WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE FOREST - 2/20/26

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 02/20/2026 04:23 PM EST

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calendar reminder graphic

Tue, Feb 24 -     PTA Meeting, Virtual, 7:00pm (link
                           posted below)

Wed, Feb 25 -   3-hour Early Release, dismissal
                          begins at 12:35pm

Fri, Feb 27 -      Club Photos Day

Good afternoon Newington Forest Families,

I have wonderful news to share with our community! We recently shared that Mr. Nathan Drake, NFES Art Teacher, won Outstanding Elementary Teacher of Newington Forest Elementary. Today, I am proud to share that Mr. Drake has won Outstanding Elementary Teacher of Region 4! Mr. Drake makes a positive impact on our Knights every day through his art lessons, and we are so fortunate to have him.

I want to thank the NFES SCA, Mrs. Jensen, and Mr. Drake for presenting me with a beautiful gift last week - on the 100th day of school, I received The 100 Days of Ms. Thompson. This portrait/collage was surprise and I will treasure this thoughtful gift.

PTA Bingo was a great success last week! Thank you to our PTA Board for organizing such a fun night for students and families.

Important reminder - next Wednesday, February 25, 2026 is our next 3-hour early release date. Dismissal will begin at 12:35pm. Parents received email reminders earlier this week. 

Sincerely,

Angela Thompson
Principal

2025-26 Region 4 Outstanding Elementary Teacher
Nathan Drake, Art Teacher

drake

Angela Thompson, NFES Principal, Nathan Drake, NFES Art Teacher, Ilryong Moon, FCPS School Board Member At-Large, Pablo Resendiz, Assistant Superintendent, Region 4

100 Days of Ms. Thompson
Courtesy of NFES SCA, Mrs. Jensen, & Mr. Drake

100

Virtual PTA Meeting

Matteo Dunne, School Board Member, will join us for this session to present and answer questions!

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

7:00pm

Zoom Link:
https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/93425289420?from=addon

New Visitor Management System

vms

We are excited to announce that our school is now using the new Raptor Visitor Management System (VMS). This upgrade is part of our school’s and FCPS’ ongoing commitment to enhancing school safety and streamlining the process for visitors at our school. The VMS ensures that no visitor is on the sex offender registry. 

For most visitors, the user experience will be the same when you check-in at the front office.

But now there is also an app, which can make check-in’s even faster at school. Visitors who choose to download the RaptorSafe App and create a Raptor Passport can pre-verify their information before they get to school. The app will give you a QR code you can use when you check-in at school. 

If you have questions or need assistance with the new system, please contact our front office. Thank you for your partnership in keeping our schools safe!

Parent Workshop Interest Survey –
Your Voice Matters!

Newington Forest Elementary is excited to explore offering monthly parent workshops designed to support families with practical strategies, helpful resources, and opportunities to connect. We want to hear from you! Please take a moment to complete our Parent Workshop Interest Survey and share which topics would be most helpful for your family.

Survey Link: https://forms.gle/Whr6M5R3Sevnot578

Winter Family Score Reports for ES Screening/Growth Assessments

Family score reports for elementary winter screening and growth assessments will soon be distributed to families through SIS ParentVUE (PVUE) Documents. Families in grades PreK-6 will receive up to three (3) reports based on the assessments their student took this winter: 

We anticipate these assessment reports to be uploaded by mid-March.

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. 

Tips to Reduce Parent Stress and Anxiety

Tuesday, March 3, 10-11:30 a.m.

Join Rachel Bailey for a workshop on why modern parenting feels so overwhelming— and how to manage it. Learn practical strategies to reduce stress, respond calmly instead of reactively, and parent with more confidence and ease.

Register here

FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story so we can all acknowledge the good work of our Newington Forest staff members.

 FCPS Cares
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FCPS News

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

  • Celebrating Our Students
  • Summer Camp and Learning
  • New High School Name

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