Lacey Center
3705 Crest Drive
Annandale, Virginia 22003

Partial immersion students learn mathematics, science, and health through the medium of a foreign language (French, German, Japanese or Spanish). Half the school day is spent learning in the foreign language. Students receive instruction in English for language arts and social studies during the other half of the day. Math, science, and health were chosen for the beginning years of development of the foreign language because they use manipulatives and concrete, hand-on activities, both of which help with the natural second language acquisition process. The foreign language immersion teacher teams with the grade-level English teachers to integrate the total FCPS curriculum.

Monday Message: Foreign Language Partial Immersion This week’s Monday Message segment informs viewers about the foreign language partial immersion program. High | Low (01:00)

For more information about the Immersion program:
http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/OHSICS/forlang/partial.htm

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The Modified Calendar School concept provides continuous learning time with shorter breaks than the regular school year. Students attend 180 days of school; however school days are distributed over the year so that children attend nine weeks of school followed by a three-week break. Students have the option of attending two-week intersessions during the breaks. The modified school calendar is expected to increase students' performance in the classroom and on standardized tests as less time will be needed for review and more time will be devoted to learning new information.

Annandale Terrace

Dogwood

Franconia

Glen Forest

Graham Road

Parklawn

Timber Lane

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Project Excel boosts student achievement at selected schools with large numbers of students who are at risk for failing standardized tests. These schools receive additional resources to prevent subsequent failure. The goal of Project Excel is to improve student achievement with increased time for learning, an enhanced technology-based phonics instruction for K-1, and the implementation of a research-based instructional model. School accountability includes the goal of a five-point yearly improvement in each school's school-wide achievement index (SAI) score. Rewards are given each year to schools that exceed their SAI goals. The 22 Project Excel schools are indicated by an asterisk in the school directory.

The goal of Success by Eight is to ensure that every student reaches a high level of competence in the basic skills by age 8, or by third grade. Success by Eight may mean ungraded instruction for students between the ages of 5 and 8. Students will be grouped and regrouped for different types of instruction. Each student will receive the instruction he or she needs at any time to move into the next level of learning. Teachers and other adults in schools will be redeployed to provide the individual attention each student needs but without substantially increasing student-teacher ratios.

This reconfiguration of time, staffing, and grade levels makes learning more efficient and effective by creating multiage classes and "looping" classes. (The same teacher works with a group of students through two or more grades.) For a list of schools with the Success by Eight program visit http://www.fcps.edu/suptapps/directory/ Select the Success by Eight from the "By Special Program" pull down list.

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A professional development academic center is available at Riverside Elementary School. The program consists of four teachers, certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS), who teach primary and upper elementary students with a focused high-quality program of instruction. The program specifically addresses the critical issues and challenges facing this multicultural.

Riverside

This program at Fort Hunt integrates multiple art forms throughout the curriculum. The goal is to cultivate the innate talents of all students. The fine arts focus engages students and staff in an atmosphere of continuing education and understanding with, in, and through the arts. Opportunities are available through the Kennedy Center Arts Education Forum, a partnership with The Mount Vernon Orchestra, and liaisons with the American Composers' Society,  The Washington Opera, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

Fort Hunt

The Arts Focus School at Lake Anne complements the academic, affective, physical, and technological aspects of learning with an aesthetic focus. Additional materials, equipment, and staff enrich all areas of the curriculum by integrating the visual and performing arts.Lake Anne

Block Scheduling is an alternative scheduling model that allows schools to organize for learning in a different way. Block Scheduling Schools have implemented a system that maximizes the use of their time, space, and school staff to facilitate small group or reduced-size instruction. Flexibility results in forming specific instructional groups in planned blocks of time based on the needs of students.

Sleepy Hollow

Stenwood

Woodburn focuses on the arts to provide differentiated instruction. This focus is integrated in the Program of Studies as well as in opportunities after school. Currently, PTA funds and grants help to finance this arts enrichment. Teachers receive training in visual art instruction including art integration workshops held at the Kennedy Center. After school programs for students such as the Academy for the Fine & Playful Arts provide drama, music, dance, art, and foreign language enrichment opportunities with immense community support. Focus on the arts provides experiences and field trips to students who would not normally have these opportunities.

Woodburn

Kent Gardens Elementary School is the only school in Fairfax County that integrates a French language focus for all children. All students receive instruction in the French language and culture of French-speaking countries. Two options are available to families:In the French Resource Program, students receive Francophone language and culture studies in many grade-level theme projects. In addition, Kent Gardens has a French technology lab for language and technology integration for all students.

Through a partnership with the Institut Universitaire de Formation des Maîtres in Lyon, France, teachers, students, and families have the opportunity to interact with teacher interns from France. Interns instruct in classrooms, and host families share their homes, establishing personal links with these special guests. To culminate French language experiences, sixth grade students have the opportunity to visit France during spring break.

The Language and Arts program at Graham Road is based on a strong language arts component infused with instruction in Latin for students in grades 3-6 and a Spanish Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools (FLES) program for students in grades 1-6. Latin and Spanish are integrated into the exisiting FCPS Program of Studies. The acquisition of English communication skills is enhanced through the use of the fundamentals of Latin and within the context of learning Spanish. An emphasis on the arts, performing and fine, provides students with additional opportunities for expression.

Graham Road

A unique ESOL program that offers students the opportunities for both classroom immersion and small group language arts instruction, depending upon the needs of the students. An innovative learning disabilities model that combines classroom immersion with specific blocks for small group and individualized language arts and mathematics instruction. Pine Spring has created a unique program to further address the needs of its students. This program has added additional resource teachers for language arts, math, science/social studies and technology. With this instructional model, the pupil-teacher ratio is reduced across the grade levels during language arts. Additional small group math remediation takes place, and enrichment is provided in the areas social studies, science and math. This model also includes full day Kindergarten, reduced ratio for first grade, and collaborative team planning. Pine Spring students are mentored through the Fairfax County Mentorworks program and by Capital One, the school's business partner.

Pine Spring

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The Science and Math Focus Schools serve as model schools for instruction in science, math, and technology, offering a more challenging, enriching curriculum. Through additional staff, materials, and equipment, these schools emphasize science and math to develop higher order thinking skills through an inquiry approach to teaching and learning. The FCPS Program of Studies is enriched through integrated science, math, and technology problem-solving activities and experiences.

Hollins Meadows

Woodley Hills

Students solve real world problems and use technology for communication, research, and artistic production. Labs support the core curriculum, the arts, and technology. Resource teachers operate the labs and provide instruction to staff and students. The focus of these programs is on best practices, design of conceptual units, and technology.

Daniels Run

Forest Edge

Providence

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