Dear Navy Families,

As we head into the weekend, I am filled with pride reflecting on the incredible spirit of our students this week. From our classrooms to the spelling stage, our "Navy Stars" are showing exactly what it means to lead with heart.

We have officially begun our Special Olympics training! It has been truly moving to watch our 6th-grade student coaches partner with our athletes in the Enhanced Autism classes. This collaboration is more than just practice; it’s about building a culture of inclusion and friendship.

These teams are working hard as they prepare for the "Feet Meet" at Madison High School this spring. I am so excited for both our coaches and our Olympians as they represent the very best of our school community.

Our annual Navy Spelling Bee was a masterclass in courage. Standing on that stage and tackling complex words takes immense bravery, and every participant should be incredibly proud of their effort.

Please join me in congratulating our top finishers:

School Champion: Mohil Bhandari. Mohil will advance to represent Navy Elementary at the Fairfax County Regional Bee! First Runner-Up: Eva Ahn. We are including Eva in this celebration as our official alternate. Should Mohil be unable to participate, Eva will step in to represent our school at the regional level.

We are so impressed by the dedication these students showed to their craft. We wish Mohil (and Eva) the best of luck as they prepare for the next round! A HUGE thank you to Khyati Desai for spearheading the spelling bee with me! This would not have been possible without your thoughtful leadership! Thanks for making it happen!

As we transition into the weekend, I hope you find time to rest and recharge. Whether you are out on the fields or enjoying a quiet moment at home, thank you for being such a supportive part of our crew.

Have a wonderful weekend, and we will see everyone back on Monday!

Warmly,

Jason, Sarah, and Kim

Our next next 3 hour early release is Wednesday, March 25.

We kindly ask families to arrange any transportation changes ahead of the early release day whenever possible. For example, if multiple students will be picked up together in Kiss and Ride, written permission from each family is required. When these arrangements are made on the day of early dismissal, it creates significant pressure for our wonderful front office staff as they work to ensure every student gets home safely. Planning ahead helps our dismissal process run smoothly and keeps students safe.

• A reminder that we will dismiss based on your dismissal plan you shared for the school year.
• You can check in our Early Release Checker: https://bit.ly/NavyERChecker
• If changes to the dismissal plan need to be made, please call the office (703) 262-7100. Changes cannot be made past 3/23 without admin approval. 

Thank you for your partnership in planning and safely dismissing all of our students!

A select group of our students has begun training as Inclusion Champions through the Special Olympics Virginia (SOVA) peer athlete program. Under the mentorship of Eucee, these student leaders are learning to foster a school culture defined by unity and compassion. During their training, they explored diversity and the importance of person-first language to ensure every peer feels respected.

We want to share a huge thank you to Eucee for leading these sessions to mentor these young leaders. We are so grateful for Eucee’s leadership in teaching our students how to advocate for others and model the strengths of inclusion alongside their peers in our Enhanced Autism Classrooms.

A huge round of applause to our Spelling Bee Champion, Mohil, and First Runner-Up, Eva, for their exceptional performances in the Navy Elementary School Spelling Bee! Both students demonstrated impressive preparation, composure, and perseverance throughout the competition. We are incredibly proud of their achievements.

As our School Champion, Mohil will advance to represent Navy Elementary at the Fairfax County Regional Bee. In the event the champion is unable to participate, Eva will be invited to step in, ensuring Navy is well-represented at the regional level.

Resources for Aspiring Spellers

If your student is inspired to start practicing for next year, families can use the free Word Club app from the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The app includes spelling and vocabulary quizzes for the 450 School Spelling Bee Study List words and all 4,000 Words of the Champions.

• Practice Link: spellingbee.com/word-club

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 school year!  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.

Early Registration Ends 4/1/26

Information

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

This week, we join schools across the county in celebrating National School Social Work Week. It is the perfect opportunity to recognize the tireless dedication, empathy, and expertise that school social workers bring to our educational community every day.

We are incredibly fortunate to have Salima Jiwa as our School Social Worker. Salima serves as a vital bridge between the school, the home, and the community, ensuring that every student has the social and emotional support they need to thrive academically and personally.

Calling all swimmers ages 5-18! The Franklin Farm Froggers will be opening registration to new and experienced swimmers beginning March 29th. Come join our fun Frogger family! It's the best way to spend your summer, lots of social opportunities, great teamwork and of course many splashes!

New interested family meeting will take place March 18th at 8 PM. Click here to  obtain more information.

Registration dates

March 29th- Returning families 

April 5th- New Franklin Farm Families 

April 8th - Franklin Farm adjacent families 

Swimmers must be able to pass a standard swim test to join the team and register as a member of Franklin Farm pools (memberships are available to families outside of FF). Volunteer hours for parents are required as well. We can't wait to have you be a part of our team!

Updates:

1. Due by Thursday, March 19
2. Students must work individually, not in pairs. 

Calling all student artists! This year’s theme is “Making Kindness Happen.” One winner from Grades K–2 will be featured on the back cover, and one winner from Grades 3–6 will be featured on the front cover of the 2025–2026 yearbook. Both winners will receive a FREE yearbook!

Artwork must include “Navy Elementary” and “2025–2026,” be original, in color, vertical on white 8 ½ x 11 paper, and outlined in black. Entries are due to the front office by Thursday, March 19 with the submission form attached.

We can’t wait to see our students’ creativity shine! ✨

Our SOL testing season is approaching, and we want to help families plan ahead. Please take note of the following SOL dates and help your child be prepared by arriving on time and avoiding appointments or vacations on these days.Thank you for supporting your child during testing season. 

Monday, March 23 | 5th Grade IRW

Wednesday, May 6 | 5th & 6th Grade Reading

Thursday, May 7 | 3rd & 4th Grade Reading

Tuesday, May 12 | 5th Grade Science

Thursday, May 14 | 3rd & 4th Grade Math

Tuesday, May 19 | 5th & 6th Grade Math