MARK YOU CALENDAR’S!

What: Flint Hill's 5th Annual Empty Bowls, Full Hearts lunch is an opportunity to celebrate what fills our bowls with happiness, love and sustenance while also supporting those in our community that may have an empty bowl. Each student has crafted a handmade ceramic bowl that they will use during lunch. Popcorn is offered as an option for any student who wants to use their bowl for a separate snack. All bowls will be sent home on this afternoon for your family to keep and treasure! The bowl is fully food, microwave, and dishwasher safe!

When: You can send non-perishable food donations with your student beginning 2/3 - 2/14. Students will enjoy their bowls on 2/14 and all donated food items will be donated to Food for Others on 2/14

Want to come? Volunteer here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4FA8AE22A4FEC52-54336393-empty

Where: All non-perishable food donations can be dropped off into labeled boxes in the front lobby, delivered to the office or brought in by your student

For the past 10 years members of the Flint Hill Elementary School staff have volunteered to feed and collect supplies for the homeless through Hypothermia Relief week at a local church. This March, staff members will be cooking and serving a chili meal.  We would like to invite the FHES community to contribute needed items for this vulnerable community in Fairfax County.

For those who would like to donate we will be collecting the following items in the FHES main lobby for the month of February: 

• Travel size toiletries:  deodorant, lotions, foot powder, soap, shampoo  (For those that travel for work or vacation, these are great to get from hotels)
• Individual tooth brushes and tooth paste
• Travel size hand wipes and hand sanitizer
• New socks
• Individually wrapped snacks
• Individually wrapped breakfast cereal and bars

Contributions can be brought to the main office lobby during the entire month of February.  Please reach out to Mr. Bechtle at jjbechtle@fcps.edu with any questions.  Thank you for your consideration.

The Spring Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener will be administered to students in grades 3-6 during the week of March 10th. Students use the SEL Screener twice a year to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop skills they need to succeed. The screener works by asking questions or presenting statements that students can think about and respond to. More information is available about the SEL Screener by accessing this link: https://www.fcps.edu/student-tests-and-assessments/student-assessment-details/social-emotional-screener  

If you have any questions please reach out to our SEL Screener Lead, Mrs. Williams, at aywilliams1@fcps.edu

Our school will participate in the FCPS Student Experience Survey. This survey will gather important feedback from students about their school experiences to help FCPS make meaningful improvements.

All students in grades 3-6, except those who have opted out, will receive a link to the survey in their FCPS email on February 24. We will administer the survey during the school day between Monday, February 24, and Friday, March 7. Any student may take the survey at home, if they are unable to take the survey during the school day. You will receive a communication with details on how to preview the survey and opt your child out, if you choose. 

We believe it's important to hear from our students about what we're doing well and where we can improve. This work also aligns with the five equity commitments in FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan, which focus on amplifying student voice and experiences as we work toward meeting plan goals.

Lots of progress has been made on the new FHES playground! This week, construction crews continued to remove soil/mulch from the site and installed new playground borders. Installation of a preschool-age playground structure also started this week! Stop by the FHES playground soon to see the progress!

More information about the project can be found here. 

Thank you to the FCPS School Board and FCPS Facilities for supporting this investment in resources for our school and community!

We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories that may prevent children from being outside. We are notified by safety and security if the temperatures get too low. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing (labeled with the name!), so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. On the majority of days, students will go outside for recess.

Watch this video to see how weather-related closing decisions are made. FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated. Be sure to plan for the winter season.

If you need assistance getting cold weather clothing for your family, please call Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and healthcare.

Whether students miss school because of illness or any other reason, missing school leads to learning loss.

Help your child succeed by encouraging them to attend as many days as possible, but do make sure your child stays home if they are sick. Visit FCPS’ website for information on when to keep your child at home.

If your child has a chronic illness, make sure to notify their teacher so that support can be provided if needed. Also, keep an open line of communication with your school's public health staff.

Read about how families can help form good attendance habits. Attend today, achieve tomorrow!

Good communication between home and school is vital to a successful school experience for each child. Questions relating to your child should be directed to the classroom teacher. All teachers have voice mail and an e-mail address. The school has a web page that links directly to each teacher’s e-mail.

Each year, FCPS produces a Handbook for its FCPS families. It contains valuable information you may need throughout the year, including calendars, services, and special programs, the instructional program, and information about starting school. Flint Hill Elementary has produced a handbook that includes some additional notes that are important for our school community.

Flint Hill Elementary Family Handbook