

 

• 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement

During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan. 

Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.

Data shows that:

• Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. 
• Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
• Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
• By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Attendance is critical for academic success!

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.

Tutoring Information

• 📑 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.

Click to edit this placeholder text.

School Hours

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

It feels a bit strange to send out a newsletter on a Wednesday, but with it being the last day of the school week, I wanted to make sure parents had all of the information that they need.  Students are off on Thursday and Friday.  The building will be shut down tomorrow, but the office will be open on Friday for parents who may need to pick things up, drop off items, etc.  The office is open normal hours.

In just under 3 weeks we'll have our second "Early Closing Monday" (Oct. 21st).  Our first session went very well, but we had some issues with tracking students and groups.  About 70 families filled out the form multiple times, with conflicting information, and about 40 families changed their minds on the day of the event.  This created a bit of uncertainty about who was supposed to stay and who was not.  In the end, it all worked out and all of our students were safe and accounted for.  Below, I have a **NEW** link and QR Code that I'd like you to use to indicate your preference for Oct. 21.  My current data is very inaccurate, and I'd like to try again.  The main purpose for this is for student safety!!  We want to make sure we know where every child is supposed to be.  More information can be found below.

Lastly, we have scheduled our annual Fall Festival which includes games, music, face painting, and a raffle to "pie Mr. Bibbee".  The event will be held on October 29th (rain date is October 30th) and more information can be found below.

Have a great extended weekend and we'll see you on the 7th!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

Important Dates:

October 3 - Student Holiday - No Students - School is CLOSED

October 4 - Teacher Workday - No Students - School is OPEN

October 8 - PTA Meeting - Cafeteria & Zoom - 7:00 pm

October 9 - "Bike & Roll" to school day!

October 11 - Picture Day!

October 14 - Teacher Workday - No Students - School is OPEN

October 21 - 3 Hr Early Closing - 1:05 dismissal

October 29 - Fall Festival - Blacktop & Field - 4:30-6:30

October 31 - Last Day of Quarter - 2 hr Early Release

Early Release Info Needed - Oct. 21

 

On October 21st, Cherry Run will host the second "Early Release Monday" so that teachers can participate in professional development and planning with the new Language Arts program.  In order to accurately plan for students, I am asking parents to click the link below (or use the QR Code in the flyer), to designate their child(ren)'s intention for this day.  Please fill out the form one time for each child.  We appreciate your attention to this matter!

LINK: https://forms.gle/iCpiCizeiZLNcm7VA

Picture Day - Oct 11th   Let's Make 2024-25 Picture Day a Success @ Cherry Run Elementary School

 

School Picture Day is Coming!

📅 Date: Friday, October 11, 2024

📸 Pictures Available: Approximately two weeks after photo day

🛒 Pre-order Online: https://vando.imagequix.com/g1001141798#login

📧 Questions about Ordering? Email us at [email protected]

Fall Festival - October 29th!!

 

Fall festival is right around the corner and we need your help to make it a success! We have lots of fun games planned, concessions, a "treat" walk, and not one but two inflatables! Please consider volunteering your time before, during, or after the event. See the sign up genius for all the opportunities to help. If time is not something you can donate, consider purchasing something from our amazon wish list. This year's proceeds will fund fun new instruments for the music program, teacher appreciation events and teacher wish list items, as well as other requests that come up throughout the year. Preorders for unlimited game wristbands, concessions, and the famous pie in the face raffle will be coming in the next few weeks. 

Contact: [email protected] 

Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/16PM1LBUY5T88?ref_=wl_share

Sign Up Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4FADA92BA4F5C07-51358591-cres

A sign up genius for games is circulating at Lake Braddock. If slots are not filled, we will post that sign up here closer to the event. 

Annual Hearing & Vision Screening

SY 2024 -2025 Vision and Hearing Screenings

Vision and Hearing screening will be held on:

Testing Schedule:

 

Tuesday, October 8, 2024 *** (& other students needing screening)

Testing Time:

3rd Grade    9:45 am – 10:40 am & 11:45 pm – 3:30pm

 

If your child wears glasses, please be sure he/she has them at school on their screening day. 

The purpose of screening is to identify students who need further evaluation because they have difficulty seeing the screening chart or hearing the screening tones. 

Vision and hearing difficulties can interfere with learning. Prompt follow-up of a referral is recommended.

Parents will be notified by a letter if screening results indicate that further testing is needed by a doctor.

 **Screenings will be done along with the students who needs re-screenings & NEW to the Fairfax County School system.**

Thank you so much for your support in keeping our students’ Vision and Hearing healthy and ready for learning!

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the School Health Aide: at 703-923- 2810 [email protected]  (Mylene Crisostomo)

Limited Early Release Mondays

• Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update

As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.

You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.

We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers. 

Early release Mondays for our school include:

• October 21
• November 18
• February 10
• March 10
• April 21
• May 12

Learn more about Early-Release Mondays. 

Community Conversations

• 🎤 Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Reid

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid invites you to share your questions or concerns regarding Fairfax County Public Schools. Your voice matters! Community Conversations will be held this Fall 6:30-7:30 p.m. on:

• Monday, October 14, at Fairhill Elementary 
• Monday, October 21, at Virginia Run Elementary 
• Wednesday, October 30, at Herndon Middle 

Click the date above to register. Registration is not required but helps with planning. Additional registration links will be shared in next week’s This Week at FCPS. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.

Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!  

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.

To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.

Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to [email protected].  

Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)

¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.  

Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.

Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.

¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a [email protected].  

Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.

Student Attendance

 

• 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement

During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan. 

Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.

Data shows that:

• Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. 
• Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
• Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
• By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Attendance is critical for academic success!

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.

Tutoring Information

• 📑 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.

Click to edit this placeholder text.

School Hours

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

I wanted to share with you that I am back at work today after an extended medical leave and will be catching up on emails as fast as I can!  

We have had some complaints from neighbors, and it was noted by the police, that families are using Raftelis to drop off students in the morning in order to skip the K&R line.  While K&R may be a bit frustrating, I encourage you to come earlier for drop off, and a bit later for pick up, to avoid the heaviest usage times.  I am also concerned that there are NO adults on the paths out back or around the school.  We want to keep a good relationship with our neighbors, but more importantly, ensure the safety of our students.  Please use the K&R line properly.

I also wanted to address cell phone use.  Cell phones are not to be used by students throughout the school day.  This includes "smart watches" that are connected to phones.  They are disruptive and distracting to students.  We have seen a significant 'uptick' in usage by students and I wanted to send a friendly reminder.  To communicate with your child during the school day, we ask that you call the office or email the teacher and we will relay messages.  Students with cell phones (or smart watches) that are out, will have them confiscated and delivered to the office.  More information can be found below.

Lastly, we are currently trying to fill a few student support positions.  I am looking to hire "student monitors" who would work with small groups of kids on interventions.  This is a full day job, 5x/week, but has some flexibility to it.  I am looking to hire a "high impact tutor" who would provide Tier 3 supports to students using research based interventions.  This is a part time position in the afternoons, 5x/week and does require a level of credentials and training (we provide the training).  Lastly, I am hopeful to add a cafeteria hostess.  This would be for 3 hours daily (11-2), 5x/week.  If interested, please reach out to me at your earliest convenience.

I hope that you have a wonderful weekend and a quick reminder that next week is a short week.

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

Important Dates:

October 3 - Student Holiday - School is CLOSED

October 4 - Teacher Workday - School is OPEN

October 8 - PTA Meeting - Cafeteria & Zoom - 7:00 pm

October 9 - "Bike & Roll" to school day!

October 14 - Teacher Workday - School is OPEN

October 31 - Last Day of Quarter - 2 hr Early Release

Cell Phone Policy   Supporting engaged students and classrooms

FCPS' cell phone expectations for students help foster engagement, learning, and positive social behavior in the classroom. 

Young people report that they have difficulty self-regulating their own technology use, even when it gets in the way of socializing, school or home obligations, or getting a good night's sleep. Educators and mental health professionals advise that students who don’t use their phones to communicate during the school day: 

• Have fewer distractions and less difficulty learning.
• Experience more face-to-face interactions with peers and teachers, which are important to social-emotional wellbeing.
• Have more opportunities to develop resilience and independent problem-solving skills.

We encourage families to talk to their student about the FCPS cell phone policy and support their student by:

• Contacting the school’s front office (rather than the student directly) if there is a family emergency.
• Only communicating about non-urgent matters before or after the school day. 
• Waiting to respond to non-urgent texts from students until the school day is over.

The usage policies below apply to all FCPS students, with the exception of schools participating in the school year 2024-25 cell phone storage pilot program. More information on the storage pilot program can be found here.

Submit feedback on the cell phone policy

Grades K-6 (including at Glasgow Middle School)

• Phones must be silenced and in backpacks for the duration of the school day. Cell phones may be used on campus before and after school only.
• Smart watches that serve a dual purpose may be worn, but the phone features (texting, Internet viewing, and calls) are to be off when phone use is prohibited.
• Students are prohibited from using phones, tablets, and other mobile devices in restrooms and locker rooms, unless there is a medical necessity or emergency.
• With the approval of the principal or their designee, teachers may allow usage of cell phones for instructional activities where they are the most appropriate tool; however, one-to-one FCPS devices should meet most needs.

Annual Hearing & Vision Screening

SY 2024 -2025 Vision and Hearing Screenings

Vision and Hearing screening will be held on:

Testing Schedule:

 

Tuesday, October 1, 2024 *** (& other students needing screening)

Screening Date / Time:

Kindergarten 9:45 am – 11:15 am & 12:30 pm – 3:30pm 

 

Tuesday, October 8, 2024 *** (& other students needing screening)

Testing Time:

3rd Grade    9:45 am – 10:40 am & 11:45 pm – 3:30pm

 

If your child wears glasses, please be sure he/she has them at school on their screening day. 

The purpose of screening is to identify students who need further evaluation because they have difficulty seeing the screening chart or hearing the screening tones. 

Vision and hearing difficulties can interfere with learning. Prompt follow-up of a referral is recommended.

Parents will be notified by a letter if screening results indicate that further testing is needed by a doctor.

 

**Screenings will be done along with the students who needs re-screenings & NEW to the Fairfax County School system.**

 

Thank you so much for your support in keeping our students’ Vision and Hearing healthy and ready for learning!

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the School Health Aide: at 703-923- 2810 [email protected]  (Mylene Crisostomo)

Blue Star Family Welcome

Cherry Run Elementary School celebrated Blue Star Families Welcome Week by hosting a "Chalk the Walk" event, where military-connected students wrote encouraging and welcoming messages to greet new military families. The event was organized by the Purple Team, an after-school club made up of military-connected students who meet monthly to celebrate, support, and build connections with their peers. Cherry Run has a long-standing tradition of supporting its military community, with over 110 students coming from Active Duty, Reserves, or National Guard families.

 

Limited Early Release Mondays

• Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update

As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.

You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.

We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers. 

Early release Mondays for our school include:

• October 21
• November 18
• February 10
• March 10
• April 21
• May 12

Learn more about Early-Release Mondays. 

Community Conversations

• 🎤 Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Reid

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid invites you to share your questions or concerns regarding Fairfax County Public Schools. Your voice matters! Community Conversations will be held this Fall 6:30-7:30 p.m. on:

• Monday, September 30, at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary 
• Monday, October 14, at Fairhill Elementary 
• Monday, October 21, at Virginia Run Elementary 
• Wednesday, October 30, at Herndon Middle 

Click the date above to register. Registration is not required but helps with planning. Additional registration links will be shared in next week’s This Week at FCPS. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.

Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!  

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.

To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.

Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to [email protected].  

Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)

¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.  

Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.

Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.

¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a [email protected].  

Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.

Student Attendance

 

• 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement

During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan. 

Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.

Data shows that:

• Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. 
• Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
• Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
• By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Attendance is critical for academic success!

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.

Tutoring Information

• 📑 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.

Click to edit this placeholder text.

School Hours

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

I hope you were able to attend our Back to School Nights (BTSN) last week and receive information about your child(ren)'s school day.  If you were not able to attend, the teachers post their presentations in their Schoology sites and you can access them there.  Also, if you didn't get a chance to do so, please make sure you sign up for the end of first quarter conferences with the teachers!

Monday, September 16th, is our first "Early Release Monday".  We have nearly a 100% response rate and I want to thank you very much for that.  For families that did not respond, it is not too late to do so!  You can use the QR code directly below and I will be monitoring the responses over the weekend.  Please, please, please talk to your child on Monday about what the expectation is for them.  It will be very helpful to teachers and staff if the students are clear on what they are supposed to do.  Teachers do have a list (which I will be updating throughout the weekend), but if a child says "I'm supposed to go home" and they are on our "stay out school" list (or vice versa), it will create a lot of confusion at the end of the day.

For activities, students will have a "quiet time/snack", a computer time to work on Lexia, MyOn, ST Math, etc., grades 4-6 will have a homework/makeup work time, there will also be Library, Music, PE, and Art periods.  Specialists will be providing unstructured (yet supervised) time for students to explore in their areas (e.g. free drawing, "open gym", etc.).  Specialists will also be free to take students outside for an extended break, nature walks, or to visit our new "Nature Nook".

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and we will see you next week!!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

Important Dates:

September 16 - 3 Hour Early Closing - Students released at 1:05

September 17 - Principal's Coffee - 9:30 am - Cafeteria

September 24 - Field Day!! - 1:50-3:40 - Field & Blacktop

October 3 - Student Holiday - School is CLOSED

October 4 - Teacher Workday - School is OPEN

Early Release Info Needed

 

For us to plan our Early Release Mondays, it is imperative that we know they intention of each child in the school.  If you have not already done so, please use the QR code above to fill out the student intention for Early Release Monday.  **NOTE: Please fill out one form for each child that attends Cherry Run!

Thank you very much for your time completing the survey!

Field Day!

Cherry Run Field Day will be held on Tuesday Sept 24th , 1:50-3:40pm. In order to have field day be a success, we will be needing lots of parent/guardian volunteers! Volunteer hours would be 1:30-3:50pm. The rain date is Thursday Sept 26th . Please click on the link below to volunteer to run a station. We are looking forward to a day full of fun and games for all of our students! Questions? Email Mrs. Dixon at [email protected]

 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F49ACA72FA6F58-50691657-cherry#/

Principal's Coffee

 

On September 17th, I will host the first "Principal's Coffee" of the school year.  This session will be a general Q&A with no particular agenda.  This will be an opportunity for parents & guardians to come, meet me on a more personal level, and ask questions with regards to the school and our operations.  I hope you can join me for this event!

Community Events/Parent Interest

• Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month around Fairfax County/DMV

  Hispanic Heritage Month                                     

  Cox Farms Pumpkin Patch/Fall Festival

  Cox Farms - Centerville Fall Festival opens September 14

  Corn Mazes in Virginia

  Virginia Corn Mazes

  Apple Picking – Pick Your Own

  Great Country Farms Virginia

For Our Military Families

• Cherry Run Purple Team Meeting for Students

  September 25, 4:05-4:35pm

  Sign up with this Google Form

  Blue Star Families Welcome Week September 21-29, 2024

  Blue Star Welcome Week was created to recognize the 600,000 military families that move to new communities each year. This special week raises awareness and builds support for military families across the country. During Blue Star Welcome Week, it is our goal to proactively improve military families’ sense of belonging to their local communities by forging strong connections between our military family members and their local neighbors.

  Our Miliary Kids

  Our Military Kids® is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering extracurricular activity grants to children and teens of deployed National Guard, deployed Reserve, or post-9/11 combat wounded, ill, or injured Veterans in treatment. OMK activity grants build the children's self-confidence, enhance family wellness, and strengthen a shared sense of community.

  Military Child Care

  Access to child care directly affects mission readiness, morale, and retention of defense personnel worldwide. For this reason, the Department of Defense is committed to connecting military and DoD-affiliated families to quality, affordable child care programs. For an overview of MCC and how you can request child care for your family, watch this short video and/or select Learn More.

  National Museum of the United States Army (Fort Belvoir)

  Free general admission ticket reservations are encouraged. Walk-up tickets are available. 
Up to 9 tickets per request. See Group Tickets for 10 tickets or more.

  Military Family & Life Counselors

  The Military and Family Life Counseling Program provides free, confidential non-medical counseling to service members, their families and survivors on or near installations. Trained to work with the military community, military and family life counselors deliver valuable counseling services, briefings and presentations to the military community.

  Fort Belvoir

  26th Annual Oktoberfest

  Located at Freemont Field on Fort Belvoir, Oktoberfest is a four-day festival that highlights authentic German cuisine, beverages, music and dancing.

  OCT 3 - 6   Hours Vary

  International Spouse Coffees

  Sep 16 2024, 1 pm - 3 pm

  Army Community Service (ACS) invites foreign born and international spouses to connect over coffee and engaging conversation. International Coffee Hour is the perfect setting to meet new people, find support and build life-long connections. Coffee and light snacks will be provided. This program takes place on the third Monday of each month.

  Eligibility: Active Duty Military, DoD Civilians, Retirees and Family Members.

  Cost: Free!

  Facebook groups for local miliary families 

  GAMS - https://www.facebook.com/groups/greateralexandriamilitaryspouses/

  PCS to DC - https://www.facebook.com/groups/PCSMilitaryMovetoVirginia

  Fairfax County Spouses - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2053938148258566/

  Other Resources

  School Liaison Office – Fort Belvoir

  EFMP Military One Source

  EFMP – Fort Belvoir

  MWR – Fort Belvoir

  FCPS Military Families

Limited Early Release Mondays

• Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update

As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.

You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.

We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers. 

Early release Mondays for our school include:

• September 16
• October 21
• November 18
• February 10
• March 10
• April 21
• May 12

Learn more about Early-Release Mondays. 

Community Conversations

• 🎤 Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Reid

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid invites you to share your questions or concerns regarding Fairfax County Public Schools. Your voice matters! Community Conversations will be held this Fall 6:30-7:30 p.m. on:

• Monday, September 9, at Holmes Middle School 
• Monday, September 23, at Newington Forest Elementary
• Monday, September 30, at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary 
• Monday, October 14, at Fairhill Elementary 
• Monday, October 21, at Virginia Run Elementary 
• Wednesday, October 30, at Herndon Middle 

Click the date above to register. Registration is not required but helps with planning. Additional registration links will be shared in next week’s This Week at FCPS. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.

Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!  

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.

To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.

Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to [email protected].  

Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)

¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.  

Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.

Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.

¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a [email protected].  

Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.

Student Attendance

 

• 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement

During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan. 

Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.

Data shows that:

• Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. 
• Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
• Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
• By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Attendance is critical for academic success!

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.

Tutoring Information

• 📑 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.

Click to edit this placeholder text.

School Hours

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

Tonight is the first of our two Back To School Nights (BTSN).  Tonight is only for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd graders.  K &1st will start at 6:30 pm and 2nd & 3rd will start at 7:20 pm.  The lobby will open at 6:10 for families to arrive and we'll open the doors to head to classrooms 5 minutes before each session (6:25 & 7:15).

4th-6th graders will repeat the same process tomorrow, September 10th, with 4th & 5th kicking off at 6:30 pm and 6th grade starting at 7:20.  Lobby and doors will follow the same routine listed above.

We are looking forward to seeing you all over the next two evenings.  Remember, we do have a girl scout troop that is providing babysitting during the sessions (both nights) for families that need to bring a sibling.  The childcare is free, but they do ask for a donation to support the troop's fundraising for their trip!  Please use the links below so that they can appropriately staff for each evening, but walk-ins are welcome!

During BTSN, please make sure that you sign up for the end of 1st quarter conference!  1st quarter conferences are a vital part of building the home-school commitment and allow you to ask those important questions to help your child(ren) succeed.  While we encourage you to say a quick 'hi' and introduce yourself, BTSN is not a time to conduct a conference.  Please email to schedule a conference if you have questions that cannot wait.  Thank you for understanding!

I look forward to seeing you all the next couple of days!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

Important Dates:

September 9 - Back To School Night (K-3 Only)

September 10 - Back To School Night (4-6 Only)

September 12 - PTA Monthly Meeting - Cafeteria & Hybrid - 7:30 pm

September 16 - 3 Hour Early Closing - Students released at 1:05

September 17 - Principal's Coffee - 9:30 am - Cafeteria

October 3 - Student Holiday - School is CLOSED

October 4 - Teacher Workday - School is OPEN

Early Release Info Needed

 

For us to plan our Early Release Mondays, it is imperative that we know they intention of each child in the school.  If you have not already done so, please use the QR code above to fill out the student intention for Early Release Monday.  **NOTE: Please fill out one form for each child that attends Cherry Run!

Thank you very much for your time completing the survey!

Back to School Nights

 

This year, our Back to School Nights will be on September 9th & 10th.  Parents will be able to visit with teachers and get a peek into what a typical school day looks like for their child(ren).  The schedule is as follows:

Monday, Sept. 9 - 6:30-7:15 (K-1 only) and 7:20-8:05 (2-3 only)

Tuesday, Sept 10 - 6:30-7:15 (4-5 only) and 7:20-8:05 (6 only)

** Teachers and grade levels will share the locations of your meeting if it is not in their classroom!

BTSN Babysitting!!

Our wonderful girl scout troop will provide babysitting for parents who may need child care during our BTSN events.  Please use the links below to help them plan how many scouts to bring.  They do take walk-ins for those who have a last minute change!  The sessions are free, but they do hope for donations to support their 2025 trip.  Please make sure to support these awesome young ladies!

INFO:

The 11th graders of Girl Scout Troop 4425 will be back this year to provide babysitting during the Back to School Nights on Sept. 9 and 10 in the school gym from 6:15-8:15 p.m. We’ll have balls, jump ropes, coloring books and other activities, and some of our troop parents and leaders will be on hand to help supervise. There is no set fee per child but there will be a donation jar. Please help us earn money for our Switzerland trip in June 2025!

If interested, please fill out the correct Google Form below so we know how many kids to expect.

Sept. 9 (grades K-3):  https://bit.ly/BTSN9-9-24 

Sept. 10 (grades 4-6):  https://bit.ly/BTSN9-10-24

Thank you!

School Board Welcome Back

Linked below is a welcome back message from our school board representative, Mrs. Sandy Anderson.

2024 Back to School Message – Sandy Anderson (youtube.com)

The captions are defaulting to English, but you can change them to Spanish or Korean:

How to change the subtitle language

 

1. Settings (gear wheel)
2. Subtitles/CC (choose language)
3. Toggle CC (closed captions) on/off

 

 

Principal's Coffee

 

On September 17th, I will host the first "Principal's Coffee" of the school year.  This session will be a general Q&A with no particular agenda.  This will be an opportunity for parents & guardians to come, meet me on a more personal level, and ask questions with regards to the school and our operations.  I hope you can join me for this event!

Student's Rights & Responsibilities

• 2024 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. 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 Monday, September 30. 

You can submit questions online regarding the SR&R.

• 2024 Derechos y Responsabilidades de los EstudiantesEl folleto de Derechos y Responsabilidades del Estudiante (SR&R) de FCPS explica las expectativas para el comportamiento del estudiante y las respuestas de los adultos para mejorar la seguridad escolar y crear un ambiente escolar justo, equitativo y de apoyo. Lea la carta de la Superintendente Dra. Michelle Reid a las familias sobre el SR&R. 

Los padres/cuidadores deben hablar con sus hijos sobre las expectativas para este año escolar. También, por favor ingrese á SIS ParentVUE y firme para confirmar su revisión del SR&R, o firme y devuelva la hoja de firma que se encuentran en la página 3 del folleto de SR&R a la escuela de su hijo antes del Lunes, 30 de Septiembre.

SIS ParentVUE

• Everything You Can Do Through SIS ParentVUE

Want to easily access back-to-school forms and checklists? Log in to your SIS ParentVUE account to find forms and make updates.

Update Contact Information

Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from your school and FCPS by providing your cell phone number and email in SIS ParentVUE. To update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then click the “Online Verification/Update” icon. 

Parents/caregivers who do not have a SIS ParentVUE account should print and complete the Emergency Care Information Form (PDF) and submit it to their child’s school.

Complete Permission Forms

Families can now easily give permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. This online tool can be accessed using your SIS ParentVUE account. Parents can easily opt their child in or out of resources including online educational tools, school counseling services, and tutoring services. They can also change how student information is managed.

Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool. 

Submit Absences

Parents can submit daylong absences through SIS ParentVUE. Log in and click “Report Absence.” Note: Partial day absences and changes of transportation should still be reported directly to the school front office. 

Don’t Have a SIS ParentVUE Account Yet?Contact your school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage. 

 

Todo lo que puede hacer a través de SIS ParentVUE¿Quiere acceder fácilmente a los formularios y listas de comprobación para la vuelta al cole? Acceda a su cuenta SIS ParentVUE para encontrar formularios y ver actualizaciones.Actualice la información de contactoEsté entre los primeros en saber sobre cierres por mal tiempo, retrasos de autobuses y otras comunicaciones críticas de su escuela y FCPS proporcionando su número de teléfono celular y correo electrónico en SIS ParentVUE. Para actualizar su información de contacto en SIS ParentVUE, haga clic en la opción "Paquetes en línea" en la parte superior derecha de la pantalla, luego haga clic en el ícono "Verificación/actualización en línea". 

Los padres/cuidadores que no tengan una cuenta SIS ParentVUE deben imprimir y completar el Formulario de Información de Cuidado de Emergencia (PDF) y enviarlo a la escuela de su hijo.

Completar formularios de permisoLas familias pueden ahora fácilmente dar permiso para que sus hijos accedan a una variedad de recursos escolares a través del sistema de Consentimiento Digital de los Padres. Se puede acceder a esta herramienta en línea utilizando su cuenta SIS ParentVUE. Los padres pueden optar fácilmente por que sus hijos accedan o no a recursos que incluyen herramientas educativas en línea, servicios de orientación escolar y servicios de tutoría. También pueden cambiar cómo se gestiona la información del estudiante.Visite la página web de Consentimiento Digital de los Padres para acceder al sistema. Vea este vídeo para aprender a utilizar la herramienta. 

Cómo reportar las ausenciasLos padres pueden enviar ausencias de un día a través de SIS ParentVUE. Inicie sesión y haga clic en "Reportar Ausencia". Nota: Las ausencias de día parcial y los cambios de transporte aún deben informarse directamente a la oficina de la escuela. ¿Aún no tiene una cuenta SIS ParentVUE?Póngase en contacto con su escuela para obtener un código de activación y siga las instrucciones de la página web de la cuenta SIS ParentVUE. 

Limited Early Release Mondays

• Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update

As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.

You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.

We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers. 

Early release Mondays for our school include:

• September 16
• October 21
• November 18
• February 10
• March 10
• April 21
• May 12

Learn more about Early-Release Mondays. 

Community Conversations

• 🎤 Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Reid

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid invites you to share your questions or concerns regarding Fairfax County Public Schools. Your voice matters! Community Conversations will be held this Fall 6:30-7:30 p.m. on:

• Monday, September 9, at Holmes Middle School 
• Monday, September 23, at Newington Forest Elementary
• Monday, September 30, at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary 
• Monday, October 14, at Fairhill Elementary 
• Monday, October 21, at Virginia Run Elementary 
• Wednesday, October 30, at Herndon Middle 

Click the date above to register. Registration is not required but helps with planning. Additional registration links will be shared in next week’s This Week at FCPS. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.

Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!  

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.

To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.

Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to [email protected].  

Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)

¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.  

Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.

Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.

¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a [email protected].  

Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.

Student Attendance

 

• 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement

During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan. 

Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.

Data shows that:

• Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. 
• Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
• Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
• By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Attendance is critical for academic success!

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.

Tutoring Information

• 📑 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.

Click to edit this placeholder text.

School Hours

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

We have successfully completed week 2 of the school year and we are wrapping up the month of August as well.  Next week will also be a short, 4-day week, as we celebrate Labor Day on Monday.  At this point, we have successfully implemented our classroom norms, established routines for our daily practices, and launched our 'first 20 days' unit in language arts.  Next up, we are getting baseline data on students from a variety of testing (e.g. iReady, VALLSS, etc.) and then we will be grouping students together for academic periods.  Upper grades will be rotating through different teachers for each subject and primary grades stay put in their classrooms for all of their content.

Mrs. Gatton and our team will be hosting a "Parent View" on the new language arts curriculum.  The new BASAL resource is provided by Benchmark Advance and is being used in all elementary schools throughout the county.  The program is highly structured and allocates time and resources to the classroom teachers for instruction.  A date for this parent night will be forthcoming, but for now, I have included a link below with more information.

Have a wonderful long weekend and we look forward to seeing all of the student's smiling faces on Tuesday!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

Important Dates:

August 30 & September 2 - Student Holiday  - School is closed.

September 6 - LBSS Pyramid Night - 5:00-6:30 @ LB

September 9 - Back To School Night (K-3 Only)

September 10 - Back To School Night (4-6 Only)

September 16 - 3 Hour Early Closing - Students released at 1:05

September 17 - Principal's Coffee - 9:30 am - Cafeteria

October 3 - Student Holiday - School is CLOSED

October 4 - Teacher Workday - School is OPEN

Opt Out Annual Notice

• Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights

Fairfax County Public Schools wants all parents and caregivers to understand its policies regarding surveys, records, curriculum, privacy, and related rights.

In its Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights and Opt-Out Forms (Annual Notice), FCPS provides explanations of the rights listed above as well as forms that may be used to exercise opt-out choices. Two versions of the Annual Notice are available: a grades K-8 version and a grades 9-12 version. Parents/caregivers with children at different grade levels should read each applicable version of the Annual Notice, because the notices and opt-out rights vary depending on the student’s grade level.

Get more information and view the 2024-25 Opt-Out Booklets.

• Aviso Anual Sobre Encuestas, Expedientes, Currículo, Privacidad y  Derechos RelacionadosLas Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Fairfax desean que todos los padres entiendan las políticas sobre encuestas, expedientes, currículo, privacidad y derechos afines.En su Aviso Anual sobre Encuestas, Expedientes, Currículo, Privacidad, y Derechos Relacionados y Formularios de Opción de Exclusión (Aviso Anual), FCPS proporciona explicaciones sobre los derechos indicados anteriormente, al igual que sobre los formularios que pueden usarse para ejercer las decisiones de exclusión. Hay disponibles dos versiones del Aviso Anual: una versión para los estudiantes de kindergarten hasta 8.° grado y una versión para los estudiantes de 9.° hasta 12.° grado. Los padres que tengan hijos en diferentes grados deben leer la versión del Aviso Anual que corresponda a cada grado, porque los avisos y los derechos de opción de exclusión varían dependiendo del grado que cursa el estudiante.

Obtengan más información y lean los Folletos de Exclusión 2024-2025.

Language Arts Programming

As mentioned in my opening message, we will be hosting a Parent night around the new Language Arts program in the near future.  In the meantime, I have included some links below for you to see the introductory video for parents.  FCPS has shared with me that a parent resource page will be added soon that allows you to see more of the curriculum that we will be using.

Language Arts Video: Literacy Back to School Night Message (youtube.com)

 

Lake Braddock Pyramid Night

 

Lake Braddock will be hosting their 2nd annual Pyramid Night on September 6th.  The event includes a "festival" with fun games and activities for the students, Music, Food Trucks, Petting Animals, and so much more!  The first home football game will follow the festival and we hope you will be able to stay and participate.  Tickets are $5 for children and $7 for adults.

** I will be selecting 1 student per classroom to participate in a "Tunnel Run" to open the game!  Teachers will solicit families who would like to participate and we will hold a "lottery" to select students in each grade level.

Back to School Nights

 

This year, our Back to School Nights will be on September 9th & 10th.  Parents will be able to visit with teachers and get a peek into what a typical school day looks like for their child(ren).  The schedule is as follows:

Monday, Sept. 9 - 6:30-7:15 (K-1 only) and 7:20-8:05 (2-3 only)

Tuesday, Sept 10 - 6:30-7:15 (4-5 only) and 7:20-8:05 (6 only)

** Teachers and grade levels will share the locations of your meeting if it is not in their classroom!

BTSN Babysitting!!

Our wonderful girl scout troop will provide babysitting for parents who may need child care during our BTSN events.  Please use the links below to help them plan how many scouts to bring.  They do take walk-ins for those who have a last minute change!  The sessions are free, but they do hope for donations to support their 2025 trip.  Please make sure to support these awesome young ladies!

INFO:

The 11th graders of Girl Scout Troop 4425 will be back this year to provide babysitting during the Back to School Nights on Sept. 9 and 10 in the school gym from 6:15-8:15 p.m. We’ll have balls, jump ropes, coloring books and other activities, and some of our troop parents and leaders will be on hand to help supervise. There is no set fee per child but there will be a donation jar. Please help us earn money for our Switzerland trip in June 2025!

If interested, please fill out the correct Google Form below so we know how many kids to expect.

Sept. 9 (grades K-3):  https://bit.ly/BTSN9-9-24 

Sept. 10 (grades 4-6):  https://bit.ly/BTSN9-10-24

Thank you!

School Board Welcome Back

Linked below is a welcome back message from our school board representative, Mrs. Sandy Anderson.

2024 Back to School Message – Sandy Anderson (youtube.com)

The captions are defaulting to English, but you can change them to Spanish or Korean:

How to change the subtitle language

 

1. Settings (gear wheel)
2. Subtitles/CC (choose language)
3. Toggle CC (closed captions) on/off

 

 

Principal's Coffee

 

On September 17th, I will host the first "Principal's Coffee" of the school year.  This session will be a general Q&A with no particular agenda.  This will be an opportunity for parents & guardians to come, meet me on a more personal level, and ask questions with regards to the school and our operations.  I hope you can join me for this event!

Student's Rights & Responsibilities

• 2024 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. 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 Monday, September 30. 

You can submit questions online regarding the SR&R.

• 2024 Derechos y Responsabilidades de los EstudiantesEl folleto de Derechos y Responsabilidades del Estudiante (SR&R) de FCPS explica las expectativas para el comportamiento del estudiante y las respuestas de los adultos para mejorar la seguridad escolar y crear un ambiente escolar justo, equitativo y de apoyo. Lea la carta de la Superintendente Dra. Michelle Reid a las familias sobre el SR&R. 

Los padres/cuidadores deben hablar con sus hijos sobre las expectativas para este año escolar. También, por favor ingrese á SIS ParentVUE y firme para confirmar su revisión del SR&R, o firme y devuelva la hoja de firma que se encuentran en la página 3 del folleto de SR&R a la escuela de su hijo antes del Lunes, 30 de Septiembre.

SIS ParentVUE

• Everything You Can Do Through SIS ParentVUE

Want to easily access back-to-school forms and checklists? Log in to your SIS ParentVUE account to find forms and make updates.

Update Contact Information

Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from your school and FCPS by providing your cell phone number and email in SIS ParentVUE. To update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then click the “Online Verification/Update” icon. 

Parents/caregivers who do not have a SIS ParentVUE account should print and complete the Emergency Care Information Form (PDF) and submit it to their child’s school.

Complete Permission Forms

Families can now easily give permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. This online tool can be accessed using your SIS ParentVUE account. Parents can easily opt their child in or out of resources including online educational tools, school counseling services, and tutoring services. They can also change how student information is managed.

Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool. 

Submit Absences

Parents can submit daylong absences through SIS ParentVUE. Log in and click “Report Absence.” Note: Partial day absences and changes of transportation should still be reported directly to the school front office. 

Don’t Have a SIS ParentVUE Account Yet?Contact your school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage. 

 

Todo lo que puede hacer a través de SIS ParentVUE¿Quiere acceder fácilmente a los formularios y listas de comprobación para la vuelta al cole? Acceda a su cuenta SIS ParentVUE para encontrar formularios y ver actualizaciones.Actualice la información de contactoEsté entre los primeros en saber sobre cierres por mal tiempo, retrasos de autobuses y otras comunicaciones críticas de su escuela y FCPS proporcionando su número de teléfono celular y correo electrónico en SIS ParentVUE. Para actualizar su información de contacto en SIS ParentVUE, haga clic en la opción "Paquetes en línea" en la parte superior derecha de la pantalla, luego haga clic en el ícono "Verificación/actualización en línea". 

Los padres/cuidadores que no tengan una cuenta SIS ParentVUE deben imprimir y completar el Formulario de Información de Cuidado de Emergencia (PDF) y enviarlo a la escuela de su hijo.

Completar formularios de permisoLas familias pueden ahora fácilmente dar permiso para que sus hijos accedan a una variedad de recursos escolares a través del sistema de Consentimiento Digital de los Padres. Se puede acceder a esta herramienta en línea utilizando su cuenta SIS ParentVUE. Los padres pueden optar fácilmente por que sus hijos accedan o no a recursos que incluyen herramientas educativas en línea, servicios de orientación escolar y servicios de tutoría. También pueden cambiar cómo se gestiona la información del estudiante.Visite la página web de Consentimiento Digital de los Padres para acceder al sistema. Vea este vídeo para aprender a utilizar la herramienta. 

Cómo reportar las ausenciasLos padres pueden enviar ausencias de un día a través de SIS ParentVUE. Inicie sesión y haga clic en "Reportar Ausencia". Nota: Las ausencias de día parcial y los cambios de transporte aún deben informarse directamente a la oficina de la escuela. ¿Aún no tiene una cuenta SIS ParentVUE?Póngase en contacto con su escuela para obtener un código de activación y siga las instrucciones de la página web de la cuenta SIS ParentVUE. 

Technology Resource: Lightspeed

• 🔍 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.

• 🔍 Lightspeed Reporte de los Padres sobre la Actividad de los Dispositivos de sus HijosFCPS tiene herramientas para ayudar a los padres a saber más sobre la actividad de sus hijos en cualquier dispositivo de FCPS. Estas herramientas son proporcionadas sin costo a las familias por Lightspeed, el servicio de filtrado de contenido de Internet de la división escolar.Los padres pueden inscribirse para recibir un Informe Semanal para Padres, que les proporcionará una lista de los sitios más visitados por sus hijos. El informe también ofrece a los padres la posibilidad de inscribirse para obtener acceso gratuito al Portal para Padres sobre el Uso de Internet. A través del portal, los padres pueden pausar el acceso de su hijo a Internet en su dispositivo FCPS durante las horas no escola

Aprenda más sobre los Informes para Padres de "Lightspeed."

Limited Early Release Mondays

• Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update

As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.

You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.

We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers. 

Early release Mondays for our school include:

• September 16
• October 21
• November 18
• February 10
• March 10
• April 21
• May 12

Learn more about Early-Release Mondays. 

Community Conversations

• 🎤 Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Reid

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid invites you to share your questions or concerns regarding Fairfax County Public Schools. Your voice matters! Community Conversations will be held this Fall 6:30-7:30 p.m. on:

• Monday, September 9, at Holmes Middle School 
• Monday, September 23, at Newington Forest Elementary
• Monday, September 30, at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary 
• Monday, October 14, at Fairhill Elementary 
• Monday, October 21, at Virginia Run Elementary 
• Wednesday, October 30, at Herndon Middle 

Click the date above to register. Registration is not required but helps with planning. Additional registration links will be shared in next week’s This Week at FCPS. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.

Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!  

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.

To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.

Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to [email protected].  

Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)

¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.  

Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.

Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.

¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a [email protected].  

Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.

Student Attendance

 

• 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement

During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan. 

Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.

Data shows that:

• Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. 
• Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
• Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
• By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Attendance is critical for academic success!

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.

Tutoring Information

• 📑 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.

Click to edit this placeholder text.

School Hours

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

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From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

We have successfully completed our first week back to school!  We kicked the year off with a GREAT PTA bash, Open House, and getting to walk students to class the first day.  Our Boo-Hoo/Woo-Hoo was a success as well.  I have been able to get into every classroom, every day this week and saw a LOT of smiling faces.  I had the privledge of walking Dr. Reid (Superintendent) and Mrs. Anderson (School Board) around the school on the first day.  Our new Region 4 Assistant Superintendent, Pablo Resendiz, visited us on Wednesday and was able to tour the school as well.  We had so many wonderful compliments on the staff, the engagement of the students, and even the building being shiny and warm.  I am very proud of our school community!

Next week, we do have a short week as we roll into Labor Day weekend and the month of September.  Friday of next week and Monday of the week after are student holidays and the school is closed.

In two weeks, LBSS will be hosting their 2nd annual "Pyramid Night".  There is a flyer and details listed below.  This was a LOT of fun last year!!

Please enjoy the beautiful weather and we look forward to seeing all of our students back on Monday!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

Important Dates:

August 30 & September 2 - Student Holiday  - School is closed.

September 6 - LBSS Pyramid Night - 5:00-6:30 @ LB

September 9 - Back To School Night (K-3 Only)

September 10 - Back To School Night (4-6 Only)

September 16 - 3 Hour Early Closing - Students released at 1:05

October 3 - Student Holiday - School is CLOSED

October 4 - Teacher Workday - School is OPEN

Lake Braddock Pyramid Night

 

Lake Braddock will be hosting their 2nd annual Pyramid Night on September 6th.  The event includes a "festival" with fun games and activities for the students, Music, Food Trucks, Petting Animals, and so much more!  The first home football game will follow the festival and we hope you will be able to stay and participate.  Tickets are $5 for children and $7 for adults.

** I will be selecting 1 student per classroom to participate in a "Tunnel Run" to open the game!  Teachers will solicit families who would like to participate and we will hold a "lottery" to select students in each grade level.

VIPs visit Cherry Run on 1st Day!!

 

Dr. Reid and School Board Member Sandy Anderson visited Cherry Run Elementary on the first day of school.  While stopping by multiple classrooms, Dr. Reid spoke with students and saw teachers consistently implementing the new Literacy Basal during Language Arts.   Additionally, while touring the whole school with Principal Mark Bibbee and Assistant Principal Miranda Goss (all pictured in Cardinal picture), they enjoyed taking a walk through Cherry Run’s new outdoor learning space called “The Nature Nook.” This nature-based space was specially designed to support students’ mental health and wellness.

Back to School Nights

 

This year, our Back to School Nights will be on September 9th & 10th.  Parents will be able to visit with teachers and get a peek into what a typical school day looks like for their child(ren).  The schedule is as follows:

Monday, Sept. 9 - 6:30-7:15 (K-1 only) and 7:20-8:05 (2-3 only)

Tuesday, Sept 10 - 6:30-7:15 (4-5 only) and 7:20-8:05 (6 only)

** Teachers and grade levels will share the locations of your meeting if it is not in their classroom!

BTSN Babysitting!!

Our wonderful girl scout troop will provide babysitting for parents who may need child care during our BTSN events.  Please use the links below to help them plan how many scouts to bring.  They do take walk-ins for those who have a last minute change!  The sessions are free, but they do hope for donations to support their 2025 trip.  Please make sure to support these awesome young ladies!

INFO:

The 11th graders of Girl Scout Troop 4425 will be back this year to provide babysitting during the Back to School Nights on Sept. 9 and 10 in the school gym from 6:15-8:15 p.m. We’ll have balls, jump ropes, coloring books and other activities, and some of our troop parents and leaders will be on hand to help supervise. There is no set fee per child but there will be a donation jar. Please help us earn money for our Switzerland trip in June 2025!

If interested, please fill out the correct Google Form below so we know how many kids to expect.

Sept. 9 (grades K-3):  https://bit.ly/BTSN9-9-24 

Sept. 10 (grades 4-6):  https://bit.ly/BTSN9-10-24

Thank you!

SIS ParentVUE

• Everything You Can Do Through SIS ParentVUE

Want to easily access back-to-school forms and checklists? Log in to your SIS ParentVUE account to find forms and make updates.

Update Contact Information

Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from your school and FCPS by providing your cell phone number and email in SIS ParentVUE. To update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then click the “Online Verification/Update” icon. 

Parents/caregivers who do not have a SIS ParentVUE account should print and complete the Emergency Care Information Form (PDF) and submit it to their child’s school.

Complete Permission Forms

Families can now easily give permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. This online tool can be accessed using your SIS ParentVUE account. Parents can easily opt their child in or out of resources including online educational tools, school counseling services, and tutoring services. They can also change how student information is managed.

Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool. 

Submit Absences

Parents can submit daylong absences through SIS ParentVUE. Log in and click “Report Absence.” Note: Partial day absences and changes of transportation should still be reported directly to the school front office. 

Don’t Have a SIS ParentVUE Account Yet?Contact your school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage. 

 

Todo lo que puede hacer a través de SIS ParentVUE¿Quiere acceder fácilmente a los formularios y listas de comprobación para la vuelta al cole? Acceda a su cuenta SIS ParentVUE para encontrar formularios y ver actualizaciones.Actualice la información de contactoEsté entre los primeros en saber sobre cierres por mal tiempo, retrasos de autobuses y otras comunicaciones críticas de su escuela y FCPS proporcionando su número de teléfono celular y correo electrónico en SIS ParentVUE. Para actualizar su información de contacto en SIS ParentVUE, haga clic en la opción "Paquetes en línea" en la parte superior derecha de la pantalla, luego haga clic en el ícono "Verificación/actualización en línea". 

Los padres/cuidadores que no tengan una cuenta SIS ParentVUE deben imprimir y completar el Formulario de Información de Cuidado de Emergencia (PDF) y enviarlo a la escuela de su hijo.

Completar formularios de permisoLas familias pueden ahora fácilmente dar permiso para que sus hijos accedan a una variedad de recursos escolares a través del sistema de Consentimiento Digital de los Padres. Se puede acceder a esta herramienta en línea utilizando su cuenta SIS ParentVUE. Los padres pueden optar fácilmente por que sus hijos accedan o no a recursos que incluyen herramientas educativas en línea, servicios de orientación escolar y servicios de tutoría. También pueden cambiar cómo se gestiona la información del estudiante.Visite la página web de Consentimiento Digital de los Padres para acceder al sistema. Vea este vídeo para aprender a utilizar la herramienta. 

Cómo reportar las ausenciasLos padres pueden enviar ausencias de un día a través de SIS ParentVUE. Inicie sesión y haga clic en "Reportar Ausencia". Nota: Las ausencias de día parcial y los cambios de transporte aún deben informarse directamente a la oficina de la escuela. ¿Aún no tiene una cuenta SIS ParentVUE?Póngase en contacto con su escuela para obtener un código de activación y siga las instrucciones de la página web de la cuenta SIS ParentVUE. 

Technology Resource: Lightspeed

• 🔍 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.

• 🔍 Lightspeed Reporte de los Padres sobre la Actividad de los Dispositivos de sus HijosFCPS tiene herramientas para ayudar a los padres a saber más sobre la actividad de sus hijos en cualquier dispositivo de FCPS. Estas herramientas son proporcionadas sin costo a las familias por Lightspeed, el servicio de filtrado de contenido de Internet de la división escolar.Los padres pueden inscribirse para recibir un Informe Semanal para Padres, que les proporcionará una lista de los sitios más visitados por sus hijos. El informe también ofrece a los padres la posibilidad de inscribirse para obtener acceso gratuito al Portal para Padres sobre el Uso de Internet. A través del portal, los padres pueden pausar el acceso de su hijo a Internet en su dispositivo FCPS durante las horas no escola

Aprenda más sobre los Informes para Padres de "Lightspeed."

FCPS Family Resource Center Info  

 

 

  September Webinars at the Family Resource Center 7 Simple Strategies for Sibling Support

Siblings of children with disabilities play essential roles in their families and often experience similar concerns and opportunities as parents.

In this interactive, virtual session learn some common issues that siblings experience and seven simple ways parents and caregivers can help minimize sibling concerns and maximize opportunities to build close bonds with siblings.

Join Emily Holl, Director of The Sibling Support Project at Kindering for this exciting online webinar.

September 6, 2024 10-11:30 a.m. 

Register online

Back-to-School Toolkit: Proven Systems for Solving Disorganization, Procrastination, and Missed Deadlines with Ann Dolin

Unrelenting patterns of disorganization, procrastination, and late assignments wear down and discourage many parents of students (especially those with ADHD and other learning differences) as the school year grinds on. But it doesn’t have to be this way!

In this webinar, Ann will discuss:

• What a system is and why sustainable systems are game changers for kids
• Uncover which type of procrastinator your child is, from crisis-maker to dreamer, and get personalized solutions for each procrastination style
• How your child can effectively use a calendar system to combat procrastination and meet deadlines head-on
• Strategies to help your student maintain order with easy-to-implement organizational routines, like the Clean Sweep and Launching Pad
• Communication starters to develop a relationship of trust at the start of the school year and how to nurture it for a smooth academic journey

Join Educational Connections Founder and President Ann Dolin, M.Ed., an experienced author, educator, and advocate for this important webinar.

September 13, 2024 10-11 a.m.

Register online

The New Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) Participation Decision-Making Tool: Information for Families of Students With Disabilities

Join the FCPS Office of Special Education Instruction for a live, virtual training event providing an overview of the new Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) Participation Decision-Making Tool.

The overview will include background information regarding changes in the VAAP Participation Criteria Form, as well as information on the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Team's implementation of the new tool.

Webinar Highlights:

• Learn about significant cognitive learning disabilities
• Implications of VAAP participation on your child
• The new VAAP Decision-Making Tool

Presented by: Join members of the Office of Special Education Instruction: Brittany Vigil: Senior Manager I; Extended School Year/Assessment, Michelle Henry, Educational Specialist, and Sarah Khalife, Educational Specialist

September 18, 2024 6:30-8 p.m.

September 19, 2024 10-11:30 a.m.

Register online

Setting Limits and Dealing With Dramatic Resistance

It's important to set limits, but sometimes when we try to set them, our kids don't follow them or it takes a tremendous amount of energy to enforce them.

In this webinar, you'll learn:

• How to set effective limits to reduce the likelihood of resistance
• How to deal with dramatic reactions that do occur -- in a way that boosts your influence and your child's resilience

Join Rachel Bailey, parenting expert and coach for this important webinar.

September 20, 2024, 10-11:30 a.m.

Register online

Nurturing Adolescent Growth: A Comprehensive 4-Part Series on Teen Development and Well-Being

Join us for a series of insightful sessions focusing on the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social aspects of teen development. Learn strategies to support resilience, mental health, and healthy boundaries, fostering a nurturing environment for adolescents to thrive.

• 9/27/24 - Part 1: Understanding Adolescent Development: The Physical, Emotional, and Cognitive Changes in Teens  Gain Insights into physical changes and understand the emotional fluctuations teens experience.

Dr. Unnatti Jain is a certified Behavior Change Expert / TEDxspeaker /Author/Keynote speaker and studies behavioral patterns. She works with parents and youth who struggle with issues such as doubt, anxiety, low self-esteem, confidence, and lack of a growth mindset. Her target audience is parents/caregivers of 12-26 year olds.

Register online

FCPS Family Resource Center Web | Email: [email protected] | Phone: 703-204-3941

New to Fairfax? Here are Resources.

Health Department

• Back to School Immunizations Clinics (English/Spanish)
• Childhood & Required School Immunizations (includes printable flyers)
• Immunization Clinics
• Virginia Childhood Vaccination Schedule

Community Sports ad Park Authority Programs

• Fairfax County ParkTakes
• Springfield Youth Club
• Burke Athletic Club
• Braddock Road Youth Club

Virginia Department of Education (VDOE)

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 13, 2024. Please complete one survey for each of your children who received special education services during the 2023-2024 school year.

Military Families

Facebook groups for local miliary families 

GAMS - https://www.facebook.com/groups/greateralexandriamilitaryspouses/

PCS to DC - https://www.facebook.com/groups/PCSMilitaryMovetoVirginia

Fairfax County Spouses - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2053938148258566/

School Liaison Office – Fort Belvoir

EFMP Military One Source

EFMP – Fort Belvoir

MWR – Fort Belvoir

FCPS Military Families

FCPS Parent Resource Military Family Webinars 

School Transitions for Military Families: Outgoing and Incoming Students (6/2022)

Using tools from her book, “Seasons of My Military Student,” Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman will offer relevant tips and strategies for managing new challenges.

Schools and Military-Connected Students: Supportive Programs and Practices (2/2022)

Using tools from her book, “Seasons of My Military Student,” Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman will offer relevant tips and strategies for managing new challenges.

Preparing for the Unexpected: Challenges of Military Families (12/2021)

Storms in Any Season- What parents need to know about deployments, Injuries, Separations, and Loss

Opt Out Annual Notice

• Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights

Fairfax County Public Schools wants all parents and caregivers to understand its policies regarding surveys, records, curriculum, privacy, and related rights.

In its Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights and Opt-Out Forms (Annual Notice), FCPS provides explanations of the rights listed above as well as forms that may be used to exercise opt-out choices. Two versions of the Annual Notice are available: a grades K-8 version and a grades 9-12 version. Parents/caregivers with children at different grade levels should read each applicable version of the Annual Notice, because the notices and opt-out rights vary depending on the student’s grade level.

Get more information and view the 2024-25 Opt-Out Booklets.

• Aviso Anual Sobre Encuestas, Expedientes, Currículo, Privacidad y  Derechos RelacionadosLas Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Fairfax desean que todos los padres entiendan las políticas sobre encuestas, expedientes, currículo, privacidad y derechos afines.En su Aviso Anual sobre Encuestas, Expedientes, Currículo, Privacidad, y Derechos Relacionados y Formularios de Opción de Exclusión (Aviso Anual), FCPS proporciona explicaciones sobre los derechos indicados anteriormente, al igual que sobre los formularios que pueden usarse para ejercer las decisiones de exclusión. Hay disponibles dos versiones del Aviso Anual: una versión para los estudiantes de kindergarten hasta 8.° grado y una versión para los estudiantes de 9.° hasta 12.° grado. Los padres que tengan hijos en diferentes grados deben leer la versión del Aviso Anual que corresponda a cada grado, porque los avisos y los derechos de opción de exclusión varían dependiendo del grado que cursa el estudiante.

Obtengan más información y lean los Folletos de Exclusión 2024-2025.

Limited Early Release Mondays

• Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update

As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.

You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.

We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers. 

Early release Mondays for our school include:

• September 16
• October 21
• November 18
• February 10
• March 10
• April 21
• May 12

Learn more about Early-Release Mondays. 

Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!  

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.

To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.

Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to [email protected].  

Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)

¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.  

Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.

Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.

¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a [email protected].  

Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.

Student Attendance

 

• 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement

During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan. 

Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.

Data shows that:

• Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. 
• Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
• Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
• By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Attendance is critical for academic success!

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.

Tutoring Information

• 📑 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.

Click to edit this placeholder text.

Staff Spotlight

 

My name is Stacy Huisman and I’m the new Family Liaison at Cherry Run Elementary School. Every school in FCPS has a Family Liaison and we all support the individual needs of our school a little differently depending on the needs of the school.  My role at Cherry Run is to support families who might be new to FCPS, especially those families who experience school transition frequently such as as military families.  I also work as a Family Liaison at Sangster ES and am starting my fourth year at Sangster. 

I understand the lifestyle and the unique challenges (and adventures) of military families.  I’m a military spouse. My husband recently retired after 28 years of service with the Air Force. I have two children who have moved and changed schools more than I have fingers to count. I’m sending my son off to college this year, so I’m here to send lots of encouragement to those who have and will face multiple school moves over the next several years.  I’m a subject matter expert on military-connected children in public school. I’ve been advocating and supporting parents for nearly two decades as a journalist, advocate, published author, and as a parent. 

If you are new to the FCPS or have questions about FCPS, I’m happy to help. I have a plethora of resources available from FCPS, local community, and military community. I’ll add those at the News You Choose for Cherry Run.  If you are looking for something specific, please don’t hesitate to reach out.  I’m available to all families!

For my military families, if you are comfortable sharing, please keep us informed of current or upcoming deployments. Also, if you are geo-baching, have an upcoming move, and/or anything else you’d like to share about your military family, I'm available to you!  

Stacy Huisman, Cherry Run Family Liaison

[email protected]

571-425-8339

School Hours

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!! 

I hope everyone takes this last weekend before school to enjoy themselves and get ready for another year!  Exciting things are going on at Cherry Run and we are very happy to have you with us.  For returning families, we hope you are excited to be back and that you had an enjoyable summer.  For our new families, we hope your transition to Cherry Run has been smooth.  If there is anything you need, any questions that you might have, or your child(ren) need anything, please do not hesitate to reach out!

1st week busses - our busses, county wide, run late the first week.  Sometimes up to 30-35 minutes late.  New drivers, different routes, additional stops, increased traffic, and those "first day of school pictures" tend to slow them down.  Once transportation gets a good handle on it, things will work themselves out.  Please be patient this first week!

Walking Students to Class on Monday - we welcome all family to walk their child to class on our first day of school.  You'll be able to get to class, help them hang up their things, get to their seat, and then big hug goodbye!  When you are ready to leave, we do have the BOO-HOO / WOO-HOO breakfast in the cafeteria (Sponsored by our AMAZING PTA).  Please feel free to stop in for refreshments and snacks.  If you aren't able to make it to the "Walk In", we will have about 25 staff at the entryway, and around the building, to help all of our students get to their rooms safely.  Our school counselor and crisis team members will be available to support any of our little ones who are having difficulties.  ** Starting Tuesday, parents will be asked to stop at the entry door.

Have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to an GREAT year!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

Important Dates:

August 19 - First Day of School!!  Boo-Hoo/Woo-Hoo in the Cafeteria @ 9:15

August 30 & September 2 - Student Holiday  - School is closed.

September 9 - Back To School Night (K-3 Only)

September 10 - Back To School Night (4-6 Only)

October 3 - Student Holiday - School is CLOSED

October 4 - Teacher Workday - School is OPEN

First Day of School

 

The first day of school is on Monday, August 21st this year!  As in previous years, we are happy to have you escort your child to their classroom door, if you wish!  I will also have staff spread throughout the building to help guide you to classrooms and to support students who will be heading to class on their own!

Beginning Tuesday, we will have our staff escort any children that need assistance and parents will 'drop' their students at the front door.

**  On the first day of school, the PTA will host a "Boo Hoo - Woo Hoo" breakfast in the cafeteria from 9:15-10:00.  Please feel free to drop by!

Back to School Nights

 

This year, our Back to School Nights will be on September 11th & 12th.  Parents will be able to visit with teachers and get a peek into what a typical school day looks like for their child(ren).  The schedule is as follows:

Monday, Sept. 9 - 6:30-7:15 (K-1 only) and 7:20-8:05 (2-3 only)

Tuesday, Sept 10 - 6:30-7:15 (4-5 only) and 7:20-8:05 (6 only)

** Teachers and grade levels will share the locations of your meeting if it is not in their classroom!

Opt Out Annual Notice

• Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights

Fairfax County Public Schools wants all parents and caregivers to understand its policies regarding surveys, records, curriculum, privacy, and related rights.

In its Annual Notice of Survey, Records, Curriculum, Privacy, and Related Rights and Opt-Out Forms (Annual Notice), FCPS provides explanations of the rights listed above as well as forms that may be used to exercise opt-out choices. Two versions of the Annual Notice are available: a grades K-8 version and a grades 9-12 version. Parents/caregivers with children at different grade levels should read each applicable version of the Annual Notice, because the notices and opt-out rights vary depending on the student’s grade level.

Get more information and view the 2024-25 Opt-Out Booklets.

• Aviso Anual Sobre Encuestas, Expedientes, Currículo, Privacidad y  Derechos RelacionadosLas Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Fairfax desean que todos los padres entiendan las políticas sobre encuestas, expedientes, currículo, privacidad y derechos afines.En su Aviso Anual sobre Encuestas, Expedientes, Currículo, Privacidad, y Derechos Relacionados y Formularios de Opción de Exclusión (Aviso Anual), FCPS proporciona explicaciones sobre los derechos indicados anteriormente, al igual que sobre los formularios que pueden usarse para ejercer las decisiones de exclusión. Hay disponibles dos versiones del Aviso Anual: una versión para los estudiantes de kindergarten hasta 8.° grado y una versión para los estudiantes de 9.° hasta 12.° grado. Los padres que tengan hijos en diferentes grados deben leer la versión del Aviso Anual que corresponda a cada grado, porque los avisos y los derechos de opción de exclusión varían dependiendo del grado que cursa el estudiante.

Obtengan más información y lean los Folletos de Exclusión 2024-2025.

Welcome Back INFO:

• We’re Eager to Welcome You Back-to School!

As summer winds down, our school and staff are looking forward to welcoming students back to our classrooms. Before the first day of school, make sure you have completed the following: 

• Sign Up for SIS ParentVUE

Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Parents/caregivers should receive an activation code when they register their child. Contact the school registrar, Yasmin Naldo - 703-923-2800 or [email protected], if you need a code. 

Once you have activated a SIS ParentVUE account for an FCPS student, you will keep the same account until the student graduates. Information about students in the same family can be accessed through the same SIS ParentVUE account. Access SIS ParentVUE using an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android devices. 

Need help creating an account? This video walks through the steps. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE. 

• Update Your Contact Information

To be sure you receive important information from your schools, update your phone numbers and/or email addresses in the Parent/Guardian section of SIS ParentVUE.

• Update Immunizations and Records

Immunizations are required for all students to attend school in Virginia. This is an important part of protecting them from certain diseases and keeping them healthy. Please log in to SIS ParentVUE to see what immunizations your child has recorded. 

Please check with your healthcare provider to make sure your child is up-to-date on the immunizations required by the state of Virginia as soon as possible. If your child needs a vaccine, please make an appointment with your healthcare provider, visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a list of child immunization clinics, or access other local services.

Remember to request your child’s immunization record and bring that to the school’s front office or submit the record via SIS ParentVUE as soon as possible. Find more information on FCPS’ website. 

• Prepare for Meals at School 

Parents/caregivers need to provide their students with money to purchase meals at school, send them with a packed lunch, or apply (and be approved) for free and reduced-price meals benefits. School breakfast for students costs $1.75. Lunch is $3.25 for elementary students and $3.50 for middle, secondary, and high school students. 

The best way to purchase meals and additional food items is to use MySchoolBucks. If you have not already, set up your student’s MySchoolBucks account today. 

MySchoolBucks accounts can be set up to add money to the account automatically as needed, and families with multiple children can use the same MySchoolBucks account. 

• Apply for Free and Reduced-Priced MealsThe application for free and reduced-priced meals is now available for the 2024-25 school year. Students who were approved for free and reduced-price lunch last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should re-apply as soon as possible, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.

• 🔖 Bookmark the School Year Calendar

Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances:

• Days marked with a blue “H” are student holidays. Schools are closed on these days.
• Days marked with an orange “O” are religious and cultural observance days (or evenings if only half marked). There is school on these days, but certain events that cannot be made up may not be scheduled on these days. 
• Days marked in pink are holidays for students, but working days for teachers and staff.

Note: Some holidays and observances, such as Eid al-Fitr, may shift and the calendar may be adjusted.

Limited Early Release Mondays

• Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update

As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.

You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.

We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers. 

Early release Mondays for our school include:

• September 16
• October 21
• November 18
• February 10
• March 10
• April 21
• May 12

Learn more about Early-Release Mondays. 

Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!  

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.

To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.

Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to [email protected].  

Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)

¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.  

Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.

Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.

¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a [email protected].  

Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.

Student Attendance

 

• 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement

During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan. 

Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.

Data shows that:

• Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. 
• Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
• Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
• By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Attendance is critical for academic success!

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.

Tutoring Information

• 📑 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.

Click to edit this placeholder text.

School Hours

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

From the Principal's Desk:

Good afternoon families!!  Lots of really good information in both my principal's note and the body of the bulletin!

To sign up for the Principal's Newsletter in News You Choose (this is the last eNotify that I will use), please follow these directions:

• NEWS YOU CHOOSE:  This is a subscription-based platform that you need to sign up for.  I will send weekly messages via “NYC” and the PTA also sends a weekly newsletter.  I encourage you to sign up for both!  To sign up for News You Choose, please do the following: 
• To receive my weekly messages, you will need to go to this link and register:
• https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/VAEDUFCPS/subscriber/new?qsp=VAEDUFCPS_1
• Once there, select Cherry Run from the list of options (you can also check off Cherry Run PTA while there!) and that should opt you in.

Please remember that I will be hosting a "New Family Orientation" on August 15th from 11:30-12:30, immediately before the PTA Bash and Open House.

• NEW FAMILY ORIENTATION:  Based on feedback I received last year, I wanted to provide the opportunity for new families to come and learn more about the school and our operations.  We’ll discuss just about everything you need to know (e.g. attendance, K&R/Buses, Cafeteria, Volunteering, Clinic, Clubs, Technology, PTA, and much more!) and finish with a Q&A.  We’ll host this event on Thursday, August 15th from 11:30-12:30 in the cafeteria.  All families are welcome, but it is geared towards families new to Cherry Run.

A welcome back letter was mailed out this morning (Friday) that includes lots of school specific information (e.g. school hours, kiss & ride protocols, bus information, etc.).  That letter will also contain the name of your child's teacher(s) for this year.  Your child's teacher will also be available in ParentVue starting at 6:00 am on Thursday, August 15th (in case you don't get the letter). This is the official teacher assignment for this school year.  Please know that 3rd party listings are not always accurate.  Refer to your ParentVue account on the 15th for the official assignment.

 

** IMPORTANT NOTE ** - due to ongoing growth in enrollment, we have qualified for an additional position in 1st grade.  Luckily, we had already created class assignments for two or three teachers back in the spring and were able to implement either scenario.  Now that we have the position, we need to hire the additional teacher.  We have interviews scheduled and hope to have someone on board soon!  Students in this class will have their teacher listed as "VACANCY", but will report to room.23.  A staff member will be present to welcome the students at Open House.  Also, we have had a staffing change in 4th grade.  Similar to 1st grade, we are interviewing and hoping to hire ASAP.  Students in that classroom will report to room 41 (teacher will be listed as VACANCY).  A staff member will also be present in this room during Open House.

I look forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,

Mark Bibbee

Principal

Cherry Run ES

Important Dates:

August 15 - New Family Orientation - Cafeteria, 11:30-12:30

August 15 - PTA Bash is 12:30 - 1:00 pm in front of the school!

August 15 - Open House!!  Classroom visits are from 1:00 - 2:00 pm

August 19 - First Day of School!!  Boo-Hoo/Woo-Hoo in the Cafeteria @ 9:15

August 30 & September 2 - Student Holiday  - School is closed.

September 9 - Back To School Night (K-3 Only)

September 10 - Back To School Night (4-6 Only)

October 3 - Student Holiday - School is CLOSED

October 4 - Teacher Workday - School is OPEN

Open House

 

PTA BASH - Thursday, August 15th, 12:30 - 1:00 pm

The PTA invites you up to school for fun and activities.  They have food, games, dancing, and the opportunity to sign up for clubs, organizations, PTA membership, and to purchase spirit wear.

CLASSROOM VISITS - Thursday, August 15th, 1:00 - 2:00 pm

We invite you to visit the school and you child's classroom(s).  This is a great opportunity to bring in school supplies, have a quick 'meet and greet' with the classroom teacher, drop off any medications in the clinic, meet our counselor and specialists, and visit with other adults who may support your child. 

 

The Clinic and Cafeteria will be open during these times to accept medications and lunch money, respectively.

**  We will host 'back to school' nights separately so that you can learn about a typical day in your child's classroom and schedule any conferences that are needed.

First Day of School

 

The first day of school is on Monday, August 21st this year!  As in previous years, we are happy to have you escort your child to their classroom door, if you wish!  I will also have staff spread throughout the building to help guide you to classrooms and to support students who will be heading to class on their own!

Beginning Tuesday, we will have our staff escort any children that need assistance and parents will 'drop' their students at the front door.

**  On the first day of school, the PTA will host a "Boo Hoo - Woo Hoo" breakfast in the cafeteria from 9:15-10:00.  Please feel free to drop by!

Back to School Nights

 

This year, our Back to School Nights will be on September 11th & 12th.  Parents will be able to visit with teachers and get a peek into what a typical school day looks like for their child(ren).  The schedule is as follows:

Monday, Sept. 9 - 6:30-7:15 (K-1 only) and 7:20-8:05 (2-3 only)

Tuesday, Sept 10 - 6:30-7:15 (4-5 only) and 7:20-8:05 (6 only)

** Teachers and grade levels will share the locations of your meeting if it is not in their classroom!

Welcome Back INFO:

• We’re Eager to Welcome You Back-to School!

As summer winds down, our school and staff are looking forward to welcoming students back to our classrooms. Before the first day of school, make sure you have completed the following: 

• Sign Up for SIS ParentVUE

Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Parents/caregivers should receive an activation code when they register their child. Contact the school registrar, Yasmin Naldo - 703-923-2800 or [email protected], if you need a code. 

Once you have activated a SIS ParentVUE account for an FCPS student, you will keep the same account until the student graduates. Information about students in the same family can be accessed through the same SIS ParentVUE account. Access SIS ParentVUE using an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android devices. 

Need help creating an account? This video walks through the steps. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE. 

• Update Your Contact Information

To be sure you receive important information from your schools, update your phone numbers and/or email addresses in the Parent/Guardian section of SIS ParentVUE.

• Update Immunizations and Records

Immunizations are required for all students to attend school in Virginia. This is an important part of protecting them from certain diseases and keeping them healthy. Please log in to SIS ParentVUE to see what immunizations your child has recorded. 

Please check with your healthcare provider to make sure your child is up-to-date on the immunizations required by the state of Virginia as soon as possible. If your child needs a vaccine, please make an appointment with your healthcare provider, visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a list of child immunization clinics, or access other local services.

Remember to request your child’s immunization record and bring that to the school’s front office or submit the record via SIS ParentVUE as soon as possible. Find more information on FCPS’ website. 

• Prepare for Meals at School 

Parents/caregivers need to provide their students with money to purchase meals at school, send them with a packed lunch, or apply (and be approved) for free and reduced-price meals benefits. School breakfast for students costs $1.75. Lunch is $3.25 for elementary students and $3.50 for middle, secondary, and high school students. 

The best way to purchase meals and additional food items is to use MySchoolBucks. If you have not already, set up your student’s MySchoolBucks account today. 

MySchoolBucks accounts can be set up to add money to the account automatically as needed, and families with multiple children can use the same MySchoolBucks account. 

• Apply for Free and Reduced-Priced MealsThe application for free and reduced-priced meals is now available for the 2024-25 school year. Students who were approved for free and reduced-price lunch last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should re-apply as soon as possible, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.

• 🔖 Bookmark the School Year Calendar

Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances:

• Days marked with a blue “H” are student holidays. Schools are closed on these days.
• Days marked with an orange “O” are religious and cultural observance days (or evenings if only half marked). There is school on these days, but certain events that cannot be made up may not be scheduled on these days. 
• Days marked in pink are holidays for students, but working days for teachers and staff.

Note: Some holidays and observances, such as Eid al-Fitr, may shift and the calendar may be adjusted.

Limited Early Release Mondays

• Limited Early Release Mondays for Elementary Schools: Steering Committee Update

As a reminder, FCPS elementary schools will have limited early release Mondays during the upcoming school year. The goal is to provide elementary teachers with additional time to meet new professional development requirements for the Virginia Literacy Act.

You can help us with planning for the seven early release Mondays. Please watch your email for a short survey from us asking if your child will leave at the early release time on these days or remain at school until the standard dismissal time. Your response will help us in planning activities for students who will need to stay at school until regular dismissal time.

We realize there are many details for us to finalize before our first early release Monday in mid-September. Thank you for your patience, we strive to create a positive and successful experience for students, families, and teachers. 

Early release Mondays for our school include:

• September 16
• October 21
• November 18
• February 10
• March 10
• April 21
• May 12

Learn more about Early-Release Mondays. 

Bus Late? Here Comes the Bus!  

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus

Want to know if your child's bus is on schedule or where the bus is? Here Comes the Bus® is an easy-to-use website and app that enables parents to see the location of their child’s school bus — almost in real time — on a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer. 

Parents can track multiple buses if their children don’t all ride the same bus; know exactly when children arrive at school or the bus stop; and receive customized text and/or email notifications about bus locations, schedule changes, or delays.

To get started, download the app from the Apple iOS or Android app store. Check out the Here Comes the Bus and Frequently Asked Questions webpages for more information.

Already using the Here Comes the Bus app? Send your feedback to [email protected].  

Note: eNotify text messaging will continue to be used for reporting bus delays and bus incidents.

• 🚍 Here Comes the Bus (Ahí Viene el Autobús)

¿Quiere saber si el autobús de su hijo llegará a tiempo o dónde está? Here Comes the Bus® es un sitio web y una aplicación fáciles de usar que permiten que los padres vean la ubicación del autobús escolar de sus hijos -casi en tiempo real- en un smartphone, una tableta o un ordenador personal.  

Los padres pueden ver la ubicación de varios autobuses en caso de que sus hijos no viajen todos en el mismo autobús; saber exactamente cuándo llegan los niños a la escuela o a la parada de autobús; y recibir notificaciones personalizadas por mensaje de texto y/o correo electrónico sobre la ubicación de los autobuses, los cambios de horario o los retrasos.

Para comenzar, baje la aplicación de la tienda de aplicaciones de Apple iOS o Android. Consulte las páginas web Here Comes The Bus y Preguntas Frecuentes para obtener más información.

¿Ya utiliza la aplicación Here Comes the Bus? Envíen sus comentarios a [email protected].  

Aviso: La mensajería de texto eNotify seguirá utilizándose para informar de retrasos e incidencias en los autobuses.

Student Attendance

 

• 🙋 Student Attendance and Engagement

During the Academic Matters segment of the November 9 School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid discussed student attendance and engagement. Attendance and absenteeism rates are one measure for Goal 2 of our 2023-30 Strategic Plan. 

Chronic absenteeism — which is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school for any reason — is a concern across Virginia school districts. Although FCPS continues to outperform the state average in attendance rates, we are tracking chronic absenteeism closely.

Data shows that:

• Missing just 10% of school — just two days a month — negatively affects a student’s academic performance. 
• Only 17% of students who were chronically absent in both kindergarten and first grade were reading proficiently in third grade, compared to 64% of those with good attendance.
• Students who fail to read at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely than students who achieve proficiency to drop out of high school.
• By sixth grade, chronic absenteeism becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.

Attendance is critical for academic success!

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.

Tutoring Information

• 📑 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.

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School Hours

9732 Ironmaster Drive, Burke, Virginia, 22015 | Main Office: 703-923-2800
Attendance: 703-923-2828 | Web | Twitter | Facebook