The staff at Rosa Parks Elementary is ready to welcome your students back to school! The first day of school is this Monday, August 19th.

Important reminders to help make the start of the school year go smoothly:

1. Open House – Kindergarten Orientation is August 15th at 9-10am. Open House/Meet the teacher for 1st thru 5th Grades is August 15th at 10:30-11:30am. Preschool Orientation is August 16th, AM students at 9am and PM students at 10am.
2. School Hours – Doors will open at 9:05 am. Please do not drop your students off before 9:05 am as there are no staff available to supervise them and they will not be able to go into the office. If you arrive before 9:05am, please park in a parking spot so you are not blocking the Kiss N Ride Lane. Dismissal will begin at 3:45 pm. Early dismissals end at 3:15pm from the front office, so please plan accordingly for appointments, etc. Please call the front office before 12pm with any dismissal changes.
3. Car rider tags – We will be signing out Car rider tags at Open House. To ensure a safe and secure pickup for students, students will only be released to cars with a Car rider tag. If you do not have a tag, please stop by the front office – only a parent or guardian can sign up for the Car rider tag. Families without Car rider tags will not be able to pick up a student in the Car Rider line. Having your students know their Car rider number would be a great help in getting the line to move efficiently.
4. Identification – If you are picking up a student for any reason, RPES staff will ask for photo identification 100% of the time.
5. Kindergarten Pick-Up – All kindergarten walkers and bus riders must be met by an authorized adult that is listed on the student’s pick-up list, who has government-issued photo identification.
6. Student Numbers – This school year, all breakfast and lunch are free for all of our students. Students will still need to enter their student identification number when receiving school breakfast and lunch. If families can help students learn their student identification numbers, it will help the cafeteria line move quickly. Student ID numbers can be found in ParentVue.
7. Attendance – If your student will be absent, late, or have an early dismissal, for any reason, please let the school know by either calling the front office at 703-580-9665 or by emailing at rpes-attendance@pwcs.edu
8. Back to School Packet – All families must complete the Back to School Packet 24-25 in ParentVue. This helps make sure we have the most current information including emergency care forms and contact numbers. A Parent/Guardian will need to complete the packet before being able to access any information in ParentVue. Need assistance? Please call the school for help!
   
   

While we are very excited to welcome your students to Rosa Parks Elementary, we recognize sending your child to school can be hard for some adults. Our PTO will be hosting a Boohoo Breakfast for Kindergarten and new families at 9:30-10:00am on Monday. Parents will need to sign in at the front office. We hope you can make it.

We are looking forward to a year growing and glowing together!

Your partner in education,
Kathryn Ngo
Proud Principal of RPES

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Did you know attendance is the number one predictor of dropout and graduation rates? That’s why this year we are increasing communication to our parents and students around the importance of attendance- a critical indicator of success. Attending school every day helps our students build a solid foundation for their future in school and in life.

Our new strategy includes an attendance management system that carefully tracks attendance and ensures that parents are notified in a timely and consistent manner. Our goal is to connect with parents quickly so that we can remove any barriers that families face in getting students to school on time, every day.

You may receive a letter regarding your students’ attendance in the mail. Please understand that these notifications are to bring awareness on how much school has been missed this school year. We pledge to partner with you to find solutions and resources to support your student. If you feel that you have received the letter in error or have questions, please contact your school directly.

We understand there are unavoidable illnesses or other times when your child should remain at home. We also know that absences add up quickly, and that “showing up” is critical to your child’s success in school and in life.

We are committed to achieving our goals and supporting our Prince William County Public School families. Our students stand to benefit the most from this!

Together, let’s create a culture of showing up. Thank you for your continued support.

Many factors are considered when developing classrooms to ensure they are balanced and effective learning environments for all students. If you have any concerns that arise during the school year regarding your child’s class placement, please feel free to schedule a meeting with our administrators. Together, we can create a plan to address your concerns, which will be considered after the first month of school to ensure the best possible outcome for your child; however, no class placement changes will be made at the beginning of the school year.

The PWCS Code of Behavior prohibits headwear that covers one’s entire head or face. As result, hats and raised hoods are not permitted at RPES. Please note headwear that is worn for one’s religion, medical reasons, preventative practices, approved for a school event, or representation of a cultural/ethnic background are exceptions. The PWCS Code of Behavior for 2024-25 is attached below for you to review with your students.

• Be patient as commuters and parents learn the routine for navigating busy roadways around the school. It takes a few weeks to establish a new normal traffic flow.
• Crossing guards will not stay to cross students late to school. They will leave at the crossing end time to get to another post.
• Do not drop off your child more than 25 - 30 minutes before school start time – the crossing guard may be coming from another school.
• Do not come early to pick up your student. By law, traffic on main roadways must be kept moving so emergency vehicles can get through. Coming too early in the afternoon creates traffic back-ups on the main road for as long as an hour at some schools. This creates a hazardous situation if an emergency occurs.
• Be patient when you see a crossing guard in training. We all were beginners sometime.

This school year, all students in KG through 5th grades at Rosa Parks Elementary can receive free breakfast and lunch during the 2024-2025 school year as part of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Program. While breakfast and lunch will be free of charge, students will still need to use their individual student ID number in the cafeteria. A la carte items will be available for an additional fee.

Please read the attached letter below with more information on the Community Eligibility Provision National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program that Rosa Parks Elementary is participating in this school year.

August 15 - Kindergarten Orientation @ 9:00-10:00am

August 15 - 1st thru 5th Grades Open House/Meet Your Teacher @ 10:30-11:30am

August 16 - Preschool Orientation for AM Program @ 9:00-10:00am

August 16 - Preschool Orientation for PM Program @ 10:00-11:00am

August 19 - First Day of School; Doors Open at 9:05am, Late Bell 9:20am; Dismissal @ 3:45pm

August 23 - PTO Spirit Night @ Frostie Moose, 12-9pm

August 29 - PTO Fun Run Pep Rally

August 30 - No School - Labor Day Weekend

September 2 - No School - Labor Day Holiday

September 26 - Back to School Night