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Dear Great Falls ES Family,
As November comes to a close, we want to express our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support and commitment to the success of Great Falls students and staff. We are fortunate to belong to such a generous community that entrusts us with your children every day.
We are especially thankful for the tremendous generosity shown by our Veterans Day Assembly participants. Parents and family members who have served shared their experiences, allowing our Roadrunners to learn the profound meaning of service and sacrifice firsthand in our first assembly of this kind. Additionally, our amazing GFES Chorus led us in a lovely patriotic sing-along, making the tribute memorable and heartfelt.
Speaking of generosity, the Sister School Food Drive was a fantastic success! The GFES community contributed a carload of non-perishable food items to Glen Forest Elementary, which will be distributed to over 60 food-insecure families in critical need. Thank you for your support, and a special thanks to our SCA students for sorting and packing the donations!
We wish you all a safe, joyful, and healthy Thanksgiving break next week. We look forward to hearing about the wonderful memories you make when our students return to school on Monday, December 1.
Sincerely,
Sara Harper
📅 Important Dates
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 at Celebration of Lights 🎄
December 10th: Early Release Wednesday - Release at 12:35 pm
December 10th: Make-Up Picture Day
December 9th and 11th: PTA - Two-Day Spirit Event with Moby Dicks
December 15: AAP Full-Time Services Referral Deadline (grades 2-6)
December 22nd - Jan 5th: Winter Break
January 16th: PTA Bingo Night
January 19th: Student Holiday
January 28th: End of Quarter Two - 2-hour Early Release
January 29 - 30: Student Holiday - Teacher Work Days
FCPS School Year Calendar for 2025-2026
Click HERE to catch up on the helpful and important information sent by the PTA on Nov 21.
🏫 Please Help Us Write Great Falls Elementary’s Next Chapter: Fiscal Year 2027 Budget
There’s a story behind the success of every FCPS student — a story about what’s possible with the appropriate funding for world-class teachers, rigorous academics, and future-ready learning experiences. At FCPS, student success starts with a strong budget!
FCPS is currently developing the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget for the 2026-27 school year. In January, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will present a proposed budget to the School Board.
During this process, we’ll be sharing FCPS’s budget story with you. The different chapters will explain the impact of chronic underfunding, why substantial funding benefits all of Fairfax County, what’s at stake when Great Falls Elementary and other FCPS schools don’t get the support we need, and more.
We invite you to follow along and learn how you can help write our next chapter!
📄AAP Full-Time Service Application Deadline
All parent referrals for Full-Time AAP services are due on December 15, 2025. Electronic submissions must be received by 11:59 pm. Hard-copy paper files must be received by 4:00 pm, when the office closes. NO late submissions will be accepted.
Electronic submissions should be sent to Ms. Keefer at amkeefer@fcps.edu. Paper submissions can be dropped off in the front office of the school.
💻Monitoring Support for Your Child in ParentVUE
All FCPS schools use a framework called the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to ensure every student gets the help they need to learn.
MTSS helps school teams deliver high-quality instruction for all students and provide extra time, support, and interventions as needed. Families are partners in this process. We will share information about your child’s individual learning, needs, and progress.
You may view your child's intervention plans and progress in SIS ParentVUE. Expect progress updates quarterly, with report card due dates.
🧡Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener Results Now Available
Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener in October, providing information on their SEL skills, including achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
Individual student SEL Screener results are now available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE. For families without an active ParentVUE account, we will share copies with you directly. For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or reach out to our school staff with any questions.
💻Lightspeed Parent Portal Allows Parents to Manage Student Screen Time
Worried about tech usage over the holiday breaks? FCPS has introduced new parent controls in the Lightspeed Parent Portal to help families manage screen time on FCPS-issued devices. Through the portal, parents can control their child's access to YouTube and pause web browsing during designated After-School Hours while students are off the FCPS network.
These controls are active Monday - Friday from 3:30 PM to 6:00 AM (even on student holidays) and all day Saturday and Sunday. They do not affect district filtering policies during the instructional day.
Parents can register for the Lightspeed Parent Portal using the link provided in their weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email.
For more information about the Parent Portal, please visit the Lightspeed Parent Portal page on the FCPS website.
🚩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. For questions or support, please visit FCPS’s Family Technology Resources page or open a ticket with the Technical Support desk
📚Tutoring Resources for Families
Some families may be looking for additional resources to help support their child’s academic success. The FCPS Family Resource Center (FRC) maintains a list of FCPS employees who hold a valid Virginia teaching credential and who are available to hire as tutors. This list is a resource offered by the FRC, but families are responsible for contacting and working directly with the tutors. This list is not approved by FCPS and is intended only as a resource for families.
FCPS also partners with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with additional learning resources. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors' services, at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests.
🎉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. 💻
Options to Enjoy our Student Performances
🎶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!
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!!
🩰The Nutcracker
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