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A Message from Mr. Morris
A Celebration of our Military-Connected Families!
We are closing out a successful Month of the Military Child in April! I want to extend my gratitude to all of our families for your support and engagement throughout the month. It was inspiring to see so much purple across our campus which served as a visible reminder of our shared commitment to honoring our military-connected students and families. I would also like to recognize the students who joined our morning news each day to help lead these celebrations. Their voices and pride helped bring this month to life.
This year’s theme, Rooted in Resilience, truly reflects the strength, adaptability, and spirit of our Stratford Landing students and families. Since I began my journey here in 2019, the dedication and sense of community among our military-connected families has been one of the most impactful and defining aspects of our school. That resilience is evident not only in how our students navigate change, but also in how they support one another through shared experiences.
One parent shared a great story from our ice cream social we offer to military-connected families in April that beautifully captured why we do what we do. “My son was asked by another child at how he was feeling about our upcoming move, and he shared that he was both excited and sad. Every other child at the table immediately understood and agreed and they talked about how that feels. He had a beautiful opportunity to feel connected to other kids who know exactly what those complicated feelings feel like and that’s truly priceless.” Moments like these are made possible not only by our students and families, but also by our dedicated teachers, who are deeply attuned to the unique needs of military-connected children.
Thank you for the care, understanding, and intentional support you provide each and every day.
Important Dates
Join Us for “Success Day” at SLES on June 10!
We are thrilled to invite you to Success Day, a student-driven celebration of growth, learning, and achievement. Think of this as an end-of-year "open house" where our students take the lead in telling their own stories of success. Students will share not just what they learned, but how they’ve grown this year. We’re still finalizing some details, and we will share more information about the day with you soon, including specific times you’ll be able to come to SLES and celebrate a great year with our students.
Prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic, “Success Day” was a tradition at Stratford Landing and we’re eager to return to this wonderful tradition of celebrating learning and growth and partnering with our families.
Staff Appreciation Week
As we celebrate Staff Appreciation Week at Stratford Landing, one of the best things you can do is simply say thanks. Please take a moment to complete an “FCPS Shout Out” for a staff member that has had a positive impact on your family this school year. A few words of recognition can go a long, long way. Thank you for considering.
FCPS Cares Program
Principal’s Hour
This is an excellent way our families can stay connected to the work of Stratford Landing. You'll get to hear from me on a variety of important topics, and you'll also have plenty of time for your questions and discussion. This is a great opportunity to stay informed, engaged, and connected with what's happening at our school.
At this upcoming meeting, we will reflect on our current school year and preview our upcoming school year. You will be able to offer feedback regarding this school year and ask questions as it relates to next school year. There is so much to celebrate this year. I also want to ensure a forum for our families to provide feedback so we may continue to strengthen and improve our work here at Stratford Landing.
Our last remaining Principal’s Hour Meeting:
Monday, May 18, 6:30 – 7:30 pm; Use this link to join. No need to RSVP.
Stratford Landing Class Placement Information for the 2026-2027 School Year
Many families value having a role in their child’s class placement. Parents and caregivers have the best overall knowledge of your child and her/his unique traits. The class placement process is approached very carefully and thoroughly at Stratford Landing, and we consider the academic and social needs of each student. To provide the best environment for your child, we seek input from both staff and families. Our teachers drive the class placement process, and we trust their judgement and expertise when creating class placements. We ask that you do not reach out directly to teachers to make requests for next school year. Parents and caregivers can provide their input through this process. When completing the form, please share the qualities of a teacher and classroom environment that would best meet your child’s needs.
Requests for specific teachers, or to be grouped with specific students, will not be honored. Instead, this is an opportunity for families to share information about their child that would support learning. To create equitable and dynamic class groupings, it is impossible to honor every request from a family to place a child in a specific classroom with specific students. Please be assured that with or without family input, each child's needs will be carefully considered to ensure the selection of a classroom in which your child will learn best and thrive socially.
Class assignments will not be finalized or communicated to families until closer to the start of the 2026-2027 School Year, likely just a few days before the new school year begins.
Complete this Class Placement Family Input Form to provide your input for the 2026-2027 school year. This form will close on Friday, May 22, 2026.
Thank you.
Your Principals,
Kevin Morris and Shea Hestmark
Career Day 2026!
SLES Families! Mark your calendars—Career Day is coming on Friday, June 12 (9:00–11:30 AM)! 🚀
We’re on the hunt for guest speakers to help bring careers to life for our students! Share your journey, your day-to-day, the fun parts of your job, and what it takes to get there. Big or small, every career story makes an impact!
Want in? I’d love to connect ❤️. We can’t do this without you!
Please feel free to reach out to Ms. Roop directly as well:
rroop@fcps.edu
SLES career day speaker sign up form 2026.pdf
Walk, Bike & Roll to School, May 6
On Wednesday, May 6 celebrate Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day. Stratford Landing is participating in the national event. Learn more here. We encourage families to commute to school together and celebrate health, wellness and happiness by walking, biking and rolling to school.
Discover Exciting Summer Learning Activities and Ideas
Join Fairfax County Public Schools for a free, family-friendly community celebration filled with hands-on STEM, arts, and creative experiences for students of all ages. This year’s Summer Extravaganza takes place on Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Woodson High School.
Explore summer learning resources and connect with FCPS offices and community partners. Don’t miss the Student Market and a full day of engaging activities designed to spark learning, growth, and inspiration for the whole family.
For more information, visit the Summer Extravaganza webpage.
Family Information Phone Lines
FCPS family information phone lines are available in nine different languages. An FCPS employee will respond to your call in your preferred language within 24 hours, Monday through Friday.
Call the phone line with questions about your child’s education or FCPS, and someone will help connect you to resources or arrange for you to speak to the appropriate school employee. Learn more about family information phone lines.
Community Partners and Organizations
Family Counseling Center of Greater Washington (Upcoming, May 14, 2026, 7- 8 p.m. Virtual)
ADHD Decoded: The Essential Parent’s Guide -Learn about ADHD diagnosis and effective parenting strategies.
Speakers: Dr. Dawoon Lee & Dr. Christine Choe
Registration - https://forms.gle/YeWbe8jvzWuW84eS7
West Potomac Dance Team Summer Camps
This summer, your dancer will learn a pom, hip hop, and jazz dance straight from our team! Make new friends, enjoy fun crafts and games, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Open to boys and girls in K-8th grade!
Time:
9:00AM-2:00PM at West Potomac High School
Dates:
July 6th-9th
July 20th-24th
July 27th-31st.
Have any questions? Email Coach Zandy at zsosa@fcps.edu
Messages from PTA
SLES Staff Appreciation Week
💚May 4-8th SLES Staff Appreciation Week💚
We have big plans underway to celebrate our incredible staff during SLES Staff Appreciation Week May 4-8th. In addition to the main activities funded by your generous PTA donations and memberships, we’re collecting a few extra items to make the week extra special.
If you’d like to contribute, please sign up using the link below. Thank you for helping us show our SLES Staff how much they’re appreciated!
Please sign up using this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904094DA8AB2EA3FE3-63523756-sles
Galaxy Thank You Notes✨
We are inviting all students and families to help us honor our "Jedi Masters" by writing "Force-Filled" Thank You Notes (a blue paper went home in Wednesday folders this week). Whether your student has a favorite teacher, a special mentor, or a staff member who makes their day brighter, we want to shower them with gratitude.
How to Join the Rebellion (of Kindness):
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Write a Note (or a few!): Have your student write a message on the galaxy note.
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Use the Theme: Feel free to get creative! Phrases like "You're the Obi-Wan for me," "The Force is strong with your class," or "Yoda Best Teacher" are highly encouraged.
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Delivery: Send these notes in with your student on Monday, May 4th.
Our staff works tirelessly to navigate every asteroid field and challenge with grace. Let’s make sure they know that their hard work does not go unnoticed.
May the Force be with our SLES staff—always!
Dine Out For SLES!
The Stratford Landing ES PTA has teamed up with some neighborhood restaurants to offer you a night off from cooking and a way to help Stratford Landing Elementary School. These restaurants have generously offered to donate a percentage of orders that come in during the designated event to the Stratford Landing ES PTA. These donations go towards the planning of community events such as Movie Night and Winter Wonderland, showing appreciation to our SLES teachers and staff, and assisting with educational enrichment opportunities such as the Spelling Bee, Clubs and the Discovery Garden.
Check out our upcoming “Dine Out” Nights! https://slpta.org/dine-out-for-sles/
Panera Bread on Thursday, May 14th.
Come Join us at Panera on Thursday, May 14th!
Join your Stratford Landing Friends for a fun evening at Panera on Thursday, May 14th! Panera will donate 25% of all online orders made from 6am-9pm (all day!) and use the code FUND4U when checking out at panerabread.com, in the Panera App. Panera will donate 25% of all in-store orders that show the Panera flyer at https://slpta.org/dine-out-for-sles/ (paper copy or electronic copy) to the cashier or use the code FUND4U at the in-store kiosks made between the hours of 4pm-8pm. The event is only valid at the 6670 Richmond Highway location in Alexandria, VA.
Stratford Landing Elementary School needs your help!
Check out all the SLES Volunteer opportunities on the PTA website!
https://slpta.org/volunteer/
Library Volunteers
The library needs you! There are many opportunities to help in the library during this school year doing things like shelving books, checking out books, creating bulletin boards or helping to set up activities. If any of this seems interesting to you and you have a ½ hour of time to give, please consider coming to the library. The May Library Volunteer Sign up:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C4BADAA2EA1FA7-63816322-maylibrary
Stratford Landing ES Swag
What better way to show your school spirit than to sport some amazing SLES swag! We have new designs up now..and more to come over the next few weeks! We hope to give you lots of options and designs throughout the year! Check out the SLES PTA SWAG store: https://www.bonfire.com/store/stratford-landing-es/
We also have 2 designs of car magnets available for pre-order here: https://slpta.org/product/sles_magnets
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