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Dear Freedom Hill Families,
We are so grateful to everyone who helped make our Back to School Picnic such a wonderful start to the school year! A special thank-you goes to Ausra Lagos for her thoughtful planning and coordination, to our many PTA volunteers who coordinated different aspects of the evening, and to the many families and staff members who joined us. It was a joy to see our Freedom Hill community gathered together to celebrate, reconnect, and welcome the new school year. Thank you for helping make the event such a memorable evening. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!
We also appreciated that so many students joined our kindergarteners last year in their study of all of the colors of the rainbow! We will finish this week with our last three colors:
- Monday, 9/14 - Wear purple
- Tuesday, 9/15 - Wear orange
- Wednesday, 9/16 - Wear pink
Lastly, we have been saddened to hear news of several biking and scooter accidents around Fairfax County in recent weeks. As a community, we all play a part in ensuring our students are safe as they make their way to and from school. Thank you for your safety around the school each day, for driving slowly and without distraction, and for being vigilant about our students' safety.
Let's make it a great week!
In partnership,
Dr. Nicholas Zapadka, Principal
Mr. Tim Scesney, Assistant Principal
Ms. Holly Sims, Assistant Principal
2026-27 FCPS School Calendar
Freedom Hill Family Resources
Breakfast/Lunch Menus
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September 17 - First Running Club Meeting, see below
- September 21 – School Closed – Yom Kippur
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September 23 - First PTA Meeting, 6PM-8PM, Library
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September 30 – Early Release Wednesday, Dismissal #1 at 1:05
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September 30 - Family Dinner Out @ Pike 7 Shake Shack, 10am-10pm, mention Donation Day or use promo code, DONATE (Flyer)
 The Fall Session of the Freedom Hill Running Club will begin this Thursday, September 17th afterschool until 5:30 for interested students in grades 3-6.
Thank you for your patience as we have worked to resolve the issues with the MySchoolBucks Registration. In the meantime, please send $25 cash or check made out to Freedom Hill Elementary School. Please include your child’s name and teacher.
Only confirmed students will be allowed to stay after school this week. Pick up is strictly at 5:30 pm.
Students will be allowed to join into the second week given the unexpected difficulty with the registration process.
Please email any questions to Mrs. Turner at LRTurner@FCPS.EDU
Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction. A continuum of Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) services is available to students in Grades K to 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 to 7 who have enrolled in FCPS since January may be referred by October 15th.
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Spring identification: Any FCPS student in Grades 2 to 7 may be referred by December 15th.
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 Test (NGAT).
- Students in Grades 3 to 6 who do not have a multi-domain ability test score take the NGAT.
- Students in Grades 3 to 6 may retake an ability test one time. Families may request the ability test retake by contacting Tara Fredericks by September 30.
For more information, please contact Tara Fredericks, AART, at or visit the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs webpage.
The Marshall High School Leadership class is hosting Marshall Mayhem on Friday, September 25, 2026, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. We would like to cordially invite students and families to attend! The event will occur at Marshall High Schools’ upper back lot.
We will have many fun activities, including:
- Live music
- Marshall club displays
- Face painting
- Games
- Activities
- And more!
Students/families should bring cash for food and an entrance fee of $5.00 per person.
The FCPS Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) booklet explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. This year’s SR&R includes new Universal Grade Matrices, which are at-a-glance charts that make it easier for families to see behavior expectations and school responses for grades K-3, 4-8, and 9-12.
We ask that families please review the SR&R and discuss these expectations with your child. Be sure to sign the SR&R acknowledgement form by Wednesday, September 30, either by logging into SIS ParentVUE or signing and returning the Signature Sheet to your child’s school.
Learn more by watching a short video about the SR&R (available in English and Spanish) or visiting the SR&R webpage.
 Your voice matters, and Dr. 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.
Join us for a series of Community Conversations that will be held across the school division. Share your thoughts with Dr. Reid and ask her questions. Click on the date to register for any of the following events:
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Wednesday, September 16, 6:45 p.m., at McNair Elementary School
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Monday, September 28, at 6:30 p.m., at Riverside Elementary School
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Monday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m., at Spring Hill Elementary School
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Monday, October 26, at 6:30 p.m., at Beech Tree Elementary School
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Thursday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m., at North Springfield Elementary School
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Friday, November 13, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School
Registration is not required, but it helps with planning. 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.
 Shanah tovah to our Jewish community celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year! Meaning “head of the year,” Rosh Hashanah is one of Judaism’s holiest days and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection that ends with Yom Kippur.
As we look ahead to the upcoming school year, the health and well-being of our students continues to be one of our priorities. Staying up to date with your child's flu vaccination helps:
- Reduce School Absences: Keeping students healthy means more time spent learning and engaging with peers.
- Protect the Community: Vaccination helps shield vulnerable family members and neighbors from seasonal illness.
- Support Overall Wellness: Routine flu shots are a key component of a proactive student health plan.
Upcoming Flu Shot Events
FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will provide flu shots for all FCPS students, ages 18 and under, at no out-of-pocket cost. Multiple events will be taking place at designated FCPS locations. Additional dates will be made available throughout the school year. Parents or guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary.
September is Attendance Awareness Month. Some of the ways families can help their children create healthy routines and a habit of getting to school on time every day include:
- Set a regular bedtime and morning routine. (Need help? Download this checklist in English or Spanish.)
- Laying out clothes and packing backpacks the night before.
- Talking to teachers, school counselors, or other parents for advice on how to make your child feel comfortable and excited about learning, if they seem anxious about going to school.
- Developing back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.
- Avoiding medical appointments or extended trips when school is in session.
If you or your family need any kind of support, please reach out to your school’s front office. We are here for you! Visit FCPS’ Attendance webpage for tips and strategies.
 Register now for the annual Special Education Family Conference: Connected Communities, Thriving Students. The free conference will take place on Saturday, November 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Hayfield Secondary School.
The conference will feature an inspiring opening session, engaging breakout sessions, an exhibitor hall with local resources, and lunch for all participants.
Register for the conference and visit the Special Education Family Conference webpage for more information. Email SpecialEdFamilyConf@fcps.edu with any questions.
 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 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.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, eating breakfast at school is associated with better attendance rates, fewer missed school days, and better test scores. Studies show that students who eat both school breakfast and lunch tend to have healthier diets than those who don't participate in school meals.
Families who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals can receive breakfast and lunch for their students at no cost or at a reduced cost. This includes more than one-third of FCPS students. Families must complete the Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FRM) application before the start of each school year. Approved applications may also qualify students for additional benefits.
The application for FRM is now available for the 2026-27 school year. Students who were approved for FRM last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should reapply as soon as possible so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.
Access the application and view criteria and up-to-date information on the FRM webpage. Families should reach out to their schools with questions or for assistance.
 
Upcoming Events
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Sept 23 - First PTA Meeting, 6PM-8PM, Library (Agenda)
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Sept 30 - Family Dinner Out @ Pike 7 Shake Shack, 10am-10pm, mention Donation Day or use promo code, DONATE (Flyer)
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Sept 30 - Deadline for PTA membership to qualify for swag, yearbook & class incentives (join here)
BACK TO SCHOOL PICNIC
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped make our Back to School Picnic such a fun and memorable way to kick off the year! 🎉
Special thanks to our wonderful Back to School Picnic Coordinator, Ausra Lagos, for all the time, planning, and energy that went into bringing our community together.
We are also incredibly grateful to our Platinum Sponsor, RenovaSmiles, for their generous donation to the Freedom Hill Elementary School PTA and for providing goodie bags for our picnic families. Your support of our school community means so much!
And, of course, thank you to all of our Freedom Hill families and staff who came out to celebrate, connect, and start the school year together. 💙🦅
It was wonderful seeing our Freedom Hill community out in full force. Here’s to a fantastic year ahead!
🍎 SNACK ATTACK IS BACK! HELP US TREAT OUR AMAZING FHES STAFF
The PTA is hosting its bi-annual Snack Attack on October 30th. To show our appreciation for our wonderful FHES staff, we humbly ask our community members to purchase items from our Amazon Snack Attack Wishlist. The PTA will bring all the items to school and set them up for the staff on 10/30.
This flyer will be passed out in students' Wednesday folders on 9/16. You can also access the Amazon Wishlist through the link HERE.
The PTA thanks you so much for helping to show appreciation for our amazing Staff at Freedom Hill.
THANK YOU, PTA COMMUNITY!
A huge THANK YOU to the 36 families and 26 teachers/staff members who have joined the PTA! We appreciate your support and are so excited to have you as part of our PTA community.
We are now just shy of $5,000 in donations, with a goal of $10,000. Let’s keep the momentum going!
PTA Swag Is Coming Home! If you joined the PTA prior to September 9th, your swag will be sent home in your student’s backpack this week!
Check Your Backpack! A PTA flyer with additional information also went home in your student’s backpack this past week. Be sure to take a look!
Haven’t joined yet? It’s not too late! You can always join online here.
If you have any questions about membership, please contact Kerrey Olden at membership@freedomhillpta.org.
Thank you again for supporting our school, our teachers and staff, and most importantly, our students!
STAY CONNECTED
PTA QUICK LINKS
 Thank you to Platinum Sponsor, RenovaSmiles for their generous donation to the Freedom Hill Elementary School PTA!
Mission
To renovate lives through healthier smiles by providing personalized, comfortable, and exceptional dental care.
Vision
To be the most trusted dental care provider in the communities we serve, creating healthier smiles and exceptional experiences for every patient.
Locations: Falls Church, Woodbridge, Manassas, Arlington, Franconia, Occoquan (Lake Ridge) and Oakton
Phone number: 844 336 2474 | Website: www.renovasmiles.com
Website: www.renovasmiles.com
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