Dear Parents,

We look forward to seeing you at Fox Mill's 7th Annual Matsuri ,(Japanese Festival), which will be held on Friday, May 4 from 6:00-9:00 p.m.

May 7-11, 2012 is Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week. This week will be an all-inclusive celebration of employees who support the educational mission of Fox Mill ES. Please join us in recognizing and celebrating these special individuals.

As we rapidly approach the end of the school year, placement of students for the next year will undoubtedly be foremost on every parent's mind. The assignment of students to classes is the primary responsibility of the principal, but it is a team effort that is performed with great care. If your child attended our school this year, his or her teacher will be providing Mrs. Devers and me with relevant information as to your child's academic performance and instructional needs. This information will not only tell us about current reading and math levels, it will focus on valuable insights into how your child learns best.

Our intention is to place each student in an environment appropriate to his or her academic, social and emotional development. Classes are formed to insure balance in gender, academic levels of performance, ethnic diversity and specific learning needs.

If you have information about your child or about the kind of learning environment best suited for your child that you think is pertinent and that your child's current teacher may not be aware of, you may use the link that has been created on the Fox Mill website to share this information. If you do not have access to computer, a letter is acceptable. This is not a solicitation for parent requests for teachers, and indeed a request for a specific teacher can not be honored. Rather, this is an opportunity for a parent to share information that may not be known about their child that would impact the learning situation. I am requesting that all correspondence be sent to Ms. Sheehy no later than June 1, 2012.

Spring has arrived and with it some more comfortable temperatures.  During periods of warm or hot weather, we change the kinds of clothes we wear to school and out to play. It is important, however, to keep in mind that what is comfortable for play may not be appropriate at school.  Clothing that tends to be more comfortable, may also be quite distracting in the classroom. The FCPS' regulations state, "All students are expected to dress appropriately for a K-12 educational environment.  Any clothing that interferes with or disrupts the educational environment is unacceptable."  For this reason, we offer the following guidelines when choosing clothing for school:

 Girls are reminded that short shorts, short skirts, or tight clothing should not be worn to school. Low cut clothing or clothing that exposes the stomach are more appropriate in recreational settings, such as the beach or at picnics, but should not be worn to school.  Our older girls should keep in mind that bra straps are very personal and should not be seen. Shirts with very thin straps should not be worn. 

Boys are reminded that mesh tops, see through tops, and tank tops with large arm openings should not be worn. 

All students should remember that clothing with references to drugs, tobacco, alcohol, or violence is prohibited in all Fairfax County Schools. Schools additionally prohibit clothing which refers to gangs, gang membership or depicts weapons.

We want all children to be successful at school. Inappropriate clothing can be distracting to students and interfere with learning. If a child does wear inappropriate attire to school, one of the school administrators or guidance counselors will contact the family and request that a change of clothes be brought to school for the child. Thank you for your cooperation!

Sincerely,

Pat Sheehy                                                    Brian Moose

Principal                                                         Assistant Principal