FH Weekly Update - 1/26/25
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Principals' UpdateDear Freedom Hill Families,
We hope you are having a great weekend. Can you believe that our 2nd quarter ends this week, and that we are at the midpoint of our school year? Our students' growth has been so wonderful to see - we see it in many ways through observations and data. Next week, we are excited to share some data from around the school that demonstrates just how well our students are doing. As always, appreciation for our teachers and staff is so deserved!
As a reminder, Wednesday, January 29th is a student holiday/teacher workday for teachers to work on progress reports for the end of the 2nd quarter.
Wishing a festive Lunar New Year to all who celebrate this week!
In partnership,
Nicholas Zapadka, Principal
Tim Scesney, Assistant Principal
Holly Sims, Assistant Principal
Upcoming Dates for Your Calendar2024-25 FCPS School Calendar
- January 28 – End of 2nd Quarter
- January 28 - Green Team cancelled this week
- January 29 – Teacher Work Day – Lunar New Year - School Closed
- January 31 - Student Council Meeting
- February 3 - 14 - Spelling Bee Classroom Bees
- February 24 - 3-hour Early Release Day (Teacher Training)
- February 24 - PTA Family Dinner Out - Panera, Pike 7 Plaza
This week, we are focusing on Social Intelligence. You are aware of other people’s thoughts and feelings. You understand why they do things.
"When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.”
~Ernest Hemingway
Questions you might enjoy talking about:
- What does a good listener do?
- What does being a good listener have to do with Social Intelligence?
- What can you do to be a better listener?
- Please ensure your child(ren) arrives at school before 9:20 each day. Late arrivals mean they are missing learning.
- Please send your child to school with a snack. The office is not able to provide them.
- We are always eager to receive your paper towel donations! We use these to clean the cafeteria tables between lunch shifts and the paper towels ordered through the FCPS Warehouse are not very effective for this purpose. If you are able to donate, feel free to drop them off in the office anytime, or have them shipped directly to school.
The Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee held its second meeting on December 16. View key takeaways from that meeting and access the meeting agenda, slides, and other materials that committee members received. If you did not attend an in-person Community Boundary Review Meeting, consider participating in one of the following virtual meetings:
- Thursday, January 16, 2025, 1-2:30 p.m.
- Saturday, January 25, 2025, 9:30-11 a.m.
- Monday, January 27, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m.
- Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m.
- Monday, February 10, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m.
Language interpretation will be available.
Virtual meetings will follow the same format as in-person meetings that were recently held and the same information will be shared. Stay tuned for details on how to register. Visit FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage to learn more. Sign up for FCPS’ School Boundary Review newsletter as well.
Lunar New YearJanuary 29th - 🐍 새해 복 많이 받으세요! 新年快乐! Chúc mừng Năm Mới!
Wishing good fortune to those in our community who celebrate Lunar New Year! For those in many East and Southeast Asian countries, including Pacific Islanders, the Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays of the year and is all about ushering in luck and prosperity with family.
Head Lice AwarenessPlease be aware that our area has experienced a number of head lice cases this fall. We understand that dealing with head lice can be challenging and stressful for families, and we want to work together to prevent the spread. Throughout the winter season, please remind your child not to share hats and coats with friends, or touch heads with others, as this is the way most lice is transmitted.
We kindly ask all parents to remain vigilant by regularly checking their child's hair for any signs of head lice. For more information, visit Lice Treatment and Prevention | Fairfax County Public Schools (fcps.edu) Early detection and treatment are key to preventing the spread of lice in our classrooms and beyond.
Math and Reading support through Belong's After-School Mentoring ProgramBelong offers a free academic and social-emotional mentoring program for elementary students. Sessions are held at Marshall High School on Tuesdays from 6:30–7:30 PM. Your child will meet weekly with the same volunteer mentor to work on math and reading (and English as needed) and play games, providing personalized one-on-one support. Limited spaces are available for 5–6 children. Families commit to coming weekly through end of May.
For more information, call 703-485-6705. We hope to have new students begin no later than January 28.
Hablamos español.
📵 Phones Down, Engagement UpKeeping cell phones off during the school day helps students focus and learn. It also boosts positive social behavior. Review FCPS’ cell phone expectations by grade level with your child and help keep our classrooms free of distractions! If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call our office at 703-506-7800.
FCPS Cares: Recognize Our Staff Who Go Above and BeyondThe FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FHES employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story, so we can all acknowledge the exceptional work happenings at Freedom Hill.
📑 Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No CostFCPS 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.
Hill Happenings PTA Updates**NEW DATES** BEE PREPARED FOR THE SPELLING BEE
We are postponing the FHES spelling bee. Our new date for the school-wide bee is Thursday, February 27th. Prior to this date, students in grades 1 through 6 will have the option to participate in a grade-level spelling bees. These will culminate with the top grade-level finishers participating in the school-wide Bee on Thursday, February 27th in the FHES cafeteria beginning at 6PM.
Spelling lists have been distributed to homeroom teachers. Interested families can download the Scripps Spelling Bee app for more practice.
NEXT FDO - FEBRUARY 24TH - PANERA
Save the date for our next Family Dinner Out on Monday, February 24th from 4-8PM at Panera on Leesburg Pike.
VALENTINE’S DAY CANDYGRAMS ARE BACK
Candygrams for Valentine's Day are back! Sixth grade volunteers will be selling from February 4th through 13th from 8:30-9:10AM each school day by the main entrance. You can purchase lollipops or rainbow pencils (a non-candy alternative, limited quantity available) for 50¢ each to be delivered to classmates, friends or siblings in other grades, teachers, specialists, and other FHES staff - anyone in the building! Look for a flier to come home this week, which will include an order form and candygram notes. Want to get a jumpstart? You can print the order form or candy notes from home and bring the completed forms to any day the students are selling.
NEXT PTA MEETING - FEBRUARY 6th - VIRTUAL
Save the date for our next virtual PTA meeting on Thursday, February 6th at 7:30PM. We will be discussing and voting on an initial budget for FHES’s 75th Anniversary Celebration - come hear about the ideas!
If there are specific topics you’d like to hear about, or staff members you’d like to hear from, please submit your ideas to [email protected].
1945 Lord Fairfax Rd, Vienna, VA 22182 | Main Phone: 703.506.7800
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