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Dear Great Falls ES Families,
We are excited to welcome May and all it “MAY” bring!
While the anticipation of summer break is building, we still have a significant amount of learning to accomplish. Recently, we have noticed an uptick in challenging behaviors across the school. I want to be very clear with our community: disrespect, talking back to adults, and distracting from lessons will not be tolerated.
Our teachers and staff are working hard to provide engaging lessons, and every student deserves an environment where they can focus and be successful. Please take a moment this weekend to talk with your child about our school-wide behavior expectations. Reminding them to stay on their MARK (mindful, accountable, responsible, and kind) and attentive will ensure that these final months of school are productive and enjoyable for everyone.
Let’s finish the year strong and make this May memorable!
Sara Harper
🗓️Calendar Updates
May 1: Last day for Parent Class Placement Input
May 4 - May 8: Teacher Appreciation Week
May 7: 5th and 6th grade Reading SOL
May 8: PTA Moms and Muffins (Katie's Coffee) - 7:00 - 8:45 am
May 12: 4th and 5th grade Math SOL
May 13: Early Release Wednesday - students dismissed at 12:35pm
May 14: 3rd-grade Reading SOL
May 19: 3rd, 6th grade Math and 4th grade Reading SOL
May 20: 5th-grade Science SOL
May 25: No School - Memorial Day
May 26: No School - Teacher Workday
May 27: No School - Eid al-Adha (begins sunset on May 26th)
June 5: PTA Dads and Donuts (Katie's Coffee) - 7:00 - 8:45 am
FCPS School Year Calendar for 2025-2026
☀️ Field Day is Coming!
We’re looking for volunteers for Field Day. It’s one of our students’ favorite days of the year, but we can’t do it without your help! Use the sign up genius to select a spot–you can see which events your child’s class will participate in under event comments. Questions? Reach out to Mr. Boucher: JPBoucher@fcps.edu
🔬🏅Our Science Olympiad Scientists Shine
Our GFES Science Olympiad team had an outstanding showing at last Saturday’s Division A tournament at Oakton High School! Our school was represented by 20 students across two teams, and our young scientists earned an impressive 14 event medals while competing alongside peers from across the region. Beyond the medals, students demonstrated teamwork, curiosity, and a true love of learning throughout the day. We also appreciate our parent volunteers and Kennington-sensei that make all of this hard work and learning a success! We are incredibly proud of our Great Falls ES scientists!
 
🫡 Hometown Heroes Wall
To wrap up April’s month of the military child, we will highlight our United States veterans and active military in the GFES cafeteria. If you would like to celebrate a veteran in your family, please complete the pdf available here. Paper copies were also sent home in the Tuesday packet on Tuesday, April 28th. All submissions should be turned in to your student's teacher by Friday, May 15, 2026.
♥️ Mental Health Team Update
The GFES mental health team had the pleasure of presenting at the PTA meeting on 4/15. We introduced ourselves, shared a little bit about our roles, and discussed managing student stress. Here is a summary of our presentation for those who missed it!
GFES Mental Health Team:
- School counselors (Courtney Barber cjbarber@fcps.edu and Emma Litch eblitch@fcps.edu)
- School social worker (Heather Van Horn hmvanhorn@fcps.edu)
- School psychologist (Steve Handwerger sjhandwerger@fcps.edu)
High-Yield Strategies for Managing Student Stress at Home:
- Acknowledge their feelings: Use the concept of "name it to tame it" - we can only manage emotions that we have acknowledged. We highly recommend the book "The Whole-Brain Child" by Dr. Dan Siegal for more on this strategy and other amazing, easy-to-implement tips!
- Pay attention to the positive: Our brains have a negativity bias! If we show big displays of attention to negative reports, children will be more likely to view situations with a more negative lens. "Bookend" difficult conversations by looking for positive aspects of the situation.
- Make sure basic needs are met: Children aren't able to thrive if they're trying to survive! Ensure they're getting enough quality sleep and nourishing food. We highly recommend limiting screen time and closely monitoring the screen time they do have.
- Know when to reach out for help: If stress is causing students to miss school or if you notice big changes in temperament or behavior, please reach out to your pediatrician and someone on the mental health team. We are here to support you!
🧑🤝🧑SEL Screener Results - ParentVue
Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener during the month of March, providing information on their SEL skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
Individual student SEL Screener results are now available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, we will share copies with you directly.
For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or reach out to our school staff with any questions.
👩🏼💻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.
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Grade
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SOL Content Areas Tested
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3
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Reading (5/14), Mathematics (5/19)
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4
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Reading (5/19), Mathematics (5/12)
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5
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Science (5/20), Reading (5/7), Mathematics (5/12)
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6
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Reading (5/7), Mathematics (5/19)
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🌱 Small Hands, Big Roots
Growing Great Falls One Tree at a Time
The Great Falls Rotary Club (GFRC) has, for the third consecutive year, engaged with kindergarten, first grade students and teachers, distributing 500 tree saplings to inspire a lasting commitment to environmental stewardship which is a Rotary area of focus. We all can do our part, one tree at a time, to help Fairfax County’s goal of reaching 60% tree canopy by 2030. The young recipients who attended Great Falls, Colvin Run, and Great Falls Elementary Schools received the saplings thanks to a donation from Bartlett Tree Experts.
Last week, in a special Earth and Arbor Days celebration presentation, GFRC members Dan Cardenas and Connie Sawtell talked with the students about the profession of an Arborist and how trees help the environment. Then the students were presented with Dogwood and Magnolia saplings to plant in their yards. During the event, students eagerly shared why trees matter:
“We get food from trees.”
“They help us breathe.”
“Animals eat trees.”
Adding a heartfelt touch, GFES students William, Sophia, and Charlotte Sandstrom helped hand out the young trees to their classmates, making the occasion even more memorable. Their involvement brought the school community together and reinforced the importance of taking care of the environment from an early age.
🚗 Kiss & Ride Reminders
As a reminder, Kiss & Ride ends promptly at 8:50am, which is when our school day begins. To help ensure a smooth and timely start for all students, any arrivals after 8:50am will not be able to use Kiss & Ride.
Students arriving after this time must be escorted by a parent/guardian to the main office and signed in for the day.
Additionally, for the safety of all students and to keep traffic flowing efficiently, please do not drop students off before reaching the designated drop-off area near Door 4. The sidewalk does not continue through that section, which creates a safety concern and contributes to significant delays when vehicles attempt to cut through the loop.
We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe and efficient morning arrival process for everyone.
☀️Beat the Heat and Get Ahead
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!
🎖️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
☎️Our Office of the Ombuds Is at Your Service!
Ombuds staff engage with FCPS staff, families, and students to offer resources and improve the experience of each and every member of the FCPS community. They work as an independent confidential resource to help get answers to questions, resolve concerns, and hear complaints regarding FCPS matters.
Ombuds staff do not make or change decisions, policies, or regulations. They do not take sides, and they do not provide legal advice.
Anyone with concerns, questions, or complaints to share with the Office of the Ombuds may call 571-423-4014, email ombuds@fcps.edu, or visit their webpage, where you may submit a question.
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