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August 22, 2025
Dear Waynewood Owls,
What a truly wonderful start to the school year! Seeing all of our students back in the hallways and classrooms has been an absolute joy. This week was filled with so much excitement as we welcomed many new students to our nest, including our incredible group of kindergartners. It's always a special feeling to see the younger Owls find their wings and settle into their new routines.
The first week was a great success as our students got to know their teachers and classmates. They have been busy learning the ropes of their new classrooms and the school, and we couldn't be prouder of their hard work. Building on this momentum, the first weeks of school will be focused on mastering our daily routines and procedures, including in the cafeteria. As students get the hang of things, their newfound independence helps make the lunchroom a safe and welcoming place for everyone.
Speaking of lunch, we welcome you to join your children for lunch starting on Monday, September 15. Please remember to bring a picture ID so you can sign in at the office. To ensure our lunchroom remains a safe and manageable space for all of our students, please make other arrangements for younger siblings if you plan to come for lunch. We know how much it means to share a meal with your child, and we look forward to seeing you soon!
We also have a few important reminders for the coming week. Please remember to join our incredible Parent Teacher Association (PTA)! The PTA is the heart of our school community, supporting so many wonderful events and initiatives throughout the year. Your involvement, whether big or small, makes a huge difference.
Finally, we are so excited to see you at our annual Back to School Night next week on Wednesday, August 27. It's a fantastic opportunity to meet your child's teachers, see the classrooms, and learn more about the exciting year ahead. We can't wait to share our goals and vision for the school year with you.
As the school year begins to take flight, I am filled with so much hope and optimism for what we will accomplish together. Thank you for entrusting us with your children; it is a privilege to partner with you in their education. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. We are here to help!
Sincerely,
Katie Cachine, Principal
Alyssa Bonner, Assistant Principal
Allison Ovalle, Assistant Principal
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Our first graders learned all about classroom and school rules this week. They read Officer Gloria and Buckle by Peggy Rathman. Then they had a special visit from the United States Capitol Police and their canine officer. Thank you to our special guests for the visit! |
Back to School Night will be on Wednesday, August 27 at 6:00 p.m. Due to the size of our school, this is a parent-only event. There will be two sessions offered to accommodate families with multiple children (see schedule below). Back-to-School Night is a wonderful way to get to know your child’s teacher and learn about the classroom expectations and grade-level curriculum. We hope you will be able to join us! There will be limited parking available that night, so please consider walking if you are able.
6:00 pm- 6:10 pm : Doors Open/Transition to Classroom
6:10 pm- 6:45 pm: Session 1 (recorded welcome message and teacher presentation)
6:45 pm- 6:55 pm: Transition Time
6:55 pm- 7:20 pm: Session 2 (teacher presentation only)
7:20 pm- 7:30 pm: Transition Out
ALL Families need to complete the opt in/out form by Monday, August 25, for after-school supervision for all early release Wednesdays.
As of this morning we are still waiting for 509 responses. We will need to contact families individually if we have no response.
While we anticipate that most students will be dismissed at 1:00pm on limited early release Wednesdays, we recognize that some families have unique circumstances that may require childcare. These students will be supervised by various staff. No new instruction will take place, as after-school care is strictly supervision.
Parents and caregivers should log in to the Parent Digital Consent system to review and provide consent to a variety of resources and services including Early Release Wednesday Childcare.
- OPT IN if you require childcare on our limited early release Wednesdays.
- OPT OUT if your child will go home (or to childcare arranged with SACC or another provider) at the early release time.
If a family needs to change their selection, they should notify our front office at least one week in advance to ensure enough staff are available to provide supervision.
Please remind your child that FCPS is phone-free! For elementary school students, this means:
- Smart watches that serve a dual purpose may be worn, but the phone features (texting, Internet viewing, and calls) are to be off when phone use is prohibited.
- Cell phones and personal devices (airpods, earbuds, headsets, other items connected to the internet) must be off and away for the entire school day (bell to bell).
If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call our main office at 703-704-7100. Please do not text your child on their device during the school day. Learn more about FCPS’ cell phone and personal device policy.
We have received an update (since yesterday) regarding Field Trip chaperones. Field Trip chaperones are now Level 3 volunteers and WILL need a background check. If you plan to chaperone at any time this year, please start this process as soon as possible.
At Waynewood Elementary, our volunteers are a vital part of our school community. We deeply value the time and care they give to our students.
Recent updates to our volunteer process focus on one primary goal: keeping students safe.
These updates — such as checks against the sex offender registry and, in some cases, criminal background checks — are safety measures that will help us maintain a secure and supportive learning environment for every student in our care.
We encourage all our parents and community members interested in supporting our students by volunteering at school to visit Volunteer FCPS click “Learn More,” and then “Sign Up.” After you create a profile, you will view an orientation video and complete a volunteer application.
Volunteer FCPS ensures a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. All volunteers must be registered in Volunteer FCPS. This includes individuals who volunteer to chaperone on field trips, work at book fairs, and help out regularly in classrooms, libraries, or cafeterias. Volunteers who work unsupervised with students will also be required to undergo a background check.
We understand these changes may seem disruptive, especially for long-time volunteers. Our intent is to ensure that our students feel safe and supported with each and every person they encounter at school.
As a reminder, all volunteers — and visitors to a school — are required to sign in by scanning their ID at our visitor kiosk. Visit the Volunteer FCPS Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more.
The Department of Special Services has updated and translated key resources to help our families of students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and/or Section 504 Plan.
These resources help family and staff understand procedures, rights, and processes. Find additional information on Special Education Instruction and the Family Academy: Resources to Support Special Education and 504 Plans pages.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) provides a comprehensive, sequential Family Life Education (FLE) program for students in grades kindergarten through grade twelve. Instruction is seen as a partnership among parents and guardians, the school, and the community in supporting the learning essential to the development of strong families, positive relationships, and a healthy community.
Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program. Students who are opted out are provided with age-appropriate, nonpunitive alternative health instruction, and every effort is made to foster respect for family choices. If you wish to opt your child out of all or part of FLE for this school year, opt out forms are available in Parent Digital Consent. Paper opt-out forms are available from your child’s school. Students receiving special education services and accessing modified curriculum will receive a printed opt-out form for modified FLE lessons.
Detailed grade-level program descriptions are available online at Elementary (K-6) , Middle School (7-8) , and High School (9-12). FLE grade level-specific lessons and media that FCPS has streaming rights for are available for parents online in Schoology. Parents/guardians login to Schoology using the same username and password as their Student Information System (SIS) Parent account. Grade level-specific lessons are also available at the City of Fairfax Regional Library (this location does not have media). Grade level-specific lessons and media that is not streamed online are available for review at your child’s school library. Due to copyright permissions, we are unable to stream all media online.
Program questions may be addressed at your child’s school or by contacting Instructional Services at 571-423-4550 or by email to fle@fcps.edu.
Benchmark Unit 1 in Language Arts is about life science. Students in K-5 will be learning about plants, animals, and nature. Sixth grade students will learn about the natural balance of nature.
Connect with your child’s learning at school with these fun questions and hands-on activities at home:
- Question: What are some ways we can take care of nature and living things?
- Activity: Pick an animal and act out how it moves or survives in its habitat — see if family members can guess!
At the end of the unit, your child will take their unit magazine home. The magazine includes an activity calendar with fun ways to help students build on what they’re learning at each grade level. You can also find information on how to support your child’s reading at home on the Benchmark Families website.
Parents can access their child’s activity on FCPS devices through Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service. Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites their child visited.
The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.
Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.
Our PTA warmly welcomes all new and returning families to our vibrant Waynewood ES community! Everything you need to know, you can find on our website www.waynewoodpta.org Check it out!
Looking to get connected? Create an account! Fill in your email and a password, add your partner or spouse to create your family account! It’s free and it’s the easiest way to stay informed.
Looking to become a member? Learn about Membership and Join our PTA.
Looking for our upcoming events? Check out our calendar page.
Looking for more information on what we are planning for the year? Check out our Programs and Events page. The pages for each program or event are still being updated. Stay tuned!
Looking to get involved? Reach out to us! Fill out our Volunteer Interest Form.
Looking for merch? After a very successful Spirit Wear sale at Open House, more is coming soon! Be on the lookout for our Fall Spirit Wear sale, and keep an eye out for details about our upcoming online shop.
Wednesday, August 27: Back to School Night 6:00 pm-7:30 pm (adults only)
Friday, August 29 & Monday September 1: No School/Labor Day Holiday
Friday, September 5: Family Picnic on the Waynewood Field 5:30 pm-7:30 pm
Tuesday, September 9: No School due to Special Election
Wednesday, September 10: First PTA Meeting 6:00 pm in the WW cafeteria
Friday, September 12: New Families and Military Families Welcome Coffee 9:30 am
Wednesday, September 17: Three hour early release (1:00 pm)
Monday, September 22: Jog-A-Thon
You can access the full 2025-26 calendar here. Days that are shaded pink or blue are holidays for students. Orange days are NOT school holidays.
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