Floris Family Message
In This Message:
- Principals' Message
- PTA News
- Parents' Night Out Opportunity
- Halloween Festival at Westfield HS
- Picture Day is Coming
- Employee Awards
- Curiosity Corner
- AAP Information
- Impact Aid
- SIS End of Quarter Closure
- Red Ribbon Week
- Optional Finance Workshop for Students
- AI Conversation
- Bond Referendum
- Upcoming Dates
Hello Floris Families,
Thank you to all the families who joined us for today’s Indoor Harvest Parade! It was such a joy to see everyone come together to celebrate and take pictures of our wonderful students. Your participation helped make the event a great success!
We’re also excited to welcome you back tonight at 6:00 PM for our second annual Trunk or Treat at Floris ES! Last year’s event had an incredible turnout with some amazingly creative trunk decorations, and we can’t wait to see what this year brings. Please remember to bring your own candy to hand out as part of the fun.
As a reminder, there will be no school on Monday or Tuesday due to a School Planning Day and a Teacher Workday. We also will have a Parent Information Session about the AAP Screening Process on Wednesday at 5:30.
We hope everyone enjoys a safe and fun Halloween weekend!
Joshua DeSmyter, Principal
Robert Gibbs, Assistant Principal
PTA News and Announcements
🎃 Spooky Reminder! Trunk-or-Treat TONIGHT! 👻
Hi families,
Just a friendly ghost to remind you that our annual Trunk-or-Treat is tonight! We can't wait to see all the creative costumes and decorated cars.
Here are a few quick reminders:
Time: The fun starts at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 7:30 p.m.
Location: We'll be in the school parking lot. Please plan to carpool or walk as parking will be extremely limited.
Costumes: Wear your costumes and get ready for a spooky-sweet night! Don't forget a pumpkin bucket or treat bag for your little one to collect all their goodies.
See you there!
 When: Friday, November 14
Time: 6:30-8 PM
Where: Floris Elementary Cafeteria and Gym (Enter via Door 6)
Cost: $5 per Student, $10 per 2+ Students (All parents are free)
Join us for a night of Floris FUN! There will be a DJ, Dancing, Pizza, Bakesale, Photo Booth, Glow Merch Sale, Class Poster Contest, Silent Raffle, and much more!
Space is limited so you MUST REGISTER HERE. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
This is a family activity and not a drop and go event.
Got questions about the PTA? We’ve got all the answers on our website - CLICK IT!
Floris Parents' Night Out!
Parents Night Out at Black Dragon Martial Arts
Date: Saturday, Oct 25, 2025Time: 5:30 PM – 8:30 PMLocation: Black Dragon Martial Arts, 13914 Metrotech Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151
Registration Link: https://cp.mystudio.io/e/?=PFyPFH/16231/752681//1759963904
Fee: $30.00 per childSibling Discount: $20.00 (Use code Sibling215)Friends Discount: $20.00 (Use code Friends85)
This event is for kids only.Fees are non-refundable and cannot be canceled after registration.To register more than two children and receive the sibling discount, please register each child separately.
For Ages 4 & UpGet ready for a spook-tacular night packed with exciting Halloween activities designed just for kids:
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Trick or Treat Stations – Collect candy and spooky surprises!
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Costume Contest – Show off your best costume for a chance to win awesome prizes!
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Black Light Dodgeball – Play an epic game under glowing black lights!
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Spooky Cookie Decorating – Create and decorate your own delicious treats!
Movie & Popcorn – End the night with a fun Halloween movie and surprises!
Halloween Festival at Westfield HS
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Our Halloween Festival is Saturday, November 1st at Westfield High School from 4-8pm!
The carnival in the auditorium (for ages 4-10) will feature games, face painting, and princess and pirate meet and greets! Costumes encouraged. Come anytime!
The escape room (for ages 10+) in the Blackbox classroom. Sign up for the escape room with the QR code on the flyer or this LINK.
Baked goods will also be available for purchase.
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📷School Picture Day is Coming!📷
📅 Date: Monday, November 10, 2025
📸 Pictures Available: Approximately two weeks after photo day
🛒 Pre-order Online: https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001271138
📧 Questions about Ordering? Email us at underclass@vosphoto.com
🌟 Help Us Celebrate Our Outstanding Staff 🌟
Awards season is here — and while we’re not handing out Oscars or Emmys, we are celebrating something just as special: our FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards!
Each year, FCPS recognizes staff members who go above and beyond to make a difference in their schools and communities. We invite you to join us in celebrating the incredible people who make Floris such a wonderful place for students to learn and grow.
If you’d like to nominate a Floris staff member for recognition, please use the link below:
👉 Submit a Nomination Here 👈
Nominations are open through November 11.
Thank you for helping us honor the dedication, care, and excellence of our Floris team!
🧠Curiosity Corner🧠
Monthly Maker Missions
Within the walls of Floris, there are many cultures, characteristics, and systems that make our community unique. This month, students are taking on a creative challenge — to design a monument or statue that represents Floris Elementary! They’ll consider all aspects of our school — our people, procedures, traditions, and values — as they create a design that captures what makes Floris such a special place to learn and grow.
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!
AAP Information
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.
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. In addition to the Referral form, parents are encouraged 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 will 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.
✅ Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey
FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available in SIS ParentVUE under Online Packets, which is in the upper right corner of the screen after logging in. Please complete it as soon as possible. We will provide paper forms to families who have not completed the survey in ParentVUE starting Wednesday, November 12.
Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important. This year, FCPS expects to receive approximately $4 million in Impact Aid funding. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
For more information, visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page.
Register for ParentVUE
Learn how to activate your SISParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey and have access to other helpful information about your child.
Technical support for using ParentVUE or submitting the survey online is available by submitting a Parent Support Request ticket. Select SISParent in the Application dropdown menu and type “Federal Impact Aid Survey” in the Issue Description section. You may also call the Parent Technology Help Desk at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS).
SIS ParentVUE End-of-Quarter Closure
The Gradebook in SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE will be closed for the end of the first quarter from Friday, October 31, 4 p.m. to Monday, November 10, 6 a.m. Activate your ParentVUE account to easily access grade reports.
Red Ribbon Open House: A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Substance Abuse
The Family Resource Center (FRC) and Office of Student Safety and Wellness will host a Red Ribbon Awareness Open House on Friday, October 24, from noon to 2 p.m.
This event aims to equip attendees with essential resources and confidence to discuss substance use with their children. Narcan training will be offered. After the presentation, participants can tour the FRC library and browse through pre-selected resources.
Upcoming Financial Literacy Workshop
🏗️ How Bond Projects Are Selected
Each year, the School Board and FCPS staff members work with the community to develop an updated, five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for school building and renovation projects. To develop the CIP, the school system assesses changes in expected enrollments, academic programs, and facility conditions to determine priorities for new construction, renovations, and other capital facility projects. The School Board then evaluates the affordability of these school needs against other countywide requirements to determine the bond proposal.
Because of this, while FCPS and the School Board generally try to follow the CIP, changes can be made year-over-year depending on the evolving needs of the school division.
The School Board is committed to protecting the community’s investment in schools and other buildings, which have a combined present value approaching $9 billion. Not only do these facilities wear out over time, but they also become outdated, both technologically and instructionally. FCPS renovates its schools to ensure that students, countywide, have effective and efficient learning environments to thrive and grow.
Read more about the FCPS 2025 Bond Referendum. Learn more about registering to vote. Make a voting plan and vote on Tuesday, November 4.
Dates for the 2025-2026 School Year
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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