|
English | Español | አማርኛ | English | English | English | العربية | فارسی | اردو
Dear Freedom Hill Families,
Thank you, everyone, for your contributions to the first half of our Read-A-Thon! Our reading Eagles have already raised over $10,000 and have read over 135,000 minutes!
We met our $10,000 goal for the school-wide prize of water balloons thrown at the Principals during Field Day. Help us finish strong by registering your reader and entering your minutes toward the school-wide goal of a Movie Day if we read over 250,000 minutes!
Register your reader today!
- Go to this link: https://www.read-a-thon.com/readers/r/JuCqzk/1and click “Register My Reader”
- Find and select your reader’s teacher
- Search for and select your reader, then create your account
We also recently learned that Freedom Hill has been rated a 2024 Energy Star School, signifying that we are more energy efficient than 77 percent of similar buildings nationwide. A big thanks to our staff, students, families, and Green Team for their ongoing dedication to sustainability.
Lastly, be sure to see the announcements below for Yearbook Preorders, the Spring Book Fair, and the annual Marshall Pyramid Art Show.
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
-
March 3 - 14 - Read-A-Thon Continues!
-
March 12 - PTA Meeting, Virtual
-
March 13 - Marshall Pyramid Art Show
-
March 17 - Early Release Monday at 1:05
-
March 18 - 21 - Spring Book Fair
-
March 19 - PTA Family Dinner Out - Taco Bamba & Ben & Jerry's Vienna
-
March 31 - School Closed, Eid al-Fitr
-
April 1 - 2025-26 Kindergarten Orientation, 9:30
-
April 4 - PTA Culture & Heritage Night
The Yearbook is on sale! From now until April 11th, please scan this QR code to purchase directly from our yearbook vendor. After April 11th, you will be able to purchase the yearbook using MySchoolBucks (preferred), cash, or check. Please do not send payment to school until after April 11. The yearbook will be distributed to students during the last week of school in June.
|
This week our school community will be focusing on the character strength of Perspective. Perspective means you appreciate when people see things in different ways. You have the ability to understand the world from multiple points of view.
Perspective is also referred to as wisdom and is distinct from intelligence. People with this strength are sought out for advice because they see the big picture and can make sense of the world’s complexity. This strength of perspective gives individuals the ability to see to the heart of difficult matters and achieve clarity. Most importantly, they are honest and behave in an ethically consistent manner.
|
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.
- Wednesday, March 26: Grade 5 IRW SOL
- 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.
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.
 Every year, March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. The month is set aside to honor women’s contributions in American history. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS. Read more about Women’s History Month in National Geographic Kids.
 |
|
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. |
FCPS has created a literacy resource page for families as we have embarked on a new Benchmark curriculum. Families may access these resources here. Please reach out to your child's classroom teacher if you have specific literacy questions.
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.
 
    
 FINISH STRONG - READ-A-THON ENDS FRIDAY, MARCH 15th!
Freedom Hill readers are rounding the corner to the finish line! Our reading Eagles have already raised over $10,000 and read over 135,000 minutes!
We met our $10,000 goal for the school-wide prize of water balloons thrown at the Principals during Field Day! Help us finish strong by registering your reader and entering your minutes toward the school-wide goal of a Movie Day if we read over 250,000 minutes!
Activate your reader’s account today!
- 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!
KEEP THE READING FUN GOING!
Keep the reading fun going with our Spirit Weeks! (We have two this year!) Plus, hold on to those bookmarks for our next FDO at Taco Bamba and Ben & Jerry's on March 19th.
REGISTER FOR BEFORE/AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
Register here for before/after school activities this spring. Don’t wait to sign up - registration closes next Sunday, March 16th. Spring activities begin the week of March 24th and include:
- - Mon:
- - AM: PE Club with Mr. Dowling (Gr. 3-6)
- - Tues:
- - AM: French (Gr. K-6)
- - PM: Mudskippers pottery (Gr. K-6)
- - PM: Soccer (Gr. K-4)
- - Wed:
- - AM: Chess (Gr. K-6)
- - AM: Crochet Club with Ms. Canape (Gr. 2-6)
- - Thurs:
- - AM: Legos - DC landmarks (Gr. K-6)
- - PM: Begin. Karate (Gr. K-6)
- - PM: Cooking (Gr. K-6)
PTA MEETING THIS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12th
Save the date and mark your calendars for our next virtual PTA meeting on Wednesday, March 12th at 7PM. Add this Zoom link to your calendars so you don’t forget! 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.
2025-2026 PTA BOARD NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN
Nominations are now open for the PTA Board for the 2025-2026 school year! You can read about the position on the PTA website, and you can self-nominate for one or more positions using this Google form or the paper flier that will come home in your student’s folder. If you have any questions, email president@freedomhillpta.org and/or call into the PTA meeting on March 12th. Nominations close March 28th.
FDO - TACO BAMBA and BEN & JERRY’S
Save the date for our next FHES Family Dinner Out on Wednesday, March 19th at both Taco Bamba AND Ben & Jerry’s in downtown Vienna. Stop by Taco Bamba from 9AM to 9PM and mention ‘Freedom Hill’ at checkout, or use online code ‘GIVE20’. Stop by Ben & Jerry’s from 4-9M and mention ‘Freedom Hill’ at checkout. If you stop by between 5:30-6:30PM, you’ll see our very own Dr. Z scooping ice-cream behind the counter!
SAVE THE DATE - CULTURAL HERITAGE DAY & NIGHT
On Friday, April 4th, Freedom Hill is hosting a Cultural Heritage Parade around school from 10-10:30AM AND an evening of performances, art, and food/drink from 6-7:30PM in the cafeteria. You can sign up your student to participate in the parade, or sign up your student to put on a short performance or share food/drink during the evening activities. We look forward to celebrating the special day with the community!
A flier with more information will come home this week. If you are interested in participating, contact Smriti at choudharysmriti@gmail.com.
|
