Poe Family Newsletter December 8, 2025

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RAVEN REPORT

This week flew by fast especially with wintry weather mixed in! Our professional learning on Wednesday reminded me of the importance of surrounding yourself with good people- people who support you, uplift you, and bring positivity into your life. Our instructional focus around collaboration is grounded in the power of working together and that collaboration fosters better outcomes for students. I wish you all a wonderful week and try to stay warm!

Follow us on Social Media: To see the latest from Poe MS follow us on Instagram at @poeravensfcps!

Important Dates

12/10: Parent Advisory Meeting 5:00-6:00 Library

12/10: Band Concert 7:00-7:30 Lecture Hall

12/11: Band Concert 7:00-7:30 Lecture Hall

12/16: Orchestra Concert 7:00 -7:30

12/17: Winter Chorus Concert 7:00-8:00

12/18: The Day the Internet Died Raven Theatre Performance 7:00 (see details below and how to support!)

12/19: Rising 6th Grade visits

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!

Amy Schlessman: “Thank you for being such a thoughtful, reflective, and intentional CT leader. You foster an environment to help teachers feel safe and valued. Thank you for modeling vulnerability first hand and leading by example on collaboration. “
Emmanuel Frimpong: “One thousand thank- yous for delivering all the furniture that arrived for us. I truly appreciate your help, especially on top of all the other jobs you handle around the building! We are so grateful for everything you do.”
Tina Rogers: “I see and appreciate you using your voice, both to look out for your team and their needs, and to acknowledge and lift up the people around you. Thank you for saying what's on your mind and for modeling our mindset commitments by keeping conversation at the center of our relationships.”

Opportunities

Poe Winter Reading Competition: We want to make sure our Ravens are reading over break so we are having a reading competition to encourage consistent reading over the break. The competition starts on December 1 and will go through December 31. We encourage all students to be reading and they can track their reading here. The more entries, the more times the student will be entered in a raffle. The winning students from each grade level will get lunch with a friend on me! Happy Reading everyone!

Important Information

Attendance Is Important Every Day! Every year, absences increase in the weeks before and : after winter break. Give your child the gift of education and help build a habit of attendance. Visit the FCPS website for more attendance resources.

Food Assistance and Resource Guide: Food insecurity impacts more than 96,000 Fairfax County residents. Learn how to help and discover the many resources available to support those who need food assistance or shelter. View the county’s Human Services Resource Guide.

FCPS’ Budget Supports the Success of the Local Economy: When our schools have the resources they need, all of Fairfax County succeeds! FCPS is one of Fairfax County’s largest employers, and every paycheck we issue helps support local businesses, services, and housing markets. FCPS’ annual operating budget flows through our local economy — supporting jobs, purchasing goods and services, and contributing to regional stability.

Learn more about the Fiscal Year 2027 budget and how FCPS supports the Fairfax County economy.

Fairfax County Joint Budget Committee Meeting: The School Board met with the Board of Supervisors on December 2 to discuss the budget forecast. View the meeting materials and learn more about FCPS' FY27 budget.

Graduation Status: New Feature in ParentVUE and StudentVUE: A new Graduation Status tool is available in ParentVUE and StudentVUE. The tool helps parents and students monitor and track their progress in meeting graduation requirements.

Graduation Status includes progress toward the Standard or Advanced Studies diploma for high school students and middle school students who have enrolled in one or more high school courses. This new feature is available in addition to the course history and unofficial transcript options in ParentVUE and StudentVUE.

To view the Graduation Status section, which is only available for students who have enrolled in high school courses, please take the following steps:

Login to your SIS ParentVUE/StudentVUE account.
Go to “Course History.”
Go to “Graduation Status” and toggle “on.”

For questions about graduation requirements, please contact your child’s school counselor. Learn more about ParentVUE.

Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15: Parents and guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for full-time Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) services must submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to srenglish@fcps.edu no later than December 15, 2025.

Each year, families can submit a referral for full-time AAP services any time from the first day of school through December 15. No late referrals for full-time AAP services will be accepted.

Once a referral is received, our school will compile information related to the student. Then, a committee of six trained professionals from across the county will review materials to determine eligibility for full-time AAP services.

Next Steps for Parents: Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of their child’s materials after February 20, 2026, by emailing Shawn English srenglish@fcps.edu.

At the middle school level, honors courses are open to all students.

For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs webpage.