SCHOOLHOUSE NEWS - October 10
Register to Volunteer today | Spirit Week | AAP | International Night

English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو



Table of Contents

  • Calendar
  • Attendance Reminder
  • Homecoming Spirit Week
  • Introduction to AAP Informational Meeting
  • Family Tips: Critical Thinkers, Smart Consumers
  • Field Day Volunteers
  • International Night Cultural Celebration
  • Volunteer FCPS
  • VOTE!  Bond Referendum
  • Lightspeed
  • Community Events
  • Useful Links


mark your calendar

 

  • October 13 - Indigenous Peoples' Day (No School)
  • October 14 - Introduction to AAP Informational Meeting | 6:00 p.m.
  • October 15 - Early Release | 12:20 p.m.
  • October 15 - PTA Fundraiser at Chipotle
  • October 14-18  -  Homecoming Spirit Week
  • October 17 - Field Day
  • October 20 - Diwali (No School)
  • October 23 - Parent Meeting Digital Citizenship | 5:30 p.m.

IndigenousPeoples

Monday, October 13, is a student holiday and staff development day for Indigenous Peoples' Day.

See the complete school year calendar.



Attendance Reminder

When notifying the school about your child’s absence, please provide a specific reason (e.g. illness, injured, any medical appointment, family emergency, etc). General messages like “will not be at school” or “absent today” may result in the absence being marked as unexcused.  Accurate attendance records are essential to ensure we are following state attendance guidelines. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us keep accurate attendance records.



Homecoming Spirit Week

Homecoming Spirit Week: October 14-17

Tuesday:  Dress Alike
Wednesday:  70's, 80's, 90's Decades
Thursday:  Switch Day (Teachers dress like students & students like teachers)
Friday:  Hayfield Spirit Wear



Introduction to AAP Informational Meeting

There will be an Introduction to AAP Informational Meeting for parents on Tuesday, October 14th at 6:00 p.m.. This year we will hold this virtually. Any parents of students in grades K-6 are invited to attend.

Zoom Link:  https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/94710455406

This meeting will discuss the levels of service for Advanced Academics as well as the process for screening and identification for these services. Please reach out to the Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, Avery Rothman agrothman@fcps.edu, with any questions.



Family Tips: Critical Thinkers and Smart Consumers

A note from Ms. Snyder

School Based Technology Specialist

Digital Footprint

October is Cybersecurity Month! Digital Citizenship Week is October 20-24. 

Ever hear this from your kiddo?
“But I saw it on the internet, so it means it’s true!”

Check out this tip from Common Sense Media:
With so much media and information coming at us through the television, phones, social media, and more, it's more important than ever for kids to understand the basics of media literacy. When kids can identify different types of news and media and the methods and meanings behind them, they're on their way to being critical thinkers and smart consumers.

Information & Media Literacy  English  |  Spanish  |  More Languages (Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese)



Field Day Volunteers

Field Day is back this Fall at Hayfield Elementary on Friday, October 17th!! Volunteers are needed to help run the stations the classes will be rotating through.  Field Day will be run in two different sessions, but we would of course welcome all day volunteers as well. We will also have an early morning session for anyone who would like to help set up.  If you are able, please sign up for a session. We will follow up with you about a week before the event with additional information! Thank you!!

Session 1:  Set up | 7:00-8:15 a.m.

Session 2:  Grades 3-6 | 8:45 - 11:00 a.m.

Session 3:  Grades K-2 | 12:30-2:45 p.m.

Make sure to register as a volunteer through Volunteer FCPS. Field Day volunteers should select Level 1 or Level 2 and do not require fingerprinting or a background check.  If your application in Volunteer FCPS has been accepted and you are currently waiting to complete the process, you are already eligible for this volunteer opportunity.  Click the link to Volunteer FCPS, select Field Day Volunteer, and sign up for a session in Sign-Up Genius.

Please reach out to mbtillery@fcps.edu or crtorres1@fcps.edu with any questions regarding Field Day.  Contact Marily Grotz mgrotz@fcps.edu for questions about the Volunteer FCPS registration process.



International Night

International Night Cultural Celebration

Thursday, November 20, 2025

6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.


Hello HES Families and Community Members,

To celebrate the many countries and cultures here at HES, we will have an International Night cultural celebration on Thursday, November 20, 2025 from 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm. We are so fortunate to have so many countries/cultures represented in our building. This event is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate each other and embrace diversity.

Families/students who want to participate will be assigned a table and may:

  • Display flags, maps, crafts, photos, tri-fold posters, and other informative materials representing your country.
  • Dress in your country attire/traditional clothing.
  • Prepare food that represents your culture (you will be provided an ingredient card to list all ingredients used for allergy purposes).

Students may also participate in our parade of nations during the school day and/or the traditional clothing fashion show during the evening event. 

Families wishing to participate, please let us know by returning the form sent home in your child’s Thursday folder or completing the form at this link by November 5th, 2025.  We can’t wait to see you there.

We also need volunteers to help make this night a success! We need help with set up Thursday, November 20, before the event,  as well as help with clean up after the event. This is a great opportunity for school or scout service hours! Please sign up here



Volunteer at Hayfield ES

Ensuring Student Safety: Register for Volunteer FCPS

At Hayfield Elementary School, our volunteers are a vital part of our school community.  We encourage all our parents and community members interested in supporting our students by volunteering at school to visit Volunteer FCPS.  After you create a profile, you will view an orientation video and complete a volunteer application. Please check back on your status to ensure the registration process goes quickly.

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.

As a reminder, all volunteers — and visitors to a school — are required to sign in by scanning their ID at our visitor kiosk. Visit the Volunteer FCPS Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more.  You may also email Marily Grotz, Family Liaison, at mgrotz@fcps.edu for assistance.



VOTE! Bond Referendum