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Military Families
On behalf of our entire school community, welcome to Arlington Science Focus School (ASFS). We are honored to serve the children of your family. This webpage provides links to resources that may prove useful in making the transition into our community easy. As one of the 1.7 million military-connected children in America, your student will join the 70,000 school-age children of active-duty military families here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Whether this PCS makes Arlington your new home post or if you’re deployed and sending your children to our school, we are proud to help make your time with us as rewarding and enriching as possible!
Planning your Arrival to APS
If the assignment from which you are departing was outside of the Commonwealth of Virginia, we encourage you to visit the Virginia Department of Education Military Families page, which provides information on rights and resources as you move your family here to the Old Dominion.
To determine which APS school at your student will be placed, based on home address, you can use the APS Boundary (Attendance Area) Locator.
The Arlington Public Schools registration process is detailed on the APS “Registering Your Child” webpage. We take seriously our responsibilities under Article IV of the Interstate Compact – discussed in the section so named below – to ensure that your student is placed in the appropriate grade.
The Arlington Public Schools requirements around proof of residency is detailed on the APS “Residency” webpage.
The Arlington Public Schools transfer process, along with school transfer resources, are available on the APS “Transfer Options” webpage. School-specific information for coming to Arlington Science Focus School is available on the ASFS webpage
You may also wish to contact your military installation’s School Liaison Officer for personal and site-specific assistance. A list from the VDOE of current (as of 2018-2019) School Liaison Officers is available online.
Touring ASFS
Please don’t hesitate to schedule a tour of Arlington Science Focus School! It would be our pleasure to show you and/or your student around and help acclimate you to the school and familiarize you with the Lightning Bolt family. Contact information for our School Point of Contact is available at the bottom of this page.
Communications
The ASFS PTA publishes a Weekly “Electronic Friday Folder” (EFF) that is sent via email to all ASFS parents, as well as a Monthly “Electronic News” publication.
If you are so inclined, you can opt-in for text message alerts from Arlington Public Schools.
When you speak to the Registrar at ASFS, be sure to ask that your email address(es) be included in our Student Information System. This will ensure you receive messages sent by Arlington Public Schools through the School Messenger system.
Arlington Science Focus School has a robust Twitter culture where we frequently share information about our school community and activities. Consider joining us by following @Arlington Science Focus SchoolAPS, as well as @APSVirginia. Be sure to ask your student’s teacher about a class Twitter account, as many teachers at Arlington Science Focus School have their own.
Preparing your Move from APS
You can contact Arlington Science Focus School directly for records for students who have been enrolled within the past five (5) years. To do so, please contact the Registrar, Ms. Stacia Griffin (stacia.griffin@apsva.us). Under Article IV of the Interstate Compact – discussed in the section so named below – we will gladly provide you with copies (digital or printed) of unofficial records for your convenience.
For additional information about requesting records and/or transcripts, please visit the APS “Transcripts and Records Information” webpage.
Academic Planning
Arlington Science Focus School is a neighborhood school, and our enrollment is based on residency, so there are no special deadlines for application.
We do not have graduation requirements or diploma standards, as we are an elementary school, so no special paperwork is involved regarding either item.
Our school is a Responsive Classroom school. Responsive Classroom is our social-emotional learning program, and the foundation of our school’s culture around how we respectfully and empathetically understand children. To learn more about Responsive Classroom, visit the About Responsive Classroom webpage.
Our school is a Standards-Based school. Standards Based meaning that APS has benchmarks for mathematics and English/language arts for each quarter. We use Fountas & Pinnell reading assessments and reading levels. We utilize strategies from Lucy Calkins Readers’ and Writers’ Workshops. Should your next school have any questions regarding these reports, don’t hesitate to contact the School Point of Contact listed at the bottom of this page.
Interstate Compact
Virginia participates in the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunities for Military Children.
The Department of Defense provides toolkits for military families that explain the rights and resources involved in the Compact on the DoD Interstate Compact webpage.
The Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3) provides information to military families that may prove useful in navigating transitions from one assignment to another, as well as resources around educational rights and resources. Visit the MIC3 website (www.mic3.net) or download a copy of the MIC3 “A Military Family’s Guide to School Transitions.”
Special Needs & Parental Rights
Under Article V of the Interstate Compact, we will gladly provide comparable services for any current Individualized Educational Program (IEP) or Section 504 plan, should your student have one. We may conduct additional evaluations to make sure that we are able to do that, given the resources and programs that exist in APS.
The Virginia Department of Education publishes “Guidance for Military Families With Students In Special Education,” which is available for free download.
If you have specific questions, please contact the Local Educational Agency (LEA) representative for Special Education at Arlington Science Focus School, our Assistant Principal, Barbara Jones (Barbara.jones@apsva.us)
Community Information
You are welcome and encouraged to join the Arlington Science Focus School Parent-Teacher Association. To learn more about the Arlington Science Focus School PTA, visit Arlington Science Focus School PTA.org.
You are also welcome and encouraged to visit the “Welcome Kit for New Arlington Residents,” provided by the Arlington, Virginia government. The welcome kit is available online at https://topics.arlingtonva.us/welcome-kit.
You may also find the Blue Star Families website useful for connecting with resources and other families in our area.
We are also proud to let you know, as an American military family, that the Arlington Science Focus School our Tech Crew honors the American Flag, which is raised along with the Virginia Flag each morning in accordance with the flag orders of the day. The Tech Crew Students are part of a school leadership program for 4th and 5th grade students and are trained in properly honoring our flag as one of their many daily duties . The Tech Crew also provides Color Guard support for local High Schools and other sporting events throughout the school year. Our Tech Crew sponsor is Charles Harvey, our Instructional Technology Coordinator. Mr. Harvey is a retired United States Marine Corps Officer. If you are interested in your child participating in this activity, please contact the School Point of Contact listed at the bottom of this page.
Post-Service Information
We know that so many military families after they have completed their service continue to want to serve and play a role in their communities. Arlington Science Focus School has a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, and we welcome your contact. We will gladly help you identify roles in our school community that can help meet your personal needs. Also, don’t forget to check the Careers@APS page for opportunities that may be of interest, if you are transitioning out of active service.
Contact Information
| VA. DOE Point of Contact: | Daniel L. Dunham Military Student and Family Specialist (Dan.Dunham@doe.virginia.gov) |
| APS Point of Contact: | Laura Newton Director of Student Services (laura.newton@apsva.us) |
| ASFS Point of Contact | Stacia Griffin (stacia.griffin@apsva.us) Registrar |
Military Bases in Virginia & Washington, D.C.
Additional Links
These webpages may contain links to websites that are outside of the Arlington Public Schools network. APS does not control the content or relevancy of these outside sites.