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☎️ Parent Information Phone Lines Available in Eight Languages
Parents/Caregivers who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese may call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS. View the list of phone numbers.
Franconia Elementary encourages Bell-to-Bell attendance
School starts at 8:35am and dismisses at 3:30pm
Upcoming Events
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Thu, Sep 10: PTA meeting, 7:00pm
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Wed, Sep 16: Back-to-School Night, 6:00-7:30pm
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Mon, Sep 21: NO SCHOOL-Yom Kippur Holiday
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Wed, Sep 30: 3hr early dismissal (12:30pm)
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Fri, Oct 2: Picture Day (more info to come)
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Mon, Oct 12: NO SCHOOL-Indigenous People's Holiday (also teacher work day)
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Fri, Oct 16: PTA Fall Festival
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Fri, Oct 30: 2hr early dismissal for end of 1st quarter (1:30pm)
Be sure to bookmark the FCPS school year calendar to keep track of school holidays, breaks, and observances.
COLOR DAYS
To help Franconia's Kindergarteners learn about the colors all around them, we invite all students to wear the color of the day!
Thursday, 9/10 Blue
Friday, 9/11 Purple or Pink
Monday, 9/14 Black or Brown
Tuesday, 9/15 White
Change of Dismissal
To change your student’s dismissal, use the Change in Dismissal Form located on the Franconia ES school website. You will need to provide details like your child's name, grade, and teacher, as well as specify how they will go home, such as early pickup (specify time student is being picked up), Kiss and Ride or a specific bus number. Make sure to submit the request by the school's deadline of 2:00 pm. Please be aware that if another student is involved, a corresponding form may be needed from that student's parent/guardian.
Just a reminder that all early dismissals must occur before 3:00 pm.
LYBRARY CORNER
Reading Challenges
Book Bingo is a monthly challenge. Each month there will be a bingo board just for kindergarten and 1st grade, and another bingo board for all grades. You can find the September Book Bingo boards here.
The Million Word Challenge lasts all year. Students and adults write down the book that students read, on paper or through this online form. The librarian will look up the word count and keep track of all the words!
Library Volunteers
The library always needs volunteers! The biggest need is help with shelving, but we are also looking for help with weekly notices and bulletin boards! Email the librarian, Debby Vandersande, at dmvandersand@fcps.edu if you want to help!
CARES of the Quarter
Ms. Octaviano
 Ms. Octaviano exemplifies dedication and compassion in her many roles at Franconia Elementary School. In addition to serving as a 2nd grade teacher, Get-2-Green lead teacher, and Student Council Association advisor, she also coordinates the school’s food share program to support students experiencing food insecurity. Through the Get-2-Green initiative and monetary donations received by the school, Renee recognized an opportunity to expand support for students in need.
She began by purchasing a refrigerator and enhancing the cafeteria’s food share table so that students experiencing hunger could take home not only shelf-stable items but also refrigerated foods. She also purchased portable lunch coolers, allowing 12 students to bring food home each weekend. What started as a simple expansion has now grown into a weekend meal initiative. Each Friday, Renee organizes sending home ingredients for family meals with these students, along with recipes designed to help families prepare and share meals together.
When funding for the program became limited, Renee created a weekly Sign Up Genius to engage school and community members in donating food items, ensuring the program could continue serving students and their families. Renee’s creativity, perseverance, and deep commitment to students and families have transformed a small idea into a meaningful source of support for families in need. Her leadership and compassion have made a lasting impact on the Franconia Elementary community.
We were honored to host members of the Fairfax County School Board and Region 3 plus other dignitaries who all came to Franconia to celebrate Ms. Octaviano’s award.
COUNSELOR CORNER
SEL Screener opt out information
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) believes in supporting social and emotional learning (SEL) for all students. In FCPS, students use a tool called the SEL Screener to think about their own SEL skills and experiences at school. Franconia students in grades 3-6 will be participating in the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener in the Fall and Spring.
After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families without a ParentVUE account. For more information about the SEL Screener, including information on opting out. You can also learn more on the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.
PTA CORNER
PTA Meeting Thursday, September 10 | 7pm |FES Cafeteria
Join us for the first PTA meeting of the 2026-27 school year! Come hear what's ahead, share your ideas, meet other Franconia families, and help us officially kick off the PTA year. We’ll also vote on our annual PTA budget, which we need approved in order to put this year’s plans into action.
Childcare will be provided. Sadly, our childcare service fell through, but we hope you can still join us.
Whether you attend every meeting or this would be your first one, we’d love to have you there.
Franconia PTA Fall Festival Friday, October 16 | Evening: Exact time TBD
Mark your calendars for one of our favorite community events of the year! The Franconia Fall Festival returns and while the exact details are still in the planning stages, we can share that we are exploring some new ideas (movies? costumes? we'll see where we land!), and considering keeping familiar favorites like carnival games (with prizes!), and the popular on site food trucks with treats for purchase.
We need your help to make this community event a success! Thanks so much to the couple of folks who stepped up to help plan. We need a few more to pull off an event of this scale. And there will be future asks for help the day of. If you can lend an hour (or two!), please reach out to president@franconiapta.org.
Ways to Report Attendance
Absences and late arrivals must be reported to the office by 9:00 a.m. via one of the following methods:
Parents/legal guardians can submit full-day absences using ParentVUE. Learn more about attendance reporting through ParentVUE.
Attendance Awareness Month
September is designated as Attendance Awareness Month by Fairfax County Public Schools to highlight how regular daily attendance helps students succeed academically and build strong social connections. (Reiterate Bell Schedule HERE)
Why Attendance Matters
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Academic Success: Missing school makes it hard to keep up with reading, math, and general grade-level work.
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Strong Connections: Regular attendance helps children build healthy friendships and feel like they belong at school.
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Building Habits: Showing up on time every day teaches responsibility and creates a strong daily routine.
Tips for Families
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Set Routines: Pick a regular bedtime and create a calm morning routine.
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Prepare the Night Before: Lay out clothes and pack backpacks before going to sleep.
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Plan Ahead: Schedule medical appointments and family trips outside of school hours when possible. (FCPS School calendar)
Franconia District Neighborhood College
Fairfax County’s Neighborhood College is a FREE six-session certificate program open to Franconia District residents. Sessions will feature guest speakers, interactive activities, breakout room discussions, networking opportunities, and information about advisory boards and other volunteer opportunities. We are committed to providing each participant with a valuable and enriching experience.
FRANCONIA NEIGHBORHOOD COLLEGE PARTICIPANTS WILL:
- Learn how Fairfax County Government works and how to get involved.
- Understand demographic profiles and trends within a community context.
- Explore topics that impact the social and economic well-being of the neighborhoods and communities.
- Apply principles and strategies for inclusive community engagement and outreach.
- Enhance leadership and problem-solving skills to improve neighborhood livability.
In-Person Orientation
Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Franconia Governmental Center
7130 Silver Lake Boulevard Alexandria, VA 22315
Virtual Classes
Every Thursday, October 8 – 29, 2026 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
In-Person Classes
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Franconia Governmental Center
7130 Silver Lake Boulevard Alexandria, VA 22315
REGISTER ONLINE:
https://tinyurl.com/neighborhoodcollegefranconia
Register by Wednesday, Sept. 30 2026
For more information, please contact NCSCommunityDevelopers@Fairfaxcounty.gov
Franconia's 3-hour Early Dismissal Days
2026-2027 School Year
FCPS will continue with limited early release Wednesdays for elementary schools during the 2026-27 school year. The number of days has been reduced from eight to four.
Early release Wednesdays provide elementary teachers with a dedicated block of time to prepare lessons, participate in professional development and training, and collaborate with their peers. A well-supported and continuously improving teaching staff leads to better educational outcomes for students.
Students will be dismissed at 12:30pm on the below days.
- Wednesday, September 30
- Wednesday, November 18
- Wednesday, January 13
- Wednesday, April 7
LMVSC Fall Sports – Space Still Available!
Get in the action with Lee Mount Vernon Sports Club! Space is still available in select fall programs, including:
- 🏈 Flag Football – Grades 1–8
- ⚽ Soccer Tots – Age 3
- 🥍 Lacrosse – Grades 3–6
- ⚽ U8 Travel Soccer – Girls & Boys
- ⚽ Rec Soccer – Space available on select teams
Financial aid is available. Learn more and register at www.LMVSC.org.
September
 Attendance Awareness Month
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Attend Today, Achieve Tomorrow! The beginning of the school year is the best time to develop strong attendance habits! Students who attend school regularly are more likely to perform well in reading and math, develop strong social and emotional skills, and graduate from high school on time. Help prepare your child for future success. Visit the FCPS Attendance web page for tips and strategies.
Sept. 11 Commemoration/Patriot Day
September 11 National Day of Service With the upcoming 25th anniversary of September 11, FCPS acknowledges the loss of life, the heroism of our first responders, and the resilience of our country. The September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, also called Patriot Day, is a chance to reflect and act in service to others to honor those who were injured or killed in the terrorist attacks.
All FCPS students are encouraged to participate in service learning as it supports Portrait of a Graduate (POG) attributes and social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Middle and high school students can learn more about service learning by logging into their Naviance account to access x2VOL.
Sept. 11-13 - Rosh Hashanah
Rosh HashanahRosh Hashanah begins at sundown on Friday, September 11. That day is an evening-only observance day. Important events will not be held after school
Sept. 15-Oct. 15
From September 15 to October 15, FCPS recognizes and celebrates the histories and cultures of the members of our community who trace their heritage to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS. Learn more about National Hispanic Heritage Month.
20-21 - Yom Kippur
Monday September 21, is a holiday and schools and offices will be closed. See the complete school year calendar.
Sept. 26 to Oct. 4 - Blue Star Welcome Week
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Blue Star Welcome Week is a nationwide initiative to ensure military families feel a sense of belonging to their school communities. Blue Star Welcome Week is an opportunity to empower military families to thrive as they serve. |
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