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Students in 1st grade are learning how to revise their writing.
Upcoming Events
December 15-19 - Winter Spirit Week
December 15 - AAP Full-Time Referrals Due
December 17 - Clean Kitchen Night, Chuck E. Cheese, 3:00pm-9:00pm
December 18 - Staff Luncheon
December 19 - Gingerbread House Decorating, various
December 21 - Nutcracker Performance Invitation
December 22 - January 2 - Winter break
🎤 Introducing the ROAR Report
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We are launching a new monthly podcast for families, available in English and Spanish, that will feature important news, helpful reminders, and exciting things happening around the school. Episodes will also feature special guests who share tips and insights from their work in reading, math, technology, counseling, and more. Here’s our first episode for December! |
 ❄️Winter Spirit Week – December 15–19 ❄️
Get ready to show your school spirit! We will be celebrating Winter Spirit Week from December 15th–19th, and we invite all students to join in the fun. Each day has a special theme to help us spread cheer throughout the building:
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Monday – Comfy & Cozy: Wear your coziest socks and/or a warm scarf!
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Tuesday – Holiday Headwear: Show off a festive holiday hat or headband.
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Wednesday – White Out: Dress in all white to brighten up the winter season.
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Thursday – Holiday PJ’s: Come to school in your holiday pajamas or your favorite PJs.
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Friday – Holiday Colors: Wear red, green, yellow, blue, or your favorite holiday sweater!
We can’t wait to see our students bring the winter cheer all week long! 🎄✨
Wonderful Winter Concert
Congratulations to all of our musicians for a wonderful winter concert this past week. A special thank you to Ms. Ragona, Dr. Schultz, Mr. Cho, Ms. Hoffman, and Ms. McCormick for selecting wonderful winter repertoire and preparing students to showcase all of their hard work. Their preparation certainly paid off and they displayed their hard work beautifully.
Our 5th and 6th grade chorus, directed by Ms. Ragona and Dr. Schultz, had us wishing for 6-7 feet of snow! You can see a brief clip on our social media page of the fun song they performed on Tuesday!
FCPS CARES Recognition
Congratulations Ms. Barringer for being recognized in this months FCPS CARES Feature. You can read the submission on the FCPS CARES December Webpage.
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The FCPS CARES Program allows parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees who go above and beyond to help others and show they care about their students, colleagues, and the community. Learn more about how to recognize staff in FCPS on the FCPS CARES Webpage.
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Virginia Quality Birth to Five
FCPS participates in Virginia Quality Birth to Five (VQB5). VQB5 is Virginia’s system for measuring and supporting quality in early childhood programs so children enter kindergarten ready to learn. VQB5 builds on health and safety standards by measuring the quality of teacher-child interactions and the use of curriculum. Refer to “VQB5 for Families English/Spanish” for more information.
 The 5th and 6th grade band, directed by Mr. Cho, played a couple spirited tunes on Tuesday!
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 Ms. Khan via email at nhkhan@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.
Full-Time Referral Form (PDF)
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 Ms. Khan at nhkhan@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.
 Our staff participated in a GLAD labsite during Wednesday's Early Release. Students were invited to learn about the Most Important Thing when solving story problems in math. Teachers observed the lesson and had the opportunity to reflect on how they would use this strategy in their classrooms. Thank you Ms. Ettere and Ms. Nelson for planning this learning!
Discounted Nutcracker Performance Invitation
We are excited to share a special opportunity for Woodburn families to attend a performance of The Nutcracker at the George Mason Center for the Arts on Sunday, December 21, 2025, at 4:00 p.m.
Tickets are available to Woodburn families at a discounted rate of $25 per person (regularly priced between $75 and $100). A form with complete details was sent home in Thursday folders and is also attached for your reference.
Families who wish to participate are asked to return the completed form along with payment (check or cash) no later than Wednesday, December 17, 2025.
Reporting Student Absences
We are committed to partnering with families to promote positive attendance habits. Any day that your child is unable to attend school, parents should report the absence. By reporting absences, families are partnering with our staff so that everyone can make sure students are supported and have access to resources.
Full-day absences can be reported in SIS ParentVUE. Parents can also report absences by calling our school attendance line at 703-641-8282 or emailing woodburnelem.attendance@fcps.edu. School staff will call parents if students are absent, and our school has not been notified in advance.
Parents can monitor their child’s attendance records in SIS ParentVUE.
Attendance Codes in SIS ParentVUE Explained
Attendance codes in SIS ParentVUE are assigned by school staff to better identify the reasons behind student absences. This allows us to respond thoughtfully and provide appropriate support. Visit the FCPS Attendance Policy webpage to learn more about the codes.
When Your Child Is Sick
It is also important to keep your child home when they are sick. The Can My Child Go to School? webpage provides helpful recommendations on when to keep your child home.
For instance, as long as they are feeling like they can participate in school activities, a child should attend school if they have cold symptoms. However, if they have severe, uncontrolled, or rapid coughing; wheezing; or difficulty breathing, definitely keep them home and contact your health care provider.
 Students participating in our orchestra were very focused while playing on Tuesday. The majority of students have been playing a stringed instrument since 3rd grade here at Woodburn! Our strings program is directed by
Clean Kitchen Night at Chuck E. Cheese, Wednesday 12/17
Join us on Wednesday, December 17, from 3:00–9:00 p.m. at Chuck E. Cheese, 9404 Main Street, Fairfax, VA 22031, for our Woodburn FUNdraising event—turning FUN into funds for our school!
Chuck E. Cheese will also be visiting Woodburn earlier that day to help build excitement. When you arrive for the event, please mention WOODBURN for dine-in and carryout orders (food and gameplay). The PTA will receive 20% of all sales.
Additionally, staff members with a valid school ID badge may enjoy a complimentary personal meal (choice of a personal pizza and drink or unlimited salad bar and drink).
We look forward to a fun evening supporting our school community!
🎄Staff Luncheon – Holiday Dessert Bar🍰
The PTA is celebrating our staff with a Holiday Luncheon on Thursday, December 18, and we would love your help in adding a sweet finishing touch.
Help us build a Dessert Bar by signing up below. Homemade and store-bought items are all welcome, but all items must be NUT-FREE. Desserts may be delivered to the front office between 8:30–10:30 a.m. on December 18 or dropped off in a cooler at 7816 Byrds Nest Pass anytime the day before.
For families who prefer to support the event in another way, you may do so via Venmo to smorgan117@gmail.com (phone number 4851).
Thank you for contributing to a delicious celebration! Sign-up link
🎉 Note: December 18 is also our fearless Assistant Principal's birthday! Some of Ms. Dauberman's favorite treats include tres leches cake and key lime pie.
🎄Gingerbread Decorating Event 🍬
Our Gingerbread Decorating Event is scheduled for Friday, December 19, and we are looking forward to a wonderful celebration with our students.
We are seeking parent volunteers to assist with classroom decorating and event preparation. If you are able to help, please sign up here.
We are also gathering nut-free items and supplies to support the decorating activities. Examples include mini marshmallows, small colorful candies (such as Skittles or M&Ms), chocolate chips, gumdrops, and other fun toppings. Please send in any items for your child’s class by Monday, December 15.
For families who would like to support the event in a monetary way, this link is available for your convenience. We’d be truly grateful—every bit helps us keep this tradition going for our students!
Thank you for helping make this a sweet celebration for our school community! 🍬🍭🎄
Updated Staff “Favorite Things” Information
This information is now available on the Woodburn PTA website and will be updated regularly throughout the year. We invite families to reference the site for the most current version as updates are made.
 6th Graders are completing a clay identity project. They are building upon their learning throughout their years at Woodburn b
⛄ Winter Resources for Families
A list of resources has been compiled for students and families in case they or someone they know needs assistance while schools are closed for winter break. Please visit FCPS’ winter resources page for information on academic support, mental health support, and county resources related to food, clothing, housing, and other needs.
Even If School Is Closed, Learning Can Continue!
We encourage students to take advantage of fun learning opportunities during the upcoming winter break and on snow days. Consider these winter activities to blend education and play at home.
Winter Break Literacy Adventures
Engaging in literacy activities over winter break helps students maintain the reading, writing, and speaking skills they built during the first half of the school year. Even a little daily practice, such as these 10 fun family activities, helps ensure they return to school confident and ready to continue growing in literacy. Enjoy these literacy adventures as a family!
Meet the Author: Live on Channel 21 and YouTube
Tune in to the Fairfax Network on Friday, December 12, at 1 p.m., for Meet the Author with Gabriella Aldeman, author of the bilingual children’s book “Squawk of Spanish.”
Follow Max as he learns to communicate with his Spanish-speaking grandmother and discovers how language can bring families closer together.
Visit the Meet the Author webpage to view previous episodes of the show.
🍲 Food Assistance and Resource Guide
Food insecurity impacts more than 96,000 Fairfax County residents. Learn how to help and discover the many resources available to support those who need food assistance or shelter. View the county’s Human Services Resource Guide.
We love some good ol' friendly compition! This week we had another underground staff, sparkly spirit day in which we played a little game of who has the jingle bell. 6 jingle bells circulated around the building for the day. Whoever had them at the end of the day got a little prize!
FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- FCPS Showcases Success
- Be Among the First to Hear About School Delays/Closings
- Support Our Schools: 25 for 2025 Giving Challenge
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
Follow Us
FCPS CARES
Do you want to celebrate a Woodburn employee who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way, or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to share with everyone.
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