Floris Family Message
In This Message:
- Principals' Message
- PTA News
- Fall Book Fair Information
- Harvest Parade
- Curiosity Corner
- Lightspeed
- Cell Phone Policy Reminder
- K-12 Start Times Survey
- Bond Referendum
- AAP Information
- Upcoming Dates
Dear Floris Families,
It’s been another fun and fulfilling week here at Floris!
On Monday, our teachers engaged in valuable staff development focused on equity in the classroom environment. We are committed to continuous learning and growth as a school, ensuring that Floris remains a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive space for all students, staff, and families.
This week also included some parent-teacher conferences, and we hope each family left with a clear understanding of how their child is progressing both academically and socially-emotionally. These conversations are essential to building strong partnerships, and we appreciate your time and involvement in your child’s education.
We’re also excited for another amazing Field Day for our 3rd–6th graders tomorrow! Our incredible PE teachers have planned a day full of fun and movement, and we’re confident your children will come home Friday evening happy and definitely tired!
As we head into the long weekend, we wish all who are celebrating a joyful and bright Diwali on Monday. May this Festival of Lights bring happiness, peace, and prosperity to your homes.
Enjoy the three-day weekend and we look forward to welcoming students back next week, refreshed and ready to learn!
Joshua DeSmyter, Principal
Robert Gibbs, Assistant Principal
PTA News and Announcements
🎃 Floris Elementary Trunk or Treat – October 30th! 🎃
It’s almost time for one of our favorite fall traditions—Trunk or Treat! On Thursday, October 30, families are invited to join us in the school parking lot for an evening of costumes, candy, and community fun.
👻 Here’s how you can join in the fun:
- Bring your trick-or-treaters – Kids (and adults) can dress up and collect candy from decorated trunks.
- Volunteer your car (and creativity!) – Families are encouraged to decorate their trunks and help create a festive atmosphere.
- Treat donations – We welcome NEW, unopened, unexpired candy (nut-free please) and non-food treats. There is a monster collection bin in the front office.
And because no Trunk or Treat announcement is complete without a little humor:
- Why don’t mummies take vacations? … They’re afraid they’ll relax and unwind!
- Why did the vampire read the newspaper? … He heard it had great circulation!
We can’t wait to see you and your families there. Costumes, candy, and community spirit—what more could we ask for? Please contact florispta.sso@gmail.com with any questions / concerns. Don’t forget to RSVP by October 22.
Got questions about the PTA? We’ve got all the answers on our website - CLICK IT!
📚 The Scholastic Book Fair is Next Week! 🎉
Get ready — the Scholastic Book Fair begins on October 21st and runs through October 24th! Students are excited to preview the fair with their classes and are ready to create their wish list to bring home and share with you.
Later in the week, students will return to shop during school hours, and families are invited to join the excitement during our Family Shopping Afternoon on Wednesday October 22nd from 4:30–6:00 PM.
Want to make shopping easy and cash-free? Set up an eWallet for your child — it’s the simplest way to let them choose their favorite books. 📖✨
Visit the Floris Elementary School Book Fair website for full details and to create your child’s eWallet today!
We’re still looking for parent volunteers to help make the Book Fair a success, especially Thursday and Friday. Your time and support make a big difference! Please see the Sign Up Genius HERE!
Any questions? Please contact Ms. Papas at mopapas@fcps.edu.
The Harvest Parade is Back!
When: Thursday, October 30, 9:45am-10:30am
Where: Floris Field
What: Students have the option to dress in a school appropriate costume for this seasonal parade. Accessories that would be carried should stay at home to prevent the chance of losing them. Look alike weapons (ex. toy gun with police costume, sword with pirate, etc.), masks, and blood are not allowed.
How: Students and parents will be outside, and students will parade by grade level. Please see map below. Since we will not be using the visitor sign-in station, family members are welcome to spectate from the field space indicated on the map. The arrows show the parade direction. Kindergarten will start the parade.
Parents: You should report directly to the field. Parents should not enter the building for the parade. This will also save you the step of signing in!
🧠Curiosity Corner🧠
Curiosity Lab Leaders Inspire Younger Eagles! 🦅💡
Our 5th and 6th grade Curiosity Lab Leaders recently completed their first round of teaching — and they did an incredible job! These student leaders guided younger classes through hands-on STEAM lessons, helping some of our youngest Eagles explore, create, and learn through curiosity and teamwork.
Their enthusiasm and leadership truly shined as they supported our budding scientists and engineers!
If you follow Floris ES on Instagram, you might spot some photos of the action. We’ve also included a collage below featuring a few moments from their lessons.
Way to go, Curiosity Lab Leaders! 🌟
Monthly Maker Missions
The goal is to promote creative and critical thinking and engage in the engineering and design process. Submissions are due in the Curiosity Lab at the end of the month and will be highlighted within the school building and on the student news show. Let's get curious!
💻 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.
📵 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.
⏰ Take the School 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.
🏗️ 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.
AAP Information
If you weren’t able to attend our AAP Parent Information Session on September 29, you can still review the information that was shared. The presentation slides are available here. We hope this helps you learn more about the AAP program and the opportunities it offers our students.
Interested in learning more about Advanced Academic Programs? There will be a parent information session focused on the AAP Screening Process on November 5 at 5:30 in the Floris ES Library. Please plan to enter through door 4 (from the blacktop). This meeting will be geared towards parents with students currently in grades 2 – 6 who are interested in referring their child for full-time AAP services for the 26-27 school year. The meeting will focus on the screening process and how you can initiate screening for full-time services. If you have any questions, please reach out to Amy Albanese, Advanced Academics Resource Teacher abalbanese@fcps.edu
If you are interested in having your child screened for full-time AAP services (Grades 2 – 6 only) you will need to submit an AAP Full-Time referral form to Amy Albanese by no later than Dec 15, 2025, for possible eligibility for the 26-27 School year. Families who are new to FCPS as of January 2025 can be screened earlier during the fall screening cycle (grades 3-6 only) for possible eligibility starting second semester of this school year. In addition to the Referral form, parents are encourage to submit the Optional Parent Questionnaire and up two pages of work samples. Submission can be submitted digitally to Amy Albanese on or before the deadline. No late submissions can be accepted.
If you should have any questions regarding AAP services, please reach out to Amy Albanese our Advanced Academics Resource Teacher here at Floris ES. She works Mon – Thurs from 8:45AM – 4:15PM and is most easily reachable via email: abalbanese@fcps.edu
Learn more about AAP on our Floris webpage.
Dates for the 2025-2026 School Year
October 20: Holiday- Diwali
October 21- 24: Book Fair
October 30: Harvest Parade; Trunk or Treat
October 31: End of First Quarter and Two-Hour Early Release
November 3-4: No School for Students, Teacher Workdays and Election Day
November 5: Parent Info Session About AAP Screening Process
November 10: Fall Picture Day
November 11: Holiday- Veterans' Day
November 19: 3-Hour Early Release for Students
November 20: Thanksgiving Luncheon
November 26-28: Holiday- Thanksgiving
Find the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar: https://www.fcps.edu/calendars/standard-school-year-calendar
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