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☎️ Parent Information Phone Lines Available in Eight Languages
Parents/caregivers who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese may call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS. View the list of phone numbers.
Upcoming Events
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Monday, February 2-9: Book Fair, Library
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Thursday, February 12: Parent Coffee at 6:00 pm
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Monday, February 16: NO SCHOOL (PRESIDENT'S DAY)
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Tuesday, February 17: NO SCHOOL (TEACHER WORK)
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Wednesday, February 18: Early Release at 12:30 pm
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Friday, February 20: Coastal Wilds Mobile Zoo visit
Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances.
Student Fasting Meal Kits
From February 18-March 19, a Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) waiver allows students fasting during the school day to request take-home meal kits. These kits include a complete school breakfast and lunch to be eaten after the school day ends.
Important Meal Kit Information:
- Kits are charged based on a student’s meal status (Free, Reduced, or Paid).
- Students may claim one breakfast and one lunch kit per day.
- Students who eat a meal at school during the day are not eligible for a take-home kit on the same day.
- Kits are distributed at the end of the school day. Students must pick up their own kits; adults are not permitted to collect them.
Parents or guardians must submit a weekly request form via the FCPS FNS website by the deadlines:
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February 11, 2026 for week of February 18, 2026
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February 16, 2026 for the week of February 23, 2026
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February 23, 2026 for the week of March 2, 2026
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March 2, 2026 for the week of March 9, 2026
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March 9, 2026 for the week of March 16, 2026
Forms must be submitted on time to receive meal kits for the following week.
Action Required
Schools should share the FNS website link with families by the deadline date, Monday, February 9, 2026. Parents/guardians must submit a separate request form for each student, every week, to participate, according to the deadlines indicated in this Gram. Since students often forget to pick up their kits at dismissal, consider adding a recurring announcement to remind fasting students to pick up their meal kits.
Deadline Date
Monday, February 9, 2026
Contact:
Dianne Hardbower
Administrative Assistant
dmhardbower@fcps.edu
703-813-4838
💖K-4 Franconia Penguins Valentine's Day Dance💃❤️
📅 Friday, February 13, 2026
🕰️ 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
🏠Franconia Elementary School Gym
💲8 per ticket
Order your tickets online using MySchoolBucks.
Adult supervision required! No student drop-offs!
Enjoy dancing, drinks, snacks, games, face painting, and more!
Money raised will be used by the Student Council Association to sponsor a future school assembly.
Questions? Contact Renee Octaviano at: rloctaviano@fcps.edu
Happy National School Counseling Week!
This week (February 2–6), we are celebrating National School Counseling Week and taking a moment to recognize the incredible impact our school counselor, Ms. Guillion, has on our students, staff, and families.
Ms. Guillion is a vital part of the heart of our school—whether she’s helping a student navigate "big feelings," leading classroom lessons, or supporting our families through tough transitions. She helps our Penguins find their way every single day!
Let’s show her some love! We encourage everyone to take a moment this week to let her know how much she is appreciated:
Send a quick email of thanks.
Write a handmade note (students love doing this!).
Simply tell her why you love having her at our school next time you see her in the halls.
Thank you for everything you do to keep our community grounded and supported!
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Edison Pyramid Teacher of the Year
Congratulations to the Outstanding Teacher in the Edison Pyramid
Shannon Hodge
Fifth grade
Franconia Elementary School
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 Coastal Wilds Mobile Zoo will be visiting Franconia on February 20.
Today (Wednesday), permission slip/order forms were sent home in your child's Wednesday folder.
The Coastal Wilds organization has outlined these requirements for their presentations:
PERMISSION SLIP - this must be completed and turned into your child's teacher by 2/20. Students who do not have a completed permission slip will not be permitted to attend the assembly presentation.
ORDER FORM - on the flip side of the permission slip is an order form. Fill this out if you would like to order a picture of your child with one of the animals that will visit on 2/20.
***ONLY STUDENTS WHO HAVE A COMPLETED ORDER FORM (with payment) WILL HAVE THEIR PICTURE TAKEN***
PAYMENT FOR PICTURE - payment for the picture MUST be included with the order form.
***PAYMENT MUST BE IN EXACT CASH - no checks or other forms of payment will be accepted***
STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE
Often, parents mistakenly believe that Fairfax County Public Schools carries medical insurance for accidents that occur at school. Students can be involved in a number of accidents at school or at home. Most accidents are minor, requiring little, if any, medical attention. Some accidents, however, require extensive medical treatment, which can lead to unexpected medical expenses for the family.
The student accident insurance program is a low-cost way for parents to defray medical or dental expenses that result from an accident involving their child. If parents already have medical or dental insurance, this coverage can help with deductibles, limitations, and exclusions in their medical insurance plans. If parents do not have medical insurance, these accident policies provide primary coverage.
Parents can purchase “at school” accident insurance or “24 hour” accident insurance (12 months a year). Parents should read the insurance policy carefully to review limitations and exclusions that may exist for each policy.
K&K Student Accident Insurance Insurance Information
I HAVE A DREAM
MLK Jr. Project
3RD GRADERS
Counselor Corner
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) believes in supporting social and emotional learning (SEL) for all students. In FCPS, students use a tool called the SEL Screener to think about their own SEL skills and experiences at school. Franconia students in grades 3-6 will be participating in the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener March 2-27.
After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families without a ParentVUE account
For more information about the SEL Screener, including information on opting out view the FCPS Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.
As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns.
With Gratitude,
Veronica Guillion
School Counselor
PTA CORNER
Spring Afterschool Clubs
MORE INFO COMING SOON
We know this is the information you're all actually here for. Specific details will be forthcoming. Registration should open the week of Feb 16th (ish). Clubs aim to start on or about the week of March 9. We promise to give you a heads up when registration dates firm up.
SAVE THE DATE
International Night
When: Thursday, March 26
Where: Gym
Time: 6:30-8:00 PM
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Morning Arrival Reminders
During the colder months, we tend to see an increase in the number of cars in our Kiss & Ride lane. To ensure a safe and smooth start to the day for everyone, please keep the following in mind:
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Kiss & Ride Timing: The lane closes promptly at 8:45 a.m.
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Late Arrivals: If you arrive after 8:45 a.m., please park and use Door 1 (the main entrance).
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Sign-In Protocol: For your child’s safety, please walk your child into the front office to sign them in for the day.
Attendance
If you need to report any attendance or dismissal changes, please notify the front office.
Absences and late arrivals must be reported to the office by 9:00 a.m. via one of the following methods
Change of Dismissal
To change your student’s dismissal, use the Change in Dismissal Form located on the Franconia ES school website. You will need to provide details like your child's name, grade, and teacher, as well as specify how they will go home, such as early pickup (specify time student is being picked up), Kiss and Ride or a specific bus number. Make sure to submit the request by the school's deadline of 2:00 pm. Please be aware that if another student is involved, a corresponding form may be needed from that student's parent/guardian.
Just a reminder that all early dismissals must occur before 3:00 pm.
📅Future Franconia ES Early Release Dates
Please mark your calendars for the rest of our Early Release Days for this school year. Dismissal on these days is 12:30pm.
- February 18
- March 18
- April 22
- May 13
📖LIBRARY READING📖
January Book Bingo is here!
Click here for the Kindergarten & 1st Grade Bingo Board
Click here for the bingo board for all grades.
READING CHALLENGES
Million Word Challenge, lasts all year
Click here to find more information and the paper form.
Click here to submit your student’s books online with this form.
CONTACT:
Please contact the librarian, Debby Vandersande, any time at dmvandersand@fcps.edu.
Kindergarten Registration: It’s as Easy as 1-2-3
There’s an easy five-step process for parents wanting to register their child for kindergarten:
- Determine eligibility.
- Identify your local school.
- Gather documents.
- Fill out forms.
- Schedule an appointment.
After the appointment at the school (the student and one caregiver must be present), the student will be ready for orientation and any other introductory events each school may host. Read more about the registration process.
💻 Try Online Registration
Parents may register their children online for kindergarten through 12th grade. Learn how to begin the online registration process. When registering, parents will create (or log in to an existing) SIS ParentVUE account.
Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS. Learn more about Black History month.
Resources: FCPS Social Studies strives to provide information and suggested activities and resources for the support of teaching and learning Black and African American history. This Black History 180 document supports the celebration of Black History Month in February, as well as every other school day.
Black history is American history. Students deserve meaningful, sustained opportunities to learn about the experiences and contributions of Black and African American people year-round, and Black History Month is one opportunity to honor these diverse and important stories.
2 - 6 National School Counseling Week
National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors have in helping students achieve academic success and planning for a career.School counselors work with students in a variety of different capacities, whether it is through classroom lessons, group sessions, or individual counseling. Learn more about the role of school counselors in FCPS.
12 - 100th Day of School (adjusted from the 6th due to snow days)
15 - National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day
See the National Association of School Resource Officers. On February 15 every year.
Career and Technical Education Month
By enrolling in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) course or program, students learn the technical applications of many occupations while preparing for higher education or entry-level employment. A core program of CTE courses is offered in every middle and high school including Business and Information Technology, Family and Consumer Sciences, Health and Medical Sciences, Marketing, Technology and Engineering Education, and Trade and Industrial Education. Since this is an elective, course offerings may vary by school. Learn more on the FCPS CTE webpage.
VSBA School Board Appreciation Month
Thank you to the Fairfax County School Board for all they do throughout the year. Want to contact your school board representatives to share your appreciation? Visit their website to find your school board member and contact them.
17 - Lunar New Year / Ramadan begins at Sundown (Teacher work day)
🐎 새해 복 많이 받으세요! 新年快乐! Chúc mừng Năm Mới! Wishing good fortune to those in our community who celebrate Lunar New Year! For those in many East and Southeast Asian countries, including Pacific Islanders, the Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays of the year and is all about ushering in luck and prosperity with family. #OurFCPS
Ramadan Mubarak to those in our community who observe! In Islam, Ramadan is the most sacred month of the year. During this month Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn to sunset each day while striving to increase their spirituality, through prayers, charity, and good deeds. Muslims believe it was during this month that God revealed the first verses of the Holy Quran to Prophet Muhammad. #OurFCPS
18 - Ash Wednesday/First Full Day of Ramadan
FCPS has designated this day as a religious and cultural observance day. There is school on these days, however specific events that cannot be made up will not be held on these observance days. See the complete school year calendar.Throughout the year, as we celebrate and recognize various cultural holidays and observances, families are encouraged to contact their child’s principal regarding accommodations, including but not limited to those around lunch, prayer/meditation and silent reflection spaces and times, and instruction.
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20 - Wear Yellow Day.
Love the Bus Month is supported by the National Association for Pupil Transportation (NAPT).
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24-28 - Public Schools Week
Public Schools Week is an annual celebration that brings together school leaders, educators, parents & community leaders to recognize the importance of our nation’s public schools.
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