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A Note from the Principal
Dear Daniels Run Families,
I hope that you've enjoyed a wonderful week. We've had an eventful and productive week here at Daniels Run Elementary!
Security Update: Our new vestibule is currently under construction in the front lobby, enhancing our school's security measures. We appreciate your patience and support as we work to ensure a safe environment for all.
PTA Meeting: We held our first PTA meeting of the year, a great opportunity to connect with our community members. We were honored to have Fairfax City Acting Superintendent, Dan Phillips, along with school board members Amit Hickman and Carolyn Pitches, join our administrative team for this event. During the meeting, it was confirmed that our school boundaries will remain unchanged, despite the ongoing review of boundaries in the rest of Fairfax County. We sincerely value these community interactions and look forward to seeing more of you at our next meeting on October 14th.
MAP Testing: Our students in grades 1 through 6 participated in MAP testing this week, which has replaced the iReady Math screener. We are eager to discuss your child's progress and share these results at your first parent-teacher conference.
Dragon SOAR Program: Next Wednesday, we will launch our Dragon SOAR program, designed to reinforce and celebrate the positive behaviors displayed by our students. We are excited to see the impact this initiative will have with our students.
Lastly, we wanted to remind you that next Tuesday, September 23rd, is a school holiday. Thank you for your continued support and involvement.
Warm regards,
Susan Mullen
Upcoming Dates
September 23: Rosh Hashanah- No School
October 2: Yom Kippur- No School
October 3: DRES Field Day
October 7: Fall Picture Day!
October 13: Indigenous Peoples' Day- No School
October 20: Diwali- No School
October 31: End of Quarter- 2 Hour Early Dismissal at 1:45pm
November 3 & 4: Teacher Work Days- No School
November 7: Dragon Drive Day
 Daniels Run students excited to start the school day!
Second Step Elementary
Dear Families,
Currently in Second Step® Elementary, students are learning concepts taught in Unit 1: Growth Mindset & Goal-Setting. In this unit, children learn how to pay attention and manage distractions, develop a growth mindset, and apply goal-setting strategies to their social and academic lives.
A growth mindset is an important skill to establish early in the school year to help students keep going through challenges, welcome mistakes, identify and achieve goals, and gain confidence as they learn.
Students also learn that their brains grow and change when they tackle new challenges, try hard, and practice their skills.
In Kindergarten through Grade 2, students develop skills needed to pay attention and avoid distractions and learn about the importance of practice and effort when learning something new. Grade 3 introduces the brain science behind learning, practice, and planning. With this foundation, Grades 4 and 5 shift to focus on the goal-setting process. Grade 6 students learn about making specific goals, trying new strategies, and monitoring progress.
Sincerely,
Daniels Run Admin Team
Girls on the Run
Girls on the Run Sign-up for DRES - Practice Starts Sept. 24!
Girls on the Run provides 3rd through 6th grade girls with twice weekly practices focused on self esteem, confidence, and running skills. Practices will start Wednesday, September 24, and run through November. Participants run a 5K Fun Run in November. The usual practice schedule is Tuesday mornings before school and Friday after school.
SIGN UP HERE!
Science Olympiad Team
Please complete this form by September 24th.
Virtual interest meeting, Thursday September 25th @ 6:30pm.
If you have more than one student, please complete a new form for each child.
A Zoom link to the virtual interest meeting will be sent to all families interested in learning more.
*Must be able to meet Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:50-4:50
*Must be picked up by 4:50 every Tuesday and Thursday.
FHS Junior Cheer Clinic
The Fairfax High School cheer program is hosting a clinic for future cheerleaders on Friday, October 3rd. If you are able to place the below information in your upcoming News You Choose, we would be grateful. Many thanks!
Future Lions, it’s your time to shine! Join us at Fairfax High School for the Junior Cheer Clinic on Friday, October 3, 2025, from 4–8 p.m. Register now: www.givebutter.com/futurelionscheer
🎉 Volunteers Needed for Field Day on Friday, October 3rd!
Field Day is right around the corner, and we need your help to make it a fun and memorable event for our students! If you have a few hours to spare and would like to help with stations, we’d love to have you join us. Each station comes with easy-to-follow directions and a QR code linking to a video demonstration of the game. No experience needed—just bring your energy and enthusiasm!
Station volunteers needed for grades K-2 from 8:50 AM -11:10 AM
Station volunteers needed for Pre-K and PAC from 11:10 AM -12:15 PM
Station volunteers needed for grades 3-6 from 12:15 PM - 3:10 PM
If you're interested, please sign up here: Field Day Station Volunteer Sign-Up
Thank you for supporting our school community!
AAP Parent Information Sessions
Continuum of Services
- Our in-person Parent Information Session will be held on September 25th at 6:00PM in the Library. During this session, we will provide information on the continuum of AAP services for all students at Daniels Run. (Grades K-6)
Screening and Identification for Full-Time AAP
- Our in-person Screening and Identification Session will be held on October 9th at 6:00 PM in the library. During this session, we will explain and answer questions about the screening process for part-time school-based and full-time Level IV services. (Grades 2-6)
Beginning in October 2025, elementary and middle schools will implement the Naglieri General Ability Tests (NGAT) as our universal abilities screener in grade 2 and for selected students in grades 3-7. This assessment measures a student's general intellectual ability in three key areas: verbal, nonverbal, and quantitative. Abilities tests are differentiated from achievement tests as students should not be preparing for the assessment. Individual schools will be sending notification letters to families whose students are scheduled to participate in this assessment. Families can reference the testing requirements for each grade level in FCPS the Grade Level Tests page on the FCPS website.
PTA News
Participate in an Upcoming Community Boundary Review Meeting
As a reminder, FCPS will hold two sets of community boundary review meetings this fall — one in September and another in October. Each set of meetings will focus on two pyramids per meeting.
All September meetings will include an overview of where FCPS is in the comprehensive boundary review process, an update and opportunity for feedback on school start times, how community input is informing the process, and next steps in the boundary review process.
The meeting for our pyramid will be held Friday, September 26, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Woodson High School (In Person or Virtual). Please register by clicking “in person” or “virtual,” depending on how you would like to participate.
Child care for in-person participants and language interpretation/translation for all participants will be available as needed.
Visit the FCPS website for a full list of meeting dates and information about the October meetings.
📚 Discovering Character in Language Arts 📚
Benchmark Unit 2 in Language Arts is about characters who are faced with difficult choices. Sixth grade students will learn about characters who are changed and inspired by others.
Connect with your child’s learning at school with these fun questions and hands-on activities at home:
- Question: Have you ever disagreed with a friend? How did you see things differently?
- Activity: Have your child write a diary entry from the perspective of a book character.
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.
🏗️ School Bond Referendum on Ballot Tuesday, November 4
To pay for large-scale construction and renovation work, Fairfax County sells bonds, which allows the county to pay for these projects over time — like a home mortgage. By maintaining its triple-A bond rating, Fairfax County bonds are purchased by institutional investors at very low rates, saving the county considerable amounts of money that might otherwise be paid in interest. The county estimates that the triple-A rating has saved taxpayers at least $1 billion in financing costs.
FCPS uses bonds to fund all of its capital improvement projects – the projects that are focused on the infrastructure of schools and facilities. From important renovations to new safety features like security vestibules, this work is paid for by bonds.
FCPS will have a bond referendum on the ballot this election day, Tuesday, November 4. Bonds can make a difference that represents an investment in public education now and in the future.
Read more about the FCPS 2025 Bond Referendum. And learn more about registering to vote and make a voting plan.
🎤 Join a Community Conversation with Superintendent Dr. Reid
Your voice matters, and Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid wants to hear from you! At FCPS, parents are partners, working with us to set our students up for long-term success at school and in life.
A series of Community Conversations will be held across the school division to discuss current challenges and future opportunities. These events are also a chance for you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Events are planned for the following dates:
- Monday, September 29, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., at McNair Upper Elementary School
- Friday, October 3, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Annandale Terrace Elementary School
- Friday, December 5, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Churchill Road Elementary School
- Tuesday, December 9, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Fairhill Elementary School
- Thursday, December 11, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Bull Run Elementary School
Registration links will be shared soon. Child care and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all.
🌞 Celebrate Sun Day on September 21
Celebrate the launch of FCPS’ solar initiative and the arrival of 17 new electric school buses at Louise Archer Elementary School on Sunday, September 21, from 10 a.m. to noon. Come learn more about the great work FCPS is doing to reduce its carbon footprint and meet sustainability goals.
Bring the family for live music, solar story time, student-led sustainability demos, and other activities. Register for Sun Day today.
After-School Clubs Starting Soon!
Join us for a 7-week session of fun from 3:45–4:45 PM:
Wednesdays (Sept. 24–Nov. 12):
🧘 Warrior Kids Yoga – Cafeteria
🥋 Kaizen MMA – Gym
Kaizen sign-up: https://form.jotform.com/252444813459159
🧪 Beyond Bubbles – Main Pod
Thursdays (Sept. 18-Oct. 30):
🎨 Paws & Claws Craft Club w/ HS Volunteers- Art Room
Spots are limited, sign up soon!
 
Ensuring Student Safety: Register for Volunteer FCPS
At Daniels Run ES, 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.
FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- 🏆 262 FCPS Students Named 2026 National Merit Semifinalists
- 🎓 Resources for Life After High School
- Practical Guidance for Talking With Teens About Fentanyl
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
FCPS Calendar
FCPS 2025-2026 Standard School Year Calendar
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