|
English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
Highlights from last week's Feast & Share!
Thursday, November 20th was National Family Engagement Day—and it also happened to be our Thanksgiving Lunch and Family Share Day. What an incredible day it was! THANK YOU to all our families who joined their students for lunch and spent time visiting classrooms. We loved having you in the building and sharing these moments with you.
At Garfield ES, we strive to offer families many meaningful ways to engage—through special events, volunteer opportunities, and open, ongoing communication—because we want every family to feel included, welcomed, and informed. Families play a vital role in shaping a supportive and connected school community, and we truly value the partnership we have with each of you.
We are proud to offer a wide variety of opportunities for families to connect with teachers, staff, and each other - celebrating learning, supporting student growth, and fostering a sense of belonging.
Recent events include:
- Community Grade Level Morning Meetings
- Parent/Caregiver and Teacher Conferences
- Advanced Academics Overview Sessions
- Curriculum Night – Focus on Literacy and Math
- Veterans Day Celebration
- Grade Level Fieldtrips
- Thanksgiving Luncheon and Student Share Day
Looking ahead, families can look forward to:
- Winter Family Fun Night
- Parent Coffees
- Garfield Children’s Science Night!
- DessArts Night
- Spring Book Fair
- Spring Band and Strings Concert
We are so grateful you’re part of the Garfield Eagle story! Have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving.
Your Proud Principal Partners,
Mrs. Kerry Peerman and Ms. Liz Manning
Upcoming Dates 📆
November 24: Free Thanksgiving Meals for Adults and Students, 6-7 PM at Justice HS
November 25: Free Thanksgiving Meals for Adults and Students, 6-7 PM at Annandale HS
November 26-28: Thanksgiving Break
December 11: Winter Fun Family Night
December 11: Picture Retake Day
December 22-January 2: FCPS Student Holidays
January 15: Join us for Science Night!
January 19: FCPS Student Holiday
January 28: Second Quarter Ends
January 29-30: FCPS Student Holidays
Garfield’s Winter Family Fun Night
December 11th
5:45-7:00 PM
Join us for an evening of building gingerbread houses, enjoying festive music, and spending quality time together as a community.
Save the Date and RSVP Here!
RSVP HERE - Garfield's Winter Family Fun Night!
Winter Holiday Spirit Week
December 1st – December 19th
We're giving you a head start so you can plan your outfits and get ready! For the 15 days leading up to winter break, each school day will have a fun, themed spirit activity or dress-up day. Students and staff are invited to participate by dressing according to the theme of the day.
The goal is simple: bring joy, show creativity, and finish 2025 strong! Get ready to laugh, dress up, take photos, and create memories as we celebrate 15 days of holiday spirit!
See the details below and the flier is also linked HERE!
Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals
Closes on December 15
AAP Virtual ‘Office Hours’- December 2 from 4:30-5:00pm. Drop in opportunity to ask questions about AAP. A Zoom link will be sent the day before.
AAP referral submissions can be sent to Heather Jenkins, hkjenkins@fcps.edu
Link to Full-Time AAP Referral form: https://www.fcps.edu/system/files/forms/2023-08/aap-fulltimeservicesreferralform-english.pdf
Deadline Alert: Full-Time AAP Referrals Due December 15
Community Thanksgiving Dinner!
Thanksgiving Break is November 26-28
Thanksgiving Break is next week! There is no school Wednesday-Friday. There is no Community Conversation on Wednesday and no Feather Report on Friday. We hope you have a safe and restful break and come back ready for the three full weeks we have school before winter break!
Free Thanksgiving Meals Available
There will be free Thanksgiving meals for adults and students available on November 24 and 25 from 6:00-7:00 PM at various FCPS high school sites. Meals are free and will be available first-come, first-served. Registration is not required.
- November 24: Justice HS and Herndon HS
- November 25: Annandale HS and Mt. Vernon HS
More information on the Link.
Prepare for Winter Weather
Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather closing decisions are made at FCPS.
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.
⛄ Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities
We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories that may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. View the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.
If you need assistance getting cold-weather clothing for your family, please call Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health.
Manage Your Child’s Screen
Time on FCPS Devices
FCPS offers the Lightspeed Parent Portal to help you manage screen time on your child's FCPS device at home. With a Parent Portal account, you can control your child’s access to YouTubeand pause website browsing during after-school hours.
Please note that parent controls are active only during after-school hours, defined as Monday through Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. (including student holidays) and all day Saturday and Sunday.
If you haven't signed up for the portal yet, use the link at the bottom of your weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email. To learn more, please visit the Lightspeed Parent Portal page on the FCPS website.
Los Padres Pueden Decidir por Cuánto Tiempo se Usan los Dispositivos de FCPS
FCPS ofrece el Portal para Padres “Lightspeed” para ayudarle a usted a manejar el tiempo que pasa su hijo en casa frente a la pantalla de alguno de los dispositivos de FCPS. Al tener una cuenta en el Portal para Padres “Lightspeed”, usted puede controlar el acceso de su niño a YouTube y pausar la navegación en páginas web durante las horas después de terminadas las clases.
Por favor, sepa que los controles parentales sólo están activos durante las horas después de clases, definidas de lunes a viernes, desde las 3:30 p.m. hasta las 6 a.m. (incluso en los días feriados estudiantiles) y sábados y domingos durante todo el día.
Si todavía no se ha registrado en el portal, use el link que aparece al final del email que recibe con su Reporte “Lightspeed” de la Actividad Online del Estudiante. Para conocer más, por favor visite la página web del Portal “Lightspeed” para Padres en la página web de FCPS.
YOUR PARTNERS IN EDUCATION
We are in this together!
We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with your family this year. Each day, our commitment is to provide your child with a safe, supportive, and joyful place to learn and grow. Open communication is important to us—please reach out anytime with questions, concerns, or celebrations.
Thank you for your trust, your support, and for being an essential part of the Garfield community.
With appreciation,
Your Garfield Partner Principals
Mrs. Peerman, Principal, Klpeerman@fcps.edu
Ms. Manning, Assistant Principal, eamanning1@fcps.edu
Quick Links
|
