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Dear Island Creek Families, 

My heart is full after seeing so many of you at our This is Us Multicultural Night yesterday evening.

It was a truly spectacular celebration of the rich diversity that makes the Island Creek community so special. From the vibrant displays and delicious flavors to the performances, stories and traditions, the evening was a beautiful reminder of the many cultures that weave together to form our school family.

Events like these are only possible because of your engagement, your pride in your heritage, and your commitment to making our school an inclusive place for every student. Thank you to everyone who hosted a table, performed, volunteered, or simply attended to learn and grow alongside us.

We are so proud of our students and the global community we are building together!

Warmly, Jen Fallert, Principal    🐊 Denise Cash-Pinckney, Assistant Principal    🐊

Every Day Counts at Island Creek!

Help us reach our goal of 4% or less this year!  Attendance is a vital life skill that will benefit your child later in life. It’s a good habit to build now to help them graduate from college on time and routinely report to work on time once they have a career. By highlighting this important information, we aim to keep our families informed and energized about our collective efforts to encourage regular school attendance

A wonderful evening celebrating the Island Creek Community!

What an incredible evening! A huge thank you to our amazing community for making yesterday’s "This is Us" Multicultural Night such a success!

From the performances and insightful presentations to the beautiful crafts, displays, and delicious foods—your contributions made the night truly special. Celebrating the diversity at Island Creek brings us all closer together and reminds us of the incredible richness within our community.

We love our Croc students and families and the wonderful array of cultures! 

🚌Thank You to Our Bus Drivers! 

Thank you to the incredible team of Island Creek Bus Drivers who ensure our students make it to and from school safely.

We Love our Military-Connected Crocs!

On Wednesday, Island Creek was a sea of purple in recognition of our 126 military-connected students! On Wednesday and Friday, they enjoyed brekfast wtih each other hosted by our dedicated Family Liaison, Amy Garcia!

Thank you to our military families!

Island Creek Elementary's Spring Pictures are now online!

Victor O'Neill Studios recently held Spring portrait day at Island Creek and pictures are now online. All orders will include free shipping until May 7th.

Please use this link to view your student's Spring photos.

Please remember, the online code is the Student ID Number. 

For questions about orders, please email underclass@vosphoto.com

Island Creek Staff Appreciation Week

Monday, May 4:  Make your favorite staff member a card!

Tuesday, May 5:  High-five a staff member and say thank you!

Wednesday, May 6:  Draw a picture or make a card for a staff member to show your appreciation!

Thursday, May 7:  Classroom Cleanup - show your gratitude by helping pick up!

Friday, May 8:  Bring your favorite staff member a sweet treat!

ST MATHness Class Challenge

Participation was so high in March that we will have ST MATHness Class Challenges in April and May. Let's solve puzzles, Croc Mathematicians!

Let's solve puzzles, Croc Mathematicians

• Monthly Prize: The homeroom class from each grade level with the most puzzles completed during April (and again in May) wins a celebration!

• Reward: Winning classes get to choose between a Popcorn Party or a Popsicle Party.

• End-of-Year Goal: Every student should aim to complete 1,000 ST Math Puzzles by June 1.

• Our Progress: So far this school year, our Crocs have already tackled a massive total of 506,113 puzzles!

National Bike & Roll to School Day is on Wednesday, May 6th We are celebrating and encouraging students to include a safe route to school as part of a healthy and active lifestyle. Students who ride their bikes can park their bikes during the school day in the gym.  Please bring your bike to the back of the school and into the gym, at Entrance #6. Students who are in SACC, childcare or not within walking distance are welcome to participate with parent approval/ supervision. If you ride your bike to school: All students must wear a helmet. Fairfax County law requires any-one under 15 to wear a helmet. Check your equipment: Air, Brakes and Chain Obey all traffic laws, a bicycle is a vehicle See and be seen Go with the flow of traffic, ride on the right. Be predictable, stay alert If riding on a sidewalk, yield to pedestrians and walk your bike if the sidewalk is crowded with walkers Beware of cars coming out of driveways if you ride on the sidewalk Students crossing in crosswalks should dismount and walk their bike across the street. Please use the following link to discuss Bicycle Safety with your child. http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/bicyclesaferjourney/

Standards of Learning (SOL) Testing at Island Creek (Grades 3-6)

Please avoid scheduling appointments on test days. Ensure your child eats a healthy breakfast and arrives at school on time to help them do their best.

• 3rd Grade: May 5 and May 14
• 4th Grade:  May 5 and May 14
• 5th Grade:  May 7, May 12, and May 19
• 6th Grade:  May 7 and May 19

Here are some ways to prepare before a test:

• Remind your child to get a good night's rest.
• Make sure your child has a healthy breakfast.
• Avoid scheduling appointments that would take your child out of school on a testing day.
• Remind your child that electronic devices are not allowed in testing, unless required by 504 or IEP.

Field Day T-Shirts on Sale

Island Creek is sellling Field Day T-Shirts as a fundraiser! For reach shirt sold, Island Creek will receive funds that will be used for school beautification. You can purchase a Field Day T-Shirt for $10 on MySchoolBucks.

Field Day T-Shirts are on sale through Monday, May 18.

Spotlight on Specials:  Band and Strings

BAND:

All Grades:  Our Spring Concert is on Thursday, June 11^th! The in-school performance is at 2pm, and the after-school performance is at 6:30pm. Families and friends are invited to come see our amazing Croc musicians. A hard copy and digital copy of our Spring Concert invitation was sent home last week. Students should be practicing at home 3-5 times a week. Students should focus on their concert music and next band assignment. We are looking forward to showcasing all the growth we’ve had this year!

STRINGS:

All Grades:  Our Spring Concert is on Tuesday, June 2^nd.  The performance for the school is at 2pm, and the evening performance for families is at 6:30 pm.  Both concerts are GRADED CONCERTS, and students are expected to participate.  Students should be practicing at home 3-5 days a week, focusing on learning their concert music so they can build the confidence and skills they need to be a contributing member to our Orchestra team, and to help us have a successful concert performance.  They are starting to sound so great, and I am so proud of all the work they have done this year!  Keep up the good work!

Class Placement: Parent/Guardian Input (optional) due Friday, May 8

This spring, Island Creek Staff will begin creating tentative class groupings for the upcoming school year. Classroom assignments will be finalized in mid-August.

When making these placements, we carefully consider many factors, including:

• Individual student information
• Teacher input
• Social relationships
• A blend of children with diverse needs, personalities, and learning interests in every class.

Due to the numerous factors involved in creating balanced classroom placements, including teacher staffing, we are unable to honor requests for specific teachers.

If you have information you believe is important for us to consider regarding your child’s placement for next year, please complete this form by Friday, May 8 at 4:00 PM.

If you do not have any specific information you would like us to consider, there is no need to complete the form.

FCPS PreK and Early Head Start Now Accepting Applications for School Year 2026-27

Island Creek will have an FCPS PreK Class for School Year 2026-2027!

This is a high-quality Early Childhood Program for eligible families. PreK (which stands for Pre-Kindergarten) is a full-day program, and spaces are limited. The PreK program prioritizes children who will be 4 years old by September 30 but also accepts applications for children who will be 3 years old by September 30.

For more information or to apply, visit the FCPS PreK website, email fcpsprekoffice@fcps.edu, or call the PreK Office at 703-208-7900 (English) or 703-208-7901 (Spanish).     

Registration is open for the 2026-27 school year! 

New-to-FCPS families create a ParentVUE account for online registration. Details are available here:  Welcome to Fairfax County Public Schools' (FCPS) Online Registration | Fairfax County Public Schools

Current families can register their new student through their existing ParentVUE account. (No need to register students returning to Island Creek)

Our Registrar, Ms. Bickerstaff,  is happy to process registrations directly as well.  Please complete this New Student Intake Form and she will respond with registration details and documents necessary to start the process.

There’s an easy five-step process for parents wanting to register their child for kindergarten you can learn more here. 

1. Determine eligibility. 
2. Identify your local school. 
3. Gather documents. 
4. Fill out forms. 
5. Schedule an appointment

📚 Uncovering History in Language Arts 

Benchmark Unit 7 in Language Arts is about the past, present, and future. Students in K-5 will be learning about history, culture, and geography. 

Connect with your child’s learning at school with these fun questions and hands-on activities at home:

• Question: If you could visit any time in history, when and where would you go?
• Activity: Walk around or think about your neighborhood and talk about how the buildings or other features have changed over time. How might it look in the future?

At the end of the unit, your child will take their unit magazine home. The magazine includes an activity calendar with fun ways to help students build on what they’re learning at each grade level. You can also find information on how to support your child’s reading at home on the Benchmark Families website

Get2Green: Student Action Summit

Join fellow FCPS students in grades K-12 for an evening of learning and connecting around environmental action at schools! Students can share their environmental work or explore others’ projects and ideas. The evening also includes small-group discussions on topics like outdoor learning, gardening, waste reduction, and climate change. This event is open to all students and will take place Thursday, May 14 from 5:30-7pm in the FCPS Welcome Center at 8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax, VA. Click here to register!

PTA Spring Newsletter

Faculty & Staff Appreciation Week: May 4 - 8

The PTA is sending home game-themed teacher appreciation flyers in students’ weekly folder.

If you don’t have a CLUE how to thank teachers and staff, join our OPERATION!

We’ll be surprising and delighting our faculty and staff May 4 – 8, 2026.

Here's a snapshot of what's happening each day:

• Monday: Hungry, Hungry Hippos: Breakfast in the Staff Lounge
• Tuesday: Don’t Break the Ice: Smoothies and Snack dropped to Classrooms
• Wednesday: Candy Land: Sweets Bar in the Staff Lounge
• Thursday: Apples to Apples: Caramel Apple Bar in the Staff Lounge
• Friday: Go Fish: Lunch in the Staff Lounge

Visit our Facebook Page for updates, reminders, and photos throughout the week.

Sign up and donate items to Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week. As you review the sign-up, please pay special attention to the notes, quantity, and drop-off dates and times so that the PTA can ensure we have all the necessary items for setup.

Click her to view the sign-up: The drop-off dates coordinate with our themed days, so keep that in mind when signing up!

If you want to ship directly to Island Creek, please use the address and guaranteed delivery to match the due date on the signup form:

Attn: Island Creek PTA/Teacher Appreciation

7855 Morning View Ln, Alexandria, VA 22315

Delivery Window: 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

We're looking for volunteers to help with set-up, clean-up, or during the event hours. The volunteer opportunities are listed on the Signup Genius, and we'd love your support!

Thank you for helping us celebrate the people who make such a difference every day.

With appreciation,

ICES PTA Faculty & Staff Appreciation Week Organizers

Join the Island Creek PTA Board!

Help fill three positions on the Island Creek PTA Board for next school year!

• President:  Lead PTA Meetings; Act as primary contact with school administration; approximately 10 hours/month.
• Treasurer:  Collect and deposit dues and payments; write checks and maintain books/budget; approximately 8 hours/month.
• Secretary:  Take meeting minutes; handle social media/announcements; approximately 5 hours/month

Interested? Questions? What more information? Email: 

islandcreeptapresident@gmail.com

🗓️ Island Creek Calendar

❤️Tuesday, May 5:  Reading SOL:  Grades 3 and 4

❤️Wednesday, May 6:  National Bike & Roll to School Day

❤️Thursday, May 7:  Reading SOL:  Grades 5 and 6

❤️Tuesday, May 12:  Science SOL:  Grade 5

❤️Thursday, May 14:  Math SOL:  Grades 3 and 4

❤️Monday, May 18:  Last day to order Field Day T-shirts

❤️Tuesday, May 19:  Math SOL:  Grades 5 and 6

❤️Wednesday, May 20:  3-Hour Early Release at 12:20 for school-age students

❤️Monday, May 25:  Memorial Day Holiday, School Closed

❤️Tuesday, May 26:  Teacher Workday, No School for Students

❤️Wednesday, May 27:  Eid al-Adha  Holiday, School Closed

❤️Follow Island Creek on Facebook and Instagram

Facebook link Instagram:  islandcreekelementary

7855 Morning View Lane, Alexandria, VA 22315 | Phone: 571-642-6300

Attendance 571-642-6363

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