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Happy New Year, Eagles! We hope your winter break was restful and joyful. Our halls will be buzzing again as we jump back into routines filled with learning, creativity, and fun. We can’t wait to welcome all of our Eagles back to campus tomorrow.
With the start of a new calendar year, we’d also like to extend our sincere appreciation to everyone who helped make the holiday season such a success. Parent volunteers, staff members, room parents, PTA leaders, and many others generously gave their time and energy to support our students and school community through a variety of events. Your commitment and teamwork truly make a difference—thank you!
That spirit of partnership continues as we move into 2026. Be sure to review our important newsletter today with information on some important events and programs, including:
- Joining us for the FHES Literacy Night on 1/14 (please email Mrs. Rossman if you are available to volunteer)
- Signing up for a before/afterschool program with the PTA
- Finalizing practice for the Spelling Bee
- Signing up to participate in the Science Fair
Wishing you a great start to 2026. Please let us know how we can continue to support your family.
In partnership,
Nicholas Zapadka, Principal
Tim Scesney, Assistant Principal
Holly Sims, Assistant Principal
2025-26 FCPS School Calendar
Freedom Hill Family Resources
Breakfast/Lunch Menus
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January 5 - School Re-Opens
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January 9 - Registration for Winter 2026 teacher-led enrichment classes closes, 9 pm.
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January 14 - Family Literacy Night, 6PM, RSVP here for Pizza!
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January 14 - Kilmer MS Virtual Info Session for Rising 7th Graders, 5PM
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January 15 - Kilmer MS Rising 7th Grade Curriculum Night, 5PM
- January 19 - No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
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January 22 - PTA Family Dinner Out - Noodles & Co. Falls Church
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February 3 - School-wide Spelling Bee Finals
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February 11 - PTA Meeting, 6PM (Library & Zoom)
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February 20 - PTA Science Fair
Join Freedom Hill to “Read Under the Stars” at our January 14th Family Literacy Night from 6-8pm. We’ll start the night with free pizza (while supplies last) for families and have read alouds with special guests, book tasting with Mrs. Trott and a cozy reading space for parents and kids to snuggle up and read together. Parents can also learn about digital tools for reading and some fun early reading games for new readers. RSVP here by Jan 12th to help us order enough pizza. We can’t wait to “Read Under the Stars” with our students! Email Mrs. Rossman, FHES reading specialist, at msrossman@fcps.edu with any questions, or if you can volunteer to support.
 
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This week, we are focusing on Optimism. You expect the best from the future and work to achieve it.
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“When the world says, ‘Give Up’, hope whispers, ‘Try it one more time’.”
~Author Unknown
Questions you might enjoy talking about:
- When were you optimistic in a situation? How could that situation have turned out differently if you weren’t optimistic?
- Do you believe that hope and optimism are “contagious”?
- What is your dream for your future self? What will you have to do to achieve that goal?
Will include:
- February 18
- March 18
- April 22
- May 13
Read more about early release Wednesdays on the FCPS website.
Course registration for 7th grade begins in January! Families are invited to a Virtual Information Session on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 5:00 PM for an overview of Kilmer Middle School and course options, and an in-person Rising 7th Grade Curriculum Night on Thursday, Jan. 15 from 5:00–7:00 PM to meet teachers, attend information sessions, explore course options, and tour the school. Additional details will be shared by Kilmer before Winter Break!
Some families may be looking for additional resources to help support their child’s academic success. The FCPS Family Resource Center (FRC) maintains a list of FCPS employees who hold a valid Virginia teaching credential and who are available to hire as tutors. This list is a resource offered by the FRC, but families are responsible for contacting and working directly with the tutors. This list is not approved by FCPS and is only meant to be a resource to families.
FCPS also partners with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors' services, at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests.
In her latest Weekly Reflections, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid thanked every member of our community for supporting FCPS as it remains fully accredited. Referencing a news release on accreditation, Dr. Reid noted how FCPS needs funding to support and maintain this excellence.
Visit the Budget Story webpage to learn more about the FCPS budget and the funding challenges that schools across Virginia, not just FCPS, face because of outdated state funding formulas. Read more of Dr. Reid’s Weekly Reflections.
Make Your Voice Heard!
Look for opportunities to share your ideas about funding public education and encourage your neighbors, friends, and community members to follow the FCPS budget process. Several key decision dates and engagement opportunities are listed below:
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Wednesday, January 7th, 2026, beginning at 10 a.m. - There will be virtual regional public hearings on the governor’s proposed 2026-28 biennial state budget.
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Thursday, January 22nd, 2026 - Dr. Reid will present the proposed FCPS budget to the School Board.
Visit the FCPS budget webpage for more information.
Upcoming Events:
Registration Continues for Winter Enrichment Classes
Time is running out to register your student for the PTA’s before- and after-school programs. Many of our classes will be cancelled unless we can meet the minimum number of students. See below for details. Reach out to your friends and get them to join before January 9th!
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Run Club(grades 4-6), led by Mrs. Turner and Mr. Wade,is good to go, can accept 30 more students.
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Crochet Club(all grades), led by Ms. Canape and Ms. McFarland-Porter, needs seven more student registrants to meet the minimum enrollment. AT RISK OF BEING CANCELLED.
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PE Club(grades 3-6), led by Mr. Dowling, needs five more student registrants to meet the minimum enrollment. AT RISK OF BEING CANCELLED.
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Continental Math League(grades 3-6) needs four more student registrants to meet the minimum enrollment. AT RISK OF BEING CANCELLED.
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Game Makers Guild(all grades) needs six more student registrants to meet the minimum enrollment. AT RISK OF BEING CANCELLED.
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Drama Club(grades 3-6) needs two more student registrants to meet the minimum enrollment. AT RISK OF BEING CANCELLED.
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Origami Club(all grades) needs eight more student registrants to meet the minimum enrollment. AT RISK OF BEING CANCELLED.
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Art Club(all grades), led by Mr. Hodges, is good to go, can accept six more students
Financial aid is available for eligible families; please reach out before registering if you need assistance.
If a class hasn’t reached minimum size by the end of the registration, it will be canceled, and money refunded.
Find all details on the PTA website’s Enrichment Activities page.
Questions or need support? Email PTA Enrichment Coordinator Alex Bryden at alexandra.t.bryden@gmail.com.
Family Literacy Night, January 14, 6-8PM FHES Gym
Join Freedom Hill staff to “Read Under the Stars” at our January 14th Family Literacy Night from 6-8pm. We’ll start the night with free pizza* for families and have read-alouds with special guests, book tasting with Mrs. Trott, and a cozy reading space for parents and kids to snuggle up and read together. Parents can also learn about digital tools for reading and some fun early reading games for new readers. We can’t wait to “Read Under the Stars” with our students! Email Mrs. Rossman, FHES reading specialist, at msrossman@fcps.edu to learn more.
*RSVP here to help us order enough pizza.
THE SCIENCE FAIR IS COMING!
Freedom Hill's Science Fair is returning on Friday, February 20th. The Science Fair is a great way to showcase something your child learned with a posterboard/tabletop presentation, demonstrate a cool hands-on experiment, or more! See the flyer for the form to fill out and an example tri-fold poster board. Need ideas? Great resources for ideas are at education.com and ScienceBuddies.
The form is due on Feb. 5th to Hubert at hubertchao@gmail.com or to the PTA Mailbox in the office.
If you need help getting the tri-fold poster board, we have a limited supply; contact Hubert at hubertchao@gmail.com.
We also need people to help with the Science Fair! Sign up here.
TEACHER WISHLISTS
Help grant the wishes of our FHES teachers and staff! Please consider purchasing an item from the wishlists here to directly support our teachers and enhance learning for all students.
ANNOUNCING NEW PTA GRANT PROGRAM FOR FHES FACULTY
The Freedom Hill Elementary School PTA Faculty Grant Program supports student learning by meeting the needs of teachers and staff. It funds unique or innovative programs or resources, teacher collaborations, instructional materials, professional development, and more.
Submissions:
- For 2025-26, the PTA has designated a pool of $1,000 for FHES faculty.
- FHES faculty should complete the application by April 5, 2026. Submit your application to the PTA Board at info@freedomhillpta.org for review.
- PTA will begin reviewing applications in April to allocate the requested amounts in the PTA Budget or until funds are exhausted.
If you have questions, please contact the PTA at info@freedomhillpta.org.
The grant application can be found here.
SPELLING BEE WORD BANKS
PTA Quick Links:
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