Floris Family Message
In This Message:
- Principals' Message
- PTA News
- Virginia Science Olympiad (VASO) Winners
- Money Jar Club Gives Back
- Kindergarten Big Truck Day
- May Events at the Herndon Library
- Yearbooks
- Curiosity Corner
- AAP Information
- Floris SOL Schedule
- SOL Support
- Calendar Updates
- FY 2027 Budget: Sustaining Excellence
- Infant and Toddler Resources
- Upcoming Dates
Hello Floris Families,
This week, we are excited to recognize and celebrate two groups of staff members who make a tremendous impact on our school community each and every day!
Administrative Professionals Day gives us a wonderful opportunity to thank our amazing front office team for all they do to support our students, staff, and families. Although much of their work happens behind the scenes, it plays a vital role in keeping Floris running smoothly. We are so grateful for their dedication, professionalism, and the care they show our community each and every day.
We are also proud to celebrate Bus Driver Appreciation Day and extend our heartfelt thanks to our bus drivers. Their commitment to safely transporting our students each morning and afternoon is truly appreciated. Their patience, consistency, and care help ensure our students start and end each day on a positive note. Please join us in thanking them for the important role they play in our school community!
In addition, we are looking forward to our Kindergarten through 2nd Grade Field Day tomorrow morning. It’s sure to be a fun-filled and energetic time for our youngest learners, and we can’t wait to see their smiles as they enjoy the activities together.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support of our school community!
Sincerely,
Joshua DeSmyter, Principal
Robert Gibbs, Assistant Principal
PTA News and Announcements
🍎Food Share Program:
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Sign up to deliver donated food on Fridays. It is a quick errand!
🌎International Night:
- International Night will be held on Thursday, April 30 from 6:30-7:30pm in the Floris Elementary School Cafeteria and Gym. International Night is a celebration of the diversity of our students and families from different parts of the world. To make this event successful, we need volunteers. Check out our sign up and host a country table, perform, or just help.
2026-2027 PTA Leadership Opportunities:
A heartfelt thank you to the following parent volunteers for stepping into PTA officer roles for the upcoming year:
- President - Michael Stabler
- Recording Secretary - Erin Recachinas
- Treasurer - Kseniya Strasburg
- VP of Social Events - Aditi Aggarwal
- Communications Secretary - Ash’Leigh Gunn
💙Your willingness to serve makes a meaningful difference for our students, staff, and families.
Our PTA is seeking a VP of School Affairs. This role is essential to keeping our most-loved student programs running strong (Girls on the Run, Spelling Bee, Math Counts, Science Fair, etc.). Open PTA positions are listed here. We are happy to provide training and support! For more details, contact florispta.pres@gmail.com.
Teacher Appreciation Week
Celebrate our amazing teachers and specialists next week May 4-8! Help us recognize everyone who supports our students and SIGN UP to treat a specialist during Teacher Appreciation Week 🎉 The PTA needs parent volunteers to make TAW a success! Please consider signing up.
Want to learn more about the PTA? Visit our website.
Monday, May 4:
- Chalk the Walk (8:00–9:00 AM)
- PTA provides breakfast in the lounge
Tuesday, May 5:
- Bring a bloom for the classroom
Wednesday, May 6:
- Drop a note of thanks
- PTA provides lunch in the lounge
Thursday, May 7:
- Shine in your teacher’s signature shade
Friday, May 8:
- Gifts for the G.O.A.T.
- Class baskets, gift cards, and big thanks!
Floris Virginia Science Olympiad (VASO) Winners!
Floris Elementary students proudly participated in the Virginia Science Olympiad (VASO) – Division A (Grades 3–5) on April 18th and brought home an incredible 23 medals!
We congratulate all of our dedicated student participants for their hard work, curiosity, and teamwork throughout the competition. A special recognition goes to Moksh K, Reyansh M, Yugan V, Idhanth A, Dhrithii D and Laasya M for earning 1st place in their respective events, an outstanding accomplishment that reflects exceptional preparation and perseverance.
Floris is incredibly proud of all our Eagles who participated and represented our school with enthusiasm and excellence. Way to soar, Eagles!
All of the winners are listed below:
1st Place
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3rd Grade: Solar System – Moksh K. & Reyansh M. (Team Archimedes)
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3rd Grade: Tower Building – Yugan V. & Idhanth A. (Team Newton)
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Anatomy - Nervous System – Dhrithii D. & Laasya M. (Team Archimedes)
2nd Place
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3rd Grade: Fast Facts – Moksh K. & Reyansh M. (Team Archimedes)
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3rd Grade: Solar System – Dinika P. & Zara M. (Team Curie)
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Astronaut Lander – Neil D. & Pranav P. (Team Newton)
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Bungee Egg Drop – Dhrithii D. & Laasya M. (Team Archimedes)
3rd Place
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3rd Grade: Build-a-Barge – Idhanth A. & Lucas Y. (Team Newton)
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Extremophiles – Isabel T. & Sara A. (Team Newton)
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Super Sleuths – Neil D. & Pranav P. (Team Newton)
Ranks 4th – 10th
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4th Place: Molecular Bonding – Reyansh J. & Virinchi G. (Team Curie)
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4th Place: Wind Power – Laveer N. & Sriansh K. (Team Archimedes)
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4th Place: 3rd Grade: Fast Facts – Dinika P. & Zara M. (Team Curie)
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5th Place: 3rd Grade: Oceans – Zara M. & Kaustabh P. (Team Curie)
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5th Place: Sounds of Music – Dhrithii D. & Laasya M. (Team Archimedes)
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6th Place: Bridge Building – Dhruv K. & Shourya C. (Team Curie)
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6th Place: Storm the Castle – Sanav A. & Shlok M. (Team Curie)
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7th Place: Data Investigations – Isabel T. & Sara A. (Team Newton)
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7th Place: Solar System – Isabel T. & Sara A. (Team Newton)
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8th Place: Propeller Car – Reyansh J. & Virinchi G. (Team Curie)
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9th Place: 3rd Grade: Build-a-Barge – Ishaan D. & Viransh K. (Team Archimedes)
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9th Place: Shock Value – Yugan V. & Idhanth A. (Team Newton)
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10th Place: 3rd Grade: Tower Building – Moksh K. & Reyansh M. (Team Archimedes)
The Money Jar Club Gives Back
Last weekend, the Money Jar Club put the generous donations from March Movie Night to wonderful use by providing catered meals for all three Fire Station shifts. Thanks to the support of our Floris families, the hardworking firefighters were treated to a delicious spread featuring Mission BBQ, Firehouse Subs, and build-your-own ice cream sundaes. Each shift felt truly appreciated, and the smiles and gratitude from the crew made it clear how meaningful this gesture was. Thank you again to everyone who contributed—your generosity continues to strengthen and support our Floris community in such a thoughtful way.
Kindergarten Big Truck Day
Kindergarten’s Big Truck Day is rolling in on June 3rd! 🚚🎉
We’re looking for volunteers to bring the fun—if you (or someone you know) have a cool vehicle and can donate a little time, we’d love to have you join us! From big trucks to boats to cars, every vehicle is a hit—the kids are amazed by it all!
Interested? Reach out at BTD.Coordinator@gmail.com and be part of this exciting day!
May Calendar for the Herndon Fortnightly Library
Check out all of the May happenings in May at our local public library!
Yearbooks Are Now On Sale
- Cost: $18
- Order Deadline: April 24, 2026
- In order to ensure everything is tracked appropriately and efficiently, we will only be conducting online orders.
👉👉You can order the Floris Yearbook from 🔗this direct link 🔗👈👈
- You will need to enter your student's first name, last name, grade level, and provide online payment.
- If you are ordering more than one yearbook, you'll need to complete the above process for each student (separate transactions).
We can expect our yearbooks to arrive from Walsworth at the end of May and they will be distributed to students in June! Thank you!
🧠Curiosity Corner🧠
April's Maker Mission: Patterns in Bloom! 🌸
There are many patterns in nature, and Spring is the perfect time to observe them! Create spring art inspired by patterns found in nature—like leaves, flowers, insects, or clouds. Use any materials at home to design your artwork and share it with a photo, drawing, or short explanation.
The goal is to promote creative and critical thinking and engage in the engineering and design process. Submissions are due in the Curiosity Lab at the end of the month and will be highlighted within the school building and on the student news show. Let's get curious!
AAP Information
AAP Screening – School-Based Services (Subject-Specific Differentiation and Part-Time Services):
Screening for subject-specific differentiation (grades K-5) and part time services (grades 2-5) will be happening in May for the 26-27 school year. This is a screening process that is completely separate from full-time services. For families interested in referring their child for subject-specific differentiation and/or part-time services you have the option to submit a referral form to Amy Albanese by April 30, 2026. Please note the forms are not required - All students will be automatically screened for possible services, but the form allows the parent to submit their own insights as to why their child needs services. Forms can be submitted digitally to abalbanese@fcps.edu by April 30, 2026.
If you are interested in learning more about the 4 levels of AAP services, please click on this link: Elementary School AAP Levels of Service.
If you should have any questions regarding AAP services, please reach out to Amy Albanese our Advanced Academics Resource Teacher here at Floris ES, or learn more about AAP on our Floris webpage!
 Grades 3 and 4
Tuesday, May 12 - Language Arts SOL
Thursday, May 14 - Math SOL
Grade 5
Friday, May 8 - Science SOL
Grades 5 and 6
Wednesday, May 13 - Language Arts SOL
Friday, May 15 - Math SOL
Grades 3-6
May 18-May 22 - SOL makeup testing
May 28-June 2 - Expedited SOL retakes (Scores of 375-399 on initial assessment)
Support Your Children During Important Spring Assessments
Students will be participating in spring assessments based on their grade level and courses. This includes summative assessments like Standards of Learning (SOL) tests, which measure what a student knows, and progress assessments like Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests, which measure where they are in their learning.
FCPS encourages all families to support their students in taking these tests. Virginia requires schools to test at least 95% of students on SOLs, so when families choose not to participate in testing, it can impact a school’s accreditation, accountability ratings, and ability to measure student progress accurately.
Parents and caregivers can help their children perform their best on these tests by reminding them to get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and the cell phone policy still applies during testing season.
It is important that students attend school on scheduled testing dates. If you are aware of a conflict that may cause your student to miss a test, please notify your student’s school as soon as possible.
Learn more about how to support your child and why test participation matters.
Updates to 2026-27 School Year Calendar
The School Board voted to direct the superintendent to designate Veterans Day as a standard instructional day for the 2026-27 school year. Because this day was added, the 2026-27 school year will now end for students on Wednesday, June 16, 2027. Find additional information on BoardDocs. View the updated complete school year calendar on FCPS’ website.
The last day of school for the current school year — Wednesday, June 17, 2026 — has not changed.
Help FCPS Sustain Excellence: Make Your Voice Heard on the FY 2027 Budget
About 70% of the FCPS budget comes from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. There are several upcoming opportunities to provide feedback to the county on its budget before final adoption in May. This includes public budget hearings (April 14-16) and an online survey. Learn how the FCPS budget helps us sustain our excellence.
Resources to Help Infants and Toddlers Meet Milestones
Are you concerned about your infant, toddler, or preschool-aged child’s development? Resources are available if your child exhibits difficulties in one or more of the following areas: communication, fine and/or gross motor skills, self-help skills, problem-solving, and attention skills. Learn more about typical developmental milestones.
The Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia (ITC) provides evaluations and services for children (0-36 months) who have developmental delays or medical conditions that may affect development. Parents are encouraged to contact ITC at 703-246-7121 to share their concerns.
Early Childhood Child Find is the process of identifying children with potential special education needs between the ages of 20 months and 5 years (children must be two by September 30).
FCPS Early Childhood Identification and Services (ECID&S) offers a free referral process to identify potential developmental delays or disabilities. Special education services are provided for all children who are found eligible through the referral process. Parents are encouraged to call 571-423-4121 with questions.
Dates for the 2025-2026 School Year
April 24: K-2 Field Day
April 30: International Night
May 4: Spring Band Concert, 6:30pm
May 7: Spring Strings Concert
May 8: 5th Grade Science SOL
May 12: 3rd and 4th Grades Language Arts SOL
May 13: 5th and 6th Grades Language Arts SOL
May 14: 3rd and 4th Grades Math SOL
May 15: 5th and 6th Grades Math SOL
May 20: 3-Hour Early Release
May 21: PTA Carnival
May 25-27: No School
June 3: Big Truck Day
June 10-11: 6th Grade Musical Performances, 7:00
June 16: 6th Grade Promotion Ceremony
June 17: Last Day of School
Find the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar: https://www.fcps.edu/calendars/standard-school-year-calendar
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