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Upcoming Events |
Mar 2 - 6 Read Across America Readathon + Spirit Week
Mar 17 RunFitKidz: Tuesday group
Mar 18 3 – Hour Release – Dismiss at 12:20pm
Mar 19 RunFitKidz: Thursday group
Mar 20 Holiday – No School (Eid)
Link to 2025-2026 School Year Calendar 2025-26 FCPS School Year Calendar
Principal’s Message to Families
Dear Families,
February was Love the Bus Month, a nationwide celebration dedicated to appreciating school bus drivers and transportation staff for their dedication to student safety. We are so grateful for the kindness, responsibility, and commitment our drivers and transportation staff demonstrate daily. If you and/or your child would like to honor our drivers please consider writing a thank you note or sharing a kind word with your bus driver this week. Small gestures of appreciation go a long way in showing how much we value the important role they play in our school community.
Mother Nature threw us another curve ball this week but we are looking forward to warmer days ahead. Students enjoyed outdoor recess on our blacktop spaces and the reopening of our playground. Fresh air and movement are such important parts of the school day, and we are hopeful that rising temperatures will allow us to fully return to our outdoor spaces soon.
This week we started an exciting collaboration with LBSS Teachers for Tomorrow Program. We are hosting two previous RES students in Ms. Stello's class and in Mr. Wentz's strings class. We value this mentorship and community collaboration. Thank you to Ms. Stello and Mr. Wentz and their students!
Have a wonderful weekend, and we look forward to seeing you in March.
Warmly,
Shannon
New Visitor Management System
We are excited to announce that our school is now using the new Raptor Visitor Management System (VMS). This upgrade is part of our schools 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!
Ravensworth's 2nd Annual Cereal Drive
Donate unopened cereal boxes to support Food for Others!
February 18th - March 6th
Donations can be dropped off in the lobby!
Ravensworth Yearbook Cover Contest 25-26
All Ravensworth Elementary students are invited to enter the 2025–2026 Yearbook Cover Contest for a chance to have their design featured on next year’s yearbook! This year’s theme is “Adventures of Our Ravensworth,” and students are encouraged to create comic book–style artwork that shows their school spirit. Entries must be created on an 8.5 x 11-inch sheet of white paper in vertical (portrait) format, and any art medium may be used. Be sure to use the entire page, include lots of color and creativity, and write the student’s name, grade, and teacher on the back. All submissions are due by March 6 and should be placed in the designated box in the office. Good luck, Ravens!
Yearbooks on Sale Now!
Don’t miss out on this year’s Ravensworth Elementary Yearbook! Yearbooks cost $18.50 and must be pre-ordered by April 27 at https://ybpay.lifetouch.com using Yearbook ID Code 4882626 and the school name, Ravensworth Elementary School. Families may also pay by cash or check (made payable to Ravensworth PTA) and should include the student’s name, teacher’s name and grade, and parent’s name on the order form. Optional add-ons include Yearbook Stickies ($3.00), Zoom Events ($4.00), an Autograph Insert ($3.00), and personalization with a name imprint ($5.00). Yearbooks will be distributed during the last week of school, so order yours today to celebrate the memories of this school year! 🎉
Connected Through Kindness
Social emotional lessons are important at Ravensworth, where emphasis is put on educating the whole child. Ravens are taught the essential life skills of self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, social awareness, and responsible decision making in the classroom and during Counseling lessons. Todd Austin and Alicia Schwenk, Ravensworth school counselors, teach K-3 grades every week for 30 minutes, 4th & 5th grade biweekly for an hour, and weekly hour lessons in 6th grade.
 Several grades made kindness chains in Counseling lessons to celebrate Kindness Week. Kids are learning how to be empathetic and help others feel like they are welcome and belong at Ravensworth. The kindness chains and posters are on display in the cafeteria as a reminder that we are all more connected when we are kind to each another. For more information about Social Emotional Learning at FCPS, please visit https://www.fcps.edu/community-resources/mental-health-and-well-being/social-and-emotional-learning-sel or email Todd Austin or Alicia Schwenk on the staff directory.
Celebrating the Power of School Breakfast
National School Breakfast Week: March 2-6, 2006
Multiple studies show that school breakfasts are important in supporting overall student health by improving students’ diets and combating food insecurity. Students who eat school breakfast consume more fruit and fiber than their peers.
This National School Breakfast Week, FCPS Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) reminds families that they are dedicated to providing flavorful, healthy, sustainable, and student-focused meals. New menu items have been launched this year based on student feedback.
Want to know what’s for breakfast? Nutrition Services has printable menus available.
Help Keep Ravensworth ES Phone-Free!
Please remind your student that cell phones and personal devices (AirPods, earbuds, headsets, other items connected to the internet) must be off and away for the entire school day (bell to bell). Cell phones are also not permitted to be used as an instructional tool.
FCPS’ cell phone policy helps students stay focused, safe, and engaged at school. Visit FCPS’ cell phone policy webpage for more information and answers to frequently asked questions, including consequences for cell phone policy violations and exceptions for students with medical conditions or IEP/504 plans.
If you need to contact your student during the school day, please call our front office at 703-426-3600.
Ravensworth ES New Arrival and Dismissal Traffic Flow
Thank you to all our parents, caregivers, siblings, students and staff for your willingness to support the changes to our arrival and dismissal traffic flow. These changes have been made to ensure all our students, staff, and families are safe during these very busy times of the day.
These changes include:
- One way school traffic pattern on Nutting Dr. with the Kiss and Ride entrance starting from
- No student drop offs nor pick-ups on Nutting Dr.
- Crossing of Nutting Dr. is allowed only in the cross walks
Our data shows that the new traffic flow decreased the illegal/dangerous 69 incidents measured the week before the snow closure to 3 incidents measured this week. Our goal is to have 0 incidents and with your help we know this is achievable.
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:
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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.
Read Across America March 2026
Award-winning author, Hena Khan, is scheduled to visit our school on Monday, April 13th! She writes books in multiple formats, including picture books, middle grade fiction, pick-your-path adventures, and graphic novels. Her stories are often centered around her culture, friendship, community and family. You can read more about her and her books here. We have a variety of her novels and picture books in our library that are flying off the shelves! You can also check them out from your local public library branch. We look forward to the fun, inspiration, and encouragement that lies ahead for our students in April. |
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Signed books will be available for families to purchase via this link. (Please place orders no later than Friday March 27th to ensure delivery by the event).
Read Across America – Spirit Week
Student Experience Survey
Our school will participate in the FCPS Student Experience Survey. This survey will gather important feedback from students about their school experiences to help FCPS make meaningful improvements.
All students in grades 3-6, except those who have opted out, will receive a link to the survey in their FCPS email on February 23. We will administer the survey during the school day between Monday, February 23, and Friday, March 6. Any student may take the survey at home, if they are unable to take the survey during the school day. You will receive a communication with details on how to preview the survey and opt your child out, if you choose. The electronic opt-out form can also be accessed at this link.
We believe it's important to hear from our students about what we're doing well and where we can improve. This work also aligns with the equity commitments in FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan, which include a focus on amplifying student voice and experiences as we work toward meeting plan goals.
Family Spotlight Board
If your child has had a great personal/family moment lately, send Ms. Heiman (amheiman@fcps.edu) a photo and it will be displayed on the Family Spotlight bulletin board in the main hallway! Examples: family celebrated a holiday, cultural traditions, child rode their bike without training wheels, great soccer game, got a new pet, and more!
Parent Information Line Available in 8 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.
PTA Spirit Wear Store – Shop All Year Long!
Show your Ravensworth pride in style! Our brand-new Spirit Wear Store is open year-round, so you can gear up anytime.
Follow Ravensworth on Social Media - Are you connected to Ravensworth Elementary School and the Ravensworth PTA on social media? The PTA’s
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