Dismissal changes should be submitted to the office by 2:30 p.m.
No student may be checked-out after 3:00 p.m. Pease arrive early.
Lunch visitors will be welcomed beginning October 1st.
The school does not accept food deliveries for students.
Bring your ID when coming to the building.
From September 15 to October 15, FCPS recognizes and celebrates the histories and cultures of the members of our community who trace their heritage to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS. Learn more about National Hispanic Heritage Month.
September 19 | This event will provide a structured opportunity for parents and guardians to meet with teachers and learn important detailed information about academic outcomes for each subject, curriculum changes, expectations for the school year, supports for students, communication methods for parents, and more. Spanish Translator will be available for this event. Email Marily Grotz, Family Liaison, at mgrotz@fcps.edu for information.
6:00-6:10 p.m. Meet & Greet for Session 6:10-6:15 p.m. Welcome Video 6:15-6:45 p.m. Classroom Presentation (Back-to-School Info) 6:45-7:00 p.m. Transition and Meet & Greet for Session 2 7:00-7:30 p.m. Classroom Presentation #2 (Back-to-School Info Repeated)
*There are two sessions for families that have more than one child at HES. The teachers will be presenting identical information in Session 1 and Session 2. Specialists will be in their classrooms. Feel free to stop by and say hello.
Art – Ms. Halvorson in room 115
Music – Mr. White in room 125 and Mr. Bennett in room 121
PE – Mr. Pitts and Ms. Tillery in the gym
Library & Technology – Ms. Ergler and Ms. Snyder in the library
ESOL – Christine Ludolph in room 116
Reading – Kendra Trainer in room 124
Math – Sara Wilska in room 315
Field Day Volunteers
Field Day is back this Fall at Hayfield Elementary on Friday, October 18. Volunteers are needed to help run the stations the classes will be rotating through. Field Day will be run in two different sessions.
Session 1: Grades K-3 will be from 8:50 - 11:00 AM.
Session 2: Grades 4-6 will be from 1:00 - 2:50 PM.
If you are able, please sign up for a session. We will follow up with you about a week before the event with additional information! Click on the Signup Genius link to sign up for a session
We understand that the multiple school forms caregivers receive during the first weeks of school can feel overwhelming, but each one helps set your child up for a successful school year! If you do not have a SIS ParentVUE account, please contact your child’s school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage.
🩹 Immunization Requirements
Please check with your healthcare provider as soon as possible to make sure your child is up to date on the immunizations required by the state of Virginia. Starting Monday, September 30, students who have not provided proof of immunization will not be allowed to attend school.
You may check your child’s immunization compliance and submit their immunization record in SIS ParentVUE. Records may also be delivered to your school’s front office. Alternative immunization documents (below) may also be provided to your school’s front office, but they may not be uploaded in ParentVUE:
A healthcare provider’s written statement specifying all administered immunizations.
A healthcare provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption.
A notarized Religious Exemption form objecting to the administration of immunizations due to conflicts with religious tenets or practices.
Families can easily grant permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. Parents can opt their child in or out of resources including online educational tools, school counseling services, and tutoring services. They can also change how student information is managed.Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool. Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R)
The SR&R document explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses. Parents using SIS ParentVUE will be prompted to sign the document when logging in to that platform. A printable version of the document with a signature sheet is available on the SR&R webpage. This form should be signed and returned by Friday, September 30.
Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) Elementary Continuum of Services
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to challenging all students through talent development efforts and differentiated instruction to meet the needs of advanced learners.
FCPS offers a continuum of advanced academic services for all students in Grades K-12. The continuum of services approach recognizes unique student needs and focuses on matching services, not labeling students. Through the continuum, students have:
Multiple entry points for deeper learning opportunities in specific areas of need as they develop.
A cluster group of students with similar academic needs to continue growing in their learning.
Teachers, Advanced Academic Resource Teachers (AARTs), and school administrators work together to provide the following levels of service at the elementary level:
Access to Rigor, Grades K-6 All students have opportunities to think critically, reason, and problem-solve.
All teachers use critical and creative thinking strategies in their lessons.
Classroom teachers provide opportunities using materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework a minimum of once per quarter.
Because Access to Rigor is for all FCPS students, there is not a screening process.
Subject-Specific Services, Grades K-6 Some students are strong in a specific subject area. Classroom teachers may adjust instruction for students in these area(s) by:
Providing different assignments and resources in those subjects,
Grouping students by their strengths, interests, and readiness, and
Providing additional challenges using materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework.
Student needs for Subject-Specific differentiation are re-evaluated each year at the local school.
Part-Time Services, Grades 3-6 Some students have advanced academic needs in multiple subject areas in addition to specific subject differentiation. They need Part-Time AAP services.
Students work with other students that have similar academic needs through weekly pull-out classes or weekly co-taught lessons with the AART and classroom teacher.
Teachers provide frequent opportunities to use materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework in Language Arts, science, social studies, and/or mathematics.
Part-Time services continue through Grade 6. Students do not need to be evaluated each year.
Full-Time Services, Grades 3-8 Some advanced learners need a Full-Time advanced academic program with differentiated instruction in all four core content areas (Language Arts, mathematics, social studies, and science).
Students eligible for Full-Time AAP services are cluster grouped on a Full-Time basis and receive:
Full-Time use of materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework in Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, and
Curriculum that is differentiated through acceleration, depth, and complexity of content.
Full-Time services continue through Grade 8. Students do not need to be evaluated each year.
Screening for Advanced Academic Program Services Multiple data points are reviewed holistically to determine eligibility for all FCPS advanced academic services. Committees consider student work from opportunities with AAP lessons, examples of student reasoning or gifted behaviors from class discussions and activities, progress reports, achievement and ability scores, and parent input. Committees consider whether students have access to a group of students with similar academic needs to support academic conversations and growth in the classroom. No pieces of the data are weighted in the holistic screening process.
Eligibility decisions for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP services are made by a committee at the local school, and screening is ongoing throughout the school year. To refer for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP services, submit the AAP School-Based Referral Form to the AART at the local school.
Eligibility decisions for Full-Time services are made by the countywide central selection committee.
Screening for Full-Time services occurs during specific screening cycles:
Fall screening is available for students who are new to FCPS since January.
The fall screening referral window is from the first day of school - October 15.
Spring screening is available for any Grade 2-7 FCPS-enrolled student.
The spring screening referral window is from the first day of school - December 15.
Please do not wait for test scores before submitting a referral for your student in Grades 2-7. Referrals submitted after the Full-Time services referral windows noted above will not be accepted.
Ability Testing FCPS uses ability testing as one consideration of the holistic screening process for advanced academic services. Test scores are not weighted or prioritized in the holistic screening process.
All students in Grade 1 take the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT).
All students in Grade 2 take the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT).
NNAT and/or CogAT may be administered to students in Grades 3-6 who do not have an ability test score during the regularly scheduled testing windows.
Parents or guardians may request a one-time retest of either the CogAT or the NNAT in grades 3-6. Requests must be made during the fall testing windows. Please contact the school testing coordinator, Sara Wilska (smwilska@fcps.edu) or AART, Avery Rothman (agrothman@fcps.edu), no later than September 15 to request the CogAT or October 15 for the NNAT.
Elementary Parent Information Meeting
A parent information meeting will be held at Hayfield Elementary on Tuesday, October 1st at 6pm. The AART, Avery Rothman (agrothman@fcps.edu) will provide information about the continuum of AAP services, explain the screening processes, and answer questions about advanced academic services.
Young Scholars The FCPS Young Scholars model seeks to identify and affirm, from an early age, students with high academic potential from groups historically underrepresented in advanced academic programming. The goal of the model is to eliminate barriers for Young Scholars’ access to and success in advanced academic opportunities in elementary, middle, and high school.
Twice-Exceptional (2e) Some gifted students with advanced learning needs may also have a learning disability. Twice-exceptional (or “2e”) students need strengths-based instruction while receiving advanced programming. The FCPS continuum of AAP services provides multiple entry points to meet student needs while also supporting their learning challenges. FCPS has created a 2e handbook to help schools and families understand how to identify and serve 2e students. You can find these resources by going to www.fcps.edu and searching “2e.”
Safety Drills During the School Year
Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for FCPS. Each school has an emergency preparedness plan to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Schools are required by state law to practice emergency drills, including lockdown drills, each year. Schools are also required to notify parents and guardians at least 24 hours before a school conducts a lockdown drill. However, schools are not required to give the specific date and time of the drill in advance.
The first lockdown drill of the school year must take place within the first 20 days of school. Preschool and kindergarten students are exempt from practicing the first lockdown drill.
Your child may come home and talk about their experience during the drill. We encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Please review these frequently asked questions to support your students before and after school lockdown drills.
⚠️ Know Our Security Terms
FCPS uses specific terminology to describe the actions school staff and students should take to ensure safety in a variety of situations. It is important for staff, families, and students to understand what the different terms mean and how they impact school operations.
Watch this video to learn about safety terms including lockdown; secure the building; and stay put, stay tuned.
If students, staff, or community members have a safety concern at school (that is not an immediate emergency), they should submit a tip to the FCPS Safety Tipline. In an emergency, please call 9-1-1.
For Our Military Families: Military Matters
Military Families Parent Coffee - HES Cafeteria September 24, 8:40-10:00am
Let’s connect with each other and create a sense of belonging as we celebrate Blue Star Families Welcome Week.
