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A Note from the Principal
Dear Daniels Run Families,
We've had another wonderful and successful week! I want to share some exciting news about how our students and classes are celebrating school-wide success with great attendance and our SOAR expectations.
Celebrating Perfect Attendance
Ten school days ago, we kicked off a challenge to celebrate great attendance, and our students have truly risen to the occasion. We are so proud of the community's commitment to being present and ready to learn!
Here are some highlights from the last two weeks:
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Two classes have achieved perfect attendance on nine out of the last ten days! A huge shout-out to Ms. Mazmanian's 2nd Grade and Ms. Turner's Kindergarten!
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37 of our 39 classrooms have had at least one day of perfect attendance.
- Across the ten-day period, we've had a total of 159 classroom days with perfect attendance!
We love seeing students celebrate when everyone is here! (As always, please remember that students who are sick must stay home.)
Recognizing SOAR Ticket Winners
Our classes are also earning SOAR tickets for demonstrating our school expectations: Show-up, Own Your Actions, Act with Kindness, and Reach for Excellence.
I am thrilled to recognize the six classes that have earned 25 or more SOAR tickets! They are:
- Ms. Turner's Kindergarten
- Ms. Penfield's 1st Grade
- Ms. Milman's 3rd Grade
- Ms. Walker's 3rd Grade
- Ms. Zaman's 6th Grade
These classes have chosen exciting celebrations as their rewards, including glow and balloon parties, as well as PJ and Stuffy Days!
Ask your child how many tickets their classroom has earned!
Important Reminder: Early Release Wednesday
Our second Early Release Wednesday of the school year is next week, October 15th.
Please remember that students will follow the same dismissal plan as the last early release. Dismissal will be at 12:45 PM or 3:45 PM, depending on your child’s assigned plan. If you need to make any changes to your child's dismissal plan or would like to confirm the current plan, please call the front office at 703-297-8400 or contact your child’s teacher.
Have a wonderful and restful weekend!
Kindest regards,
Susan Mullen, Principal
Upcoming Dates
October 13: Indigenous Peoples' Day- No School
October 15: 3 Hour Early Release Wednesday Dismissal at 12:45pm
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 Day
November 11: Veterans Day- No School
We Love our Custodians!
October 2nd was National Custodian Appreciation Day. At Daniels Run we are so thankful for our custodians. We made a wall of appreciation to say thanks for making our school SHINE! Students from all grade levels wrote notes of appreciation to our amazing custodial staff.
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PTA News
Science Olympiad Team
Daniels Run Elementary is buzzing with excitement as it announces the formation of its very own Science Olympiad team. For those who aren't familiar, Science Olympiad is a national non-profit that gets students excited about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through fun, hands-on challenges, and academic competitions.
This is a fantastic opportunity for students to dive into STEM outside of the classroom. The team is open to 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders who will practice and prepare to compete in various events later this year. Sixth graders are also welcome to join the team, giving them a chance to build their skills and get ready to compete at the middle school level next year.
Students who join the team can expect to practice after school every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:50 PM to 4:50 PM. For more details on how you can get involved and start building, creating, and learning, please email Megan Oris at mloris@fcps.edu. Practices start soon, so don’t delay!
Music News
🎵 FAIRFAX PYRAMID CHOIR CONCERT:
Come see many of our 4th-6th graders sing in this free concert on Thursday, October 23, 7pm, at Fairfax High School! Also, many of our former DRES students will perform!
🎵 The OCTOBER Musician of the Month is American Ukulele performer & composer, Jake Shimabukuro. Google Slides here to play their music in your class.
🎵 INTERNATIONAL NIGHT/DAY PERFORMANCES
All students, parents & staff are invited to audition!
Save the date:
- Audition signups: January (online)
- Auditions (before or after school 1/25-2/6)
- Performances:
- Thursday night 3/12
- Friday during school 3/13
You may perform a dance, instrumental piece, or song to honor any country. You may perform alone or with other students and/or adults, but you must practice ahead of time and be ready to audition with the finished product. Make sure your performance truly honors the heritage and culture of the country or people group. Contact Michelle McCarten with any questions.
💻 All Families Opted in to Lightspeed Student Online Activity Report
FCPS provides families with a free service that allows parents and caregivers a way to stay informed about their child's online activity on any FCPS device. Starting Sunday, October 12, all parents and guardians who have access to student records in SIS ParentVUE will be automatically enrolled to receive a weekly Lightspeed Student Online Activity Report.
This report provides a summary of the websites your child visited during the previous week and is delivered every Sunday to your email directly from Lightspeed, our internet content filter.
Each weekly report also includes a link to register for the Lightspeed Parent Portal, which provides more detailed browsing information. This portal also gives you the ability to pause internet access on your child’s FCPS laptop during non-school hours, such as dinner or bedtime.
Visit the Lightspeed Parent Report page for more information and answers to frequently asked questions.
🏗️ FCPS Buildings Benefit All Community Members
In addition to our students and teachers, we estimate millions of visits by students and community members to Fairfax County schools through more than 500,000 events. Most of the public meeting and recreational facilities available in the county are FCPS facilities.
FCPS works with the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and with the Fairfax County Park Authority to ensure that school facilities and athletic fields are available to the public after school hours.
The 2025 Bond Referendum will be on the ballot in November. Vote on Tuesday, November 4. Learn more about registering to vote and make a voting plan.
📵 When Cell Phones Are Down, Learning and Engagement Are Up: Help Keep Our Schools Phone-Free
Cell phones can significantly impact academic performance — research has shown that it takes students 10 minutes or more to shift their focus back to learning after being interrupted by a single cell phone notification! You can help keep our schools phone-free (and your child focused on learning) by:
- Reminding your child about FCPS’ cell phone policy and telling them why you support it.
- Contacting your school’s front office (rather than your child directly) if there is a family emergency during the school day.
- Contacting your child about non-urgent matters before or after the school day.
- Waiting to respond to non-urgent texts from your child until the school day is over.
Learn more about FCPS’ cell phone and personal device policy. Also, view our Media Balance and Well-Being Toolkit for resources to help your child maintain a healthy and balanced relationship with technology at home.
📍 October Community Boundary Review Meetings
FCPS’ October community boundary review meetings will begin on Monday, October 13. Each of the 12 meetings will focus on two pyramids. Our area will be covered at the meeting on Tuesday, October 28, 6:30 to 8 p.m., at Fairfax High School, Library (Woodson and Fairfax Pyramids) in person or virtual. Register by clicking “in person” or “virtual,” based on how you would like to participate.
At the meeting, the consultant will present the latest draft boundary map (Scenario 4) and potential changes specific to our pyramid and the [Insert the pyramid your school is partnered with]. Participants will also be invited to ask questions.
If you are unable to attend the meeting for our pyramid, you are welcome to attend any meeting that is convenient. View the full list of October boundary meetings.
Visit the Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage for more information.
New Webinar Offerings for Parents
Supporting Your Child with Dyslexia: October 15, 10-11:30 a.m.
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- Join us for an informative webinar on Dyslexia Awareness, designed for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) families. This session will provide essential information about dyslexia and the resources available within FCPS to support students with this learning difference.
- What You'll Learn:
- Understanding Dyslexia: Gain a clear understanding of what dyslexia is, its common signs, and how it can affect students' reading, writing, and spelling.
- FCPS Support Systems: Learn about the various supports and interventions FCPS provides, including evidence-based, structured literacy approaches and the role of reading specialists.
- Virginia Literacy Act: Discover how the new Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) and FCPS's Equitable Access to Literacy (EAL) Plan are changing literacy instruction to benefit all learners, especially those with dyslexia.
- Resources for Families: We'll share practical tools and strategies you can use at home to support your child's literacy development and partner effectively with their school.
- This webinar aims to empower families with knowledge and resources to help their students with dyslexia succeed.
- Register here
Reading Plans and Your Student: October 22, 10-11:30 a.m.
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- This 1.5-hour webinar is designed to help parents and caregivers understand the new reading plans in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). Parents will learn about:
- What a reading plan is: A reading plan is a support system for students who are not meeting literacy benchmarks. It outlines specific, evidence-based instruction and interventions to help them improve their reading skills.
- Who requires a reading plan: All students from kindergarten through eighth grade who are identified as needing additional support based on literacy assessments will receive a reading plan. This is part of a broader effort by FCPS to implement the Virginia Literacy Act.
- How schools will support students: The webinar will explain how FCPS is using a science-based reading approach and will discuss the role of reading specialists, the curriculum used, and the assessments to monitor student progress.
- Resources and tools for parents: Parents will leave with practical resources and tools they can use at home to support their child's literacy development. The webinar aims to empower families to be active partners in their child's reading journey.
- Register here
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:
- FCPS Overperforms State and Global SAT Averages
- October Community Boundary Review Meetings
- Online Activity Reports for Students
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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