Upcoming Dates

April 19: GR 2 Field Trip
                PTA All School Spirit Event at South Lakes HS (Details below)

April 22-26: Earth Week (Spirit Week details below)

April 22:  Passover Begins

April 24:  Theravada Begins

April 25:  GR 6 Panoramic Picture Taken (Approx. 9:15 AM)
                GR 3 Field Trip (Kim/Merritt)

April 26:  GR 3 Field Trip (Goodson/Owens)

April 27: HWES Wellness Fair, 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM (Details below)
                PTA Children's Clothing Swap, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM (Details below)

May 2:  GR 3-6 SOL Testing Begins (See complete schedule below)

May 8:  Bike & Roll to School (Details coming soon)

May 17: PTA International Family Heritage Night, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Join the Fun Tonight!
Friday, April 19
Sponsored by the HWES PTA

Location: South Lakes High School 

Let's Celebrate Earth Day
and Earth Week!

April 22 - April 26

Students and Staff are invited to wear the color matching each day’s theme to show your Earth Week spirit!

• Monday, April 22 – Earth Day - Wear Green
• Tuesday, April 23 – Watershed Day - Wear Blue
• Wednesday, April 24 – Zero Waste Day - Wear White
• Thursday, April 25 – Climate Change Day - Wear Red
• Friday, April 26- Wildlife Day - Wear Nature Print

Earth Week Events in Our Community

Continue the learning and have fun with our Fairfax County Partners:

Fairfax County Park Authority's Earth Day Festival will be held Saturday, April 20 from 10am-4pm at the Sully Historic Site. The festival will include earth and nature-focused programs, scavenger hunts, and more.

The 6th Annual Mount Vernon District Environment Expo: Get Outdoors! Learn and Do! will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at Fort Hunt Park, 8999 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria. The goal of this free, family-friendly event is to educate and inform attendees about the environmental challenges that we face on a daily basis and how we can all act to save our planet.

Passover and Half-O Days Many Jewish communities in the United States celebrate Passover, a recognition of the deliverance of Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. Passover is also known as Pesah, Pesach, or the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Many Jewish families in the United States 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, such as meat of the paschal lamb and bitter herbs, recalling the harsh life of slavery. Learn more about Passover in NatGeo Kids.  Monday, April 22, and Tuesday, April 23, are designated half-O days in recognition of the first two days of Passover. Half-O days are full school days, but important events will not be held after school on those days. See the complete school year calendar.

Theravada New Year In countries where Theravada Buddhism is the most dominant religion, New Year is celebrated for three days from the first full moon in April. Theravada means “the teachings of the elders.” Celebrations begin with people attending the local temple in the morning for chanting and meditation. In the afternoon they have a water festival in which they meet the Buddha image and pay respect to the elderly by watering their hands together. Building sandcastles is also one of the most popular activities during this day of celebration. Wednesday, April 24, is designated as an O day for Theravada New Year. The school calendar recognizes many religious and cultural observances (O days) during the school year. There is school on these days, however tests, quizzes, field trips, graduation, homecoming, or FCPS-scheduled athletic events will not be held on these observance days. See the complete school year calendar.

Standards of Learning (SOL)
Testing Schedule | GR 3-6

Students in Grades 3-6 will be taking the Virginia Standards of Learning tests in the month of May at Hunters Woods. We have scheduled SOL tests to take place on the dates below. Testing will begin shortly after 9:15 AM. 

Thursday, May 2
3rd-6th Grade: Reading SOL

Wednesday, May 8
5th Grade Only: Science SOL

Tuesday, May 14
3rd-6th Grade: Math SOL

Please avoid any doctor's appointments or
other scheduled appointment on these dates.

News from the HWES PTA

Order Your 2023-2024 Yearbook Online

The deadline to preorder has been extended: New deadline: April 30

The Hunters Woods PTA is selling the 2023-2024 Yearbook!! 

• Order your child's 2023-2024 yearbooks at Order Yearbook Here. Use school code 0037427YB. The cost is $15 per soft cover copy.
• Order now to guarantee you get a copy and at a lower price!! After April 30, we will only be selling a limited number of yearbooks at the end of the year. The in-person price will $20 per book. Once they are gone, they are gone!!
• Yearbook order forms were sent home in your child's Thursday folder on February 15. Extra order forms are available in the main office.
• If you would prefer to purchase your yearbook by check (made payable to “HWPTA”) or cash, please send your payment in the envelope attached to the order form. (Please make sure to tape/seal the envelope so your payment is not lost.)
• If you have any questions, please email yearbook@hwpta.org.

Save the Date!
Two Events on Saturday, April 27

 Wellness Fair Sponsored by HWES

Saturday, April 27 | 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Children's Clothing Swap

Sponsored by the HWES PTA

Saturday, April 27 | 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM

FCPS News & Resources

Summer Arts Camp

Don’t miss out on this summer’s most exciting arts enrichment program! At Elementary Institute for the Arts (E-IFTA), students take art, music, theater, and dance classes daily. E-IFTA is for current second through fifth grade students. Learn more on the E-IFTA webpage. Email EIFTA@fcps.edu with any questions.

In Case You Missed It

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:

• Spring Assessments
• Family Conference
• Community Forums on Middle School Start Times

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving the weekly newsletter, please sign up today. 

News from Around Town

Langston Hughes Middle School Presents
Bye Bye Birdie!

Join LHMS for Performances on:

Thursday, April 25th at 7:00 PM

Friday, April 26th at 7:00 PM

Saturday, April 27th at 3:00 PM & 7:00 PM

A show like this will sell out fast so purchase your tickets for $10 at https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/15645/

Please bring cash to support our cast & crew by purchasing concessions and Break-a-Leg Grams for your favorites!!! 

Come camera ready to take pictures and get autographs from the stars! 

South Lakes HS Presents Big Fish
Special Preview: May 1
Main Show Dates: May 2, 3, and 4

Families in the local Reston schools are invited to see South Lakes Theatre Arts perform Big Fish (a musical) for a special Community Preview event. For one night only, get $5 off each ticket and meet the cast and crew after the show for autographs and pictures.

Join us for a special Community Preview event for South Lakes High School Theatre Arts' musical presentation of Big Fish.

Big Fish is the story of Edward Bloom, a charismatic storyteller whose fantastical tales captivate his son, Will, while also making him question what’s really true about his father’s life stories. Will reflects on his father’s larger-than-life stories, leading to an exploration of family, legacy, and the power of storytelling.

On Wednesday, May 1st at 7:00pm (before the main show dates on May 2nd, 3rd, and 4th), students and families from the South Lakes pyramid schools are invited to an exclusive private viewing of this magical show with a $5 discount on each ticket. After the performance, you’ll have a rare opportunity to meet the cast and crew, take photos, and get their autographs. Youth t-shirts will be for sale and can be autographed!

This extraordinary experience will only be offered on Wednesday, May 1st for our pyramid families, to allow younger students to see this show together. This is a great opportunity for them to experience the power of storytelling, foster a love for the arts, and capture memories of the magical and heartwarming show.

Under the creative direction of Mr. Michael Viola, and featuring an incredibly talented cast and crew, Big Fish promises to be a production that captivates and delights audiences of all ages (best for ages 8+). Did you know that the South Lakes Theatre Arts program won 12 awards for their musical last year, including Best Musical in two different awards shows!

So, don't miss out on this special preview event where imagination comes to life on stage.

Get your tickets online now, before this special preview sells out.

HWES Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/HWESMustangs/  HWES PTA Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Hunters-Woods-PTA-121455097915668/ HWES Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/HuntersWoodsES?s=20

2401 Colts Neck Road Reston, VA  20191 | Main Office: 703-262-7400
Attendance: 703-262-7474 | Web | Twitter