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 4th graders working on Virginia Studies.
IMPORTANT DATES
Monday, 10/20
Student Holiday for Diwali, Schools and Offices Will Be Closed.
Friday, Oct. 24
Say Cheese! Fall Picture Day
Oct. 27 – Oct 31
School Spirit Week
Friday, 10/31
Book Character Day!
(More details below)
Friday, 10/31
End of quarter: 2-hour Early Release
Friday, 11/7
Veterans Day Program @ Garfield
 School Picture day is Friday, October 24th, 2025.
Order TODAY at: mylifetouch.com
Create an account or login with your picture day ID:
EVT88DQ82
Join us on Wednesday, October 29, 2025 from 9:30-10:45 AM for a Cybersecurity Parent Coffee!
Hear firsthand from Mr. Romeo Gardener, Senior Cybersecurity Training Specialist with Fairfax County Public Schools and learn tips and strategies to keep your students safe online.
Save the Date!
Garfield’s Veterans Day Celebration
Because Veterans Day falls on a student holiday this year (Monday, November 11), we will be celebrating on Friday, November 7 at 9:45 a.m.
We invite all family members who are current or former members of the military to join us for this special event. It will be our honor and privilege to recognize and celebrate your service!
More details will be shared soon, but we wanted to get this “Save the Date” to you early so those interested can mark their calendars and arrange time off from work if needed.
 Please Send Photos of your Veteran!!
In honor of those who have served our country, we will be making a banner and posting photos of members of our community who have served or currently serve in the military. If you or a family member have served and you’d like to be included please send a photo to Mrs. Wheatley at mdwheatley@fcps.edu by Wednesday, October 29.
Copies of photos are preferred, but originals can be returned upon request.
When submitting, please include:
- Name
- Branch of service
-
Years served(Optional: You may also include rank, specialty, or theater of operation.)
You may:
-
Email a digital photo to Mrs. Wheatley at mdwheatley@fcps.edu, or
-
Send a hard copy to school with your child (please label it with your child’s and teacher’s names if you’d like it returned).
We’re Celebrating the End of
the Quarter with Spirit Week!
School Hours and General Information
Our school hours are from 9:20 a.m. to 4:05 p.m. Monday through Friday. School doors open at 9:05 a.m. each day to begin receiving students.
Please call the attendance line at 703-923-2929 to report a tardy or absence.
To celebrate our school-wide love of reading, students are encouraged to dress up as a favorite book character on Friday, October 31st !
Students are encouraged to bring a book that includes the character they are representing. During the school day, they may be asked to share more about the character they’ve chosen.
Guidelines for Book Character Costumes
- Characters must be age appropriate and from elementary or middle- grade level books.
- Costumes may not involve blood or other horror-type elements.
- No weapons of any kind or masks that cover the entire face.
Costumes must allow students to take care of personal needs, sit at desks, and participate in school and classroom activities throughout the day, including appropriate shoes for PE/ recess!!
Ensuring Student Safety:
Register for Volunteer FCPS
Volunteer FCPS ensures a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. All volunteers must be registered in Volunteer FCPS. This includes individuals who volunteer to chaperone on field trips, work at book fairs, and help out regularly in classrooms, libraries, or cafeterias. Volunteers who work unsupervised with students will also be required to undergo a background check.
As a reminder, all volunteers — and visitors to a school — are required to sign in by scanning their ID at our visitor kiosk. Visit the Volunteer FCPS Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more.
AAP News - Engaging Families with
Creative & Critical Thinking
Families can help their children become better at solving problems and thinking creatively by trying out the Plus, Minus, and interesting method together at home. It's a simple way to see ideas from different sides by looking at the good points, the challenges, and anything new or curious.
HERE is the October blurb for the parent newsletter. Which features the Plus, Minus, Interesting strategy. We’re hoping families engage and have great conversations!
AAP Announcements:
- Students can be referred to AAP Full Time if they are new geographically to FCPS by October 15.
AAP Meeting – Understanding the Full Time AAP Screening Process - October 23 @ 6pm.
🩹 Immunization Events for FCPS Students
FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will be providing school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students with no out-of-pocket costs. Additional dates will be made available throughout the school year.
Immunization clinics will take place from 3 to 6:30 p.m. at Willow Oaks Administrative Center on:
A clinic will also take place at Frost Middle School on Saturday, November 15, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Participation is voluntary. Additional immunization resources are available. Parents or guardians may schedule an appointment for their student.
Lightspeed Student Online Activity Report
Beginning October 12, 2025, all parents and caregivers with Records Access in SIS will automatically receive a weekly email report summarizing their student’s online activity. These reports will be sent to the email addresses on file in SIS.
The Student Online Activity Reports are designed to support families in having meaningful conversations with their students about responsible technology use and digital citizenship. Families who prefer not to receive these weekly emails may easily opt-out by selecting the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of the weekly email. Each weekly report also includes a link to register for the Lightspeed Parent Portal, which provides more detailed browsing information.
To support families and guardians, FCPS has added a new FAQ section to the Lightspeed Parent Report page on the FCPS website.
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
Quick Links
YOUR PARTNERS IN EDUCATION
We are in this together!
We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with your family this year. Each day, our commitment is to provide your child with a safe, supportive, and joyful place to learn and grow. Open communication is important to us—please reach out anytime with questions, concerns, or celebrations.
Thank you for your trust, your support, and for being an essential part of the Garfield community.
With appreciation,
Your Garfield Partner Principals
Mrs. Peerman, Principal, Klpeerman@fcps.edu
Ms. Manning, Assistant Principal, eamanning1@fcps.edu
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