February 24, 2010

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Eighth-grade students who want to participate in a high school specialty program are completing and submitting their applications this week. These programs include the Centers for Information Technology, the Cambridge Programmes, the International Baccalaureate Programmes, the Bio-Tech Center, the Center for Environmental and Natural Sciences, and the Center for International Studies and Languages. The deadline for applications has been postponed until Friday, February 26, 2010, due to the impact of the recent snow storms. Students who are applying for the Center for Fine and Performing Arts have already submitted their applications in January. Applications for Television Production at Hylton High School are due on March 8, 2010. Applications for Project Lead the Way (PLTW) at Woodbridge High School are due on March 17, 2010. All applications will be processed as quickly as possible.

As a result of the current economic situation, Dr. Steven L. Walts, Superintendent of Schools, has been forced to make drastic reductions in his proposed budget for the 2010-11 school year. As a part of that reduction, all transportation for students who transfer for a specialty program or for television production or PLTW has been eliminated in the proposed budget. Students who live within the boundary of a school offering the program they choose would, of course, be transported to the program. Students living outside of the boundary for a given school can be accepted for the program as transfer students. However, transportation to the school would not be provided.

Students are urged to submit their applications to make certain they have met the deadline for applications. Parents/guardians and students will continue to be informed about any modification to transportation for students transferring for these programs. You may call me or email me at hubbardg@pwcs.edu with any questions or concerns. You may also call or email the appropriate specialty program coordinator.

Sincerely,

Gail Fischer Hubbard
Supervisor Gifted Education and Special Programs

February 25, 2010

Dear Parents/Guardians:

As a result of the current economic situation, Dr. Steven L. Walts, Superintendent of Schools, has been forced to make drastic reductions in his proposed budget for the 2010-11 school year. As a part of that reduction, all transportation for students who transfer for any specialty program, including the World Language Program has been eliminated in the proposed budget.

Students who live within the boundary of Parkside Middle School will, of course, continue to be transported to the program. Students living outside of the Parkside Middle School boundary can continue to attend the World Language Program as transfer students. However, under the current proposed budget, express transportation to Parkside Middle School would not be provided.

Parents/guardians and students will continue to be informed about any modification to transportation for students transferring for these programs. If you have any concerns or questions, please call Ms. Labenow, the World Language Program Coordinator, at 703.361.3106 or email her at labenwb@pwcs.edu.

Sincerely,
Gail Hubbard
Supervisor Gifted Education and Special Programs

It is the first day of March, when the Bulgarians celebrate the rebirth of nature and welcome the forthcoming spring, decorating their clothes and houses with the so called “Martenitsa.” On the first of March and the few days after, Bulgarians give to one another red and white tassels or small red and white wool dolls called Pizho and Penda, or Martenitsa. The “martenitsa” is meant to be a joyful holiday commemorating health, conception, fertility, and long life. The twisted red and white threads of the "martenitsa" are interpreted as symbols of purity and life, as well as the need for harmony in nature and in people's lives. It is also believed to have the magic power of chasing away the evil spirits, demons and illnesses and bring welfare, health and happiness. Once we have those tokens, which we put on our clothes or wrists, we wear them until we see a stork/crane, the herald of spring.

Parkside 2009-2010 yearbooks may be purchased online at the Parkside yearbook website:

 www.yb-online.com/us-va-parksidems

This year a new process has been implemented to centralize the PWCS schools’ online system allowing parents to have one user account for their school Web site log in and the Edulink Intouch log in. To obtain your user account follow the steps below:

• All parents must obtain an authorization letter in person at your child’s school in order to log in to your school’s Web site or to log in to Edulink Intouch.
  
  
• This year, there is a new process to log into Edulink Intouch to view student grades or emergency information. Follow the steps below:

• After we notify parents that the materials are ready,  go to your child’s school to receive a printed authorization letter which will have a student “passcode” that you will need when you register on your school’s Web site. Bring a photo ID. If you have children in more than one school, please go to each school in person.
  
  
• After receiving the letter, go to one of your children’s school Web sites and register by clicking on the left button “New User Registration.”  You only have to register once at one school Web site, even if you have children at more than one school.
  
  
• Parents who are also PWCS school staff members do not have to register as a “New User” on SchoolFusion. They will simply log on to their school Web site as usual, click on “My Family” and add the student passcodes on that menu.
  
  
• Fill out the online registration form and enter your student’s ID number and “passcode” for each of your children in PWCS schools. If you have children in more than one school, you can enter all children’s passcodes from one Web site. Also, you can add more children at a later time by clicking on your “My family” icon after logging into a school Web site.
  
  
• You can use the same log in user name and password for all Web sites where your children attend school.
  
  
• You can use the same school Web site log in and password to log into Edulink Intouch as well.

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