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Dear Parents,
In the new year, we are continually reminded of how thankful we are to work in such a fantastic school and community.
Our Rise Against Hunger Campaign concluded successfully, and we are truly amazed at the generosity of our students and their families. The Langley Pyramid reached their monetary goal thus allowing us to package 100,000 meals for people in developing nations! Our efforts brought together our community in a collaborative way to help those less fortunate(see pictures below).
Secondly, we are so thankful for the amazing persistence and dedication our teachers put forth every day. One of our teachers, Kim Cash, was recently recognized for her outstanding work through our FCPS Cares program. She's just one of the reasons Great Falls remains such a highly respected school. Should you have an interest in recognizing one of our staff members, you can click here.
Lastly, you may notice that we have started placing PTA bulletin announcements at the bottom of these school newsletters. We are thankful for the opportunity to continue to strengthen our collaborative efforts with our PTA. Their hard work and support make our school an amazing learning environment and enhance our students' education each and every day.
Happy New Year and we look forward to a fantastic 2018!
Sara Harper and Chris Litz
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2/6 Spelling Bee, Gr 4-6, 1:30 p.m.
2/8 Gr 3
Field Trip-Air and Space Museum
2/12 Gr 1 NNAT
Testing
2/14 PTA
General Meeting, Café
2/19 School
Closed-President’s Day Holiday
2/28 Talent
Show, Gr K-3, Gym, 6:00 p.m.
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3/2 Talent Show, Gr 4-6, Gym, 6:00 p.m.
3/8 Deadline to
Order 17-18 GFES Yearbook
3/26-30 Spring
Break Week
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Progress Reports
Progress reports were sent home in your child's backpacks yesterday, 2/6/2018. Please make sure to sign the progress report envelopes and return to your child's teacher.
Yearbook
Don’t
miss out, order today!
Only $20.00 per copy
Order online: www.jostens.com/yearbooks
or pay by cash or
check made Payable to Provine School Pictures.
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Great Falls Elementary students in grades 4th through 6th participated in the 2018 National Geography Bee. The process begins with individual classroom bees, followed by grade level bees, which leads to three representatives from each grade level. The following representatives went on to participate in the school-wide Bee which was held January 18th:
4th Grade
Austin Conver (Gray)
Charlotte Gould (Funn)
Eric Loizeaux (Funn)
5th Grade
Conor Ruzila (Callaway)
Ian Buckler (Limberis)
Chandler Bowles (Boyce)
6th Grade
Theo Austell (Thomas)
Claire Kim (Thomas)
Charlie Gavin (Rogers)
These students bravely faced off to answer challenging questions in our final bee. Congratulations go to 4th grade student Eric Loizeaux, our school champion, and Austin Conver, our first runner-up.
As our school champion this year, Eric will complete a written test in order to qualify for the national championship. We wish him the best of luck and we thank all of our participants for sharing their knowledge and expertise with us.
 Spring 2018 SOL Schedule
(Grades 3-6)
Mark Your Calendars!
Students in grades 3-6 will be
taking the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Tests from May 14 – May 31. It
will be very helpful if you can avoid appointments and trips which may take your
child out of school during this time period.
SOL tests measure the extent
to which students have learned the content and skills specified in the Virginia
Standards of Learning. Content areas will be tested according to the
following schedule:
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Thank you for your support and assistance with our SOL test
administration!
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School Safety and Threat Assessment
Fairfax County Public Schools has a well-established
policy and protocol for responding to threats of violence in the schools. To
help parents and older students learn more about the role they can play in
keeping schools safe, we have collaborated with the Youth Violence Project of
the Curry School of Education, University of Virginia to develop short videos
with useful information. These brief modules were developed for parents
and children aged 12 and up, and you may want to watch the student video with your
child to answer any questions which may arise. To access these modules go to www.schoolthreatassessment.com and use parent
code pgvsdt and student code sy8zk2
as a password.
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 Attention 5th grade parents:
Important Immunization Information
Tdap Immunization is
required for all 6th grade students. Virginia law requires that all students
entering sixth-grade (and all students new to FCPS entering grades seven
through eleven) have a tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap) booster
immunization prior to entry into school.
Parents of current
fifth-graders should review their children's immunization records to determine
if the student needs to get the Tdap immunization. This vaccination may be
listed as T, Td, DTaP, and /or Tdap. Parents should call their doctor or local
health department if they have questions. The Tdap booster can be obtained from
your child’s physician. Immunizations required for school are also available at
the Fairfax County Health Department at no charge. Information about health department clinic locations and hours can be
found by clicking here.
You may submit the
documentation, such as a signed and dated immunization record from your health
care provider, to our school’s registrar, Abeer El Gharib, while your child is
still in the fifth grade to ensure that he or she meets this requirement before
the first day of school in the fall. If
more convenient, documentation may be submitted via fax (703-757-2197, or email
to amelgharib@fcps.edu
Fairfax County Public Schools
tracks compliance with this state requirement and students who do not meet the
requirement before September, 2017 will not be able to start school.
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If your child will be 5 years old by
September 30, 2018,
it’s time to register for Kindergarten!
Parents and children eligible for
kindergarten are invited to an overview of the school’s kindergarten program on
Tuesday,
April 26, 2018 from 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. in our school
cafeteria.
Rising kindergarten students will
meet our kindergarten teachers in the classroom for a
special welcome and activities. Parents
will meet in the cafeteria to receive an overview of GFES and the kindergarten
program. A kindergarten teacher will
present an overview of the kindergarten curriculum and the daily schedule. This
is an excellent opportunity for parents unsure of whether or not their child is
ready for kindergarten to come, listen, and make an informed decision.
GFES PTA Updates
Next General Meeting
Wed, Feb 14, 9:45am, Science Lab
Come join us to hear Mrs. Harper speak about FCPS and GFES Safety and Security procedures.
School Support
Interested in helping out at school? Click the links below to volunteer
Critical Thinking Lab - Volunteers Needed
Library - Help out shelving books and keep our library organized.
Art Room - Help sort and hang student art work.
Embry Rucker - Help transport donated food that is uneaten from our cafeteria to the shelter.
Change of Transportation (COT) - Click here to volunteer
School Spirit
Talent Show - Save the Date:
Lower Grades (K-3): Rehearsal date: Feb 27 and
Show date: Feb 28
Upper Grades (4-6): Rehearsal date: Mar 1 and
Show date: Mar 2
Spirit Day Every Friday - Get
your SPIRIT on! Wear your GFES spirit wear or school colors (blue & gold)
to school.
Enrichment
Girls on the Run (GOTR) -
Spring Session - Registration Jan 29 - Feb 26
Spelling Bee: Feb 6
Science Olympiad Division A -
After school sessions begin Feb 1
Art Enrichment #4:
Next Art Enrichment orientation session Feb 21,
9:15am
Artist - Maya Lin
Science Lab #6: http://gfespta.com/science-enrichment.html
1st - Polymers
2nd - Static Electricity
3rd - Composting
4th - Circuits and Conductors
5th - Ecology
6th - Forensics
Fundraising
BoxTop$:
2nd Quarter raffle winner to be announced on
Tues, Feb 6
Keep collecting BoxTop$; Submit to school office
by April 9 to be entered into the 3rd Quarter raffle
Shop Amazon: http://www.gfes-shop.com
Great Falls Creamery: Every
Weds!
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