📅Save the Dates

May 12, 2026 - PTO GM Meeting - Rising 7th Parents Invited

May 21, 2026 - Last Day for After School Activities

May 22, 2026 - NO AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

May 25, 2026 - Holiday - Memorial Day

May 26, 2026 - No School for Students

May 27, 2026 - Holiday - No School

Important Upcoming Testing Dates📅❗

• Wednesday, May 13th: Math SOLs (all students)
• Tuesday, May 19th: Science SOL - 8th grade only

Looking ahead to June..........

June 8 - 12, 2026 - School Spirit Week

June 16, 2026 - 7th & 8th Grade Schoolwide Field Trips

June 17, 2026 - Last Day of School - 2 Hours Early Release

COOPER CALENDAR

2025-2026 School Year Calendar

2025-2026 Cooper MS Calendar

End of Year Field Trip Information

Attention 8th grade Parents & Caregivers!  The Kings Dominion field trip will be happening on Tuesday, June 16th.  Tomorrow in Advisory, students will receive information about the field trip, a permission slip, and a link to pay in MySchooBucks.  Due to the timeline for ordering buses and tickets, no permission slips and/or payments will be accepted past Friday, May 15th.

Please email Courtney Kaden (cdkaden@fcps.edu) with any questions.  

NOT Attending Cooper Next School Year?

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we kindly ask parents to let us know if their student will not be returning to Cooper MS for the 2026-2027 school year. If your student will not be attending, please complete the  IT-110 Student Intention Form and submit it to Ms. Dossmann at smdossmann@fcps.edu as soon as possible.  Thank you in advance!

After School & Late Buses🚌🏫

Monday, May 25:Holiday

Tuesday, May 26: TW Day

Wednesday, May 27: Holiday,

The last day of after-school is scheduled for Thursday, May 21.  This is the last day for late buses.

There will be no after-school scheduled for Friday, May 22 as that is the Friday before a 5-day holiday weekend.

The Track and Field Championship Meet is scheduled for Saturday, May 30.

To provide the opportunity for additional T&F practices, after-school will be extended to include Thursday, May 28, with late buses, and Friday, May 29, with no late buses (typical Friday schedule).

These two extra days are for T&F practices only, staffed by the Athletic Coordinators, T&F coaches, and after-school program specialists only.

Junior Japan Bowl 2026: Results of Langley Pyramid at the 10th Anniversary Junior Japan Bowl🏆 🥇

Students at Great Falls Elementary School and James Cooper Middle School demonstrated their grit and excellence at the 10th Annual Junior Japan Bowl Competition. The Junior Japan Bowl 2026 had over 650 elementary and middle school students register from 27 schools across 11 states nationwide

Please join in recognizing our students’ achievements: 

Level 3 (Grades 7-8): with 54 teams; 180 students

JCMS had 1 team place first, and 3 students placed in the top 3:

• Team JCMS J2- first place
• Christopher K (8th grade) placed first individually
• Vivienne S (8th grade) placed second individually
• Rina P (8th grade) placed third individually   

Our Japanese Immersion Program may be small, but we are mighty!! This is all due to the dedicated teachers and supportive administrators at GFES and JCMS. Without their support, this standard of excellence could not have been achieved or sustained.   

Cooper Middle School Represents Virginia at the 2026 National Science Bowl Finals

Cooper Middle School proudly represented Virginia at the 2026 U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl® (NSB) National Finals, held in Washington, D.C., from April 30 to May 4.

This marks Cooper’s second consecutive year qualifying for the National Finals. Cooper competed against the nation’s top middle school Science Bowl teams and advanced from the round robin stage into the highly competitive double-elimination rounds, demonstrating outstanding knowledge, teamwork, and perseverance throughout the tournament.

In addition, Cooper earned 3rd place in the Middle School Cyber Challenge, a special event that tested students’ problem-solving skills through teamwork, computer science, and artificial intelligence. The team earned a $500 award for our school.

Congratulations to team members Jeremy K, Ian C, Zhirun L, and Armaan A for their outstanding performance and for representing Cooper Middle School on the national stage.

Cooper Track Team🏃‍♂️ 🏃‍♀️ 🏃👟

We would like to make a big Cooper shout out to the track team who did an amazing job this past Saturday at the Thomas Jefferson HS track meet. A fantastic job to the following students for their PERSONAL BEST times.

Collin M in the 100 meter and 200 meter

Sam C in the 100 meter

Demetri W in the 100 meter

Edward W in the 200 meter

Caden K in the 400 meter

Eren O in the 400 meter

Alicia M in the 800 meter and 1600 meter

Gemma B in the 800 meter and Long Jump

Oliver S in the Long Jump

Morgan S in the Long Jump

Willima W, Collin M, Eren O, Miles G in the boys 4x400 relay team

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!

Please go and cheer our track team at their next track meet at West Potomac HS on Sat 8:30 am to 12:30pm

Spring School Supply Drive Now – May 15^th 

Cooper is collecting school and personal hygiene supplies for underserved students in El Salvador.  For every 5 items donated (e.g., 5 packages or crayons, 5 notebooks, 5 sticks of deodorant) your student can earn 30 minutes to count towards service hours.  Please make sure they attach a sticky note with their name and ID# to the item(s) they donate and drop it off with their advisory teacher.  Please reach out to Mollie Cannon at mcannon@fcps.edu if you have any questions!  Let’s help provide these students with all they need to be successful in school. 

SCA Presents a BAKE OFF 🍰 🧁 🍪 🥧 🍩 When:  Tuesday, May 19 at 2:30 Where:  Ms. Harris' Room (1407) Drop off goodies in morning or during advisory to Ms. Harris' room. Judged by: Cooper Staff and SCA Presidents Please write your name and include a list of ingredients on your packaging

Expunge Form

Middle school offers the unique opportunity to expunge a high school credit course (HS math courses and World Language Courses). This means that there would be no record of this year’s grade on their high school transcript. Please review your child's third quarter grades and contact your child's school counselor for any questions. If you would like to start this process, here is the link to the Expunge Form.

Calling All Medical Professionals and Student Athletes!

The Langley Athletic Training is hosting their annual Sports Physical Night on Wednesday, May 6,2025. Medical professionals are needed to staff the station-based pre-participation exam for our student athletes. This is a great night for our school community to meet our medical community while submitting the required VHSL forms for athletics. Proceeds support Langley’s Athletic Training Program and benefits all Saxon student-athletes.

If you are a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or other qualified medical provider and are available on May 6th, we would greatly appreciate your support.

Appointments are scheduled on the quarter hour between 6pm and 8pm. The cost is $50 payable via MySchoolBucks, check, or cash.

Volunteers can sign up – https://forms.gle/fcAawm8PeQFomqZn8

Appointment Requests can be submitted - https://forms.gle/8MenLtRKBb3arpVw5

MySchoolBucksPayment - https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZQWBKS04NJ8_ZZ5QS03EZ9PR49Q

Questions? Contact the Athletic Trainers:

• Aine Kirwan – amkirwan@fcps.edu
• Jessica Bigles – jkbigles@fcps.edu

Summer Opportunities

Cooper Middle School Math Boot Camps

Summer 2026 - Registration OPEN - Spots are limited!

Math Boot Camps Summer 2026

Schedule & Location

• Dates: July 20–23 and July 27–30*

• Time: 8 AM – 12 PM

• Location: Cooper Middle School

• *Registration is for both weeks

Boot Camps Available

• Pre-Algebra

• Pre-Algebra Honors

• Algebra 1

• Algebra 1 Honors

Registration Information

• Cost: $100 per student

• Payment: MSB 

• Registration Link  

What are your Rising 7th & 8th graders doing this Summer? Like you, we believe your child is a very important person and deserves a summer experience that is safe and full of fitness, friends, fun and enrichment. FCPS and Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (DNCS) team up to offer a 5 week camp for rising 7th and 8th graders in the Northern Fairfax area. Campers will have a great time participating in sports, games, fitness, art, and STEM activities in a safe environment. Offered in the entire month of July, participants must be a rising seventh or eighth grader attending Fairfax County Public Schools and a resident of Fairfax County.  The program is led by FCPS After-School and DNCS Teen/Community Center Staff. Dates: Wednesday, July 1 to Thursday, July 30 (Closed Friday, July 3). Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Early drop-off available at 8 a.m.). Click this link for more information about VIP Summer Camp.

Summer Learning – FCPS Online Campus

Families interested in summer learning should visit FCPS Online Campus to explore eligibility, available courses. Registration ends on June 5.

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/summer-learning/online-campus

TEENS IN ACTION SUMMER CAMP 2026

Registration is now open.

RISING GRADES 9 – 12: June 22 – August 21, 2026 (Closed July 3, 2026)

RISING MIDDLE SCHOOL: July 1 – July 30, 2026 (Closed July 3, 2026)

Program Information:

• Program hours are Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Enrollment is free.
• Lunch and morning and afternoon snacks provided.

For more information click https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/neighborhood-community-services/teens-in-action.

🏨News from Cooper Clinic

Cornerstones Herndon Neighborhood Resource Center Resource Listing

April - June 2026

Click this link for more information.

Immunization Events for FCPS Students

FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will provide school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students with no out-of-pocket costs. Multiple events will take place at designated FCPS locations. Additional dates will be available throughout the school year. 

Parents or guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary. View immunization resources on the FCPS website. 

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are an important part of Cooper Middle School, and we appreciate the time and support they provide. To enhance student safety, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has updated its volunteer process to include a sex offender registry check and, in some cases, a background check.

For more details, visit the Volunteer FCPS FAQ page.

Reminder: All volunteers and visitors must sign in using the visitor kiosk and scan their ID.

Thank you for helping us keep our students safe and supported.

Community Updates from our Family Liaison👨‍👩‍👧‍👦📚🤝

Cooper Spring School Supply Drive Now – May 15th. We are collecting school and personal hygiene supplies for underserved students in El Salvador in partnership with Givology and Mision Mochila. Examples of items to include: pencils, colored pencils, crayons, glue sticks, rulers ,scissors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, bar soap, deodorant, etc. Earn 30 minutes of service hours per 5 items donated. Drop off items in the front office!

Upcoming: Family Counseling Center of Greater Washington 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 Zoom (Korean & English) Register at https://forms.gle/YeWbe8jvzWuW84eS7 .

FCPS Teletherapy: Virtual therapy sessions are available to FCPS high school students at no cost to provide a safe space to address concerns such as:

• Mood/behavior changes, motivation, grief/loss.
• Anxiety, worry, fears.
• Social skills, bullying, peer and family relationships.
• Academic stress.

Students can be referred by a guardian or designated school staff member. You may refer your child by calling 571-749-2940 or by contacting an FCPS school counselor, social worker, psychologist, or director of Student Services. Visit the FCPS Teletherapy webpage for more information.

Fairfax County Summer Camps & Programs (FCPS Breaks)

Fairfax County offers a variety of engaging, healthy, and affordable programs for students during school breaks. Activities include sports, arts and crafts, STEM, service projects, field trips, and more. Free meals and snacks are provided. Click links for more information

• Camp Fairfax- Rising 1st – 7th grade youth
• VIP Camp for Middle SchoolersRegistration begins May 14
• Teens in Action Camp– Middle and high school youth
• A.N.tastic Times- ages 2 to 22 and their families

SNAP at Farmers Markets: Families can use SNAP/EBT benefits at select county farmers markets and receive up to $40 in free fruits and vegetables, with tokens that can be used like cash at participating markets; for information, locations, and directions visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/farmersmarkets/snap or call 571-340-3322.

Parent & Child Connect workshop: A free 6-week virtual workshop designed specifically for Asian American families of PreK–12 students focused on strengthening parent-child relationships, improving communication, and building skills to support student success and well-being. See flyer below for more information and registration.

The Family Resource Center offers free webinars to help provide strategies and connection to better support your child. Please go the https://www.fcps.edu/services/families-and-caregivers/family-resource-center/free-webinars-and-events

Upcoming May Webinars

5/8    Finding Supports as an Extended Family Member Raising Children

         with Special Needs

5/29  Emotional Support for Families with Children with Special Needs

💙 Cooper Wear Donations - Share the Spirit!

Do you have Cooper Wear your student has outgrown or no longer needs?

We’d love to pass it along to new families and our rising 7th graders!

Students can drop off any items you’d like to share. Every piece helps a fellow Cooper family feel right at home!

If you have any questions, please reach out to our Family Liaison, Mollie Cannon, at mcannon@fcps.edu.

THE COOPER CONNECTION MAGAZINE

GET YOUR WORK PUBLISHED!

Parents, please encourage your students to submit any writing, artwork, photography, that they have created this year. This could be something they worked on in school or outside of school. Entries can be emailed to: Lmbovenzi@fcps.edu Or Cooperyearbook@gmail.com Or upload to the link below.

https://forms.gle/M19vcqzFRwrwk3PLA

📚 There is still time to Order Your Yearbook Today! Cost:  $42.00 🌐 Order Online: YearbookOrderCenter.com 🏫 School Order Number: 5267

977 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101 |  Main Phone: 703.442.5800
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