2025-26 FCPS School Calendar

• March 30-April 3: NO School and Office Closed: 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
• April 10: PTA Skate Night, 7:30 pm, SkateQuest in Reston
• April 14: Family Science Night, 6:00 pm
• April 17: Spring Picture Day
• April 21: Student Holiday, Election Day
• April 22: CANCELED: 3-Hour Early Release 
• April 23: School Bus Driver Appreciation Day
• April 23: 29th Annual Career Day
• April 23: Full Time AAP Orientation Night, 6:00 pm

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

Student dressed in cultural attire for HES Heritage Night.

Message from Principal Vereb 

🐝 Principal Vereb's Weekly Reflections from the Hive

Dear Herndon ES Families

This week, our work continued to center on relationships, student growth, and preparing for a strong future together. I am grateful for the time to connect with many of you and to see our students thriving in so many ways.

Here are a few highlights from the week:

• I continued home visits as part of my listening tour. These conversations are helping us better understand our families and strengthen the partnership between home and school.
• Our team moved forward with interviews as we grow for next year. We are excited to welcome new team members who will support our students and contribute to our positive school culture.
• We were honored to welcome Dr. Nardos King, our Chief of Equity. She spent time learning about our progress toward reading by third grade and reviewing our third grade data aligned to our strategic plan.
• Our students completed the IRW assessment this week. We are proud of their effort and focus during this important measure of their learning.
• I met with staff who support our patrol program as we begin planning for next year. We are focused on strengthening opportunities for student leadership and meaningful service.
• I visited Braddock Elementary to learn alongside another Spanish Immersion school and will continue this learning with a visit to Bailey’s Upper in April.
• Our renovation planning continues with bi-weekly meetings. We are seeing strong progress as we prepare for the next phase of construction over Spring Break.
• I also enjoyed hosting lunch bunches with our students. This week, I met with a thoughtful group of third grade girls and a close-knit and funny group of fifth grade boys. These moments help me stay connected to student voice and experience.

💃🏽Moment of Celebration: Heritage Night

We are deeply grateful for the incredible turnout at this year’s Heritage Night. It was a beautiful evening filled with connection, pride, and shared learning across our school community.

Students, families, and staff came together to celebrate the many cultures and traditions that make our community strong. Through conversations, performances, and shared experiences, we were reminded that we learn best when we learn together.

Thank you to everyone who attended, participated, and helped make the evening so meaningful. Your presence and partnership continue to strengthen our school community in lasting ways.

👏🏼Moment of Celebration: Attendance Progress

Our sustained, schoolwide focus on attendance is making a meaningful difference for students. We are proud to share that our chronic absenteeism rate has reached an all-time low of 8.0% and ending the week at 8.2%.

This progress reflects the collective impact of:

• Clear, consistent attendance systems and monitoring
• Early outreach and support for students showing early signs of concern
• Strong collaboration between staff, families, and support teams

This work ensures more students are present, engaged, and positioned for success each day. Our goal is to continue this momentum and move toward the lowest possible chronic absenteeism rate. With continued partnership, we know this is within reach.

Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to your child’s success and to our school community.

We wish all of our families a restful and joyful Spring Break. We look forward to welcoming our students back refreshed and ready for a strong finish to the school year as we gear up for our SOLs.

In Your Service,

Dr. Monika Vereb

Principal

📸Snapshots from Principal Vereb

Heritage Night 2026

Spring Break
March 30-April 3

Schools and school offices will be closed from Monday, March 30, to Friday, April 3, for spring break.

Monday, April 6 is a teacher work day and Friday, April 10, is a staff planning day. There will be no school for students on these days. 

See the school year calendar or employee calendar.

Kindergarten Orientation
April 10, 10:00 am 

Join us on Friday, April 10, 10:00 am to learn more about kindergarten at Herndon Elementary.  All parents and rising kindergartners are invited to attend this orientation to get ready for Kindergarten. 

If you have questions regarding kindergarten registration, please reach out to Ms. Sirajudin at (703) 326-3100 or email at ssirajudin@fcps.edu.

More information about registering your child can be found here.  

PTA Skate Night
Friday, April 10

Lace up your skates and join us for a night of fun on the ice! Herndon Elementary’s Skate Night is happening on Friday, April 10 from 7:30-9:30 pm at SkateQuest in Reston. Bring your family and friends for an evening of music, laughter, and icy adventures!

Family Science Night is Coming to Herndon Elementary!
April 14

Join us for Family Science Night on April 14, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm, brought to you by the Children’s Science Center Lab. Activities include: Stacking Currency: Building Financial Literacy, Monster Math: Creating with Probability, Forensic Fun: Mystery Solved, among others. Students will be participating in these hands-on experiments, specially designed to provoke interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

Volunteers are needed from 5:15 – 7:45 pm to set up, assist students with activities, and clean up. We hope to see you there!

April Early Release Wednesday Canceled

Elementary schools only

Elementary Early Release Wednesday Update for April, Tuesday, April 21, is now a teacher workday and staff development day because of a recently announced special election that will impact all FCPS schools.

Students will now have a traditional full day of instruction and be released at the regular dismissal time on April 22.

This adjustment allows our staff to still have dedicated time for planning, collaboration, and professional learning without reducing instructional time on other school days.Read Dr. Reid’s letter to elementary parents for more details.

Herndon Fortnightly Library
April 2026

Robotics with RISE!
Saturday, April 4 | 3-5pm | Ages 8-12
Registration required

Read to the Dogs
Monday, April 6 | 7pm | Ages 3+
15-minute spots | Registration required

Bedtime Stories
Tuesday, April 7 | 6:30pm | All Ages

Storytime Yoga
Saturday, April 11 | 11am | Ages 3-7
Registration required 

Time Travel Club
Saturday, April 18 | 12pm | Ages 8-12
Registration required

Earth Day Party
Wednesday, April 22 | 2-3pm | Ages 3+

Maker Mondays!
4-6pm | Ages 5+
Spend the afternoon exploring our STEAM
equipment!
Monday, April 13: Spheros
Monday, April 20: Lego Club
Monday, April 27: Build & Make

Wellness & Sensory Zone
Saturday, April 25 | 12-2pm
All Ages | Drop-in

Check online for complete details and registration information.

Participants under 12 must be supervised by an adult at all times during all programs.

Inova Healthy Plate Club

Free Online Cooking Classes

What: Try new vegetables - cook a new recipe in each class!
We provide the ingredients to any family who needs assistance.

Who: 1st - 7th graders in Northern Virginia who are eligible
for free/reduced lunch and/or who attend Title 1 schools.
*For students with food allergies, please contact us.

Time: 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Day: Tuesdays
Dates: Apr. 7, 14, 21, and 28; May 5
Students must attend all five classes.

Text: 571-328-2802
Email: HealthyPlateClub@inova.org
Register: https://bit.ly/4oGbfxi

"This is neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Fairfax County School Board, the Superintendent, or Herndon ES."

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

• School Weather Safety
• Science Fair Winners
• Summer Internships at FCPS

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
Attendance: 703-326-3131 | Web | Twitter | Facebook