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In this Summer Message:
- Principal's Message
- PTA News and Announcements
- Parent Consent Portal
- Curiosity Corner
- Library Information
- AAP Information
- FCPS Mobile App
- Student IDs/ Bus Tracking
- School Meals
- Study Help and Support in Schoology
- Lightspeed Updates
- SEL Screener
- Upcoming Dates
Hello Floris Families,
What a fantastic first week of school! I could not be more proud of how smoothly our first week has gone and, most importantly, how our students have embraced the start of a new school year. Throughout the week, I have had the opportunity to see students with smiling faces, building friendships, learning, and enjoying their experience at Floris. The energy and excitement throughout the building have been wonderful to see!
Dr. Reid’s visit this week was an amazing opportunity to showcase the wonderful things happening at Floris. Our Kindergarten team, Amy Albanese, Ms. Moore, and Heather Hubert did a wonderful job representing our school with excellence. They highlighted the thoughtful, engaging, and student-centered learning experiences our students are enjoying each day. We are so proud of the work happening across our school!
As we begin this school year together, I want to thank our families for your partnership, support, and trust. A successful school year is built through a strong partnership between our school and our families, and we are grateful to have you as part of the Floris community.
Thank you for helping make this such a fantastic first week of school! We are off to an incredible start, and I am excited about all that is ahead for our students.
Have a wonderful weekend, Floris Families!
Josh DeSmyter
Principal
Floris Elementary School
PTA News and Announcements
- Please follow the Floris PTA on Instagram (@florispta) as a way to stay connected and receive real time updates on events and news announcements.
- Consider volunteering to help make our year successful! We need parental support in making our afterschool enrichment programs a success. Please visit our website and sign up to support one of our many programs we have planned for this year.
The Floris Fun Run is Coming!
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What: A fun, high-energy event where students run, have fun, and work together to help their school!
When:
- Kick-off Pep Rally: September 18, 2026
- Fun Run: October 2, 2026
(The Fun Run will take place during the school day.)
Goal: $35,000
Our goal is to raise money to support the PTA annual budget and upgrade musical instruments. All donations are tax-deductible.
Every step counts! Together, we can do it!
Be a star and support our school. Thank you!
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Do you have a rising kindergartener? Are you interested in joining Daisies?
If so, email the Floris Troop Organizer: floristrooporganizer@gmail.com!
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✅ Important Action Items ✅
Dismissal Google Form:
Let us know how your child is going home this school year by filling out our Dismissal Google Form if you haven't already.
Parent Consent Portal:
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 online educational tools and choose how student information is managed. You may also opt in or opt out of after-school care on early release Wednesdays; read more below.
Visit FCPS’ Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system.
Opt In/Opt Out for Early Release Wednesday Childcare
While we anticipate that most students will be dismissed at 1:00 on limited early release Wednesdays, we recognize that some families may require childcare. These students will be supervised by school-based staff. No new instruction will take place, as after-school care is strictly supervision.
Elementary school parents and caregivers should log in to the Parent Digital Consent system to review and provide consent to a variety of resources and services including Early Release Wednesday Childcare.
- OPT IN if you require childcare on our limited early release Wednesdays.
- OPT OUT if your child will go home (or to childcare arranged with SACC or another provider) at the early release time.
Thank you for your help in getting these done!
The Opt-out for student devices coming home is somewhat confusing. You only have to toggle the button if you would like the device to stay at school. If you are okay with the device coming home, don't touch the button!
Please note: All 1st & 2nd grade devices will automatically stay at school.
🧠Curiosity Corner🧠
Back, by popular demand, we bring you... Monthly Maker Missions! Each month, we will provide optional STEAM challenges that can be completed at home. The goal is to promote creative and critical thinking and engage in the engineering and design process. Submissions are due in the Curiosity Lab at the end of the month and will be highlighted within the school building and on the student news show. Let's get curious!
Our first challenge is tocreate "junkbots." Using recycled materials, create a prototype for a robot that will help the school year be a great one!
Interested in supporting the Curiosity Lab?
👉Check out our Curiosity Lab Wish List!
📚Library Information📚
Hello from the Library!
It has been wonderful to see familiar faces and meet new friends this week. We have been reviewing check out policies and students are checking out books.
Library check out policies are:
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Kindergarten: May check out 2 books per visit.
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1st Grade: May check out 2 books per visit, the number will go up as the school year continues.
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2nd-6th Grade: Students may check out as many books as they need. We talk about considering what other things are going on and if a big stack of books is a good idea (ex: Busy week? Just a book or two. Quiet, rainy weekend at home? Maybe a couple more books.). Students also need to be able to carry their books safely and they have to fit in their backpacks.
Books are checked out for 3 weeks, but students can always bring their books back early. Students are encouraged to find a space at home just for their library books, such as a box or basket, to help them remember to return their books and keep them from getting lost.
📚 Volunteers Needed in Our School Library! 📚
Do you have a few minutes to spare and a love for books? Our school library could use your helping hands! We’re looking for volunteers to assist with shelving books and keeping our library organized and welcoming for all our young readers.
No experience is needed—just a willingness to help and a smile! Even a short shift makes a big difference.
If you’re interested, please reach out to Ms. Papas at mopapas@fcps.edu. Together, we can keep our library a bright, cozy place where our kids’ imaginations can soar!
Thank you for supporting our readers!
AAP Information
Interested in learning more about Advanced Academics at Floris ES?
- Please attend the Parent Information Session Wednesday, September 23rd at 5:30 PM in the school Cafeteria.
- Please plan to arrive through the cafeteria doors.
- Any parents/guardians of students in grades K-6 are invited to attend – no RSVP needed.
- The meeting will discuss the continuum of services for Advanced Academics and the process for screening and identification for these services.
- Please visit our Floris webpage for Fall 2026 Advanced Academic updates.
- Please visit the FCPS AAP website for more information about services and screening.
Are you a Family new to FCPS AND Interested in Full-Time AAP services?
- New Students (grades 3-6 only) can be considered for Full-Time AAP services for this school year.
- If interested, please complete the required AAP Referral Form and Optional Parent Questionnaire found on the AAP Forms website.
- Completed forms need to be submitted via email anytime on or before Oct 15, 2026, to Amy Albanese abalbanese@fcps.edu. No late submissions can be accepted.
- If found eligible, students will begin receiving services in the second semester of this school year.
Interested in Full-Time AAP Services for the 27-28 School Year?
- Students in Grades 2-7 can be screened for full-time services this year for possible services starting in the 27-28 school year.
- Eligibility decisions are made by central office this March and shared with families in early April.
- If you’d like your 2-7th grader screened, please submit the full-time AAP Referral Form and the Optional Parent Questionnaire found on the AAP Forms website and submit to Amy Albanese abalbanese@fcps.edu by December 15, 2026. This deadline is firm. Forms be accepted anytime between now and COB on Dec. 15th.
- Once referrals are received, the AART (Amy Albanese) will put together a portfolio of information which will be submitted to central office for screening.
Any lingering questions?
Please feel free to reach out to Amy Albanese, Advanced Academics Resource Teacher at abalbanese@fcps.edu with any questions. She is available Mondays -Thursdays 8:45 – 4:15PM.
New Student ID Cards and Bus Navigation System
We will begin distributing student ID cards to all our students who ride the school bus or use FCPS transportation services.
Students who have student ID cards should begin tapping as they board and exit the bus. Only students who use FCPS transportation services will be provided with a student ID card at this time.
We ask for your patience! Bus drivers will begin checking in students next week and may need some extra time at each bus stop while they do this. The transportation team is working hard to minimize any potential delays.
Learn more about the bus navigation and student ID cards.
Help Your Child Navigate the Lunch Line
Check out some tips to help your child get through the lunch line quickly and have more time to eat:
- Teach your child their student ID number to receive meals at school.
- Sign up for and add money to MySchoolBucks to purchase meals at school.
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Apply for free and reduced-price meals. Students who were approved for free and reduced-price meals last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should submit a new application as soon as possible, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.
If your child has any food allergies, learn how to submit accommodations for dietary restrictions and allergens.
Access menus for breakfast, lunch, and other school meals, as well as allergen and nutrition information.
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.
You Can Manage Student Web Access at Home
At Floris, we acknowledge that parents are our students' first and most important teachers. Parents now have greater control over their child’s FCPS-issued device outside of school hours through Lightspeed Parent Portal.
In addition to monitoring weekly internet activity, parents can now also customize web access at home on FCPS devices through Lightspeed using Schedules and Web Rules.
With Schedules, you can set tailored times to automatically pause or restrict internet access. This makes it easier to enforce rules around homework time, family dinners, weekends, or bedtime.
In Web Rules, you can create Custom Block Lists to block specific, individual websites they do not want your child accessing at home. This allows parents greater control over what is happening online, under their own roof.
These new custom controls take effect at home, outside of school hours, and when the device is off the FCPS network. They will not override standard district filtering policies during the instructional day.
Customize Your Lightspeed Settings
All parents should be receiving weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report emails. To set up these new features, click the “Log in or Register” button at the bottom of your weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email.
Visit the FCPS Lightspeed Parent Portal Guide for more information. If you have additional questions, submit a Parent Technology Support Ticket.
Parents are encouraged to discuss internet boundaries with their children so that they can understand the reasoning behind any limits and the differences between access at home and at school. Get tips on talking to your children about technology safety.
SEL Screener Parent/Guardian Notification
The Spring Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener will be administered to students in grades 3 through 12 in October. Students use the SEL Screener twice a year to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop skills they need to succeed. The screener works by asking questions or presenting statements that students can think about and respond to. This gives students a way to share how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families without a ParentVUE account. For more information, including SEL Screener questions and opt-out information, please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.
Dates for the 2026-2027 School Year
August 27: PTA Meeting, 6:30pm in the Library
September 4-7: Holiday- Labor Day Break – All FCPS schools and offices closed
September 10: PTA Popsicle Social, 6:30
September 15-16: Back to School Nights, details to follow
September 21: Holiday- Yom Kippur
October 2: PTA Fun Run
October 12: No School for Students, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Staff Development Day
October 15: Fall Picture Day
October 16: 3rd-6th Grade Field Day
October 21: 3-Hour Early Release
October 30:
- Harvest Parade
- End of First Quarter and Two-Hour Early Release
- PTA Trunk or Treat
November 2-3: No School for Students, Teacher Workdays and Election Day
November 11: Veteran's Day Concert
November 19: Thanksgiving Luncheon
November 25-27: Holiday- Thanksgiving
Find the 2026-2027 School Year Calendar: https://www.fcps.edu/calendars/standard-school-year-calendar
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