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Hello Garfield Families! Welcome back to school! As summer winds down, our staff eagerly look forward to welcoming students back to school. This newsletter includes important back-to-school information, including arrival and dismissal procedures, along with other helpful details to support a smooth start to the year.
We invite families to read the newsletter at their convenience as you prepare for the first day of school. Please also log in to ParentVUE to review and respond to the various opt-in and opt-out opportunities.
Thank you and Blessings,
Kerry Peerman, Principal
Liz Manning, Assistant Principal
Upcoming Events
- Friday, August 21, Open House and Back to School Nest Fest
- Monday, 08/24 - First day of school for students
- Friday, 09/04 - Student Holiday, No School
- Monday, 09/07 - Labor Day, No School
- Friday, 09/18 - Student Individual Pictures
- Monday, 09/21 - Student Holiday, No School
- Thursday, 10/2 – PTA Family Event. Stay tuned for details!
Be First-Day Ready
The first day of school, Monday, August 24, is just around the corner! Check out these back-to-school tips to make sure your child gets off to a great start.
Also find out what will be new this school year.
Spanish: Prepárese para el Regreso a Clase
¡El primer día de clases está a la vuelta de la esquina! Nos vemos este lunes 24 de agosto. Revise estos consejos para el regreso a clase y asegúrese de que su estudiante tenga un fantástico inicio.
Entérese de qué habrá de nuevo en este año escolar.
Remember to Complete Consent Forms
Families can easily grant permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. Opt your child in or out of a variety of online educational tools and choose how student information is managed.
Please visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage today to access the system.
Join us for our Back-to-School Nest Fest!
Friday, August 21 | 1:30–5:30 p.m.
Welcome to our GES Nest Fest!
- 1:30 – 2:00pm | Kindergarten popsicle party
- 1:30 – 2:00 p.m. | Pre-K Open House
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2:00 – 2:30 p.m. | Garfield K-6 Open House
Meet your child’s teacher, visit and explore the classroom, and drop off school supplies
Back-to-School Presentations
Learn about all the news, information, and expectations for your grade. Session 2 is a repeat of Session 1, giving families with children in multiple grade levels an opportunity to attend more than one presentation.
2:35–3:25 p.m. | Session 1
3:30–4:15 p.m. | Session 2
During the 2nd session, you will have the opportunity to meet our specialist teachers (music, art, library, PE), preview the FLE curriculum, and brose through free books, and pick up any needed supplies and backpacks (while supplies last).
PTA Meeting, Pizza Dinner, and Family Fun
Pizza available until it runs out!
4:15 –5:30 p.m.
We can’t wait to welcome our Eagles back to the nest! 🦅💙
We look forward to seeing you on Friday, August 21!
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Arrival Procedures
Monday, August 24
- Students and families can enter the building at 9:05am (when the first bell rings).
- Families can walk and drop their students at the classroom door.
- Families are asked to drop students off at the classroom door to allow teachers time to begin building relationships with students.
- Kindergarten students and any student needing assistance will be supported and escorted to class by GES staff member.
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Tuesday, August 25
- Students and families can enter the building at 9:05am (when the first bell rings).
- Families can walk their students to class.
- Families are asked to drop students off at the classroom door to allow teachers time to begin building relationships with students.
- Kindergarten students and any student needing assistance will be supported and escorted to class by GES staff member
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Wednesday, August 26
- Families will drop students at Kiss and Ride or walker door.
- Students will walk on their own to class.
- Kindergarten students and any student needing assistance will be supported and escorted to class by GES staff member.
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Thursday, August 27
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Families will drop students at Kiss and Ride or walker door.
- Students will walk on their own to class.
- Kindergarten students and any student needing assistance will be supported and escorted to class by GES staff member
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Friday, August 28
- Families will drop students at Kiss and Ride or walker door.
- Students will walk on their own to class.
- Kindergarten students and any student needing assistance will be supported and escorted to class by GES staff member.
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Dismissal Procedures
We will continue to use our low voices dismissal process.
- Patrols, Kiss and ride will be called first, these students will go to the gym for dismissal. Kiss and Ride students will sit quietly in the gym to wait for their car number or day care van to arrive.
- Kindergarten students riding the bus, will be escorted to the cafeteria hallway by their instructional assistant or teacher, who will ensure the adult-to-adult transfer occurs.
- Bus riders will be called at about 4:10pm. There are a few buses called every minute or two.
- SACC students and students attending an after-school club will be dismissed from their classrooms to go to the SACC room.
Back-to-School Checklist
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!
☑️ Sign Up for SIS ParentVUE
Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Contact our main office 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!
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.
☑️ 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.
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.
News, Updates & Resources from FCPS
Student IDs/Bus Tracking
FCPS App
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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.
New Menu Platform
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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.
SR&R Updates
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Understanding Student Rights and Responsibilities Updates: New Universal Grade Matrices for Families Families 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.
Study Help and Support in Schoology
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Study Help and Support Available to Students in Schoology A new Schoology Study and Support Hub is available for students in Schoology. This space was developed by the FCPS Educational Technology Team with input from students. It is designed to provide essential study tools and academic support resources directly to our learners.
- Students can log in to Schoology and read their Schoology announcements or watch this video on the support hub for more information.
Medication Drop Off
If your child requires medication at school, either emergency or regularly used, our medication drop-off will be on Thursday, August 20th, and Friday, August 21st from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM in the clinic.
Point of Contact: Fairfax County Health Department Public Health Nurse
Building a Brighter Future, Together: FCPS Family Academy
The FCPS Family Academy is where families can learn and get support for their child’s school journey.
We know that parents and caregivers are critically important in their child’s education. The Family Academy lists classes, webinars, workshops, and programs offered by FCPS to help you support your child's needs and learning at home. The Family Academy also includes information about resources available to help every family ensure their child has what they need to succeed.
Visit the Family Academy webpage. Check out its catalog for upcoming classes, workshops, and webinars to help families learn about FCPS, parenting, early literacy, and how to partner with schools.
Follow FCPS on WhatsApp
Is WhatsApp one of the ways you stay connected with family, friends, and your community? Now you can use it to stay connected with FCPS, too.
Follow the new FCPS WhatsApp Channel for helpful information and reminders throughout the school year, including important announcements, upcoming dates, tips for families, and more.
New ParentVUE Mobile App
On Tuesday, July 28, a new ParentVUE mobile app became available in the Apple and Google app stores. This new app provides parents and caregivers with a more secure sign-in. The current “classic” app will remain active for about six months. Families must download the new app by December 2026 to ensure they have continued mobile access to their child’s school data.
In the new app, families can enroll in multi-factor authentication (MFA) for FCPS Single Sign-On. While enrollment is optional, we strongly recommend that everyone enable this security feature.
Learn more about installing the new ParentVUE app. Parents needing assistance should submit a Parent Support Request.
New Student Device Requirement
Starting this school year, students may only 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 a 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.
News from FCPS and Fairfax County Government
Family Information Phone Lines
FCPS family information phone lines are available in nine different languages. An FCPS employee will respond to your call in your preferred language within 24 hours, Monday through Friday.
Call the phone line with questions about your child’s education or FCPS, and someone will help connect you to resources or arrange for you to speak to the appropriate school employee. Learn more about family information phone lines.
Scroll Smart. Post Smart. Stay Safe.
The Fairfax County Police Department encourages teens and parents to stay informed, have open conversations about digital safety, and practice smart online habits throughout the summer months. Read recommendations to stay safe online this summer.
Fairfax County Government Programs & Services
Fairfax County Health Department – Public Health Center Services (Ongoing)
The Fairfax County Health Department continues to offer a wide range of public health services for children, adults, and families at locations throughout Fairfax County. Services include immunizations, maternal and child health care, HIV/STI testing and counseling, tuberculosis services, pregnancy testing, WIC nutrition support, vital records, and eye care assistance for eligible residents. Walk-ins and appointments are available at Annandale, Herndon-Reston, Mount Vernon, and Franconia-Springfield locations.
Health Department Services & WIC Information (Ongoing)
The Fairfax County Health Department is providing ongoing community health services including environmental health, communicable disease support, refugee services, maternity services, school immunizations, TB testing and treatment, and WIC nutrition assistance. Multiple WIC offices and public health centers remain available across Fairfax County to support families and residents.
- Updated Fairfax County Health Department Flyer (English) (Spanish)
- Contact for more information: 703-246-2411 | WIC Information Line: 703-246-5599
Inova Health System – Community Health Programs for Children (Ongoing Services Available Year-Round) Inova offers a variety of free or low-cost healthcare resources for children, including assistance with Medicaid/FAMIS applications, primary care services for children with Medicaid or no insurance, free virtual nutrition and cooking classes, and care coordination for children with special healthcare needs. Families can access preventive care, immunizations, school and sports physicals, nutrition counseling, and support services at no cost or reduced cost.
Inova Cares Back-to-School Pediatric Health Fairs (Upcoming, Summer 2026) Free physicals and immunizations for children (ages 5+, Medicaid or uninsured only). June 27 – Inova Cares Manassas July 25 – Inova Cares Falls Church Call 703-698-2550 (appointments required, no walk-ins) Available Flyer
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