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November 26th - 28th: No School - Thanksgiving Break
December 4th: Diversity Showcase - Holidays From Around the World
December 5th: Parents Night Out Fundraiser
December 7th: GFES Chorus sings Celebration of Lights
December 10th: Early Release Wednesday
December 10th: Make-Up Picture Day
December 9th and 11th: Two-Day Spirit Event with Moby Dick
December 20th - January 4th: No School - Winter Break
January 16th: Bingo Night
February 6th: Family Dance
FCPS School Year Calendar for 2025-2026
Click HERE to catch up on the helpful and important information sent by the school on November 14th!
Diversity Showcase - Holidays From Around the World!
This holiday season, we invite you to embark on a vibrant journey through the rich tapestry of global celebrations, showcasing the unique customs, traditions, and festive spirit that span cultures, continents, and communities. "Holidays From Around the World" is the perfect opportunity to celebrate our wonderfully diverse community and to explore how different cultures honor the season of giving, reflection, and renewal.
Please join us on Thursday, December 4th from 6:00 - 8:00pm as we come together to share traditions, stories, music, dance, and food from our community's holidays and traditions.
This year’s theme emphasizes how these diverse practices—whether through food, music, dance, storytelling, or ritual—serve as bridges to connection, building understanding across cultures. We are looking for families to share their traditions by showcasing them in one of the available booths or through a presentation (performance, storytelling, reading a book, etc.). The sky’s the limit! Please click HERE to sign up to host a booth or performance and please click HERE to RSVP! Thank you so much!!
Parents Night Out!
On Friday, December 5th the PTA will be offering its first Parents Night Out! Drop off the kids for a night of fun while you have an evening off. Parents Night out will be from 6-9pm at Great Falls Elementary. $44 for the first child, $34 for each additional child. Register for the event HERE!
Parents’ Night Out — Sample Schedule (6–9 PM)
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6:00–6:15 PM | Welcome & Warm-Up
Kids check in, join their color teams, and start the night with energizer games like relays and tag.
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6:15–7:30 PM | Sports Stations & Team Games
Rotating activities led by coaches:
• Basketball shootouts
• Soccer goal challenges
• Relay & obstacle course races
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7:30–9:00 PM | Pizza & Movie
Pizza dinner served while kids relax on mats for a sports-themed movie (Space Jam, The Sandlot, or Mighty Ducks).
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9:00 PM | Pick-Up
Parents return to happy kids after a fun evening of sports, food, and friends.
Help Us Write FCPS’ Next Chapter: Fiscal Year 2027 Budget
FCPS is currently developing our Fiscal Year 2027 Budget, which will be presented by Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid to the School Board in January.
During this process, we’ll be sharing our budget story with you. The different chapters will explain the impact of chronic underfunding, why strong funding benefits all of Fairfax County, what’s at stake when our schools don’t get the support they need, and more.
We invite you to follow along and learn how you can help our community write its next chapter.
Interested in Taking A More Active Role in the PTA?
The PTA is seeking parent volunteers who are interested in taking a more active role in supporting our school community. We invite you to shadow current board and committee chairs to gain insight into the responsibilities and impact of these positions. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about how the PTA operates, explore areas where your skills and interests may contribute, and prepare for future leadership roles. If you would like to participate, please reach out to president@gfespta.com! We look forward to welcoming you into this important work.
Join the PTA Today!
Joining the PTA isn’t just about meetings, it's about making a difference. Your membership and donations directly support classroom supplies, enrichment programs, teacher appreciation efforts, and the little things that make a big impact. PTA memberships only last for one year! So, even if you joined last year, you need to renew/join again this year!
Every dollar helps. Every voice matters. Every hand makes the load lighter.
Let’s show our kids—and our incredible staff—that we’re in this together. Please consider joining the PTA and donating to our Roadrunner Giving Campaign today. Together, we can fill the gaps and lift our school higher.
Join Now >> https://www.gfespta.com/membership
If we reach our first goal of 40%, students will get to have a pajama day at school! Right now 38% of families have joined! Let's get to the finish line together!
Roadrunner Giving Campaign
The Roadrunner Giving Campaign is our annual no-fuss direct donation fundraiser! 100% of RGC donations are reinvested into our school to benefit students and staff! ANY amount helps our school (and donations are fully tax-deductible)! With so many budget cuts, the school needs our support more than ever! Roadrunner Giving Campaign donations help with:
- Software Licenses to Support Learning
- STEAM Lab
- Art Enrichment
- Cultural Arts Assemblies
- Before and After School Programs
- Professional Development for Staff
Plus, so much more!!
Cultural and Diversity Committee
Some current and upcoming events members of our diverse community celebrate include:
- National Adoption Awareness Month (All of November)
- National Adoption Day (Saturday before Thanksgiving)
- Native American Heritage Month (All of November)
- Bodhi Day - December 8th
- Chanukah - Sundown on December 14th - Sundown on December 22nd
- Christmas - December 25th
- Kwanzaa - December 26th - January 1st
Interested in learning more about these events and holidays? Please visit the NEW Cultural and Diversity Committee page on the PTA website! The page will be updated throughout the year with information about important events and holidays as well as book recommendations related to each event and holiday!
NEW - Lending Library!
📚 Help Us Build a Library That Reflects Us All!
We're creating a new lending library and need your help! We're seeking donations of culturally rich and diverse books that celebrate different backgrounds, voices, and experiences. Whether it's a beloved folktale, a story in another language, or a book that reflects your family's heritage—your contribution can help every person see themselves in the pages.
Drop off your books on the shelf in the school vestibule and help us grow a library as vibrant and inclusive as our community! Thank you so much!
Celebrate Winter Traditions Together!
Our school community is beautifully diverse, and we want to showcase that in one of the school display cases this season. We’re inviting families, students, and staff to contribute items that represent winter holidays, cultural traditions, and awareness months. These could include decorations, artifacts, books, photos, or symbols that highlight celebrations such as Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Lunar New Year, Korean or Japanese New Year, Winter Solstice, or other meaningful observances.
By sharing these items, we’ll create a vibrant display that honors the many ways our community comes together during the winter months. If you’d like to contribute, please drop off your item(s) at the cultural and diversity committee table at the Diversity Showcase! You can also reach out to president@gfespta.com to arrange another drop off time!
Thank you for helping us celebrate the richness of our community and the traditions that make this season so special!
*All items will be returned to you when we update the display case for the spring! Thank you so much!*
2025 Sister School Food Drive Thank You!
THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to the 2025 Sister School Food Drive! Your generous donations helped make a positive difference for local families. We delivered a carload of hundreds of non-perishable food items to local food-insecure families from Glen Forest Elementary. Thank you for your support!
Special thanks to our SCA students and advisors for their efforts in supporting the food drive!
BRX Oven Spirit Event
Thank you so much to all of the families who dined in or ordered food to go from BRX Oven on Tuesday! It was so wonderful to see so many GFES faces! Thank you so much for your continued support!
Help Stock The Teacher’s Lounge!
Thank you so much to all of the families who purchased items off our Amazon Wishlist! These items help keep the teacher’s lounge stocked with yummy treats for the teachers and staff!
If you are interested in helping provide snacks for the staff, please click HERE!
Thank you so much for your generosity and continued support of the school! The snacks always put a smile on the faces of our wonderful teachers and staff!
Community Offering: Ravel Dance Company Presents: The Nutcracker
Experience the Magic of the Season with Ravel Dance Company
This Thanksgiving weekend, ring in the holiday season and step into a world of wonder as Ravel Dance Company proudly presents its annual Nutcracker Ballet—a treasured tradition for families of all ages. Several GFES students are among the cast members!
Performance at Capital One Hall Main Stage (Tysons, Virginia)
Saturday, November 29th, 2025, at 2:00 pm
For Nutcracker tickets, visit:
https://www.capitalonehall.com/events/detail/ravel-dance-company-pres-the-nutcracker
Journey with Clara as she meets sparkling angels, swirling snowflakes, and the radiant Sugar Plum Fairy, who leads her to the enchanting Kingdom of Sweets. With exquisite costumes, elaborate sets, and the artistry of Ravel’s beautifully trained dancers, this timeless ballet will capture hearts and create memories to last a lifetime.
And the magic doesn’t end when the curtain falls! Join us for an elegant Nutcracker Tea, in the Capital One Hall Gallery at 4:30 pm (following the 2:00 pm performance). For Tea tickets, click here. Thank you for supporting your GFES classmates, and we look forward to seeing you at Capital One!
Community Offering: Great Falls Lacrosse
Great Falls Lacrosse Association is offering the following clinics to the Great Falls community!
Winter Clinics:
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FREE Clinic for Boys and Girls: December 6th - 11 AM at Nike 4. Although free, please make sure to register! Invite a friend to join you!
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Boys Winter Clinics: Starts December 3rd with 2 sessions offered (12/3-1/7 and 1/14-2/4). Hosted by Loyola Maryland National Champion & All-American Paul Hummer.
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Girls Winter Clinics: Three sessions all with different topics and hosted by D1 Lacrosse player and Langley HS State Champion Jenny Canfield! February 22nd (Offense), March 1 (Defense) & March 8th (Goalies - a great intro & skills sharpening)
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Alumni Game: First annual Great Falls lacrosse boys alumni game on Friday, November 28, 2025 at 2 PM on Nike 4. The game is open to all boys who played in the Great Falls youth program and are in high school graduation classes 2024 through 2029. The game will be officiated by WALOA referees and will be HS classes of 2024/2026/2028 against 2025/2027/2029.
Spring:
All Spring 2026 programming is NOW OPEN for registration for Great Falls Lacrosse Association (GFLA). Take advantage of the early bird pricing.
You can register for ALL programming HERE.
Spirit Wear Sale!
Now through Saturday, enjoy 30% off all Under Armour spirit wear! Free shipping over $75. Order now with code UA30 at checkout to take advantage of this sale. A portion of spirit wear sales supports our PTA! Shop here.
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Become a Corporate Sponsor!
If anyone - person, family, company - is interested in becoming a Corporate Sponsor, please click HERE to learn more on how our school can benefit from your sponsorship as well as promoting your business throughout the school year!
Questions about the Roadrunner Giving Campaign or becoming a Corporate Sponsor? Please reach out to fundraisingvp@gfespta.com and/or president@gfespta.com. Thank you so much!
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2025-2026 Corporate Sponsors!
Thank you so much for your support!!
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Follow the PTA on Instagram account, please follow and share! We will duplicate what is shared on our Facebook page. |
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Follow the PTA on Facebook! Share with friends and new GFES families.
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