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RAVEN REPORT
I hope you all had some much needed time resting and relaxing and hopefully eating and maybe shopping?! I hosted Thanksgiving at my house and we are just about done with all the leftovers! I also got to spend lots of time with my own children this break and many of their friends as well. So, all though I might have been away from school- never away from being around children!
Happy December Everyone!
Follow us on Social Media: To see the latest from Poe MS follow us on Instagram at @poeravensfcps!
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Important Dates |
12/1: Poe Winter Reading Challenge Begins (see below)\
12/1: School Board meeting Poe AAP center 6:00-7:00 Luther Jackson MS
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Raving Ravens |
Our students took part in the annual Turkey Trot here on Monday. It was great seeing our students supporting our community through donating to our local food bank. Congratulations to the Patriots for their community win!
FRED Cards: Here’s what people are saying about our amazing staff. Below are some of the highlights from the recent FRED Cards that were submitted. The person’s name is who is being highlighted followed by what was said about them by a colleague. I will continue to highlight them in each Raven Report so keep them coming!
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Joe Welch: Thank you for everything you do! I always look forward to seeing you in the halls and saying hello. And, you never roll your eyes when I ask you to fix something silly in my room. Not to mention, you are always able to fix whatever is wrong!”
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Katie Freeman: “Thank you for stepping in to support the team while Lisa is out. You offered to complete additional responsibilities while maintaining your own. I am glad to see you grow in your leadership.”
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Latriece Pettie: “I miss having you in 6th but I love seeing you in the halls. You're still always there for me. Love you, girl!”
Opportunities
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Poe Winter Reading Competition: We want to make sure our Ravens are reading over break so we are having a reading competition to encourage consistent reading over the break. The competition starts on December 1 and will go through December 31.. We encourage all students to be reading and they can track their reading here. The more entries, the more times the student will be entered in a raffle. The winning students from each grade level will get lunch with a friend on me! Happy Reading everyone!
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Important Information |
Help Us Write Poe’s Next Chapter: Fiscal Year 2027 Budget: There’s a story behind the success of every FCPS student — a story about what’s possible with the appropriate funding for world-class teachers, rigorous academics, and future-ready learning experiences. At FCPS, student success starts with a strong budget!
FCPS is currently developing the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget, which is for the 2026-27 school year. In January, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will present a proposed budget to the School Board.
During this process, we’ll be sharing FCPS’ budget story with you. The different chapters will explain the impact of chronic underfunding, why strong funding benefits all of Fairfax County, what’s at stake when Poe Middle School and other FCPS schools don’t get the support we need, and more.
We invite you to follow along and learn how you can help write our next chapter!
Prepare for Winter Weather: Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather closing decisions are made at FCPS. FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible, including email, text, social media, the new FCPS mobile app, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated. Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange emergency child care if needed.
Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities: We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories that may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. View the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.
If you need assistance getting cold-weather clothing for your family, please call Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health.
Volunteer FCPS Helps Community Members Connect With Schools: The new volunteer management system, Volunteer FCPS, allows individuals to search and register for volunteer opportunities at our school or across the school district. Volunteer FCPS is how FCPS provides a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. Anyone interested in volunteering with FCPS must:
- Create a profile in Volunteer FCPS.
- Register for opportunities through Volunteer FCPS.
- Sign in and out of schools using the visitor kiosk on EVERY visit – no exceptions.
Recent Updates to Volunteer Opportunity Levels: Due to the overwhelming response, FCPS is temporarily pausing fingerprint requirements for most Level 3 volunteers. Those who have already been fingerprinted will be processed to be eligible for all Level 3 opportunities.
Field trip chaperone opportunities will now be classified as Level 2 (not requiring a comprehensive background check that includes fingerprinting).
To ensure continuous safety, all new volunteers are required to sign a Volunteer Certification Statement. This statement is a legal confirmation that you have no history of violent felonies, physical or sexual crimes against children, or crimes of moral turpitude (dishonesty, fraud, things that are immoral by society’s standards).
Visit the Volunteer FCPS website to complete a volunteer orientation. View Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about the volunteer levels.
Action Required! Update Your Permission for Google Tools: Google recently made changes to how educational applications are managed and accessed on the Chrome Browser and Chromebooks. Many applications are moving from the Chrome Web Store to the Google Play Store.
To ensure your student(s) can continue accessing all approved instructional tools, FCPS has updated its digital consent platform to include both the Chrome Web Store and the Google Play Store.
Please review and provide your consent for these two new options through our easy-to-use Parent Digital Consent system:
- Additional Google Services – Chrome Web Store
- Additional Google Services – Google Play Store
Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting safe and effective digital learning experiences for all students.
For questions or support, please visit FCPS’ Family Technology Resources page or open a ticket with the Technical Support desk.
Manage Your Child’s Screen Time on FCPS Devices: FCPS offers the Lightspeed Parent Portal to help you manage screen time on your child's FCPS device at home. With a Parent Portal account, you can control your child’s access to YouTube and pause website browsing during after-school hours. Please note that parent controls are active only during after-school hours, defined as Monday through Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. (including student holidays) and all day Saturday and Sunday.
If you haven't signed up for the portal yet, use the link at the bottom of your weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email. To learn more, please visit the Lightspeed Parent Portal page on the FCPS website.
Monitoring Support for Your Child in ParentVUE: All FCPS schools use an approach called Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to make sure every student gets the help they need to learn.
MTSS helps school teams deliver high-quality instruction for all students and provide extra time, support, and interventions as needed. Families are partners in this process. We will share information about your child’s individual learning, needs, and progress.
You may view your child's intervention plans and progress in SIS ParentVUE. Expect progress to be updated quarterly, with report card due dates.
Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15: Parents and guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for full-time Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) services must submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to srenglish@fcps.edu no later than December 15, 2025.
Each year, families can submit a referral for full-time AAP services any time from the first day of school through December 15. No late referrals for full-time AAP services will be accepted.
Once a referral is received, our school will compile information related to the student. Then, a committee of six trained professionals from across the county will review materials to determine eligibility for full-time AAP services.
Next Steps for Parents: Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of their child’s materials after February 20, 2026, by emailing Shawn English srenglish@fcps.edu.
At the middle school level, honors courses are open to all students.
For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs webpage.
News from the PTSA
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Reflections Art Competition:
The PTSA is excited to bring the National PTA Reflections Art Competition to Poe! Each year, students across the country create works of original art in response to a student-created theme. This year's theme is "I Belong."
Students can create pieces across many categories: dance choreography, visual arts, film production, music composition, photography, and literature. Entries must be accompanied by an entry form, attached below. Entries are due by Friday, December 5.
Winning submissions in each category will be entered into the statewide Virginia PTA competition.
Each entry must be accompanied by an entry form, attached below. Submission instructions are on the Call for Entries document, also attached below.
Contact the PTSA at poeptsa18@gmail.com with questions.
Advocacy Action Alert: Stop Federal Defunding of Public Education
The federal government has made profound budget cuts and funding freezes in the last year that directly harm our children. Among the most noticeable cuts are to health care access and food security. Further cuts are being proposed in the federal budget negotiations for this coming year. Key proposals include:
- Cutting Free Breakfast and Lunch for All Students in 24,000 Schools
- Full elimination of Title Three Funding (Supports English Learners)
- Full elimination of Title Two Funding (Teacher Training)
- 27% cut of Title One Funding (Supports Low Income Students)
These cuts run directly counter to PTA goals to ensure that every child has access to the resources they need to reach their full potential.
Please call and/or email your federal representatives today to demand that they fully fund our schools.
How to:
Please join us! It will take you 3 minutes to get a membership if you scan the QR code below. We have 25 members currently, and around 900 students in the school. Funds from memberships are essential for us to fund programs that expand opportunities for students, purchase spirit wear, and support the community-building activities that the school puts in place for our kids.
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