Falcon Family Flyer Week of 9/12/22
2022-2023
A Message From Mrs. Lopez
Good Evening Falcon Families!
Happy Sunday!!! As I move through my day, I am reminded that we have so much to be grateful for at this time. Everyday, I am surrounded by a wonderful group of people that make up our Falcon Family; staff, students and families. My gratefulness also extends to those that have and continue to protect and serve our country in times of peace and war. My thoughts are with all who serve our country and those who have lost loved ones along the way. May we never forget.
Despite the rain, we had a great Back to School NIght event last week. Don't forget to join Class Dojo to keep in contact with your child's teachers.
Remember: the counselors are working on their Parent Coffee topics for the school year. They would appreciate if you could complete this survey and lend your voice to the topics that may be of support to you.
Together, may we give our children the roots to grow and the wings to fly. Thank you for your partnership and have a wonderful week.
In service with you,
Rhonda Lopez
Car Lane Arrival Reminders
- Do not move the orange cones.
- Follow the staff's guidance and pull forward all the way until the line stops.
- Students should exit the vehicle on the right side (the side of the sidewalk).
- Parents/guardians should remain IN the vehicle.
- Stay in line and in the lane unless directed by the school staff to pass.
- If you drive, park and walk your child to the front. You MUST use the crosswalk.
Again, all of these are in place to ensure that all our staff, students and families are safe.
We appreciate you being patient and understanding as we get all of our students safely into the building to begin their day of excellence.
Tutor.com Services
New this school year, LCPS is partnering with Tutor.com to provide free, online tutoring for all LCPS students.Tutor.com, which is a service of the Princeton Review, offers one-on-one access to tutors in more than 200 subjects and for all grade levels, 24 hours a day. This free, online tutoring service will be available starting Tuesday, Sept. 6.
Access to tutor support is near-immediate with students connecting to tutors through their Schoology accounts within about a minute.There is no limit to the number of times a student from LCPS can connect with a tutor. And the service is 100% free.
Sessions take place in an interactive online classroom. Students can engage with their tutors via a two-way text-chat or voice to allow learners of all ages to receive help in a format that is most comfortable for them. Students may also drop off their written work and receive detailed feedback from a tutor within a day. The platform also provides access to self-guided resources, including Advanced Placement (AP) videos and SAT/ACT Essentials courses from The Princeton Review.
We hope your student will take advantage of this service as needed. Information can also be found on LCPS’ website or see the links below. This service will be available starting Tuesday, Sept. 6.
Tardy, Early Dismissal & Change of Dismissal
Tardy-- After 7:30am, the doors will be closed. Parents MUST come to the front office with the student to sign in the tardy binder.
Early Dismissal-- Parents MUST inform the classroom teacher (via class dojo message, email, or send a note with the student) AND the front office before they head to the school for early pick up.
Change of Dismissal-- Parents MUST inform the classroom teacher and the front office for any dismissal changes.
NO dismissal changes after 2:00pm (unless there is an emergency).
Upcoming Testing
Over the next few weeks, Forest Grove students will be participating in various assessments to determine their instructional readiness level. These assessments will also support differentiating instruction via creating instructional groups.
Measure of Academic Performance (MAP) Grades 1st - 5th
LCPS administers NWEA’s MAP Growth tests in Reading and Math each fall, winter, and spring to students in grades 2-8, first grade students in Math, and high school students enrolled in Algebra I and Geometry to determine their instructional readiness level and measure academic growth throughout the school year and from year to year. The MAP Growth testing window for Forest Grove is Aug. 31-Sept. 23.
FastBridge Kindergarten - 5th
FastBridge is a universal fluency screener that determines students' reading fluency skills as well as their early literacy skills. The FastBridge testing window for Forest Grove students is Sept. 6th-Oct. 27th.
Fall Growth Assessment 3rd-5th
Students in grades 3-8 will take the Virginia Department of Education’s growth assessments in reading and/or math this fall and again during the winter. Test windows for the Fall Growth Assessment for Forest Grove students is September 19th-Oct. 7th.
Growth assessments, which are online, adaptive assessments, aid teachers in identifying specific standards/skills to target. Growth assessments also measure students’ progress in mastering content during the school year. Students will take growth assessments in addition to spring Standards of Learning (SOL) tests.
Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP) Kindergarten Only
LCPS will be administering the Early Mathematics Assessment System (EMAS): Mathematics test and the Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS): Self-Regulation and Social Skills checklist as part of the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP) to Kindergarten students September 26th through October 24th.
VKRP helps families better understand what school readiness means. VKRP gives you and your child’s teacher a more comprehensive picture of school readiness across four key domains: mathematics, literacy (PALS), self-regulation, and social skills. It provides information teachers can use to effectively individualize instruction and partner with you to help support your child’s school success
Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) Kindergarten - 3rd grade
Forest Grove will be administering the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) to students in grades in Kindergarten Oct. 3rd-28th. For grades 1st-3rd, the testing window is September 6th-30th.
PALS is a screening tool for young children’s literacy development. Results are used to determine individual children’s learning goals, plan classroom instruction, and raise awareness of children who need additional support or instruction in early reading and literacy. Focusing on early detection and early intervention of reading difficulties is a required state-wide policy (Early Intervention Reading Initiative). The PALS screening tool is a way to help schools and teachers meet that mandate.
Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) Required for 1st Grade. Optional for Kindergarten through 5th.
Forest Grove will be administering the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA 3) to students from September 12th through October 14th.
The DRA 3 allows teachers to determine each student's independent or instructional reading level thereby determining students' instructional needs, and differentiating instruction via creating instructional groups.
Performance Assessments Grades 3 and Grade 5 ONLY
Performance assessments measure subject-matter proficiency, requiring students to apply the content and skills they have learned to authentic situations/issues. Performance assessments should also include opportunities for students to demonstrate the “Five C’s” – critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration and citizenship – described in the Board of Education’s Profile of a Virginia Graduate. The evidence gained through performance assessment is used to guide future classroom instruction and helps teachers understand how deeply students understand a skill/topic.
Forest Grove will administer performance assessments during the school year in grade 3 Science, grade 3 History and Social Science, and grade 5 Writing. These assessments will take place throughout the year. Parents will be provided with student progress and will access a summative report at the end of the school year.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Brittney Bryan, Assistant Principal, at 571-434-4560 or at brittney.bryan@lcps.org.
Helpful Tips from our Counselors
What is the difference between bullying and harassment? – Bullying and harassment are often used interchangeably when talking about hurtful or harmful behavior. They are very similar, but in terms of definition, there is an important difference.
Bullying and harassment are similar as they are both about:
power and control
actions that hurt or harm another person physically or emotionally
an imbalance of power between the target and the individual demonstrating the negative behavior
the target having difficulty stopping the action directed at them (https://www.pacer.org/bullying)
The distinction between bullying and harassment is that when the bullying behavior directed at the target is also based on a protected class, that behavior is then defined as harassment. Protected classes include race, color, religion, sex, age, disability and national origin.
Parent VUE Online Verification
The Parents/Guardians of students who attend Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) are required to complete an Online Verification (OLV) process to update and maintain accurate student information in Phoenix. This process utilizes ParentVUE, the online tool that LCPS families use to track grades, attendance and report cards and related information regarding their students. With online verification, families are able to update information for each of their students through the ParentVUE account at the beginning of the school year. At least one parent or guardian will need to have an active ParentVUE account to update the information pertaining to their student(s).
On August 15th, the Online Verification is available to families via the Parent Portal. Use the Parent portal login page and use your ParentVUE user ID and password to login.
If you forgot your password, You have the ability to reset your own password using these directions:
On the ParentVUE Account Access screen:
- Click More Information.
- Select Forgot Password.
- Enter your email address associated with the account.
- An email message will be sent to that e-mail address with a link to reset the password.
Clicking on the link in the email takes you to the Change Password screen where you must enter your First Name, Last Name, and the new password. You must enter your First Name and Last Name EXACTLY as it appears in your ParentVUE account to reset your password.
If you are unable to access the email account, please contact the ParentVUE support contact at your child’s school.
For more information click here https://www.lcps.org/Page/229648
Online Verification
First Day Information
If you have not done so already, please sign into ParentVUE to complete the Online Verification process as part of Loudoun County Public Schools’ First Day of School Information initiative. This process is required for all families to review and update important information about their students as we begin the 2022-23 school year, and must be completed no later than Friday, September 23. Once completed, you will be able to view student schedules in ParentVUE.
If you do not have a ParentVUE account, please contact the main office to request an Activation Letter.
For more information about this Online Verification process, along with FAQs about the First Day of School, please visit: www.lcps.org/FirstDay.