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Dear Stenwood Families,
We had a great time seeing everyone at our Ice Cream Social last Friday night. Thank you to the PTA for organizing and all of the volunteers for running the event. We love seeing our community come together and have fun!
5th grade was the first grade to leave the Hive for a field trip this new school year! On Tuesday, they went out to Colvin Run Mill. There, they toured the historic mill, barn, and general store to explore 19th-century engineering, commerce, and social history through hands-on learning centers.
This morning Mrs. Hartman shared information about the continuum of advanced academic services available to FCPS students. Below you can find a recording of the session. If you are interested in hearing about the referral process for full-time Advanced Academic services, please join us Friday, October 9th at 8:45am.
- Early Release Wednesday - this Wednesday 9/30
- Safe Routes to School - NEW
- Equity Committee looking for Parents - NEW
- Holidays and Observations Drawing Contest - Reminder
- Parking Reminders - Reminder
- Raptor Visitor Management System - UPDATED
- Advanced Academic Programs - UPDATED
- Superintendent Community Conversations - Reminder
- Family Information Phone Lines - Reminder
- School Meals and Free/Reduced Lunch Applications
- Stenwood PTA
Erica Riley, Principal esriley@fcps.edu
Bryan Case, Assistant Principal bgcase@fcps.edu
Early Release Wednesday - this Wednesday 9/30
A reminder that our first Early Release Wednesday is this Wednesday 9/30. Students will be released based on the selection that was made earlier this year. At this time, changes cannot be made for 9/30. If you selected that your child would stay, but you now don’t need childcare, you may come to the office at 1pm. If you would like to make a permanent change to your childcare needs for the remainder of the year, please let the office know starting 10/1. We ask that all changes be made at least two weeks in advance. The next 3 hour early release is 11/18.
Safe Routes to School
We have spent a lot of the first month of school focusing on every student’s right to a safe school environment so that they can learn, as well as everyone’s responsibility to keep each other safe. We also want to make sure that all our students are able to safely come and go from school.
If your child regularly bikes or rides to school, we want you to be aware of a few Fairfax County laws:
- Helmets are required for all minors under 15 on bikes
- No person under 14 is permitted to drive any motorized skateboard, motorized scooter, or class three electric-powered bike unless under the immediate supervision of a person who is at least 18 years old.
At Stenwood, we also ask that riders dismount at Carnegie Dr and Citadel Pl and walk their bike or scooter across the blacktop up to the building. There are a lot of students and families outside on the blacktop and we need to be mindful and stay safe around the school at arrival and dismissal.
If you drive your child to school:
- Be especially alert in our school zone and neighborhood.
- Watch for multi-modal transportation users crossing the street or biking along the road.
- Yield at crosswalks and obey school bus signals.
- Avoid distractions, including mobile devices. Virginia is a Hands-Free state.
- Always follow posted speed limits.
This information and more can be found at the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety page from the Fairfax County Government.
Equity Team
Each year we invite parents to join our Stenwood Equity Team which is made up of staff from each grade level and content area. We have had 3-5 parents on our team for the last couple of years and we want to make sure new families have the opportunity to join! We meet at 8:10am once per month on Thursdays. During the meetings, we focus on ways to promote equitable teaching practices and affirm identities and backgrounds of our diverse community. It's important to have insight and perspectives representative of our community. If you are interested in joining us, please email Heather Ogun at hogun@fcps.edu.
Holidays and Observations Drawing Contest
Our Equity Team is hosting an ongoing drawing contest to celebrate all the holidays and observations throughout the year.
Submission Details: We will collect submissions on the 1st of each month for holidays occurring the following month. For instance, since Lunar New Year is in February in 2026, drawings for it would be due by January 1st (but the 4th since we are on Winter Break). You're welcome to turn in your artwork early—just drop it in the box in the office!
What Happens Next? The winning drawing will be featured in our newsletter and on our social media. All other submissions will be proudly displayed in our hallways for everyone to enjoy!
Missing a Holiday? If your family celebrates a holiday or observance that isn't on our list, please feel free to include it!
Ready to Draw? You can pick up a template paper for the contest in your classroom or the office, and it is posted on our website for easy access. We can’t wait to see the incredible artwork from our Stenwood artists!
Parking Reminders
If you choose to park on Carnegie and walk up for arrival and/or dismissal, please know that the streets directly behind Stenwood are permit parking only. In addition, please be respectful of our neighbors. Please do not block driveways or crosswalks. If you do have a permit, please do not park on the Stenwood side of the street as that hinders the flow of traffic. During grade-level and schoolwide events, we do work with the Fairfax County Police Department to get permission for families to park in the neighborhood. When advertising events, we will communicate if the parking in the neighborhood has been coordinated. That exemption is not in place for arrival or dismissal.
Sign Up for the Raptor App
We encourage all families to download and register on the Raptor App. Raptor is the visitor management system FCPS adopted midyear last year. If you have already registered, you do not need to register again. Family members who are not registered on the app will need to present a valid ID each time they visit Stenwood.
To strengthen campus security, FCPS has disabled the "I Don’t Have An ID" option on all Raptor kiosks. All visitors without a valid ID must report directly to the front office staff. The system allows staff to manually enter visitor details once; however, visitors will not be permitted to enter the building on any subsequent visits without a valid ID.
THE SYSTEM CANNOT ACCEPT PHOTOS OR DIGITAL PICTURES OF IDENTIFICATION; A PHYSICAL, ORIGINAL ID IS REQUIRED.
If you need assistance registering for the Raptor App, please contact the front office at 703-208-7600.
Advanced Academic Programs
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 Bryan Case, school testing coordinator, at bgcase@fcps.edu by September 30th.
Families are invited to attend two AAP information meetings led by Kaleigh Hartman, our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART):
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AAP Continuum of Services: Here is the recording from this morning,
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Full-Time AAP Identification: Friday, October 9th at 8:45am in the cafeteria. Families will learn about the referral and identification processes for Full-Time AAP services.
Twice Exceptional Students
Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction. Twice-Exceptional (2e) learners are students who are gifted and have learning challenges or disabilities.
Families can learn more about 2e learners, how to support them, and how to partner with schools on the 2e webpage, which also includes a link to the Special Education Handbook.
New information has been added under the heading Supporting 2e Learners in FCPS.
For more information, please contact Kaleigh Hartman, AART, at kkhartman@fcps.edu or visit the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs webpage.
Superintendent Community Conversations
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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Monday, September 28th, at 6:30 p.m., at Riverside Elementary School
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Monday, October 19th, at 6:30 p.m., at Spring Hill Elementary School
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Monday, October 26th, at 6:30 p.m., at Beech Tree Elementary School
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Thursday, October 29th, at 6:30 p.m., at North Springfield Elementary School
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Friday, November 13th, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School
Family Information Phone Lines
Family Information Line Available in Nine Languages
Parents/caregivers who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, English, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese may call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS. View the list of phone numbers.
Spanish:
Línea Telefónica de Información para Padres Disponible en Nueve Idiomas
Padres/cuidadores que hablan Amárico, Árabe, Chino, Farsi, Coreano, Español, Urdu o Vietnamita pueden llamar a una línea telefónica de información para obtener información general sobre FCPS. Vea la lista de números de teléfono.
Korean:
학부모 정보 전화는 8가지 언어로 제공됩니다.암하라어, 아랍어, 중국어, 페르시아어, 한국어, 스페인어, 우르두어, 베트남어를 할 줄 아는 보호자는 전화 안내 라인에 전화하여 FCPS에 대한 일반적인 정보를 얻을 수 있습니다. 또한 자녀의 학교와의 의사소통에 대한 지원도 받을 수 있습니다. 전화번호 목록 보기.
School Meals and Free/ Reduced Lunch Applications
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.
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Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast will be $1.75. Lunch will be $3.75, milk $1.00. Money can be added to your child(ren)’s accounts using www.myschoolbucks.com. You can also write a check to Stenwood Food Services and deliver it to our Food Services Manager at Open House. During the school year, you can find the menu for breakfast and lunch at https://schools.mealviewer.com/school/StenwoodElementary.
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 Free and Reduced-Price Status
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals will continue to receive these benefits through the end of September. A new application must be filled out each new school year and forms are available online now: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/food-and-nutrition-programs/free-and-reduced-price-meals. Applications are accepted at any time, but we encourage you to apply or renew your application before the end of September. Call (703) 813-4800 if you need help. This must be completed for eligible students to receive free meals.
Stenwood Elementary PTA
We hope you join our amazing PTA! If you are interested in volunteering to be a class parent, volunteering in our cafeteria or library, OR just looking to stay connected with the great work of our PTA, you can fill out a survey that will be sent out once class placements have been communicated.
Language Arts Stations!
Math Workshop!
Kindergarten Sense of Smell Activity!
Stay Connected
Here are a few ways to stay connected with all the happenings at Stenwood ES
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Facebook
facebook.com/StenwoodElementary
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Instagram
@stenwoodelementary
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Website
stenwoodes.fcps.edu
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PTA Facebook
facebook.com/StenwoodElementaryPTA
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