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Dear Great Falls ES Families,
As we gear up for the snowy weather forecast for next week, we truly hope everyone takes this opportunity to head outside for some sledding, enjoy plenty of hot cocoa, and find time to genuinely rest and relax together.
While you're staying warm and safe, we also want to make sure our students can easily stay connected to their learning from home. Students can log into FCPS websites from any device by:
1) Logging on to Schoology (lms.fcps.edu); once there, simply look for the Clever icon (the blue "C") in the waffle menu to automatically sign in to their portal. From the Clever dashboard—using their student ID email and personal password—
2) Using our Great Falls ES Student Links, explore educational resources with Clever or Google (when prompted for a login).
*If you have a particular technology need, please contact us in the office by 3:00 pm to ensure that you will have what you need at home to log in successfully.
Please stay safe and warm,
Sara Harper
📅 Important Dates
January 23: Band, Strings and Chorus concert
January 28: End of Quarter Two - 2-hour Early Release
January 29 - 30: Student Holiday - Teacher Work Days
February 2: Rise Against Hunger Money due to school
February 7: Rise Against Hunger Food Packing Event
February 16:Student Holiday– President’s Day
February 17: Student Holiday–teacher workday
February 18: 3-hour Early Release
February 23-27: Spring Book Fair
FCPS School Year Calendar for 2025-2026
PTA Newsletter Archive
📔 Yearbook Sales Are Open!
Yearbooks are available for preorder online at https://www.strawbridge.net/, using code YB33333. Cost is just $20 if you order by March 13. Order today!
🎨 GFES Artists Selected for Dulles Display
We are thrilled to announce that several of our students were recently highlighted in the MPTA Children’s Art Show, with their artwork chosen for display at Dulles International Airport.
Tennessee D, Ruby F, and Ingrid K will have their artwork viewed by thousands of travelers from around the world. Next time you’re travelling, stop by the TSA’s west pre-check line to find the student artwork display!
Congratulations to these students and a huge thank you to Ms. Malik for her guidance and support of our young artists!
 From left, clockwise: Ingrid K, Ruby F, and Tennessee D
🧤 Prepare for the 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.
⛄ Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities
We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories that may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. View the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.
If you need assistance getting cold-weather clothing for your family, please call Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health.
Rise Against Hunger
What better way to earn money to support Rise Against Hunger than doing some serious chores (like shoveling snow) over the potential impending snow days?
Thank you to all of you who are sending your Rise Against Hunger student money to the front foyer each morning. If you’d like to come out and volunteer to pack food on Saturday, February 7, please use this SignUpGenius link. It looks like all of the volunteer slots are full, but don't hesitate to use the Waitlist slots; we usually move a few families off the waitlist each year.
So far, we’ve collected $2,307 toward our $2,650 goal. Our third graders are winning the entry contest, but our 2nd and 4th graders are just a few short percentage points behind.
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Seeing Different Perspectives in Language Arts
Benchmark Unit 4 in Language Arts is about points of view. Students in K-5 will be learning about why and how people create stories, and how to understand different perspectives. Grade six students will learn how a person’s life shapes their point of view.
Connect with your child’s learning at school with these fun questions and hands-on activities at home:
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Question: Have you ever disagreed with a friend? How did you see things differently?
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Activity: Make up a silly scenario with your child, like a dinosaur walking down the street or an ice cream thunderstorm. Put on a short play where you and your child each play the role of each other. How does your child think you would react to the silly scenario and why? How would you react if you were your child?
At the end of the unit, your child will take their unit magazine home. The magazine includes an activity calendar with fun ways to help students build on what they’re learning at each grade level. You can also find information on how to support your child’s reading at home on the Benchmark Families website.
FCPS Student Experience Survey
Students at Great Falls Elementary School will participate in the FCPS Student Experience Survey, which gathers valuable feedback about students’ school experiences to help Fairfax County Public Schools make meaningful improvements.
All students in grades 3–6 who have not opted out will receive a survey link in their FCPS email on February 23. The survey will be administered during the school day on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026. Students who are unable to complete the survey during the school day may take it at home.
Families will receive additional communication with information on how to preview the survey and how to opt their child out, if desired. All opt-out forms, both physical and online (linked here), must be submitted by Friday, February 13, 2026. The electronic opt-out form is available through the provided link. Printed parent letters, QR codes for the opt-out form, and information about the FCPS Student Experience Survey website are also available in the main office.
Hearing directly from our students helps us understand what we are doing well and where we can improve. This effort aligns with FCPS’s 2023–2030 Strategic Plan, which emphasizes equity and the importance of amplifying student voice and experiences.
If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Diaz at dmdiaz@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 or any other introductory events each school may host. Read more about the registration process. For more information, call our student information assistant/registrar at xxxxxxxxx.
💻 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.
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