March 6th, 2025
Good Afternoon Flint Hill Families,
Thank you to the FHES PTA and many volunteers who helped to make Teacher Appreciation week at FHES a nice event for our staff. The treats, lunches and kindness were much appreciated by all staff members and thoughtful reflect of the caring nature of the Flint Hill community.
This week we also want to recognize the students who participated in the Senior Spelling Bee last week! Over 30 spellers participated in the event with 11 rounds of spelling and two tie-breaker rounds. Please join me in congratulating:
Champion: Teddy M.
1st Runner Up: Tanner A.
2nd Runner Up (tie): Krish G. & Hazel S.
The new FHES playground opened for use on Friday, February 28th! Students were excited to try out the new equipment and begin playing on the slides, climbers and swings. Crews will come back to FHES in a few weeks to finish adding the shade structure and rubber surfacing.
Ms. Mims met with 4th grade strings today and students were learning to read music, count and clap notes and rests, and play tunes from their songbook including "Pepperoni Pizza." In Mrs. Bilowus' class, students were reading and interpreting poems. Ms. Grzankowski and Mr. Bechtle enjoyed taking their fifth graders on a trip to the Planet Word Museum in Washington D.C. today (the second half of 5th grade will make the trip tomorrow!).
Don't forget, our next PTA meeting is tonight (Thursday, March 6th) at 5:30 pm! Join in-person in the library or on Zoom. The 3rd grade team will join the meeting to share updates from their classrooms.
Kindly,
Mr. Montaquila, Principal
Mr. Baker, Assistant Principal
Attending kindergarten provides children with an opportunity to learn and practice the essential social, emotional, problem-solving, and self-regulation skills they will use throughout their lives. Fairfax County public schools typically conduct kindergarten registration events, including orientation, between January and April. Eligible children can also be registered throughout the summer, but registering your child early helps us prepare and ensure we have the teachers and resources needed on the first day of school.
Families should prepare for registration by gathering documents and completing forms on the FCPS kindergarten registration webpage. FCPS offers support and resources for all families to help with registration and the transition to kindergarten. For support in other languages, visit the kindergarten registration webpage.
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Our school Read-A-Thon begins on Monday March 10, 2025 and is sure to be a fun and exciting event.
We understand that your time is valuable. We also know that providing the best education for your child is important. That's why we are encouraging everyone to activate their student's Read-A-Thon account as soon as possible. The instructions are straightforward, making it quick and hassle-free, and it should take less than 5 minutes of your time.
This account will serve as a hub for recording and monitoring your child's progress as a Reader in the event, and for you to share their Read-A-Thon message with friends and family. Use the link below to activate your student's Reader account:
https://www.read-a-thon.com/readers/r/AYSjpg/1
Thank you so much for your participation and support. Together, we can make this Read-A-Thon an amazing experience for our young readers!
Thank you,
Flint Hill Elementary School PTA
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Calling all family and friends of our fabulous Flint Hill Artists! You are invited to our annual Flint Hill Art Show!
When: Friday, April 4th; 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Where: Flint Hill Elementary School
What: Come enjoy 2D and 3D artwork made by our K-6 artists! Every student has at least one piece of artwork in the show!
Why: Our artists create meaningful artwork that tells a story and showcases various skills. We value the arts at Flint Hill and welcome the support of our community!
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The Flint Hill Art Show will be Friday, April 4th! To prepare for this amazing event featuring every student’s artwork we will need your help. Please see the links below to volunteer with Ms. McAlister for the big show!
FHES Art Show Volunteers
Questions can be directed to Ms. McAlister or the Art Show PTA chair, Holly Fulmer.
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The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has issued a new, first-time waiver allowing students fasting during the school day from February 28 to March 28, to request take-home breakfast and lunch meal kits. The Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) will provide meal kits reflecting the school menu. Meals will be kept cold and must be heated at home. Students may claim one breakfast and one lunch kit per day. If a student purchases breakfast or lunch at school, they cannot pick up a kit that day. Meal kits must be picked up by students at the end of the school day—adults cannot collect them. Parents or guardians must submit a weekly request form via the FCPS FNS website by the deadlines:
- March 3, for the week of March 10
- March 10, for the week of March 17
- March 17, for the week of March 24
Forms must be submitted on time to receive meal kits for the following week.
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Victor O'Neill will take Spring Pictures on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.
These photos will include the Class Photo.
You will be able to view and order your child’s photos in their online gallery approximately ten days after picture day.
If you have any questions leading up to picture day, please reach out to Victor O’Neill Studios by emailing Underclass@vosphoto.com
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FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra learning resources. 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. |
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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.
Save the date for SOL testing for grades 3-6.
As required by the Code of Virginia, parents or legal guardians need to provide proof of immunizations for their child to attend public school. All students entering seventh grade are required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations:
- Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis booster (Tdap) given at age 7 or older.
- Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) given at age 10 or older.
- A complete series of 2 doses of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
- After reviewing educational materials approved by the Board of Health, the parent or guardian, at the parents/guardians sole discretion, may elect for the child not to receive the HPV vaccine.
Parents/guardians are encouraged to plan ahead by scheduling an appointment with their child’s health care provider now to avoid the rush this summer. If your child does not have a health care provider, please visit the FCPS Immunizations Resource page to find out where to get an immunization.
Please review the Virginia Department of Health Information Packet for more information on rising 7th grade immunization requirements.
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FHES has reached over 530lbs of plastic collected! Please keep sharing your donations to help us reach our 1000lb goal by June!
Please consider helping us meet our NexTrex Challenge goal by transporting the weighed plastic to a local drop off site at an area grocery store. A list of sites can be found here: https://nextrex.com/view/findadropoff#jsfdir.
All you need to do is:
- 1. Sign-Up for a date to collect the plastic
- Take a bag/s from the lobby
- Place a sign on the poster in the lobby to get credit for your contribution
- Drop off the plastic when you go to the grocery store!
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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
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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.
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Join us March 15, 2025, at South Lakes High School to ensure the safety, support, and inclusion of every member of our FCPS school community. This event is free and open to all families, educators, and community members. Childcare provided. Please help us plan, register today! For more information visit our website.
Questions? FamilySummit@fcps.edu
The FHES playground is open! Construction crews removed fencing and opened the playground for student use on Friday, February 28th. All classes have enjoyed using the new structures this week. The infinity loop and climbing dome have been especially popular.
Construction crews will return to FHES in a few weeks to finish installing the rubber surfacing under the preschool playground and add some rubber surfacing and a shade canopy to the K-6 playground. There will be brief closures when these final installations can be completed.
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!
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March 6th - PTA Meeting - 5:30 pm
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March 12th - Picture Day
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March 17th - 3-Hour Early Release
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March 28th - End of 3rd Quarter
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March 31st - Eid-al Fitr - School Holiday
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April 1st - Teacher Workday
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April 4th - FHES Art Show - 5-7 pm
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April 14-18 - Spring Break
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April 28th - 3-Hour Early Release
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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!
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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
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You may wish to read FCPS messages in a language other than English. There are several ways you can receive or view our communications in a different language.
FCPS This Week is distributed in other languages to parents/guardians who have filled out the Home Language Survey form and selected a language supported by FCPS as their preferred language for communication. Home Language Survey forms are available in the following languages: Amharic | Arabic (العربية) | Chinese (中文) | Farsi (فارسی) | Korean (한국어) | Spanish (español) | Urdu (اردو) | Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt).
Learn more about other communications that are translated.
Paperless Opt-Outs Available!
As a part of our ongoing efforts to streamline paper processes, parents can now select a number of opt-out’s electronically via ParentVUE. Once you have signed into your ParentVUE account, simply select the “Student Info” tab and click on “Edit Information.” You will find opt-out’s listed there. Parents that do not yet have a ParentVUE account will still be able to use paper forms for notification. If you need to set up your ParentVUE account, you can create one online via the FCPS ParentVUE Registration page.
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