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 December 11, 2025
From the Principal’s Pen
Dear Laurel Hill Families,
As we head into our final week before winter break, we want to extend our heartfelt appreciation for your continued support throughout this busy season. Our students have worked hard, and we are proud of the growth, effort, and positivity they bring to our school each day.
Next week will be filled with learning, celebration, and community. Please encourage your child to finish strong, arrive on time, and enjoy the special activities planned. Next Wednesday will be another 3-hour Early Release. Dismissal will begin at 1:05pm.
Lastly, please adhere to the winter weather preparation tips below. Students will continue having recess unless the National Weather Service issues Extreme Cold and Wind Chill Advisories, Watches or Warnings.
Have an amazing weekend!
Sincerely,
Janice Dalton, Principal
Thmeaka Traylor, Assistant Principal
Addison Smith, Assistant Principal
 Save the Date
Dec 8-12 Book Fair
Dec 17 3-hour Early Release (dismissal is at 1:05)
Dec 17 Band and Strings Concert @ 6pm, school gym
Dec 22-Jan 2 Winter Break
Jan 19 Martin Luther King, Jr Day, No School
Jan 28 Quarter Ends/2-hour Early Release
2025-26 school year calendar
Our SGA is sponsoring Spirit Week next week, December 15-19. Please allow your student to participate in this fun-filled winter break edition! See details below.
  ❄️ 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.
Health Highlights
As we approach flu season, to keep your family safe, the Health Department recommends the following:
- Monitor your child and keep them home if sick. Watch for signs of illness in your child. If your child has a fever or severe cough, keep them home. They should stay home, except for medical visits, until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without medication, feel better overall, and are able to participate in school activities. After they return to school, parents may choose to have them wear a mask at school and during other indoor activities for 5 days after symptoms improve. This will further reduce the chance that they may spread illness to someone else.
- Get your child tested. Consider getting your child tested for respiratory illness if they are sick. You can get COVID-19 tests to use at home, and testing for flu can be done by your healthcare provider.
- Teach your child to wash their hands for 20 seconds with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Be sure to set a good example by doing this yourself. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
- Cover coughs and sneezes. Have your child use a tissue to cover their mouth and nose when they cough and sneeze. Throw tissues in the trash after use. If they do not have a tissue, they should cover coughs and sneezes with their upper sleeve.
- Remind your child to avoid touching their face, like eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Try to avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Improve your air quality at home. If it’s not too cold, open doors and windows or move activities outside to get fresh air.
- Get vaccinated. Vaccines are highly recommended to protect your child from COVID-19 and the flu. Updated vaccines available each fall are needed for the best protection to prevent serious illness.
- Talk to a healthcare provider about treatment. Talk to your child’s healthcare provider if you have questions or concerns, especially if they have a chronic illness or take long-term medications.
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 Lauren Clark, AART, 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 Lauren Clark, AART.
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, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs website.
Impact Aid
The Federal Impact Aid Survey is now available to complete online.
Attention FCPS Families! Every family should complete the survey.
The Federal Impact Aid program provides money to districts that enroll federally connected students. Help FCPS secure funding from the Impact Aid Program by helping us identify:
- Military families.
- Federally connected families.
- Families living on a military base.
Please complete one form for each child in your household. Remember that only the parent that registered the student with FCPS (the ‘enrolling parent’) can fill out the Impact Aid Survey form.
Your information will be kept strictly confidential.
For families without access to ParentVUE, a paper copy of the form will be sent home with your student starting November 12.
Your support will ensure that we receive the resources for which we are eligible.
To access the Impact Aid Form from your computer or mobile device, we recommend using Google Chrome.
Step 1: CLICK HERE or type sisparent.fcps.edu into your Chrome address bar to be taken to SIS ParentVUE. If you don’t have a SIS ParentVUE account, contact your child’s school for an activation letter.
Step 2: After you’ve logged into your ParentVue Account, look for the ‘Online Packets’ link at the top of the page. Click ‘Online Packets’.
Step 3: Next, click the ‘Federal Impact Aid Survey’ button on the bottom of the page. This will take you to the Impact Aid Survey for you to complete.
If you have multiple children in Fairfax County Public Schools, please fill out a form for each child. You will know you have completed all of the forms when you get to the final page and see a green check next to each of their names.
If you have any questions regarding the survey, please email Sarah Orlick at scorlick@fcps.edu.
Critical Attendance Information
Please let us know if your child will be absent or arriving to school late.
Report all absences through:
Online: Parent Vue
Email: LaurelHillElem.Attendance@fcps.edu
Call Attendance Line: 703-551-5353 (24/7 Recorded Line)
https://laurelhilles.fcps.edu/about/attendance-reporting
If we are not notified by 9:30am, it is possible that you will receive an automated attendance call from the County.
📚 Finishing Up Learning about Government and Citizenship In Language Arts 📚
Benchmark Unit 3 in Language Arts is coming to a close! Over the last several weeks, our students have learned, read, and written about government and citizenship.
Connect with your child’s learning at school with these fun questions and hands-on activities at home:
- Question: Why are rules important?
- Activity: Have your child make a poster for an imaginary election — what would they promise as a leader?
At the end of the unit, your child will take their unit magazine home. The magazine includes an activity calendar with fun ways to help students build on what they’re learning at each grade level. You can also find information on how to support your child’s reading at home on the Benchmark Families website.
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