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PARENT HANDBOOK 2022-23

Fort Hunt Elementary School
8832 Linton Lane
Alexandria, VA 22308

Direct Line - 703-619-2600
Attendance Line - 703-619-2626
Clinic - 703-619-2610

Fort Hunt Website - http://www.fcps.edu/FortHuntES/
FCPS Website - http://www.fcps.edu/index.shtml
FCPS School Calendar - https://www.fcps.edu/calendars/standard-school-year-calendar

Weather and Emergency Messages
FCPS Red Apple Cable TV Channel 21
Local News Stations
FCPS Website
A more detailed description about school closing, delayed opening or early dismissal is available online in the FCPS Home Page. Parents and guardians are responsible for having an advanced arrangement for where their child(ren) should go in case of a schedule change.

Notes from Fort Hunt
The FCPS website contains valuable information you may need throughout the year, including calendars, services and special programs, the instructional program, and information about starting school. A link to parent resources is: https://www.fcps.edu/resources.
eNotify and FCPS 24/7 ParentVUE Account can be accessed on the FCPS Homepage. Contact Rosa Dobarco at [email protected] about signing up for parent accounts.

Attendance
The Instructional Day is Monday-Friday 8:55 a.m. - 3:40 p.m.

Early Arrival – Before 8:35 a.m. To keep our students safe, walkers and car riders should arrive at school no earlier than 8:35 a.m. Parents/Guardians may not leave students unattended on school grounds before 8:35 a.m. Students are not allowed in the school building before 8:35 a.m. without permission from a teacher.

Arriving On Time – Between 8:35 a.m. - 8:55 a.m. Our first bell rings at 8:35 a.m. Students should be in their classrooms by the third bell at 8:55 a.m. If they will be late, they must come to the office for a tardy slip.

Important Attendance Info: If you know your child will not be arriving first thing in the morning, please notify the front office by:
• Calling the attendance line at 703-619-2626
• Email [email protected]
• Submit this online form: https://forthuntes.fcps.edu/about/attendance-form

If your child is either going to be absent for the entire day or late for any reason, call the school attendance line at 703-619-2626 before 10:00 a.m. The attendance line is available 24-7 for your message. In your message, provide details describing the reason for the absence. If the school does not receive a call from a parent/guardian, the absence will be considered unexcused. This information also assists us in monitoring illness. Missing more than ten percent of the school year can impact academic achievement.

Excused Absence and Tardy—Illness of the student, death in the family, doctor or dentist appointment, and observance of a religious holiday.

Unexcused Absence and Tardy—Family trip, childcare situation, oversleeping, or non-school related activity.

Pre-arranged Absence - If you know your child will be absent for an extended period of time, please fill out and submit this request form: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/se291.pdf It needs to be submitted to your child’s morning teacher and authorized by admin prior to your departure date.

Release of Students During the School Day
Parents should send a written or email request to the teacher and front office when your child must leave early. Parents must report to the office to pick up and sign out their child. After you sign out your child, we will call your student to the office. Children will not be released to anyone other than a parent or guardian without a written request signed by a parent. Children are not allowed to walk home alone during school hours. Early pick-ups at the end of the day must occur at least 20 minutes before the final bell (no later than 3:20p).

Family Trips
We encourage family trips during scheduled school vacations. We strongly discourage such trips during the school year because these extended absences interrupt sequential learning in many subject areas. We must withdraw from our enrollment, any student who is absent from school for 15 consecutive school days. Upon the student’s return, a parent must again officially enroll him or her.

Calendars
Fort Hunt follows the FCPS School Calendar, available at https://www.fcps.edu/calendars/standard-school-year-calendar This calendar includes holidays, breaks, grading periods, and early release dates. Information about days missed and makeup days are also available. A calendar of school events is posted on the school’s website.

Keep Us in the Loop
How Do We Contact You?
Your emergency contact information is vital to us and to you. It
accompanies your child everywhere he or she goes – even on field
trips. Phone numbers, addresses, and the names of the adults you
permit to take your child from school should all be kept up-to-date.
You can access and update your child’s emergency care information
via the FCPS program, weCare@school, which is available through
the ParentVUE account on FCPS 24-7. You must register for Parent
VUE Accounts.
The paper version of the emergency care form is still available at the
school. It is not necessary to complete both the paper and the online
version, but one must be completed for each student.

Keeping Parents in the Loop
Student Progress Reports
If you did not sign up for an electronic version of your student’s
progress report, you will receive a printed Progress Report shortly
after each of the four nine-week grading periods in the school year. If
you signed up for an electronic version, it will be available through
your ParentVUE account a few days after the end of each quarter.

Interims
The Interim Report may be issued when a student’s work either
declines or improves.

School Communication
Parents can find the latest news about school events and
happenings via the:
• News You Choose FHES Weekly Newsletter – sign up to receive
the newsletter at:
https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/VAEDUFCPS/subscriber/n
ew?qsp=VAEDUFCPS_1
• School home page at www.fcps.edu/FortHuntES/
• FCPS 24-7 ParentVUE at http://fcps.blackboard.com for online
access to class
• eNotify - e-mail system for important messages from FHES
• PTA home page at www.forthuntpta.org
• PTA weekly email blast
• FHES and PTA Facebook pages

Emergency
In case of an emergency, information is communicated to parents
through eNotify, Channel 21, and radio and TV announcements.

Clinic Services
Schools are authorized to administer first aid only.

When to Stay Home
Students with a rash, watery and inflamed eyes, fever, sore throat,
new cough that is not due to another health condition, shortness of
breath, new loss of taste/smell, vomiting, or diarrhea should stay
home until a doctor determines symptoms are not contagious. The
FC Department of Health recommends children remain home feverfree
without medication for 24 hours prior to returning to school.

When We Will Call You
Our clinic works to control and manage exposure to contagious
diseases. We will call for these symptoms:
• Fever over 100 degrees
• Persistent abdominal pain
• Vomiting
• Unexplained rash
• Diarrhea
• Head lice
• Inflamed eyes with discharge
• Persistent cough
The parent/guardian will be notified and a Health Referral Form and
Return to School Form will be sent home. The top portion of the form
will be completed by the School Public Health Nurse or School
Health Aide. Parents are expected to pick up their child within one
hour of notification. Parents are to check into the front office. Keep all
emergency numbers current. We ask that you notify the clinic if your
child has head lice, strep throat, flu, chicken pox, has tested positive
for COVID-19 or other contagious illnesses. For more information on
FCPS’ health and safety guidance, please go to this link:
https://www.fcps.edu/return-school/student-health-and-safetyguidance-
document

Physician’s Note Needed
Some rashes, (pink eye, impetigo, ringworm, and scabies) can be
passed among students. We require a note from a physician for any
child with these symptoms. It should state the child is not contagious
before returning to school.

Return to School After COVID-19 Diagnosis
Students who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, may not return
to school until:
• It has been at least five (5) days of isolation since the child
first had symptoms – returning with a well-fitting mask for
days 6-10 or negative test AND
• The child has had no fever while off of anti-fever medicines
(ex: Tylenol, Ibuprofen, etc.) for 24 hours AND
• The child’s symptoms are getting better
• OR
• The child has had no fever while off of anti-fever medicines
(ex: Tylenol, Ibuprofen, etc.) for 24 hours AND
• Proof of negative test (if home test, picture required and
parent attestation form) or Doctor’s note

Allergies and Chronic Illness
Please inform clinic aide as soon as possible if your child has
allergies or chronic illnesses. This information is kept confidential
but is shared with classroom teachers to ensure your child’s safety.

Medication at School
Prescription and most over-the-counter medications require strict
adult supervision. Forms to authorize school staff to administer
medication are available at school and online at
https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/schoolhealth-
services.
• Parent must bring medication to and from school.
• Child cannot transport medicine or keep medicine in school.
• Child must have first dose of new medications at home.
• Parent must personally collect unused portions of medications. If
unclaimed, the medication is destroyed at the end of the school
year.
• Parent is responsible for submitting a new form to the school for
any changes in dosage or time of administration.

Most injured students are sent to the clinic aide to
ascertain severity of injury. Depending on the severity
of the injury, parents may be notified by the clinic aide.

Food Services
FCPS is committed to providing all students access to meals during
the week. There is a charge for these meals for students through the
2022-23 school year. Breakfast will be served in the cafeteria again
and costs $1.75. Hot lunch will be served in the cafeteria and costs
$3.25. If a student would like a second entrée or other a la carte
item, they may use their MySchoolBucks account or pay cash.
To learn more about the criteria and process to apply for free or
reduced-price breakfast and lunch, go to www.fcps.edu/frm..
Use this link www.myschoolbucks.com to set up or add funds to the
MySchoolBucks account. Parents may also send in cash or check
made payable to Fort Hunt Food Services to the cafeteria manager.
Send the cash or check in a sealed envelope clearly marked
“Cafeteria Manager” and include your child’s name and their morning
teacher’s name.

Discipline (Online and In-Person)
We expect students to respect the rights and privileges of others and
accept responsibility for their own actions and the consequences of
their behavior. The FCPS discipline code is presented in Regulation
2601 in the Student Rights and Responsibilities booklet.

Personal Property
FCPS does not assume responsibility for the personal property of
students and does not purchase insurance for their property. Fort
Hunt urges parents and students to carefully consider the types and
value of property taken to school. Unidentified articles found in the
school are placed in Lost and Found. Lost and Found items that
have not been claimed will be donated or disposed of at the end of
every quarter.
All personal electronic devices such as cell phones and tablets must
be kept turned off and out of sight. This also includes on buses.
Smart watches must be on silent mode.

Homework/Independent Reading
Homework/Independent Reading is a key point of contact between
home and school. It is assigned to reinforce skills taught in the
classroom, to enrich the school experience and/or to complete work
that wasn’t finished in the classroom. Grades K-3 might have around
30 minutes of homework/reading and grades 4-6 might have around
60 minutes. Parents should create a home environment that
reinforces the importance of education. For valuable information visit
the Parent Resource page at https://www.fcps.edu/resources.

School Clothes
We expect students to be dressed in proper attire for school
activities. Clothing should fit, be neat and clean, and conform to
standards of decency.
We do not permit:
• Clothing with improper language or images.
• Face masks with improper language or images.
• Students wearing shirts with inappropriate slogans or sayings will
be given a temporary replacement.
• Sagging or low-cut pants, low-cut necklines, tube tops, spaghetti
straps, halter tops, backless blouses or blouses with only ties in
the back, short shorts, and clothing constructed of see-through
materials.
• Hats or head coverings, such as scarves or bandanas, unless
required for religious or medical reasons.
• Shoes with rollers, flip flops or sandals with no back strap.
Tennis shoes or shoes with rubber soles are necessary for physical
education classes and active recess play.

Resources
School Aged Child Care (SACC)
The Fairfax County Office for Children operates a SACC center at
Fort Hunt that provides before and after school childcare for
elementary aged children in grades K-6. Fees are on a sliding scale,
and enrollment is limited. Information on the SACC program may be
obtained by calling the Office for Children at (703) 449-8989.

Instructional Programs Offered at Fort Hunt Elementary
Advanced Academics
School-based services are delivered to eligible students in grades 3-
6. The program is designed to strengthen direct services for gifted
learners and to enhance the quality of instruction offered to all
students. The gifted and talented resource teacher collaborates with
classroom teachers to design differentiated lessons that challenge
students to learn at a faster rate, think on a higher level, and/or study
sophisticated and complex content through extensions of the FCPS
Program of Studies.

Young Scholars
Young Scholars is designed to find and nurture advanced academic
potential in students from historically underrepresented populations.
Curricular interventions and support are provided through the
collaboration of the classroom teacher and the advanced academic
resource teacher. As students progress through elementary and
secondary school, continuing support and opportunities for
accessing rigorous coursework are provided by school staff. For
more information on Young Scholars visit
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/middle-school-academics-7-
8/advanced-academics/young-scholars-k-12.

Fine Arts
Students at Fort Hunt also have the opportunity to participate in the
strings program beginning in 3rd grade and the band program
beginning in 4th grade. Students may join the school chorus
beginning in 5th grade. Students are also given the opportunity to
participate in general music and art weekly.

Counseling
Counselors at Fort Hunt conduct monthly classroom lessons on
character education, study skills, and learning strategies and are
available to work with students in small groups or on an individual
basis.

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
The mission of ESOL Services is to develop the English proficiency
of students, enhance their academic achievement, and support
school staffs as they deliver quality instruction.

Spanish Immersion
Students learn math, science, and health in Spanish during half of
the school day. Students who begin learning a second language in
elementary school through the Foreign Language Partial Immersion
Program may continue their language study in middle and high
school.

LTC
LTC is an acronym that stands for Language Through Content. It is
an approach to language learning that allows students to develop
basic communicative skills in a language (Spanish at Fort Hunt)
while reinforcing and enriching content in other disciplines
For more information on Foreign Language visit
https://www.fcps.edu/index.php/academics/foreign-languageelementary-
school-fles-programs

Special Education
Students that require support to access the general education
curriculum may receive special education services. Special
education services are typically provided in the general education
classroom with the support of a special education teacher.

Speech and Language
The purpose of Speech and Language (S&L) is to facilitate the
development of effective and efficient communication skills so that
students may participate as fully as possible in educational and
social interactions. Speech-language services are delivered in a
variety of ways across multiple settings to best meet the individual
student’s needs.

Testing
All Fairfax County schools participate in county and state mandated
testing programs. Standard of Learning (SOL) tests are
administered in grades 3, 4, 5 and 6. Results of state mandated
tests are sent directly to students’ parents or guardians.

Parent Volunteers
Parents are encouraged to help teachers, in special programs or
work on PTA projects/events. You may sign up by contacting your
child’s teacher or a PTA officer to participate. A room parent will be
selected by each classroom teacher from a list of interested parents.

Transportation
Routines and Family Plans
Children thrive on the consistency of a routine. You should make
changes in transportation only when necessary. If you require a
change from routine, send a note to your child’s teacher on the
morning of the change. In cases of play dates, we must receive a
note from both sets of parents. Buses operate at capacity and may
not be able to accommodate extra passengers.

Kiss and Ride
• Arrival begins at 8:35 a.m., dismissal begins at 3:40 p.m.
• Follow the directions of the staff.
• Go directly to Kiss and Ride; do not use the bus access lane in
front of the school.
• Do not drive in the exit lane if you are late. Please park on the
street and walk into the school.
• Pull your car forward as far as possible in the line.
• Make sure that your child exits your car on the building side.
• Identify children you are picking up by displaying a large legible
sign with family name and child(ren)’s name(s). Signs are
available in the office.

Parking and Dropping Off or Picking Up Children
Virginia state law forbids the passing of a school bus that is loading
or unloading children. We do not allow parking in the driveway in
front of the school during arrival and dismissal. Avoid parking in
front of the school from 8:30 a.m.-9:10 a.m. and from 3:20 p.m.-
4:50 p.m. Please do not park in spaces designated for staff.

Bicycle Safety
Students may ride their bikes to school. Bike racks are located by
entrances 4 and 11.
Bicyclists should follow these guidelines:
• Obey the police crossing guard, safety patrols, and automobile
traffic rules, including signaling for turns and stopping at
intersections.
• Walk your bike in from the street to the school.
Bicycle helmets are mandatory to ride to school, and a bicycle lock is
highly recommended.

Bus Riders
FCPS provides bus transportation for students who reside more than
a mile from school. Bus riders should follow these guidelines:
• Refrain from crossing or playing on private property.
• Cooperate with the safety patrols and obey the bus drivers.
• Arrive at the bus stop five to ten minutes before the scheduled
pick-up time.
• Remain seated and talk quietly after boarding the bus.
• All kindergarten students riding afternoon school buses are to be
met at their bus stop by the parent, day care provider, designated
adult or a sibling in 7th grade or higher. If there is no one to
accompany or receive a kindergartner, the child will be
returned to the school.
• Cell phones and other electronic devices may not be used on
buses.

Walkers
Walkers will be dismissed from exit 11. Plan to meet your child
at exit 11. Walking students must use designated paths, sidewalks,
or the crosswalk where safety patrols are stationed. Kindergarteners
and first graders must be accompanied by a parent or sibling on their
walk home.

Lunch with Students
Parents/guardians are welcome to join their student for lunch in the
cafeteria. You will not be able to take a student to eat in the hallway
or courtyard due to County health and safety issues. You will not be
allowed to bring food for anyone other than your child.

Birthday Celebrations
We do not celebrate individual birthdays in the classrooms at Fort
Hunt ES – the 3rd Wednesday of each month we have Birthday
Book/Cupcake Day. On that day we celebrate all the students with
birthdays in that month with a cupcake and a book from the PTA (in
the cafeteria during their lunch time) Parents/guardians may come to
school to join their student for lunch. They may not bring food/treats
for any other students but their own. They may not take their student
and/or other students to eat in the hallway or courtyard. Visitors
must log in/out in the office.

Critical Incident Terminology
Lockdown
Lockdown describes enhanced security measures that are taken to
protect against potentially violent intruders. No one is admitted into
the school nor can students be dismissed.

Shelter in Place
Shelter-in-Place procedures are used to temporarily separate people
from hazardous outdoor atmosphere, e.g., a hazmat incident. The
building is secured, and measures are taken to shut down the intake
of outside air. No one is allowed to enter the school until public
safety officials give the all clear.

Secure the Building
Secure the Building is used if the danger is outside the building, e.g.,
a robbery near the school. Outdoor activities are cancelled, and all
exterior doors are secured while staff members and students are free
to move about inside the building.

Stay Put, Stay Tuned
Stay Put, Stay Tuned is implemented at the request of public safety
officials to limit any impact on the transportation infrastructure.
Normal end-of-day release will not occur until authorized by public
safety officials. Parents are allowed to check out their students from
school.