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Notes from the Nest

From the Principals’ Desk

As we head into Spring Break, we hope your family enjoys time to rest, recharge, and be together. Our Eagles have been working hard, and this is a well-deserved pause in the school year.

As you enjoy the break, we encourage you to sneak in a little reading each day. Even a few minutes can make a big difference. We look forward to welcoming our Eagles back ready to SOAR! 🦅

With appreciation,

April Martin, Proud Principal & Kassandra Flading, Assistant Principal

🦅 SOAR Shout-Outs

Ms. Julie Wines, 3rd Grade Teacher was recognized by FCPS CARES.  Read how she is rocking the SOAR Values!

“I first got to know Julie as a parent when my kids were in her third-grade class. Even back then, I could tell she was someone special. She truly cared about her students and always went the extra mile to make sure they felt supported, challenged, and valued. Now, getting to work alongside her on the same grade level has been such a full-circle moment for me. She’s not just a colleague; she’s been a mentor, friend, and someone I can always count on. She goes out of her way to make sure I’m doing well, whether that’s offering advice, helping me think through something, or just being there when I need support. She never makes you feel like you’re on your own. Julie gives that same level of care and dedication to everyone around her. Her students are at the center of everything she does, and it shows in the relationships she builds and the environment she creates in her classroom. She sets the standard for our school and is someone others naturally look to for guidance, truly exemplifying what it means to be an outstanding educator. She embodies FCPS values in everything she does and continues to support our school community by always stepping up and finding ways to make a difference. I feel really lucky that I got to experience her first as a teacher for my kids and now as a teammate. She truly goes above and beyond in every way, and she has made such an impact on me, her students, and our whole community.”

Submitted by:

Tamara Aburish

✨ Literacy Spotlight

What’s happened in Kindergarten Reading this week?

FCPS Goal 3: Academic Growth and Excellence: Benchmark

Kindergarten Unit 6 Essential Question:

How do we know what is right?

Our kindergarteners are beginning a new unit exploring folktales from different cultures. As they listen to and talk about these stories, they learn that folktales often teach important lessons about right and wrong. Students also discover that stories can show how ordinary people can do big things, especially when they work together.

➕ Math Spotlight

What’s happened in Pre-K grade math this week?

FCPS Goal 3: Academic Growth and Excellence: Student Centered Engagement

Pre-K  Focus for This Week 

Our Pre-K mathematicians are soaring as they explore numbers in fun, hands-on ways! Students are recognizing numbers through dice patterns, practicing writing numerals, and counting with manipulatives like chain links. They are also comparing quantities using “more” and “less,” and beginning simple addition and subtraction. Students are also building their pattern skills by extending ABA and ABBA patterns, and even creating colorful rainbow patterns to show their learning in new ways. Each child is growing at their own pace, with some focusing on numbers 1–6 and others extending their skills to 12—because Together We Soar!

🏡 Community Corner

Weather Safety

• FCPS Commitment to Weather Safety

At FCPS, the safety of our students, staff, and visitors is our highest priority — no matter the season. In extreme cold, we monitor National Weather Service (NWS) guidance, adjust outdoor activities, and ensure our buildings are warm and secure. In extreme heat, we modify or cancel outdoor activities, use on-site measurements to guide athletic decisions, and promote hydration and cooling breaks. 

FCPS has plans in place to provide guidance during severe weather, including storms, flooding, and tornadoes. Decisions are informed by industry best practices, weather alerts, and a commitment to keeping our school community safe and healthy year-round. Read more about weather safety, including the differences between an advisory, watch, and warning.

Budget

• Provide the County Government With Feedback on Its Budget

About 70% of the FCPS budget comes from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors is reviewing the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Advertised Budget and considering possible adjustments before adoption in May. Opportunities to provide feedback to the county include Budget Town Hall Meetings airing on Channel 16 on Tuesday, April 7, at 7 p.m., (Springfield District) and Friday, April 10, at 6 p.m., (Franconia District).

You can also provide your input during the county’s Budget public hearings on Tuesday, April 14, at 4 p.m., and Wednesday, April 15, and Thursday, April 16, at 3 p.m. at the Government Center Board Auditorium. Register in advance to speak. 

Visit the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors website to learn more about the county’s FY 2027 Budget. 

New Menu Items

• Discover What’s New on the Menu

FCPS is excited to bring new and flavorful menu items to students while continuing to meet the high nutrition standards you trust. The school division’s registered dietitian team has developed standards to make school meals healthier while still tasting great.

Here’s what students can look forward to:

• New globally inspired dishes that offer exciting flavors from around the world.
• Fresh ingredients like whole grains, lean proteins, and plant-based options.
• Scratch-made items like homemade granola.
• Vegetarian options, like the meatless Philly melt, which are available alongside classic favorites.

Our goal is to provide balanced, safe, and flavorful meals that support students’ learning, growth, and overall health.

Want to know what’s on the menu? Food and Nutrition Services has menus available. 

Community Conversations

• Community Conversations: Share Your Thoughts With Dr. Reid

As a listening leader, 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. on: 

• Monday, April 13, at Belle View Elementary School
• Thursday, April 16, at Ravensworth Elementary School (new date)
• 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 it 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.

April Early Release Wednesdays Canceled

• Elementary Early Release Wednesday Update for AprilTuesday, 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 have a traditional full day of instruction and be released at the regular dismissal time on April 22 and April 29, which were previously early release Wednesdays for elementary schools.

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.

Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) Screening for Subject Specific and Part-Time Services

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction to meet the needs of advanced learners.

Screening for Subject Specific and Part-Time Services
Students can be screened for subject specific and part time AAP services at any time in the school year. In the spring, schools review data on all students to determine services for the start of the next school year.

• Parents or guardians can initiate the screening process by submitting the AAP School-Based Services Referral Form to the Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART) or Assistant Principal by April 15, annually.
• The  AAP School-Based Services Referral Form may be found at https://www.fcps.edu/academics/academic-overview/advanced-academic-programs-aap/advanced-academic-program-aap-forms or by searching “AAP Forms” at https://www.fcps.edu/.
• Parents or guardians who submit a referral will be notified by the local elementary school of their student’s eligibility status by early June.

Screening Process for Subject Specific and Part-Time Services
Multiple criteria are reviewed holistically to determine eligibility for all FCPS advanced academic services. Committees consider student work from opportunities with AAP lessons, examples of student reasoning or gifted behaviors from class discussions and activities, progress reports, achievement and ability scores, and parent or guardian input. Committees consider whether students have access to a group of students with similar academic needs to support academic conversations and growth in the classroom.

Appeals Process for Subject Specific and Part-Time Services
If a parent or guardian wishes to appeal an ineligible decision, they may submit an appeal with new data for consideration by the local school screening committee. This new information should be submitted to the Advanced Academic Resource Teacher or Assistant Principal.

Subject Specific and Part-Time Services Overview

Subject Specific and Part-Time Services in Elementary School
FCPS offers a continuum of advanced academic services for all students in Grades K-12. The continuum of services approach allows for a focus on matching services to students’ needs rather than labeling students. Students have:

• Multiple entry points for deeper learning opportunities in specific areas of need as they develop.
• A cluster group of students with similar academic needs to support student learning and growth.

Teachers, administrators, and Advanced Academic Resource Teachers (AARTs) work together to provide the following levels of school-based services at the elementary level:

Access to Rigor, Grades K-6
All students have opportunities to think critically, reason, and problem-solve.

• All teachers use critical and creative thinking strategies in their lessons
• Classroom teachers provide opportunities using materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework a minimum of once per quarter.

Because Access to Rigor services are for all FCPS students, there is not a screening process.

Subject Specific Advanced Differentiation, Grades K-6
Some students require differentiation beyond the needs of age-level peers in their class in at least one specific subject area. Classroom teachers may adjust instruction for students in these areas by:

• Providing different assignments and resources in those subjects,
• Grouping students by their strengths, interests, and readiness, and
• Providing additional challenges using materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework.

Student needs for subject specific differentiation are re-evaluated each year at the local school.

Part-Time Advanced Academic Programs, Grades 3-6
Some students have advanced academic abilities in multiple subject areas and require differentiation beyond the needs of age-level peers in their class in multiple content areas.

Students work with other students that have similar academic needs through weekly pull-out classes or weekly co-taught lessons with the AART and classroom teacher.

• Teachers provide frequent opportunities to use materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework in Language Arts, science, social studies, and/or mathematics.
• Part-Time services continue through Grade 6. Students do not need to be evaluated each year.

Screening for Full-Time Services

Screening Timeline for Full-Time Services
Screening for Full-Time AAP services happens at the district/central level rather than by local schools. For your planning for next school year, please know that screening for Full-Time services occurs during two specific screening cycles:

• Fall screening is available for students who are new to FCPS since January.
   Fall referrals are due October 15, annually.
• Spring screening is available for any Grade 2-7 FCPS-enrolled student.
   The referral window is from the first day of school - December 15, annually.

For more information, please visit the AAP website at: https://www.fcps.edu/registration/advanced-academics-identification-and-placement/current-fcps-students.

Full-Time Advanced Academic Programs, Grades 3-8
Some advanced learners need a Full-Time advanced academic program with differentiated instruction in all four core content areas (Language Arts, mathematics, social studies, and science).

Students eligible for Full-Time AAP services are cluster grouped on a Full-Time basis and receive:

• Full-Time use of materials from the AAP Curriculum Framework in Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies, and
• Curriculum that is differentiated through acceleration, depth, and complexity of content.

Full-Time services continue through Grade 8. Students do not need to be evaluated each year.

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