🌟Principal's Message

🌟Wise Owl Way Positive Referrals

🌟Thanksgiving Luncheon

🌟FLE Parent Preview Night

🌟New Parent Controls in the Light Speed Parent Portal

🌟Yard Sign Fundraiser

🌟Outstanding Employee Awards Program

🌟AAP Information

🌟Special Discount Offer for Picture Orders

🌟Local Food Bank

🌟Shrevewood PTA News

🌟Family Resource

🌟Limited Early Release Days for Elementary Schools

🌟Ensuring Student Safety: Register for Volunteer FCPS

🌟Procedures for Joining Your Child for Lunch

🌟Cell Phone and Smart Watch Policy

🌟Student Birthday Policy

🌟Attendance

🌟School Meals and Free/Reduced Lunch Applications

🌟FCPS News

🌟Save the Date

Principal's Message

Dear Shrevewood Families,

We hope this message finds you well as we move further into this season of gratitude and reflection.

We want to extend a tremendous thank you to everyone who made our annual Veterans Day Assembly such a profound and meaningful success. The assembly was a powerful opportunity for our students to learn about the significance of service and sacrifice. The respect and admiration shown by our students were truly heartwarming. Hearing our students sing, “Thank You, Soldiers” was so incredibly powerful and such a special moment. A special and sincere thank you goes out to the veterans and active-duty service members who took the time to speak and share their personal stories and experiences. Your words provided an invaluable lesson in citizenship, courage, and dedication that resonated deeply with our entire school body. Furthermore, we are incredibly grateful to the family members and friends who joined us to honor our nation's heroes; your presence added such warmth and significance to the event. It is through events like these that we strengthen the bonds between our school and the wider community.

We are now excitedly preparing for our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon next week! This event is one of our favorite traditions, allowing us to come together as one big Shrevewood family to share a meal and celebrate our strong community spirit. We look forward to seeing many of you on Friday, November 21st, as we take a moment to be thankful for our students, staff, and supportive community. Please ensure you have RSVP’d using the Google Form by the end of the day tomorrow, so we can plan accordingly.

Thank you for your continued partnership and involvement in our school. Have a wonderful and safe rest of the week!

Sincerely,

Katie Vandawalker, Principal

Dan Reichard, Assistant Principal

Wise Owl Way Positive Referrals

• Charlotte A. (5th Grade)
• Jaziel G.G. (5th Grade)
• Melissa E. (5th Grade)
• Sally M.A. (5th Grade)
• Eleanor M. (5th Grade)
• Antwonn  J.  (1st Grade
• Sepehr G. (3rd Grade)
• Maria C.F. (3rd Grade)
• Kiara V.F. (1st Grade)

Thanksgiving Luncheon

We're excited to invite you to our annual Shrevewood Thanksgiving Luncheon on Friday, November 21, 2025! It’s a wonderful tradition, and we can’t wait to celebrate with our families.

Please RSVP by filling out this Google Form no later than Friday, November 14, 2025.

Lunch Schedule

Regular lunch times are adjusted for this event. Please note the time slot corresponding to your child's grade/teacher. 

• 10:30 - 11:00: Kindergarten, Ms. Gross
• 11:05 - 11:35: 5th Grade, Mr. Mitchell
• 11:10 - 11:40: Ms. Ashley
• 11:40 - 12:10: 1st Grade
• 12:15 - 12:45: 2nd Grade
• 12:50 - 1:20: 4th Grade
• 1:25 - 1:55: 3rd Grade
• 2:00 - 2:30: 6th Grade

Meal Cost and Payment 

To help us prepare, please RSVP by filling out this Google Form if you plan to attend. Meals will be handled as follows: 

• Student Meal: $3.25 (This will be charged directly to your child's MySchoolBucks lunch account.)
• Family Member Meal: $5.00 (This will also be charged directly to your child's MySchoolBucks lunch account.)

A Quick Note on Payment: Please ensure your child’s MySchoolBucks account has sufficient funds to cover both his/her student meal and any additional adult meals you plan to purchase. Both students and parents can use the account balance at the cafeteria line to pay! 

Please RSVP by Friday, November 14, 2025. 

FLE Parent Preview Night

Students in grades 4-6 will be participating in Family Life Education lessons. The lesson materials are available for your review in the All Parents/Guardians Schoology Course. To log in, use your same username and password as SIS ParentVue. You are invited to attend an evening opportunity to preview the Family Life Education media and lessons and to talk with school staff about the program. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 18, at 6:00 p.m. in the library.  All program materials and media for all grade levels will be available for your review at this time, and any questions about the material can be addressed.  An opt out form is available in the Parent Digital Consent (PDC), which you also use your SIS ParentVUE username and password to access.  If you have already indicated your desire to opt your child out of FLE lessons by using the form provided earlier in the school year, you do not need to complete another form. If you have any questions, please contact Katie Vandawalker at kmvandawalke@fcps.edu.

New Parent Controls in the Lightspeed Parent Portal

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.

These parental controls are only active Monday-Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. 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. 

For more information on Parent Portal, please visit the Lightspeed Parent Portal page on the FCPS website.

Parent FAQs: Lightspeed Parent Report (FCPS website)

Guide for Families: Parent Guide - Lightspeed Parent Portal (FCPS website)

Yard Sign Fundraiser

Show your Shrevewood spirit or give a shoutout to a 6th grade graduate by purchasing a Shrevewood Yard Sign! The sale goes through November 19.  Orders will be shipped directly to the school and then distributed. 

Oustanding Employee Awards Program

Nominations are open for the Outstanding Employee Awards! Our Shrevewood families are encouraged to nominate Shrevewood employees for these awards. To submit a nomination for a Shrevewood Elementary School Outstanding Employee in one or more of the categories below, please complete the Shrevewood ES Outstanding Employee Awards Nomination Form. You may nominate one employee at our school or multiple employees (one individual may only nominate one employee per category). 

All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in one or more of the criteria for that award category.  The nomination form has more information regarding the criteria for each of these awards. The eligibility requirements are below.

Outstanding Teacher 

• Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district). Ex: Teacher or Librarian with 3+ years of experience

Outstanding New Teacher

• Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district). Ex: Teacher or Librarian with less than three years of experience

Outstanding New Principal

• Eligibility: Currently work as an elementary, middle, secondary or high school principal in FCPS and within the first 3 years of their assignment as building principal (in any school/district).

Outstanding Leader 

• Eligibility: At least one year of experience in their current position and location as a Schedule-C or School-Based Administrator Scale employee. This does not include the principal. Ex: Assistant Principal, Director of Student Services

Outstanding Professional Employee 

• Eligibility: At least one year of 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. Ex: School Based Technology Specialist (SBTS), Psychologist, Social Worker, School Counselor, Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART), Instructional Coach, Testing Coordinator, Clinicians, Speech Pathologist, After-School Specialist, Resource Teachers, MTSS Coordinator, Assessment Coach or Special Education Department Chair

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 Ex: Administrative Assistants, Office Assistants, Librarians, Finance Tech, Custodial staff, Food Services staff, Instructional Aids, Public Health Attendant, Public Health Training Attendant, Parent Liaison

The deadline to submit a nomination is November 14, 2025, at 11:59 pm. If you have any questions, please email Coreen Pinkerton at ckpinkerton@fcps.edu.

AAP Information

Please click to access the AAP Parent Information Slides from the October presentation. Please click to see the Fall AAP Newsletter and the Referral Forms.

Full Time AAP Services Referrals for families new to FCPS after January 1, 2025, were due October 15.

All other referrals for Full Time AAP Services are due December 15. 

Subject-Specific and Part-Time Services AAP Referrals are open at any time. 

Special Discount Offer for Picture Orders

As a token of appreciation, Lifetouch is offering discounts on school photography!

• 50% off a purchase of $50+ with code 50THANKS
• 40% off a purchase of $40+ with code 40THANKS
• 30% off a purchase of $30+ with code 30THANKS

Valid through 12/01/25

To order, log in to your account on mylifetouch.com or create an account, find your student and order using your student's student ID number (if available at your school). Don’t forget to order your FREE digital SmileSafe card! More about the SmileSafe program here.

Local Food Bank

Timber Lane E.S. has invited Shrevewood families who are in need to participate in their family market.  Market dates are listed below.

Shrevewood PTA News

Family Market

Our neighbors at Timber Lane Elementary School have generously invited Shrevewood families to their monthly Family Market, hosted in partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank. All families are welcome to receive free groceries. The market is held every second Thursday of the month.

• Next Date: Thursday, November 13 (today)
• Time: 4:00 – 5:15 p.m.

Location: Timber Lane Elementary School (2737 West Street, Falls Church, VA 22046), Door #3

Family Game Night

Please join us for a family game night on Thursday, November 20, from 6:00-7:30 p.m.. Please bring a board game and/or a favorite snack to share. We will also be trying out some ThinkFun! games and raffling off several games from ThinkFun!

We are looking for volunteers to help us put on our first Family Game Night. If you are interested in helping, please contact us at board@shrevewoodpta.org.

Join Us for Our Next PTA Meeting

Please join us for our next PTA meeting on Tuesday, November 18, at 6:30 p.m. Following our regular business, we will have a special parent information session on Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe. Coordinators from the Fairfax County Department of Family Services will provide an overview of this body safety curriculum which will be taught to all students in January. This is a great chance to learn about the five safety rules, ask questions, and meet the program’s service dog.

6th Grade Promotion Committee

Are you a 6th grade parent and want to get involved? Join the Sixth Grade Promotion Committee and play a part in making this last year of elementary school special for our 6th graders! Email Alyssa Romashko if you’re interested in helping on the committee. Thanks!

Enter the PTA Reflections Contest

Starting this year, Shrevewood is participating in the National PTA’s annual art contest, Reflections. The theme for this year is “I belong”. We welcome students to submit entries for dance choreography, film production, literature, music composition, photography, and visual arts. Submissions are due by November 21. For more information about this year’s contest, please visit our PTA’s Reflections webpage.

Family Resource

Improving Routines: Morning, Evening, and In Between

November 21, 10:00-11:30 a.m.

You know things run more smoothly when you have morning, evening, and in between routines. But how can you maintain routines when your days all look different, or when your kids push back? In this workshop, you'll learn how to create effective routines that reduce drama and resistance in your family – even when life is unpredictable or chaotic.

Register here

Limited Early Release Days for Elementary Schools 

Three-hour early release days for Shrevewood ES will include:

• December 10
• February 18
• March 18
• April 22
• May 13

Read more about early release Wednesdays on the FCPS website. 

Ensuring Student Safety: Register for Volunteer FCPS

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.

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.

For full details, visit the Volunteer FCPS website or contact our Volunteer Point of Contact, Pilar Quintero Flores, pjquinterofl@fcps.edu, with questions.

Procedures for Joining Your Child for Lunch

We are excited to open our cafeteria for parents and guardians to join their children for lunch at school! We know how much you value connecting with your child, and this is a great chance to share a special moment during their school day.

If you'd like to have lunch with your child, please follow these steps:

• Enter at Door 1 and report to the Main Office. 
• Using a government issued photo ID, sign-in and receive a visitor sticker. 
• Wear the visitor sticker at all times. 
• Report directly to the cafeteria. 
• Enjoy lunch with your child(ren). 
• Return to the main office to check-out using your visitor sticker. 
• Please don't visit the classroom or recess, so our daily schedule and routines can continue without interruption for our students. 
• Please do not bring fast food for lunch. 
• Please do not bring any food to share with other children due to safety protocols and allergies.

Cell Phone and Smart Watch Policy

Please remind your child that FCPS is phone-free! For elementary school students, this means:

• Smart watches that serve a dual purpose may be worn, but the phone features (texting, internet viewing, and calls) are to be off when phone use is prohibited.
• Cell phones and personal devices (airpods, earbuds, headsets, other items connected to the internet) must be off and away for the entire school day (bell to bell).

If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call our main office. Learn more about FCPS’ cell phone and personal device policy.

Student Birthday Policy

As an administrative team and school, we will be recognizing and honoring our students' birthdays monthly. For the safety of all students and staff in our building and to limit the amount of classroom disruptions, please do not send in food or toys for your child's birthday.

Attendance

Our goal is to partner with families to help minimize the number of days students are absent. Getting your student into the habit of daily attendance helps reduce stress and makes it easier to connect with friends and teachers. We understand that each year presents different extenuating circumstances that lead to missed days. However, we hope to increase communication in regards to absences to reduce impact on your child’s well-being. FCPS has created a Health Flyer for Parents indicating when a parent should keep their child home from school. Please review FCPS Attendance Policies and resources to encourage regular school attendance. 

Parents/legal guardians can report up to two consecutive absences through SIS ParentVUE. Learn more about attendance reporting through ParentVUE HERE. Families can also report absences by emailing shrevewoodelem.attendance@fcps.edu or calling 703-645-6666 before 10:00 a.m. each day.

School Meals and Free/Reduced Lunch Applications

Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, students will enter their student ID number as their cafeteria PIN at the cash register to receive their meals.   You can access your student’s ID number via ParentVUE.

Breakfast and Lunch

Breakfast will be $1.75.  Lunch will be $3.25.  Money can be added to your child(ren)’s accounts using www.myschoolbucks.com.  You may also write a check to Shrevewood Food Services and deliver it to our Food Services Manager.  During the school year, you can find the menu for breakfast and lunch at https://linqconnect.com/public/menu/ESSF44.

Free and Reduced-Price Status

Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals will continue to receive these benefits through the end of September.  A new application must be completed each new school year.  Forms are available online now: https://www.fcps.edu/frm.  Applications are accepted at any time, but we encourage you to apply or renew your application before the end of September. Call (703) 813-4800 if you need help. This application must be completed for eligible students to receive free meals.

FCPS News

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:

• Celebrating Student Awards
• The Future of AI at FCPS
• Immunization Events

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today. 

Save the Date

⭐FLE Parent Preview Night⭐

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 6:00 p.m.

⭐PTA Meeting⭐

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 6:30 p.m.

⭐PTA Family Game Night⭐

Thursday, Nov. 20, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

⭐Thanksgiving Luncheon⭐

Friday, Nov. 21

⭐Thanksgiving Holiday⭐

Nov. 26-28

(No school for students or staff)

Click Here for the FCPS 2025-2026 School Year Calendar

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7525 Shreve Road, Falls Church, VA 22043 | Main Office: 703-645-6600
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