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Principal Note |
Dear London Towne Families,
The wait is finally over! After much anticipation, we were thrilled to officially open our brand-new playground on Friday. To kick things off, the administration team took to the morning news show to share the big announcement and discuss how our Lions can ROAR safely (Respectful, Owning Their Actions, Advocating, Ready to Learn) while exploring the new equipment.
🛝 Recess Report: A Resounding Success
We couldn't have asked for better weather to celebrate the opening. Having joined several recess periods throughout the day, it was clear that the students are just as excited as we are.
When asked about their favorite features, two clear winners emerged:
Beyond the fun, we know that fresh air and unstructured free play are vital for childhood development, and we are incredibly grateful to provide this enhanced space for our students.
📚 Join Us: A Critical Conversation on Tech & Well-being
While we celebrate the benefits of physical play, we also want to address the digital challenges our children face. Please join us for this month’s PTA Meeting for a special interactive presentation.
Inspired by Jonathan Haidt’s award-winning book, The Anxious Generation, Mrs. Zamora (Assistant Principal) and Mrs. Lanier (Technology Specialist) will facilitate a deep dive into the impact of technology on our youth.
Discussion Topics Include:
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The rise of anxiety and depression in the digital age.
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How social media impacts boys and girls differently.
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Our school’s approach to technology management.
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Practical tech-use tips for families at home.
The Details:
We encourage all families to attend this important session as we work together to support our children’s mental and social health.
We thank you for your continued partnership!
Shele Banford, Principal
Jordan Moore, Assistant Principal
Lucy Zamora, Assistant Principal
Events Around the Towne
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📸 Monday, March 9: Class/Individual Picture Day
🚌 Tuesday, March 10: Lion Leader Field Trip to FCPS Sprague Center
🗣️ Tuesday, March 10: 6:00 p.m. PTA Meeting
💻 Wednesday, March 11: 5th Grade Integrated Reading/Writing SOL Test
🔥 Thursday, March 12 - Friday, March 27: Attendance Hot Streak
🍿Friday, March 13: 6:00 p.m. PTA Movie Night
🌙 Friday, March 20: School Closed for Eid-al-Fitr
🚌 Tuesday, March 24: Grade 4 Field Trip to National Symphony Orchestra
🚌 Tuesday, March 24: Grade 2 Field Trip to EC Lawrence Park
🕰️ Wednesday, March 25: Early Release (12:05 Dismissal) (K-6 ONLY)
🎶 Thursday, March 26: 6:30 p.m. Kindergarten Musical Showcase
🕰️ Friday, March 27: Quarter 3 End Early Release (1:05 Dismissal) (PreK-6)
🌷 Monday, March 30 - Friday, April 3: School Closed - Spring Break!
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PTA Meeting Anxious Generation Talk |
All families are invited to join us for our PTA Meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10 in the library. Mrs. Lanier and Mrs. Zamora will be facilitating an interactive discussion, inspired by the award-winning book The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt, about the impact of technology use on our children.
Topics include:
- Rise of Anxiety and Depression
- Boys vs. Girls Social Media Impact
- How We Handle at School
- Tech Use Tips for Families
**Please note that there will also be non-edible treats options such as fun pencils and stickers.
**Tenga en cuenta que también habrá opciones de golosinas no comestibles, como divertidos lápices y pegatinas.
🌎✨ Join Us for a Night of Literacy and Community! ✨🌎
You’re invited to our school’s Reading Around the World Celebration—an evening filled with literacy, math, and science activities for all, delicious food from around the world, and unique crafts, showcasing the rich diversity within our community.
📅 Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026
⏰ Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
📍 Location: London Towne Elementary School
If you would like to bring food from your family's country to share, please contact our Family Liaison, Karla Merida, kmerida@fcps.edu at 703-227-5457. We ask that your dish, dessert, or snack come in small portions, since it will be for tasting.
Bring your family and friends for a night of fun, flavor, and festivities as we come together to celebrate cultures from near and far. We can’t wait to see you there! 🌮🍣🥟🎨🎉
🧸🧸Kindergarten Registration Open House🧸🧸
🍎 Our London Towne Kindergarten Open House is being held on Friday, April 10 at 8:45 a.m. to give parents of students entering school in August an opportunity to learn more about kindergarten at our school.
🍎 Join FCPS staff for Countdown to Kindergarten, a virtual event designed to help families prepare for this exciting transition! The webinar will take place on Friday, March 27, from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
During this webinar, families will learn practical tips and essential information to support their child's smooth and successful start to kindergarten in Fairfax County Public Schools. Register to receive the event link.
🍎 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.
There’s an easy five-step process for parents wanting to register their child for kindergarten:
- Determine eligibility.
- Identify your local school.
- Gather documents.
- Fill out forms.
- Schedule an appointment (the student and one caregiver must be present).
There’s also an easy-to-follow five-step process outlined for registering your child for kindergarten. Register your child today! Contact our registrar, Lisa Raisbeck, at lmraisbeck@fcps.edu or 703-227-5403 with any questions.
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Advanced Academics Information |
⭐ Next Steps for Parents
Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of their child’s materials after February 20, 2026, by emailing Madalyn Sirota at masirota@fcps.edu.
At the elementary level, referrals for subject-specific and part-time AAP are screened by the school. If you miss the full-time referral deadline, your student can still be screened for subject-specific or part-time AAP services for the remainder of the year.
At the middle school level, honors courses are open to all students.
For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs webpage.
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LTES Yearbook on Sale! |
📖 Families, the 2025-26 LTES Yearbook is now on sale! Limited time only. Limited supply.
📢 Order online direct from the Strawbridge website.
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PTA News and Happenings |
Come join us at our next PTA Meeting on March 10 at 6:00 p.m.!
Mrs. Lanier and Mrs. Zamora will be facilitating an interactive discussion, inspired by the award-winning book The Anxious Generation, by Jonathan Haidt, about the impact of technology use on our children.
Follow the LTES PTA on Instagram to stay to date with all the fun, upcoming events!
🌎✨ Westfield HS International Night! ✨🌎
Westfield High School’s annual International Night is on Thursday, March 26th from 5:00-9:00 pm.
Come out to celebrate the culture and diversity of our community with a potluck, food trucks, cultural fashion show, and student performances!
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FCPS Family Resource Center |
The FCPS Family Resource Center offers webinars, consultations, a lending library, open house events, and guides to help adults support the success of all students, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities.
Join them for two upcoming presentations focused on Building Skills for Success in the areas of Emotional Regulation and Organizational Strategies.
- Register here
- Friday, March 13, 2026 - Building Skills for Success: How To Develop Emotional Regulation
- Friday, April 17, 2026- Building Skills for Success: How To Develop Organizational Skills With Your Child
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FCPS Family Engagement Survey |
✅ Family Engagement Survey to Open March 9
FCPS is administering our Family Engagement Survey, which will be open from Monday, March 9, to Monday, March 23. Your feedback is critical in helping us to better recognize, understand, respect, and address family strengths and needs in our schools.
Survey topics include:
- Welcoming environment.
- Communication.
- Student success.
- Advocacy.
- Family and school partnerships.
- Community partnerships.
The survey will be available in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Pashto, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
Parents/caregivers will receive a survey link via email from FCPS on March 9. A survey link will also be posted on FCPS’ website. Paper surveys will be available at each school. Please stay tuned for more information.
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Pre-K and Early Head Start |
FCPS Pre-K and Early Head Start programs provide a high-quality early learning experience for qualifying children with economic and educational risk factors, ages 6 weeks to 4 years, living in Fairfax County.
- Pre-K prioritizes 4-year-old applicants but also accepts applications for children who will be 3 years old by September 30 of the same year.
- Early Head Start is located at three elementary schools — Clearview, Crestwood, and Dogwood — and accepts applications from pregnancy to 2 years old.
Families are encouraged to apply as soon as possible; space is limited and provided based on need, not on a first-come, first-served basis.
Applications are accepted online, by email, by mail, or in person at the program office at 7423 Camp Alger Avenue, Falls Church, Virginia 22042.
If you have a question about the application process or status, please call 703-208-7900 (English) or 703-208-7901 (Spanish).
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FCPS Cares Nominations |
Want a quick way to recognize an employee or team? Share an FCPS CARES! Families, colleagues, and students are all invited to submit. The FCPS CARES is automatically sent to the recipient(s) and their supervisor, and is posted on fcps.edu.
Additionally, each month one school in our region wins a staff celebration from HR. Encourage your community to show our staff that their hard work is appreciated!
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Franklin Band/Orchestra Camp |
2026 Franklin Band & Orchestra Camp – Registration Now Open!
Franklin Band and Orchestra Camp is a local summer program designed to develop young musicians of ALL levels and is open to rising 4th through 9th graders. Students participate in band or orchestra ensembles that meet their ability and experience level, aiming to further develop these musicianship skills throughout the camp experience. Each day, students will have the opportunity to grow musically through both large ensemble performance and small group/instrument-specific clinics. One day of camp is roughly equivalent to four weekly elementary band or strings lessons during the schoolyear! Franklin Band & Orchestra Camp is a fantastic summer opportunity for young musicians to accelerate their musical development! I highly recommend signing your child up for this awesome summer opportunity. Click on the link below for details and registration.
Location - Franklin Middle School
Dates - Monday, June 22nd - Friday, July 10th
Times – Weekdays 8:30 am - 12:30 pm (No Camp on July 3rd)
Ages
Band: Rising 5th - 9th Grade students
Strings: Rising 4th - 9th Grade students
Pricing
$400 - Early Bird Registration (Jan 30 - March 31)
$425 - Regular Registration (April 1 - May 31)
$475 - Late Registration (June 1 - June 19)
Aftercare - From 12:30 - 3:30pm every day (pending enrollment)
More information, frequently asked questions, and registration available at
https://chantillyband.org/franklin-band-orch-camp
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Special Education Events |
⭐ Middle School Transition Fair for Students Receiving Special Services
March 4, 2026 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Luther Jackson Middle School 3020 Gallows Road Falls Church, Virginia 22042
Join Career and Transition Services (CTS) to learn about planning for life in and after high school!
It’s never too early or too late to start preparing for your future. We want to help you start planning for a successful transition from school to life as a young adult. Ensuring postsecondary success of our students with disabilities is dependent on what is known as transition planning. Please join CTS and other support service personnel for an evening focused on planning for the future.
The schedule for the evening is:
- 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Exhibitor and Participant Registration
- 6:30 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. Opening Session (Auditorium)
- 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Resource and Exhibitor Fair (Cafeteria)
- 7:15 PM - 8:15 PM: Family Panel (Auditorium)
A questions/answer session will follow the family panel.
Click here to register for the event.
⭐ 2026 Special Education Family Conference: Rescheduled
FCPS’ 2026 Special Education Family Conference has been rescheduled to Saturday, April 18, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Marshall High School. Updated conference details are now available on the Special Education Family Conference webpage. Please register for the event. If you registered before, please re-register for the new date. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this date change may cause and appreciate your understanding.
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FCPS Student Fasting Meal Kits |
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.
Parents or guardians must submit a weekly request form via the FCPS FNS website by the deadlines:
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March 9, 2026 for the week of March 16, 2026
Forms must be submitted on time to receive meal kits for the following week.
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FCPS Summer Camps |
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.
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Twice Exceptional Student Webinars |
Fairfax County Public Schools Twice Exceptional (2E) Series:
Friday, May 15, 2026 - 10:00 - 11:30 AM - Beyond High School: Preparing Twice-exceptional Students for College, Career, and Adult Life Through Executive Functioning and Essential Life Skills.
All webinars are FREE to families, educators, and community members. This webinar is for adults only. Register using this link.
For more information, call 703-204-3941 or visit us at: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/family-engagement/family-resource-center Please call us to make a request for ADA accommodations.
Interpreters are available if requested at least a week before the webinar. Interpretation cannot be guaranteed. We will have closed-captioning in any chosen language if we cannot find an interpreter.
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Volunteer FCPS Update |
💗 Register Today With Volunteer FCPS
Volunteer FCPS allows individuals to search and register for volunteer opportunities. It helps ensure a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment here at [School]. All volunteers must:
- Create a profile in Volunteer FCPS.
- Register for opportunities through Volunteer FCPS.
- Sign in and out of schools using the visitor kiosk.
At the Volunteer FCPS site, you can complete a volunteer orientation. Visit the Volunteer FCPS Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
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2025-26 Early Release Wednesdays |
⏰ Limited Early Release Days for Elementary Schools (K-6 only)
Early Release Wednesdays apply only to students in grades K-6. Preschool students still attend school for their regular hours.
While we anticipate that most students will be dismissed at 12:05 p.m. on limited early release Wednesdays, we recognize that some families may require childcare. These students will be supervised by school-based staff. No new instruction will take place, as after-school care is strictly supervision.
Remaining 3-hour early release days for our school will include:
Every year, March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. The month is set aside to honor women’s contributions in American history.Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.
Read more about Women’s History Month in National Geographic Kids.
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