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Fairfax County Public Schools 2025-2026 Standard School Year Calendar
Hello Powell Families,
What a joyful week at One Powell! A very special thank-you to all of our families who joined us for the Kindergarten Book Character Parade this morning — our students were glowing with excitement as they showcased their creativity and love for reading this month. We are grateful for the wonderful partnership and enthusiasm you bring to these special moments.
We also want to extend warm celebration and support to our families who choose to observe Halloween. Whether through costumes, community festivities, or cozy traditions at home, we hope your day was filled with fun, imagination, and togetherness!
As we look ahead, please remember that Monday, November 3 and Tuesday, November 4 are student holidays due to Parent-Teacher Conferences. We appreciate your partnership as we meet to discuss student progress and goals. We look forward to welcoming all students back to school on Wednesday, November 5, ready for a strong and joyful November together!
Thank you for your continued engagement and support. We love seeing our Pumas learn, grow, and shine — every single day!
Warmly, Catherine Han Proud Principal, Colin Powell Elementary School 🐾
All families need to complete a Federal Impact Aid Survey as soon as possible. The form is available in ParentVUE under Online Packets (in the upper right corner after logging in). Only the enrolling parent can complete the form online.
We have sent home paper copies to all families who have not completed the form in ParentVUE.
As of today, 193 CPES families have completed the online survey. Thank you to all families who have responded.
We recommend using Google Chrome on your computer or mobile device.
Step 1: Go to sisparent.fcps.edu or type it into your Chrome browser. Click Here
Step 2: Log into your ParentVUE account. If you don’t have one, please contact me.
Step 3: Click the “Online Packets” link at the top of the page, then select “Federal Impact Aid Survey” at the bottom. This will take you to the Impact Aid Survey for you to complete.
✅ If you have multiple children in FCPS, complete a form for each child. You’ll know you’re done when you see a green check next to each child’s name.
📝 Paper Forms - A paper copy of the form will be sent home with your student starting November 12. If you do not wish to complete online.
Information from this survey resulted in more than $4 million in funding last year from the U.S. Department of Education. The funds support all Fairfax County public schools and centers. Visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page to learn more.
Please join us for our Family Thanksgiving Luncheon and enjoy lunch with your child.
Your child's schedule will be found on the flyer being sent home on Tuesday. Powell students must follow their usual lunch schedule. All family members and students attending must purchase a lunch ticket no later than Friday, November 7th at $5.00 per adult & student $3.25 (pre-school siblings eat free).
Please pay with exact change attached to your RSVP form for adults attending. Forms were sent home this week.. If you plan to attend please prepay for the entirety of your family to support with line management. We are limiting two family members per student due to limited space.
Once paid, you will receive tickets in your child’s backpack- please ensure you bring your tickets on November 20th which confirms your payment.
Please RSVP & pay by returning this form by Friday, November 7th.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Volunteers are needed in 30-minute shifts to assist the cafeteria hosts with table clean-up. Sign-up will be available on the sheet coming home next week. When you arrive for your volunteer shift, please check in with the Volunteer Coordinator at the Ticket Table.
Do you have families of students at your school who want to learn more about Lexia? Invite them to join Lexia® Learning for a family information night to learn how FCPS is using Lexia® Core5 and Lexia® PowerUp in lettersclassrooms across the district in the 25-26SY to support students' Literacy growth.
Topics to be covered during this session include:
- What is Lexia Core5 and PowerUp and how do the programs support your students' individual learning needs?
- How does Lexia support teacher planning and instruction?
- How is Lexia data being used for progress monitoring and goal setting by educators
- Tips for supporting your student at home.
Sessions will take place on Thursday, November 6 2025, Tuesday, February 3 2026 and Wednesday, May 6 2026 @ 6:30 - 7:30 PM. Families can register for an FCPS/Lexia Parent Information Night via this link: bit.ly/familyinfo2526. Please share The Lexia Parent Night 25-26 SY with families. The link includes the Arabic, Chinese, English, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese translations that can be printed or shared as a pdf file.
What to expect on picture day
- Any student wishing to have a retake should bring their original picture package to exchange for the retake image.
- When an order is placed online, the parent/guardian will receive a camera pass via email. This can either be printed or texted to the student and brought to picture day. The photographer will photograph the printed camera pass along with the student.
- If a student is not able to print their camera pass, that is not a problem. We will match up the student to their order manually in the production process.
- A parent may order from the flyer up until 24 hours after picture day. After 24 hours, the online ordering access may close. This will allow our imaging team to "Pull" all orders submitted and match them with the students photographed.
- When pictures are returned to school, all students that purchased pictures will receive their prepaid package. Any student that was photographed but did not order a package, will receive a "Proof" (PX) of their picture that was taken on picture day.
All proof packages offer parents a second opportunity to order prints. All orders are subject to shipping and handling costs of up to $8.50 and will be shipped directly to home.
Access School Picture Day Flyer and Web Banner
Access our secure site by clicking here: www.pictureportal.org or copy and paste this into your Chrome browser. Google Chrome is the required browser to run this site.
If you do not have your login information, on the login screen you can click Forgot Password to have your password reset and emailed to you.
- Click on Photo Events on the left menu
- Find the event for your upcoming picture day (school pictures, class groups, etc.)
- Click the View (first icon) to download the Flyer or to resend the email for your web banner link.
- Feel free to contact your Sales Representative with any questions that you may have about picture day.
On November 7th, we will have another “Coffee with the Principals”. This session will take place at 9:30am, and it will be about understanding your child’s progress. The principals hope you will be able to join them that day!
Elementary School Fall Newsletter
Colin Powell Elementary School offers students a continuum of services to meet their needs. Please look at our Fall Newsletter to learn more about AAP services. The link will take you to our Parent Schoology site which is a great resource for information.
Mark Your Calendars!
Wednesday, November 5th @ 6PM: AAP Parent Meeting in the Colin Powell ES Library
This meeting is focused on the full-time AAP screening process for the upcoming winter/spring screening window. If you have a current 2nd-6th grader and want to learn more, please consider attending.
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.
- The FCPS Family Academy offers resources and in-person and virtual classes, workshops, webinars, and programs for families. The following webinars and workshops will take place in November:
- ABA Family Training: Prioritizing Skills to Teach at Home
- Co-Parenting: Two Parents, Two Homes (in Spanish)
- Supporting Your Military-Connected Student in Secondary School
- Moving on to Life in the Community
Other Family Resource Center webinars will cover topics such as communication with twice exceptional children, family engagement in the special education process, restorative justice practices in schools and at home, and improving routines.
Visit the Family Academy Catalog to learn more about these and other resources.
FCPS is continuing to explore options for adjusting school start times, with the primary goal of starting the middle school day at 8 a.m. or after. In order to minimize any cost for this project, 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. That feedback helped in developing two options for adjusting school start times. The options are designed to support student well-being, align with research, and balance transportation logistics.
We invite you to provide input on the two options by taking a short survey. This voluntary survey will close on Tuesday, September 30. Visit the FCPS website for more information on adjusting school start times.
Benchmark Unit 2 in Language Arts is about characters who are faced with difficult choices. Sixth grade students will learn about characters who are changed and inspired by others.
Connect with your child’s learning at school with these fun questions and hands-on activities at home:
- Question: Have you ever disagreed with a friend? How did you see things differently?
- Activity: Have your child write a diary entry from the perspective of a book character.
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
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- 🏆 262 FCPS Students Named 2026 National Merit Semifinalists
- 🎓 Resources for Life After High School
- Practical Guidance for Talking With Teens About Fentanyl
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