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Dear Freedom Hill Families,
What an eventful week! Our Thanksgiving Luncheon was a tremendous success, and it was truly wonderful to see so many of our families join us. We also loved seeing so many Eagles at Silver Diner supporting our 6th graders, who did a really fabulous job greeting the restaurant's customers and ensuring they had a great experience. Lastly, our Student Council met for the first time! A big thanks to Mrs. Turner for supporting our students this year - they have many great ideas for enhancing our school experience.
As we start a new (short) week tomorrow, don't forget:
- Our Giving Tree Holiday Assistance Program is in full swing and we still have some families to adopt! Please see the information below.
- As the weather grows chillier, don't forget to send your child to school with layers so that they can continue to enjoy the fresh air outside during recess.
- In December, we will begin our planning for the FH 75th Anniversary Celebration that will take place in 2025. Please indicate your interest if you would like to be part of our planning committee - we won't be able to do it without you!
Wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with love, laughter, and cherished memories.
With thankfulness and gratitude,
Nicholas Zapadka, Principal
Tim Scesney, Assistant Principal
Holly Sims, Assistant Principal
2024-25 FCPS School Calendar
FCPS Lunch Menu
Freedom Hill Family Resources
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November 27 - 29 - Thanksgiving Vacation - School Closed
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December 5 - Makeup Picture Day
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December 5 - PTA Meeting, 7:30 (Virtual)
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December 9 - Early Release Monday (Dismissal at 1:05)
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December 10 - 19 - PTA Holiday Candygram Sales
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December 16 - Band/Strings Holiday Concert, 6PM
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December 23 - January 3 - Winter Break (School Closed)
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School Photos are now online!
Families should have received an E-proof via email.
Please remember to check your spam.
For any questions about your student's school pictures please contact: underclass@vosphoto.com
The team at Victor O’Neill Studios would like to thank Freedom Hill for a great picture day!
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 For the next two weeks, we are focusing on Gratitude. You are aware of and thankful for good things that happen.
“The real gift of gratitude is that the more grateful you are, the more present you become.”
~Robert Holden
Questions you might enjoy talking about:
- What are the easiest things to be grateful for? What are the most difficult?
- What are some benefits of gratitude?
How does it make you feel to think that others are grateful for you?
Our school is not able to accommodate early dismissals between 3:30-4:05. During this time, classrooms are wrapping up important learning, students are changing between specials classes, and the front office is busy supporting families. Attempting changes in the final minutes of the school day can create communication challenges and jeopardize student safety. We ask that all dismissal changes be communicated to the office/teacher by 2:00, and all early dismissals be completed by 3:30. We appreciate your partnership as we strive to support all of our families and ensure all students arrive home safely.
Beginning Monday, October 21st, FCPS will be asking all families to fill out a Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid for each child. Submitting this form is important because information from this survey results in an additional $3 million in grants each year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
Help FCPS secure funding by helping us identify:
- Military families.
- Federally connected families.
- Families living on a military base.
Please complete one form for each child in your household. Remember that only the enrolling parent can fill out the Impact Aid Survey form.
For families without access to ParentVUE, a paper copy of the form will be sent home with your student starting November 12th. Your information will be kept strictly confidential.
To access the form, please login to SIS ParentVUE, select Online Packets in the top right hand corner, and then click the ‘Federal Impact Aid Survey’ button on the bottom of the page.
If you have multiple children in Fairfax County Public Schools, please make sure to fill out a form for each of your children. You will know you have completed all of the forms when you see a green check next to each of their names on the final screen.
We appreciate you completing the form by December 9th, 2024.
As we celebrate the season of giving this December, we would like to extend an opportunity to come together as a school community to make a lasting impact on the lives of those in need. This year, we invite you to participate in our Giving Tree Program by sponsoring a family. As a refresher, our Giving Tree Program is a holiday assistance program that we offer to families for aid with clothing and gifts.
You may sign up to sponsor a family in the SignUpGenius link below. You will also find the families’ information of clothing sizes, likes, notes, and instructions.
Visit our SignUpGenius link here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4DADAD2FA4F8C34-53122112-2024
If you would like to contribute but are unable to sponsor a family at this time, there is an opportunity to purchase individual items for families through our Amazon Wishlist found here: https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/25AS2BHGES59C
Let’s make this holiday season unforgettable for every member in our community. Your participation in the Giving Tree Program is a gift in itself.
Important notes
- Gifts must be wrapped, labeled, and dropped off at the Freedom Hill ES front office.
- When labeling gifts, please use a Post-it or sticky note to label each gift with its contents, the family letter identifier, and age/gender of the child it is intended for. Please do not write this information on the wrapping paper.
- Items are due by December 16th, 2024 to the Freedom Hill ES Front Office
- To maintain the confidentiality of our students the SignUpGenius & Amazon Wishlist links and descriptions of the families are not permitted to be shared outside of the direct FHES community or on any social media platform.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please email the program coordinator, Emely Riera Pineros, at Earierapiner@fcps.edu
Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!
Freedom Hill kicked off our Attendance celebrations on October 20th. Since then, we celebrate classes when all students are present. If a student is sick, they need to stay home. When the stars align and everyone is present, then we get to celebrate.
The Attendance Team examined the school wide percentages for the last twenty days, see image below. The average percentage is 94.9% and evidenced by the trendline running horizontally. The days that have been more challenging for our school are Mondays and days following long weekends.
Yes, Mondays are tough - Have students place their shoes near the door. Go to bed early. Pack backpacks and lunches. Layout clothes. Students can help prepare to start the following day with success. If you’re feeling well, we look forward to seeing you at Freedom Hill tomorrow.
If you missed our meeting, you can find resources below:
Please reach out to Mrs. Fredericks for more information. She is excited to support your family with the application process!
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The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FHES employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story, so we can all acknowledge the exceptional work happenings at Freedom Hill. |
The remaining scheduled dates for 1:05 early releases for FHES are:
- December 9
- February 24
- March 17
- April 28
- May 19
       
JOIN US AT THE NEXT VIRTUAL PTA MEETING - DECEMBER 5th
We invite everyone—whether you're a parent, caregiver, teacher—to attend our next PTA meeting! This is a great opportunity to get involved, share your ideas, and help make a positive impact on our school. No matter your background or experience, your voice matters, and we welcome all perspectives. Come meet new people, learn about upcoming events, and be a part of shaping the future of our school community. We hope to see you online on Thursday, December 5th at 7:30PM. A zoom link will be provided in next week’s update.
LAST CHANCE: CELEBRATE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS WITH VIENNA VINTNER
Don’t forget to stop by Vienna Vintner (320 Maple Avenue East) before November 30th to make a purchase in support of the PTA. Just mention Freedom Hill ES, and 20% of your purchase will go back to our school. Make purchases just for fun, for hosting the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, or even for celebrating winter holidays. Cheers!
6th Grade Activities Updates
HOLIDAY CANDYGRAMS ARE BACK!
Are you looking for an easy, sweet way to send a small token of thanks, friendship or merriment to a classmate, teacher or member of the FHES staff? Look no further - the 6th grade class is continuing the annual tradition of selling candygrams! From December 10th - December 19th, the 6th grade class will sell candygrams each morning from 8:30-9:10AM at the main entrance; the 6th graders will deliver the purchased candygrams to the classrooms from December 10th - December 20th. Each candy gram is 50 cents and you can choose either a candy cane or a winter-themed stamp* to accompany your completed note. A flyer with all the details will come home in your student’s folder after the Thanksgiving break.
*Stamps available for purchase while supplies last.
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