FCPS

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Must Know Items

• Last Week of School Schedule
• 8th Grade Party 
• Last chance to purchase a yearbook
• Volunteer for Field Day
• High School Courses taken in Middle School

Last week of school schedule

*Note release time on Friday, June 16th.

8th Grade Party: Tickets AND Volunteer Opportunities

Tuesday, June 13th, 12:45-2:15pm

Purchase your tickets for the 8th grade party on Pay4SchoolStuff here. Ticket price increases to $40 on Saturday, June 10th. Click on ‘Select’ next to your child’s name to purchase the tickets. If you have more than one 8th grade student, please complete a separate ticket order for each.

To make this a fun and memorable event, your help is needed! Please sign up here to help with party setup, food, games, activities, prizes, and cleanup. We will not be able to run this event without your help! Be a part of the fun!

Limited Yearbooks Available 

Students and parents, please check the list posted to Schoology to confirm if you purchased a yearbook. If you are not on that list and would still like to purchase a book, please bring a check to the front office, made out to Cooper Middle School, $50 to be placed on a waitlist.

Field Day June 15th 

It is time for Cooper's Annual Field Day!  This school wide event can not happen without the help from the parents!  Please review the list of events and choose which one you would like to help run.  If you have any questions please reach out and contact me, Kristin Sandridge, [email protected].  Thanks in advance for your help! 

High School Credit Courses

High school credit-bearing courses will be reflected on the middle and high school transcripts. In  accordance with Virginia state regulations, FCPS Regulation 2408 permits parents of students who take a high school credit-bearing course in middle school to request that the grade be omitted from the student's high school transcript and the student not earn high school credit for  the course. Parents must make this request no later than the end of the first nine weeks of the school year following completion of the course. The request to expunge as well as guidelines and the procedures for expunging grades for high school courses taken in middle school can be found  at the following link: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/is104.pdf Contact your student’s counselor with any questions.

Information to Support Parents:

• Math Boot Camp
• Mathspace learning session
• Summer Courses Online

• Rising 9th Grade Saxon Start

Rising 9th Grade Saxon Start Mathspace Summer Learning: Supporting your Secondary Student

This event is designed to provide families of students currently in grades 7-11 in continuing their math learning over the summer utilizing Mathspace. During this session participants will learn how to log on and navigate the tool, discuss how students can work more independently, and how families can support their students.

Families are encouraged to have their student join them on the webinar.

Thursday, June 1, 2023, 7-8 p.m. 

Register for Math Space Summer Learning: Supporting Your Secondary Student

Summer Courses Online

FCPS Online Campus Summer Courses are open for registration and available to eligible middle school students who meet prerequisites and technical requirements.  Students may take one online course for the first time or repeat credit.  Middle school students may not take a mathematics or world language course during the summer as their first-high school level mathematics or world language course.  Courses are rigorous; therefore, students should consult their counselor prior to registering.  Registration for most classes ends June 9, 2023. Program information is available at Summer Learning.

School Counseling Team

Dana Scabis, Director of Student Services

Annie Eisman, Registrar/Student Services Assistant

Keyosha Lewis, 7th Grade Counselor (A-K)

Michele Saint Germain, 7th Grade Counselor (L-Z)

Laura Wiley, 8th Grade Counselor (A-K)

Jill Donnelly, 8th Grade Counselor (L-Z)

Student News

• Jr. Thespians Honors Society

• Quiz Bowl at International Competition 

Jr. Thespians Honors Society

The following students will be inducted into Jr. Thespians Honors Society on Monday, June 12th for their meritorious participation in theatre arts:

Kate Walsh

Lexi Robertson

Audrey Thoreson

Lucille Paral

Melanie Worden

Madz Cramer

Maddie Hall

Roxana Hegazi

Serene Brar

Ayla Vaynerman 

Kyleigh Larmer

Hannah McFadden

Ally Korsmo

Dillon Fitzpatrick

Maddie Rojas

Fares Alwazir

Kylie Pereira Kim

Elena Calsyn

Alec McFadyen

Arlo Kouzoukas

Christopher Quinn

Caspian Mares

Zeinab Achour

Ryan Lympany

Teddy Nipp

Serena Gul

Huda Achour

Marius Franklin

Keith Ratkovich

Zach Spiller

Jordan Dittamo

Henry Lewis

Cooper Quiz Bowl Team Finishes Strong  International Academic Competition's Nationals

The Cooper Quiz Bowl Team ended their year with a strong finish at the International Academic Competition’s Middle School Nationals held in Crystal City, VA, June 1-4.  

Cooper’s History Bowl Team (Eshaan Sombhatta, Haughton Neppl, Ray Zhao, Ryan Minton and Ryan Guo) won an impressive 3rd place against 40 of the very best teams from across the country.  

A number of Cooper students also competed in the individual buzzer-based bee events and competitive written exams.  It is worth noting that to compete in a bee at Nationals, students must first take an exam to qualify for Regionals and then finish in the top half of participants at Regionals.  As a result, only the top 25% of participating students qualify for Nationals.  Moreover, many of the bee events had over 200 students competing from around the country.  

In the 8th grade division, Ryan Minton placed 3rd in the International Geography Bee and 9th in the US Geography Championships.  Haughton Neppl placed 3rd in the Academic Bee, 3rd in the (World) History Bee and 4th in the U.S. History Bee. He also reached semifinals in the National Science Bee (top 18) and quarterfinals (top 64) in the International Geography Bee.  Nathan Liang reached semifinals in the National Science Bee.  

In the 7th grade division, Jamie Scheid placed 9th in the US Geography Championships and reached quarterfinals (top 64) in the International Geography Bee.  Ray Zhao reached semifinals (top 24) in the (World) History Bee and quarterfinals in the International Geography Bee.  

Cooper students also won many medals in the written exams.  In the 8th grade division, Nathan Liang placed 1st on Earth Science, 2nd on Environmental Science and 4th on Physical Science.  Haughton Neppl placed 1ston Latin American History, 1st on Asian History, 2nd on Black American History, 2nd on Military History, 2nd on Business and Economics, 3rd on Women’s History, 4th on Historical Geography, and 4th on Ornithology.  Ryan Minton placed 4th on Business and Economics.  

In the 7th grade division, Ridgely Neppl placed 4th on the Ornithology exam, and Jamie Scheid placed 4th on the Political Science exam.

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Must Know Items

• Dining out TONIGHT
• 7th Grade Field Trip Deadline
• Last Week of School Schedule
• Service Learning Hours
• 8th Grade Party 
• High School Courses taken in Middle School

Dine Out Fundraiser:  May 31, Matchbox

Matchbox in McLean will donate 20% of all orders placed at the store or via the phone (no DoorDash, etc) from 4pm - 8pm on May 31.  Support the PTO and let someone else do the dishes! Thank you to Matchbox for their generosity to our school!  Please note:  reservations are highly recommended!

7th grade Field Trip

National Mall June 14th 

The deadline to return permission slips is Friday June 2nd. After this day, we can no longer accept money or permission forms due to bussing and ticketing purposes. We would love for your student to attend the trip. 

Please pay online using MySchoolBucks. If you need a packet, it is available online. 

* For students not attending the field trip, classes will not be meeting. Students will be held in the cafeteria and gym for supervision and will take the regular scheduled bus home at the end of the day.

Last week of school schedule

*Note release time on Friday, June 16th.

Service Learning Hours Deadline

The service learning hour deadline for 8th graders (Class of 2027) is today.  The middle school expectation for all students is 15 hours.  Service learning expectations are reflected in SIS under the “Service Learning Requirement” field.  Students with 15 or more hours approved by a staff member in x2VOL will show “Requirement Met” in SIS; students with less than 15 hours approved by a staff member in x2VOL will show “Requirement NOT Met”.

8th Grade Party: Tickets AND Volunteer Opportunities

Tuesday, June 13th, 12:45-2:15pm

Purchase your tickets for the 8th grade party on Pay4SchoolStuff here .  Click on ‘Select’ next to your child’s name to purchase the tickets.  If you have more than one 8th grade student, please complete a separate ticket order for each.

To make this a fun and memorable event, your help is needed! Please sign up here to help with party setup, food, games, activities, prizes, and cleanup. We will not be able to run this event without your help! Be a part of the fun!

High School Credit Courses

High school credit-bearing courses will be reflected on the middle and high school transcripts. In  accordance with Virginia state regulations, FCPS Regulation 2408 permits parents of students who take a high school credit-bearing course in middle school to request that the grade be omitted from the student's high school transcript and the student not earn high school credit for  the course. Parents must make this request no later than the end of the first nine weeks of the school year following completion of the course. The request to expunge as well as guidelines and the procedures for expunging grades for high school courses taken in middle school can be found  at the following link: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/is104.pdf Contact your student’s counselor with any questions.

Information to Support Parents:

• Math Boot Camp
• Mathspace learning session
• Summer Courses Online

Summer Updates:

• Math Boot Camps 
• Laptop Distribution opportunities - during Pathfinder for Rising 7th graders, during Open House on Thursday 8/17 for all students, other opportunities for Rising 8th graders (during Pathfinder - after session)

Mathspace Summer Learning: Supporting your Secondary Student

This event is designed to provide families of students currently in grades 7-11 in continuing their math learning over the summer utilizing Mathspace. During this session participants will learn how to log on and navigate the tool, discuss how students can work more independently, and how families can support their students.

Families are encouraged to have their student join them on the webinar.

Thursday, June 1, 2023, 7-8 p.m. 

Register for Math Space Summer Learning: Supporting Your Secondary Student

Summer Courses Online

FCPS Online Campus Summer Courses are open for registration and available to eligible middle school students who meet prerequisites and technical requirements.  Students may take one online course for the first time or repeat credit.  Middle school students may not take a mathematics or world language course during the summer as their first-high school level mathematics or world language course.  Courses are rigorous; therefore, students should consult their counselor prior to registering.  Registration for most classes ends June 9, 2023. Program information is available at Summer Learning.

School Counseling Team

Dana Scabis, Director of Student Services

Annie Eisman, Registrar/Student Services Assistant

Keyosha Lewis, 7th Grade Counselor (A-K)

Michele Saint Germain, 7th Grade Counselor (L-Z)

Laura Wiley, 8th Grade Counselor (A-K)

Jill Donnelly, 8th Grade Counselor (L-Z)

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

8th Grade Parents Need to Know:

• 8th grade field trip to Kings Dominion 
• 8th grade parents - Signature Required
• 8th Grade Party 
• High School Courses taken in Middle School

Kings Dominion Field Trip Forms due Thursday, May 25**

The 8th grade End of the Year/End of Middle School field trip is to Kings Dominion on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. Students have received an information packet about the cost of the trip; they need to turn in a signed permission slip and a pick-up form to their Advisory teacher by Thursday, May 25. Please pay online using MySchoolBucks. If you need a packet, it is available online. 

* For students not attending the field trip, classes will not be meeting. Students will be held in the cafeteria and gym for supervision and will take the regular scheduled bus home.

Email [email protected] if you have any questions. 

8th Grade Parents: Signature required for Academic & Career Plan

Your child is continuing to develop an Academic and Career Plan (ACP) that supports their current work as well as helps them plan for the future.

Cooper students have had lessons during Block 4 advisory that reviewed various area of the ACP.

The development of the ACP starts in middle school and is updated regularly through high school as each student’s academic, personal, and career goals evolve. Please have your child log into his or her Academic and Career Plan in Naviance and, with your child, review the draft course plan for high school.  If you have a Blackboard Parent View account, you can log into your account, and together you and your child can view his or her plan. Once in the Naviance Student account, click on “Courses” and then “My Course Plans”.

The Virginia Department of Education requires that the student’s parent or guardian review this plan. Once you have reviewed your child’s plan, use this Google Form  to complete the verification form. The completion of this form will serve as your signature.  This must be completed by Friday, May 26, 2023.

For more information about your child’s ACP, visit the FCPS website and visit Schology where students have access to all the Block 4 advisory lessons Cooper completed related to ACP.  We encourage you to continue to use Naviance Student with your child as you both explore college and career options. If you have further questions, please contact your child’s school counselor.

Tickets for the 8th Grade Party Tuesday, June 13th, 12:45-2:15pm

Let’s send our 8th graders off to high school in style!  The celebration will be held at Cooper MS and include activities such as DJ/Dancing, Basketball competition, Photo Booth, Inflatable Obstacle course, lunch, raffle for prizes and many other fun activities and games!

Tickets can be purchased on Pay4School.  Click on ‘Select’ next to your child’s name to purchase the tickets.  If you have more than one 8th grade student, please complete a separate ticket order for each.

Keep an eye out in the coming days for a Sign Up Genius to volunteer for this event for your 8th graders. Be a part of the fun!

High School Credit Courses

High school credit-bearing courses will be reflected on the middle and high school transcripts. In  accordance with Virginia state regulations, FCPS Regulation 2408 permits parents of students who take a high school credit-bearing course in middle school to request that the grade be omitted from the student's high school transcript and the student not earn high school credit for  the course. Parents must make this request no later than the end of the first nine weeks of the school year following completion of the course. The request to expunge as well as guidelines and the procedures for expunging grades for high school courses taken in middle school can be found  at the following link: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/is104.pdf Contact your student’s counselor with any questions.

BIG Student Celebrations

• Quiz Bowl Nationals in Chicago
• Science Olympiad Nationals in Wichita

Cooper Rocks Quiz Bowl Nationals!

It’s official. Cooper Middle School has one of the strongest quiz bowl teams in the country! 

Cooper had two teams qualify for the Middle School National Championship Quiz Bowl Tournament in Chicago this past weekend. This was no small feat as each team had to place in the top 20% of participants in an earlier tournament. As a result, only the strongest teams from across the country competed.

Cooper B (Amelia Duan, Alexander Fray, Ryan Guo, Nathan Liang, Ryan Minton and Ethan Shan) finished in the top third, which qualified them for Sunday's playoffs. They ultimately tied for 21st place out of 160 teams!

Cooper A (Orin Das, Edward Guo, Haughton Neppl, Eshaan Sombhatta and Ray Zhao) also had a strong Saturday qualifying for playoffs with a seed of 6th place. They surpassed their seed in a long Sunday of intense rounds ultimately finishing 3rd - again, out of 160 teams!

Topics covered in this buzzer-based competition include history, science, math, geography, literature, fine arts and current events. The team has been practicing together for up to five hours per week all year and studying independently. Their hard work paid off. Congratulations, Cooper!

Science Olympiad at Nationals

Congratulations and a Big Shout out for Cooper Science Olympiad team’s great performance at Nationals Tournament at Wichita, KS!!!

Our school won 18th place out of 60 participating Division B schools.

Medals were earned for top 6 placements on Actual Events and for top 3 placements on Trial Events. Below are the top 10 placements for Cooper team:

1st Place:

Eshaan Sombhatta, Ramkumar Babu in Green Generation

Eshaan Sombhatta, Ethan Shan in Road Scholar

Kylie Rudinsky, Mythili Sudhir in Agricultural Science (Trial Event)

5th Place:

Krish Seonie, Jack Gao in Dynamic Planet

Hridhaan Banerjee, Jason Pan, Nathan Liang in Codebusters 

Aliana Yee, Kylie Rudinsky in Write It CAD It (Trial Event)

6th Place:

Jason Pan, Sidh Jaddu in Sounds of Music

7th Place:

Hridhaan Banerjee, Krish Seonie in Crave the Wave 

Ellie Wen, Eric Zeng in Forestry

Aliana Yee, Preenaka Dutt in Solar Power (Trial Event)

Information to Support Parents:

• Math Boot Camp
• Mathspace learning session
• Summer Courses Online

Summer Updates:

• Math Boot Camps 
• Laptop Distribution opportunities - during Pathfinder for Rising 7th graders, during Open House on Thursday 8/17 for all students, other opportunities for Rising 8th graders (during Pathfinder - after session)

Mathspace Summer Learning: Supporting your Secondary Student

This event is designed to provide families of students currently in grades 7-11 in continuing their math learning over the summer utilizing Mathspace. During this session participants will learn how to log on and navigate the tool, discuss how students can work more independently, and how families can support their students.

Families are encouraged to have their student join them on the webinar.

Thursday, June 1, 2023, 7-8 p.m. 

Register for Math Space Summer Learning: Supporting Your Secondary Student

Summer Courses Online

FCPS Online Campus Summer Courses are open for registration and available to eligible middle school students who meet prerequisites and technical requirements.  Students may take one online course for the first time or repeat credit.  Middle school students may not take a mathematics or world language course during the summer as their first-high school level mathematics or world language course.  Courses are rigorous; therefore, students should consult their counselor prior to registering.  Registration for most classes ends June 9, 2023. Program information is available at Summer Learning.

School Counseling Team

Dana Scabis, Director of Student Services

Annie Eisman, Registrar/Student Services Assistant

Keyosha Lewis, 7th Grade Counselor (A-K)

Michele Saint Germain, 7th Grade Counselor (L-Z)

Laura Wiley, 8th Grade Counselor (A-K)

Jill Donnelly, 8th Grade Counselor (L-Z)

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Need to Know:

• 8th grade field trip to Kings Dominion 
• Late Buses/After School 
• 8th grade parents - Signature Required
• After school survey
• A Starry Night Dance
• 8th Grade Party 

Kings Dominion Field Trip Forms due May 25

The 8th grade End of the Year/End of Middle School field trip is to Kings Dominion on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. Students have received an information packet about the cost of the trip; they need to turn in a signed permission slip AND a pick-up form to their Advisory teacher by Thursday, May 25. Please pay online using MySchoolBucks. If you need a packet, it is available online. 

Email [email protected] if you have any questions. 

Late Buses / Afterschool Program

With just a few weeks left of the after school program for the school year, we want to remind parents of late bus day dismissal procedures.  If students are being picked up by car, parents must arrive by 4:30 p.m. to pick up their child.  Students will confirm rides with parents after the first session ends at 3:30 to ensure a timely pick up.  If a ride is unable to report to Cooper by 4:30 p.m., the student will be placed on the late bus and communicate with their parent.

*Late buses end on Thursday, May 25th

8th Grade Parents: Signature required for Academic & Career Plan

Your child is continuing to develop an Academic and Career Plan (ACP) that supports their current work as well as helps them plan for the future.

Cooper students have had lessons during Block 4 advisory that reviewed various area of the ACP.

The development of the ACP starts in middle school and is updated regularly through high school as each student’s academic, personal, and career goals evolve. Please have your child log into his or her Academic and Career Plan in Naviance and, with your child, review the draft course plan for high school.  If you have a Blackboard Parent View account, you can log into your account, and together you and your child can view his or her plan. Once in the Naviance Student account, click on “Courses” and then “My Course Plans”.

The Virginia Department of Education requires that the student’s parent or guardian review this plan. Once you have reviewed your child’s plan, use this Google Form  to complete the verification form. The completion of this form will serve as your signature.  This must be completed by Friday, May 26, 2023.

For more information about your child’s ACP, visit the FCPS website and visit Schology where students have access to all the Block 4 advisory lessons Cooper completed related to ACP.  We encourage you to continue to use Naviance Student with your child as you both explore college and career options. If you have further questions, please contact your child’s school counselor.

After School Survey 

We are always looking to improve our after-school program. Please complete a brief survey which will allow you with an opportunity to provide feedback as we build a better experience for your students. Your voice matters and is critical in our after-school program. The data collected is used by After-School Specialists see where the program is strong, and where the growth opportunities are. 

SCA and PTO is hosting a Starry Night Dance at Cooper from 7:00pm to 9:00pm on Friday, May 19th! Only Cooper 7th and 8th graders are permitted and parents need to drop off and pick up students. Doors open at 6:45! Some light food and water will be available in the cafeteria, and there will be a DJ set up in the gym! No backpacks are allowed. Please have students use their FCPS email to sign up for the dance with this google form.

Parents: To make the evening a success, we need YOU! Please consider signing up to volunteer.

Tickets for the 8th Grade Party Tuesday, June 13th, 12:45-2:15pm

Let’s send our 8th graders off to high school in style!  The celebration will be held at Cooper MS and include activities such as DJ/Dancing, Basketball competition, Photo Booth, Inflatable Obstacle course, lunch, raffle for prizes and many other fun activities and games!

Tickets can be purchased on Pay4School.  Click on ‘Select’ next to your child’s name to purchase the tickets.  If you have more than one 8th grade student, please complete a separate ticket order for each.

Keep an eye out in the coming days for a Sign Up Genius to volunteer for this event for your 8th graders. Be a part of the fun!

Information to Support Parents:

• Summer Options
• TJHSST Techstravaganza
• Summer Camp Opportunity

Summer Updates:

• Math Boot Camps 
• Cooper Pathfinder, August 7, 8th. Times will be confirmed.
• Laptop Distribution opportunities - during Pathfinder for 7th graders, during Open House on Thursday 8/17 for all students, other opportunities for 8th graders (during Pathfinder - after session)

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Need to Know:

• Late Buses/After School 
• 8th grade parents - Signature Required
• After school survey
• A Starry Night Dance
• 8th Grade Party 

Late Buses / Afterschool Program

With just a few weeks left of the after school program for the school year, we want to remind parents of late bus day dismissal procedures.  If students are being picked up by car, parents must arrive by 4:30 p.m. to pick up their child.  Students will confirm rides with parents after the first session ends at 3:30 to ensure a timely pick up.  If a ride is unable to report to Cooper by 4:30 p.m., the student will be placed on the late bus and communicate with their parent.

*Late buses end on Thursday, May 25th

8th Grade Parents: Signature required for Academic & Career Plan

Your child is continuing to develop an Academic and Career Plan (ACP) that supports their current work as well as helps them plan for the future.

Cooper students have had lessons during Block 4 advisory that reviewed various area of the ACP.

The development of the ACP starts in middle school and is updated regularly through high school as each student’s academic, personal, and career goals evolve. Please have your child log into his or her Academic and Career Plan in Naviance and, with your child, review the draft course plan for high school.  If you have a Blackboard Parent View account, you can log into your account, and together you and your child can view his or her plan. Once in the Naviance Student account, click on “Courses” and then “My Course Plans”.

The Virginia Department of Education requires that the student’s parent or guardian review this plan. Once you have reviewed your child’s plan, use this Google Form  to complete the verification form. The completion of this form will serve as your signature.  This must be completed by Friday, May 26, 2023.

For more information about your child’s ACP, visit the FCPS website and visit Schology where students have access to all the Block 4 advisory lessons Cooper completed related to ACP.  We encourage you to continue to use Naviance Student with your child as you both explore college and career options. If you have further questions, please contact your child’s school counselor.

After School Survey 

We are always looking to improve our after-school program. Please complete a brief survey which will allow you with an opportunity to provide feedback as we build a better experience for your students. Your voice matters and is critical in our after-school program. The data collected is used by After-School Specialists see where the program is strong, and where the growth opportunities are. 

SCA and PTO is hosting a Starry Night Dance at Cooper from 7:00pm to 9:00pm on Friday, May 19th! Only Cooper 7th and 8th graders are permitted and parents need to drop off and pick up students. Doors open at 6:45! Some light food and water will be available in the cafeteria, and there will be a DJ set up in the gym! No backpacks are allowed. Please have students use their FCPS email to sign up for the dance with this google form.

Parents: To make the evening a success, we need YOU! Please consider signing up to volunteer.

Tickets for the 8th Grade Party Tuesday, June 13th, 12:45-2:15pm

Let’s send our 8th graders off to high school in style!  The celebration will be held at Cooper MS and include activities such as DJ/Dancing, Basketball competition, Photo Booth, Inflatable Obstacle course, lunch, raffle for prizes and many other fun activities and games!

Tickets can be purchased on Pay4School.  Click on ‘Select’ next to your child’s name to purchase the tickets.  If you have more than one 8th grade student, please complete a separate ticket order for each.

Keep an eye out in the coming days for a Sign Up Genius to volunteer for this event for your 8th graders. Be a part of the fun!

Information to Support Parents:

• Summer Options
• TJHSST Techstravaganza
• Summer Camp Opportunity

Summer Updates:

• Math Boot Camps 
• Cooper Pathfinder (August 7, 8)
• Laptop Distribution opportunities - during Pathfinder for 7th graders, during Open House on Thursday 8/17 for all students, other opportunities for 8th graders (during Pathfinder - after session)
• Other summer opportunities: VIP Camp, Online Campus, Fairfax Camps

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Need to Know:

• A Starry Night Dance
• Assessment Scores
• SEL Reports
• ParentVUE details
• 8th Grade Party 

SCA and PTO is hosting a Starry Night Dance at Cooper from 7:00pm to 9:00pm on Friday, May 19th! Only Cooper 7th and 8th graders are permitted and parents need to drop off and pick up students. Doors open at 6:45! Some light food and water will be available in the cafeteria, and there will be a DJ set up in the gym! No backpacks are allowed. Please have students use their FCPS email to sign up for the dance with this google form.

Parents: To make the evening a success, we need YOU! Please consider signing up to volunteer.

Assessment Score Reports available in ParentVue App

Student Assessment Score Reports are now available in the ParentVue app.  The following ParentVue sign-up message was included in the FCPS This Week email sent on 4/26. 

SEL Screener Parent Reports

Students in grades 3-12 took the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener in March. The SEL Screener reports will be mailed directly to families in the next week. This website includes both the Parent Report as well as a Family Guide to support you in understanding results and ideas for talking with your student about their results. Both are available in multiple languages. To learn more about SEL and how we support students at school and at home please see the FCPS SEL website. Please reach out to our school counselors, school psychologist or school social worker with any questions.

What Is ParentVUE and How Can You Sign Up?

If you do not already have a SIS ParentVUE account, sign up now to monitor and support your child’s academic success! Through ParentVUE, you are able to view your student’s attendance, grades, and assignments at any time. You can also access special reports for your student like progress reports and assessment score reports. 

Once you have activated a ParentVUE account for an FCPS student, you will keep the same account until the student graduates. Information about students in the same family can be accessed through the same ParentVUE account. Access SIS ParentVUE by using an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android devices. 

Need help creating a SIS ParentVue account? This video walks through the steps. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE.

Tickets for the 8th Grade Party Tuesday, June 13th, 12:15-2:15pm

Let’s send our 8th graders off to high school in style!  Celebration will be held at Cooper MS and include activities such as DJ/Dancing, Basketball competition, Photo Booth, Inflatable Obstacle course, lunch, raffle for prizes and many other fun activities and games!

Tickets can be purchased on Pay4School.  Click on ‘Select’ next to your child’s name to purchase the tickets.  If you have more than one 8th grade student, please complete a separate ticket order for each.

Keep an eye out in the coming days for a Sign Up Genius to volunteer for this event for your 8th graders. Be a part of the fun!

Information to Support Parents:

• Summer Options
• TJHSST Techstravaganza
• Summer Camp Opportunity

Summer Updates:

• Math Boot Camps 
• Cooper Pathfinder (August 7, 8)
• Laptop Distribution opportunities - during Pathfinder for 7th graders, during Open House on Thursday 8/17 for all students, other opportunities for 8th graders (during Pathfinder - after session)
• Other summer opportunities: VIP Camp, Online Campus, Fairfax Camps

Student Celebrations

• Quiz Bowl Team

Cooper QuizBowl

On Saturday, April 29, the Cooper Quiz Bowl History Team (Ryan Minton, Haughton Neppl, Eshaan Sombhatta and Ray Zhao) won 10th place at the International Academic Competition’s (IAC) High School History Bowl Nationals, JV division (10th grade and younger).  Because teams had to qualify for this tournament, only 54 very competitive teams from around the country participated.  Cooper was also awarded the "Highest Ranking Middle School Team" award!  In addition, Haughton Neppl qualified for semifinals in the U.S. History Bee and quarterfinals in the (World) History Bee (both in the JV division).

In mid-May, Cooper players look forward to competing in the National Academic Quiz Tournament's Middle School National Championships in Chicago, and in early June, the team looks forward to attending the IAC Middle School Nationals in Arlington.  Go, Cooper!

Cooper players with David Madden, Founder and Executive Director of IAC.

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Need to Know:

• 3rd Q Report Cards
• 8th Grade Party 

3rd Quarter Report Cards

Report cards will be sent home with your student Friday afternoon. Report cards will be distributed in their 7th block class. Report cards are also available on SIS ParentVUE.

Tickets for the 8th Grade Party Tuesday, June 13th, 12:15-2:15pm

Let’s send our 8th graders off to high school in style!  Celebration will be held at Cooper MS and include activities such as DJ/Dancing, Basketball competition, Photo Booth, Inflatable Obstacle course, lunch, raffle for prizes and many other fun activities and games!

Purchase your ticket now to take advantage of Early Bird pricing of $25. Ticket pricing will go up on April 30th. 

Tickets can be purchased on Pay4School.  Click on ‘Select’ next to your child’s name to purchase the tickets.  If you have more than one 8th grade student, please complete a separate ticket order for each.

Keep an eye out in the coming days for a Sign Up Genius to volunteer for this event for your 8th graders. Be a part of the fun!

Information to Support Parents:

• TJHSST Techstravaganza
• Summer Camp Opportunity

Student Celebrations

• Quiz Bowl Team

Cooper Quiz Bowl Team Update

Saturday, April 22nd, the Cooper Quiz Bowl Team (Edward Guo, Ryan Guo, Ryan Minton, Haughton Neppl and Ray Zhao) won second place at a National History Bowl Tournament against 14 teams from around the country.  

Next weekend, Cooper History Team players will compete in the International Academic Competitions High School Nationals in Arlington, VA.  Out of 54 teams in the 10th grade and under category, Cooper is seeded 13th.  Go, Cooper!

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

PTO Dining Out Tonight! Kusshi Sushi, April 19th

Support the Cooper PTO with dinner at Kusshi's Tyson's location! Wednesday, April 19th from 5-10pm. Advise the team you are there to support Cooper Middle and Kusshi will donate 15% of the proceeds to the PTO for Cooper programs.

Basketball Game TONIGHT April 19th Langley High School 6:00pm Door 12

Cooper vs. Longfellow basketball game tonight at Langley. Parents should use door 12 ONLY for drop-off and pickup. Students may enter the building at 6:00pm, the game starts at 6:30pm. Students should be picked up at door 12 at 8:00pm. 

Students have been encouraged to purchase tickets in advance, but should your child join the event last minute, you and your student may purchase tickets for $5 each, cash only. No food or drink will be sold at the event.

Parking will be limited. 

Student Holiday April 21

Friday, April 21st is a school holiday. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday, April 24th. 

Need to Know:

• Lost and Found
• 8th Grade Party 

Lost and Found

The lost and found has been overflowing. The items will be laid out across the stage again during all lunches for easy viewing. Please encourage your student to look to find any unlabeled items.  The remaining items at the end of lunches will be donated. 

Tickets for the 8th Grade Party Tuesday, June 13th, 12:15-2:15pm

Let’s send our 8th graders off to high school in style!  Celebration will be held at Cooper MS and include activities such as DJ/Dancing, Basketball competition, Photo Booth, Inflatable Obstacle course, lunch, raffle for prizes and many other fun activities and games!

Purchase your ticket now to take advantage of Early Bird pricing of $25. Ticket pricing will go up on April 30th. 

Tickets can be purchased on Pay4School.  Click on ‘Select’ next to your child’s name to purchase the tickets.  If you have more than one 8th grade student, please complete a separate ticket order for each.

Keep an eye out in the coming days for a Sign Up Genius to volunteer for this event for your 8th graders. Be a part of the fun!

Information to Support Parents:

• Band on the Run 5K
• Replacement Chargers

Replacement charger

If your student has lost/misplaced the charger for their FCPS issued device, if they have searched high and low and still can’t find their charger, plesae go to MySchoolBucks to purchase a replacement charger for $28. Once the replacement fee has been paid Mr. Dabbondanza will contact your student and provide them with a replacement charger. Once your student has received the replacement charger please ensure that it is labeled with their name. 

Student Celebrations

• Quiz Bowl Team
• Science Bowl

Cooper Quiz Bowl

On Saturday (April 15), Cooper fielded two teams in a National-level online Texas Bluebell Quiz Bowl Tournament.  The Cooper A team (Eshaan Sombhatta, Haughton Neppl and Ray Zhao) won 1st place out 24 teams from across the country.  The Cooper B team (Amelia Duan, Nathan Liang, Orin Das and Ryan Minton) placed in the 5th-8th place bracket.  Congratulations to Haughton and Eshaan who were also the third and fifth individual high scorers respectively out of 101 students.

Last weekend (April 8 & 9), Cooper's 7th grader Alexander Frey also participated in the online International Academic Competition's Geography and History Bees with students from across the country.  He placed 3rd out of 32 students in the Geography Bee thus qualifying for Nationals and Internationals.  He placed well in History too, qualifying for the History Bee Nationals.

Science Bowl Winners

Previously reported, the Science Bowl team earned 2nd place in the Virginia Regional Science Bowl. They recently received their trophies for the event and a giant check!

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Thursday, April 13th. Will be a 2 hour early release for students. Dismissal will be at 12:15. There will be no after school clubs.

Friday, April 14th is a student holiday.

Need to Know:

• Dining Out Night 4/19
• 8th Grade Party 
• ESSER Survey Coming Soon
• Food Delivery Services
• Reusable Water Bottles

PTO Dining Out Night Kusshi Sushi, April 19th

Support the Cooper PTO with dinner at Kusshi's Tyson's location! Wednesday, April 19th from 5-10pm. Advise the team you are there to support Cooper Middle and Kusshi will donate 15% of the proceeds to the PTO for Cooper programs.

Tickets for the 8th Grade Party Tuesday, June 13th, 12:15-2:15pm

Let’s send our 8th graders off to high school in style!  Celebration will be held at Cooper MS and include activities such as DJ/Dancing, Basketball competition, Photo Booth, Inflatable Obstacle course, lunch, raffle for prizes and many other fun activities and games!

Purchase your ticket now to take advantage of Early Bird pricing of $25. Ticket pricing will go up on April 30th. 

Tickets can be purchased on Pay4School.  Click on ‘Select’ next to your child’s name to purchase the tickets.  If you have more than one 8th grade student, please complete a separate ticket order for each.

Keep an eye out in the coming days for a Sign Up Genius to volunteer for this event for your 8th graders. Be a part of the fun!

ESSER Survey Approaching

April 17-May1

FCPS’ Office of Research and Strategic Improvement (ORSI) will gather information about FCPS’ teaching and learning efforts this school year from school-based administrators, teachers, students, and families this spring. These data collection efforts are part of FCPS’ ongoing study of what is working and what needs improvement following the pandemic. This includes FCPS’ use of $188.8 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) funding to support the safe operation of schools and address the impacts of COVID-19 on students.

Surveys will be administered to students in grades 4 -12, all teachers, and all families from April 17 to May 1. 

Food Deliveries 

Students should not be ordering food from food delivery services during school hours.  This is a safety concern that also disrupts the educational process within our building.  Outside food is in direct competition with FCPS food services. Furthermore, these delivery drivers are often directed to use entrances that are not authorized for use during the school day. Please help us to support a safe and secure building by not allowing students food deliveries during the day. 

There has been a steady increase in the number fast food deliveries dropped off by families during the school day.   We would like to encourage students to utilize the healthy food choices available in our school cafeteria rather than receive fast food.   

FCPS Regulation 5003.4: Food Sales and Services: No food or beverages shall be offered for sale to students from midnight before to 30 minutes after the end of the instructional day on the school premises by a provider other than the individual school food service department.

No school or organization shall contract for, or offer on its own at other times, any sale or service of food or beverage to students in competition with an established school food services program.

Please help us keep our hallways dry! 😊  Students are encouraged to use a refillable water bottle at school but please leave at home the athletic water bottles with spray tops (water bottles that can be squeezed). 

Information to Support Parents:

• Parent Volunteer Opportunity 

• College Partnership Program

• Possibility Club
• Band on the Run 5K
• Replacement Chargers
• No-cost teletherapy for students
• Colvin Run Anniversary Gala
• Summer VIP Camp
• Langley Football Camp

Health Room Parent Volunteer Op Training on April 19th College Partnership Program

Do you have a student between grades 8 through 11 who wants to go to college? If so, they should consider applying to the College Partnership Program (CPP), which offers support as students explore the idea of going to college! As in prior years, the deadline has been extended until April 14, 2023.

CPP offers programming to help prepare students and families from 9th grade all the way through applying to and enrolling in college, including:

•         Academic counseling;
•         College visits;
•         Help with completing college and scholarship applications;
•         Monthly meetings;
•         Parent education sessions;
•         SAT preparation classes;
•         A summer overnight experience on a college campus; and
•         News and information related to colleges and careers via Schoology. 

All students are eligible and encouraged to apply to this program, and are expected to meet the following requirements:

•         Maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher in core classes
•         Attend CPP activities
•         Are willing to pursue advanced coursework
•         Demonstrate leadership in school or community activities

The goal of the program is to systematically mitigate the impact of barriers to access and opportunity, and support students who are from populations that are historically underrepresented on college campuses. This includes students who are the first in their family to attend college in the U.S., English language learners, students who are economically disadvantaged, and students with disabilities. 

Click HERE to apply.

All applications will be submitted ONLINE ONLY.

Possible Club Opportunity 

New after school club!

Possible Club has started and is available to every student. The idea of the club is that every week the members of the Possible Club match two students to help with any topic including art, academic areas, sports, as well as something like learning how to socialize! 

The following week the members match someone to get help from the last week's student who got helped. Which makes the club start a cycle. Also, helpers can get service hours for academic areas. Meetings are held on Mondays A+B sessions, and Thursday B sessions.

If your student is interested in being a helper, or receiving peer support, please ask them to complete the interest form.

Replacement charger

If your student has lost/misplaced the charger for their FCPS issued device, if they have searched high and low and still can’t find their charger, plesae go to MySchoolBucks to purchase a replacement charger for $28. Once the replacement fee has been paid Mr. Dabbondanza will contact your student and provide them with a replacement charger. Once your student has received the replacement charger please ensure that it is labeled with their name. 

No-Cost Mental Health Teletherapy for Students Starting April 10 

FCPS has partnered with Hazel Health to begin offering virtual mental health services to high school students via live video sessions. Starting Monday, April 10, parents/caregivers who have been struggling to find a therapist for their child or who notice changes in their child’s behavior will be able to connect them virtually with a licensed therapist. 

Teletherapy services for students are short-term, evidence-based, and culturally-responsive. Teletherapy is available on any device, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Therapists will be locally-licensed clinicians; 50% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC); and 40% of whom are bilingual. More than 15 languages are available.

Hazel Health’s licensed therapists can help students who are experiencing:

• Mood/behavior changes, lack of motivation, grief/loss.
• Anxiety, worry, fears.
• Bullying, sexual identity challenges, challenging peer and family relationships.
• Academic stress.

The first step for parents is to provide information through an opt-in form. Visit FCPS’ Teletherapy webpage for details.

Colvin Run Elementary School 20 Year “Dragonversary” May 20

Are you a Colvin Run alum?  CRES PTO invites you to their 20 year Dragonversary Fundraiser and Gala.

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Schools and school offices will be closed Monday, April 3, to Friday, April 7. Students will return to school on Monday, April 10.

Need to Know:

• ESSER Survey Coming Soon
• Food Delivery Services
• Reusable Water Bottles

ESSER Survey Approaching

April 17-May1

FCPS’ Office of Research and Strategic Improvement (ORSI) will gather information about FCPS’ teaching and learning efforts this school year from school-based administrators, teachers, students, and families this spring. These data collection efforts are part of FCPS’ ongoing study of what is working and what needs improvement following the pandemic. This includes FCPS’ use of $188.8 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) funding to support the safe operation of schools and address the impacts of COVID-19 on students.

Surveys will be administered to students in grades 4 -12, all teachers, and all families from April 17 to May 1. 

Food Deliveries 

Students should not be ordering food from food delivery services during school hours.  This is a safety concern that also disrupts the educational process within our building.  Outside food is in direct competition with FCPS food services. Furthermore, these delivery drivers are often directed to use entrances that are not authorized for use during the school day. Please help us to support a safe and secure building by not allowing students food deliveries during the day. 

There has been a steady increase in the number fast food deliveries dropped off by families during the school day.   We would like to encourage students to utilize the healthy food choices available in our school cafeteria rather than receive fast food.   

FCPS Regulation 5003.4: Food Sales and Services: No food or beverages shall be offered for sale to students from midnight before to 30 minutes after the end of the instructional day on the school premises by a provider other than the individual school food service department.

No school or organization shall contract for, or offer on its own at other times, any sale or service of food or beverage to students in competition with an established school food services program.

Please help us keep our hallways dry! 😊  Students are encouraged to use a refillable water bottle at school but please leave at home the athletic water bottles with spray tops (water bottles that can be squeezed). 

Information to Support Parents:

• Possibility Club
• Band on the Run 5K
• Replacement Chargers
• No-cost teletherapy for students
• Colvin Run Anniversary Gala
• Summer VIP Camp
• Langley Football Camp

Possible Club Opportunity 

New after school club!

Possible Club has started and is available to every student. The idea of the club is that every week the members of the Possible Club match two students to help with any topic including art, academic areas, sports, as well as something like learning how to socialize! 

The following week the members match someone to get help from the last week's student who got helped. Which makes the club start a cycle. Also, helpers can get service hours for academic areas. Meetings are held on Mondays A+B sessions, and Thursday B sessions.

If your student is interested in being a helper, or receiving peer support, please ask them to complete the interest form.

Replacement charger

If your student has lost/misplaced the charger for their FCPS issued device, if they have searched high and low and still can’t find their charger, plesae go to MySchoolBucks to purchase a replacement charger for $28. Once the replacement fee has been paid Mr. Dabbondanza will contact your student and provide them with a replacement charger. Once your student has received the replacement charger please ensure that it is labeled with their name. 

No-Cost Mental Health Teletherapy for Students Starting April 10 

FCPS has partnered with Hazel Health to begin offering virtual mental health services to high school students via live video sessions. Starting Monday, April 10, parents/caregivers who have been struggling to find a therapist for their child or who notice changes in their child’s behavior will be able to connect them virtually with a licensed therapist. 

Teletherapy services for students are short-term, evidence-based, and culturally-responsive. Teletherapy is available on any device, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Therapists will be locally-licensed clinicians; 50% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC); and 40% of whom are bilingual. More than 15 languages are available.

Hazel Health’s licensed therapists can help students who are experiencing:

• Mood/behavior changes, lack of motivation, grief/loss.
• Anxiety, worry, fears.
• Bullying, sexual identity challenges, challenging peer and family relationships.
• Academic stress.

The first step for parents is to provide information through an opt-in form. Visit FCPS’ Teletherapy webpage for details.

Colvin Run Elementary School 20 Year “Dragonversary” May 20

Are you a Colvin Run alum?  CRES PTO invites you to their 20 year Dragonversary Fundraiser and Gala.

Celebrations

• Science Olympiad at States
• Word Masters

VASO State Tournament 

Cooper Science Olympiad team competed at the State Tournament held at UVA this past weekend. They performed exceptionally well, winning overall 2nd place against 23 other competitive teams. Cooper Middle School is now qualified to go to Nationals Tournament to be held at Wichita State University on May 19th – May 20th. 

Awards were earned for top 6 placements in every event. The following are students along with placements in their events:

1st Place:

Arianne Almeida, Neethi Verma in Can't Judge a Powder

Hridhaan Banerjee, Krish Seonie in Crave the Wave 

Eshaan Sombhatta, Jason Pan, Nathan Liang in Experimental Design

Ellie Wen, Eric Zeng in Forestry

Jason Pan, Sidh Jaddu in Sounds of Music

2nd Place: 

Eshaan Sombhatta, Hridhaan Banerjee in Bio Process Lab

Arianne Almeida, Sidh Jaddu in Crime Busters

Jason Wu, Sidh Jaddu in Disease Detectives

Ellie Wen, Nathan Liang in Roller Coaster

Eshaan Sombhatta, Ethan Shan in Road Scholar

Ethan Shan, Neethi Verma in Wheeled Vehicle

3rd Place:

Jason Pan, Nathan Liang, Hridhaan Banerjee in Codebusters 

Jack Gao, Krish Seonie in Dynamic Planet

Eshaan Sombhatta, Ramkumar Babu in Green Generation

4th Place:

Abhay Nemani, Ramkumar Babu in Fast Facts

Abhay Nemani, Jack Gao in Meteorology

6th Place:

Kylie Rudinsky, Mythili Sudhir in Botany

Aliana Yee, Preenaka Dutt in Solar Power

WordMasters National Recognition 

A team representing Cooper Middle School achieved Highest Honors in the recent WordMasters Challenge,a national vocabulary competition involving nearly 125,000 students annually. The eighth grade team scored an impressive 190 points out of a possible 200 in the second of three meets this year, placing eighth in the nation.

Competing in the Gold Division of the WordMasters Challenge, eighth graders Henry Ahn, Josephine O’Malley and Shveta Sunkar each earned a perfect score of 20 on the challenge. Nationally, only 68 eighth graders achieved this result. Other students from Cooper Middle School who achieved outstanding results in the meet include eighth graders Jordan Glover, Sabrina Kim, Inger Logan and Alex Rozsa.

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Schools and school offices will be closed Monday, April 3, to Friday, April 7. Students will return to school on Monday, April 10.

Need to Know:

• Food Delivery Services
• Reusable Water Bottles

Food Deliveries 

Students should not be ordering food from food delivery services during school hours.  This is a safety concern that also disrupts the educational process within our building.  Outside food is in direct competition with FCPS food services. Furthermore, these delivery drivers are often directed to use entrances that are not authorized for use during the school day. Please help us to support a safe and secure building by not allowing students food deliveries during the day. 

There has been a steady increase in the number fast food deliveries dropped off by families during the school day.   We would like to encourage students to utilize the healthy food choices available in our school cafeteria rather than receive fast food.   

FCPS Regulation 5003.4: Food Sales and Services: No food or beverages shall be offered for sale to students from midnight before to 30 minutes after the end of the instructional day on the school premises by a provider other than the individual school food service department.

No school or organization shall contract for, or offer on its own at other times, any sale or service of food or beverage to students in competition with an established school food services program.

Please help us keep our hallways dry! 😊  Students are encouraged to use a refillable water bottle at school but please leave at home the athletic water bottles with spray tops (water bottles that can be squeezed). 

Information to Support Parents:

• Replacement Chargers
• No-cost teletherapy for students
• Proposed updates to SR&R
• Summer VIP Camp
• Langley Football Camp

Replacement charger

If your student has lost/misplaced the charger for their FCPS issued device, if they have searched high and low and still can’t find their charger, plesae go to MySchoolBucks to purchase a replacement charger for $28. Once the replacement fee has been paid Mr. Dabbondanza will contact your student and provide them with a replacement charger. Once your student has received the replacement charger please ensure that it is labeled with their name. 

No-Cost Mental Health Teletherapy for Students Starting April 10 

FCPS has partnered with Hazel Health to begin offering virtual mental health services to high school students via live video sessions. Starting Monday, April 10, parents/caregivers who have been struggling to find a therapist for their child or who notice changes in their child’s behavior will be able to connect them virtually with a licensed therapist. 

Teletherapy services for students are short-term, evidence-based, and culturally-responsive. Teletherapy is available on any device, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Therapists will be locally-licensed clinicians; 50% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC); and 40% of whom are bilingual. More than 15 languages are available.

Hazel Health’s licensed therapists can help students who are experiencing:

• Mood/behavior changes, lack of motivation, grief/loss.
• Anxiety, worry, fears.
• Bullying, sexual identity challenges, challenging peer and family relationships.
• Academic stress.

The first step for parents is to provide information through an opt-in form. Visit FCPS’ Teletherapy webpage for details.

Proposed Updates to Student Rights and Responsibilities

The Department of Special Services will be hosting two virtual meetings for the FCPS community regarding proposed updates to the Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) Regulation. Please join one of the meetings below via Zoom (click the date to register):

• Tuesday, March 21, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
• Monday, March 27, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Participants will have an opportunity to learn about the suggested updates and ask questions via Zoom Chat. Language interpretation will be available in Spanish. A certified deaf interpreter will be available as well. 

Beginning Monday, March 20, families and staff will also be able to provide feedback on proposed updates to the SR&R via a short survey. Please stay tuned for details. Visit FCPS’ website for more information.  

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Need to Know:

• Reusable Water Bottles
• Project for the Arts

Please help us keep our hallways dry! 😊  Students are encouraged to use a refillable water bottle at school but please leave at home the athletic water bottles with spray tops (water bottles that can be squeezed). 

McLean Project for the Arts March 16-23 Celebrations:

• McLean STEM Essay Contest
• Science Bowl at State
• Quiz Bowl
• YAM State Winners

McLean AAUW STEM Essay Contest

2023 STEM Essay Contest for 7th and 8th grade students in McLean schools that was sponsored by the McLean Area Branch of AAUW (American Association of University Women). We are proud to announce that Kylie Rudinsky won 2nd place for their essay about Alice Ball.

Science Bowl Teams Won 2nd and 4th Place at VA State

Cooper Science Bowl participated in the Middle School Science Bowl VA Regional on March 4th and both teams are in the Top 4! The team has been working hard over the past 6 months and I am really proud of the students who devoted time and energy and worked hard toward our goal.

Cooper Team 2 (Ray Zhao, Ethan Shan, Haughton Neppl, Alice Guo) won 2nd place among 17 teams! They earned a trophy and $500 to spend towards Cooper's STEM activities.

Cooper Team 1 (Eshaan Sombhatta, Hridhann Banerjee, Ryan Guo, Nathan Liang, Edward Guo) won 4th place and earned a trophy for the school.  Jefferson Lab News Release

Cooper Quiz Bowl Team

the Cooper Quiz Bowl Team had a successful weekend!  On Saturday, A Cooper team (Orin Das, Nathan Liang, Ryan Minton and Haughton Neppl) competed in the Thomas Jefferson Invitational Academic Tournament, a high school quiz bowl tournament held at TJHSST.  As the only middle school team, Cooper placed 4th and Haughton Neppl was the second-highest individual scorer.

On Sunday, Cooper placed 1st in the middle school National Mirror online tournament.  Congratulations to team members Amelia Duan, Haughton Neppl, Eshaan Sombhatta and Ray Zhao who won all 10 of their rounds.  Haughton Neppl and Eshaan Sambhatta were also the 4th and 5th highest individual scorers respectively.

Youth Art Month

Three Cooper students were awarded 1st, 2nd, and 4th place in a state-wide Youth Art Month contest creating flags for the State of Virginia with the theme of "Your Art Your Voice".

1st place Josephine O'Malley

2nd place Temi Han

4th place Adam Villaruz

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Need to Know:

• Sport Water Bottles
• Movie Fundraiser
• Project for the Arts
• SEL Screener
• Intention Forms

Water Bottles

Students are encouraged to use a refillable water bottle at school.  There are water-filling stations in our addition and in the cafeteria.  We ask that all water bottles have sealed lids.  Athletic water bottles with spray tops (water bottles that can be squeezed) should not be brought to school.  

SCA movie days Turkey Fundraiser

March 9th after school

March 10th in the 5:30-7:30 for families (not a drop-off event)

The Cooper SCA is hosting two movie times on March 9th and March 10th with all proceeds being donated to help with disaster relief to victims in Turkey. 

Thursday March 9th from 2:30-4:30 Showing Paddington, only selling individual tickets for $1 each. Students who stay to watch will be able to take the late buses home at 4:30 pm. On 

Friday March 10th from 5:30-7:30 The showing will be for  families (parents, siblings, grandparents, etc) to join us for an evening showing of a 90s Classic: The Parent Trap. Doors will open at 5:00 pm. Students must be accompanied by an adult for Friday’s showing. Tickets will be sold at the door (and at lunch) for $3 per family or $1 per student. 

If you can’t make it but would still like to help out, please donate concessions to be sold at the event. Items to sign up for can be found in this signup genius and they can be dropped off in the front office the day of the movie. The more we raise, the bigger our impact. Let’s work together to make a difference in the lives of our allied countries!

If you or your students have any questions, please reach out to the SCA sponsors, Gabriella McNulty at [email protected] or Christopher Lane at [email protected].

McLean Project for the Arts March 16-23 SEL Screener March 13th

Cooper will be administering the Spring SEL Screener on Monday, March 13th during block 4 Advisory.  All students will participate in the SEL Screener unless they have been opted-out by a parent/guardian or enrolled after January 25th.  Parents/guardians can check their child’s opt-out status in SIS ParentVUE.  Please direct any questions to Cooper’s School Test Coordinator, Courtney Derr at [email protected]

Student Intention Forms:

Moving this summer? Changing schools? If your family plans include leaving FCPS for the 2023-24 school year, please notify us by completing this Student Intention Form and emailing it to Ms. Annie Eisman at [email protected]

Celebrations:

• DIVERSEartLangley
• Model UN 
• MathCounts

Congratulations to Cooper’s DIVERSEartLANGLEY 2nd Place Finisher!

A hearty congratulations to talented Cooper student Katherine Chen who placed SECOND at the DIVERSEartLANGLEY art show this week!  Katherine’s piece, Swirl, was chosen by exhibit attendees, who viewed and discussed over 80 submissions.  This is the first year that Cooper students were invited to submit, and Katherine did our Cooper Community so proud!  Congratulations!

Cooper's Model UN Team

We’d like to congratulate our Cooper students who participated in last weekend’s Model UN conference at the College of William & Mary! 27 Model UN club members and their families made the trip to Williamsburg, where our students were excellent representatives of Cooper values. They collaborated with students from schools up and down the east coast to work on issues like climate change, human genome editing, the 1968 Philippine presidential election, and palace intrigue surrounding Catherine the Great. Thanks to all who participated and our PTO for supporting this program!

MathCounts 

Congratulations to Bennett Huang for placing 2nd in the State in the MathCounts competition this past weekend. Bennett also qualified to represent the State of Virginia at the National MathCounts tournament.

Information to Support Parents

• Mental health conversations
• Summer Learning
• Connector Bus Pass

Talk to your student about mental health

Talking with your child about emotional topics, such as their mental health, can feel uncomfortable. This can be due to the stigma involved, lack of information or even fears of possible blame. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers helpful tips on reducing the stigma and how to have a healthy dialog on mental health.

FCPS Summer Learning

The FCPS Online Campus summer course registration is now open for eligible middle school students who meet prerequisites and technical requirements.  Students may take one online course for first time or repeat credit.  Middle school students may not take a mathematics course during the summer as their first high school level mathematics course.  Courses are rigorous; therefore, students should consult their counselor prior to registering.  Program information is available at Summer Learning. 

Career and Technical Education (CTE) 

CTE Summer Academy (CSA) is a week-long enrichment program that allows students in grades 7-11 to dive deeper into CTE program areas, develop skills, and begin career exploration. Visit the CSA website for more information and registration.

Institute for the Arts Camps (IFTA)

IFTA is a two- or four-week summer enrichment program for students currently in grades 6-11. Students select from nearly 90 classes in art, dance, health and physical education 9, music, self-directed economics and personal finance, and theater. Visit the IFTA website for more information and registration. 

Connector Bus Pass

Students can request a free Connector pass by speaking with Mrs. Midgley in the Main Office. 

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Students have an early release on Thursday, March 2. There is no school for students on Friday, March 3, due to a school planning day (186, 188, and 191 personnel do not report). See the complete 2022-23 School Year Calendar and the Employee Calendar.

Need to Know:

• Intention Forms
• SEL Screener
• Sport Water Bottles
• Movie Fundraiser
• Project for the Arts

SCA movie days Turkey Fundraiser

March 9th after school

March 10th in the 5:30-7:30 for families

The Cooper SCA is hosting two movie times on March 9th and March 10th with all proceeds being donated to help with disaster relief to victims in Turkey. 

Thursday March 9th from 2:30-4:30 Showing Paddington, only selling individual tickets for $1 each. Students who stay to watch will be able to take the late buses home at 4:30 pm. On 

Friday March 10th from 5:30-7:30 The showing will be for  families (parents, siblings, grandparents, etc) to join us for an evening showing of a 90s Classic: The Parent Trap. Doors will open at 5:00 pm. Students must be accompanied by an adult for Friday’s showing. Tickets will be sold at the door (and at lunch) for $3 per family or $1 per student. 

If you can’t make it but would still like to help out, please donate concessions to be sold at the event. Items to sign up for can be found in this signup genius and they can be dropped off in the front office the day of the movie. The more we raise, the bigger our impact. Let’s work together to make a difference in the lives of our allied countries!

If you or your students have any questions, please reach out to the SCA sponsors, Gabriella McNulty at [email protected] or Christopher Lane at [email protected].

McLean Project for the Arts March 16-23 Student Intention Forms:

Moving this summer? Changing schools? If your family plans include leaving FCPS for the 2023-24 school year, please notify us by completing this Student Intention Form and emailing it to Ms. Annie Eisman at [email protected]

SEL Screener March 13th

Cooper will be administering the Spring SEL Screener on Monday, March 13th during block 4 Advisory.  All students will participate in the SEL Screener unless they have been opted-out by a parent/guardian or enrolled after January 25th.  Parents/guardians can check their child’s opt-out status in SIS ParentVUE.  Please direct any questions to Cooper’s School Test Coordinator, Courtney Derr at [email protected]

Water Bottles

Students are encouraged to use a refillable water bottle at school.  There are water-filling stations in our addition and in the cafeteria.  We ask that all water bottles have sealed lids.  Athletic water bottles with spray tops (water bottles that can be squeezed) should not be brought to school.  

Celebrations:

• Science Olympiad
• Donations for Turkey

Science Olympiad

Congratulations and a Big Shout out to the two Cooper Science Olympiad teams on their performance at Regionals competition held last weekend at University of Mary Washington and on winning overall 1st place against competitive teams. Cooper Science Olympiad team will be progressing to State level tournament to be held at UVA on 3/25. GO COUGARS!

Awards were earned for top 6 placements in every event. The following students placed in their events:

1st Place:

Aliana Yee, Jason Wu in Bridge

Arianne Almeida, Neethi Verma in Can't Judge a Powder

Jason Pan, Nathan Liang, Hridhaan Banerjee in Codebusters 

Hridhaan Banerjee, Krish Seonie in Crave the Wave 

Jason Wu, Sidh Jaddu in Disease Detectives

Jack Gao, Krish Seonie in Dynamic Planet

Aliana Yee, Jason Pan, Nathan Liang in Experiment and Data Analysis

Eshaan Sombhatta, Ramkumar Babu in Green Generation

Eshaan Sombhatta, Ethan Shan in Road Scholar

Jason Pan, Sidh Jaddu in Sounds of Music

2nd Place: 

Luke Chuang, Alexander Rozsa, Kylie Rudinsky in Experiment and Data Analysis

Ellie Wen, Mythili Sudhir in Forestry

Alexander Rozsa, Abhay Nemani in Fast Facts

Abhay Nemani, Preenaka Dutt in Rocks and Minerals

Ethan Shan, Jack Gao in Solar System

Anirudh Chadalavada, Ethan Shan in Wheeled Vehicle

Aliana Yee, Ellie Wen in Write It, Do It

3rd Place:

Eric Zeng, Kylie Rudinsky in Anatomy & Physiology

Harun Hartojo, Arianne Almeida in Disease Detectives

4th Place:

Sebastian Zurich, Sidh Jaddu in Crime Busters

Preenaka Dutt, Luke Chuang in Dynamic Planet

Jason Wu, Ramkumar Babu in Rocks and Minerals

Neethi Verma, Abhay Nemani in Solar System

5th Place:

Anirudh Chadalavada, Mythili Sudhir in Anatomy & Physiology

Eric Zeng, Kylie Rudinsky in Green Generation

6th Place:

Dorsa Motaharinezhad, Ronen Mishulovich in Crave the Wave

Thank you!

Students from Langley, Cooper, and Great Falls Elementary schools prepared a shipment of supplies to deliver to the Turkish Embassy. 

We will continue to collect donations at Cooper. Please reference the Turkey Embassy Twitter page for the most up to date humanitarian need. 

If you happen to have items to donate, please complete this form for home pick-up.  Items can be purchased online from Amazon or Wal-Mart and sent directly to the Turkey Embassy at: 2525 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008

Information to Support Parents

• College Partnership Program
• Summer Learning
• Connector Bus Pass

College Partnership Program

Do you have an 8th grade student who wants to go to college?  Do they fall into one or more of these categories?

• Students who are the first in their family to attend college in the U.S
• Black or African American students
• Hispanic students, of one or more race
• Students with disabilities
• English learners
• Economically disadvantaged students

If so, please apply for Fairfax County’s College Partnership Program.  Additional information as well as the application can be found HERE.  The deadline for this application is March 10th.

FCPS Summer Learning

The FCPS Online Campus summer course registration is now open for eligible middle school students who meet prerequisites and technical requirements.  Students may take one online course for first time or repeat credit.  Middle school students may not take a mathematics course during the summer as their first high school level mathematics course.  Courses are rigorous; therefore, students should consult their counselor prior to registering.  Program information is available at Summer Learning. 

Career and Technical Education (CTE) 

CTE Summer Academy (CSA) is a week-long enrichment program that allows students in grades 7-11 to dive deeper into CTE program areas, develop skills, and begin career exploration. Visit the CSA website for more information and registration.

Institute for the Arts Camps (IFTA)

IFTA is a two- or four-week summer enrichment program for students currently in grades 6-11. Students select from nearly 90 classes in art, dance, health and physical education 9, music, self-directed economics and personal finance, and theater. Visit the IFTA website for more information and registration. 

Connector Bus Pass

Students can request a free Connector pass by speaking with Mrs. Midgley in the Main Office. 

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Students have an early release on Thursday, March 2. There is no school for students on Friday, March 3, due to a school planning day (186, 188, and 191 personnel do not report). See the complete 2022-23 School Year Calendar and the Employee Calendar.

Need to Know:

• SEL Screener
• Intention Forms
• Donations for Turkey
• Sport Water Bottles

SEL Screener March 13th

Cooper will be administering the Spring SEL Screener on Monday, March 13th during block 4 Advisory.  All students will participate in the SEL Screener unless they have been opted-out by a parent/guardian or enrolled after January 25th.  Parents/guardians can check their child’s opt-out status in SIS ParentVUE.  Please direct any questions to Cooper’s School Test Coordinator, Courtney Derr at [email protected]

Student Intention Forms:

Moving this summer? Changing schools? If your family plans include leaving FCPS for the 2023-24 school year, please notify us by completing this Student Intention Form and emailing it to Ms. Annie Eisman at [email protected]

Donations for Turkey

A powerful earthquake wreaked widespread devastation across Turkey and neighboring states. It is one of the deadliest natural disasters in the region. The death toll is quickly rising. Thousands were killed or became homeless in an instant and the winter conditions are very harsh for the survivors.

 To help the victims, please visit the Turkish Embassy Twitter account for most up to date items in need.

 A collection bin will be available at Cooper until March 1st for smaller items (blankets, sleeping bags, etc.)

If you happen to have larger items to donate, please complete this form for home pick-up.  Items can be purchased online from Amazon or Wal-Mart and sent directly to the Turkey Embassy at: 2525 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008

Water Bottles

Students are encouraged to use a refillable water bottle at school.  There are water-filling stations in our addition and in the cafeteria.  We ask that all water bottles have sealed lids.  Athletic water bottles with spray tops (water bottles that can be squeezed) should not be brought to school.  

Celebrations:

• Quiz Lit Team

Quiz Lit USA National Final 2023 

Many congratulations to Cooper Middle School, Virginia, on winning the 2023 USA Final.

Evelyn Volovar, Lachlan Thomas, Kylie Rudinsky, and Carmen Appel

Information to Support Parents

• College Partnership Program
• Tutor.com
• Safe Community Collation 
• Attendance Matters
• Parent Talk
• View IEPs
• Summer Learning
• Yearbooks

College Partnership Program

Do you have an 8th grade student who wants to go to college?  Do they fall into one or more of these categories?

• Students who are the first in their family to attend college in the U.S
• Black or African American students
• Hispanic students, of one or more race
• Students with disabilities
• English learners
• Economically disadvantaged students

If so, please apply for Fairfax County’s College Partnership Program.  Additional information as well as the application can be found HERE.  The deadline for this application is March 10th.

Tutor.com - Extra Help for Students at No Cost to Families 

With Tutor.com through Schoology, FCPS students are able to get learning help at any time, even from bilingual tutors! Students in FCPS meet with tutors thousands of times each week to practice reading, prepare for an upcoming math test, write computer programs, study for the SAT, or to get feedback on essays–all at no cost to their families! If you haven’t already, we encourage you to take just a few minutes to connect with a tutor with your child. More info about Tutor.com in FCPS is available here. 

Safe Community Coalition March 15th, 7-9pm

If a student will be absent or arriving late to school, parents or guardians should always report the details of the absence to the Cooper MS Attendance Office. Teachers do not have access to mark a student excused for an absence, which is why it is imperative that parents contact the attendance office (instead of, or in addition to, the teacher) when their child is absent so we can mark them correctly. 

To report an absence, parents have these options:

1. Use the link to our online attendance form (preferred) from the main page of the CMS website:
2. Send an email with full details to: [email protected] or,
3. Call the attendance line at 703-442-5858 being sure to include the spelling of your student’s last name and reason for the absence.

If your student will be picked up early for an appointment: Please send them to the front office in the morning with a note stating the time of the dismissal. Students will be given a pass to leave class and meet parents in the office. Parents should come to entrance #1, to the main office, with a photo ID to pick up their student for early dismissals.

For more information on the attendance policies, please visit the CMS Attendance page.

Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and IEP Progress Reports in ParentVue

Parents are now able to view their students’ individualized education program (IEP) and IEP Progress Report in the Student Information System (SIS) ParentVue web app. To set up your ParentVue account, visit the SIS ParentVue information page. Please use a strong, unique password to protect your child’s information. IEP documents are not delivered via the SIS ParentVue mobile phone app. Once logged into SIS ParentVue, click on the “IEP Documents” tab to view your child’s current IEP and the most recent IEP Progress Report.

Parent Talk

McLean High School Student Services and McLean PTSA presents:

Helping Your Kids Build a Life They Want: Parent Talk with Authors Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson

Thursday, March 30, 2023 6:30 – 7:30 PM

McLean High School Auditorium No registration needed!

We all want our kids to be happy and successful in life.  Too often, many parents feel that if kids aren’t pushed harder, they won’t be successful.   But this can result in anxiety and depression, chronic stress, and a negative parent-child relationship.

Instead, let’s help our kids build a life they want – a life where success is defined by happiness, strong relationships, and overall wellness, and not simply by academic and career achievement.  Bill and Ned will share strategies parents can use to help our kids achieve this life!

We welcome all Dranesville District FCPS parents to attend this informative session.  If you are interested in learning about Bill and Ned’s work, please check out this podcast on achievement culture, as well as their books, linked below.

https://www.steventshapiro.com/experiencematters/thisisyourbrainonachievementculture

https://theselfdrivenchild.com/

FCPS Summer Learning

The FCPS Online Campus summer course registration is now open for eligible middle school students who meet prerequisites and technical requirements.  Students may take one online course for first time or repeat credit.  Middle school students may not take a mathematics course during the summer as their first high school level mathematics course.  Courses are rigorous; therefore, students should consult their counselor prior to registering.  Program information is available at Summer Learning. 

Career and Technical Education (CTE) 

CTE Summer Academy (CSA) is a week-long enrichment program that allows students in grades 7-11 to dive deeper into CTE program areas, develop skills, and begin career exploration. Visit the CSA website for more information and registration.

Institute for the Arts Camps (IFTA)

IFTA is a two- or four-week summer enrichment program for students currently in grades 6-11. Students select from nearly 90 classes in art, dance, health and physical education 9, music, self-directed economics and personal finance, and theater. Visit the IFTA website for more information and registration. 

Attention parents! The yearbook staff needs photos of your student outside of school!

Here is a list of photos are we looking for:

Summer photos

Your student playing sports

Any fun fall or winter activities

Family or friends photos

First day of school photos

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter