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Hive Happenings Newsletter

Dear Stenwood Families,

We can’t believe we have already finished our 3^rd week of school!  We know that students are getting into routines and we appreciate your support at home with those routines.  We also continue to work on many of our required beginning of the year state and division wide screeners. 

We were saddened to see news from across the county of students involved in biking or scooter accidents throughout this week. Please see Dr. Reid’s email to the community on Wednesday. Please slow down in our neighborhood and around our school, and be attentive at arrival and dismissal. Please also review with your child their safe route to school. Our PE team has been reviewing pedestrian and bike safety with students since the beginning of the year. Please also see the update below regarding parking in our neighborhood streets.

We had our first successful Lockdown of the school year on Wednesday morning. Students did well and responded to teacher directions to stay safe. While Preschool and Kindergarten do not participate in our first Lockdown of the year, we will have another in the Spring that they will be a part of.

While drills are important to ensure that our students are safe in case of the unexpected, it is also important that students feel safe and welcomed everyday at school. This week, Mr. Case visited all classrooms to review our Students Rights and Responsibility. In an age-appropriate way for each grade, we discussed your right to feel safe and be treated fairly when you make a mistake and everyone’s responsibility to ensure everyone feels safe. 

And Friday morning, we also welcomed our newest Stingers at our New Student Meeting. Mrs. Riley and Mr. Case welcomed all of our new Stingers in first through sixth grades, and student ambassadors from the SCA shared highlights and traditions that students can look forward to in the upcoming year.

Next Friday brings two of those well-loved traditions in the Hive! We will have our first Hive Families of the year next Friday afternoon; please help make sure your child is at school so they can see their old Hive Family members and welcome their new ones. Please do not pick up your child between 2:30PM and dismissal so that our front office can prepare to meet with their Hives. 

We also hope everyone is planning on joining the PTA next Friday for the annual kickoff event, the Ice Cream Social.  For more information including how to RSVP, see this week’s Wednesday Mail.

• Parking Reminders - NEW

• Raptor Visitor Management System - Reminder

• Stay in the Know with “Here Comes the Bus”- Updated

• Advanced Academic Programs - Reminder

• Rosh Hashanah - NEW

• September 11^th National Day of Service - NEW

• Special Education Family Conference - NEW

• Flu Vaccine - NEW

• Superintendent Community Conversations - NEW

• Reporting Discrimination and Harassment - NEW

• Family Information Phone Lines - Reminder

• School Meals and Free/Reduced Lunch Applications

• Stenwood PTA

Erica Riley, Principal esriley@fcps.edu 

Bryan Case, Assistant Principal  bgcase@fcps.edu

Parking Reminders

If you choose to park on Carnegie and walk up for arrival and/or dismissal, please know that the streets directly behind Stenwood are permit parking only.  In addition, please be respectful of our neighbors.  Please do not block driveways or crosswalks.  If you do have a permit, please do not park on the Stenwood side of the street as that hinders the flow of traffic.  During grade-level and schoolwide events, we do work with the Fairfax County Police Department to get permission for families to park in the neighborhood.  When advertising events, we will communicate if the parking in the neighborhood has been coordinated. That exemption is not in place for arrival or dismissal. 

Sign Up for the Raptor App

We encourage all families to download and register on the Raptor App. Raptor is the visitor management system FCPS adopted midyear last year. If you have already registered, you do not need to register again. Family members who are not registered on the app will need to present a valid ID each time they visit Stenwood.

To strengthen campus security, FCPS has disabled the "I Don’t Have An ID" option on all Raptor kiosks. All visitors without a valid ID must report directly to the front office staff. The system allows staff to manually enter visitor details once; however, visitors will not be permitted to enter the building on any subsequent visits without a valid ID.

If you need assistance registering for the Raptor App, please contact the front office at 703-208-7600.

Stay in the Know With Here Comes the Bus 

Even though FCPS has launched a new bus navigation system, some aspects like the new FCPS My Ride mobile app are still in development. Families should still use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to track the location of their child’s bus. This app is still compatible with the new system. 

FCPS will notify families and schools when the new app is ready to download and use. In the meantime, everyone should reinforce with students that they need to tap on and off the bus with their student ID cards.

Have you already downloaded the new app? That’s okay! The new app is in the final stage of testing, so some features are not yet fully functional. At this time, you should refer to Here Comes the Bus for the most accurate information.

Advanced Academic Programs

Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction. A continuum of Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) services is available to students in Grades K to 12 and is designed to match services to each student’s unique academic needs. 

Identification for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP services occurs throughout the school year. Full-Time AAP services have two identification cycles:

• Fall identification: Students in grades 3 to 7 who have enrolled in FCPS since January may be referred by October 15^th.
• Spring identification: Any FCPS student in Grades 2 to 7 may be referred by December 15^th.

FCPS uses ability testing as one consideration in the holistic identification process for AAP services:

• All students in Grade 2 take the Naglieri General Ability Test (NGAT).
• Students in Grades 3 to 6 who do not have a multi-domain ability test score take the NGAT.
• Students in Grades 3 to 6 may retake an ability test one time. Families may request the ability test retake by contacting Bryan Case, school testing coordinator, at bgcase@fcps.edu by September 30^th.

Families are invited to attend two AAP information meetings led b Kaleigh Hartman, our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART):

• AAP Continuum of Services: Friday, September 25^th at 8:45am in the cafeteria. Families will learn about the continuum of advanced academic services available to FCPS students.
• Full-Time AAP Identification: Friday, October 9^th at 8:45am in the cafeteria. Families will learn about the referral and identification processes for Full-Time AAP services.

For more information, please contact Kaleigh Hartman, AART, at kkhartman@fcps.edu or visit the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs webpage. 

Rosh Hashanah

Shanah tovah to our Jewish community celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year! Meaning “head of the year,” Rosh Hashanah is one of Judaism’s holiest days and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection that ends with Yom Kippur.

September 11^th National Day of Service

With the 25^th anniversary of September 11^th, FCPS acknowledges the loss of life, the heroism of our first responders, and the resilience of our country. The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, also called Patriot Day, is a chance to reflect and act in service to others to honor those who were injured or killed in the terrorist attacks.

All FCPS students are encouraged to participate in service learning as it supports Portrait of a Graduate (POG) attributes and social and emotional learning (SEL) skills

Special Education Family Conference

Register now for the annual Special Education Family Conference: Connected Communities, Thriving Students. The free conference will take place on Saturday, November 14^th, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hayfield Secondary School. 

Hosted by FCPS in collaboration with community partners, the conference highlights the power of partnerships in supporting student success. Families, educators, and community members are invited to connect, learn, and explore available special education services, supports, and resources. 

The conference will feature an inspiring opening session, engaging breakout sessions, an exhibitor hall with local resources, and lunch for all participants.

Register for the conference and visit the Special Education Family Conference webpage for more information. Email SpecialEdFamilyConf@fcps.edu with any questions.

Flu Vaccine

The Importance of the Flu Vaccine

As we look ahead to the upcoming school year, the health and well-being of our students continues to be one of our priorities. Staying up to date with your child's flu vaccination helps:

• Reduce School Absences: Keeping students healthy means more time spent learning and engaging with peers.
• Protect the Community: Vaccination helps shield vulnerable family members and neighbors from seasonal illness.
• Support Overall Wellness: Routine flu shots are a key component of a proactive student health plan.

Upcoming Flu Shot Events

FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will provide flu shots for all FCPS students, ages 18 and under, at no out-of-pocket cost. Multiple events will take place at designated FCPS locations. Additional dates will be made available throughout the school year. Parents or guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary.

Superintendent Community Conversations

Join us for a series of Community Conversations that will be held across the school division. Share your thoughts with Dr. Reid and ask her questions. Click on the date to register for any of the following events:

• Wednesday, September 16^th, at 6:45 p.m., at McNair Elementary School
• Monday, September 28^th, at 6:30 p.m., at Riverside Elementary School
• Monday, October 19^th, at 6:30 p.m., at Spring Hill Elementary School
• Monday, October 26^th, at 6:30 p.m., at Beech Tree Elementary School
• Thursday, October 29^th, at 6:30 p.m., at North Springfield Elementary School
• Friday, November 13^th, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School

Reporting Discrimination and Harassment

FCPS is committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for people of all races, national origins, and ethnicities. Individuals experiencing harassment or discrimination should report the incident as soon as possible. 

Family Information Phone Lines

Family Information Line Available in Nine Languages

Parents/caregivers who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, English, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese may call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS. View the list of phone numbers.

Spanish:

Línea Telefónica de Información para Padres Disponible en Nueve Idiomas

Padres/cuidadores que hablan Amárico, Árabe, Chino, Farsi, Coreano, Español, Urdu o Vietnamita pueden llamar a una línea telefónica de información para obtener información general sobre FCPS.  Vea la lista de números de teléfono.

Korean:

학부모 정보 전화는 8가지 언어로 제공됩니다.암하라어, 아랍어, 중국어, 페르시아어, 한국어, 스페인어, 우르두어, 베트남어를 할 줄 아는 보호자는 전화 안내 라인에 전화하여 FCPS에 대한 일반적인 정보를 얻을 수 있습니다. 또한 자녀의 학교와의 의사소통에 대한 지원도 받을 수 있습니다. 전화번호 목록 보기.

School Meals and Free/ Reduced Lunch Applications

Help Your Child Navigate the Lunch Line

Check out some tips to help your child get through the lunch line quickly and have more time to eat:

• Teach your child their student ID number to receive meals at school.
• Sign up for and add money to MySchoolBucks to purchase meals at school.
• Apply for free and reduced-price meals. Students who were approved for free and reduced-price meals last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should submit a new application as soon as possible, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.

If your child has any food allergies, learn how to submit accommodations for dietary restrictions and allergens. 

Breakfast and Lunch Breakfast will be $1.75. Lunch will be $3.75,