2025-26 FCPS School Calendar

• March 16: Music in our School Monday! Wear a music t-shirt
• March 18: 3-Hour Early Release at 1:05 pm
• March 20: No School, Eid-al-Fitr and Nowruz 
• March 26: Heritage Day and Night! Wear culture inspired attire
• March 27: 2-Hour Early Release at 2:05 pm, End of 3rd Quarter
• March 30-April 3: No School, Spring Break
• April 6: Student Holiday, Teacher Work Day
• April 10: Student Holiday, School Planning Day
• April 10: Kindergarten Orientation, 10:00 am-11:30 am

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Principal Dr. Vereb having lunch bunch with 6th graders

Message from Principal Vereb 

🐝 Principal Vereb's Weekly Reflections from the Hive

Dear HES Families,

It was another full and energizing week in the Hive. I continue to be grateful for the learning, collaboration, and community that make Herndon Elementary such a special place for our students.

🦒Learning in Action

This week I had the pleasure of joining Kindergarten during their Zoo learning experience. Students researched an animal of their choice and then shared their learning during a gallery walk. It was wonderful to see our youngest Bees demonstrating strong Portrait of a Graduate (POG) skills, confidently presenting their work and engaging with peers and adults about their learning.

🛩️On Tuesday, many of our students had the opportunity to travel to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, where they explored aviation and space history. Experiences like this help bring classroom learning to life.

👂Listening to Students

This week also marked the launch of student listening tours. I hosted my first Lunch Bunch with sixth graders, and it was a fantastic conversation. In the coming weeks I will continue meeting with students in small groups to hear about their experiences as Bees. These conversations help us understand our strengths as a school community and identify opportunities for growth.

📚Supporting Student Success

Our staff continued strong work this week to support student learning and well-being:

• Staff and I continued 1:1 check-ins using our four guiding questions to stay focused on student outcomes.
• We conducted targeted MTSS behavior lessons with fifth grade to help reset expectations and support a strong finish to the school year.
• Students participated in both our monthly fire drill and our required tornado drill as part of safety preparedness and Tornado Awareness Month.

We also finalized several important instructional plans:

• Our SOL preparation plan for April and May
• Spring Sprouts and Blooming Readers, our spring break program supporting literacy and core instruction
• iPFIT Buy Back opportunities for attendance support

🌎Looking Ahead: Spanish Immersion Program

On Thursday we conducted Spanish Immersion classroom walkthroughs. As we look ahead, I will be partnering with our FCPS World Languages Office to strengthen several areas of the program, including:

• Literacy development in both English and Spanish
• Assessment for student onboarding
• Scheduling structures
• Professional learning for teachers

Our goal is to ensure that every student in the program develops strong bilingual literacy and thrives academically.

🪑Modernization Planning

This week we also met with School Specialty to finalize the furniture order for our modernization project. It is exciting to see these plans continue to move forward as we prepare learning spaces that support collaboration, creativity, and student engagement for years to come.

🏡Family Leadership and PTA Support

Thursday evening I joined our Executive Board meeting, where we discussed the importance of strong family leadership in supporting our students and school community.

In the coming weeks, families will see a call to action from the PTA inviting parents to join and consider leadership or committee roles for next year. A strong PTA helps ensure that our students benefit from enriching events and programs.

At this time, we are also seeking parent leaders to support two upcoming events due to changes in volunteer availability:

• Spring Book Fair (we did host one in the fall and most schools only conduct one)
• Movie Night

If you are interested in helping with either event, please watch for information from the PTA about how to get involved.

As we approach the end of the school year, we will also be working to elect a full Executive Board and committee volunteers. The PTA will be sharing information about the responsibilities and commitments associated with each role.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our students and staff. The strength of the Hive comes from the collaboration between our families, educators, and community.

I look forward to another great week ahead.

Warmly,

Dr. Monika Vereb

Principal Herndon Elementary School 🐝

📸Snapshots from Principal Vereb

Living Zoo, steam teacher and students strategizing, Science Olympiad, and Lego fun.

HES Heritage Night is Coming!
March 26

Thursday, March 26, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm

Save the date for our exciting Annual Heritage Night!  Experience our community's vibrant heritage and many cultures at one of our most popular events of the season.

Families, if you have an artifact that represents your heritage and would like to share it that evening, please bring it to the main office to Mrs. Perez before or that night.  Make sure you put your name and phone number on it so it can  be returned.

We need volunteers!  If you haven't registered with FCPS to be a volunteer, please do so today and you'll be all set to volunteer: Volunteer FCPS.

Please contact Mrs. Perez in the main office at MYPerez@fcps.edu

Herndon ES March Madness Calendar

Parents, our students love dressing up for spirit days!  We're so excited to share our March calendar of spirit days with you!  From Music in our Schools Monday (wear a music themed t-shirt) on March 16 to our Heritage Day and night (wear cultural inspired attire) on March 26, these are exciting ways to bring extra joy to our school days. 

Also, every Wednesday wear college or career gear and on Fridays wear Herndon ES spirit wear, school colors red, yellow, and black, or anything with bees on it.  Go HES Bees! 🐝🐝

Gratis Taller para padres por 10 semanas ofrecido en Español

Cuando:

Jueves
Cena 6:00pm
Clases 6:30 – 8:30pm             

Dónde:

Herndon Middle School
Biblioteca

En persona:

Abril 9, 16, 23, 30
Mayo 7, 14, 21, 28
Junio 4, 11

Cena y guarderia gratis

Escanee el código QR para registrarse

Military Family Field Day
April 18

Fairfax County Public Schools is excited to celebrate our military-connected children and families with a fun-filled field day! As we recognize April as the Month of the Military Child, we invite your school’s clubs, PTA, or office/organization to sponsor an activity for this event!  You may also sign up to provide a food/beverage item for purchase as a fundraiser for your organization.

Military Family Field Day will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2026, from noon to 2 p.m. at Annandale High School’s football stadium, 4700 Medford Dr, Annandale, VA 22003. Set up for the event will begin at 11:00 a.m., with tear down immediately following the event.

As the sponsor of an activity or food/beverage item, your organization is responsible for the materials, set up, tear down, volunteers, and supervision of your activity during the event.  

Contact: FCPS Military Families

April Statewide Election
No School for Students

There will be no school for students on Tuesday, April 21, for the Virginia statewide election. Student activities, athletic practices, and events may proceed as scheduled. 

Fairfax County Public Schools will still exceed the required number of instructional hours for students, as set by the Virginia Department of Education.

Phones Off, Learning On

FCPS’ cell phone policy helps students focus, learn, and engage. When students put their phones away, they have more face-to-face interactions with their peers and teachers and more opportunities to develop resilience and problem-solving skills. Please remind your child that:

• Cell phones and personal devices (earbuds, headsets, other items connected to the internet) must be off and away for the entire school day (bell to bell).
• Smart watches that serve a dual purpose may be worn, but the phone features (texting, Internet viewing, and calls) are to be off when phone use is prohibited.

If you need to contact your child during the school day, please call our front office at [phone number]. Visit our cell phone policy web

Family Engagement Survey is Open 

FCPS is administering our Family Engagement Survey, which will be open through 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.

🐝

Countdown to Kindergarten: Supporting a Smooth Transition

Is your child heading to kindergarten this fall? 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 am.

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. 

Registering your child early helps schools prepare and ensure they have the necessary teachers and resources in place on the first day of school.  A child may enter kindergarten for this coming school year if he or she turns five on or before September 30, 2026.   

If you have not registered your child, we are scheduling appointments for all rising kindergartners.  We have Spanish translators in the office and can arrange for other languages as well.  Please contact Shermin Sirajudin, our Student Information Assistant, by email at ssirajudin@fcps.edu or by phone at 703-326-3108.

✨ Save the date! Herndon Elementary Kindergarten Orientation will be on Friday, April 10 at 10:00 am.

Visit the Herndon ES registration webpage for more details.

Herndon Elementary School 

Our Amazon Wish List has recently been updated with current classroom and student needs, as we items to support our teacher break snack cart.

Please consider sharing the link with your families and school community. Donations directly support our students and help ensure classrooms remain well stocked with essential supplies throughout the year.

We are grateful for your partnership in supporting our school community.

District News
In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)

• • FCPS NewsIn case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
  • Family Engagement Survey
  • Student Honors
  • No School on April 21

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

Follow the Herndon Elementary renovation progress which is located on the FCPS website by clicking here.

Administration E-mail:

• Principal, Monika Vereb mgvereb1@fcps.edu 
• Assistant Principal, Elizabeth Baxter eabaxter@fcps.edu 
• Assistant Principal, Daphne Holliday daholliday@fcps.edu
• Assistant Principal, Kelly Cosgrove kmcosgrove@fcps.edu

📸(Left to Right): Mrs. Cosgrove, Dr. Vereb, Mrs. Holliday, and Mrs. Baxter

Do you know a Herndon Elementary staff member who goes above and beyond or turns the ordinary into something extraordinary? If so, click here to nominate them for FCPS Cares and help us share their story.

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630 Dranesville Rd. Herndon, VA 20170  | Main Office: 703-326-3100
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