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Dear Freedom Hill Families,
We hope you are staying safe and warm today! As we look ahead, we are sharing a reminder that the school district will share information about closures or delays through the district website and by email. Please rely on these official communications for updates this week. District resources for students and information for families can be found on the Winter Weather Resources page
If there are no cancellations or delays later this week, please take note of these upcoming important dates:
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January 28 – 2-Hour Early Release @ 1:30 p.m. for ALL Students • January 29 & 30 – No School for Students
With potential for a shortened week, please make note of the upcoming SCA Valentine's Dance below and consider your ticket purchase through MySchoolBucks to help us alleviate a rush when we return to school. We're looking forward to a fun night.
Have great week and be safe!
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
 
Will include:
- February 18
- March 18
- April 22
- May 13
Read more about early release Wednesdays on the FCPS website.
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FCPS will soon be rolling out Raptor Safe, our new visitor management system. This will be the standard way to sign in at all FCPS schools.
The new system allows you to preregister via the Raptor Safe app, saving you valuable time when checking in for school visits or events!
Registration Options:
Via the App: Search "Raptor Safe" in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. You can also visit raptortech.com/raptorsafe-app/ for direct links.
In Person: If you are unable to register ahead of time, you can still complete the process at the school kiosk. Please ensure you have a valid photo ID with you to check in.
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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.
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.
Due to the overwhelming response from our community, FCPS is temporarily pausing fingerprint requirements for most Level 3 volunteers.
If you are scheduled for an upcoming fingerprinting appointment, please cancel your appointment unless you are a mentor, host parent, or non-parent volunteer having frequent, direct, and unsupervised contact with students, which will still require fingerprinting. FCPS will be charged if individuals miss a fingerprinting appointment without canceling in advance.
Those who have already been fingerprinted will be processed to be eligible for all Level 3 opportunities.
Field trip chaperone opportunities will now be classified as Level 2 (not requiring a background check).
To ensure continuous safety, all new volunteers are required to sign a Volunteer Certification Statement. This statement is a legal attestation confirming you have no history of violent felonies, physical/sexual crimes against children, or crimes of moral turpitude.
Want to volunteer? Visit Volunteer FCPS to find and sign up for volunteer opportunities. Contact Volunteers@fcps.edu with any questions.
FCPS’ 2026-27 Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program lottery opens on Monday, January 12th. 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 12th, at 4 p.m. Those applying for kindergarten must do so by Monday, March 2nd, 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.
      
Upcoming Events:
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February 4 - School-wide Spelling Bee, 6:15-8:15PM, FHES Cafeteria
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February 5 - Science Fair participation forms due
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February 11 - PTA Meeting in the Library and via Zoom, 6PM (Agenda)
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February 20 - Science Fair, 6-8:30PM in the Cafeteria (ideas and project examples)
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February 25 - Family Dinner Out (FDO) @ Panera, 8364 Leesburg Pike, Vienna (Use code: FUND4U)
UPCOMING ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES
Support FCPS’ FY 2027 Proposed Budget
Fairfax County Public Schools’ FY 2027 Proposed Budget, presented by Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid, reflects FCPS’ commitment to sustaining excellence, restoring critical positions and programs, and attracting and retaining strong educators and support staff, all of which directly impact our students’ success.
Now is the time for families to support this proposed budget by sharing our voices with county leaders. As the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors determines the level of funding provided to FCPS, we encourage you to begin by contacting our local representatives for the Providence District:
Supervisor Dalia Palchik 📞 703-560-6946 📧 providence@fairfaxcounty.gov
Chairman Jeffrey McKay (At-Large)
📞 703-324-2321
📧 chairman@fairfaxcounty.gov
Please reach out and let Supervisor Palchik and Chairman McKay know why school funding matters to you. Here are draft emails from Freedom Hill's PTA website to get you started. Feel free to mention what is going on in your world at the school, including successes and ongoing needs, and ask them to act on what you want them to do--fully fund FCPS’ FY 2027 Proposed Budget!
Another key decision date and engagement opportunity is listed below:
Visit the FCPS budget webpage for more information.
Visit Virginia PTA 2026 Legislative Priorities for more information.
GET READY FOR VALENTINE CANDY GRAMS! The Sixth Grade Class of 2026 is spreading kindness and cheer with this year’s Valentine Candy Gram Sale! From February 6–12, students can stop by the school’s main entrance between 9:05–9:20 AM to purchase a sweet message for a friend, teacher, or classmate. Each Candy Gram is only 50¢! You can also find their table at the Valentine’s Dance on Friday, February 6 from 6:30–7:30 PM. Sixth graders will deliver the Candy Grams from February 7–13, each with a yummy lollipop or a fun non‑candy treat.
Look out for a flyer with order forms and additional details in next week’s Wednesday Folder, so you’ll have everything you need to join in the Valentine fun! All funds raised help support special Sixth Grade celebration activities.
Let’s fill our hallways with kindness and smiles this Valentine’s Day!
THE SCIENCE FAIR IS COMING!
Freedom Hill's Science Fair is returning on Friday, Feb. 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.
GEORGE C. MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL BOOSTERS
The annual Marshall High School Mulch Sale is now open! A portion of each sale benefits Marshall Boosters, which supports their student athletes and their teams. For example:
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25 bags of mulch helps purchase an additional jersey,
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12 bags of mulch helps provide game balls for an event.
More information can be found here, and the link to place your order is here.
Thank you for supporting Marshall High School!
PTA Quick Links:
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