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The Weekly Roar

Monday, March 16, 2026

Upcoming Events

• Friday, 3/20 – Eid-al-Fitr Holiday, school, office, and SACC CLOSED
• Tuesday, 3/24 & Wednesday, 3/25 – PTA Restaurant Days at Quickway Japanese Hibachi, Kingstowne Center, all day
• Wednesday, 3/25 – Early Release Wednesday, students dismissed at 1:05 p.m., UNLESS we have been directed to keep them at school until 4:05 p.m.
• Friday, 3/27 – End-of-Quarter 2-Hour Early Release, students dismissed at 2:05 p.m., NO AFTER-SCHOOL CARE provided by the school
  
• Monday, 3/30 through Friday, 4/3 – Spring Break
• Monday, 4/6 – Student Holiday/Teacher Workday, students do not report
• Friday, 4/10 – Student Holiday/Teacher Staff Development Day, students do not report
• Friday, 4/17 – Lane Elementary 30th Anniversary Community Celebration, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, 4/21 – Student Holiday/Teacher Workday for Virginia special election
  
• Tuesday, 4/21 & Wednesday, 4/22 – PTA Restaurant Nights at Chick-fil-A
• Wednesday, 4/29 – Early Release Wednesday, students dismissed at 1:05 p.m., UNLESS we have been directed to keep them at school until 4:05 p.m.
  
  

In This Issue

• Schedule Changes Ahead for Eid-al-Fitr, End-of-Quarter Teacher Workdays, and Spring Break!
• You’re Invited to Lane’s 30th Anniversary Celebration—Friday, April 17, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
• Calling All Kindergarteners for the 2026-27 School Year! Orientation Scheduled for Next Wednesday, March 25!
• No School for Students on April 21 Due to Statewide Election
• We Want Your Feedback! Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Questionnaire
• Family Engagement Survey Now Open!
• 2025-2026 Yearbooks Are on Sale! Price Increases March 27!
• FCPS PreK and Early Head Start Now Accepting Applications for 2026-27 School Year
• PTA News: Restaurant Nights for March and April
• Parent Resources: Cell phone reminder, summer camp information, upcoming webinars
• FCPS News & Events: Budget feedback opportunity, Community Conversations with Dr. Reid

News & Notes

Schedule Changes Ahead for Eid-al-Fitr, End-of-Quarter Teacher Workdays, and Spring Break!

They say that March weather comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb (although the lion is hanging around a bit longer than usual this year), but for the school calendar, that works in reverse. While the month begins relatively steady and calm, the last two weeks are packed with schedule changes. Please make sure you have the following dates marked on your calendar:

• Friday, March 20 – Eid-al-Fitr/Nowruz Holiday
  In Islam, Eid-al-Fitr is a three-day festival to mark the end of Ramadan. Muslims dress in new clothes, give to charity, and pray in congregation. Eid is celebrated with the exchange of presents and delicious food with family and friends. This year, the celebration begins at sundown on Thursday, March 19 (an evening only observance day for schools) and continues through the weekend. Friday, March 20, is a holiday, with schools and offices closed in observance of Eid and Nowruz, the Persian New Year. See the complete school year calendar.
  
  
  

• Wednesday, March 25 – 3-Hour Early Release Wednesday
  Our next Early Release Wednesday will be March 25. Students will be released three hours early that day at 1:05 p.m. We will once again, offer supervised activities after school for those families with child-care hardship because of this Early Release scheduling.
  
  To plan for our after-school groups this month, we will follow parent responses provided for the February Early Release. If you need to change your child’s plans from last month, please call the school office at 703-924-7700 as soon as possible and no later than Thursday, March 19. You may also reach out via email to our family liaison Melanie Crosby Hardy at macrosby@fcps.edu. If we do not hear from you, we will send your child home as previously directed.
  
  

• Friday, March 27 – End-of-Quarter 2-Hour Early Release
  Unlike our 3-hour Early Release Wednesdays, there will be NO after-school supervision for students. ALL students will be dismissed at 2:05 p.m. to go home or to their regular after-school care provider.
  
  
• Monday, March 30, through Friday, April 3 – Spring Break
  School will be CLOSED this week. School will reopen at the regular time on Tuesday, April 7.
  
  
• Monday, April 6 – Student Holiday/Teacher Workday
  Spring Break gets extended for students by one more day to provide time teachers for end-of-quarter paperwork and professional development.
  
  
• Friday, April 10 – Student Holiday/Staff Development Day
  The first full week of April also ends with a day for professional development for staff. Students do not report to school that day.
  
  

You’re Invited to Lane’s 30th Anniversary Celebration—Friday, April 17, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

This year, Lane Elementary is celebrating 30 years of learning and leading with pride, and we want our entire school community—past, present, and future—to be a part of those festivities.

Back on September 5—the day Lane first opened its doors to students in 1995—we marked the anniversary with a schoolwide “Happy Birthday” sing-along and cupcakes for every student, but the big celebration is yet to come. On Friday, April 17—30 years to the day of Lane’s official dedication ceremony—we will all come together for a community 30th birthday bash. The event will feature food, games, music, appearances by former administrators and other staff members, and—best of all—the chance to catch up with old Lane friends and maybe make some new ones.

The details are still being confirmed, but the date is set. Please feel free to share it with other Lane families or friends that you know. We want the word to ROAR from mouth to mouth to bring as many lions as possible back to the den.

Stay tuned for more information coming soon, including special in-school activities planned for our anniversary week and how you can order a commemorative T-shirt to celebrate this milestone.

Thanks to the PTA for cosponsoring and supporting this event so generously!

Calling All Kindergarteners for the 2026-27 School Year! Join Us for an Orientation on Wednesday, March 25, at 3:30 p.m.!

Do you have a child at home ready to start kindergarten next year? If so, now is the time to let us know your little lion will be coming to Lane! Registration for the 2026-27 school year is now underway, and we want to hear from you!

A Kindergarten Orientation for our littlest new Lane Lions and their families will be held on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. At this meeting, we will provide a general overview of the kindergarten program as well as a chance to meet the teachers and ask questions. While parents/guardians attend the session in the cafeteria, children will visit kindergarten classrooms.

There’s an easy five-step process to register a child for kindergarten:

• Determine eligibility.
• Identify your local school.
• Gather documents.
• Fill out forms.
• Schedule an appointment.

You can read more about the registration process here. For additional information, please contact Sook Fan Simpson, our school registrar at sksimpson@fcps.edu.

If you don’t have a rising kindergartener yourself, please share this information with friends and neighbors who do.

Try Online Registration!

Online registration for the 2026-27 school year is open for all grades, kindergarten through 12th grade. It’s the quickest way to start the process! Learn how to begin the online registration process here.

When registering, parents/caregivers will need to create or log in to an existing SIS ParentVUE account.

If you’d like more information, please visit Lane’s Kindergarten Registration page on our school website:https://lanees.fcps.edu/announcements/kindergarten-registration-2026-27-now-open.

“Countdown to Kindergarten: Supporting a Smooth Transition” Webinar on Friday, March 27, 10 a.m.

Is your child heading to kindergarten this fall? Join FCPS staff for “Countdown to Kindergarten,” a virtual event designed to help families prepare for this exciting transition! The webinar will take place on Friday, March 27, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. During this webinar, families will learn practical tips and essential information to support their child's smooth and successful start to kindergarten in Fairfax County Public Schools. Register to receive the event link.

If you need further assistance or have questions, please feel free to contact:

• Registrar: Sook Fan Simpson — sksimpson@fcps.edu
• Family Liaison: Melanie Crosby Hardy — macrosby@fcps.edu.

We look forward to welcoming you and your child to Lane Elementary School soon!

No School for Students on April 21 Due to Statewide Election

There will be no school for students on Tuesday, April 21, because of the Virginia statewide election. Student activities, athletic practices, and events may proceed as scheduled.

Fairfax County Public Schools will still exceed the required number of instructional hours for students, as set by the Virginia Department of Education.

We Want Your Feedback! Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Questionnaire

On Monday, April 6, parents and guardians of Lane Elementary will receive an email with a link to the FCPS Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Feedback Form. This questionnaire is part of the Performance Evaluation Program and provides an opportunity to share anonymous feedback about our school’s leadership and environment.

Topics covered in the survey include:

• Instructional leadership
• School climate
• Management (human resources and organizational)
• Communication and community relations
• Culturally responsive and equitable leadership
• Professionalism.

The questionnaire will be open April 6 through April 19 and will be collected online. When you receive the email invitation, please take a few minutes to complete it. Your input is valuable and helps shape the future of our school.

Thank you for your time and feedback!

Family Engagement Survey Now Open!

Participate today! Your voice matters!

We want you to share your thoughts around important topics impacting your student’s success.

By participating in the Family Engagement Survey, parents/caregivers are making their voices heard. Survey topics include:

• Welcoming environment
• Communication
• Student success
• Advocacy
• Family and school partnerships
• Community partnerships.

Help us better recognize, understand, respect, and address family strengths and needs in our schools.

Parents/caregivers should have received a survey link via email from FCPS on March 9. If you missed it, please use the link below. Paper surveys are also available in our school office. The survey is available in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Pashto, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

TAKE THE SURVEY!

Visit the Family Engagement Survey webpage for more information. The survey will be open through Monday, March 23.

2025-2026 Yearbooks Now on Sale! Price Increases on March 27!

School yearbooks are on sale! The basic book is just $18 now, but the price will go up to $22 on Friday, March 27! You can have your child’s name printed on the cover for an additional $5. Order now and save!

Ordering is simple: Just go http://www.buytheyearbook.com, put in Lane Yearbook School ID #732283, and pay with your credit card. All orders are online only.

PLEASE NOTE: There most likely will not be any additional books for sale in June. If you want your child to have a yearbook, please order one now.

FCPS PreK and Early Head Start Now Accepting Applications for 2026-27 School Year

FCPS PreK and Early Head Start are now accepting applications for School Year 2026-27!

This is a high-quality Early Childhood Program for eligible families. PreK (which stands for Pre-Kindergarten) is a full-day program, and spaces are limited. The PreK program prioritizes children who will be 4 years old by September 30 but also accepts applications for children who will be 3 years old by September 30.

Your family may qualify for PreK or Early Head Start if you:

• Live in Fairfax County
• PreK: Have a child who will be age 3 or 4 by September 30
• Early Head Start: Have a child who is 0-2 years of age and pregnant women who live in the Reston, Herndon, and Springfield areas
• Have a student(s) with economic and educational risk factors such as:
  
  • Income eligibility
  • Homelessness or Foster Care
  • A Parent with Limited Education
  • Student receives Special Education Services.

For more information or to apply, visit the FCPS PreK website, email fcpsprekoffice@fcps.edu, or call the PreK Office at 703-208-7900 (English) or 703-208-7901 (Spanish).

¡El programa PreK y Early Head Start de FCPS ya está aceptando solicitudes para el año escolar 2026-27!

Somos un programa de educación infantil de alta calidad para familias que cumplen con los requisitos. El programa de PreK es dia completa y los espacios son limitados. El programa PreK prioriza a los niños de 4 años cumplidos antes del 30 de septiembre, pero también acepta solicitudes para niños de 3 años cumplidos antes de esa fecha.

Su familia puede calificar para PreK o Early Head Start si:

• Vivir en el condado de Fairfax
• PreK: Tiene un hijo que tendrá 3 o 4 años antes del 30 de septiembre
• Early Head Start: Tiene un niño de 0 a 2 años de edad y mujeres embarazadas que viven en las áreas de Reston, Herndon, y Springfield
• Tiene un estudiante(s) con factores de riesgo económico y educativo como:
• Elegibilidad por ingresos
  
  • Sin hogar o acogida temporal
  • Un padre con educación limitada
  • El estudiante recibe servicios de educación especial

Para obtener más información, visite el sitio web, llame a la Oficina de PreK: 703-208-7900 (Inglés), 703-208-7901 (Español), o envia un correo electrónico: fcpsprekoffice@fcps.edu.

PTA News

March and April Restaurant Nights Coming Soon! 

The PTA kicking off its spring line-up of restaurant days/nights with a new addition to our community and an old neighborhood favorite.

On Tuesday, March 24, and Wednesday, March 25—all day long—Quickway Japanese Hibachi, one of the newest businesses in town, will be supporting Lane Elementary by donating a percentage of Lane sales back to our school. Check out the menu at https://quickwayhibachi.com and start planning dinner! Make sure to bring the flyer coming home this week in Wednesday Folders.

In April, it's back to the comfort of an old favorite—Chick-Fil-A! The Kingstowne location is hosting Lane for Restaurant Nights next month on both Tuesday, April 21, and Wednesday, April 22, from 4 to 9 p.m. Dine-in, drive-thru, and mobile orders count; just be sure to mention Lane Spirit Night so we receive credit. If placing a mobile order, use the code word "Lions" to ensure we get credit.

Parent Resources

Phones Off, Learning On

FCPS’ cell phone policy helps students focus, learn, and engage. When students put their phones away, they have more face-to-face interactions with their peers and teachers and more opportunities to develop resilience and problem-solving skills. Please remind your child that:

• Cell phones and personal devices (earbuds, headsets, other items connected to the internet) must be off and away for the entire school day (bell to bell).
• Smart watches that serve a dual purpose may be worn, but the phone features (texting, Internet viewing, and calls) are to be off when phone use is prohibited.

If you need to contact your child during the school day, please call our front office at 703-924-7700. Visit our cell phone policy webpage for more information and answers to frequently asked questions.

Prepare for Summer Learning and Fun for Students

Registration is open or will be available soon for summer camps and learning opportunities offere