📅Save the Dates

January 16, 2026 - Skate Night @ Skatequest Reston

January 19, 2026 - Holiday for Students and Staff

January 26, 2026 - Rising 9th Grade Curriculum Night @ Langley HS

January 27, 2026 - Core and Elective Curriculum Night @ Cooper MS                                             (Snow Date February 3, 2026)

January 28, 2026 - Quarter Ends Two-Hour Release for Students

January 29, 2026 - No School for Students

January 30, 2026 - No School for Students

2025-2026 School Year Calendar

2025-2026 Cooper MS Events Calendar

🔔 Second Quarter Ends

The second quarter officially ends on January 28th. Please review your child's assignments and grades in the Student Information System (SIS). If you have any concerns about their academic progress, please don't hesitate to contact their teachers to discuss.

📅Save the Date! 

Rising 9th Grade Curriculum Night📚

Monday, January 26th!

More information around course selection will be sent out in December, save the date for rising 9th grade curriculum night now.  Please join us to discuss 9th grade course selection options and some important tips you can be doing now to support your child’s transition to high school next fall!  

Monday, January 26, 2026

7:00pm -8:15pm

Langley High School Auditorium

📅Save the Date! 

Core and Elective Curriculum Night📚

Tuesday, January 27th (snow date February 3rd)

Who: Rising 7th and 8th grade Students and Guardians zoned to attend Cooper MS 🧑‍🎓

What: Cooper MS Core and Elective Curriculum Night 🍎📚

Where: Cooper Middle School 🏫

When: Tuesday, January 27th from 5:30-7:30 PM  (Snow Date: February 3rd) 

Why: Discover all the exciting Core Classes and Elective Options for next year! ✨

Can't attend? No problem! Materials will be available to review online starting the following day on the Cooper MS website. 💻

Langley High School Rising 9th Graders

Visit https://langleyhs.fcps.edu/student-services/9th-grade-academic-advising for all Rising 9th Grade registration information. 

❄️🌨️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.

Important News from our Cooper Counselors

Creating Positive Habits

Parents and Guardians!  

One of our school counselors is running a group during the second semester called Creating Positive Habits. The group will have approximately 8 students in it and will meet for six 30-minute sessions during QST (so they won’t miss class time!).  It’s a fun opportunity to meet some new people while learning some new life skills. Some of the topics we will discuss are:

1. Mindset: Fixed vs Growth (learning the difference, figuring out where our minds might be stuck and how to practice growth thoughts)
2. Celebrating Others: Reversing Jealousy (how can I get outside of myself to SEE and CELEBRATE others)
3. Giving others the benefit of the doubt (empathy, perspective-taking, assuming positive intent, etc)
4. Cause and Effect (how have I gotten myself INTO situations and how do I get myself OUT)

Space is limited. If you would like your child to be considered for this group, please talk with them and fill out the google form.  Looking forward to it!

🎨✨ART EXPERIENCES

A note from Mrs. Wright

In order to bring a bit of art to our students, teacher & parent community,

I am offering 4 different afterschool art experiences in January!

Students should sign up in Schoology. If interested, parents should email Mrs. Wright @NAWright@fcps.edu.

Friday, January 16-Tie Dye

I will supply t-shirts – if you want something else, please bring.

Wednesday, January 21, Glass

Students will make suncatchers, adults will make small bowls.

Friday January 23, Assemblage

We will use hot glue guns and electric cardboard cutters. Come with an idea / sign or decide when you get here.

Tuesday January 27, Junk Journals

We will learn a simple book binding and you will go home with a cool recycled junk journal.

STEM Essay Contest

The 8th annual STEM Essay Contest sponsored by the McLean Area
Branch of AAUW (American Association of University Women) is now
open. The contest challenges 7th and 8th girls and boys to discover and
publicize women including women of color (non-white) who made a
difference in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields,
but who received little or no recognition for their contributions while
they were alive. Strong preference is given to essays about women who
are not well known even today.

Each student is asked to write an essay of no more than 500 words to
describe one woman's contribution to STEM, discuss the impact, and
clearly state why he or she picked that woman. The branch will award
five prizes: 1st Place ($100) and four Honorable Mention prizes (each
$25).

Two versions of the application form (a fillable PDF and a Word document), which include essay guidelines and instructions for submission, are available on the branch website at https://mcleanva.aauw.net/stem-essay-contest-2026/  The deadline is February 8, 2026, at 11:00 pm ET, and the winners will be recognized at the Branch dinner on March 24, 2026, at the McLean Community Center.

Any questions may be submitted to mcleanaauw@gmail.com

SKATE NIGHT REMINDER ⛸️❄️Join us for Skate Night Friday, January 16th, from 7:00–9:00 PM                SkateQuest Reston! Purchase your tickets through MySchoolBucks for $15. Don’t miss the fun!!!!

🏨News from Cooper Clinic

FCPS Illness Exclusion Guidance

Student Illness Guidance: When to Stay Home

This  guidance follows the FCPS attendance policy and reflects CDC guidance on preventing infections in K-12 schools. Guidance may change if a healthcare provider gives your child a specific diagnosis or there is an outbreak of a communicable disease at school. Visit FCPS’s attendance website for additional guidance on when to keep students home during an illness: https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/policies-regulations-and-notices/attendance-policies/attendance-recommendations

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are a vital part of Cooper Middle School, and we value their time and dedication. To enhance student safety, FCPS has updated its volunteer process to include sex offender registry checks and, in some cases, background checks.

We invite all who are interested in becoming a volunteer to register through Volunteer FCPS. Click “Learn More,” then “Sign Up” to create a profile, watch the orientation video, and complete the application.

All volunteers — including field trip chaperones, book fair helpers and classroom assistants — must be registered. 

We understand these changes may feel new for long-time volunteers, but they are designed to help ensure every student feels safe and supported.

Reminder: All volunteers and visitors must sign in using the visitor kiosk and scan their ID. For more details, visit the Volunteer FCPS FAQ page.

Community Updates from our Family Liaison

Sib Teens, January 29^th9:00am – Noon 

A community-building group for Middle School siblings of children with support needs in grades 6-9 enrolled in Fairfax County Public Schools. We have fun activities, both recreational and art-based, as well as discussion activities. It’s a unique opportunity for students to share about their lives and support each other while normalizing their life experiences. Register here. Please contact FCPSSibshops@FCPS.edu for follow up questions about the program. 

Getting to Know FCPS: A Family Orientation is an interactive seminar that provides information about the school system, the importance of family engagement, school staff and programs, as well as technology supports for families new to FCPS. This presentation is conducted in Arabic, English, Korean, and Spanish several times a month. Newcomers to FCPS can greatly benefit from this offering, and families may register themselves on the Family Academy  

Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace is now open for enrollment through January 30^th, 2026. HealthWorks for Northern Virginia offers free, in person assistance enrolling in Medicaid or private insurance through the Marketplace.  See website for more details. https://hwnova.org/

Upcoming Webinars

Camp Fairfax Winter and Spring Break Camp registration has started. Click for more details.

💙 Cooper Wear Donations  - Share the Spirit!

Do you have Cooper Wear your student has outgrown or no longer needs?

We’d love to pass it along to new families and our rising 7th graders!

A donation box is in the front office, so just have your student drop off any items you’d like to share. Every piece helps a fellow Cooper family feel right at home!

If you have any questions, please reach out to our Family Liaison, Mollie Cannon, at mcannon@fcps.edu.

📚 There is still time to Order Your Yearbook Today! Cost:  $42.00 🌐 Order Online: YearbookOrderCenter.com 🏫 School Order Number: 5267

Urgent Request from the Yearbook Staff! Last chance to submit any SUMMER, SPORTS, FIRST DAY, OR FALL photos of your student and friends!  Please email any photos you would want to see in the yearbook to Cooperyearbook@gmail.com ASAP. THANK YOU!

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter