Thursday, December 12: Woodlawn Giving Tree (RSVP by December 5)
Monday, December 22 - Friday, January 2: Winter Break
Woodlawn Family Engagement Compact
Please read this copy of our Woodlawn Family Engagement Compact for the 2025-2026 school year. If you have suggestions of how we can improve this document, please fill out this Google form.
🎄 Woodlawn Giving Tree Event
Join us for the Woodlawn Giving Tree event! This is an opportunity for all Woodlawn Families to find FREE lightly used clothing and toys just in time for the holidays.
When: December 12th | 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Where: Woodlawn Community Building, Door 7
RSVP Required: Text Family Liaison, Julie Bueno, at 571-363-0397 by December 5th to reserve your spot!
🎶 Woodlawn Winter Concert
Mark your calendars! Join us for the Woodlawn Winter Concert featuring the talented 5th and 6th Grade Chorus, Strings, and Band.
Date: Thursday, December 18th
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Woodlawn Elementary
Performers: Please ensure your student wears black bottoms and a white top for the concert. We look forward to seeing you there!
🚨 ACTION REQUIRED: Federal Impact Aid Survey
This essential survey is due as soon as possible!
💻 Easiest Way: Complete the form online in SIS ParentVUE under the Online Packets section (look in the upper-right corner).
📄 Paper Forms: If you have not completed the survey in ParentVUE, a paper copy was printed and sent home with your student. Please return it immediately.
Why it Matters: This funding directly supports our school.
Thank you for helping our school get the funding we deserve!
💻 Important Digital Device Reminders 🔔
With Thanksgiving Break and Winter Break approaching, here are a few reminders regarding student devices:
🪫Chargers Remain at School:All chargers must remain at school—we are not sending them home.
Optional Take-Home: Students have the option to take their school device (laptop/tablet) home, but this is not required. If a student takes a device home, it must be returned to school the next school day.
Device Purpose: School devices are for instructional purposes only.
Family Responsibility: Families are responsible for devices that are lost, stolen, or damaged.
Need to Purchase a Home Charger?
If you want a charger for home use, you can find the necessary specifications for your child's device on the Woodlawn Website Technology Page to ensure you purchase the correct one.
⭐You can also access FCPS digital tools on your family's personal devices at home.
Digital Tools (step-by-step guides for educational websites)
Home Wi-Fi Assistance
Device Care and expectations
Charger Purchase Info (how to buy a home charger)
Monitoring Tools for home internet usage
⚠️Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15
Parents and guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for full-time Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) services must submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to Kerry Urbatch (her email is kaurbatch@fcps.edu) no later than December 15, 2025.
Each year, families can submit a referral for full-time AAP services any time from the first day of school through December 15. No late referrals for full-time AAP services will be accepted.
Once a referral is received, our school will compile information related to the student. Then, a committee of six trained professionals from across the county will review materials to determine eligibility for full-time AAP services.
Next Steps for Parents
Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of their child’s materials after February 20, 2026, by emailing Kerry Urbatch, kaurbatch@fcps.edu.
At the elementary level, referrals for subject-specific and part-time AAP are screened by the school. If you miss the full-time referral deadline, your student can still be screened for subject-specific or part-time AAP services for the remainder of the year.
At the middle school level, honors courses are open to all students.
💻 Action Required! Update Your Permission for Google Tools
Google recently made changes to how educational applications are managed and accessed on the Chrome Browser and Chromebooks. Many applications are moving from the Chrome Web Store to the Google Play Store.
To ensure your student(s) can continue accessing all approved instructional tools, FCPS has updated its digital consent platform to include both the Chrome Web Store and the Google Play Store.
Please review and provide your consent for these two new options through our easy-to-use Parent Digital Consent system:
Additional Google Services – Chrome Web Store
Additional Google Services – Google Play Store
Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting safe and effective digital learning experiences for all students.
Enjoy this week’s Woodlawn Pause called MOUNTAIN BREATH
Mountains are made up of very large amounts of land. They are solid and strong. They can peak high into our skies. In this practice, we stand tall and imagine we are centered and strong, just like mountains. This breath is great to do anytime we might feel unsafe, anxious, or not sure of ourselves. Becoming the mountain and using breath can help us to channel strength, safety, balance, and peace.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible, including email, text, social media, the new FCPS mobile app, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange emergency child care if needed.
🧥 Cold Weather Safety Reminder
Please help us ensure your child is comfortable during outdoor recess by dressing them warmly with a coat and other cold-weather clothing.
We will monitor the weather for low temperatures and wind chill warnings.
Need Assistance?
If your family needs help getting cold-weather clothing or other essentials, contact Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at 703-222-0880.
🤝 Volunteer FCPS: Connect with Our School
We encourage community members to get involved! Volunteer FCPS is the new volunteer management system that allows individuals to search and register for volunteer opportunities at our school or across the school district.
To ensure a safe and consistent environment, anyone interested in volunteering with FCPS must:
Create a profile in Volunteer FCPS.
Register for opportunities through Volunteer FCPS.
Sign in and out of schools using the visitor kiosk on EVERY visit—no exceptions.
Recent Volunteer Updates
Fingerprint Pause: Due to high response, FCPS is temporarily pausing fingerprint requirements for most Level 3 volunteers.
Field Trip Chaperones are now classified as Level 2 (no longer requiring comprehensive background checks with fingerprinting).
Safety Certification: All new volunteers must sign a Volunteer Certification Statement—a legal confirmation that you have no history of specific violent, physical, or sexual crimes.
Fairfax County Public Schools is partnering with Dr. Nonye Oladimeji for the Oladimeji Twice Exceptional (2e) Series, offering support and strategies for families of 2e students.
Upcoming Sessions:
February 20: The Social Lives of Twice-exceptional (2e) Students: Friendship, Belonging, and Identity. Families will learn how to support their 2e students in establishing authentic connections.
May 15: Beyond High School: Preparing Twice-exceptional Students for College, Career, and Adult Life Through Executive Functioning and Essential Life Skills. Families will learn strategies for developing executive functioning and essential life skills.
Action Items:
The first session on November 7th, "Listening Beyond Words," was recorded and is available to watch online.
Questions? Contact Woodlawn Elementary's AART, Kerry Urbatch, at kaurbatch@fcps.edu.
🚨 The Wildcat Nest Thrift Shop is open!
Need free clothing for your family? We have you covered! The thrift shop, located at Woodlawn Elementary (8505 Highland Ln), is open on Fridays from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm by appointment only.
To make an appointment, please text our Family Liaison, Ms. Bueno, at 571-363-0397. Appointments are required to ensure everyone gets the help they need.
