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Thank you to all of our amazing Garfield students and families for supporting Desserts Night! It was such a joy to host the GES Art Gallery and showcase the incredible work of our Eagles—what a beautiful and inspiring display it was.

We’d also like to extend an extra special thank you to Mrs. Dovey and Mrs. Pooja, our fantastic art ladies, for curating and organizing this meaningful experience for our school. Their care and dedication ensured that every student was represented, and they truly transformed our space into something special. Their efforts helped make the evening memorable for everyone who attended.

Mark your Calendars!

April

• April 13^th– School visit from Congressman Walkinshaw
• April 13^th– April 17^th – Scholastic Book Fair
• April 15th - Purple Up! Day Military Connection
• April 17^th - 1st Grade Clemyjontri Park Field Trip
• April 18th – Neighborhood Clean-up Day (Details below - Rain Date 4/25)
• April 20^th – 6^th Grade George Manson University Field Trip
• April 21st - Election Day (No School for Students)
• April 22nd – Early Release Wednesday is Canceled.  April 22^nd will be a full day of school.
• April 23rd - 5th Grade Field Trip to Natural History Museum
• April 24^th - PreK Clemyjontri Park Field Trip

May

• May 4th - May 8th - Staff Appreciation Week
• May 13th - Wednesday Early Release (3 hours) 
• Dismissal 1:05 pm   

• May 8^th – May 21^st – SOLs (see schedule below)
• May-TBD – Student Success Day – Showcase of Learning
• May 25^th – Memorial Day Holiday – No School
• May 26^th – Teacher Workday – No School
• May 27^th – Eid al-Adha Holiday – No School

June

• June 4^th – Band and Strings Concert – 3:00pm and 6:00pm
• June 12^th – Field Day
• June 16^th – 6^th Grade Promotion – 10:00am
• June 17^th – Garfield’s Got Talent! (schoolwide talent show)
• June 17^th – Last day of school

Garfield ES SOL Schedule 2026

May 8 – Reading (5th)

May 14 – Reading (4th)

May 14 – Reading (6th)

May 15 – Reading (3rd)

May 15 – Math (5th)

May 19 – Math (4th)

May 19 – Math (6th)

May 21 – Math (3rd)

May 21 – Science (5th)

The Book Fair is Coming!

Join us for our Book Fair Family Night!

Wednesday, April 9 - 4:05pm – 6:30pm

Book Fair Hours:

• Tuesday, April 13 - 9:45 AM – 3:40 PM
• Wednesday, April 14 - 9:45 AM – 3:40 PM
• Wednesday, April 15 – 9:45 – 3:40 and

- 4:05pm – 6:30pm - **Book Fair Family Night

• Thursday, April 16 - 9:45 AM – 3:40 PM
• Friday, April 17 – 9:45 – 11:30AM

Questions? Do you want to volunteer?  Email Mrs. McKeon at mtmckeon@fcps.edu.

Engaging Families with Creative & Critical Thinking

Encapsulation

Encapsulation is capturing the heart of a big idea in just a few words or an image. Examples of encapsulation are #hashtags, a flag, and personalized license plates. They send a short message about an idea by using words or symbols. 

Family Activity: After watching a movie or finishing a book, ask everyone to come up with a one-sentence “essence statement” or a simple symbol (like a doodle or emoji) that sums it up. Share and compare to see how each person interprets the story.

AAP Screening Information

Screening for Advanced Academic Program (AAP) school-based services may occur at any time during the school year; however, a schoolwide screening is conducted each spring to determine services for the following year. Parents or guardians may request consideration for school-based services (including subject-specific advanced differentiation and part-time services) by submitting the AAP School-Based Services Referral Form.

Forms can be found HERE and can be submitted to Heather Jenkins, AART, hkjenkins@fcps.edu, prior to April 15, 2026. Multiple criteria are used to screen students for all levels of AAP services. Parents or guardians who submit a referral will be notified of their student’s eligibility status by June 5, 2026.

If a parent or guardian wishes to appeal an ineligibility decision, they may submit an appeal with new data for consideration to the local school screening committee. This new information should be submitted to Heather Jenkins, AART. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Jenkins, AART at hkjenkins@fcps.edu

More Advanced Academic

Programs (AAP) Screening Info

Check out the Spring AAP Newsletter ES (PDF) available in multiple languages:

Arabic | Chinese | English | Korean | Spanish | Urdu| Vietnamese

Come one, Come All … Join Us!

🌿 Garfield Area Neighborhood Cleanup Day! 🌿

Join us in helping keep our community clean and beautiful!

📍 Where: Springvale Park (6508 Spring Rd) + nearby roads & streams 📅 When: April 18 ⏰ Time: 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM

🗓 Schedule: • 8:30–9:00 — Pick up supplies • 9:00–10:30 — Cleanup around roads & streams • 10:30 — Drop off collected trash • 10:45 — Return to the park for snacks & community time

✅ We’ll provide: Trash bags, gloves, snacks & drinks 🎒 Bring: Comfortable clothes, water bottle, and friends/family!

👉 Let us know you’re coming: https://bit.ly/47dqKpl

Let’s make a difference together! 💚

The 2026 Special Education Family Conference, Stronger Together: Connecting Families and Schools, will take place on Saturday, April 18, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Marshall High School. 

Dr. Shelley Moore will deliver the keynote address on The Evolution of Inclusion. It will look at how the goals of inclusion have continued to shift and evolve, as we learn more about diversity and identity. Participants will be invited to reflect on their own contexts and consider next steps for advocacy and action.

Visit the FCPS 2026 Special Education Family Conference webpage for more information, including breakout session offerings and a list of vendors that will be on site. Confirm your attendance for this year’s conference.

Required Immunizations for Rising 7th Graders

As required by the Code of VA, parents or legal guardians need to provide proof of immunizations for their child to attend at a Virginia public school.

In addition, all students entering 7th grade are required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations: 

• Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis booster (Tdap) given at age 7 or older; 
• Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) given at age 10 or older;  
• A complete series of 2 doses of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. 

• After reviewing educational materials approved by the Board of Health, the parent or guardian, at the parents or guardians sole discretion, may elect for the child not to receive the HPV vaccine.

Parents and guardians are encouraged to plan ahead by scheduling an appointment with your child’s healthcare provider now to avoid the rush this summer. Immunization appointments are available. Inspire Health Alliance will be providing immunizations for currently enrolled FCPS students at no out-of-pocket cost. Visit the Inspire Immunization Events Student Registration webpage to schedule an appointment. 

Please review the Virginia Department of Health Information Packet (PDF) for more information on rising 7th grade immunization requirements.

YOUR PARTNERS IN EDUCATION

We are in this together!

We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with your family this year. Each day, our commitment is to provide your child with a safe, supportive, and joyful place to learn and grow. Open communication is important to us—please reach out anytime with questions, concerns, or celebrations.

Thank you for your trust, your support, and for being an essential part of the Garfield community.

With appreciation,

Your Garfield Partner Principals

Mrs. Peerman, Principal,  Klpeerman@fcps.edu

Ms. Manning, Assistant Principal, eamanning1@fcps.edu

7101 Old Keene Mill Rd, Springfield, VA 22150 | Main Office: 703-923-2900 
Attendance: 703-923-2929 | Web | Twitter