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Dear Freedom Hill Families,
Things are heating up both inside and outside of the building this week! Don't forget:
- Tomorrow is an Early Release Monday, with dismissal at 1:05. Our teachers will continue their literacy trainings as part of our year adopting the new Basel literacy curriculum. Don't forget to stop at Panera after school to support our PTA Family Dinner Out!
- On Thursday evening, our students will be competing in the Spelling Bee Finals at 6PM. All community members are invited to attend for what promises to be a great night of competition and fun.
- On Friday, we continue our focus on literacy this year by kicking off our annual Read-A-Thon. Please take a few minutes to sign up your reader(s) for this year's event by seeing the link below in our PTA section. This important fundraising event supports many of the extra programs and resources that benefit our school each year!
Have a great week!
In partnership,
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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February 24 - 3-hour Early Release Day (Teacher Training)
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February 24 - PTA Family Dinner Out - Panera, Pike 7 Plaza
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February 27 - Spelling Bee Finals, 6PM
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February 28 - Read-A-Thon Kickoff + Author Visit
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February 28 - Marshall HS STEM Night, 6-8PM
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March 3 - 14 - Read-A-Thon
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March 12 - PTA Meeting
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April 1 - 2025-26 Kindergarten Orientation, 9:30
 Join Marshall High School students for STEM Night on February 28th, 6-8pm! Click here to RSVP.
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This week, we are focusing on Humility. You do not seek the spotlight. You let your actions speak for themselves.
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"Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.”
~Rick Warren
Questions you might enjoy talking about:
- How is being honest with yourself related to humility?
- Would you be a good teacher of humility?
- Why is humility important to lead others and to make a positive impact?
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Students in grades 3-6 participate in state assessments each year. These assessments measure how students are learning the state standards. Below is the current schedule for the spring Standards of Learning tests at Freedom Hill. More information will be provided as we get closer to the testing window.
- Tuesday, April 29: Grade 6 & Grade 4 Reading SOL
- Thursday, May 1: Grade 5 & Grade 3 Reading SOL
- Thursday, May 8: Grade 5 Math
- Thursday, May 15: Grade 5 Science & Grade 3 Math SOL
- Tuesday, May 20: Grade 6 & Grade 4 Math SOL
- May 27 - 30 Retakes for identified students
Please avoid scheduling appointments for students on the dates that students will participate in the SOLs.
🧸 Kindergarten Registration: It’s as Easy as 1-2-3…
Online registration for the 2025-26 school year is open. Parents / caregivers may register their children online for kindergarten through 12th grade. Learn how to begin the online registration process. When registering, parents / caregivers will need to create or log in to an existing SIS ParentVUE account.
There’s an easy five-step process for parents wanting to register their child for kindergarten:
- Determine eligibility.
- Identify your local school.
- Gather documents.
- Fill out forms.
- Schedule an appointment at Freedom Hill with Ms. Sujo at (703) 506-7800 or email at ssujoromero@fcps.edu
After the appointment at Freedom Hill (the student and one guardian must be present), the student and family will be invited to attend our Kindergarten Orientation on April 1, 2025. Read more about the registration process. For additional information, please contact Ms. Sujo with the contact information above.
The Early Release Mondays planned throughout the school year for elementary schools are essential to allow educators time for planning and professional development. Students will be dismissed three hours early seven times throughout the school year and are encouraged to return home via their normal route.
The following dates are planned for Early Release Mondays throughout the school year:
- September 23
- October 28
- December 9
- February 24
- March 17
- April 28
- May 19
Additional information can be found on the FCPS Early Release Mondays webpage. If you have immediate questions, please email ESPlanning@fcps.edu.
Thanks to a new program from the Virginia Department of Education, students who are fasting during the school day between February 28th and March 28th can now take school meal kits home at the end of the day.
Families will need to fill out a weekly Fasting Meals Request Form for their child or children to receive school meal kits. A separate form must be filled out for each week and each student.
To receive meal kits for Friday, February 28th, and the week of March 3rd, please submit the first request form by Monday, February 24th. Visit the FNS webpage for more information, including weekly request forms and deadlines.
Fairfax County is experiencing very high levels of influenza (flu) illness. The Fairfax County Health Department reports that visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers for flu-like illness have increased, especially among children, and multiple flu outbreaks have occurred in our community and school settings. Read a letter from the health department.
The health department suggests taking the following steps to reduce the spread of flu and other germs:
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Cover coughs and sneezes. If you must be around others while ill, wearing a mask can help reduce spread.
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Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers when soap and water are not available (with supervision for younger children).
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Clean frequently touched surfaces.
According to the health department, to help prevent or reduce the spread of illness it is important for individuals who are sick to stay home and away from others until symptoms improve and until they have been free of fever for at least 24 hours. Visit this Attendance webpage for guidance on when your child should go to school.
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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. |
Three FCPS elementary magnet schools — Hunters Woods, Bailey’s Primary, and Bailey’s Upper — provide enhanced learning programs in science, technology, and performing arts.
Registration for the 2025-26 elementary magnet lottery is open Tuesday, March 4, through Friday, April 4. Learn more about the programs on the Elementary Magnet Schools page and information on the magnet lottery on our Registration page.
   
EAT OUT AT PANERA - THIS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH
We hope to see you this Monday, February 24th from 4-8PM at our Family Dinner Out at Panera on Leesburg Pike. With the 3 hour early release also scheduled for that day, it’s a great opportunity to gather with other Freedom Hill families! Use code FUND4U at panerabread.com, in the Panera App, or at the kiosk in-cafe.
SPELLING BEE - THIS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27th
The FHES Spelling Bee is this Thursday, February 27th, beginning at 6PM in the cafeteria. Good luck to all the participants in grades 1 through 6!
GET YOUR BOOKS READY! READ-A-THON IS ALMOST HERE!
We're hosting a Read-A-Thon March 3rd - 14th! In addition to individual Read-A-Thon prizes, classes will be working toward a school-wide prize of water balloons thrown at the Principals during Field Day if we raise $10,000 and a Movie Day if we read over 250,000 minutes!
We encourage you to activate your reader’s account today! Teachers and parents will be able to enter reading minutes after the Read-A-Thon starts on Monday, March 3rd.
How to register your reader
It's as easy as 1 - 2 - 3....Go!
- Go to this link: https://www.read-a-thon.com/readers/r/JuCqzk/1 and click “Register My Reader”
- Find and select your reader’s teacher
- Search for and select your reader, then create your account
Go - Send out emails, texts, Facebook posts, or donate!
SAVE THE DATE - PTA MEETING MARCH 12th
Save the date and mark your calendars for our next PTA meeting on Thursday, March 12th at 7PM. We’ll discuss the Board positions and election process for the 2025-2026 school year, and elect the Nominating Committee. Also, if there are specific topics you’d like to hear about, or staff members you’d like to hear from, please submit your ideas to president@freedomhillpta.org.
VOLUNTEERS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME
We have a continued need for volunteers for several committees for the remainder of the school year. Please take a look at this google form and express your interest.
In the coming weeks, we will open up nominations (including self-nominations) for the 2025-2026 PTA Board. As part of the election process, we will also need to elect a Nominating Committee at the March PTA meeting. Ths committee (minimum of 3 PTA members) reviews the submitted nominations during March (exact timing TBD) and will present a slate of candidates at the April PTA meeting. If you are interested in serving on the Nominating Committee, please express your interest in the google form.
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