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Dear Island Creek Families,
Wednesday, October 15, is a 3-hour Early Release for school-age students at 12:20. Dismissal time and transportation arrangements will follow the same schedule as the first Early Release day. If you have a change, please contact the office (571-642-6300) no later than 4:00 PM on Tuesday, October 14.
As a reminder, Monday, October 13th, is Indigenous Peoples' Day and an FCPS Staff Development Day, so students will not have school. Our staff will be engaged in professional learning to support your children.
Have a wonderful weekend!
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Warmly,
Jen Fallert, Principal
Karen Baxter, Assistant Principal
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Early Release (12:20) for school-age students on Wednesday, 10/15
Wednesday, October 15, is our second 3-Hour Early Release Wednesday at 12:20 for school-age students.
Dismissal time and transportation will follow the same arrangements as the first Early Release day.
If you have any questions, please contact the office (571-642-6300) no later than Tuesday afternoon.
Preschool Students will follow their regular Wednesday schedule.
Every Day Counts at Island Creek!
Help us reach our goal of 5% or less this year!
Attendance is an important life skill that will help your child later in life. It’s a good habit to build now to help them graduate from college on time and routinely report to work on time once they have a career.
Please take a look at the FCPS Calendar. Try to schedule any trips or family events on weekends and school holidays. Every day of learning is a day toward success. Keep in mind that absences add up quickly. Students who are absent 10% of the school year (or just two days per month) are considered “chronically absent.”
Visit FCPS’ Attendance webpage for resources on attendance
To ensure transparency and celebrate our progress, we will be sharing weekly attendance data and updates in our newsletter. By highlighting this important information, we aim to keep our families informed and energized about our collective efforts to encourage regular school attendance
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Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) believes in supporting social and emotional learning (SEL) for all students. In FCPS, students use a tool called the SEL Screener to think about their own SEL skills and experiences at school. Island Creek students in grades 3-6 will be participating in the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener on October 14-17 and again in February (TBD).
After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families without a ParentVUE account. For more information about the SEL Screener, including information on opting out, please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.
All prospective Level 1-3 volunteers must complete the following steps:
- Register in the Volunteer FCPS online volunteer management system to create a profile.
- Complete our FCPS Volunteer Orientation
- Submit an online volunteer application that includes your contact information, areas of interest, and availability.
- Depending on the level of involvement, some volunteers may be required to undergo background checks
How to Register as a Volunteer
- Review FCPS Volunteer Guidelines – All volunteers must read the FCPS Volunteer Protocols before getting started.
- Register in the FCPS Volunteer Portal
- Search for Island Creek Elementary
- To simplify the background check process, volunteers may use Fieldprint, allowing them to complete fingerprinting at nearby locations rather than traveling to Gatehouse or scheduling virtual appointments. Step-by-step directions for Fieldprint may be accessed here. Please note you must have completed the above action items, numbers 1 and 2, before using Fieldprint.
For full details, visit the Volunteer FCPS website
Volunteers fall into three levels, with requirements that match the level of involvement and supervision:
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Level 1: Infrequent volunteers (monthly or less frequent) who are always supervised do not need a criminal background check. However, they do need a sex offender registry check, which is performed by signing in at the school's visitor kiosk, usually in the front office.
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Level 2: Frequent, ongoing, or regular volunteers (daily, weekly, bi-weekly) who are also always supervised are subject to the same requirements as Level 1—no criminal background check, but a sex offender registry check via the school’s visitor kiosk is mandatory.
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Level 3: Volunteers with direct, unsupervised interaction with students must complete a criminal background check, including fingerprinting and child abuse and neglect checks. This applies to roles like mentors, tutors, or field trip chaperones who are alone with students (not accompanied by an FCPS staff member) at any time during the activity
On Thursday, Island Creek STEAM students joined 275 schools nationwide to help set a world record for the most baking soda rockets launched in a single day! Together, we sparked curiosity, fueled creativity, and inspired the next generation of scientists, engineers, artists, and innovators. It was an unforgettable day of hands-on learning and sky-high fun!
Art at Island Creek is in Full Swing! As we move into the fall season, creativity is blooming in the Art Room! Mrs. Rozycki and Mr. Korrow are thrilled to unveil our school-wide Better Together mural, inspired by Henri Matisse. Every student contributed to this colorful masterpiece through lessons focused on resilience and independent expression.
Next, we're completing projects for our annual Square 1 Art fundraiser! Keep an eye out—packets will be coming home in early to mid-November. This is a great opportunity to celebrate your child’s creativity with custom keepsakes while supporting Island Creek Elementary.
Looking ahead, we’re diving into All Things Fall—we can't wait to see what our talented Croc artists create next
BAND
All Grades: Students should be practicing at home 3-5 times a week. Students should focus on #1 – 10 in their Essential Elements book.
5th Grade: We have been learning how to put together our instruments, basic care for our instruments, and our first five notes. This week, we will learn our first songs from the Essential Elements book and play for each other!
6th Grade: We have been reviewing our five-note scale and will continue to add more notes until we can play a full octave scale. We will begin working on winter concert music, as well as our Star Chart assignments in the Essential Elements book. Our winter concert is on Tuesday, December 16th, at 6:30 pm.
STRINGS
*All grades: Students should be playing their instruments at home 3-5 days a week, and turning in a Strings Homework/Playing sheet every week as part of their effort grade!
4th grade: We have begun plucking the strings and playing songs using the open strings. Soon, students will be learning how to use their fingers to make even more notes!
5th grade: We have been reviewing note reading and started learning new rhythms. Don’t forget to SIGN UP for the Hayfield Pyramid ORCHtober Fest Concert happening on Wednesday, October 29th at Hayfield Secondary School!
6th grade: We are working on music for our winter concert, which will be on Tuesday, December 16th, at 6:30 pm. Don’t forget to SIGN UP for the Hayfield Pyramid ORCHtober Fest Concert happening on Wednesday, October 29th at Hayfield Secondary School!
Today's Walk and Roll to School was a huge success with 230 students participating! Thank you to our families and students who participated!
Our 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Classes will participate in Family Life Education (FLE) lessons beginning in December, the week before winter break. (Be on the lookout for communication from teachers regarding this in the coming weeks).
Island Creek will host a Virtual Parent Preview Night for FLE on October 15, 6:00 pm. This event provides an opportunity to ask questions and receive assistance in accessing the materials virtually. You may access the meeting via the following link:
https://meet.google.com/xbj-cocg-kxk
We invite you also to learn more about Fairfax County's elementary FLE program on the FCPS website.
Please reach out to Assistant Principal Karen Baxter (KPBaxter@fcps.edu) with any questions.
This photo day is for students who were absent, new to the school, or who were not happy with their original package (students are required to return their original package to the photographer). No purchase is necessary.
Anyone who has not ordered can still preorder retake photos using the link below :
https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001273163
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Vision and Hearing Screenings will be held on October 28 and 29 for all Kindergarten students. Students who are new to FCPS will be screened as well. The purpose of screening is to identify students who need further evaluation due to difficulty seeing the screening chart or hearing the screening tones. If your child wears glasses, please be sure that their glasses are at school on screening day. Parents/Guardians will be notified by letter if screening results indicate that further evaluation is needed. Prompt follow-up with your health care provider is recommended, as vision and hearing difficulties can interfere with learning.
Reminder: Window for Full-time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15, 2025
Parents/guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for full-time advanced academic programs may submit the Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) Full-Time Referral Form and optional materials to Principal Jen Fallert at jrfallert@fcps.edu no later than December 15, 2025.
The window for families to submit a referral for full-time AAP services is the first day of school through December 15, annually. All forms may be found on the AAP forms page. No late referrals for Full-Time AAP services will be accepted.
Submitting a referral form for full-time AAP will initiate a process that begins at Island Creek and is then completed at the central office level. Island Creek will put together a portfolio that includes multiple data points that are considered holistically. At the central office level, a committee of six trained professionals from various schools and roles will review the portfolio materials to determine eligibility for full-time placement. Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April.
Slides from the Family Information Session may be accessed here.
For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs website.
On Friday, October 31, Island Creek will have our Third Annual Book Character Day! Students and Staff are invited to find a great book and dress up like their favorite character. Book Character Day is a fun, voluntary activity for both students and staff that promotes a love of reading, specifically favorite book characters. We look forward to seeing which characters inspire our students!
Dressing up is optional. If students choose to do so, please adhere to the following so that our students have a safe and productive day.
- Costumes should not be scary nor have words, graphics, or toy weapons that are inappropriate for school
- No costume face masks
- No painted faces
Whether your child is wearing a costume or not, please remind them to bring their favorite book.
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.
Over the last several weeks, our students have learned, read, and written about different characters in stories and their own personal sense of character.
Connect with your child’s learning at school with these fun questions and hands-on activities at home:
- Question: How does the way you act change the way you think about yourself?
- Activity: Draw a new cover for a favorite book featuring the main character in a key moment.
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.
All Island Creek families are invited to attend the following events hosted by Island Creek Staff!
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STEAM Night: Wednesday, November 12 (5:30-7:00)
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Book Fair: Thursday, December 4 (5:30-7:00)
 Fairfax County Park Authority Sensory-Family Friendly Trick or Treat
Sunday, October 19, 2025, 1pm-6pm at Clemyjontri Park, 6317 Georgetown Pike, McLean. Cost is $20/person. Celebrate Halloween in a calm, inclusive, sensory-friendly way. Enjoy a variety of accessible activities including: carousel rides, train rides, arts and crafts, sensory tent, themed treat station, reduced noise and sensory support. Costumes encouraged but not required. More information can be found at https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/accessible
FCPS Hispanic Early Literacy Class
You are invited to participate in a free program for families with children between the ages of 1-5 years old. Children and families participate in fun “school-like” activities. Classes meet twice a week for 9 weeks. Classes at Lorton Station ES on Wed/Fri, 9:30-11:30am, and the virtual class, Wed/Fri 10:00am-11:30am are still enrolling. For more information and to enroll contact Andrea Antezana, 703-204-4345 or Mayra Barraza, 703-204-4326. For African Heritage/English, Arabic/English and Korean Early Literacy Classes please contact Island Creek Family Liaison, Amy Garcia, ajgarcia@fcps.edu, by call/text at 571-595-7015 or by Talking Points message.
Community Resources: Health Care
INOVA Cares Clinics for Families provide comprehensive primary care services for children and adults in the Northern Virginia community. Clinics serve patients of all ages who qualify for Medicaid, FAMIS or Inova’s financial assistance program, as well as people who are uninsured. Locations include Alexandria (4700 King St, Suite 100, Alexandria, VA 22302) and Mount Vernon (8101 Hinson Farms Road, Alexandria, VA 22306) For more information, please visit Inova.org/CaresforFamilies or call 703.531.3100.
 It's been a fantastic start to the school year!
Thank you to the families that joined us for our first PTA meeting this week. We're looking for volunteers interested in the President and Treasurer roles for the 2026-2027 school year. If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to islandcreekptapresident@gmail.com.
Being a member of the PTA Executive Board is a rewarding experience and can be what you make it. By expressing interest now, we can arrange for you to shadow our current leadership and help you initiate plans for the future so you're ready to step into the role in May 2026.
The Croc Rock-N-Run: $49,801 Raised for the School
We hope your students had as much fun as we did at the Croc Rock-N-Run. We are so grateful to all the students, faculty, staff, and the community for their participation in the Croc Rock-N-Run. We're currently working with the administration to schedule our individual, class, grade-level, and school-wide prizes. Keep an eye on Facebook and by email for more information and photos. We'll also share what items and enhancements were made to the school as we apply the Croc Rock-N-Run. One of the first items we purchased was instructional materials for SOL preparation.
We have a few fun events happening before winter break.
Thursday, October 23: “Once Upon a Trunk” – Registration Open!
Every trunk tells a tale! Celebrate the joy of reading at our story-themed trunk-or-treat, where cars are transformed into scenes from favorite books and classic stories. Bring your little readers and adventurers for treats, photo ops, and a story-filled night of fun.
This event is free to attend, but pre-registration is required to help us determine the quantity of candy needed.
Sign up to host a trunk: https://tinyurl.com/ICESTrunk25
Sign up to register:https://tinyurl.com/ICESTrunk25Reg
Sign up for a special sensory-friendly walk-through before the whole event begins: https://tinyurl.com/ICESPTATrunk25Sensory
Friday, November 21: Croc Flock: Parents Night Out
Join us for a night packed with games, sports, music, and pizza fun — all led by Overtime Athletics’ energetic coaches. Kids will laugh, play, and make new friends while parents enjoy a well-deserved evening out. The event will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on November 21.
Registration: https://otathletics.leagueapps.com/events/4764766-island-creek-elementary-school
December 5: Registration is Open for Family Bingo
Registration is now open for Family Bingo, taking place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on December 5!
- Tickets ($10) per person (kid or adult).
- Pizza ($12) is available for pre-purchase online.
- Raffle tickets ($1 each) are available for purchase online in advance.
Registration for Family Bingo: https://sites.google.com/view/icespta/events-programs/bingo-dec-5?authuser=0
❤️Monday, October 13: Indigenous Peoples' Day (No School for students); Staff Development Day
❤️ Wednesday, October 15: 3-Hour Early Release at 12:20 for school-age students; FLE Preview Night (6:00 PM, Virtual)
❤️Monday, October 20: Diwali (No School)
❤️Thursday, October 23: PTA event: “Once Upon a Trunk”
❤️Friday, October 24: Photo Retakes
❤️Friday, October 31: Book Character Day; End of 1st Quarter (2-Hour Early Release at 1:20)
❤️Sunday, November 2: Daylight Saving Time Ends
❤️Monday, November 3 and Tuesday, November 4: Teacher Workdays- No School for Students
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