Home-School Communication

COMMUNICATION

Several different forms of correspondence are utilized to enhance communication between the school and the home.  

To minimize our paper use and cost, the PTA and school administration will publish newsletters and reminders using the Find Out First system. Find Out First and our school website will help keep you informed of planned school events and other important school information. Your email address was added to the Find Out First list when you registered your child. Please let the front office know if you’re not receiving these emails.

If you wish to communicate with fellow parents from your child’s class, please complete the authorization form to allow your email to be shared with other families.  This form will be distributed by your child’s classroom teacher. 

Please visit the BES Website at https://bes.sites.fcps.org .  You will find information about our school, upcoming events, links to other FCPS sites, the school newsletter, “The Railroader Express,” and many other helpful bits of information. 

Email

Each staff member is available to communicate through email.  In general, staff email addresses have been created using first and last name followed by fcps.org. For example:  firstname.lastname@fcps.org.   Please keep in mind that teachers may only be able to check their email during their daily scheduled planning time.  If the message is urgent, please contact the front office.  Do not email notices about dismissal changes to the child’s teacher as they may not receive the email request prior to dismissal.  We ask that you respectfully give staff at least 24 hours to respond to your correspondence.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences are held to discuss your child’s progress and give you the opportunity to examine samples of your child’s work to determine your child’s strengths and needs.  Check the FCPS Calendar Handbook or the FCPS website for dates of the scheduled conferences.  Since conferences are scheduled for short periods of time, think about what you want to learn and make notes of specific questions you would like to ask.

Conferences may be held at any time at the request of the parent, teacher and/or administrator.  Parents may freely discuss with school personnel any concerns that directly affect their child’s school performance.  If you wish to meet with school personnel, please arrange your visit in advance to ensure that the time is appropriate and does not interfere with planned activities.  For example, in the morning before school begins, your child’s teacher is busy making final preparations for the school day, greeting students as they arrive, and/or providing support to individual students; therefore, this would not be an appropriate time for an unscheduled conference.

Remember, if you are involved with your child’s school and teacher in a positive manner, you can help your child meet with success in school.