|
English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
Dear Great Falls ES Families,
With many holidays on the horizon, our school calendar is even busier than usual, so please pay extra careful attention to the calendar section of this newsletter for all critical schedule changes and dates.
We've heard from many families eager to come into school and share their unique holiday traditions, history, and cultural celebrations with our students. We absolutely love this enthusiasm! However, to best protect valuable instructional time for all of our Roadrunners, we are channeling this wonderful energy toward the PTA Diversity Showcase instead.
The theme this year is "Holidays From Around the World," and it's the perfect opportunity to celebrate our wonderfully diverse community. Please mark your calendars for the evening of December 4th. During the school day, the showcase will feature a fun and engaging, science fair-style atmosphere, where students can learn from various family-led displays. This will be followed by a festive PTA event for all families in the evening. Watch the PTA newsletter closely for details on how to sign up to share your family's traditions and more information about the day!
Thank you,
Sara Harper
📅Calendar Updates
October 14 - 24th: Winter Coat Drive
October 20: Diwali - No School
October 22: Fall Picture Day
October 24: GFES Yearbook Cover Submissions Due
October 25: PTA Fall Festival (1-5 PM)
October 27 - 31: Bullying Prevention Week
October 29: 3 Hour Early Release - Students dismiss at 12:35 pm
October 31: First Quarter Ends - 2-hour early release - 1:35 dismissal
November 3: School Planning Day - No School for Students
November 4: Teacher Work Day - No School for Students
November 10: Veterans’ Day Assembly
November 11: No School - Veterans Day
November 13: General PTA Meeting - Guest Speaker: Ms. Keefer
November 17: PTA Food Drive
November 26 - 28: No School - Thanksgiving Break
December 4: PTA Diversity Showcase
December 5: PTA Parents Night Out Fundraiser with Overtime Athletics
FCPS School Year Calendar for 2025-2026
Click HERE to catch up on the helpful and important information sent by the PTA on October 10th.
💟National Bullying Prevention Month
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. To help develop a common understanding of Bullying, below is the FCPS definition:
Bullying in Students Rights and Responsibilities is defined as: “Any aggressive and unwanted behavior that is intended to harm, intimidate, or humiliate the victim; involves a real or perceived power imbalance between the aggressor or aggressors and victim; and is repeated over time or causes severe emotional trauma. “Bullying” includes cyberbullying. “Bullying” does not include ordinary teasing, horseplay, argument, or peer conflict.”
For more information on how FCPS handles a bullying situation, please visit the FCPS Bullying Prevention and Intervention webpage. Our goal is to ensure all students feel safe and welcome at school. If you have questions or concerns about something happening at school, please contact our front office so they can support you and, most importantly, your student.
Our counselors have planned a week of fun festivities to support student learning around this topic. Along with the spirit week below, students will be learning about the definition of bullying. They will be able to sign their pledge against bullying behavior and highlight different ways to show kindness.
📸 Fall Picture Day is Coming!
Fall Picture Day is coming up soon! Students will have their individual photos taken on Wednesday, October 22nd. Be sure to send your child to school ready to smile!
Be sure to order your Fall Pictures now! Visit www.strawbridge.net and enter the code FM479447 to purchase your photo package today.
🕜Early Release Wednesday Reminder - 10/29
Great Falls reminds all families that our next three-hour early release is scheduled for Wednesday, October 29, with a 1:00 p.m. dismissal. We will send all students home based on the dismissal information collected for our first early release in September. As a reminder, all students are expected to be dismissed from school at 1:00 p.m. If assistance is required, a supervision plan is in place at Great Falls.
Early Release & Early Dismissal - What's the Difference?
Great Falls wants families to know about our different dismissal times coming up at the end of October.
1) Wednesday, October 29
- Early Release Wednesday = 3-hour Early Dismissal at 12:35 p.m.
- Supervision plan in place for those requiring assistance
- There are 8 Early Release Wednesdays this school year
2) Friday, October 31
- Quarter End Early Dismissal = 2-hour Early Dismissal at 1:35 p.m.
- All students must leave school; no supervision plan available (other than registered SACC users)
- There are 4 Quarter End 2-hour Early Dismissals this school year
👀Lost and Found
We have an overwhelming amount of lost and found items accumulating in our school! From jackets and lunchboxes to water bottles and hats, many belongings are waiting to be claimed.
From now until Friday, October 25th, all the lost and found items will be in our school vestibule. Parents are welcome to come and browse the items to pick up anything that belongs to their child. Any unclaimed items on Friday, October 25th, will be donated to Embry Rucker with the items from our Winter Coat Drive or to The Closet in Herndon, so don’t miss your chance to recover lost treasures!
🐶️Exciting News for Our Schools: Therapy Dog Visits!
We’re thrilled that Heeling House will be back this year! Therapy dog visits bring joy and comfort to our students and staff. Each month, a specially trained therapy dog will be visiting our school to offer support and companionship. These visits aim to enhance students' emotional well-being, reduce stress, and create a welcoming environment for learning.
Therapy dogs are known for their calming presence and ability to brighten anyone’s day.
This initiative will help foster a positive and supportive school atmosphere. If you have any questions or want to learn more about the program, please feel free to reach out. Let’s give a warm welcome to our furry friend and make our school community even more special!
Stay tuned for more updates and visit times. We can’t wait to see the smiles our therapy dog will bring! 🐾✨
If you do not want your student to participate, please complete this opt-out form.
For more information about Heeling House, please click here.
🎨📚Yearbook Cover Contest
Our annual Yearbook Cover Contest is gearing up to start! This is a fantastic opportunity for students to showcase their artistic talents and design a unique cover for this year’s yearbook, which our staff will vote on.
Each entry must be created on an 8½” x 11” piece of paper. Entries must also include the school name and year prominently featured, as well as the student’s and their teacher’s name written lightly on the back.
Feel free to use any coloring medium you like — markers, colored pencils, paints, watercolors, or crayons. Remember, the brighter and bolder the design, the better! Keep in mind that only student artwork will be accepted. Once artwork is complete, please submit it to Ms. Murphy in the main office by Friday, October 24th.
🧥🧤PTA Sponsored Winter Coat Drive: October 14 - 24, 2025
The GFES Winter Coat Drive starts next week! We are collecting new and gently used clean coats in all sizes for children and adults. The greatest need this year is for children’s coats, newborn – teen sizes, and very large women’s and men’s coats 2XL+. All donations will be distributed at the Hunter Mill District Coat Closet. Donations will be collected from Tuesday, October 14 – Friday, October 24. The collection boxes will be located outside the main entrance to the school and in the main lobby. Help those in need this winter by giving the gift of warmth. Every donation makes a difference! Thank you for your generous support.
🏅FCPS Honors Nominations Open Now
Has someone at Great Falls ES made an impact on your family? Help us recognize the amazing staff members at our school! Complete this brief form to tell us why someone on our staff deserves to be recognized. Whether it's a classroom teacher, custodian, or front office staff member, we'd love to hear about the people who make this a great place to work and learn!
📚Uncovering Characters in Language Arts
Benchmark Unit 2 in Language Arts is coming to a close! 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 GFES Parents Schoology Page.
Need help getting into or navigating Schoology? Reach out to Jen Roberts, our technology specialist, for support: JMRoberts@fcps.edu
🦅Veterans’ Day Assembly
On November 10th, Great Falls Elementary will host a special Veterans Day Assembly for our students. This meaningful event is an opportunity for our Roadrunners to express gratitude, learn about the profound meaning of service and sacrifice, and honor our nation's heroes. The program will feature patriotic sing-alongs, a performance by the GFES Chorus, and inspiring messages from special guest speakers.
PTA Fall Festival - Saturday, October 25th!
SAVE THE DATE! This year's Fall Festival will be Saturday, October 25th from 1 - 5pm! Tickets are $12 per person if purchased in advance online ($14 in person), and all attendees ages 4 and up are required to have a ticket! We will have many fun games, crafts, activities, food trucks, and more planned for this year's festival! We can't wait to see you there!
As with all PTA Events, Fall Festival is NOT A DROP OFF EVENT. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Purchase Tickets HERE
Fall Festival Volunteers Needed!
WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE Fall Festival amazing! This is one of our biggest events of the year, and it cannot happen without our supportive Roadrunner community. If you are interested in helping on the day of the event, please sign up HERE! Thank you so much in advance for helping to make the Fall Festival a success!
If you have any questions, please email fallfestival@gfespta.com or president@gfespta.com
🍒Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications
For the past two years, the federal government has provided no-cost meals to all public school students without the need to complete the annual Free and Reduced-Price Meal application. The extension of the no-cost meals benefit to all students is expected to expire at the end of this school year, meaning families must submit an application and be approved to be eligible for free and reduced-price meals for the 2022-23 school year. Learn more about the Free and Reduced-Price Meal program online.
🎤 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.
What Will the 2025 Bond Referendum on the November Ballot Fund?
The $460M bond referendum on the November ballot is expected to fund the next stages of several ongoing projects, as well as others referenced in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
The building and renovation of our schools is not funded through the division’s operating budget. Voter-approved bonds allow payment for these projects over time. Read more about the 2025 Bond Referendum. Learn more about registering to vote. Make a plan to vote by Tuesday, November 4.
📍 Comprehensive Boundary Review Update
FCPS will begin holding October community boundary review meetings on Monday, October 13. The new draft map, Scenario 4, will be shared with the community for feedback at those meetings. It will also be uploaded to the Boundary Explorer Tool shortly before October 13. Community members will then be able to provide feedback in the tool at their convenience.
As a reminder, the community provided feedback on draft scenarios 1-3 in the spring. Scenario 4 continues to build upon the first three scenarios. It is informed by the Superintendent's Boundary Review Advisory Committee, which reviewed community feedback received in the spring to help develop priorities that the consultant used to create Scenario 4.
Visit FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage for more information.
|
