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Churchill Chatter - Issue 1
August 25, 2025
Important Dates
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Friday, August 29 & Monday, September 1 - Labor Day Holiday, School Closed
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Tuesday, September 9 -Teacher Workday, No School
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Wednesday, September 10 - 3-Hour Early Release, Student Dismissal at 12:20 PM
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Friday, September 19 - Fall Picture Day and PTA Family Movie Night
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Tuesday, September 23 - Rosh Hashanah, School Closed
Dear Churchill Road Families,
It was a wonderful first week of school. To see our students enjoying time with friends, both old and new, and meeting new teachers was so exciting. Below we have shared some specific information that we hope will help support you and your child
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We shared a graphic with questions you might ask your child to check in their first days of school.
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There have been some new updated procedures for long-term, recurring and field trip chaperone volunteers since we last sent information; please reread updates from the county below.
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Please review the linked document from our school health room for information about school health services and medication authorization.
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Remember the updated cell phone and device policy is now in place across FCPS, which includes elementary schools. Please review the policy regarding phones, smart watches and other devices below. These updated expectations concerning devices will be shared in their classes as well.
School will be closed this Friday, August 29 and next Monday, September 1 for the Labor Day holiday.
We hope you enjoy the long weekend with your family.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Pierson-Barr and Mr. Kilpatrick
In This Week's Issue
Congratulations Mrs. Ohdedar - FCPS CARES Award Recipient!
FCPS CARES recipient Mrs. Ohdedar and the third grade team (2024-25).
Congratulations to third grade teacher Chandrani Ohdedar for being chosen as the FCPS CARES of Month Recipient for May, 2025. FCPS CARES allows parents, caregivers, staff, and community members to recognize employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. In recognation of this honor, Churchill Road staff celebrated with a breakfast provided by FCPS.
“Ms. Ohdedar stands out as one of the finest teachers any of [my four children] have had,” the parent who nominated her said. “In [my daughter’s] words, Ms. Ohdedar is ‘the best teacher ever.’ There is no greater gift as a parent than seeing your child excited to go to school each day. We are incredibly grateful to Ms. Ohdedar.”
We are so proud of Mrs. Ohdedar!
Important Message from the School Health Room
Please take a moment to read the linked welcome letter from our Public Health Nurse, Heather Hay. This letter contains all the information you need to know about school health room services, how you can help your school health room provide the best possible care, medication administration guidelines and links to needed forms.
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Save the Date for Upcoming Community Conversations
Calling all CRS Parents... Please join Principal Pierson-Barr, Assistant Principal Nick Kilpatrick, and other staff members for your student's Grade-Level Parent Conversation! We will be hosting our first round of grade-level specific events over the coming weeks to share information about school-wide assessments and answer any questions you may have.
Dates for each grade-level are as follows:
- Kindergarten: Wednesday, September 3, 2025
- 1st Grade: Wednesday, September 10, 2025
- 2nd Grade: Thursday, September 11, 2025
- 3rd Grade: Friday, September 19, 2025
- 4th Grade: Friday, September 12, 2025
- 5th Grade: Monday, September 22, 2025
- 6th Grade: Friday, September 5, 2025
Look for a sign-up form to be sent to each grade level via eNotify prior to the event. While registration is not required to attend, we ask that you kindly RSVP ahead of your grade-level event so we have a general idea of attendance.
We look forward to seeing you!
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Ensuring Student Safety:
Register for Volunteer FCPS - UPDATED
At Churchill Road Elementary School, 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.
NOTE: Field trip chaperones are now Level 3.
Policies for Student Smart Watches and Cell Phones
FCPS is committed to ensuring every student has access to an education free from distractions caused by cell phones. 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 703-288-8400.
Learn more about FCPS’ cell phone and personal device policy.
We appreciate your partnership in helping us maintain a safe, respectful, and engaging learning environment for all students.
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Supply Wish Lists
We are in need of extra tissues and Clorox wipes for our specialists and common areas. If you would like to donate these items, please bring them to the school. Bins are located in the front lobby, by the Kiss and Ride entrance and in the modular.
Thank you for your generosity.
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Student ID Numbers Needed for School Meals
Student ID Numbers Needed for School Meals (New This Year)
Starting this school year, students will enter their student ID number — not their current cafeteria PIN — at the cash register to receive school meals. Please remind your child of their student ID number, which you can find in SIS ParentVUE. View more updates and reminders for school meals this year..
Elementary Limited Early Release Wednesdays, 2025-26
Limited early release days for elementary schools will shift to Wednesdays for the 2025-26 school year. Churchill Road students will be dismissed three hours early, at 12:20 p.m., on each of these Wednesdays. Look for an eNotify message with more information from the school soon.
Three-hour early release Wednesdays for Churchill Road are:
- September 10
- October 29
- November 12
- December 10
- February 18
- March 18
- April 22
- May 13
Read more about early release Wednesdays on the FCPS website.
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Labor Day Holiday
August 29 & September 1
Friday, August 29, and Monday, September 1, are Labor Day holidays for all FCPS employees and students. Virginia legislation requires that schools opening prior to Labor Day must be closed the Friday immediately preceding Labor Day. We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year and enjoy time with family and friends. See the complete school year calendar.
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In Case You Missed it...
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- Everything You Need to Do Through SIS ParentVUE
- Transportation Patience and Safety
- Help Your Child Navigate the Lunch Line
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
FCPS Cares Program
Recognizing employees who go above and beyond
FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff and community members to recognize those who go above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story so we can all acknowledge the outstanding work of FCPS, and more specifically, Churchill Road employees.
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