What's Happening at LCES?!
 Pictured above are students in Ms. Pauca's class enjoying PE class.
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September 29: PTA Dining Day at El Fresco in Chantilly
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October 12: Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Student Holiday (No School)
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October 21: Early Release Wednesday - School will be dimissed at 12:35pm
Peace, Love & Paint Creative Kids: a fun, hands-on art program where students explore a variety of artistic techniques while building confidence, creativity, and problem-solving skills. This fall we’ll explore the exciting world of printmaking. Students will design, carve, stamp and print unique artwork using a variety of tools and everyday materials.
Time: Mondays - 9/28, 10/5, 10/19, 10/26, 11/09, 11/16, 11/23, 11/30, 12/7
Grades: K through 6th
Location: 2nd Grade Pod
Price: $225
OTA Basketball: The ultimate intro-to-hoops program where energy meets fundamentals! Whether your child is picking up a ball for the first time or already has a crossover move, this program is all about building confidence, coordination, and game-time skills — through fast-paced drills and fun-focused play. Each session combines ball-handling, passing, shooting, defense, and game concepts with tons of movement, teamwork, and encouragement. From layups to lightning rounds, kids stay active, engaged, and excited to hit the hardwood.
Time: Tuesdays - 9/22, 9/29, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/10, 11/17, 11/24, 12/1
Grades: K through 6th
Location: Gym
Price: $200
iCook Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice: In our Sugar & Spice culinary theme, kids will enjoy the best of both worlds–creating one sweet and one savory recipe each class! Students will practice essential skills like measuring, mixing, sauteing, baking, and more–all while learning kitchen safety and healthy habits.
Time: Wednesdays - 9/23, 9/30, 10/7, 10/14, 10/28, 11/4, 11/11, 11/18
Grades: K through 6th
Location: 2nd Grade Pod
Price: $200+$5 service fee
Silver Knights Chess Club: Learn chess with Silver Knights Chess Academy! We’ve taught 100,000 children to play including state & national champions. Most students are beginners looking to learn a new skill and have FUN. Class time is divided between lessons and practice games. Lessons range from the basic rules to advanced tournament strategies. Students will have the opportunity to play in tournaments outside of club time, which may have an additional fee. All chess supplies provided.
Time: Thursdays - 9/24*, 10/1, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5*, 11/12*, 11/19, 12/3
Grades: K through 6th
Location: Cafeteria (unless noted below*)
*Classes on 9/24, 11/5, & 11/12 will be held in the Multipurpose Room.
Price: $215
Kids in Motion Glow Light Dance Party: This class will be set in a creative dance environment where the students will spend the class learning different choreographies to kid friendly songs. Children are provided with mini finger flashlights to create a glow dance party! In addition to a dance workout, they will also play games such as freeze dance, dancing 4 corners, limbo, center star, follow the leader, balloon games, limbo, and many more.
Time: Fridays - 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, 12/11, 12/18
Grades: K through 6th
Location: Gym
Price: $165 ($10 discount for PTA Pledge)
FCPS will continue with limited 3 Hour Early Release Wednesdays for elementary schools during the 2026-27 school year. Early Release Wednesdays provide 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.
The 3-hour early release dates for Lees Corner are as follows:
- October 21
- December 2
- February 10
- May 5
Please provide your intentions for dismissal on Early Release Wednesdays for each student in grades K-6 at Lees Corner ES. The link to the Google Form (https://forms.gle/WKT3ovHTKgcegVeG6) is available below. Please respond by Friday, October 9, so we can ensure students are dismissed correctly and also provide staffing for students who require childcare and need to stay at school until the normal dismissal on Early Release Wednesdays.
 Chantilly High School has started a new tutoring program called Building Bridges. Students in grades 4-6 can come after school on Fridays to receive homework help and ask questions. See this link for more information and to sign up.
All family members and caregivers are invited to attend monthly Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Family Training to learn how to support and teach students with autism and related disorders. No registration is needed.
Virtual trainings take place at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Join the session. Upcoming topics include:
- Autism and ABA Overview on Wednesday, October 14. (It is highly recommended that you attend this session before any future sessions.)
- Prioritizing Skills to Teach at Home on Wednesday, November 18.
- Toilet Training on Wednesday, December 9.
- Managing Challenging Behaviors at Home on Wednesday, January 13.
- Communication: a Foundation for Independence on Wednesday, February 10.
Visit the ABA webpage for a full list of classes. Need an interpreter? Contact Stephanie Watkins two weeks before the training at 571-423-4110 or sawatkins@fcps.edu.
FCPS’ new September and October menu items are packed with classic favorites and fresh global inspiration. Check our new online menu system to see when you can try new recipes based on student feedback, and developed by FCPS’ executive chef and team of food and nutrition experts.
Menu items include:
- Breakfast items such as honey chicken biscuits, guava pastelitos (whole-grain pastries filled with tropical guava fruit), and roasted apple parfaits, made with vanilla yogurt and homemade granola.
- Lunch items such as crunchy beef or fiesta tacos, ramen bowl with diced chicken or hard-boiled egg, beef or vegan banh mi burger, and southwest fiesta soup with corn chips.
Stay up to date on FCPS menus and nutrition news by subscribing to the Food and Nutrition Services newsletter.
Join us for the annual Special Education Family Conference: Connected Communities, Thriving Students on Saturday, November 14, at Hayfield Secondary School.
Families, educators, and community members are invited to this no-cost, in-person event to connect, learn, and explore available special education services, supports, and resources. Lunch will be provided for all participants.
How to Get Involved
Visit the Special Education Family Conference webpage for more information. Email SpecialEdFamilyConf@fcps.edu with any questions.
The free Lightspeed Parent Portal makes it easy for you to see and manage how your child uses their FCPS-issued device outside of school hours. New Lightspeed Parent Portal features for this school year include:
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Schedules: Pause or restrict internet access during specific times, such as during homework time, family dinners, weekends, or bedtime.
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Web Rules: Block specific websites you don’t want your child accessing at home.
Be sure to check your email (subject line: “Filter Portal Weekly Report”) each Sunday for the Lightspeed Student Online Activity Report, a weekly summary of the websites your child has visited. Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.
As part of FCPS’ continued support for digital literacy, families can access lesson materials that introduce the concepts students will explore throughout the school year. These resources include student lessons and supporting materials organized by grade level. Resources will be shared on a quarterly basis through Schoology.
The All Parent/Guardian Course is available in Schoology through a parent or guardian account. Schoology and ParentVUE use the same login credentials. Families who need assistance can review How Do I Log in to and Access Schoology? or watch the brief walkthrough on the Schoology Snippets page.
Families can also learn more about FCPS guidance and practices on the Educational Technology in FCPS webpage.
Please help all our bus riders remember to tap on and tap off the school bus each day. We currently have about 70% of students on buses following this process correctly, which is a great start! Learn more about student IDs and bus navigation.
Families wishing to see where their child’s bus is should continue to use the Here Comes the Bus app.
We understand that families may need to drive their children to school from time to time. If you need to, please familiarize yourself with our school’s kiss-and-ride procedures for the safety of all children and staff.
Please drop off or pick up your students in the designated areas. Students should not be dropped off or picked up in other areas around the school or in nearby neighborhoods. Please also avoid parking in neighborhoods or double parking in front of our school if you intend to walk your child to school. This can increase the number of students walking through busy intersections and create traffic hazards for other drivers and families trying to get to school.
Please follow all signs and directions posted at our school, on public roads, or provided by school staff or crossing guards, and avoid making U-turns. Most of all, always — ALWAYS — drive slowly near our school. The safety of all our students is one of our top priorities!!
The Fairfax County Police Department has additional safety tips for families, including ways to keep walkers safe and what to do about scooters, bicycles, and e-scooters.
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 2026 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 who do not have 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 Lauren Williams, AART, at lgwilliams2@fcps.edu by September 30.
Families are invited to attend two AAP information meetings, led by Lauren Williams, our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART):
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AAP Continuum of Services: Thursday, September 24th at 4:45-5:45pm in the cafeteria. Families will learn about the continuum of advanced academic services available to FCPS students.
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Full-Time AAP Identification: Thursday, November 5th at4:45-5:45pm in the cafeteria. Families will learn about the referral and identification processes for Full-Time AAP services.
For more information, please contact Lauren Williams, AART, at lgwilliams2@fcps.edu or visit the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs website.
PTA Dining Day: September 29 at El Fresco in Chantilly
Come out and help support our PTA by dining at El Fresco in Chantilly from 4-8pm. Just be sure to mention you're here to support Lees Corner Elementary when dining in. When ordering online make sure to write "Lees Corner Elementary" in the comments. 15% of all proceeds go to the PTA!
Hallowingo News: Basket Volunteers Are Needed!
Baskets are an exciting feature of Hallowingo, and that's all thanks to our wonderful Basket volunteers! If you would love to help out, please let your teacher know!
Join the PTA!
With the new school year now underway, it’s the perfect time to join or renew your PTA membership! Being part of the PTA is a fantastic way to connect with the school community and meet other families. All membership dues directly support school events and resources that enrich the school year for our students and staff.
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Follow us on X @Lees_Corner_ES to see posts with information and resources.
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Join the Lees Corner Elementary School group on Facebook. This is a private group available only to LCES families and staff. The group is managed by the PTA but membership and dues are NOT required to join this group. |
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