đź“° The Saratoga Connection
Summer Edition
Principals' Corner
Welcome to the start of a wonderful new school year! As the days of summer begin to wind down, our excitement here at Saratoga is reaching an all-time high. We are racing closer to the first day of school and the building is already buzzing with activity. Our dedicated custodial team is hard at work making our school shine, our main office staff is busy registering and welcoming our newest families, and our administrative team is eagerly preparing for our amazing staff to return next Friday. We cannot wait to open our doors and fill these halls with the warmth, laughter, and energy of our students.Â
When you step inside, you will notice some exciting building refreshes underway:
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Fresh Paint: Our classrooms are finishing up with a fresh, clean coat of paint! Hallways are next on the painters' schedule. While hallway painting will conclude shortly after the start of the school year, we are thrilled for this overall building refresh.
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New PTA Horseshoes: The PTA is working with a vendor to replace the blue stallions with new horseshoes on our floors and walls. Our goal is to have the floor decals in place for the first day of school, with the wall graphics installed as soon as hallway painting is complete. (See the picture below for a sneak peek!)
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Please mark your calendars for two key opportunities to connect, explore, and prepare for the year ahead:
- Saratoga Open House | August 20 from 4:30 pm – 6:30 pmÂ
Please drop by Saratoga for our Open House! This is a fantastic chance for you and your child to explore the building, locate their classroom, meet our wonderful Saratoga team, and drop off school supplies before the first day.
- First Day of School | Monday, August 24
Our doors open for students at 9:05 am, and our school day ends with dismissal at 4:05 pm. On the first day, a variety of staff members will be outside welcoming students and guiding them safely to their classrooms. To ensure the safety and security of all students and our building, parents, families, and visitors are not permitted to walk students to their classrooms on the first day. Rest assured, our team will make sure every child feels supported and finds their way with ease!
- Back to School Night | September 9 from 5:00 pm – 6:30 pmÂ
Save the date for an insightful evening focused on your child's academic journey. You will learn about grade-level curriculum and what to expect throughout the year. Throughout the evening, teachers will share clear answers to these essential questions:
- What are students learning throughout the year?
- What are our academic and behavioral expectations?
- How are we supporting students in the classroom?
- What additional supports are available for students?
- How can parents contact teachers, and how often will you hear from us?
Back-to-School Supply List
As you finish up your back-to-school shopping, please take a quick moment to review the supply list for your child's grade level so they are ready for a confident start.
Enjoy these final days of summer. We are so grateful for your partnership and look forward to seeing you all very soon!
Pass the Salt (and a Resume): Know an Amazing Dining Assistant?
We're excited to share that we're looking to add a dining assistant to our school team! If you know someone who is dependable, enjoys working with children, and would be a great addition to our school community, please encourage them to contact alower@fcps.edu for more information. The position will support students in the cafeteria and be from 10:45-2:15 (3.25 hours) every day the students are in the building.
Understanding Student Rights and Responsibilities Updates: New Universal Grade Matrices for FamiliesFamilies are encouraged to review the updated FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) document, which explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses in order to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment.
Updates for the 2026-27 school year include new Universal Grade Matrices (UGMs). UGMs are charts that show behavior expectations and school responses by grade level (K-3, 4-8, and 9-12). These at-a-glance resources (in Appendix D of the SR&R) are designed to make it easier for parents and caregivers to understand how schools respond to different types of behavior concerns.
Visit the SR&R webpage for more information and to review additional updates to the SR&R for the 2026-27 school year.
New Requirement for Student Device Use During the School DayStarting this school year, students must use FCPS-issued devices for school-related digital activities during the instructional day. This is in accordance with a new School Board requirement, approved on July 16, which states that students may not use personal electronic communication or computing devices, including personal laptops, tablets, smartwatches, smartphones, and similar devices.Â
Students may only use their personal device if it is required as part of a necessary accommodation in the students’ Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan. A principal or the principal’s designee may approve a limited, course-specific exception for students enrolled in a specialized class when the curriculum requires a technology tool or software that isn’t available on a standard FCPS-issued device.Â
Families can help support this requirement by reminding students to bring their FCPS-issued device each day and use it for all school-related digital activities unless an approved exception applies.Â
We’re Eager to Welcome You Back to School!
As summer winds down, we are looking forward to welcoming students back to our classrooms. Use the following list to help make sure your child is ready!Â
Sign Up for SIS ParentVUE
Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Contact our registrar at ttandrews@fcps.edu or 703-440-2608 if you need an activation code. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE. Also, download the new ParentVUE mobile app so you can access your child’s records easily from anywhere!Â
Update Your Contact Information
Be sure you receive important information! Update your phone number(s) and/or email address(es) by clicking “My Account” and reviewing the “Online Verification/Update.” On that form, you can also update immunization records, health information, and emergency contacts.Â
Update Immunizations and Records
Immunizations are required for all students to attend school in Virginia. This is an important part of protecting them from certain diseases and keeping them healthy.Â
When your child is immunized, remember to request a copy of their immunization record and bring that to our front office or submit the record via SIS ParentVUE as soon as possible. Find more information on FCPS’ website.
Learn About School Meals
Families need to provide their children with money to purchase meals at school or send them with a packed lunch. Alternatively, families may apply to receive free and reduced-price meal benefits, pending approval.
Bookmark the School Year Calendar
Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances:
- Days marked blue with an “H” are student holidays. Schools are closed on these days.
- Days marked orange with an “O” are religious and cultural observance days (or evenings, if only half marked). There is school on these days, but certain events that cannot be made up may not be scheduled on these days.
- Days marked as TW, SD, and SP and in pink are holidays for students but working days for teachers and staff.
Please note that some holidays and observances, such as Eid al Fitr, may shift, and the calendar may be adjusted.
New Student ID Cards Coming for Bus Riders This FallÂ
As part of the ongoing commitment to strengthening layered safety and security programs, FCPS will implement a new student ID system for students who ride our school buses.
The implementation of the student IDs is designed as an additional safety measure for our 130,000 FCPS students who ride the bus each day, ensuring they are on the right bus and that they get on and off at the correct bus stop, as well as making sure only authorized students are on our buses.
The IDs will be provided to students who ride the bus. Those students will be expected to tap on and tap off the bus. The student IDs do not track student movement. The only information available is when a student taps on or off a bus. Much like our Here Comes the Bus app, our new app will allow parents/guardians to track the progress of the school bus.
It is possible that the ID program will expand in the future to include uses such as library cards and meal payment. Learn more about the new transportation system and student ID cards.
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