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 August 21, 2026
From the Principal’s Pen
Dear Laurel Hill Families,
We are so excited to welcome your students back for a wonderful school year! As we prepare to learn and grow together, I want to share a few quick details about our first day and an important technology update.
🎒 The First Day of School
We can’t wait to see you on Monday, August 24th!
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Walk them in: You are warmly invited to walk your child to their classroom to help them get settled on the first day.
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Start time: The first bell rings at 9:05am, at which point our teachers will dive right into the fun of the school day. Please plan your morning so you have plenty of time for those first-day hugs and goodbyes before the second bell at 9:20am!
📱 Important Technology Update
To help keep our classrooms focused, connected, and engaging, Fairfax County Public Schools is implementing the State of Virginia’s new policy (effective July 1, 2026) on cell phones and smart devices (which includes smartwatches and earbuds). This policy has also been incorporated into Fairfax County’s Student Rights and Responsibilities.
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The policy: All smart devices to include cell phones, smart watches, and earbuds must be "off and away" during the school day.
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What this means: All students must keep these devices off and in their bookbag during the school day. Upon arrival, teachers will ask that all devices remain safely stored inside student backpacks for the duration of the school day.
We would greatly appreciate it if you could review these expectations with your child before the first day of school. It is often very helpful to decide together on a specific, secure pocket in their bookbag where their devices will "sleep" during school hours!
Lastly,class placements were made using a thoughtful process which takes many factors into account, including the opportunity for parents to provide input about the qualities of a teacher they feel would work best for their child. Many staff members are involved in the class placement process, including administrators, classroom teachers, counselors, special education teachers and specialist teachers (Math, Reading, Advanced Academics and Multilingual Learners).
At this time, we will not consider any changes to class placements, as classes are balanced for many factors and teachers have been preparing for students. We ask that families recognize that all of our teachers are highly qualified professionals who bring many talents and skills to their classrooms each day.
Thank you so much for your continued partnership and support. We are looking forward to a fantastic year ahead!
Sincerely,
Thmeaka Traylor, Principal
Addison Smith, Assistant Principal
Wednesday, August 26th is the Pre-K Open House.
Wednesday, September 16th is Back To School Night.
Session 1: 6:00-6:45 PM and Session 2 is 6:50-7:35 PM.
Cell Phone Policy
We Are a Phone-Free School!
There were statewide changes to the cell phone policy that legally went into effect on July 1, 2026. Cellphones, phone accessories, and all smart devices, including smart watches, must be OFF and personally stored (i.e., backpacks) for the duration of the school day: bell to bell.
Smart devices include watches that serve a dual purpose, such as smart watches, as well as earbuds, headsets, smart glasses, and other items connected to the internet. This policy does not apply to school-issued devices.
Please remind your student that cell phones and personal devices (airpods, earbuds, headsets, other items connected to the internet) must be off and away for the entire school day (bell to bell). Cell phones are also not permitted to be used as an instructional tool.
If you need to contact your student during the school day, please call our front office at (703) 551-5300. Learn more about FCPS’ cell phone policy, which helps students stay focused, safe, and engaged at school.
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 registrar at Sarah Orlick at 703-551-5303 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!
☑️ Sign in to Schoology
Use your SIS/ParentVUE login information to login to Schoology: https://lms.fcps.edu. Look for the FCPS logo to make sure you are on the right login page.
Learn more about Schoology:https://www.fcps.edu/schoology
The Schoology Parent Resource Kit: https://www.fcps.edu/schoology/parents/welcome
☑️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.
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Click Hereto access the Sparkle Muffin Podcast. This is where our Science teacher Mr. Cookson does a podcast with our very own students. They chat about science and eat muffins! |
Join Our PTA!
Please join our PTA! The collaboration within our community is what makes us great. Click Here to join the Laurel Hill ES PTA for the 2026-2027 school year. Thank you for your support!
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.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Please refer to our Arrival and Dismissal Procedures. This will overview our Kiss N Ride process along with other important information. Please be sure to review this content before the first day of school.
Get Ready for the New School Year With the FCPS App and ParentVue 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 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.
Click Here for directions on how to setup and use the ParentVue Mobile App.
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.
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.
Parent Digital Consent and Opt Outs
Student consent and opt-out forms have been moved to the Parent Digital Consent System (PDC). Families can log into PDC using their ParentVue credentials to complete consent forms assigned to their child. If you have a new ParentVue account, you will not be able to access the PDC until the day after your ParentVue account is activated. Instructions on how to use the PDC are available here.
Forms include School Counseling Opt-out, Digital Resources Consent, SEL Screener Opt-out, Family Life Education Opt-out, Objection to Release of Directory Information to the Public, etc.
New Requirement for Student Device Use During the School Day
Starting 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.
Wednesday 3-hour Early Release Days
There will be several three hour early release days on Wednesdays this school year. Laurel Hill will dismiss three hours early at 1:00 on October 21, December 2, February 10, and May 5.
These days are logistically very challenging at the school level, so we would ask that if you have another childcare option to please use that option. We also understand that not everyone has that option, and we are happy to keep those students with childcare hardships. There will be no additional academic instruction at this time, and students will be monitored by rotating school staff until the 4:00 dismissal.
This year we are asking families to let us know if your child will dismiss at 1:00 (early release) or 4:00 (childcare hardship) on those days using the Online Verification/Update (OVU) packet in SIS ParentVUE to confirm whether or not child care on the early release Wednesdays will be needed. This is a process that is centrally managed.
Please note that students enrolled in Beyond the Bell will dismiss at 1:00pm to that program.
Updated Varsity Football Game Policies
Beginning this season, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will implement security screenings using existing weapons screening systems (Open Gate) and a standardized bag policy at all varsity football games to help ensure a safe and efficient experience for students, families, staff, and community members. We appreciate your cooperation by reviewing the prohibited and approved items below before arriving, and please remember that middle school students and younger must be accompanied by a responsible adult who remains with them throughout the event.
Prohibited Items
- Backpacks
- Purses
- Fanny packs
- Tote bags
- Outside food and beverages, including water bottles
- Sporting equipment (balls, bats, sticks, etc.)
- Any item prohibited by FCPS policy or determined by event staff to present a safety concern
Approved Bags
- Clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bags no larger than 12" x 6" x 12"
- Small clutch bag no larger than 4.5" x 6.5"
- Medical and diaper bags (permitted but subject to inspection)
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Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC) is a wonderful resource for the Lorton community. Help with food, English classes and Financial assistance available. Click Here for more information. |
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