Floris Family Message
In This Message:
- Principals' Message
- PTA News
- Library Books are Due
- Big Truck Day
- AAP Information
- Parent Input for Next School Year
- Food Allergies
- Immunizations
- FCPS App
- Floris SOL Schedule
- SOL Support
- Upcoming Dates
Hello Floris Families,
We are well into SOL testing season, and we want to share how proud we are of our students. They have done a wonderful job staying focused, calm, and determined to do their very best. Thank you for your continued support at home in helping students come to school prepared and ready to learn each day.
This is also a reminder that we will have an Early Release Day next Wednesday, May 20th. If you need to make any adjustments to how your child will be going home that day, please be sure to communicate directly with your child’s teacher and copy our Main Office so that everyone is informed and we can ensure a safe and smooth dismissal.
As we head into the final stretch of the year, it’s hard to believe we only have 22 school days remaining! Let’s continue working together to help our students finish the year strong, staying focused, showing perseverance, and ending the year with pride in all they have accomplished.
Thank you again for your partnership and support!
Sincerely,
Joshua DeSmyter, Principal
Robert Gibbs, Assistant Principal
PTA News and Announcements
🏃🏽♀️➡️Girls on the Run:
Join us this Saturday, May 16th at Jiffy Lube Live to cheer on our amazing 3rd-6th grade girls as they take on the Girls on the Run 5K! Your support will help make this a fun, memorable, and empowering day for every runner.
🍎Food Share Program:
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Sign up to deliver donated food on Fridays. It is a quick errand!
2026-2027 PTA Leadership Opportunities:
- Our PTA is seeking a Staff Appreciation, Enrichment Program, and Room Parent Lead. These roles are essential in recognizing Floris’ dedicated staff and enriching our students’ academic experience. Open PTA positions are listed here. We are happy to provide training and support! For more details, contact florispta.pres@gmail.com.
Want to learn more about the PTA? Visit our website.
Time to Return Library Books!
Thank you for your continued help locating Floris library books. The number of overdue books is slowly decreasing!
As a reminder, all library books should be returned to the library. Overdue notices will continue to be sent at least every other week through both email and paper notices.
Please take a few moments to help your child locate and return any library books they may still have at home. This is essential to ensure all materials are accounted for before the end of the school year.
There are no fines for overdue books, but all library books must be returned by June 3.
Thank you for your support in helping us keep our library collection complete and available for all students.
If you believe a book has been lost, please contact Ms. Papas at mopapas@fcps.edu to discuss next steps. Thank you!
Big Truck Day
The Floris Annual Big Truck Day for our kindergarten students is returning and is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3.
Parking spaces in the Kiss and Ride parking lot will be blocked off to visitors and staff for the event.
There will be no parking on this side of the school building that day.
The Kiss and Ride lane will be closed during school hours and there will be a modified morning Kiss and Ride lane. In the past, this has not allowed us to be able to hold our normal capacity. We greatly encourage your students to ride the bus on Wednesday, June 3. If you must use Kiss and Ride, please be patient, give yourself extra time, and be aware of the trucks entering and setting up. Throughout the day, parking will be limited at Floris ES.
Please keep this in mind to help promote the safe use of our parking lot during the event.
**If you are a participant or a parent volunteer for Big Truck Day, please note that you are required to sign in at the front office with a valid government-issued photo ID.**
Thank you!
AAP Information
If you are interested in learning more about the 4 levels of AAP services, please click on this link: Elementary School AAP Levels of Service.
If you should have any questions regarding AAP services, please reach out to Amy Albanese our Advanced Academics Resource Teacher here at Floris ES, or learn more about AAP on our Floris webpage!
Optional Parent Input for 2026-27 School Year
As we head into the final quarter of the school year, we’re also beginning preparations for 2026–2027, including the important process of class placement. Our staff works collaboratively to create balanced classrooms that support students’ academic, social, and emotional success. Families are welcome to share helpful insights about their child’s strengths and needs (rather than requesting specific teachers), though submitting input is optional and all students are thoughtfully considered. To ensure fairness and account for possible staffing changes, placements are finalized in late summer and will not be shared in advance.
If you’d like to provide input, please complete this optional form by Friday, May 15, 2026.
FCPS Caters to Food Allergies
May is Food Allergy Awareness Month. The FCPS Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) works to ensure every student has access to safe and nutritious school meals. Since 1 in 13 children in the U.S. has a food allergy, FNS works closely with families to provide reasonable meal accommodations for students whose medical needs affect what they can eat at school.
To support students appropriately and safely, families are asked to submit medical documentation to FNS from a U.S. licensed health care provider so we can tailor meals to each child’s needs.
Learn more about the documentation required and the steps to develop a safe menu for students.
Required Immunizations for Rising 7th and Rising 12th Graders
The following immunizations are required for students entering 7th and 12th grade each school year.
All students entering 7th grade are required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations prior to the beginning of school: Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis booster (Tdap), Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY), and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
- To meet the Tdap requirement, the vaccination must be administered at age 7 or older.
- To meet the MenACWY requirement, the vaccination must be administered at age 10 or older.
- To meet the HPV requirement, the vaccination should be given between the ages of 11 to 12 or as early as 9 years old.
- As a parent/guardian, you may decide that your child will not receive the HPV vaccination. The school does not require documentation if a parent/guardian elects for their student not to receive the HPV vaccination.
All students entering 12th grade are to receive two doses of the Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) prior to the beginning of school. To meet the MenACWY 12th grade requirement, one dose must be administered at age 16 or older.
Parents/guardians are encouraged to plan ahead by scheduling an appointment with your child’s health care provider now to avoid the rush this summer. Please consider getting your child’s immunizations early so that they can attend school in the fall. Summer is a busy time for families and health care providers. As long as your child meets the age requirements listed above, they can be immunized at any time.
Immunization Events for FCPS StudentsFCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will provide school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students at no out-of-pocket cost. Multiple events will take place at designated FCPS locations.
Dates will be made available throughout the school year. Parents/guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary. Additional immunization resources are also available.
📱 Stay up to Date With the FCPS Mobile App!
The FCPS mobile app offers a customized platform to help keep families connected and informed, directly from their smartphones. You can download the Fairfax County Public Schools mobile app by going to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and searching for “FCPS.”
With the app, you can:
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Stay up to date: Get the latest news from our school and FCPS.
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View school calendars: See events, activities, holidays, and early dismissals.
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Check school menus: See what’s for lunch and breakfast today, tomorrow, or next week.
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Tap to contact: Quickly call attendance lines or email school staff.
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Access key links: Jump to ParentVUE, Schoology, and the FCPS website in one tap.
Users can access updates and content without having to sign in, making it easy for everyone to stay informed.
Learn more about the new mobile app, including feedback from parents.
Your Child's Mental Wellness Matters: Access Comprehensive Services
Reach out to the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) for specialized youth mental health services designed to help your child succeed. The CSB has individual and family counseling, psychiatric diagnostic evaluations, medication management, parenting groups, peer support, crisis response, recovery supports that include medication-assisted treatment (MAT), intensive services, and other services.
Contact CSB Entry and Referral to get started by calling 703-383-8500 or emailing csb@fairfaxcounty.gov.
Additional Mental Health Resources:
FCPS has resources available to support your child’s mental health. During after-school hours, parents and students who need additional support can use the 988 Lifeline to get free, confidential guidance from trained crisis counselors on how to best help someone experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis. You can call or text the number.
Recent reports have shared an 11% drop in suicides among young people since the rollout of 988. Please note, the hotline is not only for those experiencing suicidal ideation (or thoughts), it is also available for any mental health or substance abuse-related crisis and those with a loved one experiencing those crises or suicidal thoughts.
And as always, if your concern is an emergency, you should call 911.
 Grades 3 and 4
Tuesday, May 12 - Language Arts SOL
Thursday, May 14 - Math SOL
Grade 5
Friday, May 8 - Science SOL
Grades 5 and 6
Wednesday, May 13 - Language Arts SOL
Friday, May 15 - Math SOL
Grades 3-6
May 18-May 22 - SOL makeup testing
May 28-June 2 - Expedited SOL retakes (Scores of 375-399 on initial assessment)
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.
Dates for the 2025-2026 School Year
May 15: 5th and 6th Grades Math SOL
May 20: 3-Hour Early Release
May 21: PTA Carnival
May 25-27: No School
June 3: Big Truck Day
June 10-11: 6th Grade Musical Performances, 7:00
June 16: 6th Grade Promotion Ceremony
June 17: Last Day of School
Find the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar: https://www.fcps.edu/calendars/standard-school-year-calendar
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