Churchill Chatter School Newsletter Monday, April 27, 2026

English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو


Churchill Chatter - Issue 17
April 27, 2026


Important Dates

  • Wednesday, May 6 - Reading SOL for Grades 3, 4, 5 & 6
  • Tuesday, May 12 - Mathematics SOL for Grades 3, 4, 5 & 6
  • Wednesday, May 13 - 3-Hour Early Release, Dismissal at 12:20 PM
  • Thursday, May 14 - 4th Grade Strings Concert @ 5 PM and 5th/6th Grade Orchestra Concert @ 6 PM
  • Friday, May 15 - PTA Family BBQ, 5 PM
  • Thursday, May 21 - Science SOL for Grade 5
  • Thursday, May 21 - Spring Band Concert, 6 PM
  • Monday, May 25 - Memorial Day Holiday, School Closed
  • Tuesday, May 26, Teacher Workday, Student Holiday
  • Wednesday, May 27, Eid, School Closed
  • Tuesday, June 2 - Spring Chorus Concert, 6 PM
  • Thursday, June 4 - STEAM Night, 6 PM
  • Wednesday, June 17 - Last Day of School, Early Dismissal at 1:20 PM
may and june

Dear Churchill Road families,

The last quarter of the school year brings a flurry of activities and events.

  • We celebrated our military-connected students with Purple Up! Day, spirit days and special “military” field day activities run by Mr. Varhol. The students had a blast.  We are so grateful for the time our military-connected families have with us.
  • Our sixth grade boys and girls basketball teams played their best to defeat their Spring Hill counterparts during a friendly night of basketball at Langley High School.  Performances by members of the Churchill Cheer and Dance Teams added to the fun! Thank you to our teacher coaches, Ms. Morales and Ms. Hight, our dance/cheer instructors Ms. Galpin and Ms. Iandolo, and to Mr. Haden for serving as the event photographer.

Coming up…

  • Our Battle of the Books team, under the guidance of Ms. Scott, Ms. Hight and Ms. Overend, hope to defend their title later this week.
  • Our first graders will perform the musical, How Does Your Garden Grow?
  • Our kindergarteners will visit Zoo Wild for their annual field trip to learn about animals and their habitats.
  • We are so excited about the new kindness club some of our students are creating. Students will be learning about this on the morning show in the days to come.
  • Our counselors are going to be doing lessons in the next few weeks about how all of our words matter and how to be supportive members of our community.
  • Remember SOL’s start next week for grades 3-6.  The reading SOL is on Wednesday morning, May 6.  A good night’s rest and breakfast are great ways parents can support students from home.

Have a great week.

Mrs. Pierson-Barr and Mr. Kilpatrick

girl scouts clean labyrinth

Thank you to members of Girl Scout Troop 50184 for cleaning up our labyrinth!


In This Week's Issue

  • Attendance Matters
  • Final call for Lost & Found
  • Registration for 2026-2027 School Year
  • Beat the Heat with Cooper Middle School's Math Boot Camps for Rising 7th and 8th graders
  • Nominations Open for the Bussey Memorial Equity Award
  • Language Arts Updates

Attendance Matters

attendance

Our current chronic absentee rate is 4.6%, compared to 9.1% in 2025.


lost and found

Final Call for Lost & Found!

Are you missing a favorite jacket, sweatshirt, or lunchbox?

Please take a moment to check the Lost and Found, located outside the Churchill front lobby.

All unclaimed items will be available for pickup from Monday, April 27 – Friday, May 1.

Please Note: Any items remaining in the Lost and Found after Friday, May 1 will be donated.


Kindergarten and New Student Registrations for 2026-2027 Now Underway

We are now accepting Kindergarten registrations! Students must be 5 years old by September 30th, 2026. 

If you know anyone who has a rising kindergartener (or 1st-6th student who will attend Churchill Road Elementary), please encourage them to begin registration as soon as possible. Notifying our office of your intent to register or complete registration helps our school secure staffing for the upcoming school year.

If you would like to register your child, begin your Kindergarten and New Student Registration today!

If you have any questions, please contact our Student Information Assistant (SIA), Angie Choi, achoi@fcps.edu or call the main office at 703-288-8400.


Beat the heat and get ahead with Cooper Middle School’s Math Boot Camps!

Dates: July 20–23 & July 27–30

Time: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Who: Rising 7th & 8th graders

Courses: Pre-Algebra, Pre-Algebra Honors, Algebra 1, Algebra 1 Honors

Register: https://bit.ly/4my.jjPN Payment: https://bit.ly/3O6pAWp

Spots are limited—sign up soon!


benchmark

📚 Finishing Up Our Uncovering of History in Language Arts 📚

Benchmark Unit 7 in Language Arts is coming to a close! Over the last several weeks, our students have learned, read, and written about history and culture. 

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

  • Question: What’s the most interesting thing you learned during this unit? Why is it so interesting?
  • Activity: Design a family crest or symbol. Work together to draw and decorate a family coat of arms that represents your history, values, traditions, or favorite activities.

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.


Nominations Open for the Bussey Memorial Equity Award

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award. This award recognizes an employee, student, or community member who has demonstrated significant and impactful efforts to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of students from groups who are marginalized or underserved.

Any staff, student, or community member can nominate an individual for the award. All nomination materials must be submitted by Monday, May 18.  

The Minority Student Achievement Oversight Committee (MSAOC) sponsors this award to honor the legacy of Dr. Bussey, a founding member of the MSAOC and a longtime advocate for students and families. 

Full details and the nomination information form can be found at the Dr. Lawrence Bussey Memorial Equity Award webpage.


In Case You Missed It 

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:

  • Student Awards and Recognitions
  • Military Child of the Year Finalist
  • Required Immunizations Reminder

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.  


FCPS Cares Program

Recognizing employees who go above and beyond

FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff and community members to recognize those who go above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story so we can all acknowledge the outstanding work of FCPS, and more specifically, Churchill Road employees.