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Digital Citizenship Week
October 27th-31st
Digital Citizenship Week English | Digital Citizenship Week Spanish
October marks Cybersecurity Awareness Month and our Digital Citizenship Week Spirit Week(October 27-31)! We are committed to making digital well-being a priority and connecting families to valuable digital literacy resources. Celebrate with us during our Digital Citizenship Spirit Week!
Herndon Pyramid Concert
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We’re excited to celebrate our musical community at the Herndon Pyramid Concert on Monday, October 27!
Families, please arrive at Herndon High School by 6:00 PM. Enter through Door 8 and follow the signs to the auditorium.
The concert will begin at 6:30 PM and will showcase talented chorus singers from our elementary, middle, and high schools—culminating in a special group performance.
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Outstanding Employee Awards
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Nominations are now open for the FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards! To submit a nomination for a Dranesville Elementary School Outstanding Employee, please complete the nomination through this Google form link: https://forms.gle/37SaisPKap2UXf3H6 by November 7th, 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.
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Outstanding Teacher
Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category
Outstanding New Teacher
Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category
Outstanding Principal
Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a building principal (in any school/school district)
Outstanding Leader
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in their current position as a Schedule-C or School-Based Administrator scale employee (that is not the building principal) at their current location
Positions in this category include Assistant Principals
Outstanding Professional Employee
Eligibility: At least one year experience in current position as a Schedule-B employee or other non-instructional employee in a school that supports school leadership at their current location
Positions in this category include Resource Teacher and Special Education Department Chair, Assessment Coach, School-Based Technology Specialist, Technology Support Specialist, Psychologist, Reading Specialist, Social Worker, Speech Language Pathologist, School Counselor, or other employee paid as a Resource Teacher who serves in a non-instructional or administrative role in the school)
Outstanding Operational Employee
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in current position as Schedule-A or Classroom Instructional Support Scale employee at their current location
Positions in this category include Administrative Assistant, Office Assistant, Student Information Assistant, Registrar, Custodian, Building Supervisor, Food Services staff, Instructional Assistant, Family Liaison, Public Health Training Assistant, and all hourly employees*
The deadline to submit a nomination is November 7, 2025
If you have any questions, please contact Jacki Young jmyoung@fcps.edu or Megan Kowalczik mkkowalczik@fcps.edu
Honoring Veterans in Our School Community
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Our annual Veterans Day celebration will be on Monday, November 10th at 9:50 am. Second graders are learning songs in music classes that they will perform during the event. |
Second grade families and distinguished guests are invited to attend in-person. The event will be live-streamed for the Dranesville school community. The zoom link will be available in Schoology.
If you have a personal connection to the military, either through yourself or your family, and would like to take part in the presentations, please fill out this form. In this form, please include any pictures or words that you would like to share in the presentation.
 Please save the date and join us for Dranesville's Fourth Annual Magnitude of Gratitude. This year's celebration will be on Thursday, November 20th and will include both Family Math activities and our Thanksgiving Luncheon. Adult meals cost $5.00. Student meals cost $3.25. Tickets for Thanksgiving Lunch will be available on our PTA website.
Food and Nutrition Services Menu
What is My Child Learning First Quarter?
First Quarter Curriculum Overview | First Quarter Homework
Quarter 1 Benchmark Update for Families
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📚 Uncovering Characters in Language Arts 📚
Benchmark Unit 2 in Language Arts is about why characters matter. Students in K-5 will be learning about different characters, and how they shape stories and face challenges. Grade six students will learn about how characters are changed and inspired by others.
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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 people think about you?
- Activity: Pretend you are a talk show host and interview your child as if they are the main character of their favorite book.
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.
Note: Benchmark Unit 1 Magazine will be coming home with students by October 21st.
First grade launched Benchmark Unit 2 last Tuesday, October 14th.
Dranesville's Six-Seven Reading Challenge
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Our Dragons have taught us to celebrate leveling up with the saying "six-seven". Now Drake is challenging all of our Dragons to read 6-7 books between October 28th and December 16th. That is just one book each week for the 6-7 weeks between October 28th and winter break.
Let's see who is ready to accept the challenge and level up their reading!
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Bus Safety Reminders
Bus Safety Patrols participated in their monthly training to continue developing their leadership skills.
AAA School Safety Patrol members are school-sponsored student volunteers from fifth and sixth grade. Patrollers direct children, not traffic. As school-age leaders in traffic safety, patrol members teach other students about traffic safety on a peer-to-peer basis. They also serve as models for younger children, who look up to them. School Safety Patrol members:
- Complete monthly training.
- Assist bus drivers in safely transporting students to and from school.
- Serve in other leadership roles under the direction of school officials.
The school bus is an extension of our school building. Therefore, Dranesville's Schoolwide Expectations and the FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities apply to students at the bus stop and while riding the bus. Students must listen to and follow the directions of the bus driver. In addition, cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off and kept in backpacks during the bus ride so students can hear driver instructions. Students are not allowed to eat on the bus. This is important to keep all students safe. There are students who ride the bus that may have allergies.
Thank you, families, for reviewing this bus safety information.
Daily Attendance Matters
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We are excited to acknowledge fifth grade with another day of 100% attendance!
291 Dragons have been present for the first 40 days of school!
410 Dragons have been present for the last 10 school days. Every day counts.
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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.
If your child is having difficulty with daily attendance, our Student Attendance and Engagement Team is ready to assist. Please call us at 703-326-5252 if you need support. Together, we will develop a plan to help your child attend school so they can access daily instruction.
💻 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.
Visit the Lightspeed Parent Report page for more information and answers to frequently asked questions.
Save the Date
October 28 - December 16: Dranesville's 6-7 Reading Challenge
October 29: 3 Hour Early Release 1:05 pm Dismissal
October 31: 2 Hour Early Release 2:05 pm Dismissal | End of Quarter 1
November 3 - 4: No School | School Planning & Teacher Workday
November 10: Dranesville's Veterans Day Celebration
November 11: No School | Holiday
November 12: 3 Hour Early Release 1:05 pm Dismissal
November 19: Full-time AAP Referral Family Information Session 6:00 pm
November 20: Thanksgiving Lunch and Family Math Day
November 25: Fall Make-up and Retake Picture Day
November 26 - 28: No School | Thanksgiving Holiday
25-26 School Year Calendar
25-26 SACC Calendar
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