Roadrunner Recap!

December 7th: GFES Chorus sings Celebration of Lights

December 9th and 11th: Two-Day Spirit Event with Moby Dick 

December 10th: Early Release Wednesday

December 10th: Make-Up Picture Day

December 20th - January 4th: No School - Winter Break

January 16th: Bingo Night

January 19th: No School - Student Holiday

January 28th: Quarter Ends - 2 Hour Early Release

January 29th - 30th: No School - School Planning/Teacher Workday

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 25th!

ALL programs are ending soon at Great Falls!

• Tuesday programs have their last class on 12/9
• Wednesday programs have their last class on 12/3
• **Sports & PE Games K-3rd will have their make-up class on 12/17 (make up for 10/22)**
• Thursday programs have their last class on 12/11

Please note: Make-up classes are considered “scheduled”, therefore Baroody Camps cannot provide refunds to participants who cannot attend a makeup class.

Two-Day Spirit Event with Moby Dick - December 9th and December 11th

Show your SPIRIT for Great Falls ES by dining-in or carrying out from Moby Dick House of Kabob (9902 Georgetown Pike, Great Falls, VA 22066) on either December 9th or December 11th between 11am and 8pm. Mention “Great Falls Elementary School” when ordering and the PTA will receive 15% of sales. If ordering online, please write Great Falls Elementary in the notes section. Thank you so much for your continued support! We can't wait to see you there!

GFES Winter After-School Program Registration Opens December 15th!

GFES PTA partners with Baroody Camps academies to provide three sessions of a wide variety of quality, safe after-school activities for students of all ages. Classes take place at GFES for an hour directly after school.

For our winter session, we are offering a wind range of activities from fencing and cheerleading to mixed media art and potions to magic and chess. Click here to register!

Registration for our winter session opens Monday, December 15th at 10:00am and goes through Sunday, January 4th.  Enrollment is limited for each class.  If a class is full, please put your name on the waitlist, we will do our best to accommodate you.

Congratulations to Girls on the Run Fall Team

Diversity Showcase - Holidays From Around the World!

Thank you so much to everyone that came out to our Diversity Showcase! It was fantastic to see so many families and staff members throughout the evening! We had a  wonderful night that was filled with great performances and fun, interactive booths!! Thank you so much to everyone who set up a booth and performed - we couldn’t have done it without you!

Thank you so much to all of the volunteers who helped before and during the event as well as all of the volunteers who helped hang up and take down the beautiful artwork!

A special thank you to Mr. Diaz for being the emcee for the night and to Nadia Nachawati and Dianne Lee for helping to make the night such a success!

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.

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! You can also visit our Lending Library Wishlist to purchase a book for the library! 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 reach out to Jane DelGiorno at jedelgiorno@gmial.com to arrange a 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!*

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!! 

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!

MAMTS: Championship 2026

Mathletes of all levels are invited to participate in the upcoming in-person math tournament for students in Grades 3-5 (Division E) and Grades 6-8 (Division M).  Registration just opened and is limited to 80 teams on a first-come, first-served basis.  Don't miss out on this highly anticipated event!

Community Offering: Great Falls Lacrosse 

Great Falls Lacrosse Association is offering the following clinics to the Great Falls community!

Winter Clinics:

• 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!
• 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.
• 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)
• 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.

Community Offering: The Nutcracker

Come see The Nutcracker, December 13-14 at Langley High School!

Many students from the community will be performing and would love your support! Tickets can be purchased here!

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!

2025-2026 Corporate Sponsors!

Thank you so much for your support!!

Follow the PTA on Instagram account, please follow and share! We will duplicate what is shared on our Facebook page.

Follow the PTA on Facebook! Share with friends and new GFES families.

701 Walker Road, Great Falls, VA 22066  |  president@gfespta.com

www.gfespta.com