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Our Thanksgiving Luncheon was a beautiful reminder of the power of school and family partnership. Thank you to all the families who joined us today!

Important Dates

November

Nov. 26 - 28: Thanksgiving Holiday (No School)

December

Dec. 9: Winter Chorus Concert (5:30 pm)

Dec. 10: 3 Hour Early Release

Dec. 10: Family Life Education Parent Information Night - Join here virtually

Dec. 18: Glow Walk Night

Dec. 22 - Jan. 2: Winter Break (No School)

Family Life Education

Students in grades K-6 participate in Family Life Education (FLE) instruction through their classroom teacher. Students in Kindergarten through grade three receive instruction in an emotional and social health unit.

Students in grades 4-6 receive instruction in a human growth and development unit and an emotional and social health unit. For more information about the FCPS Family Life Education program, please see the detailed grade-level program descriptions.

In addition, grade-level-specific curriculum lessons are available for review in multiple locations.

• Online in Schoology - Includes lessons and media titles that FCPS has streaming rights for. Any additional media or book titles that are not streamed are available at your child’s school library.
• Parents/guardians log in to Schoology using the same username and password as their Student Information System (SIS) Parent account.
• Your child’s school. Please contact the school to schedule a time to review lessons and/or media.
• City of Fairfax Regional Library – lessons only.  Media is not available.

You are invited to attend an evening opportunity to preview the Family Life Education media and lessons and to hear from school staff about the program. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 6:00 PM. 

Please use this link to access the meeting here 

Parents/guardians who do not wish to have their child participate in FLE instruction may choose to opt their child out of any or all of the lessons. If you would like to opt your child out of one or more lessons, please complete the opt-out form available in Parent Digital Consent (PDC). If you are unable to access PDC, a paper opt-out form will be sent out this week in Thursday's folders. Should you opt your child out and then later decide you want your child included in FLE instruction, you must notify your child’s school principal in writing before instruction begins.

An alternative non-FLE health instructional program is provided for children who do not take part in FLE instruction, and every effort is made to foster understanding and respect for family choices and to avoid peer pressure for or against participation in the program.

Instruction of the instructional units occurs at various times during the school year. Please contact your child’s teacher for specific dates of FLE instruction. We look forward to working as your partner in providing information that will help your child make healthy choices related to the exciting changes and new challenges he/she will be facing in the next few years.

Socktober Thank you so much for your support of SOCKTOBER. With your support, we were able to donate 725 pairs of socks and winter items to Embry Rucker Community Shelter AND Fair Ridge Family Shelter!  At the heart of being an IB World School is taking action, and we are so proud of how our students were able to take action for our community!

❄️ Prepare for Winter Weather

Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather closing decisions are made at FCPS. 

FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible, including email, text, social media, the new FCPS mobile app, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.

Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange emergency child care if needed.

⛄ Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities

We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories that may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. View the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.

If you need assistance getting cold-weather clothing for your family, please call Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health.

Volunteer FCPS Helps Community Members Connect With Schools

The new volunteer management system, Volunteer FCPS, allows individuals to search and register for volunteer opportunities at our school or across the school district. 

Volunteer FCPS is how FCPS provides a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. Anyone interested in volunteering with FCPS must:

• Create a profile in Volunteer FCPS. 
• Register for opportunities through Volunteer FCPS. 
• Sign in and out of schools using the visitor kiosk on EVERY visit – no exceptions.  

Recent Updates to Volunteer Opportunity LevelsDue to the overwhelming response, FCPS is temporarily pausing fingerprint requirements for most Level 3 volunteers. Those who have already been fingerprinted will be processed to be eligible for all Level 3 opportunities. ​​​​​​​

Field trip chaperone opportunities will now be classified as Level 2 (not requiring a comprehensive background check that includes fingerprinting). 

To ensure continuous safety, all new volunteers are required to sign a Volunteer Certification Statement. This statement is a legal confirmation that you have no history of violent felonies, physical or sexual crimes against children, or crimes of moral turpitude (dishonesty, fraud, things that are immoral by society’s standards).

Visit the Volunteer FCPS website to complete a volunteer orientation. View Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about the volunteer levels.

Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15

Parents and guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for full-time Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) services must submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to Katie Symionow at kksymionow@fcps.edu no later than December 15, 2025.

Each year, families can submit a referral for full-time AAP services any time from the first day of school through December 15. No late referrals for full-time AAP services will be accepted.

Once a referral is received, our school will compile information related to the student. Then, a committee of six trained professionals from across the county will review materials to determine eligibility for full-time AAP services. 

Next Steps for Parents

Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of their child’s materials after February 20, 2026, by emailing Katie Symionow at kksymionow@fcps.edu.

At the elementary level, referrals for subject-specific and part-time AAP are screened by the school. If you miss the full-time referral deadline, your student can still be screened for subject-specific or part-time AAP services for the remainder of the year. 

At the middle school level, honors courses are open to all students.  

For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs webpage.