Electronic Friday Folder -- October 30, 2020

Updated Date: November ASFS PTA Meeting - Tuesday, 11/10

UPDATE YOUR CALENDAR: With election night on Tuesday, November 3rd, we have moved our next ASFS PTA Meeting to Tuesday, November 10th from 7:00-8:30pm (via Zoom). In addition to the PTA updates the latest ASFS news from Ms. Begley and Ms. Jones, our wonderful ASFS counselors, Ms. Hawthorne and Ms. Proietti, will provide an overview of Social-Emotional Learning, including details about ASFS programs this year as well as resources for parents and families.

Submit Your Questions for the ASFS PTA Meeting

The Zoom meeting link as well as the agenda, materials, and electronic voting ballot will be posted prior to the ASFS PTA meeting. Hope to see you there!

Social-Emotional Learning Resources for Families

Ms. Hawthorne and Ms. Proietti, ASFS Counselors

At Arlington Science Focus School, we are always working to ensure that our school is a safe, respectful place where everyone can learn. Each October, we recognize Bullying Prevention Month by teaching lessons using the Second Step Bullying Prevention Program. In the lessons, your child learns specific skills to help stop bullying. Students learn how to:

Recognize when bullying is happening
Report bullying to a caring adult
Refuse to let bullying happen to themselves or others
Be a bystander who stands up and is part of the solution to bullying
Support someone being bullied by standing up for that person and being kind and inclusive
Recognize, report, and refuse cyber bullying when they see or know about it happening

In the Social Emotional Learning section of the ASFS Counseling website are optional resources called Home Links from Second Step you can use to reinforce concepts with your student(s) at home. These Home Links will help you understand what your child is learning about bullying at school. They also give your child another chance to practice skills for handling bullying.

ASFS Website: Social Emotional Learning Page

If you have any questions about the Bullying Prevention Unit or the Second Step program, please contact Ms. Proietti and Ms. Hawthorne. Thank you for helping us make our school a safe, respectful place where everyone can learn.

DreamBox and Reflex Information for Parents and Families

ASFS Math Instructional Coach, Emily Foster

Thanks to ASFS Math Instructional Coach, Emily Foster, click below for information about Dreambox and Reflex, two APS Digital Learning Tools for Math Instruction, including details about the applications, audience & rationale, goals, parent support, and student expectations.

Dreambox and Reflex for Digital Learning Information

(Note: DreamBox is available through CLEVER One Login, and Reflex will be available for students soon, also through CLEVER.)

For more information on using DreamBox at home: DreamBox at Home: Learning Guide for Parents & Guardians

Support Our School: Book and Food Donations!

Donate Food to the Food Pantry: Arlington Science Focus School is teaming up with Key Elementary to support their already existing food pantry. Please consider donating canned goods to families that need assistance. If you would like to donate, a bin will be outside the front doors of ASFS from 8:00am-4:00pm Monday through Friday. Anyone that needs assistance will be able to access the food pantry at the Key site and take what is needed.

Canned Items in Demand: Vegetables, Protein (mostly beans), Fruit, Whole Meals (i.e. Chef Boyardee, canned pasta)
Contact Kristen Jeffreys with questions or other ways to volunteer.

Donate Books to the ASFS Book Cabinet: We need your help to keep our ASFS Book Cabinet stocked. Just a reminder to return books you are finished with or bring any other Kindergarten-5th Grade level book donations to the Returns Bin outside the front doors at ASFS, so that we can continue to provide books for students to read this school year. Thank you!

Volunteers Needed! ASFS Painting and Gardening Help

Volunteer to Help Paint Our Trailers!

Looking for a fun way to get out of the house and contribute to the ASFS community? If you have driven by school, you may have noticed that we have some new (to us) trailers. To help make these trailers feel more like home for our students we have the opportunity to paint them and make them feel refreshed. If you would like to spend some time painting and helping ASFS, please reach out to Kristen Jeffreys. *Masks and social distancing will be mandatory.

Volunteer to Help Maintain the ASFS Gardens!

We need your help to keep ASFS beautiful! Click below to sign up for a week at a time to weed the front gardens. Come anytime during your assigned week as it fits into your schedule! A great way to spend time outside and support our school, and all instructions and supplies will be provided.

ASFS Gardening Volunteer Sign-Up

Please contact Rebecca Ferree with any questions.

This November: Enjoy Colony Grill Pizza to Support ASFS

Want to get out of the house? Try something new? Colony Grill Pizza opened earlier this month and their thin crust pizza is a staple in New England. During the month of November (from 11/1-11/30), try it out for yourselves and let us know at the next PTA meeting which pizza is your favorite!

Spread the word to friends and family, and please mention Arlington Science Focus when you check out; Colony Grill will send a donation to ASFS to support our school!

Colony Grill Pizza is conveniently located in the heart of Clarendon at 2800 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201. (703) 682-8300

Walk, Bike, and Roll! ASFS Walktober Challenge

WALKTOBER is almost over, but we still have one day left to get out and walk/bike/roll/run even more miles for ASFS CHALLENGE.

So far, we've walked/biked/rolled over 843 miles! We have collectively walked to New York, Boston, and Charleston, SC, and depending on the route we choose; we made it to Disney World in Orlando. We also could visit Saint Louse or get to Montreal or Quavec in Canada (why not). And we are sure we can go even further, so don't stop and let's see how far we can make it all together. Take your dog for a longer walk, walk/ride a bike, or roll to school to pick up your library books, or when going to sports practice, or get out there with no reason to get some fresh air and check out the Halloween decorations around your neighborhood, anything you like as long as it is in the spirit of fun. We do hope this will become your new healthy habit and keep going!

Set your family's goal, make a challenge, and track progress here, and be sure to post some photos on our Celebrating ASFS 2020-21 Kudoboard (we do want to see the Halloween decorations too). Let's see how far we can travel together. Happy Walktober!

Last Day to Enter: National PTA Reflections Contest

TODAY (Friday, 10/30) is the last day to submit your entries! The National PTA Reflections Contest is a nationally acclaimed student recognition program to encourage artistic creativity in the classroom and at home. The 2020-2021 theme is "I Matter Because… " All students are welcome to enter in one or all categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Arts. Click for the form to submit along with your contest entry: ASFS Reflections Contest Entry Form 2020 (PDF Version)

All submissions are due TODAY (Friday, October 30th)! You may submit your entry form(s) and entries electronically to: reflections@asfspta.com, or contact reflections@asfspta.com to deliver physical items. (Note: For the school level, you may submit photos of entries in the Photography and Visual Arts categories, but winners will need to provide their physical entries for submission to the county level before 11/12.)

Additional details, including contest rules, may found here: National PTA Reflections Contest

Updated Proposed APS Elementary School Boundaries

Please watch last night's Arlington School Board Elementary School Work Session (10/29/20) for the latest updates on elementary school boundary process, including two new proposed options for adjustments to the initial boundary proposal. Below is the updated view of Option A and Option B for ASFS and the new school at Key. You can review the APS ES Boundary Process Work Session Presentation (10/29/20) for additional details.

For complete information, visit: https://www.apsva.us/engage/fall2020elementaryboundaries/. The APS Superintendent is expected to present his recommendation at the November 5th School Board Meeting. To share your feedback and questions, email APS Engage, and speak with School Board members during virtual open office hours.

APS Deadline Today: Annual Online Verification Process (AOVP)

Today (Friday, October 30th) is the APS deadline to complete the Annual Online Verification Process (AOVP). When families log into ParentVUE, they will be required to complete their AOVP before they are able to access any available features in ParentVUE. Please visit the following link to access ParentVUE: https://vue.apsva.us

Visit the APS Annual Online Verification Process webpage for complete details.

Reminder: Opt into the PTA Directory when completing the AOVP process to be included in the ASFS PTA Directory, by selecting 'Yes' for each of your ASFS students under PTA Directory Information.

APS 2021-22 School Year Calendar Survey: Closes Today

The Draft APS Calendar for the 2021-22 School Year is now available, along with a survey seeking community input, which will be open through October 30. The current plan is to have the final calendar proposal go to the School Board as an information item at the November 17 meeting, and for approval at the December 3 meeting. This will allow a final calendar to be approved more than a month earlier than in previous years.

Take the survey and view details online

Support The Clothesline for Arlington Kids

Despite back-to-school looking a little different this year, kids are still outgrowing their clothes and shoes! The Clothesline for Arlington Kids is ready to help low-income families keep their kids warm - free of charge. This fall and winter, we expect to provide assistance to over 500 kids. However, we need your support to make this happen! There are many ways you can help:

Donate Funds: Your monetary donation helps purchase new underwear and socks as well as cover the regular expenses of our volunteer-run non-profit. Importantly, a recurring donation helps us to plan for future growth in services. Click here to support The Clothesline.
Donate Clothing: Your kids' new or used clothes in excellent condition can find a new home with a neighborhood family in need. New criteria and new drop-off locations can be found in this flyer.

Help our neighborhood kids stay warm this fall while giving their families much need support as they face uncertain times. We continue to see an increase in demand for services this fall. Families that need clothing can complete an online form in English or in Spanish.

Safe Routes to School: Sidewalk Audits

Happy Friday! Use this Walktober weekend to start planning your school commute with a Sidewalk Audit (Grades K-5) or Walk and Roll Audit (Grades 6-8)! What's a Walk Audit, you ask? Watch this short video, then you'll be ready to complete an Audit yourself! All Audit tools are posted on the Safe Routes to School Resources page under SRTS Local Tools and Resources. Want links to the actual Sidewalk & Walk Audit forms? For Grades K-5, here's the Sidewalk Audit Data Collection Project Paper Form or Googleform. For Grades 6-8, print out the Walk and Roll Audit form. Scan and submit paper forms to HeadsUp@apsva.us!

APS News & Updates

Leigh Rex, VP External Affairs

Here are a few key APS links relevant to ASFS families. For the latest updates and changes, bookmark the ASFS PTA APS Updates page.

APS Initiatives and Items to Watch for October

Questionnaire on the SY20-21 Calendar Click here: Due Oct 30
The School Board is accepting applications for the Advisory Council
on Teaching and Learning , Budget Advisory Council , and the Aquatics
Committee
Phase 3 Elementary school boundaries process : Next update
expected on Nov. 5, Facebook Live event on Nov. 6
APS School Resource Officer working group now accepting applications. Due Nov 9.
Current Initiatives- Full list and details

Ways to Engage:

Email APS Engage at engage@apsva.us
Submit feedback via the APS Engage Online Form
Visit Arlington School Board members during open office hours
Sign up to speak at a School Board Meeting

Please send all eFF submissions to Puja Valiyil by EOD Wednesdays. All content will be subject to approval by ASFS administration and the ASFS PTA.