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A Message From Assistant Principal Ms. Barry

Dear Beech Tree Families, It was wonderful to be back together for a full week of learning! Our students did a fantastic job jumping back into routines, and we especially enjoyed celebrating the 100th day of school along with Kindness Week. It was exciting to see the creativity, school spirit, and thoughtful acts of kindness shared throughout the building. WIDA testing has officially begun, and we are proud of our students as they demonstrate their growth and language development. Thank you for your support in ensuring students are present and ready to do their best. Report cards were sent home this week in Wednesday folders. Please take a moment to review your child’s progress and reach out to your child’s teacher with any questions. As a reminder, there will be no school on Monday and Tuesday of next week. We look forward to welcoming students back on Wednesday, February 18th, ready for another great week of learning. With appreciation, Principal Clarke & Assistant Principal Barry

📚 Exploring Technology and Society in Language Arts 📚

Benchmark Unit 5 in Language Arts is about technology and how it can help us solve problems at home, school, and work. Students in K-5 will be learning about technology and society. Grade six students will learn about technology in the 21st century.    Connect with your child’s learning at school with these fun questions and hands-on activities at home: Question: If you could invent anything, what would it be? Activity: Talk to your child about what daily life was like before today’s advances in technology. Where would you go to find information? How did you stay in touch with friends and family? Ask your child if they think they would like living without modern technology.  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.

Beaver Birthday Celebrations January & February

📌February 16- Presidents' Day-No School

📌February 17- Student Holiday Teacher Workday-No School

📌February 19-Tropical Wear-School Spirit Across the FCPS Division

📌February 25- Early Release Wednesday- 1:00pm dismissal 

📌February 26-PTA Talent Show 6:30pm Gym

📌March 4-Career Day 9:30am-11:30am

Here is the sign-up link: https://forms.gle/uTbtsSD8XQrHJucp9

📌March 12-PTA Meeting-Virtual 6:30pm

Zoom link will be sent by 6:00pm
📌March 14-PTA Fun Fair 10:00am

📌March 20-Student Holiday-No School

📌March 25-Early Release Wednesday- 1:00pm dismissal 

📌March 27-End of Third Quarter - 2-hour Early Release 2:00pm

📌March 30-April 3-Holidays | Spring Break | No School 

📌April 29-Kindergaten Orientation 3:00pm

**Please reference the 2025-2026 School Year FCPS Calendar when making appointments or scheduling family trips.  Attendance counts and everyday matters! **

*To ensure the safety and well-being of our students, we kindly request that parents or guardians accompany their children to school events*

Warm Up FCPS – Divisionwide Spirit Day

Tired of all the cold weather? Let’s warm up with a little school spirit across the division! 

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid is encouraging all FCPS students, teachers, and staff to shake the wrinkles out of their brightest outfits and tropical wear to help brighten everyone’s moods on Thursday, February 19.

New Visitor Management System - Raptor Safe

Beginning Wednesday, 2/18, FCPS will 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! We strongly encourage all family members to download the app and complete their registration today, it will only take a couple of minutes to complete the process!

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.

Meal Kits for Fasting Students

From February 18 to March 19, students who are fasting during the day can take school meals home. These kits include one breakfast and one lunch to be eaten after the school day ends.

Families must fill out a request form each week for every student who wants a kit. The first deadline is Wednesday, February 11, for the week of February 16. Please note other important details below:

• Cost: Meals are charged just like a normal school day. 
• Pickup: Students must grab their kits at the end of the school day.
• Menu: Kits include school meals that are easy to heat at home.

Visit the Food and Nutrition webpage for forms, deadlines, and other information. Please contact the Office of Food and Nutrition Services with any questions at FCPSFNS@fcps.edu or 703-813-4800. 

2026-2027 Kindergarten Survey

Virginia Law, section 22.1-254, requires that children who will reach their fifth birthday on or before September 30, 2026, must be enrolled in Kindergarten for the 2026-2027 school year unless the parent or guardian notifies the school in writing that they do not wish the child to attend school until the following year.

If you have a child who will be five years old on or before September 30, 2026, please complete this form and return it by February 20, 2026. If any of your neighbors have children who will be eligible for Kindergarten, please share this information with them, as we would also like to reach those Oak Hill families who do not have children currently attending school.

The information on this survey will help the school plan for adequate facilities and personnel for the 2026-2027 school year. You may return a hard copy to to your child's teacher or you may email the completed form to semerino@fcps.edu We thank you in advance for returning the form by February 20, 2026

FCPS PreK and Early Head Start are now accepting applications for SY 2026–27!

The FCPS PreK and Early Head Start programs provide a high-quality early learning experience for qualifying children ages 6 weeks to 4 years old.

PreK: For children who will be age 3 or 4 by September 30, with priority given to 4-year-olds.  Oak Hill ES has a pre-Kindergarten class.

Early Head Start: For children ages 0–2 and pregnant women who live in the Reston, Herndon, and Springfield areas.  This would be at another location

More information and the online application are available here.

Prepare for Summer Learning and Fun for Students

Registration is open or will be available soon for summer camps and learning opportunities offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students. 

Career and Technical Education and Institute for the Arts Camps

Career and Technical Education camps and Institute for the Arts camps will be held in July at Robinson Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Tuition assistance is available to FCPS families eligible for free or reduced meals.

Tech Adventure Camp (TAC) is a week-long exploratory camp that allows current K-5 students to explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), culinary, health, trades, and business and marketing areas. Watch this video about CTE camps. Registration is open through Friday, June 5.

Elementary Institute for the Arts (E-IFTA) is a weekly fine and performing arts camp for students in grades K-5 who love to sing, dance, act, perform, make, and create. Students attend four daily classes in dance, music, theater, and visual arts and work with experienced educators who create engaging, fun classes. 

New this year: Students in the above camps can also register for aftercare, which is available from 2 to 5 p.m.

🧸Kindergarten Orientation

Beech Tree Kindergarten Orientation will be on Wednesday, April 29th at 3:00pm.  Please mark your calendars.  This event is for rising kindergarteners and their families. We recognize that parents are their children’s first teachers. Resources on the School Readiness and Transition to Kindergarten webpage provide parents with ways to support their children to help ensure a smooth transition to kindergarten. Register your child today! Contact our registrar at semerino@fcps.edu (703) 531-2600 with any questions.

Rooted in Resilience: Echoes of Excellence

Families and community members are invited to reflect on the past, celebrate the present, and uplift the voices shaping our future at FCPS’ Second Annual Black History Month Celebration. Rooted in Resilience: Echoes of Excellence will take place on Wednesday, February 25, at 6 p.m., at Carter G. Woodson High School. 

The event will honor the rich history, strength, and contributions of the Black community through inspiring student performances and a powerful keynote address by Rev. Vernon C. Walton, pastor of First Baptist Church of Vienna. Light refreshments will be available. 

📅Future Beech Tree ES Early Release Dates

The following Wednesdays are early release days, with a release time of 1:00 pm:

📌February 25 📌

• March 25
• April 29
• May 20

Special Education Family Conference: Registration Open, Volunteers Needed

The 2026 Special Education Family Conference, Stronger Together: Connecting Families and Schools, will take place on Saturday, March 21, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Marshall High School. Families will have the opportunity to hear from internationally renowned educator and advocate, Dr. Shelley Moore, connect to resources and other families, and participate in afternoon sessions. 

FCPS families are invited to register to attend this year’s conference. Childcare, accommodations, and language interpretation are available.

Families are also invited to register to serve as event volunteers by Friday, February 20. Volunteer hours will be awarded to student volunteers.

Visit the FCPS 2026 Special Education Family Conference webpage for updates and more details.

Take a moment to acknowledge and affirm a Beech Tree staff member when they go above and beyond in demonstrating care and dedication that ensures every one of our students is seen, heard, and valued. FCPS Cares. All FCPS Cares nominees are considered for an additional monthly award.

📸 Show Your School Pride! Order Your Yearbook NOW! 🌳

It's time to capture the memories of the school year! Don't let your student miss out on the Beech Tree Elementary School 2025-2026 Yearbook. It's the best way to remember friends, favorite teachers, and all the exciting events from this year!

My contact information is: 703-531-2692 direct 571-460-8041 cell Talking Points App iarivasurban@fcps.edu

☎️ 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.

Beech Day=Lunch Visits

Beech Days (Open Days in YELLOW):

These are the days you can come to school and have lunch with your student:

• March: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
• April: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Lunch Schedule

Unavailable Days Due to Wednesday Early Release (in RED):

These are the dates where Beech Days are unavailable because of early release closures:

• February: 25
• March: 25
• April: 29
• May: 20

We encourage family members to enjoy the same lunch as their child, whether it's a packed lunch or from the school cafeteria. To maintain the integrity of our meal program, we kindly request refraining from bringing fast food options.

On the day of your child's scheduled lunch, please arrive 5 minutes early to sign in at the office. Our staff will direct you to the cafeteria. As you depart, please remember to check out at the office. For those opting to purchase lunch from the cafeteria, adult pricing is $5.00 and non-FCPS students under the age of 18 price is $3.25, payable in cash. For more details on lunch options, please click here.

FCPS News

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:

• FCPS at the Olympics
• Coaches Making History
• Divisionwide Spirit Day

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.  

Beech Tree School Information

Hours:  9:15 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (doors open at 9:05 a.m. for arrival)

Attendance Line:  703-531-2626

Attendance Email: BeechTreeElem.Attendance@fcps.edu

School Registrar: Sandra Merino (703) 531-2620

Family Liaison: Ivett Rivas Urbano (703) 531-2601

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3401 Beechtree Lane, Falls Church, VA 22042  | Main Phone: 703.531.2600
Attendance: 703.531.2626 | Web | Twitter