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A Note from the Principal's Desk
Dear HWES families,
As we approach the end of the first quarter next week, we want to take a moment to acknowledge the hard work of our students, staff, and families. It’s been a productive start to the school year, and we’re excited to continue building on that momentum.
With the cooler fall weather settling in, it’s a great time to remind our students to come to school with jackets and/or sweaters. Please take a moment to label any jackets and sweaters. This makes it easier for us to return any lost items promptly.
Next week brings some schedule changes. On Monday, we will have a 3-hour early release, with dismissal at 12:40 PM. On Thursday, there will be a 2-hour early release at 1:45 PM, and there will be no school on Friday, November 1st, 4th, or 5th. Please communicate any dismissal changes with your child’s teacher and the HWES main office to ensure all students are dismissed safely during this busy week. The county calendar is here.
Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to making this school year successful!
Warm regards,
Emily Cope, Moonhee Doan, Sean McCartney
 Did you know HWES has a fleet of 34 bicycles for our students? During PE with Mr. Silva and Ms. Williams, students in grades 4-6 students are getting fit, having fun, and learning important life skills with our bike program!
🚲💪 #bikesafety #healthyliving #mustangsonthemove
⭐October 28, 2024- Three Hour Early Dismissal
- No Specials for Grades 4-6
- 12:40 pm Dismissal
- Next 3-hour early release will be December 9th. Please start to consider what your plans will be, and we will reach out soon.
⭐October 31, 2024- Two Hour Early Dismissal
- End of Quarter 1
- 1:40pm dismissal for all students
⭐November 1, 2024- Holiday, No School
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Diwali:🪔 We wish a fun Diwali to all celebrating! Diwali is a festival of lights and one of the major festivals celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs & some Buddhists. The festival represents the symbolic victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil.
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All Saints Day and Día de los Muertos: Next week we recognize those in our community observing All Saints Day and Día de los Muertos. For Catholics, All Saints Day celebrates all those who are with God in Heaven, known and unknown. All Souls Day (Nov 2), known in Mexico and Latin America as Día de los Muertos, is a day of remembrance and prayer for all those who have died, especially for the souls who may be in purgatory. These special days are celebrated by Catholics, Anglicans, and some Protestants throughout the world.
⭐November 3, 2024- Day Light Saving Time Ends
- Daylight saving time ends. Don’t forget to move your clocks back one hour!
⭐November 4, 2024- No School
⭐November 5, 2024- No School
✨We're excited to announce that our HWES Student Ambassadors have planned a Spirit Week to celebrate the end of Quarter 1. This is a great opportunity for our school community to come together and have some fun✨
Advance Academic Program Information Night
This event is for families interested in learning about the Screening and Identification process for Full-Time AAP services. This presentation is mainly for parents of students in grades 2-6, but all are welcome to attend.
Thursday, November 7, 2024
6:30 pm-7:30 pm
Location: Museum Pod
Questions? Contact Tara-Jeanne Tompkins, the AART at tdtompkins@fcps.edu
🚸Arrival and Dismissal Safety🚸
The safety of our students is our highest priority, and we need your help to maintain a safe environment for everyone. We have seen and gotten reports of drivers on their phones, drivers making U turns on Colts Neck Road as well as pedestrians walking out into traffic at undesignated points.
Let's keep our children safe by:
- following all traffic rules,
- driving at safe speeds, and
- exercising caution near school grounds.
Your cooperation makes a difference and helps keep our students safe as they arrive and depart each day.
Check out this flyer for more ways to get to school safely!
✅Language Arts Grading Updates✅
Our teachers have been hard at work teaching with the new Language Arts curriculum, and we are excited to help all of our students become strong readers and writers! This year we also have new assessments, which is how we check if your student needs extra help with reading and writing, and new Standards of Learning (SOLs).
Because of these changes, we are now teaching all of the Language Arts skills your child needs to know (and checking if they need extra help) throughout the whole school year, instead of different skills each quarter. While these skills will be new to your child in the beginning of the year, the goal is for your child to grow strong in all of their new skills by the end of the year.
This means that when you get your child’s progress report next month, it might look different. Your child’s teacher will give you more information on the new progress reports and how we’re making sure your child is getting any extra help they might need. You can also find more information on FCPS’ Grading and Reporting webpage.
We will also have new ways for you to help your child practice their reading and writing skills at home. These resources are coming soon!
Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey
FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available in SIS ParentVUE under Online Packets (in the upper right corner after logging in). Please complete it as soon as possible.
For any families who have not completed the survey in ParentVUE, schools will provide paper forms starting Wednesday, November 13. Paper forms should be returned by Wednesday, December 4.
Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important. Information from this survey resulted in more than $4 million in funding last year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
For more information, please watch this video on Impact Aid and visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page.
Need to Register for ParentVUE?
Learn how to activate your SIS ParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey.
Technical support for using ParentVUE or completing the survey online is available by submitting a Parent Support Request ticket. Select SISParent in the Application dropdown menu and type Federal Impact Aid Survey under Issue Description. Or, call the Parent Technology Help Desk at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS).
 ✨ The 2023-30 Strategic Plan
Goal 4: Equitable Access to Opportunities
FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan sets five main goals to create positive change in the division. These goals show where we should focus our attention and will help us align our efforts.
The fourth goal ensures all students have the same access to opportunities, no matter what school they attend. This includes academics and other programs that inspire and engage students and allow them to explore their passions and talents.
See how Goal 4 is being put into practice.
📑 Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand
Support at No Cost
FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors’ services at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests.
Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.
Register Today for a Community Conversation!
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid is hosting a series of Community Conversations this fall. Events take place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Childcare and language interpretation services will be provided. She invites you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Register below.
FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
- Federal Impact Aid Survey
- Football Players Tackle Literacy
- Tips to Keep Children Safe
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
October 28: Early Release Monday , 12:40 pm dismissal
October 31: End of Quarter One, 1:20 pm dismissal
November 1: Diwali & All Saints' Day, No School
November 3: DAY LIGHT SAVINGS (Fall back)
November 4: Teacher Workday, No School
November 5: Election Day, No School
November 7: AAP Information Night, 6:30pm-7:30pm
November 11: Veterans Day, No School
November 18-22: Book Fair
November 27-29: Thanksgiving Break, No School
December 3: Picture Retake Day
December 23-January 3: Winter Break, No School
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