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Message from Langley Pyramid
Winter Break is right around the corner, and we would like to wish you all a wonderful break. We have informed our faculty and staff that we need to give our students (and ourselves) a respite during the holiday. While teachers may have long-term assignments that span the break, we have shared with staff our expectation that they do not assign homework, projects, essays, etc., to be explicitly completed during the break.
This break, we all need the opportunity to spend time with our families and friends. We want our students to have the chance to catch a breath from schoolwork and to enjoy time with friends and family. We also want our teachers to decompress and put their lesson plans and work laptops away to enjoy time with their friends and family.
Our goal is to have students and teachers return to school without anxiety, free from the pressure of looming deadlines.
We are thankful for our pyramid, and we wish all families a great 2026.
Cherith Pierson, Principal Churchill Road ES
Ken Junge, Principal Colvin Run ES
Maureen McLoughlin, Principal Cooper MS
Sarah Brooker, Principal Forestville ES
Sara Harper, Principal Great Falls ES
Larry Stroud, Principal Langley HS
Amy Briggs, Principal Spring Hill ES
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📅 Important Dates
December 15: AAP Full-Time Services Referral Deadline (grades 2-6)
Next Week: SCA Winter Spirit Week
December 15: Make it Silly Monday!
December 16: Two of you on Tuesday
December 17: Winter Wonderland Wednesday
December 18: Tacky Sweater Thursday
December 19: Fuzzy Friend and Relaxing Friday
December 22nd - Jan 5th: Winter Break - School and Offices Closed
January 5: Begin Rise Against Hunger contribution collection
January 16: PTA Bingo Night
January 19: Student Holiday
January 21: Japanese Immersion Information Night
January 28: End of Quarter Two - 2-hour Early Release
January 29 - 30: Student Holiday - Teacher Work Days
February 6: PTA Family Dance
February 7: Rise Against Hunger Food Packing Event
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.
❄️Spirit Week❄️
Let's have some fun before winter break!
Monday: Make it Silly
Tuesday: Twin Day
Wednesday: Wear White
Thursday: Tacky Sweater Day
Friday: Bring a stuffy!
📰Staff News
It is with mixed emotions that I share two staff changes with you in the new school year.
- Ms. Karin Stevenson, instructional assistant, is moving to Roanoke, VA, in the new year.
- Mrs. Jennifer Follin has decided to retire after 15 amazing years of service at Great Falls Elementary. Mrs. Follin has asked that I share the following message with you:
Dear Great Falls Elementary School Family and Community,
After 15 and a half wonderful years, it is with a heavy heart that I have decided it’s time to retire from my position as an instructional aide at Great Falls Elementary School. It’s hard to put into words what this place and the people here have meant to me. This school has been like a second home, filled with laughter, learning, and the joy of watching children grow and thrive.
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to serve in several roles—supporting our youngest learners in kindergarten, working in special education, and lending a hand in the front office. Each experience has given me a deeper appreciation for the heart, dedication, and teamwork that make our school such a special place. I have learned so much from the teachers, staff, families, and most of all, from the incredible students who have touched my heart every single day.
As I look ahead to this next chapter, I carry with me countless memories and friendships that I will cherish forever. While I’ll miss the daily rhythm of school life—the smiles, the hugs, and even the organized chaos—I leave with a full heart, knowing I’ve been part of something truly meaningful.
Thank you for the kindness, support, and friendship you’ve shown me through the years. It has been an honor to be part of this wonderful community.
With love, friendship, and gratitude, Jennifer Follin
P.S. Please know that I will be back as soon as I can as a substitute!!!!
🚗Transportation Reminders
As we settle into a great school year, I want to remind everyone about a few important arrival and dismissal procedures to ensure a safe, smooth dismissal for all our students.
- As the weather gets colder, we see more families using the kiss-and-ride in the mornings. Please keep in mind that our kiss-and-ride lane closes at 8:50, as the staff who man those positions need to leave to assume duties elsewhere in the building. Please consider utilizing the buses, or make sure you arrive early enough to get through before the doors close.
- While in the morning Kiss and Ride line, please wait until you are in the Kiss and Ride loop and a staff member or Student Patrol opens the door for your child to exit the vehicle. Allowing your child to exit before your car is in the loop is a safety concern.
- We kindly ask that you do not come to school to check your child out after 3:00 pm unless it is an emergency, as buses begin arriving at that time.
- For safety reasons, parking in the bus loop is strictly prohibited between 8:25 and 9:00 AM and 3:00 and 4:00 PM when buses are actively arriving and departing. Your cooperation is key to keeping this area clear for all of our students.
- To see when buses are dismissed, please click here to view the Silent Dismissal slide. Remember, you have to refresh to see the most up-to-date information on this dismissal slide.
Thank you for your help in making our daily routines safe and efficient!
👀Lost and Found
We have an overwhelming amount of lost and found items accumulating in our school! From jackets and lunchboxes to water bottles and hats, many belongings are waiting to be claimed.
Until Winter Break, all the lost and found items will be in our school vestibule. Parents are welcome to come and browse the items to pick up anything that belongs to their child. Any unclaimed items on Friday, December 19th, will be donated so don’t miss your chance to recover lost treasures!
📁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 Amy Keefer (amkeefer@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 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 Amy Keefer (amkeefer@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, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs website.
Rise Against Hunger
We are excited to once again participate in Rise Against Hunger this year! On Wednesday, we introduced students to the campaign through our School Families, where we connected this opportunity to our other service projects this year that have helped meet the needs of people in our community and across the world.
Students came up with ideas of ways they could support the cause, including asking parents to donate money based on chores done at home. We encourage you to continue these conversations at home and help support your student’s giving goals! Each student has a box to use to collect money, which they can bring to the front lobby any morning between January 5 and January 30.
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Portrait of a Graduate at GFES
Throughout the year, we have been working on being Global and Ethical Citizens by participating in PTA-sponsored community service projects. We’ll wrap up our adult-directed projects with Rise Against Hunger. After which, we're excited to launch a student-driven project in which we'll invite students to submit proposals for how we can work together to improve our community. Throughout the second half of the year, students will work with their School Families to research and address the problem posed to them: How can we, as students at Great Falls Elementary, make a positive impact on our community?
Ways you can help at home:
Talk to your child about the needs they notice at our school or in the broader community. Ask questions like:
- Do you have any ideas on ways we could help students connect with other kids who have the same interests?
- What do kids at school do when they’re feeling left out? What do you think we might do to help them feel included?
- We helped donate coats, gloves, and blankets for those without homes in the winter; what do you think might help them in the spring or summer?
- What do you think would make Great Falls an even better place to live?
- What might make Great Falls Elementary a better place to learn?
Consider sharing with your children ways you are a Global and Ethical Citizen, whether it’s shoveling snow for an elderly neighbor or donating clothing, funds, or old toys to a local charity.
At the end of the year, we look forward to inviting you all to GFES to speak with your children about ways they’ve grown as Global and Ethical Citizens!
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🎏Japanese Immersion Info Night
For kindergarten families
🙋🏼♀️Getting to Know FCPS: A Family Orientation
Did you know there's an interactive seminar that provides information about the school system, the importance of family engagement, school staff and programs, as well as technology supports for families new to FCPS? This presentation is conducted in Arabic, English, Korean, and Spanish several times a month. Newcomers to FCPS can greatly benefit from this offering, and families may register on the Family Academy website.
🌍Volunteer Fairfax MLK Jr. Day of Service Information
January 19, 2026, at Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus
Future Volunteer Opportunity! - Students and families can volunteer on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 19th, through Volunteer Fairfax’s family-friendly volunteer event. This event is designed to engage families with children (ages 5-12) in service learning. Volunteer Fairfax invites families to attend and participate in thoughtful, engaging service projects working alongside local nonprofit partners and neighbors across Northern Virginia. Each child will receive a “service passport” stamp as they complete projects, turning volunteering into an adventure and a lesson in community impact. This event is free and open to the public but registration is required, please find more information and register here.
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