Haycock Hello 8/13/26

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 08/13/2026 02:57 PM EDT

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popsicles

Popsicles with the Principal - Haycock families enjoyed popsicles and a chance to meet the new principal, Mr. Ferrara!

Dear Haycock Families,

I am almost finished with my first two weeks at Haycock, and I am so excited to meet you all next week and start school the following week! I have spent these first two weeks meeting with as many staff members as I can and getting to know all about Haycock. There is so much behind-the-scenes work that goes on at a school during the summer to make the school year as special as we can, and we are excited to welcome you all.

I also want to give a special thank you to our custodians and office staff, who have worked tirelessly throughout the summer to make sure our school is ready to go. Their hard work does not go unnoticed, and I am incredibly grateful for everything they have done to prepare for our students and families.

Once we get into the cadence of the school year, I will typically send out the Haycock Hello on Mondays. Please make sure to read through it all (I know it's long!). It will include a mix of information from me, the PTA, and FCPS, along with important dates, reminders, and links. Communication is very important to me, and I want to find many ways to keep you informed and connected to our school.

I also want to give you a heads up that we will be down an assistant principal as we start the school year. Heather Boyd is currently on leave and spending time with her family. We wish her and her family the very best and look forward to her return. In the meantime, Mrs. Styles and I will work together to cover Ms. Boyd's responsibilities and make sure our students, staff, and families have the support they need.

Lastly, I am so excited for the school year to begin and to welcome you all to Haycock. I am looking forward to meeting you, getting to know your families, and having a wonderful year together!

 

With appreciation for your partnership,

Jeremy Ferrara, Principal jcferrara1@fcps.edu

Heather Boyd, AP   HABoyd@fcps.edu

Krystal Styles, AP   krstyles@fcps.edu

Important Upcoming Dates 

August 20  Open House

August 24  First Day of School

September 2 Back to School

September 4 - 7  Labor Day Holiday

September 21  Student Holiday

FCPS 2026-27 School Year Calendar 

Important Haycock Reminders

  • Devices: We distributed 152 devices this summer for summer work and we are still missing 93 of those.  Please make sure to return the device as students will not be issued a new reimaged device until their old one is returned for maintenance.  If you have any questions please reach out to the Haycock front office.
  • Teacher assignments will be sent out after 4PM on Wednesday August 19th from your child’s classroom teacher.
  • Open House- Thursday, August 20 in the afternoon, staggered by last name from 1PM-3PM

o   1:00-1:30- A-F

o   1:30-2:00- G-L

o   2:00-2:30- M-R

o   2:30-3:00- S-Z

 

  • Lunchroom Helpers: If you (or a family member/family friend) are interested in being a helper in our cafeteria during the year please reach out to Cathie Eames (CJEames@fcps.edu).  We are in need of help each day of the week from 11AM-2PM.

FCPS Updates

  • New Student ID Cards Coming for Bus Riders This Fall 

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.

  • Get Ready for the New School Year With the FCPS App! 📱Simplify your back-to-school prep! Download the FCPS mobile app to check school calendars, breakfast/lunch menus, and school contacts all in one place with no login required. Plus, get quick access to ParentVUE, Schoology, and the bus app.Download the FCPS mobile app in the Apple App Store or Google Play, and make sure to subscribe to our school in the app settings.

 

  • Explore School Meals in the New Menu Platform

Experience an easier way to view your child’s school menus using MealViewer:

  • View what is being served each day.
  • View the nutritional information for each meal.
  • See if any specific allergens are being served.
  • Get notified when your student’s favorite meal is being served.

Printable menus are always available on the Food and Nutrition Services webpage.    

  • Back-to-School Immunization RequirementsMake sure your child has all of their required immunizations before the first day of school. Check their immunization records to see what they might be missing:
  1. Request immunization records online through the Virginia Immunization Information System (a free service).
  2. If your child was immunized outside of Virginia, get records from those states’ systems.
  3. Request records from your healthcare provider. Some may charge for copies.

 

  • 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. 

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. 

 

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. 

Haycock PTA Updates

Support the Haycock PTA! 💙💛There are lots of ways to make a difference at Haycock this year! Join or renew your PTA membership, donate to our $25,000 Armchair Fundraiser, sponsor a PTA membership for a Haycock teacher or staff member, or volunteer your time and talents. Every membership, donation, sponsorship, and helping hand strengthens our school community and supports programs, events, classroom resources, and opportunities for our students.

👉 Join, Give or Sponsor: https://haycockpta.givebacks.com/shop 🙋 Interested in volunteering? Email haycockpta@gmail.com — we’d love to have you involved!

 

PTA

💗FCPS Cares

Take a moment to acknowledge and affirm a Haycock staff member when they go above and beyond in demonstrating care and dedication that ensures every one of our students is seen, heard, and valued .FCPS Cares.

murals

New Murals at Haycock! 🎨
Three new murals painted by former Haycock students were completed over the summer. One in the cafeteria and two in the Three Sisters Garden in the Chess Courtyard. We can’t wait for students to see them when they return!