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RAVEN REPORT
I hope you all enjoyed this beautiful weather this weekend. October is always a fun month for me with lots of members of my family having birthdays this month, including myself! I’m looking forward to a full week of school and hopefully some consistency for our students and ourselves! As we are entering the end of the first quarter, we will continue to focus on our priorities as a school: relationships & support, strong collaboration, and most importantly high quality instruction. Hope you all have a great week!
Follow us on Social Media: To see the latest from Poe MS follow us on Instagram at @poeravensfcps!
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Raving Ravens |
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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Nataly Canedo: “Thank you for always being a friendly face and voice in the office! Your willingness to help out, sometimes at a moment’s notice, does not go unnoticed! I truly appreciate you!”
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Ahmed Ashour: "I really admire the commitment you show your students, its clear whenever we get to talk how much you care about their experience and if they're truly learning, not just going through the motions, is what will stay with them long after they've forgotten Uranus rotates on its slide (and they will forget). I'm so glad we ended up at Poe!”
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Kathy Lafreniere: “Thank you for being an amazing thought partner in this work. I'm so grateful for you every day. You are a fierce advocate for best practices and good instruction for all students and contents. I love you!"
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Important Dates |
10/07: Fire Drill
10/08: Parent Advisory Council 5:00-6:00 Library
10/13: Staff Development Day- No school for students
10/17: Parent Coffee 9:30-10:30 Raven’s Nest
10/20: Holiday- No school
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Important Information |
Start Times Survey Extended: Take the School Start Times Survey FCPS is continuing to explore options for adjusting school start times, with the primary goal of beginning the middle school day at 8 a.m. or later. In order to minimize any costs associated with this change, elementary and high school start times would need to shift as well.Providing feedback opportunities for the community is a critical part of this effort. Since 2024, FCPS’ consultant has hosted five community forums and administered two surveys. A new School Start Times Survey is open and includes two options that are designed to support student well-being, align with research, balance transportation logistics, and minimize costs. Staff, parents and caregivers, students, and community members may provide input on the two options by taking the survey. The survey deadline has been extended to Monday, October 6. Find more information on adjusting school start times on the FCPS website.
Tardy Policy: In the next few weeks we will be sharing our tardy policy with students, staff, and families. This is the information we will be sharing with students and families and will begin communicating these expectations through advisory and through mass communication to students/families.
School Bond Referendum on Ballot Tuesday, November 4: The $460 million School Bond Referendum — supporting the division and county’s commitment to providing safe and welcoming learning environments for all students — will be on the Tuesday, November 4, general election ballot.The funding provided by voter-approved bonds is expected to fund projects identified in the FY 2026-30 Capital Improvement Program, which was approved by the School Board in February. The building and renovation of our schools is not funded through the division’s operating budget. Voter-approved bonds allow payment for these projects over time. Read more about the 2025 Bond Referendum. Watch this video that explains, “What Is a bond?” Make sure you have a voting plan! Learn more about registering to vote.
Save the Date: Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Reid: Your voice matters, and Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid wants to hear from you! At FCPS, parents are partners, working with us to set our students up for long-term success at school and in life.
A series of Community Conversations will be held across the school division to discuss current challenges and future opportunities. These events are also a chance for you to share your thoughts and ask questions about FCPS. Events are planned for the following dates from 6 to 8 p.m.:
- Friday, December 5
- Tuesday, December 9
- Thursday, December 11
Locations and registration links will be shared in future issues of FCPS This Week. Child care and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all.
The 2023-30 Strategic Plan — Goal 4: Equitable Access and Opportunities FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan sets five main goals to create positive change in the division. These goals show where we should focus our attention and will help us align our efforts. One of the measures of the fourth goal is to provide all students with consistent availability of and accessibility to electives, extracurricular, co-curricular, and enrichment activities. See how Goal 4 is being put into practice.
Applications Open Monday, October 20, for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology: Eighth graders who have an aptitude and passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) are encouraged to apply for admission to the Class of 2030 at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST). The application will be available Monday, October 20, at 4 p.m. Applications must be started by 4 p.m. Wednesday, November 12, with a submission deadline of 4 p.m. Friday, November 14. Visit the TJHSST registration page for more information, including a schedule of upcoming information sessions at middle schools.
Ensuring Student Safety: Register for Volunteer FCPS: At Poe, our volunteers are a vital part of our school community. We deeply value the time and care they give to our students. Recent updates to our volunteer process focus on one primary goal: keeping students safe. These updates — such as checks against the sex offender registry and, in some cases, criminal background checks — are safety measures that will help us maintain a secure and supportive learning environment for every student in our care. We encourage all our parents and community members interested in supporting our students by volunteering at school to visit Volunteer FCPS click “Learn More,” and then “Sign Up.” After you create a profile, you will view an orientation video and complete a volunteer application. Volunteer FCPS ensures a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. All volunteers must be registered in Volunteer FCPS. This includes individuals who volunteer to chaperone on field trips, work at book fairs, and help out regularly in classrooms, libraries, or cafeterias. Volunteers who work unsupervised with students will also be required to undergo a background check. We understand these changes may seem disruptive, especially for long-time volunteers. Our intent is to ensure that our students feel safe and supported with each and every person they encounter at school. As a reminder, all volunteers — and visitors to a school — are required to sign in by scanning their ID at our visitor kiosk. Visit the Volunteer FCPS Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more.
Weapons Detection Systems- Coming Soon: In our latest effort to strengthen our layered safety and security programs, FCPS piloted a weapon screening system across our high schools last Spring. This weapon screening system will be expanded to all middle and high schools this fall. This system is similar to ones that have been used at sporting events and concerts for many years. Earlier this year, several of our high school students joined me for a video discussion about school safety and to test out the new system. You can learn more by reading the Frequently Asked Questions on our website. If you have additional questions after reading the FAQs, you can submit them online to our Chief of Safety and Security Office. We will provide more details as we prepare for the coming school year to ensure that our students, staff, and families understand and feel comfortable with the process.
World Credit Exam: The World Language Credit by Exam (WLCBE) offers grade 7-12 students the opportunity to earn credits toward high school diplomas and biliteracy seal requirements. Students will show their abilities to speak, read and write in a language other than English to earn credits. The test will take place at Poe during the school day in early November. Students may pick up a registration form from their counselor or print this form:
https://www.fcps.edu/form/world-language-credit-exam-wlcbe-notification-and-registration-form
Parents/guardians must sign the form and students must return the form to their counselor. The deadline to register is October 17—no late registrations are accepted.
TJ Informational Session: Did you miss the TJ Admissions Presentation? Visit our school website to view the slides shared by TJ Admissions Specialist Linda Sperling. The presentation includes helpful information about the application process, eligibility, and resources for interested students and families.
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What your Student is Learning! |
Finishing Up Uncovering Characters in Language Arts: Benchmark Unit 2 in Language Arts is coming to a close! Over the last several weeks, our students have learned, read, and written about different characters in stories and their own personal sense of character.
Connect with your child’s learning at school with these fun questions and hands-on activities at home:
- Question: How does the way you act change the way you think about yourself?
- Activity: Draw a new cover for a favorite book featuring the main character in a key moment.
At the end of the unit, your child will take their unit magazine home. The magazine includes an activity calendar with fun ways to help students build on what they’re learning at each grade level. You can also find information on how to support your child’s reading at home on the Benchmark Families website
News from the PTSA
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General Membership Meeting (childcare and pizza provided!)
We are having our first general membership meeting of the year on Wednesday, October 8 from 6:00-7:00 p.m., immediately after the Parent Advisory Meeting. We will have translation services and child care -- with pizza! Please consider coming to learn about the PTSA and to get plugged in to the important work we do to support our students and teachers.
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:
Membership
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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