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October 13: Indigenous People' Day (Student Holiday)
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October 15: Three Hours Early Release at 1 p.m.
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October 20: Diwali (Holiday)
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October 21-27: NGAT Testing 2nd Grade & 3-6th Retakes
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October 24: Coffee with Principals, 9:30AM Cafeteria
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October 30: Trunk or Treat, 5:30PM CPES Parking Lot
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October 31: Annual Kindergarten Character Book Parade, 9:30AM
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October 31: First Quarter Ends, Two-Hour Early Dismissal 2:00PM
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November 3: Teacher Workday (Student Holiday)
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November 4: Teacher Workday (Student Holiday)
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November 5: AAP Parent Meeting 6:00PM Library
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November 11: Veterans Day (Holiday)
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November 14: Coffee with Principals, 9:30AM Cafeteria
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November 19: Three Hours Early Release at 1 p.m.
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November 20: Thanksgiving Luncheon (More information to come)
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November 26-28: Thanksgiving Holiday
Fairfax County Public Schools 2025-2026 Standard School Year Calendar
Dear Powell Puma Families-
We’ve had a wonderful start to October! Classrooms are full of energy and engagement as students dive deeper into their learning, and it’s been a joy to see the sense of community growing stronger each week. As we move into this new week together, we take a moment to reflect, celebrate, and learn.
This Monday, we recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day, a time to honor and celebrate the rich cultures, traditions, and contributions of Indigenous communities across the Americas. This day invites us to reflect on the history, resilience, and enduring presence of Native peoples while reaffirming our commitment to respect, inclusion, and learning from diverse voices.
At Colin Powell Elementary, we value opportunities for our students to learn about and appreciate the many cultures that make up our world. We encourage families to take time to explore stories, art, and resources that highlight Indigenous voices and perspectives together.
As we celebrate the diversity within our school and beyond, let’s continue to remind our students what it means to put K.I.D.S. First — to be Kind, Inclusive, Diligent, and Safe in all that they do. Whether they’re working with classmates, playing at recess, or helping a friend, these values guide us in creating a community where everyone feels respected and supported.
Warmly,
Catherine Han, Principal
On October 24th, we will have another “Coffee with the Principals”. This session will take place at 9:30am, and it will be about understanding your child’s progress. The principals hope you will be able to join them that day!
Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Employee Awards! To submit a nomination for a Colin Powell Elementary Outstanding Employee in one of the categories, please complete the nomination through this Google Form link. You may nominate one employee at our school or multiple employees.
All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in the criteria for that category. The Google Form link has more information and requirements regarding the criteria for each of these awards. Please keep in mind, if the person you nominate gets chosen to represent our school, you must be willing to complete a detailed nomination packet and recommendation.
The deadline to submit a nomination is Wednesday, October 22, at 4:30PM.
If you have any questions, please contact our award liaison, Caryn Baptiste.
Families we hope you can join us for our annual Kindergarten Character Day Parade, Friday Oct 31st. The parade will start promptly at 9:30AM. We will walk around the outside of the school building, bring your camera and we hope to see you there.
Elementary School Fall Newsletter
Colin Powell Elementary School offers students a continuum of services to meet their needs. Please look at our Fall Newsletter to learn more about AAP services. The link will take you to our Parent Schoology site which is a great resource for information.
Mark Your Calendars!
October 15th is the Referral Deadline for NEW TO COUNTY students in grades 3-6 for full-time AAP screening.
Please email me, kmbach@fcps.edu, if you have questions. There is also information conveniently linked in the parent Schoology course.
Wednesday, November 5th @ 6PM: AAP Parent Meeting in the Colin Powell ES Library
This meeting is focused on the full-time AAP screening process for the upcoming winter/spring screening window. If you have a current 2nd-6th grader and want to learn more, please consider attending.
📚Benchmark Unit 2 in Language Arts begining this coming week! Still will be learning, reaidng, and writing 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.
We have many exciting things planned for this fundraiser! Who doesn’t want to see their teacher running around in an inflatable costume? We even have class prizes for most donations & most minutes read. Let’s keep reading, Pumas!
If you have not created an account for your child(ren), use the link below to sign up.
Create a Read-A-Thon Account Here
Students have been doing an amazing job reading and logging their minutes on their Read-A-Thon account. We want to celebrate your child’s success on Thursday, October 30th by having our very first Trunk-or-Treat! It will be a family-friendly event where students have the opportunity to go from trunk to trunk collecting all sorts of treats & goodies. Don’t miss out on this fun-filled evening, and don’t forget to invite your friends & families!
*Trunks Needed - We would love your help in making this event successful and memorable for everyone. If you would like to decorate your trunk, please sign up using the link below. Thank you!
Volunteer Sign Up - Decorate a Trunk
*Candy Needed - More information will be provided in next week’s Puma Press.
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 caregivers 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’ October community boundary review meetings will begin on Monday, October 13. Each of the 12 meetings will focus on two pyramids. Our pyramid will be covered at the meeting on Monday, October 13, at Robinson Secondary School, (Centreville and Robinson 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 Robinson pyramid. 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.
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
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