News and Notes!

What a wonderful week at NSES! Thank you to everyone who joined us for Back to School Night on September 10. It was exciting to welcome you into our classrooms and share the learning, relationships, and opportunities that make North Springfield such a special place. Our students continue to settle into routines, build friendships, and grow as learners across all grade levels.

Please mark these important dates on your calendar: Fall Picture Day is Friday, September 18; there will be no school on Monday, September 21; and Wednesday, September 30, is an Early Release Wednesday, with dismissal at 12:40 p.m. Families of students in Grades 4 and 5 should also look for information about the start of band and strings instruction. As our transportation routes continue to be finalized, please allow additional time for afternoon dismissal and monitor FCPS bus communications for updates.

We are grateful for the continued partnership, enthusiasm, and support of our Beaver families. Together, we are making our 70th anniversary year, our first year as an AAP center, and the launch of AVID Elementary truly memorable. We look forward to another exciting week of learning and connection at North Springfield!

Important Dates to Remember

Welcome Back from Dr. Ricardy Anderson (Mason District Representative)

Please click the picture to view a welcome vack video from Dr. Anderson for Mason District Schools.

Help Keep Our School Distraction-Free

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:

Chronic Absenteeism: What is it, and why does it matter?

One of the new elements that the Virginia Department of Education is using to determine whether a school should be accredited is the percent of children in the school who miss 10% or more of the enrolled school year (regardless of whether the absence is excused or not). For most students, who attend the same school for the entire school year, this would mean missing 18 days for any reason, to include family trips, illness, suspension, or truancy. While 18 days sounds like a lot, it means that a student who misses as few as two days a month is considered chronically absent.

Why is chronic absenteeism a problem?

In addition to being a factor in school accreditation, as well as part of the School Quality Profile, missing more than 10% of the school year has been associated with significant problems for the children. For children as young as kindergarten and first grade age, it is associated with failure to read and do math on grade level in third grade. By middle and high school it is a leading warning sign that the student will fail to graduate with peers, or will drop out entirely. When many students are absent throughout the year, it slows down the rate of instruction for all students. All students will likely be sick at some time during the year, and it is important to keep your child home at these times, but to have children attend at all other times.

How can you help?

Avoid vacations that require your child to miss school. Set a regular bedtime and morning routine, with clothes and needed materials laid out the night before, so your child does not miss the bus or arrive late at school. Make sure younger children get 9 to 11 hours of sleep a night. For older children, 8 to 9 hours of sleep are needed, as well as support to establish good nighttime routines. Pediatricians recommend a “screens down” time an hour before bedtime, when youth have no access to TV, cell phones, computers, or video games. It is a great time for reading. Be a model of these habits in your family. The benefits of a good night’s sleep and regular attendance are gifts that will help your child throughout their lifetime.

Reporting Discrimination or Harassment

Limited Early Release Wednesdays in SY2627

Early release Wednesdays will start later this month! Each elementary school in Fairfax County will have four of these early release days throughout the school year, and lunch will be provided. Learn more and view dates for early release Wednesdays. The school day will end at 12:40PM on Early Release Wednesdays at North Springfield ES.

Note from School Administration