Garfield ES - Eagle Express

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 05/02/2025 03:58 PM EDT

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Mark Your Calendars

May 7 - Save the date - Paint Night, 5:00pm

RVSP TODAY!
Paint Night, 5/7 at 5:00pm

Let us know you're coming!!
Click Here! Let us know you're coming to Paint Night!

SOL Testing Dates

Students in grades 3–5 will be taking the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) tests between April 30 and May 30, 2025. These assessments are an important opportunity for students to show what they’ve learned this year! To help your child do their very best, please make every effort to ensure they are at school on testing days. If possible, we kindly ask that you avoid scheduling vacations or appointments during this window.

If your child will be absent due to an observed religious holiday, just let their teacher know—we’re happy to make arrangements to ensure they can complete their tests at another time.

A good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast, and a positive attitude can go a long way in helping your child feel confident and ready. Thank you for your continued support—we're proud of our students and all they've accomplished!

Teacher & Staff
Appreciation Week

Monday, May 5th – Friday, May 9^th, 2025

Get Ready to Celebrate: Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week is Coming! We’re thrilled to celebrate our amazing Garfield teachers and staff during Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week! Let’s take a moment to honor the incredible educators and staff who make a difference every single day—igniting a love of learning, building confidence, and helping our students to soar. Their dedication, passion, and care help make school wonderful for all our Eagles.

Families, we invite you to join us in showing appreciation! A simple thank-you note, a kind email, or a small gesture of gratitude can mean so much to our staff. We are truly blessed to have such an extraordinary team at Garfield, and we can’t wait to celebrate them!

Please see below for fun ways you can get involved and help us make this week extra special!

💙 Monday – Say It with Kind Words Tell your teacher something you appreciate about them. A kind word, compliment, or “thank you” goes a long way!

💙 Tuesday – Bring a Note or Drawing Write a thank-you note or draw a picture to show your teacher how much you care.

💙 Wednesday – Favorite Things Bring your teacher one of their favorite things—a favorite snack, drink, or something small that shows you care.

💙 Thursday – Create from the Heart Make something special—a drawing, poem, or craft—to show how much you appreciate your teacher.

💙 Friday – Show Your Spirit Wear Garfield gear or your teacher’s favorite color to show your school spirit and appreciation!

Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow!

As we approach the end of the school year, it’s important for students to stay engaged, attend school, and finish strong! Please let us know how we can support your family in making consistent attendance a priority for your child. Visit our website for attendance resources.

Excellence at a Crossroads: FCPS Budget Update

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will begin finalizing the budget on Tuesday, May 6. The current advertised budget underfunds FCPS by $150 million.

Without new revenue, such as the meals tax (adding just $2-3 to an average dining bill for a family of four), FCPS will face significant cuts.

What Is at Risk?

Go to fcps.edu/crossroads to see examples of where FCPS exceeds minimum state standards.

🩹 Required Immunizations for Rising 7th and 12th Graders

Additional immunizations are required for students entering 7th and 12th grades.

All students entering 7th grade are required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations prior to the beginning of school: Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis booster (Tdap), Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY), and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

To meet the Tdap requirement, the vaccination must be administered at age 7 or older.
To meet the MenACWY requirement, the vaccination must be administered at age 10 or older.
As a parent/guardian, you may decide that your child not receive the HPV vaccination. The school does not require documentation if a parent/guardian elects for their student not to receive the HPV vaccination.

All students entering 12th grade are to receive one dose of Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) prior to the beginning of school.

To meet the MenACWY 12th grade requirement, the vaccination must be administered at age 16 or older.

Please consider getting your child’s immunizations early so that they can attend school in the fall. Summer is a busy time for families and healthcare providers. As long as your child meets the age requirements listed above, they can be immunized at any time. Additional resources are available on the FCPS Immunization Resources webpage and the Fairfax County Health Department.

✅ Share Feedback With County Health Department on School Health ServicesThe Fairfax County Health Department and Fairfax County Public Schools School Health Services invite parents/caregivers of FCPS students to participate in a survey on satisfaction with school health room services. The survey takes about five minutes to complete and will be open until Monday, May 5.

Social and Emotional Learning Screener: Parent Reports

Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener during the month of March, providing information on their SEL skills such as achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.

Individual student SEL Screener results are available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be sent via postal mail.

For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the SEL Screener Results Family Guide or reach out to our school staff with any questions.

Protect Your Child from Measles: What You Need to Know

Measles cases continue to rise in the U.S. About 1 in 5 people who get measles end up in the hospital. Measles can cause severe complications like a lung infection (pneumonia), brain inflammation (encephalitis), and possibly death, even with medical care. Symptoms of measles typically include:

High fever (may spike up to 104°F)
Cough
Runny nose
Red, watery eyes
A rash that appears around 3-5 days after other symptoms begin. The rash typically starts on the face and spreads down the body.

The best way to protect a child from measles is by getting two doses of the combination measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

If you are unsure of your child's vaccination status or your personal vaccination status, talk to your health care provider. If your child needs an immunization, make an appointment with your health care provider, visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a list of child immunization clinics, or view other Immunization Resources.

Community Events

☀️ Discover Exciting Summer Learning Activities and Ideas

Join the FCPS Summer Extravaganza on Saturday, May 10, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., at Woodson High School! During this free event, participants can engage in educational and enrichment activities designed to inspire curiosity and growth.

Learn about summer programs for children and resources from community and business partners. Enjoy face painting, touring a fire truck, student performances, and other fun activities. For more information, visit the Summer Extravaganza webpage.

🎭 Join Us for a Night of Fun and Theater!

We’re thrilled to invite you and your family to Lewis High School’s spring musical, The Addams Family, on Friday, May 3, at 7:00 PM!

This special performance is our Lewis Pyramid Night, and we’re hoping to see families from all our pyramid schools in the audience, coming together to celebrate the arts and our amazing students.

To make it an unforgettable community event, elementary and middle school students within the Lewis Pyramid will receive FREE admission with a paying adult. Adult tickets are just $12.

Come enjoy a spookily fun evening and cheer on our talented student performers—we can’t wait to see you there!

Quick Links

YOUR PARTNERS IN EDUCATION

We are in this together!! We are thankful to have the opportunity to work with your family this year and will work every day to ensure a safe and positive learning environment for your child. Please contact us when there is a question or concern. Thank you for your support and being part of our team!

Your Garfield Partner Principals,

Mrs. Peerman, Principal, Klpeerman@fcps.edu Ms. Manning, Assistant Principal, eamanning1@fcps.edu

7101 Old Keene Mill Rd, Springfield, VA 22150 | Main Office: 703-923-2900
Attendance: 703-923-2929 | Web | Twitter

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page or Unsubscribe from All Topics. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com.