|
In this Message:
- Principals' Message
- PTA News and Announcements
- Curiosity Corner
- AAP Information
- Tap on the School Bus
- Community Conversations
- Set Screen Time Limits and Monitor Online Activity
- ABA Training Calendar
- New Menu Items
- Water Safety Festival at Skyview HS
- Upcoming Dates
Floris Families,
What another wonderful week at Floris! 💙
Our team has been in classrooms throughout the week, and we continue to see students highly engaged in their learning. There is so much great teaching and learning happening across our school, and it is a joy to see our students curious, excited, and fully immersed in their work.
We also want to say thank you to our entire Floris community for the incredible support of our school fundraising efforts. Because of your generosity and partnership, our students have enjoyed some really special experiences over the past two weeks from Pajama Day and deep dish pizza to the inflatable obstacle course at recess! Seeing the excitement on our students’ faces has been a great reminder of what we can accomplish when we come together.
And now… we are ready for the Fun Run tomorrow! 👟🏃♂️🏃♀️
Rob, Resheeda, and I have our sneakers ready, and we are prepared to run like the wind alongside our students as we celebrate this incredible community accomplishment together. Tomorrow is about so much more than running. It is about celebrating our students, our families, our staff, and the collective spirit that makes Floris such a special place.
A huge THANK YOU to our PTA for all of the time, energy, organization, and heart you have poured into making these experiences possible. We appreciate you more than you know.
Thank you, Floris, for showing up for our kids and for one another. This is what community looks like.
Let’s have some fun tomorrow! 💙
Josh DeSmyter, Principal
Rob Gibbs, Assistant Principal
Resheeda Hinkson, Assistant Principal
PTA News and Announcements
FUN RUN FACTS:
- The grade level that raises the most gets extra recess!
- The highest individual earners win a VIP Pizza Party!
- When we reach 40K, all of the students get to vote for what costume Mr. DeSmyter, Mr. Gibbs, and Ms. Hinkson wear at Harvest Parade!
🏃♀️FUN RUN IS TOMORROW! 🏃♂️
Donate today by clicking 👉 HERE 👈
💰 There’s still time to donate! Every dollar helps us get closer to our $40,000 goal and supports programs and experiences for our Floris students.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!We’re looking for volunteers to cheer on our students tomorrow. We’d love for you to JOIN US!
🙌 A huge thank you to our families, students, staff, and volunteers for making this event so special. We can’t wait to see everyone out there tomorrow!
See you at the starting line, Floris! 🏁💙
🌟Exciting Enrichment Opportunities for Our Students! 🌟
|
|
We’re thrilled to share that several enrichment programs are opening up for registration. Don’t miss out—these fill quickly!
-
Little Scholars before and after-school enrichment: Enrollment is open through 9/28. Register here!
-
Math Olympiad (Grades 4th –6th) – Registration is open. Sign up here
-
Reflections – NOW OPEN. Visit this link for details. All submissions are due by 11/13.
There have been several reports of PTA members missing our emails. Please make sure you check your promotions and spam folders and mark us safe! We don’t want you to miss out on any pertinent information due to email filter settings.
|
🧠Curiosity Corner🧠
Wow, we had so many fantastic submissions for our September Monthly Maker Mission challenge! Check out these amazing junkbots designed and constructed by Floris student engineers:
Each month, we will provide optional STEAM challenges that can be completed at home. The goal is to promote creative and critical thinking and engage in the engineering and design process. Submissions are due in the Curiosity Lab at the end of the month and will be highlighted within the school building and on the student news show. Let's get curious!
Our challenge is to build a durable spider web for Charlotte (get it--Charlotte's Web?) that can withstand the winds of the changing season. You can use any materials to make a strong spider web, and turn it in by October 31st.
We can't wait to see what you design and build!
Interested in supporting the Curiosity Lab?
👉Check out our Curiosity Lab Wish List!
AAP Information
Interested in learning more about Advanced Academics at Floris ES?
Are you a Family new to FCPS AND Interested in Full-Time AAP services?
- New Students (grades 3-6 only) can be considered for Full-Time AAP services for this school year.
- If interested, please complete the required AAP Referral Form and Optional Parent Questionnaire found on the AAP Forms website.
- Completed forms need to be submitted via email anytime on or before Oct 15, 2026, to Amy Albanese abalbanese@fcps.edu. No late submissions can be accepted.
- If found eligible, students will begin receiving services in the second semester of this school year.
Interested in Full-Time AAP Services for the 27-28 School Year?
- To learn more about the screening process for full-time AAP services, please join Mrs. Albanese for a parent information session about full-time screening on Wednesday, November 11 at 5:30PM in the Floris Library. This session will discuss the full-time screening process and will feature a question and answer session to address any questions you may have. No RSVP needed, please enter through door 4 from the back of the school via the blacktop.
- Students in Grades 2-7 can be screened for full-time services this year for possible services starting in the 27-28 school year.
- Eligibility decisions are made by central office this March and shared with families in early April.
- If you’d like your 2-7th grader screened, please submit the full-time AAP Referral Form and the Optional Parent Questionnaire found on the AAP Forms website and submit to Amy Albanese abalbanese@fcps.edu by December 15, 2026. This deadline is firm. Forms be accepted anytime between now and COB on Dec. 15th.
- Once referrals are received, the AART (Amy Albanese) will put together a portfolio of information which will be submitted to central office for screening.
Any lingering questions?
Please feel free to reach out to Amy Albanese, Advanced Academics Resource Teacher at abalbanese@fcps.edu with any questions. She is available Mondays -Thursdays 8:45 – 4:15PM.
Tap On and Tap Off, It’s Easy!
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.
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:
-
Monday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m., at Spring Hill Elementary School
-
Monday, October 26, at 6:30 p.m., at Beech Tree Elementary School
-
Thursday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m., at North Springfield Elementary School
-
Friday, November 13, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School
Set Screen Time Limits and Monitor Online Activity With Lightspeed
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:
-
Schedules: Pause or restrict internet access during specific times, such as during homework time, family dinners, weekends, or bedtime.
-
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.
Learn About Applied Behavior Analysis and Teaching New Skills at Home
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.
Fall into Flavor With FCPS’ New Breakfast and Lunch Menu
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 the Water Safety Festival on October 13
Families are invited to the Water Safety Festival at Skyview High School on Tuesday, October 13, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Come meet Olympic medalists Maritza Correia McClendon and Cullen Jones, explore hands-on water-safety stations, and learn about underwater robotics and scuba.
Location: Skyview High School, 2949 Education Drive, Herndon, VA 20171
Register for the Skyview Water Safety Festival!
Dates for the 2026-2027 School Year
October 2: PTA Fun Run
October 12: No School for Students, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Staff Development Day
October 15: Fall Picture Day
October 16: 3rd-6th Grade Field Day
October 21: 3-Hour Early Release
October 23: Grades 3-6 Field Day
October 30:
- Harvest Parade
- End of First Quarter and Two-Hour Early Release
- PTA Trunk or Treat
November 2-3: No School for Students, Teacher Workdays and Election Day
November 11: Veteran's Day Concert
November 19: Thanksgiving Luncheon
November 25-27: Holiday- Thanksgiving
Find the 2026-2027 School Year Calendar: https://www.fcps.edu/calendars/standard-school-year-calendar
English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
|
