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Dear Freedom Hill Community,
We hope you are well! Yesterday was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and we hope you and your family had a moment to reflect on the legacy of a very important man in American (and world) history. His words still ring very true today, and we hope that the care and high expectations for all of our students at Freedom Hill will continue to allow them to make their dreams a reality.
But first, we must celebrate our first snow day in a very long time! As I shared last night, I'll be doing a short read aloud for families today at 1:00. I invite you to meet me at this Zoom link as I read Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner. It is a story of winter exploration and learning about what our animal friends are up to during the winter. All are welcome!
We look forward to seeing our Eagles very soon. Enjoy the snow and be safe! Don't forget we have a PTA meeting this Thursday, and our Watch DOGS kickoff next week! Be sure to sign up for the kickoff below if you have not already.
In partnership,
Nicholas Zapadka, Principal
2023-24 FCPS School Calendar
FCPS Lunch Menu
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January 16 - FH Parent Learning Series Postponed
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January 16 - Read Aloud w/ Dr. Z., Zoom, 1:00
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January 18 - Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:30, Zoom
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January 22 - Watch D.O.G.S. Kickoff Pizza Night (5:30 - Sign Up Here)
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January 23 - PTA Family Dinner Out - Noodles and Co.
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January 25: End of Q2 - 2-Hour Early Release at 2:05
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January 26: Teacher Workday - Student Holiday
Our expert Instructional Support Team is excited to share the dates and topics for our new Family Learning Series. Our goal is to provide learning opportunities for parents / caregivers interested in a variety of topics related to our students' experiences. These will be held (mostly) virtually so that topics can be recorded for families to view at a later time if desired. The first 30 minutes will be in English, and the second 30 minutes in Spanish. We look forward to seeing you!
Completed:
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Introduction to Advanced Academics with Mrs. Fredericks (September 2023, Link)
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Full-Time Advanced Academics Screening with Mrs. Fredericks - for families with students in grades 2-6 (October 2023, Link)
Coming Soon:
- Date TBD - Introduction to Special Education & Section 504 with Mrs. Tingler and Mr. Grumbach (7PM English, 7:30PM Spanish, Link)
- Jan. 22 - Watch D.O.G.S. Kickoff Pizza Night with Dr. Zapadka, Mr. Kopacz, and Mr. Hay (In-Person Only, 5:30PM in Cafeteria, Reserve Your Spot)
Later this Year:
- March 13 - The Science of Reading - Our New Approach to Teaching with Mrs. Rossman and Mrs. Mansuy (7PM English, 7:30PM Spanish, Link TBD)
- April 4 - All About the SOLs with Mr. Kopacz and Dr. Zapadka (7PM English, 7:30PM Spanish, Link TBD)
Attendance is an important indicator of student success in school. Recently, we sent home a flyer highlighting the significance of student attendance and the success students see when they achieve regular attendance in school. This week, families who have a student who has missed 5 or more days of school will be receiving a letter as a reminder of the importance of arriving to school with consistency, every day and on time. As we establish our 2024 routines, please have a conversation with your child/children about ensuring continued attendance and participation in school. Thank you, and as always, please feel free to reach out to the school for support if needed.
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This week, we are focusing on Perseverance. You complete what you start despite obstacles. You never give up.
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"It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.”
~Babe Ruth
Questions you might enjoy talking about:
- What is involved in perseverance?
- How is perseverance related to teamwork? Creativity? Optimism?
How can a growth-mindset help as you think about perseverance?
As the weather grows cooler, we monitor for very low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories which may prevent children from being outside. At this time, it is our intention to have outdoor recess on most days as weather permits.
Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and/or other cold-weather clothing so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. See the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.
If you need assistance supplying your child with cold-weather clothing, our Family Liaison, Ms. Riera Pineros, can assist you. You can also call Fairfax County's Coordinated Services Planning at 703-222-0880. The multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and healthcare.
 Our Freedom Hill dads/male caregivers are invited to bring their student(s) to Freedom Hill for a pizza dinner and to learn about our Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) volunteer program. We will be holding it this year on January 22 at 5:30. We have made some tweaks this year based on community feedback (including having half-day signups that may be more manageable for our working D.O.G.S). Even if you are a returning participant, we'd still love to have you out. Planning to attend? Please complete this quick form so we have enough pizza!
Thank you David Hay for coordinating this great program as our "Top Dog" again this year.
Registration for the countywide lottery for Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs will open on Monday, January 22. Current pre-K students may apply for the kindergarten immersion program, and current kindergarten students may apply for the first grade immersion programs for the 2024-25 school year. Programs are available in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.
Parents/caregivers who are interested may want to attend an informational meeting. Meetings are held at the school site. Check the FCPS events calendar for the most current information. Meetings will begin on Tuesday, January 16.
A virtual meeting hosted by the World Languages Office will include general program information. Access to this virtual meeting will be made available on the FCPS events calendar and the Dual Language Immersion registration site on the day of the meeting.
Get more information on the immersion program webpage and registration page.
  
UPCOMING PTA MEETING
Join us virtually at our first meeting of 2024 this Thursday, January 18th from 7:30-8:30PM using this link: Zoom. Agenda and financials will be posted to the FHES website later this week. After this week’s meeting, our next PTA meeting is scheduled for March so join on Thursday and hear about upcoming events in January, February, and early March.
DINE OUT AT NOODLES & COMPANY
Save the date for another fun family dinner out next Tuesday, January 23rd from 4-9PM at Noodles and Co. located at 201 Maple Avenue East in Vienna. Make sure to mention FHES PTA when placing your order to dine-in or carry-out. Ordering online? Use code “Giving25” to make sure we get credit for your order. Thank you Camille Paredes for organizing this FDO!
PTA SCHOOL DIRECTORY
Looking for the PTA's School Directory? The directory is online! Visit https://freedomhillespta.memberhub.com/directory and log in using the email address you previously provided to the school. If you log in and do NOT have access, please send an email to directory@freedomhillpta.org with your name (first and last), the name of your student(s), and the corresponding teacher's name(s). Contact directory@freedomhillpta.org with any questions or concerns.
“BEE” PREPARED
The Spelling Bee is coming to FHES! If your student in 1st through 6th grade is planning to participate, they can find the word lists and more information on the PTA website here: Spelling bee. Students selected from each grade will advance to the School Bee on Monday, February 12th, at 6PM.
GET READY FOR THE SCIENCE FAIR
We are hosting the Science Fair on February 23rd and look forward to seeing students’ creative projects! This is a great opportunity for students to make a fun display of something that interests them. Projects may relate to something students have learned during the year but there’s no requirement that the project be based on in-class instruction. All students can choose to participate and they can work individually, with a friend, or with a group of friends. Students are encouraged to plan early so they have enough time to prepare. This is just one site where you can get inspired: Science Fair Project Ideas, Answers, & Tools (sciencebuddies.org). A copy of the flier that went home last week is available on the PTA website.
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