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Dear Island Creek Families,

Wednesday, October 15, is a 3-hour Early Release for school-age students at 12:20. Dismissal time and transportation arrangements will follow the same schedule as the first Early Release day. If you have a change, please contact the office (571-642-6300) no later than 4:00 PM on Tuesday, October 14.

As a reminder, Monday, October 13th, is Indigenous Peoples' Day and an FCPS Staff Development Day, so students will not have school. Our staff will be engaged in professional learning to support your children.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Warmly, Jen Fallert, Principal Karen Baxter, Assistant Principal

Early Release (12:20) for school-age students on Wednesday, 10/15

Wednesday, October 15, is our second 3-Hour Early Release Wednesday at 12:20 for school-age students.

Dismissal time and transportation will follow the same arrangements as the first Early Release day.

If you have any questions, please contact the office (571-642-6300) no later than Tuesday afternoon.

Preschool Students will follow their regular Wednesday schedule. 

Every Day Counts at Island Creek!

Help us reach our goal of 5% or less this year!  Attendance is an important life skill that will help your child later in life. It’s a good habit to build now to help them graduate from college on time and routinely report to work on time once they have a career. Please take a look at the FCPS Calendar. Try to schedule any trips or family events on weekends and school holidays. Every day of learning is a day toward success. Keep in mind that absences add up quickly. Students who are absent 10% of the school year (or just two days per month) are considered “chronically absent.” Visit FCPS’ Attendance webpage for resources on attendance To ensure transparency and celebrate our progress, we will be sharing weekly attendance data and updates in our newsletter. By highlighting this important information, we aim to keep our families informed and energized about our collective efforts to encourage regular school attendance

Grades 3-6 SEL Screener

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) believes in supporting social and emotional learning (SEL) for all students. In FCPS, students use a tool called the SEL Screener to think about their own SEL skills and experiences at school. Island Creek students in grades 3-6 will be participating in the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener on October 14-17 and again in February (TBD).

After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families without a ParentVUE account. For more information about the SEL Screener, including information on opting out, please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.

NGAT (2nd Grade students and select Grades 3-6 students)

Volunteering at Island Creek

All prospective Level 1-3 volunteers must complete the following steps: 

• Register in the Volunteer FCPS online volunteer management system to create a profile. 
• Complete our FCPS  Volunteer Orientation 
• Submit an online volunteer application that includes your contact information, areas of interest, and availability. 
• Depending on the level of involvement, some volunteers may be required to undergo background checks

How to Register as a Volunteer

1. Review FCPS Volunteer Guidelines – All volunteers must read the FCPS Volunteer Protocols before getting started.
2. Register in the FCPS Volunteer Portal

• Select “Schools”

• Search for Island Creek Elementary

3. To simplify the background check process, volunteers may use Fieldprint, allowing them to complete fingerprinting at nearby locations rather than traveling to Gatehouse or scheduling virtual appointments. Step-by-step directions for Fieldprint may be accessed here. Please note you must have completed the above action items, numbers 1 and 2, before using Fieldprint.

For full details, visit the Volunteer FCPS website

Volunteers fall into three levels, with requirements that match the level of involvement and supervision:

• Level 1: Infrequent volunteers (monthly or less frequent) who are always supervised do not need a criminal background check. However, they do need a sex offender registry check, which is performed by signing in at the school's visitor kiosk, usually in the front office.
• Level 2: Frequent, ongoing, or regular volunteers (daily, weekly, bi-weekly) who are also always supervised are subject to the same requirements as Level 1—no criminal background check, but a sex offender registry check via the school’s visitor kiosk is mandatory.
• Level 3: Volunteers with direct, unsupervised interaction with students must complete a criminal background check, including fingerprinting and child abuse and neglect checks. This applies to roles like mentors, tutors, or field trip chaperones who are alone with students (not accompanied by an FCPS staff member) at any time during the activity

National Rocket Day at Island Creek!

On Thursday, Island Creek STEAM students joined 275 schools nationwide to help set a world record for the most baking soda rockets launched in a single day! Together, we sparked curiosity, fueled creativity, and inspired the next generation of scientists, engineers, artists, and innovators. It was an unforgettable day of hands-on learning and sky-high fun!