Fox Prints October 4

In this Fox Prints

Volunteers Meeting

PTA Speaker's Corner

GRACE Art

ESOL Parent Coffee

Boosterthon Fun Run

Art Club

GO Club

Readers' Choice

PTA Reflections

Spirit Wear

Dining for Dollars

Shopping for Dollars

Kids Helping Community

After-School Plans

Walk for Homeless

Free Concrete Blocks

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Fox Mill PTA
Fox Mill Elementary

School Calendar

Fox Prints October 3

Message From the Principals

Dear Parents,

It was wonderful seeing so many of our parents/guardians attending Back to School Night on Sept. 20. As the teachers shared with you that evening, communication is important to us. We hope that you check Blackboard (FCPS 24/7 Learning) frequently and look not only on your child's grade level site but also the classroom teacher's site. This newsletter is provided as an opportunity to keep our community informed of announcements, activities, and special events. We want our community to be well informed about the great things that are happening here at Fox Mill Elementary! Please remember that you may contact your child's teacher by either calling them and leaving a message on their voice mail or sending them an e-mail message.

While I sent this information out a couple of weeks ago, we are still having some unsafe driving practices at arrival and dismissal. Due to safety concerns, we ask that in the morning parents drop off their student(s) only in the designated Kiss and Ride area. CARS ARE NEVER TO BE PARKED IN THE KISS AND RIDE AREA. We also ask that parents coming in and out of the parking lot have patience with the line of cars. We are very concerned about our children's safety and ask that cars not pull around waiting cars. If you park and walk your child to the front entrance, only cross streets in the designated crosswalks. Please do not undertake U-turns in front of the school or on the side streets. Also, it is very dangerous if you are using a cell phone while driving your car in the vicinity of the school while children are present. If your child arrives late, parents must park their car and walk their child to the office.

Interim reports in grades 1-6 are mid-marking period reports that are sent home to parents as a means of informing parents if their child is in need of additional support in a specific curriculum area, study skill, or citizenship behavior. If your student arrives home with such a report in his/her Tuesday Packet on Oct. 4, please understand that this is not something that should be taken negatively. This information is sent to encourage discussions at home on how grades can be improved through the duration of the marking period. In other words, these reports are providing students and parents with a "heads-up" that with additional attention to studying for tests or completion of assigned homework, a student can improve grades before the end of the marking period. These interim reports are to be reviewed at home, signed, and returned to school. As always, please feel free to contact the classroom teacher if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child's performance.

Sincerely,

Pat Sheehy Brian Moose

Principal Assistant Principal

School Volunteers and Room Parents Meeting

Attention all School Volunteers and Room Parents

The annual meeting for all School Volunteers and Room Parents will be held on two dates as follows:

Monday, Oct. 3 at 8:45 a.m. in the cafeteria

Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. in the library (just before the PTA meeting)

At the meeting you can expect to:

Learn everything you need to know to have a great year of volunteering at the school
Meet as a group with the other room parents for your child's class (GREAT opportunity to start work on our plans, and decide who will do what during the year)
Get your very own, exciting copy of the Room Parent Handbook (this book has all kinds of handy info to make your life as a Room Parent easier). Click here to open the handbook now.

For more information about volunteering, see http://foxmillpta.com/volunteers.

Thank you for volunteering!

PTA Speaker's Corner

This week the PTA launches its new major fundraiser, the Boosterthon Fun Run. A Boosterthon representative will be at the PTA meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 4 to explain the program and answer any questions you may have. Come and find out how your child will learn leadership, character, and fitness skills while having a lot of fun and raising money for the school! Expect the presentation to begin around 7:45 p.m.

GRACE Art Meeting

The first GRACE Art docent meeting is this Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 9 a.m. in the cafeteria. We will provide binders for all docents. If you still wish to sign up, e-mail Sue at slefave@verizon.net. See http://foxmillpta.com/programs/grace-art for more information about GRACE Art.

ESOL Parent Coffee

On Friday, Oct. 7, at 8:45 a.m., our ESOL teacher, Sara Chae, and our new parent liaison, Juana Perrault, will be available to meet with parents and discuss the ESOL program and explain how to read your child's WIDA test results. E-mail Sara Chae at suchae@fcps.edu to RSVP for the event.

Boosterthon Fun Run

Boosterthon Fun Run - Fox Mill's 2011 Main Fundraiser

is Just Around the Corner!

Boosterthon correct logo Get excited for The Boosterthon Fun Run. It is just around the corner.

The Boosterthon Fun Run will raise funds and teach our kids about the importance of leadership, character, and fitness.

Information regarding the The Boosterthon Fun Run will come home on Oct 5. Check out www.boosterthon.com to learn more.

The theme for the Boosterthon Fun Run is "EPIC Adventure":

E-Encourage, P-Play, I-Invite, and C-Celebrate

There will be two events for the Boosterthon Fun Run on Oct 14.

1st Fun Run Event from 12:50 p.m. to 2 p.m. for students who have the following teachers:

Mrs. Sheaffer
Ms. Flood
Mrs. Musti
Mrs. Bekenstein
Ms. Kim
Mrs. Clarke
Nakayama Sensei
Mrs. Nandury
Mrs. Petroski
Mrs. Roberts
Endo Sensei
Mrs. Walther
Mrs. Wallisch

2nd Fun Run Event from 2 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. for students who have the following teachers:

Mrs. Simons-Hicks
Frost Sensei
Mrs. Barker
Mrs. Gressa
Mrs. Karl
Daiten Sensei
Mrs. LaMothe
Mrs. Alberts
Linam Sensei
Mrs. Adams
Ms. Willard
Mr. Chancler
Mrs. Wilkins

All parents are welcome to attend the Fun Run.

Hope to see you there!

All students will participate and receive a t-shirt regardless of pledges collected.

If you are interested in helping collect pledges on any of the following days: Thursday, Oct. 20; Tuesday, Nov. 1; Tuesday, Nov 15; or Thursday, Dec. 1, e-mail Jennifer Bower at jdbower1@cox.net.

Art Club Registration

The Fox Mill Art Club for students in grades 4-6 provides a unique blend of art projects and art education. The club meets for six weeks on Wednesdays from 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. from Oct. 12 to Nov. 16. The fee is $100 per students, which includes all art supplies. Enrollment is on a first come, first serve basis. Click here for an enrollment form or go to http://foxmillpta.com/programs/art-club for more information.

GO Club

Students in grades K-6 are invited to join the Fox Mill GO Club. GO is a popular board game of strategy perfected by the Japanese and played throughout the world! You do NOT need to be in JI or know how to play already in order to join GO Club! If you've never played before, come to a meeting and try it before deciding.

The GO Club meets in the cafeteria the second and fourth Fridays of the month from October 2011 to April 2012 from 3:40 p.m. to 4:10 p.m. The highlight of the GO club season is a Tri School GO Tournament with Great Falls Elementary School and Floris Elementary School held in late February or early March. There is a $5 fee to join. Registration forms are available in the stand near the front office, from the front office, at the meeting, or click here to open the registration form/parent volunteer signup sheet.

For information, see http://foxmillpta.com/programs/go-club. Questions? Send an e-mail to rhunter0124@yahoo.com.

Virginia Readers' Choice

It's time for Virginia Readers' Choice! This is a statewide program available to students in grades K-12. The goals of VRC are to encourage young readers to become acquainted with books with outstanding literary appeal, to broaden students' awareness of literature, to encourage reading aloud in classrooms, and to honor favorite books and their authors. More information is available at the VRC website at http://www.vsra.org/VRCindex.html

Students will learn about the VRC program during their library visits. Books are divided into 3 categories: Primary for grades K-3, Elementary for grades 3-5, and Middle for grades 6-8. Students may read books independently, with adults, or be read to aloud for credit. Summary sheets are available in the library, on the VRC website, and on the Library Blackboard site. Students who read and summarize at least four VRC books will be invited to a voting party in the library in April, where they will celebrate and vote for their favorite VRC book. Our Fox Mill votes will become part of the statewide results, and we'll find out which books were the most popular across the state in May. Students who read 10 or more VRC books will have their picture displayed on our VRC wall in the library.

Please let Mrs. Diamond, Librarian, or Mrs. Spruill, Reading Specialist, know if you have any questions! We hope everyone enjoys the selections this year.

PTA Reflections: Unleash Artistic Talent

The PTA Reflections Program is a national program that asks children to express themselves artistically based on a common theme. This year's theme is "Diversity Means...".

Students submit artwork to their local PTAs. Works are judged at the local level and the winning entries advance to the council, district, region, and state PTA levels. Top state award-winning entries advance to the national level of judging.

The deadline to submit artwork is Oct. 17. For more information, click here to open a flyer or see http://foxmillpta.com/programs/reflections.

Spirit Wear Coming in October

Clothing and apparel will be available to purchase Oct. 17 to Nov. 1 only. Pony-o's and magnets will be available to purchase all school year. Foxy Wear will be delivered to the school for pickup on Nov. 17 at the Thanksgiving luncheon.

Before you order, please keep in mind that all sales are final and no exchanges.

All orders must be placed online with Burke Sporting Goods. Here's how:

1. Go to www.burkesports.com.

2. Click the "spirit wear" link at the top.

3. Type in our school's Group Code: Foxywear then click on the "GO SHOP" button.

4. The next page displays the spirit wear and other items for sale. Just click on the items you want to purchase, then click on the desired number and size on the next page. Then click on the "Add to cart" button.

5. The next page shows you what you've ordered. To remove an item, click on the little trash can on the right of the price. If you want to order more items, click on the "+ Continue shopping" link. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until your order is complete.

6. When your order is complete, click on the "Checkout" button.

7. On the next page, type in your name, number, e-mail address, child's name, teacher, and grade in the spaces provided. Then click on the "Proceed to Payment" button.

8. Clicking this button will take you to a new page to complete payment through Paypal. This new page will be the standard Paypal page, including your order summary. If you/your family has a registered Paypal account, you may submit payment through that account. If you do not have a Paypal account, simply click on the "Don't Have A Paypal Account" button below, and complete your payment with a credit or debit card. You will receive an e-mail confirmation after payment has been successfully completed.

If you have questions, please e-mail Emily Madden at emilymadden@yahoo.com. Do not contact Burke Sporting Goods regarding your purchase.

Dining for Dollars: September Receipts

We hope that you enjoyed September's Dining for Dollars partner, Glory Days Grill. Please send all your Glory Days receipts dated Sept. 5 to Oct. 2 to school with your child in an envelope marked: "PTA Dining for Dollars".

Our next Dining for Dollars Day will be at Pei Wei Asian Diner on Oct. 17.

Shopping For Dollars

There is still time to register your retail cards to help raise money for Fox Mill. The school is off to a great start. As of Sept 30, we have registered:

Harris Teeter: 70

Giant: 98

Bloom: 99

Our goal for the 2011-2012 school year for registered cards:

Harris Teeter: 110 (to qualify for more promotional programs)

Giant:124

Bloom: 100

Target: 100

Please continue to register your cards so the school can benefit from these simple, easy, with no extra time ways to raise funds for our school.

Just click here to fill out a form and we will sign up your grocery or retail card for you. Or go to http://foxmillpta.com/fundraising/shopping-for-dollars to learn more.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Bower at jdbower1@cox.net.

Kids Helping the Community

Has your child recently done something to benefit the community? If so, we would like to recognize them in the next issue of "Fox Mill Kids Helping the Community" newsletter. Some of our past issues have included Fox Mill kids who held a book drive to benefit needy children, raised money to help homeless animals, donated some of their own belongings to benefit a homeless shelter, and lots of girls (and boys) who have donated their hair to organizations that make wigs for people who have lost their hair due to cancer. Please e-mail your child's contribution to the community to Sandy Vigen in the office at m.vigen@fcps.edu. Photos are welcome!

After-School Plans

If a student invites another student to come home with him/her, notes from the parents of the invited student as well as the parents of the hosting student must be sent to the office. Please include the first and last names of the students. Play dates will not be allowed without these written parent permissions.

Annual Walk for the Homeless

The 6th Annual Mini-Walk for the Homeless will be on Nov. 3. Get ready to walk to help end homelessness in our community.

More details and registration forms will be out in later in October in Fox Prints and your Tuesday packets. Let's continue our great support of Reston Interfaith.

Free Hollow Concrete Blocks

Hollow concrete blocks -- free to a good home!

As part of the fall clean up, the school wishes to dispose of a fair number of grey hollow concrete blocks. These were used to create compost bins and are currently located in the Atrium. They are now surplus to requirements.

If anyone is interested in having them, please contact the school on 703-262-2700 to arrange to collect them.

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