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A Note from the Principal
Dear Families,
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a restful and rejuvenating winter break. It is wonderful to see all of our Daniels Run Dragons back in class, ready to learn.
As we enter this time of year, we typically see an increase in illnesses. While we emphasize the importance of great attendance, please ensure your child attends school only when they are well. This helps us maintain a healthy environment for everyone.
We believe in the importance of outdoor play and will go outside for recess whenever the weather permits. Please ensure your child is dressed in warm clothing each day. If you require assistance with winter attire, do not hesitate to reach out to our Parent Liaison, Estefania Castro, at ecastro1@fcps.edu
Lastly, I would also like to remind you that Tuesday, January 13, will be a special election day for the 11th District House of Delegates Member. Daniels Run Elementary School is one of eight schools that will be serving as a polling place on this day. We are taking extra precautions that will allow citizens to exercise their civic duty while minimizing disruptions to the school day. We have been working in coordination with the FCPS Office of Safety and Security, the Fairfax County Office of Elections, and the Fairfax City Office of Elections, to identify an area of our school that will be open to the public during the school day. This location prevents any interactions with students and will prevent anyone from entering other areas of the school.
We will need to make some parking spots available for voters, so if you have a meeting at school on January 13, we encourage you to arrive a little early to find parking. Otherwise, we anticipate that disruptions to the school day will be minimal. Your flexibility and understanding as we perform this important function for our community are greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your continued support and collaboration. Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!
Warm regards,
Susan Mullen, Principal
Upcoming Dates
January 13: Special Elections Day (School is in session)
January 19: MLK Day Holiday- No School
January 28: End of Quarter- 2 Hour Early Release (dismissal at 1:45pm)
January 29-30: Teacher Workdays- No School
February 3: PTA Meeting at 7pm in the library
Gingerbread Day in Kindergarten
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DRES Karate Graduation
On Tuesday, January 6th we celebrated another group of Daniels Run karate graduates. Way to go Dragons! See info below to sign up for the spring session.
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 Karate Spring Session
The next session of Karate begins on February 2nd. It will take place every Monday at 4:00pm in the gym. The deadline to sign up is Monday, January 26th. Please contact Mr. Gayl with questions at jgayl@fcps.edu. See link below to sign up your student.
New Year 2026 Karate Session Sign Up Link
DRES Dragon's Crocheting Club
PTA News
 Mark your calendars for our upcoming PTA events in 2026!
- February 3rd- PTA Meeting at 7pm
- February 27th- PTA Bingo Night
- March 7th- PTA Ice Skating Night
Learn More about Virginia Quality Birth to Five (VQB5)
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.
Healthy Habits to Reduce the Spread of Flu and Other Germs
Fairfax County is seeing very high levels of influenza (flu) illness. Visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers for flu-like illness have increased, especially among children, and multiple flu outbreaks have occurred in our community and school settings.
Consider these tips from the Fairfax County Health Department to help reduce the spread of flu and other germs.
Follow Our Budget Process
Encourage your neighbors, friends, and community members to follow the FCPS budget process and look for opportunities to share your ideas about funding public education. Key decision dates and engagement opportunities are coming up in the next few weeks:
- The Fairfax County delegation to the General Assembly will hold a public hearing regarding the upcoming 2026 session on Saturday, January 10, at 9 a.m. in the Board Auditorium at the Fairfax County Government Center.
Fairfax County residents can sign up in advance to speak at the hearing online or contact the Department of Clerk Services at 703-324-3151, TTY 711, by Thursday, January 8, at noon.
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Thursday, January 22, Dr. Reid will present the proposed budget to the School Board.
Visit our budget webpage for more information.
Apply for Your Child to Learn in Two Languages
FCPS’ 2026-27 Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program lottery opens on Monday, January 12. The program offers students in kindergarten and first grade the opportunity to learn in English and another language — French, German, Japanese, Korean, or Spanish — for half of each instructional day.
The online, countywide lottery is open to Fairfax County residents. Families must have a SIS ParentVUE account. Students not currently enrolled in FCPS should register at their base school before applying for the immersion program.
Families applying for first grade must do so by Thursday, February 12, at 4 p.m. Those applying for kindergarten must do so by Monday, March 2, at 4 p.m.
Informational meetings will begin in January. View dates and details on the FCPS calendar. If you have questions, please contact Brigid Williams at 571-423-4600.
 Junior Lion Dance Clinic
The Fairfax High School Dance Team is calling ALL future dancers! On Friday, January 23rd from 4:30-8:30pm you can learn choreography and dance alongside our Varsity Dance Team during the half time of the Fairfax High School vs Lake Braddock basketball game. The cost is $60 per student. Students ages 7-13 can sign up. Please contact Dance Coach, Lindsey Culin at lmculin@fcps.edu with any questions.
Music News
🎵 UPCOMING MUSIC EVENTS
🎵 Auditions for the “This is Us”(International Night/Day) concerts. All staff, students & parents are invited to audition! Sign up here to audition!
The performances are Thursday night, March 12 & Friday during school, March 13. You may perform a dance, instrumental piece, or song to honor any country. You may perform alone or with other students and/or adults, but you must practice ahead of time and be ready to audition with the finished product. Make sure your performance truly honors the heritage and culture of the country or people group. Contact me with any questions.
🎵 The December Musician of the Month are the Piano Guys. They are an ensemble of 4 musicians who formed in 2011. They play pop and classical music.
Trex Challenge Update
Thank you to everyone who is sending in plastic for the Trex Challenge. Our goal is to keep 1,000 pounds of plastic out of the landfills by properly recycling these materials. The Green Team is collecting far more than just plastic shopping bags. So far, Daniels Run has collected 304 pounds. We need 696 more pounds by the end of April! .
Save the Date for Curriculum Night
Curriculum Night – Wednesday, January 14 (snow date Wed Jan 21)
Save the Date for the Rising 7th grade Curriculum Night! The event will be at KJMS from 6p – 8p and is for current 6th graders ONLY and their Parents and Guardians. More information will be shared soon!
FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- The FCPS Budget Process
- Course Selection
- Language Immersion Lottery
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
FCPS Calendar
 FCPS 2025-2026 Standard School Year Calendar
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