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Upcoming Events
Thursday, Aug. 14: Open House
Last names A-L: 11 am-12 pm
Last names M-Z: 12 pm-1 pm
Monday, Aug. 18: First day of School
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 Welcome to the 2025 – 2026 School Year!
I hope that everyone has been having a great summer! We are busy planning and getting our building ready for the start of the new school year. Our enrollment is over 900 students and growing! As of this message, we will be having three (3) Kindergarten classes, but that could change by the start of school on August 18th. Also, (something new), there will be two (2) 3rd grade AAP classes - but we are always prepared for changes like this. Enrollment changes every day, so stay tuned. As of this message, we are fully staffed!
**If you know neighbors or friends who still need to register their students, please tell them to contact us ASAP!**
The first day of school is Monday, Aug. 18. All parents (K- 6) are allowed to walk their child/children to the classroom door on the first day (if necessary). All Kinder parents can walk their child to the classroom door the first two days of school. After that – they are all ours!
Please look over this issue of News from the Nest for a lot of Back To School information. We are looking forward to another fantastic year with our wonderful students and staff!
Teacher Assignments Coming Soon
Teachers start back on Monday, Aug. 11, one week before the students to get everything ready for the year! On Tuesday, August 12th (by the close of business) or first thing Wednesday, August 13th, the enrolling parent will receive an email with teacher assignments. If you do not receive that email for whatever reason by the close of business on Wednesday the 13th, call the school at 703-644-8200 or email ALJankovich@fcps.edu.
Open House on Thursday, Aug. 14
Open House is Thursday, August 14th (see times below). Open House is an opportunity for you and your child to meet the teacher (briefly), see the classroom, and drop off school supplies.
There will be staff in the hallways during Open House if you forget the teacher’s name or room number. If you ordered supplies through Sprout, those boxes can be picked up in the cafeteria. Plan accordingly – as parking and crowds are exactly what you think they would be to accommodate 900+ students. If you cannot make the August 14th Open House, your child can bring their supplies in the first day. They do not have to bring them in all at once if it makes their bag too heavy.
- Last Names A – L – Open House is from 11:00AM – 12:00PM
- Last names M – Z – Open House is from 12:00PM – 1:00PM
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Bus Information |
Bus routes will be populating this week into your Parent Vue account in SIS. If you don’t see your child’s bus route information by August 11th, please send Coretta Britt, Sangster Office Assistant, cbritt@fcps.edu, an email. It is also recommended that you check your Parent Vue account again before the 18th, as routes can sometimes change.
If your child will be arriving on a FCPS bus – staff will be waiting at the doors of the bus to ensure they know where their classroom is. Student patrols are assigned to Kinder students as well!
Kindergarten students will have yellow tape wrapped around their backpack strap, which you will receive at Open House, to identify them on the bus. They will be seated at the front of the bus as well.
All Kinder bus students must be met at the afternoon stop and asked for by name. If not, they will return to the school so please make sure you plan ahead.
Contact Erin Gayzik (emgayzik@fcps.edu), Sangster’s School Based Technology Specialist, to get a ParentVue account if you don’t have one.
Walkers/Kiss-n-Ride/Bus: Safety First
 No matter how your students get to and from school, please remember, safety is our first priority.
- If you are bringing your child to school on the first day (or if they are a walker) – please plan accordingly, as it will not be a quick drop-off the first few days.
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There are NO U-TURNS allowed on Reservation Dr and please DO NOT block driveways on Reservation Dr throughout the school year.
- Students who are walkers will wait outside in a supervised, designated grassy area until the main doors open at 8:55AM. We will have signs posted so walkers know where to stand. Staff will be ready to supervise students outside beginning at 8:45AM. Parents and/or students are not allowed to stand/wait on the main platform (outside the main doors), as we need to keep this area open for our arriving buses.
- Students eating school breakfast in the cafeteria (pre-paid) are permitted to come into the school at 8:45AM.
- If you are dropping your child off at Kiss-n-Ride (or if they arrive via an aftercare bus such as La Petite or Lead by Example) – there will be staff there to receive them. Students may only enter or exit your car curbside. Your child should know their teacher’s name or at least their grade level, but staff will be on hand to make sure they get to the correct class. Sangster does not use a number or sign system at Kiss-n-Ride, so be alert and communicate with staff when you pull up. Students will be able to exit their cars starting at 8:45AM and will wait with the walkers until the main doors open at 8:55AM.
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Lunch & Food Services Information |
If your child will be buying lunch or breakfast, please use http://www.myschoolbucks.com to add money to (or create) their account. This year, breakfast is $1.75 and lunch $3.75.
Free & Reduced-Price Meal Applications: Due by October 1 (online) - https://www.fcps.edu/frm. If you applied for and your child received free/reduced lunches last year, you must reapply each year.
Menus, allergens, and nutrition info available online - LINQ Connect
Back to School Nights in September
Back to School Nights provides parents a chance to visit their child’s classroom, meet the teachers, and learn about the upcoming school year. Teachers share important information about the curriculum, classroom expectations, daily routines, and ways families can support learning at home. At Sangster we offer two sessions, at two different times, of the exact same content, to ensure families can find a time that works for them. BTSN is for adults but often Girl Scouts offer babysitting services. We will confirm that closer to the time.
- BTSN for Grades K – 3 on Wednesday, September 10th from 6:00PM – 6:45PM and again from 7:00PM – 7:45PM.
- BTSN for Grades 4 - 6 on Wednesday, September 17th from 6:00PM – 6:45PM and again from 7:00PM – 7:45PM.
Early Release Days: Wednesdays this Year!
Early Release Wednesdays are planned throughout the school year for elementary schools to allow educators essential time for planning and professional development. Students will be dismissed 3 hours early, seven times throughout the school year and are encouraged to return home via their normal route.
At Sangster, students will be dismissed at 12:55PM. However, we understand there may be a childcare hardship because of the early release Wednesdays for many of our families. To resolve these concerns, student supervision will be available for families who need it (see information below)**
The following dates are planned for Early Release Wednesdays throughout the school year:
• September 10th
• October 8th
• November 12th
• December 10th
• February 18th
• March 18th
• April 22nd
• May 13th
**To help plan for our school’s childcare needs during the early release Wednesdays, please complete this Sangster-specific form: https://forms.gle/qULvM2FfCfjmGAt29 for each of your children who are enrolled at Sangster Elementary. The form covers the first Early Release Wednesday, scheduled for September 10th. If you have multiple children, you will need to submit multiple forms, one per child.
Your child’s teacher will confirm the after-school supervision plan for the remainder of the year once the year starts (and we will send out another google form for October).
There will be a required digital consent form asking you to provide this information again. This information will then be moved into our student information system (SIS). As this is a new form for the county, I prefer to sort my own data, so please fill out BOTH the link above and the digital consent form sharing your child’s plan for Early Release Wednesday.
 School Hours and Late Arrival Policy
School hours are 9:10AM – 3:55PM. Students are considered late if they arrive after 9:10AM and must be walked into the main office and signed-in by an adult.
Keep Transportation Changes to a Minimum
With transportation, consistency is key! Whenever possible, keep methods of transportation the same. If a same-day emergency comes up and you need to change transportation – please call the office, as only an admin can approve this. Unfortunately, due the volume of students we dismiss daily, we do not allow parents to take other students home for playdates, unless in an emergency, which is approved ahead of time by the principal.
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Digital Consent Forms |
- Parental consent is required for the use of some digital resources in FCPS. Please review the resources and provide your consent using the Parent Digital Consent System (PDC).
- The first week of school, all students in grades 1 – 6 will be issued laptops and/or Chrome Books. Kindergarten students will be receiving in-school iPads sometime within the first month of school.
- Opt-Out Forms are available through the Parent Digital Consent System (PDC) and include:
- School Counseling Opt-Out
- SEL Screener Opt-Out
- Family Life Education Opt-Out
- Objection to Release of Information to Outside Organizations
- Objection to Release of Directory Information to the Public
News from the Sangster PTA
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