Parent Information Relating to Special Education from the Fairfax County Special Education PTA (SEPTA)

7/5/2020 7:56 am

On Demand

• Burke CHADD Support Group for Parents, Caregivers and Family Members Last Thursday of the month at 7:00 pm.  Contact Kim Griffin: kimberlyrgriffin@yahoo.com
• Loudoun County CHADD Parent Support 3rd Tue. morning of the month in Sterling.  Contact:  Bonnie Little  571-306-2932 or on Facebook @loudounahdhsupport
• West Fairfax CHADD Evening Parent Support Group  3rd Thur. of each month at 8:00 pm Contact:  Sharon  clintob@aol.com  or 703-716-4646.
• West Fairfax CHADD Morning Parent Support Group  1st Tues. of each month, time TBA, Contact:  Sharon  clintob@aol.com  or 703-716-4646.

Message to Clermont Families from Principal Salata

6/3/2020 9:58 pm

Dear Clermont Families,

Since the news coming out of Minnesota reached us all last week, Ms. Peace and I have been trying to process what this means for our nation, our school community, and our students. Many in our community are hurting right now, and therefore, we are all hurting. This is compounded by the fact that we cannot be physically together as a community. Our physical separation poses a challenge to supporting each other therefore I want to provide some resources that may help to support discussions within your family.

As educators, we strive to help our students see themselves in the world around them, and to learn empathy, respect, and understanding of those who are different from them. We spend time teaching our students to understand different perspectives that are presented through literacy and history, and how this is reflective of the world we live in. Sometimes it can be hard to find the right words to help children to understand and process difficult topics. I find that books can be very helpful to navigate through a difficult conversation. This website has a list of different children’s books that might be useful to you: https://www.embracerace.org/resources/26-childrens-books-to-support-conversations-on-race-racism-resistance.  A few other titles are available on YouTube as free read alouds, including: Rosa, The Day You Begin, The Day the Zebras Lost Their Stripes, and Skin Again.

A resource that may be helpful is the Parent Toolkit produced by NBC News Learn. 

Some additional resources I found helpful:

• https://www.gse.upenn.edu/news/talking-children-after-racial-incidents
• https://www.embracerace.org/resources/young-kids-racial-injustice?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=

At Clermont, we strive to ensure a welcoming and culturally responsive environment where everyone in our community feels safe, seen, and heard.  Ms. Peace and I value our diverse school community and know that it’s these same differences that make each child and adult special. We know that we aren’t perfect, and we are trying hard to constantly improve. As a staff, we have participated in FCPS’ Cultural Proficiency trainings and engaged in conversations which have challenged each of us to think about our own perspective, privilege, and bias.  We all have work to do, and we will continue to do the work to make Clermont ES a safe place for you and your children.

I also want to remind you that our Mental Health Team is available to speak with you or your child. They can provide resources that may support you and can provide a safe place for your child to express how they are feeling. Should you wish to receive some support from the Mental Health Team, please reach out for support. 

• School Counselors
  • Paula Treger   pmtreger@fcps.edu 
  • Maureen Manzo   mlmanzo@fcps.edu 
• School Psychologist
  • Jane-Ellen Monson   jmonson@fcps.edu 
• School Social Worker
  • Karla Romero   kgromero@fcps.edu 

As always, Ms. Peace, our Clermont ES staff, and I are here to support you and your family. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if we can help.

Take care of yourself and each other,

Roxanne Salata

Principal

It's (Virtual) Spirit Week!

3/29/2020 8:16 am

A Message from Principal Salata

3/24/2020 8:19 pm

Clermont Families, 

The PTA and I have been moved by the number of you who have reached out to offer assistance in so many different ways during this unprecedented school closure. Thank you all for being so supportive of our community and our school! To address the multitude of questions and comments from parents regarding instruction, I feel it is important for me to provide some background for you. Clermont staff left school on Thursday evening, March 12, with the confidence that they would return to teach Friday and again for Distance Learning training on Monday, March 16; therefore, most long-term planning materials and teacher laptops remained in the classrooms for Friday instruction. As you know, the school cancelation notice came well after dismissal when items may have been retrieved. Ms. Peace and I are working with the teachers on how to safely retrieve these planning materials. Additionally, we are collaborating with the FCPS Instructional Services Department which was already building an instructional plan, and those non-graded, optional lessons are all available on Blackboard 24-7 for you and your child at this link. 

Ms. Peace and I will continue to work with teachers and resolve ways to get our teachers back into the building to recover their items, with the guidance of the Superintendent,  Dr. Brabrand. Next week, administrators and teachers will be given instructions on how we are to move forward providing Distance Learning opportunities for your children. Superintendent Brabrand is communicating to administrators, staff and parents that no new learning will start until after spring break. I can assure you that your children’s teachers are anxiously awaiting being able to begin instruction again! More information will be coming to all of us from the Superintendent early next week. Look for communication from either me or Dr. Brabrand on this.

FCPS has many resources available through Blackboard 24/7 and through our Clermont Bookmarks page. Please note that FCPS staff is only allowed to share sites with you that are FCPS approved, but there are still many additional sites and resources out there that are fantastic for students. While these are not vetted by FCPS, they are certainly some additional options for you. Parents, PTA members, and friends have been circulating these links below and reports have been positive from their children. 

I do hope to see everyone back at school, healthy and ready for face to face learning soon!! In the meantime, take care of yourself and of each other.

Sincerely,
Ms. Salata, Principal

Learning Garden Spring Cleanup

3/7/2020 7:28 am

***Update - The March 21st Garden Cleanup Event has been canceled. We'll work to reschedule soon! ***

Learning Garden Spring Cleanup - March 21st @9:30 AM

Parents, warmer weather is on the way and we need your help to get the Learning Garden ready for planting season. On Saturday, March 21st from 9:30am - 11:00am, we'll meet in the Learning Garden (located next to the playground) to prepare soil in the raised planters, pull weeds, and get the garden ready for the kids to start planting seeds. Bring the whole family! Helpful items to bring/wear: boots/sneakers, gloves, hand shovels, and rakes.

Got questions? Email the PTA Garden Chair, Mike Ahl michael.c.ahl@gmail.com