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Dear Stenwood Families,
It is hard to believe that tomorrow is March!
We are excited to bring you a new evening event this month! Mark your calendars for This is Me Night on Thursday, March 27th. Read below to hear about it!
We have an exciting week ahead of us celebrating Stingers are Readers! See below for the spirit day themes!
Ramadan Mubark to all who observe. Thank you to the parents that were able to join us this week to discuss accommodations. See information below if you were unable to join us.
Below you will find additional information about:
- This is Me Night – NEW
- Yearbook Ordering - DEADLINE TODAY
- Stingers Are Readers Week! - NEXT WEEK!
- Religious Accommodations - Updated with Slidedeck
- Community Peers Preschool Program - DEADLINE TODAY
- Student Fasting Meal Kit - Reminder
- Ramadan - NEW
- FCPS’ Family Summit - NEW
- FCPS Summer Programs - NEW
- Student Intentions/Rising Kindergarten - Reminder
- Protect Yourself from the Flu - Reminder
- Magnet School Application and Lottery Information - Reminder
- Marshall HS STEM Night - TONIGHT!
- Keeping Kids Warm - Reminder
- School Meals and Free/Reduced Lunch Applications - Reminder
- Stenwood is Hiring! - Reminder
- Stenwood PTA - Reminder
Sincerely,
Erica Riley, Principal
esriley@fcps.edu
Bryan Case, Assistant Principal
bgcase@fcps.edu
This is Me Night
📅 Date: March 27 🕒
Time: 5:00 - 7:00pm
📍 Location: Stenwood
"This is Me" Night is all about celebrating our students and their individual achievements! Each student will showcase something they’ve worked on in school this year that they’re especially proud of—whether it’s a project, piece of art, writing, or another accomplishment. It will be a museum style format where families can walk around the building and visit classrooms to see work at all grade levels. Student attendance the night of the event is optional. Students will not be presenting their work, this will allow students to visit other classrooms with their families. 💪✨
✨ What do parents need to do? Nothing at all! Everything for the event will be prepared during the school day. Just come, enjoy, and celebrate your child’s achievements and the success of all our Stenwood Stingers! 🎉
How is this different from "This is Us" Night? While "This is Us" celebrates our diverse cultures and heritage, "This is Me" shines a light on the personal pride each student feels in their work and growth this school year. 🌈
We can’t wait to see you there and share these proud moments together! ❤️
We have aligned this event with the book fair, which will be open in the library at the same time.
Yearbook Ordering - DEADLINE TODAY
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Help your child remember the moments that made this school year special by ordering your copy of the Stenwood Elementary School Yearbook NOW at http://www.yearbookforever.com! The yearbook will feature memories that you and your child will want to look back on for years to come. |
 The company has a set amount they will print, so once they hit the limit, they will not print any additional yearbooks. The cutoff date to buy one is February 28th, 2024, if they are not sold out before then.
Stingers Are Readers Week!
NEXT WEEK!
Religious Accommodation Request
Throughout the year, as we celebrate and recognize various cultural holidays and observances, families are encouraged to contact Mr. Case, bgcase@fcps.edu regarding accommodations, including but not limited to those around lunch, prayer/meditation and silent reflection spaces and times, and instruction.
If you were unable to attend our information session/Q&A session, here is the slidedeck.
Community Peers Preschool Program
- DEADLINE TODAY
Next year Stenwood will have community peers in our preschool program. This program provides opportunities for our students to participate in integration activities with typically developing peers. The program is designed to teach preschoolers with delays and without delays in the same classroom. It can provide young children with a more stimulating environment, teach skills for coping with different situations, and provide the opportunity to learn appropriate social skills.
Our program will invite a limited number of community preschoolers (2 per class), who are ages 3.5 (by September 30th) to 5 years, to participate in our daily preschool activities.
The children from the community will have the opportunity to make new friends and share experiences with current early childhood special education students. Our students will, in turn, benefit from being with community peers who can model appropriate language, motor, and social skills.
All children learn through their play. Intellectual growth occurs in a social context, influenced strongly by the quality of social interactions. The goal of this program is to encourage active learning and promote social interaction and acceptance through shared experiences between the community children and our preschoolers with special needs. Bus transportation cannot be provided for the community peers. Feel free to contact us for further explanation of our program.
If you are interested in having your child considered for this opportunity, please complete the Community Peers Preschool Program Interest and Information Form by Friday, February 28th. Stenwood will host a playdate for interested students in late March/early April. If you know of anyone who may be interested and does not receive the Stenwood Hive Happenings, feel free to forward them this information.
Student Fasting Meal Kits for
February 28th - March 28th
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.
Ramadan
 Ramadan Mubarak to those in our community who observe. Ramadan starts at sundown today. In Islam, Ramadan is the most sacred month of the year. During this month Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn to sunset each day while striving to increase their spirituality, through prayers, charity, and good deeds. Muslims believe it was during this month that God revealed the first verses of the Holy Quran to Prophet Muhammad.
2025 Family Summit
Beyond Labels: Nurturing a Culture of Belonging! (an Extension of the Special Education Conference)
Families, educators, and community members are invited to the 2025 FCPS Family Summit: Beyond Labels: Nurturing a Culture of Belonging. Fairfax County Public Schools will be hosting the free, in-person event in collaboration with valued community partners. The summit will be held Saturday, March 15, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at South Lakes High School.
This event will feature:
- Opening Session: Julie Causton and Kristie Pretti-Frontczak — best-selling authors, motivational speakers, and advocates for inclusion — will share practical tools and evidence-based strategies to empower and assist all families, with a special emphasis on parents of students with individual education programs (IEPs) and 504 Plans.
- Breakout Sessions: Learn more about special education and global topics that benefit all families.
- Student Showcase: FCPS students will share their efforts in fostering inclusivity through posters, essays, videos, songs, art, and other mediums.
- Exhibitor Hall: Discover valuable resources and services in the community to support families.
- Networking Opportunities: Connect with other families, staff, and community partners.
Childcare will be provided. Special education staff will be available to care for children with high support needs. You may sign up for childcare during the registration process.
Learn more about this event and register today! Contact FamilySummit@fcps.edu for more information.
🚀 Prepare for a Summer of Learning and Fun
Registration will be available soon for summer camps offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students. Career and Technical Education (CTE) camps and Institute for the Arts (IFTA) camps will be held in July at Lake Braddock Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Registration begins for these programs on Monday, March 10, and ends Friday, June 6.
Tech Adventure Camp (TAC) is a week-long exploratory camp designed to allow current K-5 students to explore activities in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), culinary arts, health, trades, and business and marketing areas. Watch this video about CTE camps.
E-IFTA is a weekly arts camp for students in grades 2-5 who love to sing, dance, act, perform, make, and create. Students take part in four daily classes related to dance, music, theater, and visual art. They work with FCPS fine arts teachers who create fun and engaging classes.
For more information, see the Summer Learning page.
Student Intention Form and
Rising Kindergarten Form
Today, students brought home a Student Intention Form. We are asking families to fill out this form for each child to help us plan for adequate staffing next year.
If you have a child who will turn five on or before September 30th, 2025, please return the blue form or fill out the Rising Kindergartner form. We have Kindergarten Orientation coming up on April 8th at 9:15am. If you have any neighbors that have children that turn 5 on or before September 30th, please let them know to reach out to Michelle Burke, mpburke@fcps.edu as soon as possible so we can ensure they have all the information they need.
🤧 Protect Yourself and Your Community
From the Flu
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.
Magnet School Application and Lottery Information
The Magnet Program registration window will open Tuesday, March 4th, 2025, and close Friday, April 4th, 2025. No late applications are accepted.
Marshall HS STEM Night - TONIGHT!
Join Marshall High School students for STEM Night on February 28th, 6-8pm! Click here to RSVP.
Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities
Winter weather is here! As a reminder, please make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy time outdoors. We monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories that may prevent children from being outside for activities like recess or physical education.
Visit Fairfax County’s website for Winter Weather/Extreme Cold safety tips.
If you need assistance getting cold-weather clothing for your family, please contact our family liaison, Adriana Rota at agrota@fcps.edu. You may also contact 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 health care.
School Meals and Free/ Reduced Lunch Applications
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Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast will be $1.75. Lunch will be $3.25, milk $0.60. Money can be added to your child(ren)’s accounts using www.myschoolbucks.com. You can also write a check to Stenwood Food Services and deliver it to our Food Services Manager at Open House. During the school year, you can find the menu for breakfast and lunch at https://linqconnect.com/public/menu/ESSF44 .
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Free and Reduced-Price Status
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals will continue to receive these benefits through the end of September. A new application must be filled out each new school year and forms are available online now: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/food-and-nutrition-programs/free-and-reduced-price-meals. Applications are accepted at any time, but we encourage you to apply or renew your application before the end of September. Call (703) 813-4800 if you need help. This must be completed for eligible students to receive free meals.
Stenwood is Hiring!
We are looking to hire Classroom Monitors and Substitutes! If you are interested in any of these positions, please reach out if you have any questions or if you want more information. Here is a link to FCPS’ application portal.
Classroom Monitors: Monitors will work every day students attend throughout the 2024-25 school year, and will directly support classrooms by providing additional supervision to students during lunch or in the classroom. The pay is $17.88/hour. Teachers will provide directions/assignments for monitors and students to complete. Please apply here and email me at esriley@fcps.edu so we can schedule a time to talk more. Please share this opportunity with others who might be interested.
Stenwood Elementary PTA
We hope you join our amazing PTA! If you are interested in volunteering to be a class parent, volunteering in our cafeteria or library, OR just looking to stay connected with the great work of our PTA, you can fill out a survey that will be sent out once class placements have been communicated.
More information about the PTA is available on their website.
5th Grade Family Invite!
Math Games
Stay Connected
Here are a few ways to stay connected with all the happenings at Stenwood ES
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Facebook
facebook.com/StenwoodElementary
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Instagram
@stenwoodelementary
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Website
stenwoodes.fcps.edu
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PTA Facebook
facebook.com/StenwoodElementaryPTA
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