📅Save the Dates

March 19, 2026 - CMS YAM Art Show @ McLean Community Center

March 20, 2026 -  Holiday - Eid al-Fitr & Nowruz

March 23, 2026 - PTO GM Meeting @ 9:00AM

March 27, 2026 - End of Quarter 3 - 2-Hour Early Release

March 30 - April 3, 2026 - Spring Break

April 14, 2026 - CMS v LMS Basketball @ McLean HS Girls Game 6:00 Boys Game 7:00

COOPER CALENDAR

2025-2026 School Year Calendar

2025-2026 Cooper MS Calendar

FCPS Silent Meditation and Reflection Spaces for Students

Cooper provides quiet spaces for students and staff to pray, meditate, or sit quietly. Students may use the space during instructional time only if they have an approved accommodation, provided by the parent.  If a student needs to miss class regularly to use the space, a parent or caregiver must give written permission. Requests should be made to your child’s counselor. 

Cooper Science Bowl Team Heads to National Finals

On March 7, Cooper Middle School won first place at the 25th Virginia Regional Middle School Science Bowl, hosted by the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility in Newport News, Virginia. Cooper Team One went undefeated throughout the tournament and will represent Virginia at the NSB National Finals in Washington, D.C. Cooper Team Two also had a strong performance, finishing third place in the competition.

Cooper Middle School Team One — 1st Place (Regional Champion) 

• Jeremy K. (Captain)
• Ian C.
• Zhirun L.
• Armaan A.

Cooper Middle School Team Two - 3rd Place

• Andrew L. (Captain)
• Aaron L.
• Henry L.
• Connor E.
• Michelle Z.

2026 Youth Art Show🏫🎨🖼️✨

The 2026 Youth Art Show at the McLean Project for the Arts features a collection of work from students across the FCPS McLean Pyramid, spanning from elementary to high school.

Below are the key details for the Langley Pyramid showcase:

Event Schedule

• Exhibition Dates: March 19 through April 6.
• Opening Reception: Thursday, March 19, from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM.

Gallery Location & Hours

• Address: 1234 Ingleside Avenue, McLean, VA 22101.
• Standard Hours: Monday through Saturday, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
• Special Hours: The gallery will offer extra hours on Sundays specifically for this show.

Sponsorship and Contact

• Sponsors: The event is sponsored by Transurban (495/95/395 Express Lanes) and the Prendergast Team.
• Contact Number: 703-790-1953.

Cooper vs Longfellow Basketball Game

COOPER VS LONGFELLOW

TUESDAY APRIL 14TH

GIRLS GAME @ 6 PM

BOYS GAME @ 7 PM

MCLEAN HIGH SCHOOL

REGISTRATION BEFORE TRYOUTS

SEE MR. KLENA WITH QUESTIONS 

BEFORE PARTICIPATING IN TRYOUTS (DATES TBD) STUDENTS NEED:

1). ON-LINE REGISTRATION SUBMITTED. CLICK HERE

2). PPE SUBMITTED.  CLICK HERE

3). EMERGENCY CONTACT FORM SUBMITTED.  CLICK HERE

💜🎖️April is the Month of the Military Child

Celebrate Purple Up! Day💜

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is gearing up to honor and celebrate its military-connected youth in April, the Month of the Military Child, and on Purple Up! Day! 

This year, Virginia will celebrate Purple Up! Day on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. Purple Up! Day is a special day for communities to come together and wear purple as a visible gesture of support for our military-connected youth and their families. Purple symbolizes the combined colors of all branches of the military. 

FCPS Purple Up! T-shirts and other items are available for purchase now through Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in our Custom Ink online store. These items highlight our gratitude and appreciation for our 14,500 military-connected students and their families. #PurpleUpFCPS! 

For more information and/or to connect with FCPS resources, email us at militaryfamilies@fcps.edu. 

🏃‍♂️🏃‍♀️Track Season

Track season is right around the corner! We are excited to kick off the spring season and wanted to share some important information.

Practice Schedule

• Practices will begin on Monday, April 7th
• Practices will be held after school on Mondays and Wednesdays

Meet Dates

• 4/25 – Herndon High School
• 5/2 – Thomas Jefferson (TJ)
• 5/9 – West Potomac High School
• 5/16 – Oakton High School
• 5/30 – Robinson High School (County Championship)

Registration & Physical RequirementsAll athletes must be registered using the link below. In addition, all students must have an up to date FCPS sports physical on file dated after 2/7/25. A link to a blank physical form is included below for your convenience.

Completed physicals and updated Emergency Care Cards may be submitted to the front office or emailed directly to Mr. Kaden at jtkaden@fcps.edu.

Track and Field Registration

FCPS MS Sports Physical

Emergency Care Card

Great Falls Optimist Club Spring Children's Festival 2026

Spring Children's Festival

• Date:  April 26th (last Sunday in April)
• Time: 12-4PM
• Rain Date: First Sunday in May
• Mechanical & Inflatable Rides International Food Games
• Face Painting Obstacle Courses Local Vendors Pirate Raffle & More
• Located Behind Great Falls Post Office
• Cost: $20. Under 2 & Parents are FREE.
• More details: GreatFallsOptimistVA.org
• TTR
• These materials are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Fairfax County School Board, the Superintendent, or this school.
• Proud Sponsor Sotheby's INTERNATIONAL REALTY

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!

22nd Annual Techstravaganza🔬🏗️📊

The leadership of Tomorrow’s Women in Science and Technology (TWIST), is a student organization at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST). Each year, they promote STEM through their annual flagship outreach event, Techstravaganza, and they would like to invite our school’s students to attend!

Techstravaganza is a free, public, hands-on STEM activity fair for elementary and middle school students in Northern Virginia. In previous years, they have hosted more than 4,500 students and 70 labs presenting STEM activities. Exhibitors range from TJHSST clubs and their own TWIST volunteers to organizations like NASA SCaN, Art of Problem Solving, George Mason University, American Society of Naval Engineers, and the National Air and Space Museum.  This year, the event will take place  on Saturday, May 16, 2026 from 10 AM to 4 PM at TJHSST.

Admission is free!  Click on the registration link: https://tinyurl.com/Techstravaganza26

More information about the event can be found on our website at https://techstrav.org/index.html or tjpartnershipfund.org/techstravaganza/. 

Summer Opportunities

2026 FCPS Career and Technical Education Summer Academy (CSA)

CTE Summer Academy is a weekly enrichment program that allows students to dive deeper into CTE program areas, and encourages skill development and career exploration.

Students choose 4 classes each week they participate and learn new content, discover interests, and build their skills.

Registration opens February 2nd - June 5th

Visit the CTE Summer Academy webpage: bit.ly/FCPS_CSA for more information!

For questions, please contact Beth Mehr at bgmehr@fcps.edu

Summer Learning – FCPS Online Campus

Families interested in summer learning should visit FCPS Online Campus to explore available courses and complete enrollment.

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/summer-learning/online-campus

TEENS IN ACTION SUMMER CAMP 2026

In Person Registration Begins Tuesday, March 17, 2026.

RISING GRADES 9 – 12: June 22 – August 21, 2026 (Closed July 3, 2026)

RISING MIDDLE SCHOOL: July 1 – July 30, 2026 (Closed July 3, 2026)

Program Information:

• Program hours are Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Enrollment is free.
• Lunch and morning and afternoon snacks provided.

Teens in Action offers a variety of hands-on experiences in a safe and fun environment. Each camp provides exciting opportunities for self-discovery and skill building, with an emphasis on team building, leadership and workforce development.

Featuring Exciting Opportunities in:

• Job, Education & Career Readiness
• Science, Technology, Engineering & Math Exploration
• Sports, Recreation, Health, Fitness & Nutrition
• Music & Art
• Field Trips & much more!

Locations: Cathy Hudgins Community Center at Southgate Gum Springs Community Center • Huntington Community Center Hybla Valley Community Center • James Lee Community Center Jim Scott Community Center • Lorton Community Center Minnie H. Peyton Community Center At Bailey’s Mott Community Center • Pin Community Center Reston Teen Center • Sully Community Center Willston Multicultural Center

Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services Fairfax County is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all county programs, services and activities. Reasonable accommodations made upon request; call 703-324-4600. TTY 711. A Fairfax County, Virginia publication, Feb 2026

🏨News from Cooper Clinic

FCPS Illness Exclusion Guidance

Student Illness Guidance: When to Stay Home

This  guidance follows the FCPS attendance policy and reflects CDC guidance on preventing infections in K-12 schools. Guidance may change if a healthcare provider gives your child a specific diagnosis or there is an outbreak of a communicable disease at school. Visit FCPS’s attendance website for additional guidance on when to keep students home during an illness: https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/policies-regulations-and-notices/attendance-policies/attendance-recommendations

Immunization Events for FCPS Students

FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will provide school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students with no out-of-pocket costs. Multiple events will take place at designated FCPS locations. Additional dates will be available throughout the school year. 

Parents or guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary. View immunization resources on the FCPS website. 

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are an important part of Cooper Middle School, and we appreciate the time and support they provide. To enhance student safety, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has updated its volunteer process to include a sex offender registry check and, in some cases, a background check.

Anyone interested in volunteering — including field trip chaperones, book fair helpers, and classroom assistants — must register through Volunteer FCPS. 

For more details, visit the Volunteer FCPS FAQ page.

Reminder: All volunteers and visitors must sign in using the visitor kiosk and scan their ID.

Thank you for helping us keep our students safe and supported.

Community Updates from our Family Liaison

• Family Engagement Survey is open from Monday, March 9 – Monday, March 23.  FCPS is administering its third Family Engagement Survey to better recognize, understand, respect, and address family strengths and needs in our school communities. Results will be used to develop a plan to improve family and school partnerships throughout the division to support student success. Please click on link to complete the survey, access the survey from the FCPS website, or paper surveys are available in the Cooper Middle School Front Office. Surveys are available in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Dari, Farsi, Korean, Pashto, Spanish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.  All survey responses are confidential. The Office of Research and Program Evaluation is administering the survey and will compile results. Reports will only include overall findings, not individual responses. 
• Saturday, March 14^th: Free Books For All! Reading Opens the World Book Drive and Family Literacy Fair on Saturday March 14^thfrom 10am – 2pm at the Lorton Community Center (9520 Richmond Hwy, Lorton, VA 22079). Parents and guardians are welcome to choose up to 10 FREE BOOKS per child for home libraries, also hundreds of LEGO brick boxes are available while supplies last.  For more information, please contact Jack Delaney at jdelaney@fcft.org.
• Fairfax County Public Libraries Celebrate 250 Years of Women’s History (March. Women’s History Month)Join Fairfax County Public Library in celebrating Women’s History Month with presentations, storytimes, crafts, games, and other events for all ages that highlight the contributions of women throughout American history. For more information and event listings click on Fairfax County Public Library Women’s History Month Programs
• Mark your calendars: Military Family Field Day Saturday April 18, 2026, from noon to 2 p.m., at the Annandale High School football stadium. Families can participate in various field day activities and enjoy fun crafts. Snacks and treats will also be available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting FCPS High School student clubs and organizations.
• Neighborhood and Community Services is hosting Stuff the Bus on Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Residents may donate non-perishable food items at participating grocery locations to support local food pantries across the county. This one-day food drive helps restock shelves and support families experiencing food insecurity in our community. For additional information visit the website: www.fairfaxcounty.gov/NCS (Search: Stuff the Bus) or to request information in an alternate format, call 703-222-9764 (TTY 711).
• Adult ESOL learning opportunities: Join DCPS ACE for in-person adult classes from April 6 – June 11, in multiple locations across northern Virginia. For more details and registration, please visit  fcpsace.org, email adultesol@fcps.edu, or call 703-658-2777.
• The Career and Technical Education (CTE) office is once again planning engaging summer enrichment programs for students! For current 6th to 11th grade students, we have CTE Summer Academy. All information can be found at bit.ly/FCPS_CSA. Register today!

💙 Cooper Wear Donations - Share the Spirit!

Do you have Cooper Wear your student has outgrown or no longer needs?

We’d love to pass it along to new families and our rising 7th graders!

Students can drop off any items you’d like to share. Every piece helps a fellow Cooper family feel right at home!

If you have any questions, please reach out to our Family Liaison, Mollie Cannon, at mcannon@fcps.edu.

THE COOPER CONNECTION MAGAZINE

GET YOUR WORK PUBLISHED!

Parents, please encourage your students to submit any writing, artwork, photography, that they have created this year. This could be something they worked on in school or outside of school. Entries can be emailed to: Lmbovenzi@fcps.edu Or Cooperyearbook@gmail.com Or upload to the link below.

https://forms.gle/M19vcqzFRwrwk3PLA

📚 There is still time to Order Your Yearbook Today! Cost:  $42.00 🌐 Order Online: YearbookOrderCenter.com 🏫 School Order Number: 5267

Urgent Request from the Yearbook Staff! Families who want their students to be featured in the yearbook are invited to submit photos. Submission Method: Photos should be emailed to cooperyearbook@gmail.com. Last chance to submit any SUMMER, SPORTS, FIRST DAY, OR FALL photos of your student and friends!  Please email any photos you would want to see in the yearbook to Cooperyearbook@gmail.com ASAP. THANK YOU!

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
Attendance: 703.442.5858 | Student Services: 703.442.5812 | Web | Twitter