Happy Thursday, Friends families,
Tonight’s Back to School event is an annual right of passage for all schools; however, this year, the night feels more like a celebration of the return to normalcy lost these last two years due to the pandemic. Finally, Friends School is hosting a Zoom-free Back to School Night with no mask restrictions, no pod separations, and no feeling of dread looming over the backdrop of the event. Amazing!
Back to School Night is a special night. Meeting your child’s teachers and learning about the vision for the class helps create the connective tissue that builds the Parent-School partnership that is vital to the success of any school year. During Back to School Night, parents, please don’t hesitate to ask questions. There’s no such thing as a “silly question.” One of the main goals of Back to School Night is to foster and create a level of comfort for parents and teachers to be able to communicate with one another. As I often say to my kids, “Teamwork makes the dream work!” In many ways, tonight is the first official team meeting for parents and teachers to ensure all team members are on the same page guaranteeing a successful school year. If you leave tonight’s event, and a question comes up afterward, don’t hesitate to email your child’s teacher. The old phrase, “It takes a village,” has never been more alive than at Friends School. VBFS is your village!
Finally, the month of September is full of opportunities for VBFS families to get to know one another. On September 9th at 8:15 am there is a Coffee Meet and Greet at Java Surf owned by Friends School parents, Rachel and Dwayne Appleton, mom and dad of Calder and Vance in Cottage. Parent Coffee Meet and Greets are a monthly occurrence throughout the school year and a wonderful way to network and connect with other VBFS families. Next, on Thursday, September 22nd, the school will host the Back to School Potluck Picnic from 5PM-7PM at Red Wing Municipal Park & Playground at 1398 General Booth Blvd, Shelter #1. More information on the Back to School Potluck Picnic will be forthcoming.
This year, the Friends School faculty, staff, administration, and Board all look forward to watching the entire VBFS community flourish in ways it hasn’t in recent years. Have a wonderful Back to School Night tonight, a fabulous Labor Day Holiday weekend, and we will see everyone back at Friends School on Tuesday, September 6th.
All the best,
Mike
Head of School
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Important Dates:
- Labor Day, Monday, September 5 – No School
- Coffee Meet Up, Friday, September 9 – 8:15 am, Java Surf Cafe
- Parent Quaker Orientation, Tuesday, September 20- 6:00 to 7:00 pm (optional Zoom event)
- Back to School Potluck Picnic, Thursday, September 22- 5:00- 7:00 pm (more information in the coming days)
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Co-Curriculars:
It is time to register for quarter 1 co-curriculars! Flyer attached! Available options will depend on grade level and include themes such as ballet, S.T.E.A.M., drama, arts and crafts, and forensics! To register, please go to your PCR Parent Portal where you will find the registration link in the Parent Home tab. The quarter 1 co-curriculars will begin the week of September 14th and will run through the week of October 24th. All co-curriculars begin after school and end at 4:15. If your child is enrolled in the extended day program, they will return to their extended day classroom when their club is over. Once you have registered, you will receive an email within the next week from your child’s co-curricular teacher with additional information. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Sarah Combs at [email protected].
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Parent Portal:
Middle School parents are now able to view their child’s grade book on the parent portal. To view your child’s grade book, click the student dashboard; grade book widget, and click the current grade for one of the classes listed. Parents can monitor their child’s grades for each class, and the assignment widget will become available soon for parents to view as well.
The Middle School student portal will become live next week. Students will be able to log in and view their assignments and grade book as well. Information will be provided to the Middle School students next week on how to log in and navigate the portal.
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COVID Update:
The Virginia Department of Health has updated its guidance for COVID-19. Students who test positive for COVID-19 should follow the When Is It Safe To Be Around Others: Isolation And When To End Isolation from VDH. If your child tests positive for COVID-19, you must contact Candice so that she can notify the community accordingly. If your child, through contact tracing, has been exposed to a student who has tested positive for COVID-19, Candice will notify the family individually. If your child has been exposed to COVID-19, please refer to the What To Do If You Were Exposed To COVID-19 through the VDH website.
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Text Communications:
Throughout the year there will be instances when families receive text notifications with school annoucements. Text messaging allows the school to communicate with the entire community quickly and efficiently. Information regarding special events, unexpected school closures, and school wide emergencies will be sent via text message, posted to the Virginia Beach Friends School website, and to the parent portal.
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Kickback Programs:
There are several different ways Friends School families can help earn money for the school just by doing everyday shopping via Amazon, Kroger, and Harris Teeter. Last year Friends School received a total of $1,069.48 from these kickback programs! It’s super easy to sign up for AmazonSmile and to even link your grocery shoppers cards to Friends School. Please take the short amount of time to set these programs up! This is truly a hassle free way to contribute to the Friends School community!
