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Dear Freedom Hill Families,
We hope you are staying safe and warm after another winter snow! With February coming to an end this week, we look forward to the promise of warmer weather, sunshine, and a return to our consistent routines. Until then, let's continue to express our gratitude for those leading many of our events that engage our students and community during the chilly months. Most recently, we've had several grade level field trips (thank you teachers and chaperones!), concerts, an engaging Science Fair (thank you Hubert Chao, Mandy Wong, and all of our PTA volunteers!) and we will soon be gearing up for the Read-A-Thon, the spring Book Fair, and another Family Dinner Out this week.
Parents of students in grades 3-6 should see our published SOL testing schedule below. As we do each year, we ask that you avoid scheduling routine appointments when your child is testing. This helps us to limit the need for makeup sessions and impacts to their school routine and learning. Your classroom teacher is a great resource if you have any questions about these statewide assessments.
Wishing you a great week!
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
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February 24 - Marshall HS STEM Night, 5PM in their cafeteria
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February 25 - Family Dinner Out (FDO) @ Panera, 8364 Leesburg Pike, Vienna (Use code: FUND4U)
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March 2 - Read-A-Thon Kickoff Event, AM
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March 2 - 13 - Read-A-Thon!
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March 13 - 19 - Spring Book Fair
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March 18 - 3-Hour Early Release at 1:05
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This week, we are focusing on Humility. You do not seek the spotlight. You let your actions speak for themselves.
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"Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.”
~Rick Warren
Questions you might enjoy talking about:
- How is being honest with yourself related to humility?
- Would you be a good teacher of humility?
- Why is humility important to lead others and to make a positive impact?
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Students in grades 3-6 participate in state assessments each year. These assessments measure how students are learning the state standards. Below is the current schedule for the spring Standards of Learning tests at Freedom Hill. More information will be provided as we get closer to the testing window and is available on the SOL Tests in Elementary School page on the FCPS website.
- Tuesday, March 24: Grade 5 Integrated Reading and Writing SOL
- Tuesday, April 28: Grade 6 & Grade 4 Reading SOL
- Thursday, April 30: Grade 5 & Grade 3 Reading SOL
- Thursday, May 7: Grade 5 Math SOL
- Thursday, May 12: Grade 4 Math SOL
- Thursday, May 14: Grade 5 Science & Grade 3 Math SOL
- Tuesday, May 19: Grade 6 SOL
- May 28 - June 3: Retakes for identified students
Please avoid scheduling appointments for students on the dates that students will participate in the SOLs.
Will include:
Read more about early release Wednesdays on the FCPS website.
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:
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Cost: Meals are charged just like a normal school day.
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Pickup: Students must grab their kits at the end of the school day.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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 5th.
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.
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-ins 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!
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.
     
 Marshall High School will be hosting its second annual STEM Night February 24th from 5-8 PM in its cafeteria! Participants include former FHES students.
There will be many activities such as DNA pipe cleaner models, Alka-Seltzer lava lamps, science fair presentations, a visit from their robotics team, and many more!
Marshall has also officially launched their YouTube channel @GCMSTEMStars where they will be posting weekly videos about a range of STEM topics.
Upcoming Events:
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February 25 - Family Dinner Out (FDO) @ Panera, 8364 Leesburg Pike, Vienna (Use code: FUND4U)
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March 2 - 13 - Read-A-Thon!
CONGRATS, YOUNG SCIENTISTS!🔬
The 2026 Freedom Hill Elementary School Science Fair was held on Friday, February 20, 2026. Students from various grade levels designed creative science projects and proudly presented their work. High school students from Marshall and Thomas Jefferson High Schools conducted a robot demonstration, which everyone enjoyed. Attendees provided their thoughts on the event and graciously shared the following inspirational words:
- I met many inspiring future scientists.
- The kids did such a great job! Such interesting and fun ideas.
- The kids got a chance to be creative and showcase their skills and imagination.
- It was so great to see all the different projects.
- Robots are great!
- I had a great time helping people understand my project.
- This was fantastic! Way to go, scientists!
The event was a huge success thanks to the student participants, our Freedom Hill ES staff, the Freedom Hill ES PTA, and to POCs Hubert Chao and Mandy Wong for coordinating this wonderful event.
FAMILY DINNER OUT (FDO) - FEB 25 @ PANERA, PIKE 7 PLAZA (Flyer)
Join your fellow Freedom Hill Eagles at our next FDO on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Panera, 8364 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA, anytime from 4-8PM. 25% of sales will go to our school when you use code FUND4U at panerabread.com, in the Panera App, or in-store. A big thanks to Camille Paredes for her ongoing organization of these events.
SPRING INTO SNACKS: HELP US CELEBRATE OUR FHES TEACHERS & STAFF!
The PTA is humbly asking parents and caregivers to help us show our FHES teachers and staff appreciation with a spring event by buying items off our Amazon "SPRING INTO SNACKS" wishlist to set up a snack break for all FHES staff on our next early release Wednesday (3/18). Since studying is always better with snacks, the PTA is hosting this spring appreciation event on behalf of our FHES families to recognize and show them how much we appreciate all that the FHES teachers and staff do each and every day.
The PTA will bring all items to the school and set them up so that when kids are released on Wednesday, 3/18, and teachers go to study, they will be able to grab some yummy treats to keep them going.
We deeply appreciate any items you are able to buy off the list to fuel our staff and teachers to be delivered BY MONDAY, MARCH 16.
The link to the list is here:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/EZ682JYIIQ4O?ref_=wl_share
PTA Quick Links:
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