In this Paw Print:
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School News:
- Principal's Message 🗣️
- Where in the School is Ms. Andujar!?🔍
- Strength Stories 💪
- Outstanding Employee Awards 🏆
- Winter Spirit Week! ❄️
- Advanced Academics Referral Deadline - Dec. 15! 🧠
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PTA News:
- Sign-up for the Spelling Bee🐝
- Winter After-School Clubs Are Here! ✨
- Join the PTA! ❤️
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Community News:
- Chantilly HS Tiny Tots Performance ⛄
- Chantilly HS Holiday Spectacular 🎿
Dear Poplar Tree Families,
We wanted to apologize as we realize we never sent the Paw Print last week! Therefore, we will be including a few things this week from last week as well!
We're excited to share that Poplar Tree has been recognized as Distinguished under Virginia’s new School Performance and Support Framework (SPSF). This rating, based on data from last school year, shows that our school is meeting or exceeding expectations set by the state around student performance.
This new framework places a greater emphasis on standardized test results, alongside student growth, graduation, and readiness measures that vary by school level.
One thing has not changed: our students are learning and growing, and our teachers and staff continue to do exceptional work every day. This recognition reflects the strength of our entire school community. Our strong performance stands out and is something to celebrate.
We will continue building on this success. Our team is committed to keeping high expectations for learning, supporting each student’s unique strengths, and creating a school environment where every child feels welcomed, challenged, and cared for. We are also grateful for the support we receive from families. Your involvement makes a difference, and it plays an important role in helping our students succeed.
Thank you for being such an important part of our community. Together, we will continue helping every student at Poplar Tree thrive.
Last week, we had two of our students who got to spend the day shadowing us as Principal & Assistant Principal of the day. They won this opportunity during the PTA's Silent Auction last Spring! They have written a message for the community below!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Sue Andujar, Principal
Amy Alley, Assistant Principal
Hi Everyone!
We had such a good time being Principal & Asst. Principal of the day! We got to have a tour of all the secret rooms around the school, and got to see the whole kitchen in the cafeteria. We appreciate the help of our Principal, and Asst. Principal for helping us with our day! We couldn’t have done it without the help of our AMAZING Principals of PTES!
Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to us having this amazing school!
Sincerely,
Principal, Miss Smith, and Asst. Principal, Miss Jackson
Where in the school is Ms. Andujar!?
Click the image below to see Ms. Andujar visit one of our new PreK classrooms last week!
**This was from Friday, December 5**
💪Strength Stories 🎯
This week's Strength Story features Ms. Samanta's 1st Grade Fantasticos!
Calm bodies means confident bodies so we have been practicing breathing with our eyes closed and holding our breaths to feel the calmness. We breath in a slow, long, deep, and strong breath in, hold it, and exhale letting the breath take all our restlessness and worries away. Keeping our eyes closed to practice trusting ourselves to follow instructions without looking at anyone.
Our goal was to hold our breath for 3 seconds and keep our eyes closed the whole time and achieved our goal after 2 weeks of practice. We had to be resilient as it was tempting to open our eyes when we heard any sound or look at what others are doing.
Next, our goal is to hold it for 8 seconds. Wish us luck!
Watch a video of Ms. Samanta's Fantasticos HERE!
🏆Outstanding Employee Awards🏆
Please join us in celebrating this year's honorees!
- Outstanding Operational Employee: Nhu Nguyen (Multiage Assistant)
- Outstanding Teacher: Andrea Williams (Art)
- Outstanding Professional Employee: Erin McCollum (Speech)
❄️ Winter Spirit Week ⛄
We'll celebrate the last week before winter break with a fun spirit week!
- 🧤Monday: Mittens, Beanie, & Scarves Day
- 🧦Tuesday: Flannels & Fuzzy Socks Day
- 🔥Wednesday: Warm & Cozy Day
- ❤️💙🧡💚Thursday: House Color Day
- ❄️Friday: Sweater Weather Day
Can't wait to see your school spirit!
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 Kimberly Keleher, kjkeleher@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 kjkeleher@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.
For more information:
🐝Spelling Bee🐝
The Poplar Tree PTA has been planning for a successful spelling bee program for 2025-2026. Poplar Tree is proud to offer students an opportunity to exhibit their proficiency in the art of spelling and, just as importantly, vocabulary. The school Spelling Bee Champion will advance to the Fairfax County regional competition. The regional winner will go to the Scripps National Spelling Bee representing Fairfax County. The registration deadline is 01/31/26.
If you are interested, please register HERE.
❄️ Winter After-School Clubs ✨
Warm up the cold months with some serious after-school fun! This winter, students can shine bright at our Glow Dance Party🌟, get creative and hands-on in Pottery🥣, or sharpen their strategy skills in Chess♟️—plus many more exciting programs to explore!
Whether your child wants to move, make, or master something new, there’s a perfect club waiting! Sign up HERE!
❤️ Join the PTA! ❤️
Please join the PTA to help support our school!!
If you haven't joined yet, please do so HERE!
❄️Chantilly HS Presents🎭
Tiny Tots & Holiday Spectacular
Celebrate this generational tradition and create new memories with your children. Join us for music, laughter, and the magic of the season — a community favorite since 1980!
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.☃️Tiny Tots:
- Thursday, December 11
- 9:30 am, 11:00 am, & 12:45 pm
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🎿Holiday Spectacular:
- Thursday, December 11 & Friday, December 12
- 7:00 pm
🎟️ Tickets: Available now at Chantillydrama.org — seats fill fast!
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