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May 16-24 -        South County Pyramid Art                            Exhibition, Lorton Workhouse Arts                            Center (flyer below) Mon, May 25 -    NO SCHOOL, Memorial Day                             Holiday Tue, May 26 -     NO SCHOOL, Teacher Workday Wed, May 27 -    NO SCHOOL, Eid Al-Adha Holiday Fri, May 29 -      Deadline: Class Placement                            Parent Input                            Volunteer Breakfast, 9:15-10:45am Tue, Jun 2 -       South County HS Senior Walk,                           12:30pm                           4th & 5th Grade Awards Ceremony,                           2:30-3:30pm Tue, Jun 3 -      SCA Induction Ceremony,                           2:30-3:30pm

Good afternoon Newington Forest Families,

We are almost done with SOLs! Grades 3-6 have completed their SOL assessments are we are now working on student retakes for the next couple of weeks. 

I also want to highlight the fact that Newington Forest Knights have been amazing with their attendance this school year! Our absenteeism rate is at 9.8%! Thank you to students and parents for getting to school on time each day. My hope is that we continue to see students with strong attendance until the last day of school!

This week, we had:

• Patrol End of Year Celebration - Thank you, Patrols, for your hard work all year round. You work keeps our students safe every single day. Thank you also to Mr. Drummond and Mr. Moxie for guiding our Patrols throughout the school year - and throwing a great party! 
• Visit from Fairfax County Public Library - Staff from FCPL came to speak with students about summer reading. Thank you Mrs. Sharrett, for scheduling this important visit. 
• Last Knights Clubs and 3-Hour Early Release Wednesday of the school year - I am thankful for all of our staff and students for pulling together to make it successful! 
• SCA Elections - Congratulations to our new SCA Leadership for the 2026-2027 school year! Thank you to everyone who ran a thoughtful and respectful campaign. Thank you also to Mrs. Jensen, for a smooth election process. I am pleased to introduce our new SCA leaders for next year:
  • Lillian Smith, President
  • Julianna Hope, Vice President
  • Victoria Hezel, Secretary
  • Patrick Smith, Treasurer
• Chorus Spring Concert - Beautiful performance, everyone! Thank you to Mrs. Gordon and Mx. Bosley for putting together a lovely concert.
• Young Scholars Field Trip - this multi-age group went out to the National Museum of the Army and Mrs. Trope said everyone had  a great time. Thank you for organizing the trip, Ms. Trope.

Reminder: Deadline for Class Placement Parent Input is Friday, May 29, 2026.

I hope you have a wonderful well-deserved long weekend. Remember, no school until Thursday!

Sincerely,

Angela Thompson
Principal

*****YEARBOOKS ARE HERE!*****

Your child should have brought their yearbook home this afternoon. If you wish to pay to keep your yearbook, please submit your $15 payment either:

• Online at www.strawbridge.net. Online code is YB33418
• Check payable to "Strawbridge Studios"
• Exact Cash

If you do not wish to pay to keep your yearbook, please return the yearbook to the school by Friday, June 5, 2026

South County Pyramid Art Exhibition

Look who we saw at the Art Exhibition! Mr. Drake saw so many Newington Forest Artists come through the gallery at the reception on Sunday. We hope you've had a chance to check it out too. This is the last weekend to see the exhibition! Admission is free!

When: May 16-24
Where: Lorton Workhouse Arts Center, 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA
Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 11am - 6pm, Sunday 12-5pm

Chorus Spring Concert

Class Placement Parent Input

As we begin planning for the 2026–27 school year, I want to remind families of the process for providing input for class placement.

Class placement is a structured process that takes many factors into account to ensure balanced and supportive learning environments for all students.  Our teams take great care in the class placement process to ensure the best possible experience for every student.

In previous years, we invited families to submit requests based on teacher characteristics.  This year, we welcome families to share significant interpersonal conflicts your child has with other students that could affect their learning environment or friendships that are especially meaningful to your child. If you would like to provide input, please submit it using the Google Form below by Friday, May 29, 2026 - https://forms.gle/6eGp5rrs355WXvqbA 

Please note that our admin team has several mandatory trainings this summer and will not have the time to review late submissions. Please submit input by the deadline.

We value your partnership and the role you play in supporting your child’s success.

Thank you,

Angela Thompson
Principal

Young Scholars Field Trip

NFES SOL Schedule Spring 2026

Please note the changes in our calendar below! Please help your student feel confident and ready by reviewing the schedule and ensuring they arrive at school on time. If you know your child will be absent on a testing day, please notify their teacher as soon as possible so we can plan accordingly.

Volunteers Needed on Field Days!

Mark your calendars for our Field Days in June!

Friday, June 5th

Wednesday, June 10th

If you are you available to help make Field Day a success, please volunteer below!

• Kindergarten: https://volunteer.fcps.edu/custom/501/opp_details/3537
• Grades 1 & 2: https://volunteer.fcps.edu/custom/501/opp_details/3547
• Grades 3 & 4: https://volunteer.fcps.edu/custom/501/opp_details/3548
• Grades 5 & 6: https://volunteer.fcps.edu/custom/501/opp_details/3549

What's in the Backpack?

Conversations with parents and families about substance use / Conversaciones con padres y familias sobre el uso de sustancias

Target Audiences / Audiencias Objetivo:

Including South County, Lewis, Hayfield, Annadale pyramids / lncluyendo las piramides de South County, Lewis, Hayfield, Annadale

Thursday, May 28, 2026
5:30pm - 7:00pm
John R. Lewis High School - Cafeteria
6540 Franconia Road Springfield, VA 22150

Join us to learn about vaping devices, current trends, and how to talk with your teen. / Acomparienos para aprender sobre dispositivos de vapeo, tendencias actuales y como hablar con su hijo/a. 

3rd Annual FCPS Puzzle Hunt –
Free Summer Fun!

This FREE event is open to solvers of all ages and is a great way to keep students and families engaged in fun, creative problem-solving over the summer. It also teaches bike and pedestrian safety and encourages active transportation.

New this year: the school with the most solvers will win a special visit from Sue Doku!

Participants can sign up here: www.solvingfun.com/fairfax

New Cellphone Policy Starts July 1

On Thursday, May 7, the Fairfax County School Board approved changes to the FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R). The approved changes include updated guidance for cellphone possession and use, to align the FCPS cellphone policy with Senate Bill 108. This new Virginia law goes into effect on July 1 and states that all schools in the Commonwealth must follow a “bell-to-bell” phone-free policy.

This means that starting July 1, 2026, across all grade levels at FCPS, student cellphones, phone accessories, and all smart devices (including watches that serve a dual purpose, such as smart watches, as well as earbuds, headsets, smart glasses, and other other items connected to the internet) must be off and personally stored (i.e., put away in backpacks) for the duration of the school day — thus, no cellphones from bell to bell. 

High school students will no longer be able to use cellphones and personal devices during lunchtime. More details are available on the FCPS Cellphone Policy webpage. 

Other SR&R Changes for the 2026-27 School Year

Visit the FCPS website or the School Board agenda to learn about additional updates, including:

• Added guidance and procedures for in-school and out-of-school suspensions and discipline investigations, including supports for students with disabilities and multilingual learners. 
• Expanded guidance and standardized disciplinary procedures (“Universal Grade Matrices”) related to harassment, hate speech, discriminatory behavior, and Title IX reporting requirements.
• Responses to incidents involving intimate images, fighting, physical aggression, object throwing, and drug policy violations.

Your Child's Mental Wellness Matters: Access Comprehensive Services

Reach out to the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) for specialized youth mental health services designed to help your child succeed. The CSB has individual and family counseling, psychiatric diagnostic evaluations, medication management, parenting groups, peer support, crisis response, recovery supports that include medication-assisted treatment (MAT), intensive services, and other services. 

Contact CSB Entry and Referral to get started by calling 703-383-8500 or emailing csb@fairfaxcounty.gov. 

Additional Mental Health Resources

FCPS has resources available to support your child’s mental health. During after-school hours, parents and students who need additional support can use the 988 Lifeline to get free, confidential guidance from trained crisis counselors on how to best help someone experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis. You can call or text the number. 

Recent reports have shared an 11% drop in suicides among young people since the rollout of 988. Please note, the hotline is not only for those experiencing suicidal ideation (or thoughts), it is also available for any mental health or substance abuse-related crisis and those with a loved one experiencing those crises or suicidal thoughts. 

And as always, if your concern is an emergency, you should call 911.

FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story so we can all acknowledge the good work of our Newington Forest staff members.

FCPS News In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others: Graduation and Summer Resources Check Your Lunch Balance Mental Health Support Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.