The Fredericksburg Food Coop donated turkeys to be shared with FCPS families for Thanksgiving. We are thankful for our Fredericksburg partners!

Officer Brown-Kaleopaa was selected as the officer of the third quarter at FXBG police for embracing his role as the School Resource Officer and dedicating himself to positively influencing the students at James Monroe High school. He went above and beyond what is expected from an SRO, from spending his days off with students to purchasing items students need with his own money. His commitment to the next generation is admirable! Congratulations to SRO BK for his accomplishment!

50+ Thanksgiving Boxes were delivered to FCPS schools today to be shared with students and families for the Holidays. The boxes were generously filled and delivered by members of the Beth Shalom Temple and The Presbyterian Church of Fredericksburg.  We are thankful for the continuous support from our community partners.

Last week, FCPS hosted a Meet the Employer event for alternative education students that was coordinated by Marty Baldwin, the Chief Missions Officer for Goodwill Industries. The event included: Sydney Collins from Mary Washington Healthcare, Liz Walters and Cris Ponce from Bingham & Taylor, as well as representatives from Goodwill Industries. Students learned about various employment options, as well as having the opportunity to ask questions and speak directly with representatives.

This preschool class learned about the meaning of Veteran’s Day, and identified the AB pattern in our flag. Great job on expanding pattern recognition skills and historical knowledge!

During the week of November 7-11, 2022, schools throughout the United States will celebrate National School Psychology Week (NSPW) to highlight the important work school psychologists and other educators do to help all students thrive. This year's theme is "Together We Shine" which is derived from how we see hope after several challenging years. We have all faced difficulties created by the pandemic, social injustice and inequity, economic stress, and challenges to mental and physical health. Reconnecting with others and reestablishing the sense of being valued parts of a greater whole empowers students and adults to find purpose and possibility.

 

Thank you Dr. Amelia Jurlando, Shemika Cooper, and Shannon Mintze for all you!

https://www.nasponline.org/research-and-policy/advocacy/national-school-psychology-week-(nspw)

Three Fredericksburg City Schools have received the 2022-2023 Purple Star Designation Award from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). The Award recognizes FCPS as a division that supports military families and military-connected students. Each school will receive a Certificate of Recognition and an award coin to be displayed in the school. To learn more, visit our military family page below.

Military Family Resource Page

Hugh Mercer students enjoyed sharing breakfast with their Breakfast Buddies this week.

Are you interested in learning more about our FCPS Breakfast Buddies Program? Would you like to volunteer or spread the word about it? Click the link below!

Breakfast Buddies - Fredericksburg City Schools (fxbgschools.us)

Did you know about all the variety of ways to stay informed of what FCPS and our individual schools are doing? See below for a comprehensive list.

Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/FredSchools/ (Division)

https://www.facebook.com/FCPSpreschoolprograms/ (Preschool Programs)

https://www.facebook.com/HughMercerES/ (Hugh Mercer)

https://www.facebook.com/LafayetteES/ (Lafayette)

https://www.facebook.com/WalkerGrantMS/ (Walker-Grant)

http://facebook.com/jmhsfxbg (James Monroe)

 

Instagram; https://www.instagram.com/fredschools/ (Division)

https://www.instagram.com/fcpspreschoolprograms (Preschool Programs)

https://www.instagram.com/hmesnews (Hugh Mercer)

https://www.instagram.com/les_fredschools/ (Lafayette)

https://www.instagram.com/walkergrantms (Walker-Grant)

https://www.instagram.com/jmhs_fxbg (James Monroe)

 

Twitter; http://www.twitter.com/fredschools (Division)

https://twitter.com/fcpspreschool (Preschool Programs)

https://twitter.com/hughmerceres (Hugh Mercer)

https://twitter.com/lafayetteupper (Lafayette)

https://twitter.com/wgmstigers (Walker-Grant)

https://twitter.com/fxbgjmhs (James Monroe)

 

YouTube; https://www.youtube.com/user/FredSchools (Division)

 

Inclement Weather Updates; 

• Fredericksburg.com
• Everbridge Text Alerts
• Our Social Media Feeds (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)
• School Messenger (Phone Call/Email)
• WFLS (93.3)
• WVBX (99.3)
• WWUZ (96.9)
• WNTZ (96.5)
• WFVA/B101.5
• WGRQ (95.9)
• WGRX (104.5)
• WTOP (107.7)
• Channel 6 - WTVR
• Channel 8 - WRIC TV
• Channel 4 - WRC
• Channel 9 - WUSA
• Channel 7 - WJLA
• Public Access Channel (Comcast - Channel 18/Verizon - Channel 41/Cox - Channel 83)
• School Website

Mobile App; https://www.fxbgschools.us/mobile-app-support

Fred Alerts; Get important text messages delivered right to your mobile phone with important information about events, school closings, safety alerts, and more. Just text "Y" or "Yes" to 67587.

FCPS hosted a job fair on November 1 from 4-6PM. Pre-registered and walk-in interviewees met with various administrative staff suited to their interests (an AP for JMHS, full admin team for WGMS, etc.). It was a great time with a lot of great candidates and we look forward to the next job fair and will share details on that when available.

 

FCPS Homework Survey, Fall 2022.

FCPS staff, families, and the FXBG community were asked to complete a homework survey to gather feedback regarding FCPS Policy IKB and FCPS Regulation, IKB-R which outlines the homework expectations for our students.

No topic had significant difference of opinions between FCPS staff and community.

363 responses were collected, 88 from students, 247 from families, 24 from staff, and 4 from other. 

On average, families believe their child gets just the right amount of homework. (K-2 had a score of 2.6 roughly on a scale of 1-5 [1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree] on that question, 3-5 had a 3.3 roughly, 6-8 had a 2.5 roughly, and 9-12 had a 2.5 roughly). 

FCPS families, students,

and staff agree:

• Students who participate in after school activities (including, athletics, clubs, jobs, sibling care) should not be excused from completing homework
• Homework should not be assigned over holidays or extended breaks.

Every topic on the survey averaged a neutral response

except in the following instances:

FCPS staff feel strongly (>4.0) :

• Teachers should determine whether they need to assign homework
• Homework is assigned for practice or review and is easily understood

FCPS staff do not believe (<2.0) :

• Families should decide if their child completes homework.
• Students should receive homework everyday.

Item that is included in current practices that may need to be reconsidered due to lack of support from staff and community (1.8):

• Students in advanced courses should receive significantly more homework.

Our preschoolers visited the halls of Walker-Grant center today and visited Central Office staff to get a wide variety of goodies (stickers, bouncy balls, etc.) while dressed up as their favorite characters! We very much enjoyed seeing all the students with a smile on their face as they paraded around the building. 

 

October 25/27 - 9:00AM to 1:40PM (Preschool Adventure Tour)

October 26 - Depart WGC at 11:45AM, arrive at LES at 12:00PM, depart LES at 12:35PM for HMES, arrive at HMES at 12:55PM, depart HMES at 1:30PM (Read Aloud to a Child Week)

October 27 - 5:00PM to 6:30PM (Trunk or Treat HMES)

October 28 - 5:00PM to 6:30PM (Trunk or Treat LES)

It takes a community to of support to put an end to bullying. Unity Day was observed on October 19th, and it provided an opportunity for our FCPS community to proudly wear their orange in support of anti-bullying efforts. Thank you to all students and staff who showed FCPS pride and supported a good cause!

Read Aloud to a Child Week is a national, annual event that emphasizes

 the importance of reading aloud to children and encourages

families to participate.

 

Oct. 23 to Oct. 29, 2022 are the dates for this year's event. 

 

To learn more and get involved, visit https://readtothem.org/

The JM Orchestra hosted an orchestra clinic with renowned composer Brian Balmages on October 20 and 21. Mr. Balmages led two clinics, the first for high school musicians and the second for the middle school.

Students have been practicing selections by Mr. Balmages, who then rehearsed and led them in a performance. Because this was such a unique opportunity to meet and work with a famous composer, students from surrounding counties also participated. JM Orchestra Director, Dr. Kevin Bartram, hosted players from the counties of Spotsylvania, Stafford, Prince William, and Fauquier. Many middle and high school orchestra directors were also in attendance. Middle school orchestras, hosted by Walker-Grant, have also been working separately on Balmages’ pieces. Mr. Balmages will then conduct a new work for a professional orchestra, the Fredericksburg Symphony, on Friday night, October 21. This work was commissioned by Dr. Bartram.

 

Flat Creek Farm brought their petting zoo to the FCPS Preschool Programs Fredericksburg and King George locations this week. The students were able to pet and feed the animals after learning about farm animals in their classes. The alpaca, goats, sheep, rabbits, and chicks brought many smiles and great memories to all of the students.

October is anti-bullying month. Some students from WGMS speak on how to be a good friend and what to do if you or someone you know is being bullied. Stay tuned for more videos this month! To view the video, click HERE.

The third Superintendent's Community Roundtable was held at Walker-Grant Center on October 12th. Community members heard from the Human Resources Department and teachers about the local- and national teacher crisis. Attendees were eager to help meet the challenge of attracting, recruiting, and retaining teachers for Fredericksburg City Public Schools.

 

Please enjoy this video recap.

 

https://youtu.be/wguIuLgBRWY

Friday, October 14, 2022, FCPS fifth graders learned about careers with a visit from Hilldrup Moving and Storage. They participated in a discussion about careers at Hilldrup, had time for questions and answers, and had the chance to climb into the big moving van!  It was a great day, and we appreciate Hilldrup Moving and Storage for spending the day with us!

Special shout out to Mrs. Walker for being a great mentor teacher! We appreciate all you do for your staff, families and students! Congratulations on this recognition!

The Friends of the Rappahannock , a non-profit, grassroots conservation organization, recently visited the Preschool Programs classrooms to educate the students to become river stewards who will take care of the Rappahannock for generations. The lesson was about sink or float to help keep the river clean. The students will also participate in a field trip with FOR later in the Fall.

The Preschool Programs students celebrated School Spirit Week, October 10^th-14^th. On Monday, they dressed like their favorite superhero; “Dress Silly Day” was on Tuesday; Thursday was “Dress like your favorite cartoon character”, and pictured here on Friday, they dressed up as the occupation they’d like to be when they grow up. The students participated to support the FCPS United Way campaign. Way to go Preschool!

 

Want to make your voice heard for the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)? Are you a parent or staff member who feels they want their voice heard on Special Education? Well then please come via Zoom to one of the above meetings;

October 18 from 6 to 7:30PM

December 13 from 4:30 to 6PM

March 9 from 6 to 7:30PM

May 16 from 4:30 to 6PM

The zoom link is https://rb.gy/seqvlq, we look forward to your input!

October is anti-bullying month. Some students from LES and HMES speak on how to be a good friend and what to do if you or someone you know is being bullied. Stay tuned for more videos this month! To view the video, click HERE.

Please look at the following form regarding Parental Notice of Medicaid Benefit information release.

MEDICAID FORM

Good afternoon FCPS Families and Community Members,

 

We are reaching out to inform you that the Fredericksburg City Schools' Multicultural Fair has been rescheduled. To make this event the best experience for our students, families, faculty/staff, and community members, we will now celebrate our community's cultures on Saturday, May 13, 2023, at James Monroe High School.

 

Additional information on how to register to participate will be shared with the community at a later date.

 

As always, thank you for your continued support, cooperation, and collaboration.

Thank you to the COAR organization at UMW for their generous donations they recently dropped off at WGMS and JMHS. We appreciate their support and partnership in getting supplies and other items for students.

October is National Anti-Bullying Month. To learn more about the history of this month, what bullying is and can look like, along with some great resources that parents and students can check out, visit https://youth.gov/feature-article/national-bullying-prevention-month

HAPPENING WEDNESDAY: Join us for our third Superintendent Community Roundtable focusing on staff attraction, recruitment, and retention! 

 

The event starts at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 12,, in the FCPS District Office Gymnasium (Walker-Grant Center, 210 Ferdinand St.). There will also be a Community Networking Breakfast starting at 8 a.m.

 

Meet with Superintendent Dr. Marci Catlett and division team members, and take part in discussions about how we can plan for the future of FCPS. We hope to see you there!

 

If you’d like to represent your organization or business, visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdqhWYTJIRAuK3bC67iRvaII9B9etLm2oyNtwjuqc__OXAk_A/viewform

October is anti-bullying month. Some students from LES and HMES speak on how to be a good friend and what to do if you or someone you know is being bullied. Stay tuned for more videos this month! To see the video, click HERE.

Girl Scouts of the Commonwealth of Virginia Invites ALL GIRLS (grades K-12) to join us for fun, hands-on, Girl Scout activities and to learn more about how to become a member of the Girl Scouts on October 8 and 12! To learn more about how to sign up and the specific times, click the button below.

Girl Scout Flyer

October is Disability History and Awareness Month (DHAM) This month, Virginians across the Commonwealth will join with others nationwide to increase awareness, respect, and acceptance for students with disabilities.

Join us for this FREE 5-session SELF-PACED online course that focuses on providing parent-friendly transition information to help make transition planning easier. This course is designed for parents/caregivers of elementary, middle, or high school students that receive special education services, and the professionals that support them. The goal is to share factual information on transition services and to help make the transition from school services to the adult services world less confusing. Participants who complete the full course will receive a certificate of completion showing 7.5 hours. To learn more, click the button below for the flyer which contains sign up information and more.

Transition University Flyer

The Virginia Farm-to-School program promotes opportunities for schools, distributors and growers to work together to increase the volume of locally grown foods served in school cafeterias and dining halls at all levels of education. Benefits include fresh and nutritious meal options for Virginia students, community interest in Virginia Grown products and increased market opportunities for farmers. Students learn about the seasonality of food products, the importance of supporting local agriculture and the benefits associated with reducing transportation costs and protecting farmland.

Virginia was one of the first states to establish a Farm-to-School taskforce in 2007. In 2009, the first Virginia Farm-to-School Week took place.

For information on Virginia’s Farm-to-School program or to connect with local school, farms or distribution resources, please contact the Office of Food Distribution at the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Date: November 1, 2022

Time: 4:00PM - 6:00PM

Location: 210 Ferdinand Street Fredericksburg, VA 22401

This job fair is not only for licensed teachers but also for anyone wondering what to do with their degree after graduation. If you are currently in the process of earning a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree and want to learn more about teaching as a possible career choice, register to attend this job fair. In addition, there will be opportunities for those who have a bachelor's degree and would like to pursue a career in education to get information on alternative paths to licensure. Preregistration preferred; however, walk ins are also welcomed.

Fredericksburg City Public Schools’ Human Resources staff will be available to provide an overview of the teaching profession, to discuss various routes to obtaining teacher licensure, and to answer questions.

Representatives that were career switchers will also be present to answer any questions to people interested in career switching and what that process looks like for FCPS.

If you’re interested in attending, please register at http://ow.ly/Bfy850HSK4X

For additional information, please contact Human Resources at (540)372-1130.

October is Bullying Prevention Month. During the course of this month, we will be distributing various resources highlighting how to talk about and deal with bullying. Students will also be talking about it in their own words in videos that will be shown. To start off the month though, there will be a poster contest for the prompt "What does being a good friend look like?" to promote positivity. Please see the flyer below for more info. Winners will have their art showcased on website/social media, as well as publicly displayed at a later date. Stay tuned for more things to come!

Parents and students of preschool programs gathered together on 9/30/2022 for PACT (Parents and Children Together) time. They participated in a collaborative craft to help strengthen artistic skills and cooperation, great job everyone! 

Our third Superintendent Community Roundtable event focusing on staff attraction, recruitment, and retention is fast approaching!

 

Join us Wednesday, October 12, at 8:30 a.m. in the FCPS District Office Gymnasium (Walker-Grant Center, 210 Ferdinand St.). Beforehand, there will be a Community Networking Breakfast at 8 a.m.

 

This is your chance to provide your input, ask questions, and get better connected to FCPS.  Meet with Superintendent Dr. Marci Catlett and division team members, and take part in discussions about how we can plan for the future. 

If you would like to attend, please indicate your interest here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdqhWYTJIRAuK3bC67iRvaII9B9etLm2oyNtwjuqc__OXAk_A/viewform

On Saturday, September 24th families and faculty attended the First FCPS Family Academy, featuring a Safety Forum and renowned learning specialist Dr. Marcia Tate. Families received a free copy of Dr. Tates book, a $20 gift card sponsored by the Fredericksburg Branch NAACP, continental breakfast, and childcare. Interested in viewing the Safety Forum, click the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfQxtSS9lbA

We are excited to announce that our third Superintendent Community Roundtable event focusing on staff attraction, recruitment, and retention will take place Wednesday, October 12, 2022! 

 

Like our first two events, this Roundtable will provide opportunities for our community members to meet with division team members and Superintendent Dr. Marci Catlett to take part in discussions about how we can best plan for the future of Fredericksburg City Public Schools (FCPS). The focus of the event will be educator attraction, retention and recruitment to have the very best in each and every one of our classrooms.

The October 12th Roundtable will take place from 8:30 to 10 a.m., at the FCPS Central Office Gymnasium (Walker-Grant Center, 210 Ferdinand Street). If you would like to attend, please indicate your interest here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdqhWYTJIRAuK3bC67iRvaII9B9etLm2oyNtwjuqc__OXAk_A/viewform

Local JM senior Sophia Pineda's sponsor sign just went in the front window of the local Fredericksburg Food Coop. She also recently got a highlight on the Germanna Community College blog, which you can access by clicking HERE. Congratulations to Sophia and great job representing FCPS in her art endeavors!

The Department of Education is pleased to announce that Virginia will participate in the
Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) Program.

 

The PAEMST program recognizes teachers of science, technology, engineering, mathematics,
and computer science—kindergarten through grade 12—in each state and the four United
States jurisdictions.

 

The PAEMST awardees serve as models for their colleagues and are
leaders in the improvement of science and mathematics education.
The PAEMST program recognizes elementary and secondary level teachers in alternating
years.

 

This year, recognition will be given to teachers for secondary mathematics and
secondary science (grades 7-12). Computer science applications will be reviewed as part of
the mathematics category, and engineering applications will be reviewed as part of the
science category.

 

Virginia may recommend up to three nominees in mathematics teaching and three nominees
in science teaching. From these state finalists, a national committee will choose up to two national-level awardees (one in each award group) from Virginia. National awardees receive a $10,000 personal award and participate in recognition events and other activities.

 

Secondary mathematics or science teachers must be nominated using the online nomination form. Nominations may be made by students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Teachers may also self-nominate.

 

The nomination form must be submitted electronically by January 9, 2023, and should be completed early enough so that the teacher has enough time to prepare an application that reflects exemplary secondary teaching. The nomination form and the application packet as well as complete directions are available on the PAEMST website. All completed applications must be submitted electronically by February 6, 2023.

 

To fill out the form and recommend a teacher, click HERE.

Yesterday, some of our JM students traveled to the headquarters of Sprelly, one of our local businesses. The students learned about how to start a business, production, media and sales. We are looking forward to our partnership with Sprelly!

P-EBT and SNAP EBT cardholders, please be aware that there is a phishing scam attempt circulating and P-EBT recipients are being asked to call or text a phony 1-866 number ending in 0486 from “VA EBT”. Please DO NOT RESPOND to or engage with any unsolicited phone number asking for your card number or PIN. The ONLY authorized P-EBT client customer service phone number is 1-866-281-2448. 

 

If you have engaged with an invalid phishing 866 number, please immediately contact the Virginia EBT Client Customer Service Helpdesk at 1-866-281-2448 to report your card stolen.