We get PTA emails from our school, and the one we got today says that Level IV referrals are due tomorrow (Tuesday) at the school.

I cannot imagine a school saying they were due today when schools weren't even in session. I was actually going to go over to the school today to drop mine off but figured my car and I would just be in the way with them trying to shovel and plow.

I'm one of the posters with a kid already at a center. Our AAP coordinator posted on her blackboard site that materials were not due until schools were open for students. I just don't see how FCPS could make today a hard deadline when there is obviously confusion!

NP here. I could see that someone could understand "open" to mean open for students not just staff. It's irrelevant to me because I already turned it all in but I can see how someone might think the deadline is tomorrow.

I didn't see this email--how did you get it. This very unfair and I have not just seen this AFTER the school's office is closed. I am going to the school first thing tomorrrow morning--will post what they say.

I didn't mean to imply I got an email about the AAP deadline. I was referring to the email I got through the "keep in touch" system, saying that school was open for teachers and staff but not for students. Every time FCPS makes an emergency announcement, they post it on the website and also email it via "keep in touch," which everyone is supposed to be signed up for. I got several emails during the blizzard with updates on school closings.

I don't think it's unfair at all to enforce the deadline as of today, but I think schools may still accept submissions tomorrow.

Information about the schools' open/closed status has been on the FCPS website daily, and it has also been emailed regularly. (Not to mention that it's all over the news channels and message boards like this.) At some point, you become responsible for finding out when the materials are due. Presumably you knew about the Feb. 5th / Feb. 12th deadlines, so you should have taken steps to make sure you understood how the deadline was being extended. Sorry, but the deadline was extended until schools opened, and schools were open today for staff and teachers.

Anonymous wrote:

This is not correct. I happened to be driving past and noticed that the school was open. Evidentially, the teachers/staff are on a normal schedule. I then drove home to pick-up referral and delivered. Secretary at the school said she was getting flooded with materials today and that this was the deadline for everything (referral/optional materials). It was interresting that she pulled out a date stamp and I asked "why?" She said to record when materials submitted and determine if late.

I think this is reasonable. The website said the deadline was extended until the next day school was open. Today was a teacher workday so students did not go to school, but the e-mails I received and the announcement on the FCPS website stated pretty clearly that the schools were open. If you did not turn everything in today, I think you'll be hard pressed to come up with a justification. I've been saying (several times on this thread!) that it was fair to extend the deadline because of the snow closings, but I don't see why it should be extended beyond today. School was open today.

I didn't see this email--how did you get it. This very unfair and I have not just seen this AFTER the school's office is closed. I am going to the school first thing tomorrrow morning--will post what they say.

This is not correct. I happened to be driving past and noticed that the school was open. Evidentially, the teachers/staff are on a normal schedule. I then drove home to pick-up referral and delivered. Secretary at the school said she was getting flooded with materials today and that this was the deadline for everything (referral/optional materials). It was interresting that she pulled out a date stamp and I asked "why?" She said to record when materials submitted and determine if late.

I think this is reasonable. The website said the deadline was extended until the next day school was open. Today was a teacher workday so students did not go to school, but the e-mails I received and the announcement on the FCPS website stated pretty clearly that the schools were open. If you did not turn everything in today, I think you'll be hard pressed to come up with a justification. I've been saying (several times on this thread!) that it was fair to extend the deadline because of the snow closings, but I don't see why it should be extended beyond today. School was open today.

Anonymous wrote:FFPS closed tomorrow and open 2 hours late Tuesday. Looks like we need to submit by Tuesday--hopefully this is the day they really go back!

This is not correct. I happened to be driving past and noticed that the school was open. Evidentially, the teachers/staff are on a normal schedule. I then drove home to pick-up referral and delivered. Secretary at the school said she was getting flooded with materials today and that this was the deadline for everything (referral/optional materials). It was interresting that she pulled out a date stamp and I asked "why?" She said to record when materials submitted and determine if late.

FFPS closed tomorrow and open 2 hours late Tuesday. Looks like we need to submit by Tuesday--hopefully this is the day they really go back!

Anonymous wrote:I emailed Cheryl McCullough, Advanced Academic Program Specialist for Fairfax County on Thursday. She told me that the referral information is due the next day that school is open. The optional material is more fluid. She said to touch base with the Advanced Academic Resource teacher at your school to see when he/she wants the information. So, it sounds like it is the decision of the AAR teacher for the optional materials. Cheryl did suggest getting the information to your AAR teacher ASAP because they will be scrambling to do their local screenings and getting files prepared for the committee. I plan on turning in my optional materials on Monday (hopefully we have school).

Thanks for posting this!

I emailed Cheryl McCullough, Advanced Academic Program Specialist for Fairfax County on Thursday. She told me that the referral information is due the next day that school is open. The optional material is more fluid. She said to touch base with the Advanced Academic Resource teacher at your school to see when he/she wants the information. So, it sounds like it is the decision of the AAR teacher for the optional materials. Cheryl did suggest getting the information to your AAR teacher ASAP because they will be scrambling to do their local screenings and getting files prepared for the committee. I plan on turning in my optional materials on Monday (hopefully we have school).

okay back to normal questions. the deadline is when the schools are back open (ie, kids are back at school), not just the offices right?? Just checking. i don't want to miss the deadline unknowingly.

so i assume i have to turn things in on monday. right??

You're fine, PP. I think some people on here are just feeling insecure that their child might not get in.

ITA. And their insecurity is driving them to want to exclude other children from consideration, even though this is not a competitive selection process.

You're fine, PP. I think some people on here are just feeling insecure that their child might not get in.

To comment on some earlier discussion about getting materials in by the deadline. My school did not mail the scores until January 16! My friend (at a different school) got her daughter's scores on December 17. That's a huge difference in the amount of time we each had to prepare materials for the file. Her daughter was not in the pool, and they did run over to her school on the afternoon of Feb. 4 to get her materials in, anticipating school being closed the next day.

I, on the other hand, whose daughter IS in the pool am still holding on to the parent questionnaire and other materials (our GT teacher advised us to submit) because I still haven't received a refrence letter from my daughter's language teacher. We only see her on Sundays and the past two Sundays language school has been closed due to snow. I don't see how this can be construed by anyone as waiting until the last minute.

Anonymous wrote:

Don't feed the troll. At least I hope this person is a troll. I can't imagine what this person will be like when the person's kid applies to TJ.

My bad.