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1. Welcome Back, Coates Stars!
2. Visiting Coates Check-in Update
3. Labor Day Holiday
4. Lockdown Notification
5. Testing Notifications
6. From FCPS
7. Recognize Our Staff Who Go Above and Beyond
8. Mark Your Calendar
We welcomed our stars back this week and were thrilled to see our building shining brightly with everyone together again! We are ready for a wonderful school year filled with learning, laughter, growth, and fun. We look forward to all we will accomplish together!
To strengthen campus security, the "I Don’t Have An ID" option is being disabled on all Raptor VMS kiosks. All visitors without a valid ID must now report directly to front office staff for processing.
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First Visit: Staff may manually enter visitor details into the administrative portal, print a badge from the desktop printer, and inform the visitor that a valid ID is required for future visits.
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Second Visit: Any returning visitor without a valid ID will not be allowed past the front office.
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Reminder: Schools and offices are closed on Friday, September 4, and Monday, September 7, for the Labor Day holiday. We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year! See the full school year calendar: bit.ly/3Q2nbH5 |
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for all of us. We have a crisis management and emergency preparedness plan for our school that is reviewed and updated regularly. Our plan includes procedures on how to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Students and staff regularly practice these drills every school year. We also practice lockdown drills.
Virginia Law (22.1-137.2) requires schools to notify parents at least 24 hours before a school practices a lockdown drill. However, we are not required to share the exact date and time of the drill. We are required to practice lockdown drills two times a year. FCPS lockdown drills do not include any type of active shooter scenario training, they are instruction and classroom based.
We will conduct a lockdown drill at our school soon. Our pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students are exempt from mandatory participation in lockdown drills during the first 60 days of the school year. They will participate in our second and final drill later this school year.
Additional information on our lockdown drill program to include parent tips and FAQs can be found on the Emergency Planning and Crisis Response web page. After reviewing this content, you should discuss the value of these safety drills with your child.
Keeping our school safe and secure for all students and staff involves the participation of the entire school community, and we thank you for your help to keep our school safe.
Academic Screening and Growths Tests K-2
Dear Parents and Guardians:
The Virginia government requires assessments for the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) and the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP) in all schools. These assessments help state officials understand literacy and school readiness needs across Virginia. Additionally, the mathematics assessment in grades 1-2 fulfills a Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) MultiTiered Systems of Support (MTSS) requirement. Test results help teachers, school leaders, and parents know how to support each student’s learning and development. The Academic Screening, Growth, and Diagnostic Tests webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/academic-screeninggrowth-and-diagnostic-tests) provides more information on these tests.
Literacy Assessment:
K-2- Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System (VALLSS)
Mathematics Assesment:
K- Early Mathematics Assessment System (EMAS)
1-2- Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Math
Behavior Assessment:
K- Child Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS)
1-2- none
Teachers assess all PreK-2 students with the VALLSS in fall, winter, and spring. Grade PreK-K EMAS and CBRS tests are given in fall and spring. In grades 1-2, all students take the MAP Math test in fall, winter, and spring. Tests are delivered within the classroom instructional block. Teachers set specific testing dates for each class. General timing for required screening is
available on the Grade Level Tests webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/academics/student-testsassessments/grade-level-tests).
Based on academic screening results, some students may require a reading plan or math intervention plan. Some students may need additional diagnostic tests to help teachers determine specific areas for support. If you have questions about academic screening, growth, or diagnostic tests, please contact your student’s teacher or the school's test coordinator.
Academic Screening and Growth Tests, Grades 3-8
Dear Parents and Guardians:
The Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) require schools to provide reading and mathematics screening tests for all students in grades 3-8. These assessments also fulfill a requirement for reading and mathematics growth
assessments within the Virginia Assessment Program (VAP). Test results help families and teachers know how to support each student’s learning and development.
• Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Math - required for all students who are scheduled to take the spring Standards of Learning (SOL)
• iReady Reading - required for all students who are scheduled to take the spring SOL
• Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System (VALLSS) - required for certain students based on other reading performance data
If your student is identified to participate in VALLSS, you will receive additional communication from your student’s school with details about this assessment. Families may also choose to opt-in to VALLSS participation by contacting their student’s teacher.
Teachers assess grade 3-8 students with MAP Math, iReady Reading, and VALLSS in fall, winter, and spring. The Academic Screening, Growth, and Diagnostic Tests webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/academic-screening-growth-and-diagnostic-tests) provides more information on these tests.
iReady and MAP tests are generally delivered during the classroom instructional block. VALLSS may be delivered within classroom instruction or at another time, such as an intervention or advisory period. The division schedule for iReady, MAP, and VALLSS tests can be found on the Grade Level Tests webpage (https://www.fcps.edu/academics/student-tests-assessments/grade-level-tests). Teachers set specific testing schedules for students in their class.
Based on academic screening results, some students may require a reading plan or math intervention plan. Some students may require additional diagnostic tests to help teachers determine specific areas for support. If you have questions about academic screening, growth, or diagnostic tests, please
contact your student’s teacher or the school's test coordinator.
Student ID Cards for Coates ES Bus Riders
We will begin distributing student ID cards to all our students who ride the school bus or use FCPS transportation services.
We will hand out these cards the week of August 31st for students who ride the bus or are elgible to ride the bus.
ID cards should be worn or attached to your child’s backpack and brought to the bus each day.
Students who have student ID cards should begin tapping as they board and exit the bus. Only students who use FCPS transportation services will be provided with a student ID card at this time.
We ask for your patience! Bus drivers are checking in students and may need some extra time at each bus stop while they do this. The transportation team is working hard to minimize any potential delays.
Learn more about the bus navigation and student ID cards.
Everything You Need to Do in SIS ParentVUE
Are you working your way through back-to-school forms and checklists? Make sure you have a SIS ParentVUE account for your family and log in to find important forms and updates.
- Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from your school and FCPS by providing your cell phone number and email in ParentVUE. To update your contact information in ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then click the “Online Verification/Update” icon.
- Submit daylong absences by clicking “Report Absence.”
If you do not have a ParentVUE account, contact your child’s school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage.
Remember to Complete Permission Forms for School Resources
Families can now easily grant consent for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. This online tool can be accessed using your SIS ParentVUE account login. Parents can easily opt their child in or out of a variety of resources, including online educational tools, school counseling services, and more.
Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool.
Opt In or Out to Student Devices Being Sent Home for Grades 1-6
New this year, families can opt out of having student laptops sent home with their student.
- If you do not want your student to bring their FCPS-issued device home, please toggle the Opt Out button to a check mark and confirm by pressing Save Selection.
- If you would like your student to bring their FCPS device home, no toggle action is needed. Confirm by pressing Save Selection.
Students whose families opt out will continue to have access to an FCPS-issued device during the school day. Please reach out to your student’s teacher to understand expectations for homework and any learning activities that may require access to technology outside of the school day.
Transportation Patience and Safety
Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following Kiss and Ride procedures and being patient while waiting for your child’s bus.
If your child’s bus is delayed, you may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays. Please contact the Transportation Office at 703-249-7000 with any additional questions. For concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact the FCPS Office of Safety and Security at 571-423-2000.
Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE to make sure you receive email messages about bus delays.
Have Children in Multiple FCPS Schools? | | 
