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Dear Great Falls ES Families,
Happy Belated World Kindness Day! This special day, celebrated globally every November 13th, is dedicated to promoting kindness, compassion, and the power of small, intentional acts of goodwill toward others.
Our Great Falls Elementary students recognized the importance of this day with our enthusiastic kindergarteners leading the charge by actively practicing and celebrating kindness throughout the day! We are thankful for our amazing students who continue to be Mindful, Accountable, Responsible, and Kind 💕
Great Falls ES’s Chronic Absenteeism rate is currently 6%, which is a significant improvement from 8% on this date last year. We continue to make exceptional progress to lower this rate each year. Historically, our absenteeism rates spike around winter and spring breaks. As we approach the holiday season, we ask that you complete and submit this prearranged absence form before any planned absences and send it to Tracey Leverett. This will help us with our requirements to meet with families with students who have missed 5 or 10 days.
Thank you for all you do to partner with us as we strive to make every day count!
Sincerely,
Sara Harper
📅Upcoming Events📅
November 17th - 21st: PTA Sister School Food Drive
November 18th: PTA Spirit Event with BRX Oven
November 20th: Principal/PTA Pop Up Chat (Date/Time Change!)
November 26th - 28th: No School - Thanksgiving Break
December 4th: PTA Diversity Showcase - Holidays from Around the World
December 5th: PTA Parents Night Out Fundraiser with Overtime Athletics
December 7th: GFES Chorus sings Celebration of Lights
December 10th: Early Release Wednesday
December 10th: Make-Up Picture Day
December 9th and 11th: PTA - Two-Day Spirit Event with Moby Dick
December 22nd - Jan 5th: Winter Break
FCPS School Year Calendar for 2025-2026
Click HERE to catch up on the helpful and important information sent by the PTA on Nov 7.
🎶GFES Chorus at the Celebration of Lights!
Mark your calendars! The Great Falls Elementary School Chorus is thrilled to perform at the annual Great Falls Celebration of Lights on Saturday, December 7th!
Our young singers will take the stage at 5:15 PM, immediately following the spectacular arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus to light the Christmas tree (scheduled for 5:00 PM) on the Great Falls Village field. We appreciate your flexibility, as the schedule for young performers may sometimes need slight adjustments, but our team will do our best to stick to the plan. Come enjoy the festive atmosphere and cheer on our talented Roadrunners!
📸Make Up Picture Day
Fall make-up picture day will be on Wednesday, December 10th! If your student had their picture taken on picture day and you would like a retake, please have your child bring their picture packet back for the photographer. If your child was absent on picture day or is new to our school, please remind them to go to the photographer during their grade-level time slot.
If you still need to order pictures, it’s not too late! Follow these steps to order pictures:
- Go to www.strawbridge.net
- Click: Order Pictures and Yearbooks
*Student's last name and Student ID number will be required for data security.*
🥫Annual Sister School Food Drive
Our Annual Sister School Food Drive will be held on November 17th – 21st, 2025! Help feed families in need from our sister school, Glen Forest Elementary. Donate non-perishable canned or boxed food to the annual food drive. The items in greatest demand are:
- Rice
- Pasta/ Mac n’ Cheese
- Masa Flour
- Cooking Oil
- Canned Beans
- Canned Vegetables/Fruit
- Canned soup
- Cereal
- Peanut butter
Please check the expiration dates on your donations. No expired food will be accepted.
The collection boxes for food donations will be located outside the main entrance of GFES and inside the main lobby from November 17th – 21st. All donations will be delivered to Glen Forest on November 21st.
The need for donations is very high this year. Many families at Glen Forest Elementary are struggling with food insecurity. Every donation makes a difference! Thank you for your generous support.
Community Service at Great Falls
This year, we are focusing on the Portrait of a Graduate Skill of becoming Global and Ethical Citizens. Each early release Wednesday, we’ve partnered with the PTA to participate in a community service project, asking students to think about the needs of others who are less fortunate.
So far, we’ve addressed food insecurity locally through our donation fridge and globally through Onigiri Action. This past week, we spoke about the needs of those without homes over the winter and put together supply bags with hats, gloves, and other cold-weather essentials, along with a note of encouragement. Each time, we reflect on our own understanding of others' needs and on ways we can help. At the end of the year, students will have an opportunity to share with you all they’ve done and learned in service of others.
You can help by continuing the conversation at home! Here are some questions you might ask to help students reflect on ways they are supporting their community:
- How were you kind to others today?
- What do you want to learn about parts of the world or cultures that you don’t know about yet?
- Did you notice someone needing help today? What did you do?
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🗣️Principal & PTA Pop-Up Chat!
NOTE: Date and Time Change
Ditch the work calls, grab a quick snack, and join our next "Principal & PTA Pop-Up Chat"! This isn't your average formal meeting; think of it as a casual, welcoming conversation club where you can grab a few minutes with Mrs. Harper and PTA leaders to ask questions and share ideas. Mark your calendar for Thursday, November 20th, from 2:00 – 3:00 PM. All families are encouraged and absolutely welcome - whether you're a newcomer or a seasoned Roadrunner. It's the perfect chance to meet with others, discuss the upcoming Diversity Showcase and the mission of the PTA Diversity Committee, and brainstorm creative ways our school can genuinely heighten awareness of all the wonderful cultures and various interest groups that make our community cohesive and special. Come connect, collaborate, and help us make Great Falls Elementary shine!
✅ Please Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey
FCPS is asking all families to complete 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 the survey as soon as possible.
Our school will provide paper forms to families who have not completed the survey in ParentVUE. For more information, please visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page or watch this video about why Impact Aid matters.
🙋🏽♂️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.
🎉Save the Date!
Cooper MS Core and Elective Curriculum Night
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Who: Rising 7th and 8th grade Students and Guardians zoned to attend Cooper MS 🧑🎓
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What: Cooper MS Core and Elective Curriculum Night 🍎📚
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Where: Cooper Middle School 🏫
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When: Tuesday, January 27th from 5:30-7:30 PM 📅
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(Snow Date: February 3rd) ❄️
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Why: Discover all the exciting Core Classes and Elective Options for next year! ✨
Can't attend? No problem! Materials will be available to review online starting the following day on the Cooper MS website. 💻
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