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Dear Great Falls ES Families
We are excited to begin our fourth week of school! We are settling into routines, building relationships, and engaging in meaningful learning each day.
This year, we will not hold school family sessions as we have for the past two school years. As a staff, we made this decision to protect and prioritize instructional time while still providing students with positive social-emotional support. Teachers and staff are intentionally building in opportunities for connection, reflection, problem-solving, and community-building within our homeroom classrooms. We are committed to thoughtfully balancing students’ social-emotional needs with the instructional and curriculum priorities that support their academic growth.
While we won't be meeting as school families during our Early Release Wednesdays, we still need you to let us know your plans for your child after school dismisses. To keep all students safe and accounted for, please complete this Google Form. Please submit a form for each child.
Thank you,
Sara Harper
Principal
📅Important Dates
September 17: PTA Diversity Welcome Dinner
September 18: Advanced Academics Information Meeting 9:00am
September 21: Yom Kippur - No School
September 26: PTA Fall Festival
September 27: PTA Fall Festival - Rain Date
September 24: PTA Spirit Night: Chick-Fil-A (North Point)
September 30: Early Release Wednesday #1
October 2: Custodian Appreciation Day
October 12: School Planning Day - No School for Students
October 15: Fall Picture Day
October 30: End of Quarter Early Release
November 2: No School - School Planning Day
November 3: No School - Teacher Work Day
🏫Meet Our New Staff
We are excited to introduce you to several more new staff members this year!
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Mrs. Roselie Fitzmorris
Hello, my name is Roselie Fitzmorris. I am a new 6th grade teacher here at GFES. My family and I are new to the Virginia area. We came from Omaha, Nebraska. In my spare time, I like to read and watch true crime series. I am currently reading “The Radium Girls” by Kate Moore. I enjoy non-fiction, true crime, and history books. Most of my teaching experience has been centered around teaching middle school science. I am very excited for this new chapter with this incredible team!
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Ms. Emi Cercone
Hello families! My name is Ms. Cercone, and I’m super excited for this coming school year. I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but recently moved to Virginia last July. I graduated from Penn State University and taught 3rd grade last year in Loudoun County. I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher—even when I was young, I would set up a classroom in my basement and pretend to teach. One of my biggest goals this year is to create a classroom where every student feels comfortable being themselves, has fun while learning, and is proud of their growth. Outside of school, I’m a huge animal and sports lover! I’m really looking forward to meeting you all and to having an amazing school year!
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Miss Taylor Gore
Hello, my name is Miss Taylor Gore. I am a new instructional assistant. My background is in insurance. I grew up in Indiana. I love word search puzzles and traveling. Because I thoroughly enjoy the movie theater experience, I frequent AMC theater weekly. Currently, my favorite movie is The Odyssey. I look forward to discovering each student’s strengths and developing their skills further. I am honored to join this community.
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🎻Band, Orchestra, and Chorus Schedule
We are very fortunate to have all of our Band, Orchestra, and Chorus teachers available at GFES on Wednesdays for the 2026-2027 school year!
Below is the schedule for 4th-, 5th-, and 6th-grade students participating in Band, Orchestra, or Chorus. As a reminder, students should bring their instruments to school on Wednesday mornings.
Please note that two sections of 4th grade Orchestra students will attend class from 2:45 pm - 3:30 pm instead of in the morning. Students scheduled for afternoon Orchestra will attend their other specials during their regular specials time.
If you have questions, please contact your child’s respective teacher:
📅Early Release Wednesdays
Please complete the required early release form for September 30th, located below.
Students will be dismissed 3 hours early (12:35pm) and are encouraged to return home via their normal route. However, we understand there may be an occasional childcare hardship. To resolve these concerns, student supervision will be available for families who need it.
Please submit the information by clicking here. To help us, please complete this form for each child enrolled at Great Falls Elementary. If you have multiple children, you will need to submit multiple forms. Staff will confirm each student's after-school supervision plan. Reminder: We do not accept change-of-transportation forms (COTs) on early release Wednesdays.
Please note the early release dates on your calendar for this year:
- September 30
- November 18
- January 13
- April 7
💻Visitor Check-In Update
FCPS is updating the Raptor VMS visitor check-in process to help strengthen security. The “I Don’t Have an ID” option has been removed from all Raptor VMS kiosks.
Visitors who do not have a valid ID must check in directly with front office staff:
- During a first visit, office staff will manually enter the visitor’s information, print a badge, and remind them that a valid ID will be required for future visits.
Returning visitors without a valid ID will not be permitted beyond the front office.
Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and secure school environment.
📚Advanced Academic Programs Information
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction. A continuum of Advanced Academic Program (AAP) services is available to students in Grades K-12 and is designed to match services to each student’s unique academic needs.
Identification for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP services occurs throughout the school year. Full-Time AAP services have two identification cycles:
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Fall identification: Students in grades 3-7 who have enrolled in FCPS since January may be referred by October 15, 2026.
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Spring identification: Any FCPS student in Grades 2-7 may be referred by December 15, 2026.
FCPS uses ability testing as one consideration in the holistic identification process for AAP services.
- All students in Grade 2 take the Naglieri General Ability Tests (NGAT).
- Students in Grades 3-6 without a multi-domain ability test score take the NGAT.
- Students in Grades 3-6 may retake an ability test one time. Families may request the ability test retake by contacting Sean McCartney, School Testing Coordinator, at SMcCartney@fcps.edu by September 30.
Families are invited to attend two AAP information meetings, led by Amy Keefer, our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART):
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AAP Continuum of Services (All grades): Friday, September 18, 2026, at 9:00am. Families will learn about the continuum of advanced academic services available to FCPS students.
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Full-Time AAP Identification (2nd-6th grade): Friday, October 23, 2026, at 9:00am. Families will learn about the referral and identification processes for Full-Time AAP services.
Both meetings will be held in-person and virtually. Please RSVP by the Wednesday prior to the meeting to receive information regarding in-person location and zoom links. RSVP Here
For more information, please contact Amy Keefer, AART, at amkeefer@fcps.edu or visit the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs website.
🏁Great Falls Go Club signups are open!
Go (囲碁, igo in Japanese) is an ancient board game where players use black and white stones to claim territory on a grid. Though its rules are simple, the game offers endless strategic possibilities, encouraging critical thinking, patience, and focus. Playing Go connects students to East Asian culture and history while fostering social skills and sportsmanship. It’s a fun, creative way to develop the mind and enjoy a timeless tradition!
We will meet regularly to learn and play Go, led by Rinehart-sensei and volunteers from the American Go Association (https://www.usgo.org/). The club is open to all GFES students in grades 3-6.
Meetings will be held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 3:45-4:45 PM in room 218 (Rinehart-sensei’s classroom). Students may attend as often as they are able. Students are not required to attend every meeting.
If your child is interested in participating, please complete this form before your child attends their first meeting. The first club meeting will be held Tuesday, September 22nd, 2026.
👩🏻💻Verify and Update Student Information on ParentVue
If you have updates to your student’s Emergency Care Form, and have not returned the form, please make the changes online. Open the SIS ParentVUE Account Access page and Select ‘Online Packets’ at the top right corner.
It is important to have the correct information documented for your student’s safety. Please take a moment to review and make changes, as necessary.
🤓Vision and Hearing Screening
Vision and hearing screening will be held on Monday, October 5th for all 3rd graders and Wednesday, October 14th for all kindergarteners. Students who are new to FCPS will also be screened over the next few weeks. The purpose of screening is to identify students who need further evaluation due to difficulty seeing the screening chart or hearing the screening tones. If your child wears glasses, please be sure that glasses are at school on screening day.
Parents will be notified by letter if screening results indicate that further evaluation is needed. Prompt follow-up with your health care provider is recommended as vision and hearing difficulties can interfere with learning. If you would like to assist as a volunteer with the screening process, please contact the School Health Aide at 703-757-2110.
🏫Volunteer Opportunities
We encourage all our parents and community members interested in supporting our students by volunteering at school to click Volunteer FCPS “Learn More,” and then “Sign Up.” After you create a profile, you will view an orientation video and complete a volunteer application.
Volunteer FCPS ensures a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. All volunteers must be registered in Volunteer FCPS. This includes individuals who volunteer to chaperone on field trips, work at book fairs, and help out regularly in classrooms.
In addition to completing the FCPS Volunteer Application, parents should also sign up for specific volunteer opportunities. Below are the current links for the GFES Volunteer Opportunities.
If you completed the volunteer application last year, you do not need to re-apply. You will only need to sign up for one of the GFES specific opportunities.
🗣️Save the Date: Community Conversations with Superintendent Reid
Your voice matters, and Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid wants to hear from you! At FCPS, parents are partners, working with us to set our students up for long-term success at school and in life.
A series of Community Conversations will be held across the school division. You are invited to share your thoughts with Dr. Reid and ask her questions. Events are planned for the following dates at 6:30 p.m. (unless otherwise noted):
Registration links will be shared soon. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are one-hour long and open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.
⚽Electronic Distribution of Non-Profit Flyers
Great Falls Elementary offers nonprofit organizations the opportunity to share approved flyers electronically with school families through the FCPS messaging system. Flyers may be submitted for the fall or spring distribution.
Please review the Non-Profit Flyer Distribution guidelines and deadlines for submission requirements. For questions or to submit a flyer, contact Colleen Murphy at cpmurphy@fcps.edu.
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