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Dear Freedom Hill Families,
Thank you to everyone who helped make Staff Appreciation Week so memorable! Our PTA, led by Emma Strauss, Lauren Starace, and an incredible team of volunteers, went above and beyond to celebrate our staff with thoughtful surprises throughout the week. We are also so grateful to our students and families for the kind notes, treats, and gestures of appreciation that made our team feel truly valued.
As a reminder, this Wednesday will be our final Early Release Wednesday of the school year, with student dismissal at 1:05 p.m. Later that afternoon, we are excited to welcome our newest Eagles and their families for Kindergarten Orientation beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Our students in grades 3–6 continue to work hard during the SOL testing window, and we are incredibly proud of the focus, determination, and resilience they have shown. Thank you to our families for supporting students at home with encouragement, rest, and healthy routines that help set them up for success each day.
Finally, we would like to extend warm wishes to all of the mothers and mother figures in our Freedom Hill community this Mother’s Day weekend. Thank you for the care, encouragement, and support you provide to your children and to our school community each and every day.
Have a great week!
In partnership,
Nicholas Zapadka, Principal
Tim Scesney, Asst. Principal
Holly Sims, Asst. Principal
2025-26 FCPS School Calendar
Freedom Hill Family Resources
Breakfast/Lunch Menus
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May 13 – Final Early Release Wednesday (1:05 Dismissal)
- May 13 - Rising Kindergarten Orientation, 2:30-3:30
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May 15 - Drama Club Performance, 6 PM, Cafeteria Stage
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May 19 - Family Dinner Out: Shake Shack @ Pike 7 Plaza, 10:30AM-10PM
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May 21 - PTA Meeting & Volunteer Celebration in the Library and via Zoom, 6PM
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May 25 - 27 – School Closed, Memorial Day & Eid al-Adha
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May 29 - PTA Cultural Heritage Night
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June 6 - Freedom Hill 5K Run 2026, 9AM, MySchoolBucks to Register
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June 11 - SCA Talent Show, 2-4PM
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June 12 - SAVE THE DATE! For Field Day 2026
 We are excited for the return of the Freedom Hill 5K, which will begin in front of the school on June 6 at 9AM. The $25 registration fee can be paid on MySchoolBucks and includes a t-shirt, medal, snacks, and a drink after the race. We are looking forward to it!
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This week, we are focusing on Leadership. You value each member of your group and inspire other people to do their best.
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“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and actions.”
~Harold S. Geneen
Questions you might enjoy talking about:
- What are some of the characteristics of a good leader?
- Do you consider yourself a leader? If not, what are some characteristics that might make that more possible? If so, what are the characteristics of leadership you need to build on to make stronger?
- How does it make you feel to think about yourself as a leader?
As the 2025-2026 school year is coming to a close, your Freedom Hill staff is starting to prepare for the 2026-2027 school year. Class placement is one of the most important tasks that our staff engage in during the last weeks of school. If you feel that there is pertinent information to support your child’s success, please complete this optional Parent Input Form by Friday, May 22nd
Your child’s current classroom teacher, specialists, counselors, and administrators will collaborate to make well-balanced classes. We value and consider your insight into your child’s learning needs. Please note that this system is not intended for families to request specific teachers.
Freedom Hill is hosting a month-long Spring SOAR Challenge to encourage students to exhibit self-control throughout the school. Each week the school community will focus on one area of the school where our Eagles can SOAR and show great self-control. Week three will focus on our CLASSROOMS!
How can you encourage your Eagle to SOAR? Remind them that in classrooms we:
- Maintain a safe body with hands to ourselves
- Are engaged with the learning with our needed materials ready
- Use the voice level that our teacher gives us for the activity
- Use our technology devices to support our learning
We can’t wait to see our Eagles SOAR with strong self-control!
Students in grades 3-6 participate in state assessments each year. These assessments measure how students are learning the state standards. Below is the current schedule for the spring Standards of Learning tests at Freedom Hill. More information will be provided as we get closer to the testing window and is available on the SOL Tests in Elementary School page on the FCPS website.
- Tuesday, April 28: Grade 6 & Grade 4 Reading SOL
- Thursday, April 30: Grade 5 & Grade 3 Reading SOL
- Thursday, May 7: Grade 5 Math SOL
- Tuesday, May 12: Grade 4 Math SOL
- Thursday, May 14: Grade 5 Science & Grade 3 Math SOL
- Tuesday, May 19: Grade 6 Math Grade SOL
- May 28 - June 3: Retakes for identified students
Please avoid scheduling appointments for students on the dates that students will participate in the SOLs.
As required by the Code of VA, parents or legal guardians need to provide proof of immunizations for their child to attend at a Virginia public school.
In addition, all students entering 7th grade are required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations:
- Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis booster (Tdap) given at age 7 or older
- Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) given at age 10 or older
- A complete series of 2 doses of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine
- After reviewing educational materials approved by the Board of Health, the parent or guardian, at the parents or guardians sole discretion, may elect for the child not to receive the HPV vaccine.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to plan ahead by scheduling an appointment with your child’s healthcare provider now to avoid the rush this summer. Immunization appointments are available. Inspire Health Alliance will be providing immunizations for currently enrolled FCPS students at no out-of-pocket cost. Visit the Inspire Immunization Events Student Registration webpage to schedule an appointment.
Additional Immunization Resources are also available.
Our school is seeking individuals who can provide continuity of instructional teaching as a substitute instructional assistant. Able to inspire, enable and empower students to meet high academic standards. The position offers:
✔ Flexible schedule ✔ Make a difference in your local community ✔ Great for people with a passion for teaching/assisting students
Join our team and support student learning!
Apply today! For details, visit the FCPS Substitute Employment Website. When applying, search “Substitute” and select the Marshall pyramid posting.
       
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May 15 - Drama Club Performance, 6 PM, Cafeteria Stage
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May 15 - Cultural Heritage Night, Participation Forms Due
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May 17 - Harriette Best Award Nominations Due (submission link)
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May 19 - Family Dinner Out: Shake Shack @ Pike 7 Plaza, 10:30AM-10PM (Flyer)
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May 21 - PTA Meeting & Volunteer Celebration in the Library and via Zoom, 6PM
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May 29 - Cultural Heritage Night, 6–8 PM, in the Cafeteria (Info to Participate) 🌐
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June 6 - Freedom Hill 5K Run 2026, 9AM, MySchoolBucks to Register
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING TEACHER & STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK
A heartfelt thank you to all of the wonderful parents and volunteers who helped make Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week such a success!
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who donated breakfast dishes, contributed gift cards, and volunteered their time to help with set-up and clean-up throughout the week. Your generosity and support helped us create a special week of appreciation for our amazing teachers and staff.
Betsy Alafoginis, Aarti Banuitt, Aida Bina, Soojin Cahill, Rizza Candelaria, Steven Chan, Katie Chandra, Mila Dangol, Chau Do, Terrence Gabriel, Elizabeth Galvis, Jennifer Giovinc, Sara Haddad, Sara Heidar, Sara Huie, Emily Jacobs, Juliana Jou, Michelle Kalb, Danielle Lafferty, Mada Mhanna, Martha Mota, Corrie Myers, Raha Nezami, Mitchell Onwochei-Ashei, Launika Raykar, Sandy Shadchehr, Didi Winner, Marisa Wong, Cynthia Wu, Hyun Yoo
We would like to give a major shout-out to Emma Strauss and Lauren Starace for organizing and coordinating this year’s Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week. Their time, creativity, and hard work made the entire week possible, and we are so thankful for their leadership and dedication to our school community.
Because of our incredible school community, we were able to celebrate the dedicated educators and staff members who do so much for our students every day. Thank you for helping us show them just how valued they are!
🌍 CULTURE & HERITAGE NIGHT – JOIN US!
Join us on Friday, May 29 from 6:00–8:00 PM for Freedom Hill Elementary’s Culture & Heritage Night! Enjoy an evening of delicious food, cultural performances, and interactive displays celebrating traditions from around the world.
Families are invited to participate by sharing food, performing, or creating a display. Sign up via the QR code or return the form by Friday, May 15.
Come celebrate the diversity of our amazing community!
HARRIETTE BEST AWARD NOMINATIONS DUE MAY 17
Nominate one (or more) staff or family members of our Freedom Hill community for the annual Harriette Best Award using this online Harriette Best nomination form, or use the paper form that will come this week with your student(s). Nominations are being accepted now through May 17th, and the award recipients will be announced at the year-end PTA Meeting & Volunteer Celebration on May 21st at 6PM.
The Harriette Ann Best Award was instituted more than a decade ago by the FHES PTA as a tribute to honor former Assistant Principal Harriette Best. Mrs. Best was the epitome of dedication to the staff, students, and community of Freedom Hill from 1991 through 2003. She devoted hours of her own time and went above and beyond on a regular basis to ensure that the staff and students at Freedom Hill had anything and everything they needed to be successful. This award is given each year to the parent(s) and/or staff member(s) who best exemplify the values and contributions for which Mrs. Best was known. A commemorative plaque hangs outside the cafeteria with all award recipients.
VIENNA YOUTH SOCCER CAMP AT FREEDOM HILL
We are excited to announce that Vienna Youth Soccer Summer Camp is now happening at Freedom Hill Elementary School!
In addition to the engaging soccer programming, campers will now enjoy access to:
- Indoor gymnasium to cool off from the heat (Yes, we have AC!)
- Indoor classroom as we offer creative crafts & projects
- Multi-Sport offering in the afternoon
- A TV to watch World Cup games during camp hours (who wants to miss a game?!)
- World-Cup themed days
To register for Half-Day & Full-Day, Click Here
To register for Early Drop-Off & Late Pick-Up, Click Here
https://www.vys.org/programs/camps#SummerCamps
We look forward to an unforgettable summer of camps at Freedom Hill with Vienna Youth Soccer.
PTA Quick Links:
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