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We’re excited to welcome our Bobcat caregivers to Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 4th. Come hear about the grade level curriculum and routines, and learn how we’re leveling up for an amazing year. Please note that this event is for caregivers, and is not designed for children.
Evening Schedule
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5:00–5:30 PM – Visit your child’s homeroom teacher
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5:30–6:00 PM – Visit a second classroom or meet our Specials teachers in the cafeteria
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6:00–6:30 PM – Meet with our Specials teachers (if you haven’t already)
PTA Meeting Follows at 7:00 PM- After Back to School Night, please join us for the PTA meeting at 7:00 PM in the Library. We’d love your voice and partnership this year.
While we anticipate that most students will be dismissed at 12:30 on limited early release Wednesdays, we recognize that some families may require childcare. These students will be supervised by instructional assistants. 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.
Starting in September, FCPS elementary schools will use the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Math assessment to assess grade level mathematics skills in grades 1-6. The MAP Math test along with the iReady Reading test fulfill a state requirement to measure academic growth in grades 3-6 throughout the school year.
MAP Math tests are administered in the fall, winter, and spring. They help teachers identify students' strengths and areas where they may need more support.
Families can learn more about MAP Growth assessments by visiting the MAP Test Information webpage.
We’re excited to share that our school will be offering lunch and a snack at no cost to children aged 18 and under on Tuesday, September 9.
As a reminder, all FCPS schools will be closed for students and school staff on September 9 due to a special election in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District. Many FCPS schools serve as election sites. Since our school is not an election site, we will be able to provide student meals.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Lunch and a snack will be served together from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Meals must be eaten on site at participating schools.
- Enrichment activities will be available for children. Participation is encouraged but not required.
- Only children 18 and under may receive meals.
- Each child may receive one lunch and one snack.
We are proud to support our students’ health and well-being, even on days when school is not in session. We hope to see many of our families take advantage of this opportunity! View a list of all school sites that will be providing meals for children on September 9. If you have questions, please contact the Office of Food and Nutrition Services at 703-813-4800.
The Fall Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener will be administered to students in grades 3 through 12 in October.
Students use the SEL Screener twice a year to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop skills they need to succeed. The screener works by asking questions or presenting statements that students can think about and respond to. This gives students a way to share how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families without a ParentVUE account. For more information including SEL Screener questions and opt-out information, please visit FCPS’ Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.
Families can easily grant permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. Opt your child in or out of a variety of online educational tools and choose how student information is managed. Parents/caregivers of elementary students should opt in/out of after-school care on early release Wednesdays.
Please visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage today to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool
We know that as a parent or caregiver, you play a critical role in your child’s education. The FCPS Family Academy compiles classes, webinars, workshops, and programs offered by the school division to help you support your child’s needs and learning at home.
The Family Academy also includes information about resources to help ensure your child has what they need to succeed. Check out some of the upcoming Family Academy sessions:
- Co-Parenting: Two Parents, Two Homes (available in English and Spanish)
- Loving Solutions
- Military-Connected Youth Family Advisory Council
- Parent Project
- Family Resource Center Webinars on topics including: How to Prepare for School; Building Collaborative Relationships Between Caregivers and Educators; Worried Parents, Anxious Kids; and What Families Need to Know About Drugs for Their Students with Disabilities.
Visit the Family Academy catalog for more information on these sessions and to register to attend.
At Pine Spring, 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.
Please make sure your child has all of their necessary immunizations. Remember, all students are required to be immunized against certain diseases to attend school in Virginia. This is an important part of keeping children healthy!
Starting Tuesday, November 18, students who have not provided proof of immunization may not be allowed to attend school. Visit the How To Submit Immunization Documents webpage for step-by-step guidance on how to check your child’s immunization status and submit updated immunization information
Please check with your health care provider to make sure your child is up to date on required immunizations for the 2025-26 school year. If your child needs an immunization, make an appointment with your healthcare provider, visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a list of child immunization clinics, or view other Immunization Resources. Be wise and immunize!
Providing a safe and supportive school environment is our number one priority. One of the ways we do this is by regularly reviewing and updating our school crisis management and emergency preparedness plans. Plans include how to respond to a variety of incidents such as fires, severe weather events, and other emergencies. It is critical to have safety drills each year so that our students and staff remember what to do if there is an emergency.
Virginia Law also requires schools to complete two lockdown drills a year, one within the first twenty days of the school session, and to notify parents/caregivers at least 24 hours in advance. We are not required to share the exact date and time of the drill. FCPS lockdown drills do not include any type of scenario training.
We will conduct a lockdown drill at our school soon. Our pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students are not required to participate in lockdown drills during the first 60 days of the school year. They will participate in our second and final drill later this school year.
Additional information including parent tips and FAQs can be found on the Emergency Planning and Crisis Response web page. After reviewing this information, it would be helpful to have a talk with your child about safety and school procedures. Below are some tips that can help frame your conversation:
- Ask your child what they know about the drill, and how they feel about it.
- Avoid scary and/or graphic details from the media.
- Discuss that practicing how to be safe in a variety of situations is important because it helps to give them the confidence and knowledge to be safe.
- Let them know it is okay to have feelings about the drill and that you and adults at their school are there to help them be safe and listen if they would like to talk more.
There will be school mental health staff available at your child’s school to help students with concerns around the lockdown drill. If you have questions, please reach out to the school.
Keeping our school safe and secure for all students and staff involves the participation of the entire school community, and we thank you for your help to keep our school safe.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction. A continuum of advanced academic services is offered for students in Grades K-12. This model is designed to match services to unique student needs, moving away from a focus on student labels.
Through the continuum, students benefit from:
- Multiple entry points for deeper learning opportunities in specific areas of need as they develop.
- A cluster group of students with similar academic needs to foster intellectual growth.
Teachers, Advanced Academic Resource Teachers (AARTs), and school administrators work together to provide the following services at the elementary level:
Access to Rigor, Grades K-6
All students have opportunities to think critically, reason, and problem-solve.
- All teachers use critical and creative thinking strategies in their lessons.
- Classroom teachers provide opportunities using materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework a minimum of once per quarter.
Because Access to Rigor is for all FCPS students, there is not a screening process.
Subject-Specific Services, Grades K-6
Some students are strong in a specific subject area. Classroom teachers may adjust instruction for students in these area(s) by:
- Providing different assignments and resources in those subjects,
- Grouping students by their strengths, interests, and readiness, and
- Providing additional challenges using materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework.
Student needs for Subject-Specific services are re-evaluated each year at the local school.
Part-Time Services, Grades 3-6
Some students have advanced academic needs in multiple subject areas in addition to Subject-Specific services. They need Part-Time AAP services.
- Students work with other students that have similar academic needs through weekly pull-out classes or weekly co-taught lessons with the AART and classroom teacher.
- Teachers provide frequent opportunities to use materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework in Language Arts, science, social studies, and/or mathematics.
Part-Time services continue through Grade 6. Students do not need to be evaluated each year.
Full-Time Services, Grades 3-8
Some advanced learners need a Full-Time advanced academic program with differentiated instruction in all four core content areas (Language Arts, mathematics, social studies, and science).
Students eligible for Full-Time AAP services are cluster grouped on a Full-Time basis and receive:
- Full-Time use of materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework in Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, and
Curriculum that is differentiated through depth, complexity, and acceleration of content. Full-Time services continue through Grade 8. Students do not need to be evaluated each year.
Elementary Family Information Meeting
A family information meeting will be held at the local school to discuss Advanced Academic Programs (AAP). At the meeting, the AART will:
- Provide information on the continuum of AAP services.
- Explain the screening processes.
- Answer questions about advanced academic services.
Screening and Eligibility for Advanced Academic Program Services
Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP Services
Eligibility decisions for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP services are made by a committee at the local school, and screening is ongoing throughout the school year. To refer for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP services, submit the AAP Subject-Specific or Part Time Referral Form to the AART at the local school.
Full-Time AAP Services
Eligibility decisions for AAP Full-Time services are made by a countywide central screening committee. There are specific screening cycles for Full-Time services:
- Fall Screening: Available to students who have enrolled in FCPS since January. The referral window is from the first day of school to October 15.
- Spring Screening: Available to any FCPS student in Grades 2-7. The referral window is from the first day of school to December 15.
Important: Please do not wait for ability test scores before submitting a referral for your child in Grades 2-7. Referrals submitted after the deadlines will not be accepted. Referral forms for all Advanced Academic Program services are found at https://www.fcps.edu/node/38893.
Holistic Review for AAP Services
The screening committee conducts a holistic review of multiple data points to determine eligibility. Screening committees consider whether students have access to a group of students with similar academic needs to support academic conversations and growth in the classroom.
Screening committees review:
- student work from opportunities with AAP lessons,
- examples of student reasoning or gifted behaviors from class discussions and activities, progress reports,
- achievement and ability scores, and
- family anecdotal feedback
All of these factors are considered holistically, without any single piece of data being weighted more than another.
Ability Testing
FCPS uses ability testing as one consideration in the holistic screening process for advanced academic services. Test scores are not weighted or prioritized in the holistic screening process.
- All students in Grade 2 take the Naglieri General Ability Test (NGAT)
- The NGAT may be administered to students in Grades 3-6 who do not have an ability test score during the regularly scheduled testing windows.
Parents or guardians may request a one-time retest of an ability test in grades 3-6. Requests must be made during the fall testing windows. Please contact the school testing coordinator no later than September 30 to request a one-time retake.
Young Scholars
The FCPS Young Scholars model seeks to identify and affirm, from an early age, students with high academic potential from groups historically underrepresented in advanced academic programming. The goal of the model is to eliminate barriers for Young Scholars’ access to and success in advanced academic opportunities in elementary, middle, and high school.
Twice-Exceptional (2e)
Some advanced learners may also experience learning challenges. Known as twice-exceptional (2e), these students require strengths-based instruction that nurtures their potential while addressing their learning challenges. The FCPS continuum of Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) provides multiple entry points to support both their strengths and areas of need. To guide schools and families in identifying and supporting 2e learners, FCPS has developed a comprehensive 2e handbook. You can find the 2e Handbook by going to www.fcps.edu and searching “2e.”
Additional information about Advanced Academic Programs may be found on the Advanced Academic Programs web page: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs.
September 4: Back to School Night (5:00-6:30)
September 4: PTA Meeting (7:00 PM)
September 9: No School
September 10: 3 Hour Early Release
September 24: Fall Picture Day
September 19: PTA Dance
September 23: No School
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