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Kristen Rucinski - Principal Ashley Nelson - Assistant Principal
Gunston Gazette
Principals' Letter
Dear Gunston Families,
As the weather turns cooler, please make sure your child is dressed warmly for outdoor recess. We love that our Eagles get fresh air and time to play each day, so jackets and layers will help them stay comfortable.
We also want to take a moment to ask for your partnership in reminding students to take care of our school. We have had a few incidents of bathroom vandalism, such as damaged sinks and wet paper towels on ceilings. Please talk with your child about the importance of respecting our school spaces and showing pride in our building. Together, we can help keep Gunston a safe and welcoming place for everyone.
Last month’s AVID Family Night was a huge success! Thank you to all the families who came out to learn more about how AVID helps students develop strong organizational, study, and communication skills that prepare them for success in school and beyond. The energy, excitement, and engagement from our students and families were truly inspiring! Stay tuned for information for upcoming We Are Gunston Night in November and Literacy Night in December.
A few reminders:
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Next Wednesday, October 15, 2025 is our next Early Release Wednesday. Students will go home the same way they did in September.
- If you need to make a change to your child’s dismissal plan, please call the front office. Emails may not be seen right away, and we want to make sure your child gets home safely.
We are so proud of how hard our students are working each day — setting goals, supporting one another, and showing the perseverance it takes to learn and grow. Thank you for your continued encouragement and partnership at home. When schools and families work together, great things happen!
✨ Let’s keep inspiring excellence and promoting possibilities — together. ✨
Warmly,
Kristen Rucinski and Ashley Nelson
Upcoming Dates & Reminders:
- Hispanic Heritage Month - September 15th - October 15th
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October 13th: Teacher Workday - No Students
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October 15th: 3-hr. Early Release Wednesday. 12:20 p.m. Early Dismissal
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October 16th: PTA Meeting. 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
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October 20th: Diwali - All FCPS Schools are closed.
- October 22nd: PTA Spirit Night at Panera
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October 29th: Donuts with Grownups. 8 a.m. - 9 a.m.
- October 30th: Student School Pictures
🗓️Calendar Reminders:
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Monday, October 13, is a student holiday and staff development day for Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
⏰ Elementary Early Release Wednesday
Gunston ES will release three hours early on Wednesday, October 15:
Learn more about limited early release Wednesdays.
Diwali
Monday, October 20, is a school holiday for Diwali. All schools and offices are closed. See the complete school year calendar.
Outstanding FCPS Employee Awards Program
Please complete the nomination form for a Gunston ES Outstanding Employee linked on the website.
The nominations open on Monday, October 13, 2025! All that is required is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work. You may nominate up to one employee per category.
Weekly Attendance Report
October 6 – October 10, 2025
This week’s attendance percentages, which include both excused and unexcused absences, are listed below by grade level. The goal is to see which grade achieved the highest attendance rate for the week.
🎉 Congratulations to Grade 3! 🎉
We will celebrate the grade level with the best attendance at the end of each week and again at the end of each quarter.
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Kindergarten: 77.59 %
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Grade 1: 77.95 %
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Grade 2: 71.91 %
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Grade 3: 86.84 %
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Grade 4: 76.00 %
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Grade 5: 79.57 %
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Grade 6: 76.25 %
School Picture day is Thursday, October 30, 2025. Orders forms will be coming home soon!
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Visitors During School Hours
Please remember to always bring your driver's license or passport with you when you visit the school.
Updated security protocols require all visitors to scan their license into the computer kiosk in our office during school hours. This includes attending lunch, volunteering, parent-teacher conferences during the school day, etc. Please also note that if you need to use a restroom to please use one of the adult restrooms in the front of the building. The office can assist you in finding the closest restroom.
If you don't have a driver's license, please bring a passport. Please note that we cannot scan military IDs, so we need a driver's license or passport as well.
Thank you for your cooperation and helping us keep everyone safe at school!
Join the Gunston PTA!
The Gunston PTA is planning many fun events for fall and throughout the school year. Please mark your calendars for the following:
- Thursday Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. - PTA meeting
- Wednesday Oct. 22 - Spirit Night at Panera
- Wednesday Oct. 29 at 8 a.m. - Donuts with Grownups
- Tuesday Nov 25 - Turkey Trot
If you’d like to get involved and help support these events, you can become a member of the PTA here. To learn more about what your PTA membership helps contribute to, and practical ways you can get involved, you are invited to join us for monthly PTA meetings in the Gunston cafeteria or on Zoom.
Having Lunch with your Student?
Here are some lunch reminders for parents/ guardians who come and have lunch with
- Sign in using your driver's license and visitor sticker is to be worn where visible
- Please sit with your student at the assigned "Parent Table."
- Friends are not permitted to join you and your student.
- Birthday treats are not to be distributed during lunch.
- Parents and young siblings needing to use the restroom during their visit are to use the bathroom in the teachers lounge or the clinic only.
Parent/Guardian Field Trip Volunteers
must be Fingerprinted
If you would like to get fingerprinted, you can do so for free at the Gatehouse Administration Building in Falls Church, and now there are also satellite locations that offer free fingerprinting for FCPS volunteers.
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 Gunston 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
Lightspeed
💻 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.
🙋 Every Day Is a Stepping Stone to Success
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.”
When possible, schedule appointments for your child outside of school hours. If your child needs to miss school because of an illness or appointment, you must report the absence to our school. Three ways to report attendance at Gunston ES.
- Call attendance line: 703-541-3636
- Email GunstonElem.Attendance@fcps.edu
- Submit full day absences using ParentVUE.
Absences, late arrivals, and changes in dismissal cannot be reported to the teacher only.
Visit FCPS’ Attendance webpage for resources on attendance.
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 Wednesday, October 22, 6:30 to 8 p.m., at Hayfield Secondary School, (South County and Hayfield 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 Hayfield Secondary School and South County High school. 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.
Thomas Jefferson Invitational Science Fair
for FCPS Students in Grades 5-8.
Submit a science experiment of CS/engineering project to the science fair with help of TJ Students. Interest Meeting is October 17th, 2025 from 5:30 - 7 :30 p.m. Virtual or in-person. Register for the interest meeting!
tinyurl.com/TJISOinterest2526
Family Life Education
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) provides a comprehensive, sequential Family Life Education (FLE) program for students in grades kindergarten through grade twelve.
Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program.
- If you wish to opt your child out of all or part of FLE for this school year, opt-out forms are available in Parent Digital Consent.
- Paper opt-out forms are available from your child’s school.
Detailed grade-level program descriptions are available online and are divided into Elementary (K-6), Middle School (7-8), and High School (9-12).
Program questions may be addressed at your child’s school or by contacting Instructional Services at 571-423-4550 or by email to fle@fcps.edu.
Communicating with Gunston
At Gunston, our priority is keeping students safe and learning. If you have an immediate need, please call the Front Office at 703-541-3600 so we can quickly connect you with the right staff member.
Families are always welcome to email teachers or use TalkingPoints, but please remember:
Teachers are not available during the school day as they are focused on teaching and supporting students.
School/Principal TalkingPoints is not monitored in real time and may not be seen until later in the day.
You must contact the office for all attendance, transportation, or urgent concerns.The front office is the best first contact. Our teachers and administration will do their best to respond to all emails, phone calls, and TalkingPoints messages within 24–48 hours.
Thank you for partnering with us to ensure smooth and timely communication!
Mount Vernon High School
Theatre Arts Boosters
Fall Festival, Saturday, October 25, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Costume and Jack-O-Lantern contests, kids activities, market, food games, etc.
8515 Old Mount Vernon Road, Alexandria, VA 22309. Door 4
⏰ K-12 School Start Times Survey
Take the K-12 start Times Survey
FCPS is continuing to explore options for adjusting school start times, with the primary goal of beginning the middle school day at 8 a.m. or later. In order to minimize any costs associated with this change, elementary and high school start times would need to shift as well.
Providing feedback opportunities for the community is a critical part of this effort. Since 2024, FCPS’ consultant has hosted five community forums and administered two surveys. A new School Start Times Survey is open and includes two options that are designed to support student well-being, align with research, balance transportation logistics, and minimize costs.
Staff, parents and caregivers, students, and community members may provide input on the two options by taking the survey. The survey deadline has been extended to Monday, October 6. Find more information on adjusting school start times on the FCPS website.
Permission Forms
Families can easily grant permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. Parents can opt their child in or out of resources, including online educational tools, school counseling services, and tutoring services. They can also change how student information is managed. Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch a video to see how to use the tool.
Formularios de Autorización
Las familias pueden fácilmente darles permiso a sus niños para que tengan acceso a una variedad de recursos usando el sistema “Parent Digital Consent” o sistema Digital de Consentimiento Parental. Allí usted puede decidir si su hijo participa (opt. in) o no (opt out) en el uso de recursos, servicios de consejería y servicios de tutoría escolar. También puede elegir cómo se maneja la información de su estudiante.
Visite la página web del Consentimiento Digital de los Padres para que puedan acceder al sistema. Mire este video para ver cómo usar esta herramienta.
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Derechos y Responsabilidades de los Estudiantes (SR&R, por sus siglas en inglés) El documento de SR&R explica cuáles se esperan que sean los comportamientos de los estudiantes y cuáles las respuestas de los adultos. Los padres que usen SIS ParentVUE recibirán una notificación para que firmen este documento cuando entren en la aplicación. Una versión para ser impresa, que incluye una hoia para su firma, estará disponible en la página web de SR&R. Esta planilla deberá ser firmada y entregada en la oficina principal de la escuela antes del martes 30 de septiembre.
Bond Referendum
🏗️ 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.
🎤 Community Conversations With Superintendent Dr. Reid
Your voice matters, and Dr. Reid wants to hear from you! 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 with Dr. Reid and ask her questions. Events are planned for the following dates from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. To register for the October 3 meeting, please click that date below. Registration links for the other dates will be available soon:
Child care and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Please check our website for updates.
📵 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.
Community Donations Welcome (Optional!)
We’re often asked by families and community members how they can support our school as we kick off the new year. If you or someone you know is looking to donate, we’ve put together a Wishlist of Classroom Supplies that we can never have enough of!
All donations are completely optional and will be used school-wide—not for any specific classroom or teacher. We truly appreciate the continued support of our amazing community, especially during these challenging budget times. 💚💛
Link to Wishlist:
Wishlist of classroom supplies
Thank you in advance!
Thank you to those who have already donated!
District News/In Case You
Missed It (ICYMI)
FCPS News In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
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