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☎️ Parent Information Phone Lines Available in Eight Languages
Parents/caregivers who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese may call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS. View the list of phone numbers.
Upcoming Events
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Monday, May 25: NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day Holiday
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Tuesday, May 26: Student Holiday - Teacher Workday
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Wednesday, May 27: NO SCHOOL - Eid al Adha Holiday
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Tuesday, June 2: Spring strings concert, 6:30
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Wednesday, June 3: Spring band/chorus concert, 6:30
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Thursday, June 4: Grade 1 musical, 9:10
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Thursday, June 4: PTA meeting, 7:00
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Friday, June 5: Kindergarten musical, 11:10
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Friday, June 5: Enhanced Autism Awards & Celebration, 2:15
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Monday, June 8: Field Day (info coming soon)
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Tuesday, June 9: Annual kickball game, 6th graders vs. FES staff
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Thur, June 11, & Fri, June 12: Promotion Ceremonies (see info below)
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Friday, June 12: 6th grade cookout, 6:00
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Monday, June 15: PTA EOY Picnic, 5:00
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Tuesday, June 16: 6th Grade Promotion Ceremony (10:00am-2:00pm)
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Wednesday, June 17: Talent show (9:00) and last day of school (2HR EARLY DISMISSAL)
Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances.
Morning Arrival Reminders
To ensure a safe and smooth start to the day for everyone, please keep the following in mind:
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School hours are Monday - Friday: 8:35 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
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Arrival Bell is at 8:35 a.m
To ensure our students have a strong start to their day, this is a friendly reminder that the first bell rings at 8:35 AM and students should report to class. Being on time is essential as the morning meeting is a special time for students to build community with their classmates and teachers. Thank you for your partnership.
Attendance
If you need to report any attendance or dismissal changes, please notify the front office.
Absences and late arrivals must be reported to the office by 9:00 a.m. via one of the following methods:
Franconia Elementary
Food Share Program
Thank you for supporting the Franconia Elementary Food Share Program
Hello! Thank you for supporting the Franconia Elementary Food Share Program. Because of the short week due to the holidays and teacher work day, we are focusing on giftcards for this week to enable ease of collection and distribution.
Giftcards will be sent home on Friday afternoon, so donations will need to be delivered by Thursday, 5/28/2026, by 4:30PM.
Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Donation can be brought directly to our main office during regular office hours (M-F, 8:00-4:30), or deliveries can be shipped to:
Franconia Elementary Food Share Program
6301 Beulah Street
Alexandria, VA 22310
Thank you for your support!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4AA4A928A6FB6-63914417-food
March 2026 CARES of the Month Recognition-Region 3 Franconia ES
Congratulations Ms. Octaviano
Ms. Octaviano exemplifies dedication and compassion in her many roles at Franconia Elementary School. In addition to serving as a 2nd grade teacher, Get-2-Green lead teacher, and Student Council Association advisor, she also coordinates the school’s food share program to support students experiencing food insecurity.
Through the Get-2-Green initiative and monetary donations received by the school, Renee recognized an opportunity to expand support for students in need. She began by purchasing a refrigerator and enhancing the cafeteria’s food share table so that students experiencing hunger could take home not only shelf-stable items but also refrigerated foods.
She also purchased portable lunch coolers, allowing 12 students to bring food home each weekend. What started as a simple expansion has now grown into a weekend meal initiative. Each Friday, Renee organizes sending home ingredients for family meals with these students, along with recipes designed to help families prepare and share meals together. When funding for the program became limited, Renee created a weekly Sign Up Genius to engage school and community members in donating food items, ensuring the program could continue serving students and their families.
Renee’s creativity, perseverance, and deep commitment to students and families have transformed a small idea into a meaningful source of support for families in need. Her leadership and compassion have made a lasting impact on the Franconia Elementary community.
A federal food benefit program for eligible K-12 students that provides a one-time $120 benefit per eligible child to purchase groceries during summer break.
Who Needs to Apply?
You must apply if:
- Your household does not receive SNAP, TANF, or income-based Medicaid and
- Your child did not apply for free or reduced-price school meals with the National School Lunch Program.
You should also apply if your child attends a school that provides free meals to all students under the Community Eligibility Provision, unless your household already receives SNAP, TANF, or income-based Medicaid.
Who Does Not Qualify?
Your child may not qualify if they:
- Are homeschooled
- Attend a virtual school
- Attend a non-public school that does not take part in the National School Lunch Program
Exception: Children may still qualify if the household receives SNAP, TANF, or income-based Medicaid.
If you need to apply, you can complete a new online application or print and mail a paper application to the Virginia Department of Social Services. Alternatively, the Virginia SUN Bucks Call Center (866-513-1414) will accept applications June 15 through August 31 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Here is the link how to apply for SUN BUCKS
https://www.dss.virginia.gov/relief/food-assistance/sunbucks/how-to-apply-for-sun-bucks/
Franconia ES
SOL Dates - Spring 2026
SOL Retakes* May 6 - May 22
*Parents will be contacted if their child is eligible for a re-take.
Franconia Band & Strings
Hello! Coming home in Wednesday folders today is enrollment information about band, strings, and chorus. We use this to build our specials schedule for next year, so we need the intention form completed and returned by every student (even if you are moving!) by June 1.
To make things easier, you can complete it online using this link here – it takes 1 minute!
https://forms.gle/n1BA96adBUEp8Rj89
For questions, please contact Mr. Jakes for band and Mr. Johnson for strings.
All Kindergarten and Grade 1 Families!
Have you ever felt like you were having the worst day ever and nothing you did was going right? Come join us in our upcoming musical Lemonade to see how Mother Goose teaches our nursery rhyme characters how to make the best out of a challenging situation. “When life hands you lemons, you should make lemonade!”
Showtimes last around 20 – 25 minutes:
First Grade: Thursday, June 4, at 9:30am in the Franconia Gym
Kindergarten: Friday, June 5, at 11:30am in the Franconia Gym
PROMOTION CEREMONIES 2026
All ceremonies will take place in the gym - enter building through the back (door 6 off the blacktop)
We are looking forward to welcoming families to our year-end ceremonies.
Please note the following guidelines:
- Parking for all visitors will be in the parking lot at the back of the building off Kathmoor Dr.
- Visitors will enter and exit through the gym doors off the blacktop in the back of the school (through the gate and across the blacktop to door 6).
- Programs will last approximately 1 hour.
· Please do not bring balloons.
- If you wish to take your child home with you at the conclusion of the program, you must sign them out with your child's teacher.
Please direct any questions to your child’s teacher.
Friday, 6/5
Thursday, 6/11
- 9:00 - Grade 4
- 12:00 - Grade 5
- 2:00 - Grade 1
Friday, 6/12
- 9:00 - Grade 3
- Haffner - cafeteria
- Pina - gym
- Stump - outside
- 12:00 - Grade 2
- 2:00 - Kindergarten
Tuesday, 6/10
Attendance
Finish the School Year With Strong Attendance!
As we enter the final weeks of the school year, Fairfax County Public Schools appreciates your continued partnership in supporting your child’s success. Regular attendance plays an important role in helping students stay engaged in learning, maintain connections with their teachers and peers, and finish the school year strong.
Attending school consistently also helps students build valuable habits such as responsibility, perseverance, and daily routines that support success both in and out of the classroom.
If your child needs to miss school, please remember to report the absence. Full-day absences can be reported in ParentVUE. Families may also report absences by calling the school attendance line or emailing the school-designated attendance address.
If your child is experiencing challenges that are affecting attendance, we are here to help. Please contact your child’s school so staff can partner with you to provide support and resources. Learn more about attendance resources.
📢 LOST & FOUND: THE PENGUIN IS PACKED!
Our Lost & Found penguin is feeling a bit overwhelmed by the mountain of gear left behind! Our retrieval racks are currently bursting with jackets, hoodies, and personal items that are lonely for their owners.
Please swing by the Main Lobby before the end of the week to claim any missing belongings.
📖LIBRARY READING📖
May Book Bingo is here.
K & 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Z5p3Cr2_dgGisK5W0Kc3YXIYfjoyi0kC/view?usp=sharing
All grades: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TSAcPYomAfyhnBjD0Y9OTfDaDrVCGjbC/view?usp=sharing
READING CHALLENGES
Million Word Challenge, lasts all year
Click here to find more information and the paper form.
Click here to submit your student’s books online with this form.
CONTACT:
Please contact the Librarian, Debby Vandersande, any time at dmvandersand@fcps.edu.
Library books are due soon!
Students who return all their library books by May 29 will be entered in a raffle! Every raffle ticket will win, with prizes ranging from pencil, to UV pens, to fidgets!
Please check your student’s Wednesday folder a complete list of books they have checked out.
Kindergarten Registration:
It’s as Easy as 1-2-3
There’s an easy five-step process for parents wanting to register their child for kindergarten:
- Determine eligibility.
- Identify your local school.
- Gather documents.
- Fill out forms.
- Schedule an appointment.
After the appointment at the school (the student and one caregiver must be present), the student will be ready for orientation and any other introductory events each school may host. Read more about the registration process.
💻 Try Online Registration (recommended)
Parents may register their children online for kindergarten through grade 12. Learn how to begin the online registration process. When registering, parents will create (or log in to an existing) SIS ParentVUE account.
For any questions about registration, contact the Franconia Student Information Assistant (SIA), Marie Stewart, at mastewart@fcps.edu.
PTA CORNER
Chick-fil-a Spirit Night
Wednesday, May 20 | 5:00 - 7:00pm Take the night off from cooking and support the PTA at Chick-fil-A Kingstowne! Order in the drive-thru, inside, or on the app. Drive thru & counter orders need to mention "spirit night" when ordering. Mobile orders should use code Penguin (case sensitive!) and turn on the “Support Community Event” toggle at checkout.
General Updates
School Supplies: we are finalizing next year's school supplies vendor, seeking out a lower cost, higher value service than what we'd been receiving the last few years. Be on the lookout in the coming weeks for that info. Our goal is to actually get those items ordered before you all disappear for the summer and have them delivered directly to the school in the fall. All you will have to do is lift a finger or two! Easy, peasy.
Teacher Appreciation Week: Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your support last week in showing our love and appreciation of the amazing staff! It was an amazing week.
Upcoming Events
Stayed tuned for more details on all of the below events. May/June are shaping up to be quite the busy months as we head full force into the end of the year. Less than two months until we wrap up this year!
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May 20: Chick-fil-a Spirit Night
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June 4: Final PTA Meeting and Elections
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June 5: Read-a-Thon Sno Cones!
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June 15: End of Year Picnic and Popsicles on the Playground
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June 15: Read-a-Thon Slimeapalooza
SoCo Summer Strings
Exciting news! SoCo Summer Strings is returning this summer! The camp will be hosted at South County Middle School from July 6-17, 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM (weekdays only). Camp is open to all rising 5th-9th grade students with at least one year of experience on the violin, viola, cello, or bass. Students will participate in two large ensemble rehearsals, an instrument-specific technique class, and a sectional each day.
You can find more information and register for camp at www.schsorchestra.org/soco-summer-strings. Register early to save money and reserve your student’s spot!
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New Cell Phone Policy
New Cellphone Policy Starts July 1
On Thursday, May 7, the Fairfax County School Board approved changes to the FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R). The approved changes include updated guidance for cellphone possession and use, to align the FCPS cellphone policy with Senate Bill 108. This new Virginia law goes into effect on July 1 and states that all schools in the Commonwealth must follow a “bell-to-bell” phone-free policy.
This means that starting July 1, 2026, across all grade levels at FCPS, student cellphones, phone accessories, and all smart devices (including watches that serve a dual purpose, such as smart watches, as well as earbuds, headsets, smart glasses, and other other items connected to the internet) must be off and personally stored (i.e., put away in backpacks) for the duration of the school day — thus, no cellphones from bell to bell.
High school students will no longer be able to use cellphones and personal devices during lunchtime. More details are available on the FCPS Cellphone Policy webpage.
Student Bus Pass
Student Bus Passes Offer Free Transportation
All Fairfax County middle and high school students can get a Student Bus Pass SmarTrip card to ride the Fairfax Connector and Fairfax CUE buses for free! With the pass, fares are free from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, all year. Learn more about the Student Pass and access the application, which can be returned to the front office.
Additionally, our students can ride Metrobus for free. Visit the Fairfax County website for details and approved Metrobus routes and to access the application.
Children 12 and younger ride for free on the Fairfax Connector with a paying adult.
Bus Discount Program for Adults
Fairfax Connector’s Transit Ridership Incentive Program (TRIP) provides 50% off fares for low-income residents ages 18-65. Learn more about the TRIP program and how to apply.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
People with ancestral roots in Asia and the islands of the Pacific have been integral to the story of America. In 1992, May was designated Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month to celebrate their heritage and contributions.Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.
Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental Health Awareness Month is about more than awareness. It’s about showing up for one another. It provides a chance to stand with your community and show that no one struggles alone. Everyone is invited to speak up against mental health stigma. Learn more about Mental Health Awareness Month on the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website.
Jewish American Heritage MonthMay is a national month of recognition of the history of Jewish contributions to American culture, acknowledging the diverse achievement of the Jewish community in the U.S. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.
National Speech-Language-Hearing Month
25 - Memorial Day
All schools and offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, for the Memorial Day holiday. Learn about the history of Memorial Day. See the complete school year calendar.
26 - Teacher Work Day
Tuesday, May 26, is a teacher work day. There is no school for students. See the complete school year calendar.
27 - Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha begins at sundown on Thursday, May 26. Wednesday, May 27, is a holiday for Eid al-Adha and schools and offices are closed. See the complete school year calendar.
Quick Links
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