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Major Tuddy high fives fourth and fifth grade students during Commanders Read program.
Outstanding Dranesville Employees
Congratulations to our Outstanding Employees for this school year!
Outstanding New Teacher: Maria Dales
Outstanding Teacher: Jon Blank
Outstanding Operational Employee: Paulina Hidalgo
Outstanding Professional Employee: Megan Kowalczik
Outstanding Leader: Jillian Palacios
Outstanding Principal: Jamie Gadley
Thank you to our community for submitting nominations!
Daily Instruction at Dranesville
Kindergarten mathematicians are learning ways to make seven.
At Dranesville Elementary School, all teachers provide daily instruction of the Virginia Standards of Learning using FCPS approved curriculum and resources. Every lesson has a learning goal. After providing instruction, teachers utilize regular check-ins to ensure that students are learning as a result of instruction. Ask your child what they are learning about:
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Grade 7 Math: Equations and Inequalities
Grade 6 Math: Integers
Grade 5 Math: Decimals and Fractions
Grade 4 Math: Multiplication and Division
Grade 3 Math: Fractions
Grade 2 Math: Measurement
Grade 1 Math: Counting
Grade K Math: Numbers to 30
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First Quarter Curriculum Overview | First Quarter Homework
Second Quarter Curriculum Overview | Second Quarter Homework
Monitoring Support for Your Child in ParentVUE
All FCPS schools use an approach called Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to make sure every student gets the instruction and intervention that they need to learn.
MTSS helps school teams deliver high-quality instruction for all students and provide extra time and interventions as needed. Families are partners in this process. We will share information about your child’s individual learning, needs, and progress.
You may view your child's intervention plans and progress in SIS ParentVUE. Expect progress to be updated quarterly, with report card due dates.
Dranesville's 6-7 Book Reading Challenge
We challenged all of our students (and staff) to read 6-7 books in the 6-7 weeks between October 28th and December 16th. Some students welcomed this challenge because they already knew the joy of reading. Many students accepted the challenge and discovered a genre, an author, or a series that they enjoy reading. We are excited about each student growing as a reader, enjoying reading, and making it a daily habit.
As of today, our Dragons have read 1,255 books. We will encourage our students to continue reading, learning, and enjoying books. When we have logged 3,000 books, students will tape Mrs. Gadley to a wall. Can we reach our goal by January 28th? Keep reading, Dragons!
Students can record books that they've read on paper reading logs or online. Paper reding logs can be returned to your child's teacher or the main office. Additional paper reading logs are available in the main office.
Dragons at Herndon Fortnightly Library
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We are here to help students find books that they enjoy, to listen to them reading, and to read with them. We welcome you to join us for Dragons at Herndon Fortnightly Library on Saturday mornings throughout the school year (January 3, 24, February 21, March 14, April 18) from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Mrs. Gadley is present on these mornings to help your child browse bookshelves, select books, and to read with them as your schedule allows. |
Opportunity to Provide Books and Board Games for Classroom Use and Winter Break Fun
Please support our Books and Board Game Drive. We welcome new board games and new or gently used books. These books and board games will be enjoyed by our students and appreciated by our teachers.
Here are a few of the board games that we'd love to add to our classrooms and cafe.
Winter Break Literacy Activities
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 activities as a family!
Cozy Reading Fort: Monday, December 22
Build a comfy fort using blankets and pillows. Bring flashlights, books (fiction and non-fiction), and hot cocoa. Have everyone read for at least 20 minutes, then discuss what they read. Focus skills: reading comprehension, reading stamina and motivation.
Recipe Reading Chef: Tuesday, December 23
Choose a simple recipe together (e.g. a recipe for a favorite cookie or holiday treat). Have your student read the ingredients and instructions aloud, measuring and following each step to make the treat. Focus skills: reading directions, vocabulary, measurement.
Books to Movies: Wednesday, December 24
Visit your local library or use MyOn to choose a children's book that has a movie or animated adaptation (like The Grinch or Polar Express). Read the book together first, then watch the movie. Discuss the similarities and differences. Focus skills: comparing and contrasting, summarization, critical thinking.
Interview a Family Member: Thursday, December 25
Have your student interview a relative (in person or over video call) about their favorite childhood winter memory. The student can write down the questions beforehand and take notes during the interview. Focus skills: question development, listening and speaking, note-taking/transcription.
Winter Word Walk: Friday, December 26
Take a walk outside as a family and encourage students to use sensory vocabulary to describe what they see, hear, smell and feel (e.g., glistening, crunchy, evergreen, slippery, bright, blustery). Try to expand your child’s vocabulary by providing new ways to describe their experiences. Focus skills: vocabulary, speaking.
Winter Acrostic Poems: Monday, December 29
Choose a winter word like W.I.N.T.E.R. or S.N.O.W. Write the word vertically, and have your child write a word or phrase for each letter that describes the season. Then they can illustrate it and hang it in your home. Focus skills: poetry, creativity, word choice, descriptive language.
Family Storytelling Chains: Tuesday, December 30
Start a story by telling one sentence aloud ("Once upon a time, a silly snowman started to sing."). Each family member adds one or two sentences to continue the story. This is a great activity for long car rides! Focus skills: storytelling, listening and speaking, sequencing.
New Year's Resolution List: Wednesday, December 31
Help your student write a list of 3-5 personal New Year's resolutions or goals for the new year. Encourage them to write why they chose each goal. Focus skills: self-reflection, goal setting, persuasive/expository writing, spelling, handwriting.
"Book Flood" Gift Exchange: Thursday, January 1
Adopt the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóð (Holiday Book Flood). Exchange new or used books with neighbors or other family members on a cozy night. The rule is you must spend the rest of the evening quietly reading your “new” books. Focus skills: reading stamina and motivation, building a home library.
Holiday Thank You Notes: Friday, January 2
Write thank-you notes for gifts or holiday kindness. Emergent spellers should stretch out and represent all the sounds they hear using their best handwriting. Adults can write the traditional spelling below any words that may not be immediately recognized by the card recipient. Focus skills: informational/letter writing, spelling, handwriting.
Support Our Schools: 25 for 2025 Giving Challenge
Join Educate Fairfax’s 25 for 2025 Giving Challenge and help ensure every FCPS student has the tools, support, and inspiration to succeed. Every gift, whether you can give $25 or $2,500, helps students learn while supporting the teachers and staff who make a lasting difference.
Educate Fairfax is the nonprofit education foundation that supports FCPS by providing resources, recognizing outstanding educators, and strengthening connections between schools and the community. Educate Fairfax invests directly in classrooms and programs. Last year, they contributed $1.27 million back into our schools.
The foundation supplied more than 5,000 school supply kits to more than 61 schools, centers, shelters, and Welcome Centers. Its Food for All Campaign packed more than 1,000 snack packs and helped feed more than 350 families over Thanksgiving. Read the Educate Fairfax Annual Report to learn more about their impact.
💙If you are interested and able to provide a contribution to assist with field trip and instrument rental scholarships, school supply replenishment, or providing enrichment programming to our students at Dranesville Elementary, please contribute to the Dranesville Campaign through Educate Fairfax.
Together, we can support and encourage all learners and educators and strengthen the future of our schools.
♻️Get 2 Green Needs Your Help
Our goal is to collect 1,000 pounds of plastic bags and film.
When we reach our goal, we will receive an upcycled bench for Dranesville.
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We need you to:
1) Collect accepted recyclables.
2) Weigh the recyclables and drop off at a NexTrex Partner location.
📸(Remember to take a photo during drop off. We need this to earn credit.)
4) Submit the google form.
Thank you for helping our Get2Green team and our school!
#DranesvilleCARES
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Purchase Your 2025-2026 Yearbook
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This year we received 52 creative yearbook cover entries. Congratulations to Dylan Ta whose artwork will be featured on the front cover of our 2025-2026 yearbook. to Yearbooks are $20.00 Please pay online with ID 14267226. You may also pay with cash in the main office. Orders are due April 24th. Order your yearbook today!
Lifetouch /https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/
Yearbook ID 14267226
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Save the Date
December 1 - 19: Dranesville's 15 Days of Spirit
December 17: Band, Strings, and Chorus Winter Concert 7:00 p.m.
December 22 - January 2: Winter Break School and Office Closed
January 5: Classes Resume
January 19: No School | Holiday
January 28: End of Quarter 2 | Dismissal 2:05 p.m.
January 29: No School | Staff Development Day
January 30: No School | Teacher Workday
25-26 School Year Calendar
25-26 SACC Calendar
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