This Week's Eagle Express

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 12/12/2025 03:02 PM EST
Eagle Express


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Winter Family Fun Night was a HUGE success! Thank you to our community for joining us and to our staff for all their support!

Upcoming Dates 📆

Monday, 12/15: AAP Referrals Deadline (Details below)

Wednesday, 12/17:  2-Hour Early Release. Students dismissed at 1:05 pm

Monday, 12/22 – Friday, 1/2/26: Winter Break!

Monday, 1/5/26:  School resumes

Thursday, 1/15/26: Join us for Science Night (Details below)!

Monday, 1/19/26: No School. Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday

Thursday, 1/29/26: No School. Staff Development Day

Friday, 1/30/26:  No School. Teacher Workday

Garfield’s Next Early Release

Wednesday is December 17th

*Students will be dismissed at 1:05pm

Our lists of students staying for childcare supervision have now been finalized. Because staffing has been scheduled based on the responses we received, we are no longer accepting new opt-ins for supervision. Families may still choose to have their child dismissed at 1:05 p.m. instead.

Students will be dismissed the same way they were during the last early release, following the dismissal plans previously provided by caregivers.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call the front office at 703-923-2900.

ERW updated

🗓️ Calendar Reminder:
Winter Break

 

Winter break will be from Monday, December 22, 2025, to Friday, January 2, 2026. The office at Union Mill will be closed over Winter Break. 

To help make sure our families have a restful break, no homework will be assigned over break. We are also encouraging our staff to take time for themselves and to be with their families over break. We look forward to welcoming your children back on Monday, January 5, 2026. See the complete school year calendar.

Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals Closes on
December 15

 Full Time AAP Services Screening

Information about the Full Time Screening process for advanced academics was shared with families during an October and November parent informational session.  The deadline for Full Time Screening referrals is December 15, 2025. This is a firm County-set deadline.

Full-Time AAP Referral Window Reminder

Parents/guardians who would like their student to be considered for full-time Advanced Academic services may submit the Full-Time Referral Form (translations linked below) to the local school Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART),  Heather Jenkins, hkjenkins@fcps.edu  or Principal Peerman, Klpeerman@fcps.edu no later than December 15, 2025. No late forms will be accepted.

Full-Time Referral Form (PDF)

For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs website.

📢 Get Your Garfield Spirit Wear & Save 30%!

spiritwear

Show your Garfield pride and support the PTA! 1st Place Spiritwear is offering a special discount and guaranteed pre-holiday delivery.

  • Discount: 30% OFF your entire order!

  • Guaranteed Delivery: Orders placed within the next week will be delivered by December 23rd, just in time for the holidays!

  • Support the PTA: A portion of all proceeds directly supports our PTA initiatives.

Don't miss out on this limited-time offer!

Winter Holiday Spirit Week

December 1st – December 19th

See the details below and the flier is also linked HERE!

holly jolly english
Holly Jolly Spanish

SAVE THE DATE:

Family Science Night

Thursday, January 15th 

6:00-7:30 PM

ATTENTION PARENTS/CAREGIVERS:

Use this link to sign-up to volunteer to run a station 

https://forms.gle/8xLQXZ3RpV1fq52f7

children science night

Ready for an evening of wonder and hands-on fun? We’re thrilled to welcome The Children’s Science Center Lab to Garfield ES for their legendary Family Science Night!

Get ready for a 90-minute adventure into the world of science, filled with excitement for students and families alike. You’ll be able to explore a free-roaming discovery zone, where everyone can dive into activities at their own pace—touch, test, build, and experiment together!

We’re turning big scientific ideas into playful, memorable moments that spark curiosity and inspire the innovators of tomorrow.

This is funded because we are a Title 1 school!  Learn more about the program here: https://www.childsci.org/plan-your-visit/educators/family-science-night

Learn more at https://www.childsci.org/plan-your-visit/educators/family-science-night

Children must be accompanied by a supervising adult.

FOFE- Fluency, Originality, Flexibility, & Elaboration

FLOE

We know that often the best ideas and solutions are not the first ones that came to mind. Fluency, Originality, Flexibility, and Elaboration (FOFE) provides opportunities for students to generate many ideas and think in unusual ways without fear of judgment. Students who practice FOFE are more able to make inventive or creative connections between ideas.

The process of suspending judgment is important to brainstorming and maintaining an open mind. Fluency and flexibility open up the thinking of students to consider many possibilities, and originality and elaboration stretch the uniqueness of their thinking. 

Try it out- Draw a winter scene using only squares, triangles & pentagons. Squares are 10 points; triangles are 12 points & pentagons are 15 points.  Try to create a scene worth 500 points. Could you create more than one scene worth 500 points?

winter warm

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.

  • 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.

YOUR PARTNERS IN EDUCATION

liz and kerry

We are in this together!

We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with your family this year. Each day, our commitment is to provide your child with a safe, supportive, and joyful place to learn and grow. Open communication is important to us—please reach out anytime with questions, concerns, or celebrations.

Thank you for your trust, your support, and for being an essential part of the Garfield community.

With appreciation,

Your Garfield Partner Principals

Mrs. Peerman, Principal,  Klpeerman@fcps.edu

Ms. Manning, Assistant Principal, eamanning1@fcps.edu

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