English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
 Preschool students discovering during play time.
Important Upcoming Dates
Monday, 10/13
Indigenous Peoples' Day-No School for Students
Wednesday, 10/15
3-Hour Early Release
Monday, 10/20
No School for Diwali
Friday, Oct. 24
Say Cheese! Fall Picture Day
Friday, 10/31
Book Character Day!
Friday, 10/31
End of quarter: 2-hour Early Release
Friday, 11/7
Veterans Day Program @ Garfield
School Hours and General Information
Our school hours are from 9:20 a.m. to 4:05 p.m. Monday through Friday. School doors open at 9:05 a.m. each day to begin receiving students.
Please call the attendance line at 703-923-2929 to report a tardy or absence.
Updated Survey Form For 3-Hour Early Release, Oct 15th
|
Please complete this October 15th Early Release Survey by 10/8/25 to indicate how your child will be going home for our next early release Wednesday on 10/15/25. This will be our last survey and we will follow these plans for the remainder of the school year.
**If you have multiple children, please complete a form for each student.**
We encourage all parents/caregivers to have their student take their normal route home (SACC, bus, walk, kiss and ride) on early dismissal days. While these are designated as early release days- where necessary, we will ensure that every student has supervision at the school and returns home at the regular time if that is what works best for your family
|
Formulario de encuesta actualizado para salida anticipada de 3 horas, 15 de octubre
Complete esta Encuesta de salida temprana del 15 de octubre antes del 8/10/25 para indicar cómo regresará su hijo a casa para nuestra próxima salida temprana el miércoles 15/10/25. Esta será nuestra última encuesta y seguiremos estos planes durante el resto del año escolar.
**Si tiene varios hijos, complete un formulario para cada estudiante.**
Alentamos a todos los padres/cuidadores a que sus estudiantes tomen su ruta normal a casa (SACC, autobús, caminar, besarse y viajar) en los días de salida temprana. Si bien estos están designados como días de salida temprana, cuando sea necesario, nos aseguraremos de que cada estudiante tenga supervisión en la escuela y regrese a casa a la hora habitual si eso es lo que funciona mejor para su familia.
Attendance Tip:
Scheduling Family Trips or Events
|
Good attendance is an important life skill that will help students succeed in school and beyond. When scheduling trips or family events, try to use weekends and school holidays, and refer to the FCPS Calendar when planning. Every day of learning is a day toward success. Keep in mind that absences add up quickly. Students who are absent 10% of the school year (or just two days per month) are considered chronically absent.
When possible, schedule appointments for your child outside of school hours. If your child needs to miss school because of an illness or another reason, you must report the absence to their school. Most schools have links to their attendance email or notification systems on their homepages. If you are unsure how to report an absence, please call your school’s front office.
|
Arrival and Dismissal
It is important that our Eagles arrive at school before the doors close at 9:20am. It is important for your child to start their day on time. Many students feel unsettled and stressed if they are walking into classrooms after the bell has rung and their class is already engaged in learning.
As you know, each class has a morning meeting to start the day. This meeting helps build a strong sense of community within the classroom and sets our Eagles up for success socially and academically. Thank you for helping to get your child to school on time so they can participate together with their classmates.
We are no longer accepting dismissal changes after 3:30pm. Short notice, abrupt changes to students afternoon plans often cause confusion and uncertainty for our Eagles. We want to ensure each Eagle makes it home safely!
|
To celebrate our school-wide love of reading, students are encouraged to dress up as a favorite book character on Friday, October 31st !
Students are encouraged to bring a book that includes the character they are representing. During the school day, they may be asked to share more about the character they’ve chosen.
Guidelines for Book Character Costumes
- Characters must be age appropriate and from elementary or middle- grade level books.
- Costumes may not involve blood or other horror-type elements.
- No weapons of any kind or masks that cover the entire face.
- Costumes must allow students to take care of personal needs, sit at desks, and participate in school and classroom activities throughout the day, including appropriate shoes for PE/ recess!!
|
Ensuring Student Safety:
Register for Volunteer FCPS
Volunteer FCPS ensures a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. All volunteers must be registered in Volunteer FCPS. This includes individuals who volunteer to chaperone on field trips, work at book fairs, and help out regularly in classrooms, libraries, or cafeterias. Volunteers who work unsupervised with students will also be required to undergo a background check.
New Food Items Include Hearty Homestyle Favorites
Our new menu items debuting in September and October feature hearty homestyle favorites — including veggie chili, pictured above — and fresh global inspiration! Other new additions include:
-
Breakfast: Cinnamon apple overnight oats, mini blueberry pancakes, French toast sticks, egg and cheese breakfast quesadillas and tacos, and turkey sausage and cheese bagels.
-
Lunch: Teriyaki chicken stir-fry, teriyaki chickenless bites stir-fry, cheesy turkey pepperoni pasta, cheesy pasta with marinara sauce, deep dish pizza, and cheesy fiesta nachos.
Check our online menu to see when your child can try new recipes developed by FCPS’ executive chef and team of food and nutrition experts, based on student feedback.
|
Title I at Garfield ES
Title I is the nation’s largest assistance program for schools. It provides funding to supplement educational opportunities for children who are most at risk and increasing student achievement in schools selected on the basis of the economic level of families.
The primary focus is to ensure student access to provide all children significant opportunities to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps.
To learn more about the Title I program at Garfield ES, click here.
|
Garfield PTA
Please join the PTA by clicking here.
Join the PTA! Help us build a stronger future together!
The PTA is very important for our school.
As a PTA member, you can share your ideas and help make our school better. Your voice matters! We may be small, but we can do great things together. We need your support to improve activities, host events like movie nights and Paint night, and update our facilities and technology. Thank you!
Please join the PTA by clicking here.
Current Board Members:
President: Lauren Dunham
Vice President: Sana Malik
Treasurer: Mary Jo Mentzel
Secretary: Open
Fundraising Chair: Jennifer Goen
School Liaison: Melody Wheatley
Teacher Representative: Missy Dovey
https://garfieldelementarypta.square.site/
FCPS Family Resource Events
Navigating Section 504 – Essential Knowledge for Families
October 3, 10-11:30 am
This webinar is for families of elementary, middle and high school students.
Register here
Sibshops and SibTeen
October 13, 9 a.m.- noon
Jim Scott Community Center
The Sibshops workshops are for children in grades 2-6 enrolled in Fairfax County Public Schools who have siblings with support needs to meet other siblings in a relaxed setting. Celebrate the many contributions made by brothers and sisters of children with special needs, share sibling experiences, and receive peer support. Play games and have fun.
Register here
SibTeens is a community-building group for Middle School siblings of children with support needs in grades 6-9 enrolled in Fairfax County Public Schools. We have fun activities, both recreational and art-based, as well as discussion activities. It’s a unique opportunity for students to share about their lives and support each other while normalizing their life experiences.
Register here
Please contact FCPSSibshops@FCPS.edu for follow up questions about either program.
Online Safety Unlocked: What Every Parent Needs to Know
A representative from the FBI will give tips on what parents need to watch for when their students are online.
Tuesday, October 14
6-7 pm
Lecture Hall B-135 at Lake Braddock Secondary School
RSVP for Oct. 14 Online Safety Lecture
YOUR PARTNERS IN EDUCATION
We are in this together!
We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with your family this year. Each day, our commitment is to provide your child with a safe, supportive, and joyful place to learn and grow. Open communication is important to us—please reach out anytime with questions, concerns, or celebrations.
Thank you for your trust, your support, and for being an essential part of the Garfield community.
With appreciation,
Your Garfield Partner Principals
Mrs. Peerman, Principal, Klpeerman@fcps.edu
Ms. Manning, Assistant Principal, eamanning1@fcps.edu
|
