WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE FOREST - 3/13/26

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Mon, Mar 16 -    Kindergarten Evening Registration,                            4:30-7:00pm                            PTA Virtual Meeting, 7:00pm Fri, Mar 20 -       NO SCHOOL, Eid al-Fitr Holiday Sat, Mar 21 -      STEM FEST, 11am-1pm Mon, Mar 23 -    Curriculum Knight, 6:30-8:00pm Wed, Mar 25 -    3-hr Early Release, Dismissal                            begins at 12:35pm Fri, Mar 27 -       End of 3rd Quarter, 2-hr early                            release, Dismissal begins at 1:35pm Mar 30-Apr 3 -   NO SCHOOL, Spring Break Mon, Apr 6 -      NO SCHOOL, Teacher Workday Fri, Apr 10 -       NO SCHOOL, School Planning Day                            Kindergarten Orientation,                            8:30-10:00am Mon, Apr 13 -    NEW DATE: 3rd Grade Recorder                            Concert, 7:00pm Wed, Apr 15 -    FCPS Purple Up! Day Tue, Apr 21 -     NO SCHOOL, Statewide Election

Good afternoon Newington Forest Families,

I know many NFES families were impacted by Thursday morning's power outage. I hope everything has been restored in your homes. Our school also lost power yesterday, but thankfully everything here was fully restored before student arrival.

Next week, 5th grade will begin the Integrated Reading and Writing (IRW) assessment. Please ensure that your students are well rested and arrive to school on time. Please see below for a detailed SOL Testing schedule.

On Monday, March 16th, we will have: 

• Kindergarten Evening Registration, 4:30-7:00pm. Ms. Padua, Student Registrar, will be available to receive your registration documentation. If you have questions about registering your rising Kindergartener, please contact Ms. Padua at jpadua@fcps.edu.
• Virtual PTA Meeting, 7:00pm. This is the zoom link to join: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/91569021385?from=addon

Please be sure to RSVP for Curriculum Knight on March 23rd at http://bit.ly/NFESFamilyLearning! Our teachers are preparing for a fun night for students in grades K-6. 

Last thing - did you hear the news about April 21st? There will be no school for students due to a Statewide Special Election. Please see below for more details.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Angela Thompson
Principal

Goodbye Tent!

If the front of our school building looks a little different to you, it's because the big white tent has come down. After the ice and snow storms this winter (including yesterday's surprise!), the tent started to lean so we requested removal for safety. 

When: Saturday, March 21, 2026
Time: 11am - 1pm
Where: Newington Forest Elementary School

Enjoy FREE activities related to STEM, including Robotics, Coding, Experiments, and more! 

For students in Pre-Kindergarten through 6th Grade!

Pre-register or register on-site!
https://bit.ly/3N8hXhx?r=qr

Questions? Email: steamologyus@gmail.com

Family Curriculum Knight

WHO: All K-6 Students & Families
WHEN: Monday, March 23, 6:30 - 8:00 PM
WHERE: Newington Forest Elementary

RSVP: http://bit.ly/NFESFamilyLearning

Tuesday, April 1, 2026
8:30am – 10:00am

To accommodate the busy lives of our families, we will be hosting 2 Registration Nights in addition to our daytime appointments.

For registration questions, please contact Ms. Jessi Padua, our School Registrar, at jpadua@fcps.edu. Visit http://bit.ly/3KZQVY3 to make a registration appointment.

Newington Forest Elementary
SOL Schedule Spring 2026

Our SOL testing days are just around the corner! You can help your student feel confident and ready by reviewing the schedule and ensuring they arrive at school on time. If you know your child will be absent on a testing day, please notify their teacher as soon as possible so we can plan accordingly.

Family Engagement Survey Open Through March 23

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 received 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.

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.

See Dr. Reid's message about the school closure here: https://www.fcps.edu/news/school-closure-april-21-2026-special-election

Community Conversations: Share Your Thoughts With Dr. Reid

Connecting with community members across our school division is critical to FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid. Her Community Conversations are opportunities for you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Events will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (unless otherwise noted) on: 

• Tuesday, March 17, from 6:45 to 7:45 p.m., at Glen Forest Elementary School.
• Monday, March 23, at Ravensworth Elementary School.
• Monday, April 13, at Belle View Elementary School.
• Monday, April 20, at Westgate Elementary School.
• Wednesday, April 22, at Crestwood Elementary School.

Click on a date to register to attend that event. Registration is not required, but helps with planning, especially for child care and interpretation services. Events are open to all. Visit the superintendent’s engagement page for the most up-to-date information.

FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story so we can all acknowledge the good work of our Newington Forest staff members.

FCPS News In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others: 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.

8001 Newington Forest Ave. Springfield, VA 22153  |  Phone: 703.923.2600

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