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March 26, 2025
Greetings, Glen Forest Families!
Thank you for your continued support with your child's education. We are thankful every day that you share them with us!
Attendance is Critical!
Currently, we have a chronic absenteeism (CA) rate of 21.4%. CA means a student has missed 10% or more of school days. If your child has missed 13 or more days of school so far, they are considered chronically absent, which significantly disrupts their learning.
Did you know that missing just 2 days of school each month causes a student to miss 30 hours of math instruction and 60 hours of reading and writing instruction. Attendance is critical to student success. Remember...its' cool to be in school!
If your child is not feeling well, please refer to the When Should I Keep My Child Home? webpage for guidance.
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It’s Kindergarten Registration Time!
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. 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. Glen Forest will host a kindergarten orientation later this spring. Stay tuned for the date and time!
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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Kindergarten Orientation for Rising K Students
If your child will be in kindergarten next year, please join us for our Kindergarten Orientation on Monday, April 21st from 2:30-3:30! You will meet staff, learn how to best prepare your child for the start of school, and hear about the kindergarten curriculum. Please help spread thee word!
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Friendly Reminders
Parents, we ask for your help in reminding students to leave toys and other special items at home. These items can be distracting to the learning environment and can get lost, stolen, or broken. Also, please discuss with your child the importance of not sharing food at school. While sharing is typically a kind gesture, some students have allergies and may not be aware of ingredients in foods.
Also, school starts at 9:20am. Please have your child ride the bus or arrive on time. It can be distracting for your child and others to come in late. Thank you for having your child to school on time.
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Welcome to our Interim Assistant Principal, Mr. Scott Ralston!
Mr. Ralston is serving as an Interim Assistant Principal for Glen Forest ES during Jessica Green's absence. Read about his dynamic bio below!
My name is Scott Ralston and I graduated from Jacksonville University, Florida with degrees in Social Studies and Physical Education along with multiple Florida State Championships in the sport of rowing. Throughout college I worked as a concrete construction worker and held other part time jobs. After graduation I got a job as one of two teachers at a private high school that served students with special needs who had been expelled from Duval County Public Schools. I taught Reading, History, Physical Education, and Health for eighth to twelfth grade students.
Then I joined the United States Peace Corps and served in Mongolia for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer where I taught English as a Second Language to students of all grade levels. I also wrote grant proposals and received funding for small business development in the Gobi Altai province.
I spent another 2 years in Mongolia working on a World Bank/United Nations Development Project aimed at providing clean water to very rural areas. My time was spent capping wells, pouring concrete foundations, and teaching people living in the most remote parts of the Gobi Desert how to better use and store water, dispose of wastewater, and provide access to a healthier lifestyle.
Returning to America I worked for PriceWaterhouseCoopers Ltd. as a Staff Auditor. In this role I monitored compliance of a master audit plan between the United States Post Office and Emory Worldwide Airlines. During my time there, I received and took an offer to become the schoolteacher for the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus.
I taught 25 children, aged Kindergarten to twelfth grade, in a one room schoolhouse setting that I had to put together at every stop the circus made in arenas across America while they performed around me. I went to 77 cities in two years and saw two students receive High School diplomas as well as several students learn to read.
After that I joined a Peace Corps Fellowship Program and received a Masters degree in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University while teaching fourth grade on the White River Apache Indian Reservation at an English Language Immersion school. This led to another Peace Corps stint in the Kingdom of Tonga.
In Tonga I was assigned to work with the Ministry of Education and taught teachers better ways to teach English as a Second Language. I wrote a curriculum guideline for teachers to use that focused on a communicative approach to learning English.
I finally made it to Fairfax County in 2008 when my wife and I were invited to house sit for friend in the Alexandria area. We had no plans to stay when we first arrived here. Seventeen years later we are still here and added two children. Over this time, I have worked as a Special Education teacher for students with Enhanced Autism and other disabilities. I was a Lead Special Education and served as a Special Education Administrator at Churchill Road ES.
For the last nine years I have been an Assistant Principal; three years at Weyanoke ES and six years at Franklin Sherman ES. I have worked as an Extended School year Administrator supporting students with special needs for five summers in four different locations across FCPS.
Now, I am excited to join the team at Glen Forest ES and look forward to learning along with you while we help students meet and exceed their potential academically, behaviorally, and social/emotionally!
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Mark Your Calendars!
Thursday, March 27th (NEW DATE): Family Engagement Meeting: Educational Resources/Special Education Info Session- 10:00-10:45am - in the cafe and online via Zoom @ https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/99279163694
Monday, March 31st - No School for Students and Staff (Eid al-Fitr)
Tuesday, April 1st - Teacher Workday - No School for Students
Friday, April 4th - PTO Bingo!! 5:30pm-6:30pm Food Trucks & 6:30pm-8:00pm are the games!
Monday, April 7th - Friday, April 11th College & Career Spirit Week!
Monday, April 7th - Picture Day - Individual & Class - flier went home today
Wednesday, April 9th - Family Food Market 5:00pm-6:30pm
Monday, April 14th - Friday, April 18th - Spring Break - No School
Monday, April 21st - 3 Hour Early Release for Students
Monday, April 21st - Kindergarten Orientation for rising K students 2:30-3:30pm
Monday, April 21st - PTO Meeting via Zoom 7:30pm https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/92982945083
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FCPS Budget — Our Students Deserve the Best
Have you given your feedback on the FCPS FY 2026 Advertised Budget for next school year? We are now in the middle of the annual budget process, and your input matters.
The next steps in the process include:
📅 The School Board will present the budget to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 22.
📅 The Board of Supervisors will conduct public hearings April 22-24. Community members can submit testimony or sign up to speak: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/bosclerk/speakers-form
Visit the county government website to view the Fairfax County FY 2026 Advertised Budget: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news/take-survey-submit-feedback-fy26-budget-proposal
The community is also invited to complete an online survey to provide feedback on the county’s FY 2026 Advertised Budget: https://engage.fairfaxcounty.gov/fy26budget
✅ Learn more about the FCPS FY 2026 Budget and see the full timeline: bit.ly/FCPS-FY2026-Budget
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Save the Date: Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid
Your voice matters, and Superintendent Reid wants to hear from you! Share your thoughts and ask questions regarding FCPS on Wednesday, April 23 at Mason Crest ES from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Click on a date to register. Registration is not required but is encouraged for planning purposes.
Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.
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Glen Forest ES Administrative Team
Pictured from left to right:
Jessica Green, Assistant Principal for Pre-K, 1st Grade and Special Education, jgreen@fcps.edu
Alexandra Bowman, Assistant Principal for 2nd and 3rd Grade, akbowman@fcps.edu
Dee Dee Herndon-Wilson, Principal, dlherndonwi1@fcps.edu
Chris Musgnug, Assistant Principal for Kindergarten, 4th Grade, and 5th Grade, ccmusgnug@fcps.edu
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If you have any comments, concerns, questions, or compliments, please email me at dlherndonwi1@fcps.edu. Thank you for sharing your children with us and for your continued partnership in their education.
From Many, We are ONE! Team Glen Forest! #GFeaglessoar
Warmly,
Dee Dee Herndon-Wilson, Your Proud Principal
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