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April 15th: General PTA Meeting (Virtual) - 10:30am
April 21st: Special Election - No School
April 21st: BRX Oven Spirit Event
April 27th - May 4th: Sister School Book Drive
May 4th - May 8th: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 8th: Moms and Muffins (Katie's Coffee) - 7:00 - 8:45am
May 25th: No School - Memorial Day
May 26th: No School - Teacher Workday
May 27th: No School - Eid al-Adha (begins sunset on May 26th)
June 5th: Dads and Donuts (Katie's Coffee) - 7:00 - 8:45am
FCPS School Year Calendar for 2025-2026
Click HERE to catch up on the helpful and important information sent by the school on March 13th!
General PTA Meeting - April 15th at 10:30am!
Our next General PTA Meeting is next Wednesday, April 15th at 10:30am! We will be meeting virtually! Here is the link to join the meeting: https://meet.google.com/uwx-ucxd-rax
Our guest speakers will be our wonderful mental health team at Great Falls Elementary!
Come ready with any questions you might have! We can't wait to see you there!
Thank you so much!
Wear Purple Next Wednesday, April 15th!
April is Month of the Military Child. This month-long celebration of our FCPS military-connected students raises awareness and recognizes the resilience of military-connected youth and thanks them for their service as part of a military family. April 15th is designated as “Purple Up!” Day and everyone is encouraged to wear purple (the combination of all the military service branch colors) next Wednesday to support and celebrate our military-connected students for their strength, service and sacrifice.
Spirit Event at BRX Oven - April 21st!
We are so excited for our next spirit event with BRX Oven on Tuesday, April 21st! Mention Great Falls Elementary or GFES when you order lunch or dinner for take out or dine in and we will receive 10% back on all orders! We can't wait to see you there!
Get Ready To Donate! Annual Sister School Book Drive - April 27 – May 4, 2026
Our annual Sister School Book Drive starts at the end of the month, April 27 – May 4. Now is an excellent time to check your bookshelves for gently used books that you no longer read and consider donating them. We are looking for book donations for preschool – 6th grade readers. Books open minds and opportunities. Share the gift of reading with a student from Glen Forest Elementary. Every donation makes a difference! Thank you for your generous support.
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week!
Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week is May 4th - 8th! During the week, we plan to show our amazing GFES staff that they are STARS and to thank them for the AWARD WINNING work they do!
We have an amazing week planned, and need help from our families to pull off a successful week. Please visit our Sign-Up Genius HERE to see all the ways you can help!
Each homeroom class has been assigned 2-3 other staff members to recognize during Teacher Appreciation Week. Please consider sharing the love with all these amazing GFES teachers, specialists, and support staff! Doing something for classroom teachers as well as all other staff members is not required and is completely optional. This document can be found below.
Suggestions on how you can show your appreciation to staff members throughout the week can be found HERE
Thank you in advance to all of our generous families for helping us make this week a huge success!
BEFORE SCHOOL Spanish Language
Program 2026-2027
The Children’s Center for Language and Culture, Inc. (ChiCeLaCu!) in partnership with the GFES PTA is pleased to offer the Spanish Program for its 14th consecutive year. ChiCeLaCu’s goal is to cement a strong language foundation, ultimately enabling students to become proficient Spanish speakers.
The program combines the arts with dynamic and interactive teaching approaches to make this a truly fun and effective experience. As a long-term program, children are expected to achieve language proficiency in 4-5 years of participation in the program. Students begin at Beginner Levels 1 and 2 and move to the intermediate and advanced levels as they progress through their school years.
The class is held from 7:40 AM to 8:40 AM on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays beginning on September 14th, 2026 and ending on May 5th, 2027. ChiCeLaCu! follows the FCPS calendar with respect to teacher workdays, holidays, and school cancellations.
To register, follow this link.
GFES PTA Spirit Event with Chick-Fil-A
THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who enjoyed breakfast, lunch and/or dinner at Chick-Fil-A on Friday, March 13th for our Spirit Event! We had a great turnout, raising over $400 for the school, and it was wonderful to get to see our Great Falls community both inside Chick-Fil-A and in the drive-thru line!
There was a special in-store contest, where families could write their teacher's name on the back of their receipt! The winning class got a special visit from the Chick-Fil-A Cow and each student received a gift card for a free Chick-Fil-A item! Congratulations to Monheim Sensei's and Mrs. Ramirez's 2nd grade class for winning the contest!!
CELEBRATE GREAT FALLS AUCTION - THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Thank you so much to all of the families that helped make this year’s auction one of the most successful auctions yet! Between the three schools, over $45,000 was raised! With the help of some amazing Great Falls specific items, we were able to raise over $17,000 for the school!
Congratulations to all of the winners and thank you so much again for all of your support!
Also, a HUGE THANK YOU to Dianne Lee, Kendra Bradley, and Natalia Ellenson for all you did to make the auction such a huge success!! It wouldn't have happened without your hard work and dedication!
Get more involved with the PTA for 2026-2027
Do you want to become more involved in the PTA? We are working on building a strong team of leaders for the 2026-2027 school year and need your help! Our nominating committee would love to hear from anyone interested in taking on any of the PTA executive board and committee chair positions! Serving on the PTA is a great way to meet other GFES parents and give your input on events, activities, and fundraising opportunities. Please reach out to nominatingcommittee@gfespta.com to learn about open positions.
Cultural and Diversity Committee
Some upcoming events members of our diverse community celebrate include:
- Autism Acceptance Month - April 1st - 30th
- Orthodox Good Friday - April 10th
- Orthodox Easter - April 12th
- Theravada New Year - April 14th -16th
- Pohela Boishakh (Bengali New Year) - April 14th
Interested in learning more about these events and holidays? Please visit the Cultural and Diversity Committee page on the PTA website! The page will be updated throughout the year with information about important events and holidays as well as book recommendations related to each event and holiday!
Lending Library!
📚 Help Us Build a Library That Reflects Us All!
We're creating a new lending library and need your help! We're seeking donations of culturally rich and diverse books that celebrate different backgrounds, voices, and experiences. Whether it's a beloved folktale, a story in another language, or a book that reflects your family's heritage—your contribution can help every person see themselves in the pages. Drop off your books on the shelf in the school vestibule and help us grow a library as vibrant and inclusive as our community! You can also visit our Lending Library Wishlist to purchase a book for the library! Thank you so much!
School and Teacher Wishlists
The school is still in need of essential items like trash bags, toilet paper, paper towels, and soap! You can find the school's Amazon wishlist HERE! In addition, you can now access teacher wishlists on the PTA website HERE! We will continue to update the page as we receive additional wishlists. Thank you so much for your endless support!
Help Stock The Teacher’s Lounge!
Thank you so much to all of the families who purchased items off our Amazon Wishlist! These items help keep the teacher’s lounge stocked with yummy treats for the teachers and staff!
If you are interested in helping provide snacks for the staff, please click HERE!
Thank you so much for your generosity and continued support of the school! The snacks always put a smile on the faces of our wonderful teachers and staff!
Community Offering: Youth Tailgate at Langley High School
Community Offering: Free Robotics Workshop for Grades 3-5
Program Overview
Join a fun, hands-on robotics workshop led by experienced middle school robotics students! This beginner-friendly program introduces elementary school students to the exciting world of robotics, engineering, and teamwork.
Who Can Join
Students in Grades 3–5. No prior experience needed!
Location
Tysons-Pimmit Library Conference Room: 7584 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22043
Date and Times
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM, Sundays: April 19th, April 26th, May 3rd, May 17th
9:30 AM - 11:00 AM, Sunday: May 10th
Community Offering: Children's Spring Festival
The 28th Children's Spring Festival will be on April 26th from 12-4pm! Join the Great Falls Optimist Club for a Sunday afternoon of smiles and laughs as the kids get to bounce around on the inflatables, and everyone gets to choose from an assortment of diversified food vendors and browse local merchant wares.
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Community Offering: The Women's Club of Great Falls Scholarship Fund Gala
The Women's Club of Great Falls Scholarship Fund is hosting its annual Spring Gala on Friday, May 1st at Riverbend Country Club. Last year, the Scholarship Fund awarded nearly $100,000 in scholarships to local students attending Northern Virginia Community College or George Mason University. Everyone is invited to attend the event and enter the raffle. You do not need to attend the gala to win the raffle. For more information on the Gala, tickets, and sponsorship available, please visit https://cbo.io/app/public/bidapp/2026masquerade
Raffle: Don't miss your chance to win this stunning Bottega Veneta padded leather handbag featuring the brand’s iconic woven design and a bold gold-tone chain strap. In a rich caramel hue, this timeless yet modern piece adds effortless luxury to any look.
Valued at $5,600.00. Even if you can't make it to the event, you can still enter for a chance to win by purchasing raffle tickets at 1 for $25 or 6 for $100 or 14 for $200
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Become a Corporate Sponsor!
If anyone - person, family, company - is interested in becoming a Corporate Sponsor, please click HERE to learn more on how our school can benefit from your sponsorship as well as promoting your business throughout the school year!
Questions about the Roadrunner Giving Campaign or becoming a Corporate Sponsor? Please reach out to fundraisingvp@gfespta.com and/or president@gfespta.com. Thank you so much!
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2025-2026 Corporate Sponsors!
Thank you so much for your support!!
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Follow the PTA on Instagram account, please follow and share! We will duplicate what is shared on our Facebook page. |
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Follow the PTA on Facebook! Share with friends and new GFES families.
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