Floris Family Message
Dear Families,
This week, our school community proudly recognized Veterans Day, a special time to honor and thank all those who have served our country. Our students took part in meaningful lessons and activities to learn about the importance of this day, and our concerts and classroom discussions were beautiful reminders of the bravery, sacrifice, and service that protect our freedoms. To all our veterans and their families, we thank you.
Looking ahead, we are so excited to welcome families next week for our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon! Please take a moment to preview the details beforehand so everything runs smoothly. This day is one of our favorite traditions, as it brings together students, families, and staff to celebrate community, connection, and gratitude.
We also want to remind families that next Wednesday is an early release day. If you have any changes to your child’s dismissal plan that day, please communicate them with your child’s teacher and the front office ahead of time.
As we begin the second quarter, we’re proud of all the learning and growth we’ve seen so far. First quarter report cards will be coming home this Friday, giving you a great opportunity to celebrate your child’s progress and set goals for the months ahead.
Finally, we’re looking forward to seeing everyone at the PTA Spirit Ball tomorrow night! It’s always a fun evening filled with school spirit, music, and community—hope to see you there!
Have a wonderful weekend, and we will see you next week!
Joshua DeSmyter, Principal
Robert Gibbs, Assistant Principal
In This Message:
PTA News and Announcements
🎨 Reflections: Submission deadline is November 14th! Visit https://www.florispta.org/reflections for more information
🔬 VASO A: Registration is now open, visit https://www.florispta.org/science-olympiad for more information and form to register. The first 45 student registrations will receive priority in forming teams and registering for events. Registration will close once the desired number of participants is reached.
🐝 Spelling Bee: Spelling bee registration is now open! The Floris Elementary Spelling Bee will be held in two rounds:
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Preliminary Round: Thursday, February 12th in the Floris cafeteria.
Floris Spirit Ball Registration is now CLOSED. We have reached capacity. Thank you to everyone who is registered.
Let’s have fun for this short week, and show our school pride with SPIRIT WEEK!
Got questions about the PTA? We’ve got all the answers on our website - CLICK IT!
🦃Thanksgiving Lunch 🦃
We’re excited to share that our annual Thanksgiving Lunch will take place on Thursday, November 20th! Families are invited to join their child(ren) for this special meal in the cafeteria.
To help our fabulous cafeteria team plan for the increased numbers, we sent home a hard copy lunch order form in last week's in Friday Folders.
If you plan to join your child and purchase a Thanksgiving lunch, please complete and return the order form so we can prepare accordingly.
🍽️ Please note: We will not be able to accommodate extra lunch purchases on the day of the event.
We can’t wait to celebrate this favorite Floris tradition together!
Please see the grade level lunch schedule below. Please plan to arrive at Floris at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the lunchtime to ensure you have enough time to check in.
Floris Annual Giving Tree – Supporting Local Families
As we enter the holiday season, we are reminded that some families in our community may need extra support. Once again, Floris Elementary is proud to host our Annual Giving Tree to help local families in need.
How You Can Help: Participating is simple! Please consider signing up to purchase a Target or Walmart gift card to benefit our families. Once purchased, gift cards may be mailed or dropped off at the school office.
👉 Sign Up Here! 👈
Gift Card Deadline: All gift cards should be received by Friday, December 12th.
Mailing Address:
Floris Elementary School
Attn: James Duffield
2708 Centreville Road
Herndon, VA 20171
If you are—or know of—a family in need of support this holiday season, please contact James Duffield at jcduffield@fcps.edu.
Thank you for helping make the season brighter for others! We are deeply grateful for your generosity and kindness.
🖥️New Parent Controls in the Lightspeed Parent Portal
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FCPS has enabled new parent controls within the Lightspeed Parent Portal to support families in managing screentime on FCPS devices at home. Parents can now manage their child's access to YouTube and pause web browsing on district-issued devices, during designated "After School Hours" while students are off the FCPS network.
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These parental controls are only active Monday-Friday from 3:30 PM to 6:00 AM, and all day on weekends and student holidays when students are off the FCPS network. Parental controls do not interfere with district filtering policies during the instructional day. Parents can register for the Parent Portal using the link provided in their weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email.
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For more information on Parent Portal, please visit the Lightspeed Parent Portal page on the FCPS website.
Point of Contact: FCPS Tech Support Desk
🧠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
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.
November Is National Family Engagement Month
Family Engagement Month is a time to remember that parents and caregivers are children’s first and most important teachers, advocates, and nurturers.
The FCPS Family Academy supports the continued success and well-being of each and every student within the FCPS community. The Academy offers a variety of positive and engaging learning opportunities and meaningful connections to transform the FCPS experience into a welcoming environment for all families.
FCPS Family Café Series: Support Your Child’s Growth and Learning
The FCPS Family Academy announces the launch of a monthly series called the FCPS Family Café. These fun and helpful sessions are designed to keep families informed and involved in their child’s education. At Family Café, parents are key partners in helping children succeed. Click on a topic below to register to attend.
✨ FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan Pillar B: Vibrant Home, School, and Community Partnerships, reminds us to empower families through trusting partnerships that sustain a safe, inclusive culture for learning.
Volunteer Registration Update
Due to the overwhelming response from our community, FCPS is temporarily pausing fingerprint requirements for most Level 3 volunteers.
If you are scheduled for an upcoming fingerprinting appointment, please cancel your appointment unless you are a mentor, host parent, or non-parent volunteer having frequent, direct, and unsupervised contact with students, which will still require fingerprinting. FCPS will be charged if individuals miss a fingerprinting appointment without canceling in advance.
Those who have already been fingerprinted will be processed to be eligible for all Level 3 opportunities.
Field trip chaperone opportunities will now be classified as Level 2 (not requiring a background check).
To ensure continuous safety, all new volunteers are required to sign a Volunteer Certification Statement. This statement is a legal attestation confirming you have no history of violent felonies, physical/sexual crimes against children, or crimes of moral turpitude.
Want to volunteer? Visit Volunteer FCPS to find and sign up for volunteer opportunities. Contact Volunteers@fcps.edu with any questions.
Tutoring Resources for Families
Some families may be looking for additional resources to help support their child’s academic success. The FCPS Family Resource Center (FRC) maintains a list of FCPS employees who hold a valid Virginia teaching credential and who are available to hire as tutors. This list is a resource offered by the FRC, but families are responsible for contacting and working directly with the tutors. This list is not approved by FCPS and is only meant to be a resource to families.
FCPS also partners with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors' services, at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests.
Resources for Families Impacted by the Government Shutdown
Apply Anytime for Free and Reduced-Price Meals
Families are encouraged to apply for free and reduced-price meals at any time during the school year.
If your income changes — for example, due to a furlough, layoff, or job loss — you may become newly eligible. Once approved, your benefits stay active for the rest of the school year and for the first 30 days of the next school year.
Students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals or attend a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school receive free breakfast and lunch every school day. It’s a great way to make your food budget go further and save time from packing meals. Learn more about FCPS Food and Nutrition.
Impact of Federal Shutdown on Local Community
Fairfax County is home to around 80,000 federal employees and thousands of federal contractors. Its Federal Workforce Resource Hub is intended to help navigate current and future issues for residents, government employees, active military/veterans, contractors, nonprofits, and businesses who may be affected by actions, changes, or disruptions to federal services or employment.
Find more community resources available to families.
Every Day Is a Stepping Stone to Success
Attendance is an important life skill that will help your child later in life. It’s a good habit to build now that will help them graduate on time and help them with time management. Parents and families can play a big role in helping kick-start good attendance habits.
Please take a look at the FCPS Calendar. Try to schedule any trips or family events on weekends and school holidays. 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.
Visit our Attendance webpage for more information.
Dates for the 2025-2026 School Year
November 14: Spirit Ball
November 19: 3-Hour Early Release for Students
November 20: Thanksgiving Luncheon
November 26-28: Holiday- Thanksgiving
December 2: Picture Makeups and Retakes
December 3-5: Walk in My Shoes for 4th-6th Grades
December 17: 3-Hour Early Release for Students
December 18: 5th/6th Winter Music Concerts, 7:00 at Rachel Carson MS
December 22- January 2: Holiday- Winter Break
January 15: 4th Grade Winter Concert, 7:00 in Cafeteria
January 16: PTA Bingo Night, 6:15
January 19: Holiday- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 28: End of 2nd Quarter, 2-Hour Early Release
January 29-30: Staff Development Days, No School for Students
Find the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar: https://www.fcps.edu/calendars/standard-school-year-calendar
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