Meeting with Teachers

Please remember when you are coming to volunteer, drop your child off, or pick your child up this is not a time that teachers are able to meet with you. If you have a concern that you wish to discuss with your child’s teacher please connect with the teacher to arrange a time.  Be respectful of the teachers’ time. In the morning and afternoon, teachers need to attend to the students. Planning time is used for arranged meetings, collaboration with colleagues, and instructional planning. Even short impromptu meetings make it difficult for the teachers to meet their contractual obligations.

Classroom Observations

Parents who wish to observe their child in class or have a private therapist observe their child in class should contact the principal to coordinate the visit at least one week in advance. When an outside therapist observes, feedback following the visit should be shared with the principal or principal designee. Observations are limited to 30 minutes. Parents requesting a private therapist to observe their child in school need to complete a Parental Consent for Disclosure of Student Information form available in the front office, prior to the observation.

Visitors

All visitors must go to the main office for approval via door #1. Parent participation in our school is necessary in order for our home/school partnership to be complete. You are the first and most important teacher your child will ever have. We invite you to volunteer in your child’s classroom, join your child for lunch or join in for special class functions. To preserve instructional momentum, we ask you to prearrange classroom visits with your child’s teacher.  This includes “drop-in” visits before and after school.  Security during school hours requires everyone who comes to school  to sign in the Visitor Management System (VMS) in the office.

Visitor Registration 

First-time visitors entering FCPS school shall:

• Register at the VMS using a valid driver’s license, DMV ID card, Military ID or passport.
• Have their photograph taken by the VMS camera.  The photo will be automatically stored internally and used to print badges on future visits.

Visitors without Valid ID

• Visitors without the necessary license/ID for the first time registration requires office staff to manually register them in the VMS, print and issue a photo badge.

Visitor Check-In Subsequent Visits

• Simply check in by scanning their license/ID
• Specify the person and reason for visit
• Visibly wear the photo badge that will print

Parties / Birthday Celebrations

Classes may celebrate two class parties during the year. Seasons and dates of parties are at the discretion of the teacher. Often room parents are asked to help with the parties. 

Birthday "treats" require prior approval of the teacher and are limited to individual servings i.e. cookies or cupcakes.  Cookies and/or ice cream can be ordered through the cafeteria two weeks in advance by contacting the Food Service Manager at (703) 658- 5521. In order to limit disruption of instructional time, we request that juices and fruit drinks not be brought. Balloons, taking photos, and/or token items are also not permitted since they create a distraction, not only for the recipient’s class, but for other classes in the building as well.  Most teachers have the birthday celebrations during the regular class lunch time in the cafeteria. 

If your child is inviting classmates to his birthday party please do not have your child distribute the invitations at school.