Hunters Woods News and Notes: March 13, 2026


English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو


Calendar Reminders

📌Saturday, March 14: PTA Used Book Sale, 10:00 – 4:00 p.m.

📌Wednesday, March 18: 3-hour early release, 12:40 p.m.

📌Friday, March 20: Student and Staff Holiday (Eid and Nowruz)

📌Thursday, March 26: Spring Picture Day rescheduled (see details below)

📌Friday, March 27: Career Day (see details below)

📌Friday, March 27: 2 hour early release, 1:40 p.m. (End of Quarter)

📌Monday, March 30 - Friday, April 3: Spring Break

📌Monday, April 6: Student Holiday (Teacher Workday)

📌Friday, April 10: Student Holiday (School Planning Day)

📌Friday, April 10: Kindergarten Orientation 9:15 a.m. (see details below)

📌Tuesday, April 14: Chamber Strings Concert, 6:00 p.m.

📌Friday, April 17: PTA Movie Night, 6:00 p.m.

📌Tuesday, April 21: Student Holiday (Election Day) see details below

📌Wednesday, April 22: 3-hour early release, 12:40 p.m.

📌Thursday, April 23: Art Night at Hunters Woods (details to come)


PTA Used Book Sale - March 14

Used Book Sale

Saturday, March 14

10am-4pm

Join us for our first ever Used Book Sale to support the Hunters Woods PTA.

This is a community event, so please invite your family, friends, and neighbors. We've got all types of books for kids and adults!


Early Release Reminders - March 18 and 27

Wednesday, March 18th is a 3-hour early release at 12:40 p.m. Please call the main office at 703-262-7400 with any questions or changes.

Friday, March 27th is a 2-hour early release. All students will be released at 1:40 p.m.


Eid al-Fitr - March 20

Eid

Eid Mubarak to those in our Muslim community celebrating! In Islam, Eid al-Fitr is a 3 day festival to mark the end of Ramadan. Muslims dress in new clothes, give charity, and pray in congregation. Eid is celebrated with the exchange of presents and delicious food with family and friends.


Nowruz - March 20

Nowruz

Nowruz Mobarak to all who celebrate! Nowruz, meaning “New Day,” is a more than 3,000-year-old spring festival marking the first day of the new year at the vernal equinox. Rooted in ancient Persian civilization, it is widely celebrated as the national new year in Iran and Afghanistan and across many Central Asian nations. Families welcome the new season with festive meals, gift-giving, and the beautiful tradition of the Haft-Seen table, filled with symbols of new life and renewal.


Spring Picture Day - March 26

Spring Picture Day 2026 - Rescheduled

What to expect on picture day

  1. When an order is placed online, the parent/guardian will receive a camera pass via email. This can either be printed or texted to the student and brought to picture day. The photographer will photograph the printed camera pass along with the student.
  2. If a student is not able to print their camera pass, that is not a problem. We will match up the student to their order manually in the production process.
  3. A parent may order from the flyer up until 24 hours after picture day. After 24 hours, the online ordering access may close. This will allow our imaging team to "Pull" all orders submitted and match them with the students photographed.
  4. When pictures are returned to school, all students that purchased pictures will receive their prepaid package. Any student that was photographed but did not order a package, will receive a "Proof" (PX) of their picture that was taken on picture day.

All proof packages offer parents a second opportunity to order prints. All orders are subject to shipping and handling costs of up to $8.50 and will be shipped directly to home. 


Small Story Squad 📖

Small Story Squad

Join us for Small Story Squad, a free activity for families with children under the age of 5. 

Come for 

  • A free book
  • A literacy activity
  • Snacks
  • AND FUN!

NEW DATES

March 16, 23

April 13, 20, 27

May 4, 11, 18


SOL Testing Dates - REVISED

SOL Testing UPDATE 2026

SOL Testing Dates

READING: Tuesday, May 5

MATH and ALGEBRA 1: Thursday, May 14

SCIENCE: Wednesday, May 20 (5th Grade Only)


Career Day: March 27 👩‍⚕️👨‍🚒

On Friday March 27, 2026 Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts & Sciences is hosting our annual Career Day extravaganza.  Our goal is to expand students' knowledge about the variety of career possibilities the future holds for them. By expanding their knowledge of different careers, we hope students will be motivated to connect what they are learning in school to their dreams and aspirations for their future.  We invite parents, relatives, friends, and other community members from all career fields to share their experiences with our students.  

If you are interested in sharing your career experiences, please complete this form (Career Day Information Form) no later than Friday, March 6, 2026.  After March 6th presenters will be contacted by email by one of our school counselors who will provide you with additional information and answer any questions you may have about your participation in the event.  Please note, March 27th is a two hour early dismissal day and as result career day will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Should you have any additional questions, please direct them to either of our school counselors, Stephanie Schauder (sschauder@fcps.edu) or Garry Carter (glcarter@fcps.edu).


Get 2 Green Student Action Summit

G2G

Join fellow FCPS students in grades K-12 for an evening of learning and connecting around environmental action at schools. The evening will include an opportunity for student sharing and facilitated discussion. This event is open to all students in Fairfax County Public Schools. Elementary school students must be accompanied by an adult.

Questions: Email Get2Green@fcps.edu

Register at: https://rb.gy/7cx0ih

Registration deadline: May 8, 2026


🐎Learn About Kindergarten at Hunters Woods

Our kindergarten orientation is being held on April 10 at 9:15 a.m. to give parents of students entering school in August an opportunity to learn more about kindergarten at our school. 

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 also an easy-to-follow five-step process outlined for registering your child for kindergarten. Register your child today! Contact our registrar at Mr. James Racine (jpracine@fcps.edu and 703.262.7400) with any questions.


FCPS PreK and Early Head Start are now accepting applications for SY 2026–2027!

The FCPS PreK and Early Head Start programs provide a high-quality early learning experience for qualifying children ages 6 weeks to 4 years old.

PreK: For children who will be age 3 or 4 by September 30, with priority given to 4-year-olds. 

Early Head Start: For children ages 0–2 and pregnant women who live in the Reston, Herndon, and Springfield areas. 

Come Apply In Person!

March 16th, 2026, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at Hunters Woods Elementary! 

Classrooms Fill Quickly.  Apply Early!

More information and the online application are available here.


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.


SLHS International Night - March 25

SLHS International Night

South Lakes High School is hosting our International Night on March 25th from 6:00 -8:30 p.m. International Night celebrates the diversity in the South Lakes and Reston community through interactive booths, a fashion show, and performances! This event is free and open to the public. 


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 703.262.7400. Visit our cell phone policy webpage for more information and answers to frequently asked questions.


Family Engagement Survey to Open March 9

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.


FCPS News

In 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.  


Quick Links