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The Weekly Roar

Monday, April 6, 2026

Congratulations, Miss Shipley!

We are so proud to announce that Lane 2nd grade teacher Rebekah Shipley has been named the 2026 Outstanding New Teacher for FCPS Region 6! She will now proceed as a Finalist to the divisionwide FCPS Honors Awards, competing against winners in her category from the district’s other five regions. Final winners will be announced at a special ceremony in June.

Musical Moments

On March 24, several 5th and 6th grade Strings and Band students participated in the Hayfield Pyramid Area Orchestra and Band Concert at Hayfield Secondary School. The wonderful performances showcased their hard work and dedication to making music. Check out the photos below from the Orchestra portion of the concert. (We have not yet received any photos from the Band portion of the performance. If you attended the concert and would like to share your Band photos, please send them to our family liaison, Melanie Crosby Hardy, at macrosby@fcps.edu so we can spotlight these students as well in an upcoming Weekly Roar.)

A Kaleidoscope of Careers!

On the Friday before Spring Break, many students participated in the SCA's end-of-quarter spirit day rescheduled from the end of January when it got snowed out. The theme was “What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?" As you can see from the photo of students in Ms. Hartbarger's 3rd grade class below, students have all sorts of ideas for the years ahead!

Upcoming Events

• Friday, 4/10 – Student Holiday/Teacher School Planning Day, students do not report
• Monday, 4/13 through, Friday, 4/17 – Lane 30th Birthday SCA Spirit Days
  • Monday – Lane Spirit Day (wear your Lane spirit gear)
  • Tuesday – Beach Day (lend a tropical taste to our birthday week by wearing your beachy best)
  • Wednesday – Baseball Day/Purple Up! Day for Military Kids (celebrate the sport of the season with baseball caps and jerseys and/or wear purple to show support for our military lions)
  • Thursday – Swap Day (teachers dress like students, students dress like teachers as we celebrate 30 years of both!)
  • Friday – ’90s Day (dress like it’s 1995 to mark Lane’s 30th birthday)
• 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 – Month of the Military Child “Muffins with Military Lions” Potluck Breakfast Reception, 8:30 a.m., all families welcome
  

• Thursday, 4/30 – Standards of Learning (SOL) testing begins (grades 3 through 6)

• Friday, 5/1 – Last day to purchase yearbooks (see article below for ordering information)

• Thursday, 5/7 – PTA meeting and elections, 6:30 p.m., Cafeteria
  
  

In This Issue

• April Administrators' Message
• Student Holidays Ahead; April Early Release Wednesday Canceled
• You’re Invited to Lane’s 30th Anniversary Celebration—Friday, April 17, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
• April Is Month of the Military Child; Schoolwide Celebration This Month with Morning Reception Open to All on Wednesday, April 29
• SOL Testing Begins April 30!
• We Want Your Feedback! Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Questionnaire
• Last Day to Order Yearbooks Is Friday, May 1
• FCPS PreK and Early Head Start Now Accepting Applications for 2026-27 School Year
• PTA News: Volunteers for next year's board; Restaurant Nights at Chick-fil-A
• Parent Resources: Summer camp information, upcoming webinars
• FCPS News & Events: Budget feedback opportunity, Community Conversations with Dr. Reid, new menu items coming soon
  
  

News & Notes

April Administrators’ Message

Happy April, Lane Lions!

We hope your family had a wonderful Spring Break filled with rest, joy, and special memories together. As we return to school, we are energized and ready for a strong month of learning!

April is an important time in our school year. Our students have worked incredibly hard, and we are now focused on continuing that growth as they prepare to show what they know on upcoming state assessments. We are also continuing to prioritize strong attendance, because every day in school matters for student success.

This month is especially meaningful as we celebrate our 30th anniversary! We are excited to honor three decades of learning, community, and excellence—with a few fun throwback touches along the way. Be on the lookout for special events and opportunities to celebrate together. You won’t want to miss them!

Spring Reset: Creating Strong Learning Environments

After a break, it’s natural for everyone—students and adults alike—to need a reset. At Lane, we use Responsive Classroom practices to ensure every child feels safe, supported, and ready to learn.

Over the next couple of weeks, teachers will intentionally revisit routines, expectations, and classroom norms with students. This includes practicing:

• Respectful communication
• Responsible decision-making
• Safe and kind interactions.

This “reset” helps us rebuild strong habits so every classroom is a place where all students can thrive academically and socially.

Families can support this work at home by having simple conversations like:

• What does respect look like at school?
• How can you help your class be a great place to learn?
  
  

April Family Learning Challenge

This month, we invite all Lane families to join our “30 for 30 Challenge” in honor of our 30th anniversary!

Your goal: Spend 30 minutes a day for 30 days engaged in learning together.

This could include:

• Reading together or independently
• Practicing math facts or playing a math game
• Writing in a journal
• Exploring a new topic your child is curious about
• Having conversations about what your child is learning in school.

Consistency is key—small daily efforts lead to big growth over time.

* Bonus! * Keep a simple tracker at home and celebrate your progress as a family!

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting your child’s learning and growth. We are proud of the work happening every day at Lane and grateful to celebrate this milestone year together.

Let’s make April a month of strong learning, connection, and celebration!

With appreciation,

Mrs. Opie, Mr. Dickens, and Mrs. Lopez

Student Holidays Ahead; April Early Release Wednesday Canceled

We may have just returned from Spring Break and a Teacher Workday, but there are more school schedule changes in the weeks ahead. Please make sure you have these dates on your calendars.

• This Friday, April 10, is a Staff Development Day. Students are off this day to allow time for staff to participate in professional development. School will resume on Monday, April 13, at the regular time.
• There is no school for students on April 21 due to the Virginia statewide election. Student activities, athletic practices, and events will 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.
• Because of the election-related closure on the 21st as well as weather-related cancelations and delays earlier this year, the previously scheduled Early Release Wednesday this month has been converted back to a full day. All students will be released at the regular 4:05 dismissal time on April 29.

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.

On Friday, April 17—30 years to the day of Lane’s official dedication ceremony—we will all come together for a 30th Birthday Bash. We’ll have games, music, appearances by former administrators and other special guests, and the chance to catch up with old Lane friends and maybe make some new ones. Food and drink will be available for purchase, or you are welcome to bring your own picnic. You can also bring lawn chairs and lawn games to add to the fun.

The PTA has arranged to have the food truck from Rocklands BBQ onsite at the event, and you can pre-order to have it ready and waiting for you! Place your order between Thursday, April 9, and Thursday, April 16, at noon using this link: https://rocklands-bbq.square.site/.

If pre-ordering, please note:

• Pre-ordering may not be visible on Google Chrome, but other web browsers have no problem!
• Other locations/trucks may be listed and active for the same week, so be sure to select the correct location.
• Once the correct location is selected the date will automatically change to the date and start time of our event. You may schedule the time you would like to pick up your order by selecting "Change" under the location and switching from "ASAP" to "Later" and then entering the desired time.
• Some options may be available on pre-ordering only; currently a rib platter is only available through pre-order.

Other food trucks, including Rita's, will also be available on site at the event. Stay tuned for more details!

You can download a flyer for the event here. Please feel free to share the information 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.

The entire week before the big birthday bash, we will celebrate Lane history in a variety of ways during the school day. Our plans include a pep rally, commemorative classroom banners, pop-up appearances by Mr. Paws, and lots of celebration.

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

April Is Month of the Military Child; Schoolwide Celebration This Month with Morning Reception Open to All on Wednesday, April 29

April is the Month of the Military Child (MOMC), and here at Lane we are planning several special activities to celebrate the strength, spirit, and resilience of the many young military-connected lions we have in our community. Nearly 25 percent of our student body is military-connected.

As part of our celebration each year, we host a “Muffins for Military Lions” potluck breakfast in honor of our military-connected students. This year’s reception will be held at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 29, in the cafeteria. We recognize that all Lane Lions are connected to these students as classmates, friends, neighbors, and more, so all Lane Lions – military and non-military – and their families are welcome to attend.

We ask that each family bring a dozen mini muffins or half a dozen full-size muffins (or other breakfast treat) to share with others. Muffins and other items can be store-bought or homemade. We just ask that if you make your own you provide an ingredients list so that our families with allergies can choose safely.

If you’d like to join us that morning, please fill out this form and tell us what you’ll bring.

Other military-centered activities in the coming weeks include:

• “Purple Up!” Day on Wednesday, April 15! One day in April is selected each year as the day to “Purple Up!” for military kids, and all are encouraged to wear purple to honor the strength and sacrifices of military-connected youth. Why purple? Purple is the color that symbolizes all branches of the military, as it is the combination of Army green, Coast Guard blue, Air Force blue, Marine red, Navy blue, and Space Force dark blue. This year “Purple Up!” Day will be celebrated at Lane on Wednesday, April 15. We hope your child will join other Lane students and staff in “purpling up” their wardrobes that day. (This is also the SCA’s “Baseball Day.” Students are encouraged to participate in either or both!)
• Morning Meeting Shares
  Throughout this month of recognition, we encourage our military lions to share their experiences as military children with their classmates during Morning Meeting. If your child would like to participate, please sign up here.

• Dandelion Wall Display
  The dandelion is a symbol of military children because they are beautiful, resilient, and flourish wherever their seeds may land. We will be building a large dandelion display in our hallway, and we’d like to add the names of our military students as the “seeds.” Watch Wednesday Folders this week for a template to fill out and return if your child is military connected. We will add them to wall as they are received.
• Chains of Connection
  To continue our “Purple Up!” theme, we will be creating purple paper chains to decorate our school. All students will have the chance to celebrate members of the military and/or military children by dedicating a “link” to them.
• Military-Student/Family Slide Show
  Finally, to end our Month of the Military Child activities, we will create a special slide show featuring our military students! If you are a military family and would like us to include your child(ren) in the slide show, please email pictures (no more than three, please) to our family liaison, Melanie Crosby Hardy, at macrosby@fcps.edu. When you send the pictures, please let us know that it is OK to use the family name in the show (i.e. – The Smith Family). The slide show will not be shared publicly; it will only be shown at school. Pictures must be received by Friday, April 24, to be included in the slide show.

SOL Testing Begins April 30!

If you have a child in grades 3 through 6, please remember that required Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) testing begins at the end of this month on Thursday, April 30. Here is the full schedule by grade level:

• Thursday, April 30 – 3rd & 5th Grade Reading
• Friday, May 1– 4th & 6th Grade Reading
• Wednesday, May 13 – 5th Grade Science
• Monday, May 18 – 3rd & 6th Grade Math
• Tuesday, May 19 – 4th & 5th Grade Math.

If students are absent on an SOL test day, all efforts will be made to have them test on the day they return to school. If you know ahead of time that your child will be absent the day of an SOL test, please let your child’s teacher know as soon as possible.

You can help your children be physically prepared for testing by ensuring that they have a good night’s sleep the night before, eat a healthy breakfast in the morning, and come to school with a positive attitude.

Questions about SOL testing? Reach out to Lane’s Testing Coordinator and Math Resource Teacher, Kristie Cohen, at kmcohen@fcps.edu.

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!

Last Day to Order Yearbooks is Friday, May 1!

There are only a few weeks left to order 2025-2026 yearbooks! Pre-sales will end on Friday, May 1, and there will likely be no extra books available in June. If you want a yearbook for your child please order one now!

The price of each book is $22. You can have your child’s name printed on the cover for an additional $5.

To order, go to https://www.buytheyearbook.com, put in Lane Yearbook School ID #732283, and pay with your credit card. All orders are online only. Books will be distributed at school in early June.

Spring Holidays Past, Present, and Future!

April is a month filled with important religious holidays for many Lane families as well as recognition and awareness events that showcase many groups in our community.

Passover, which began at sundown on April 1 and runs through April 9, is the Jewish holiday that celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Many Jewish families eat a ceremonial meal known as the Seder, which involves telling the story of the exodus from Egypt as well as eating various symbolic foods. Chag Sameach to all in our community who celebrate! Christian families in our community marked two holy days during Spring Break.

Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, is the day on which Christians annually observe the commemoration of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. During special Good Friday services on this day of mourning, Christians meditate on Jesus's suffering and death on the cross and what this means for their faith. Read more about Good Friday at Britannica.com.

Yesterday was Easter, the most important Christian holiday. It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus, who sacrificed so that Christians may have life with God after death. Learn more about Easter in NatGeo Kids.

Millions of Orthodox Christians and their churches will celebrate Orthodox Good Friday according to the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD this Friday, April 10. On Good Friday Orthodox Christians embrace and relive the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testaments of the crucifixion of Jesus.

We wish a joyful Easter to our Orthodox Christian community! Many Orthodox Christians in the U.S. will celebrate Easter according to the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD on Sunday, April 12, which differs from the Western date we are most familiar with. Orthodox Easter is also a time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, whom all Christians believe to be the Son of God. All month long we recognize special populations in our community as well, in addition to our military childr