This Week's Eagle Express

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 09/25/2026 04:00 PM EDT

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Mark your Calendars!

Sept. 15-Oct. 15: National Hispanic American Heritage

October: Booktober! *See Calendar of Events below

Oct 2: PTA Movie Night featuring The Bad Guys

Oct. 2: National Custodian Appreciation Day

Oct.12: School Planning Day for Staff (Student Holiday)

Oct. 21: Early Release Wednesday #1 - 3-hour Release – 1:05 p.m.

Oct. 22: GES Family Literacy Night

Oct. 26: School Picture Day

Oct. 30: End of First Quarter 2-hour Early Release – 2:05 p.m.

PTA Family Movie Night

Friday, October 2nd

Join us for a fun-filled Family Movie Night hosted by the Garfield PTA. We will be featuring the hit animated comedy The Bad Guys.

Here are our tips and expectations for a great evening:

Movie Night is not a drop off event. All Eagles must have an adult with them at the event.
Time: Arrive at 6:30 PM to grab your seats and settle in. The movie will start right around sunset (approx. 7:15 PM).

Location: Garfield Blacktop. We will move to the GES Gym or café if it rains.

What to Bring: Pack a picnic dinner for your family, and don't forget your lawn chairs and cozy blankets!
Treats: We'll be serving up fresh movie theater popcorn and sweet desserts to enjoy during the show.
We Need Your Help! Events like this are only possible with community support. If you can spare a little time to help with setup, popcorn, or cleanup, we would deeply appreciate it! Sign-Up to Support Movie Night

Join the GES PTA!

Scroll down to the end of this newsletter to See how you can sign-up!

BOOKTOBER Is Coming Soon!

October + reading fun = Booktober! Join us for a month filled with reading, fun, and opportunities to celebrate our love of books!

October 2: PTA Movie Night featuring The Bad Guys
October 8–9: Mystery Readers visit GES classrooms
October 15: Join GES staff and our community at Richard Byrd Library to check out books, enjoy a LEGO event, and read in a cozy corner.
October 22: GES Family Literacy Night
October 30: Dress as your favorite book character and participate in our schoolwide Drop Everything and Read Day!

Blue Star Welcome Week

Every year, approximately 600,000 military-connected families relocate, and schools are a primary way they get integrated into their new location. Most of these families move to new duty stations, while some transition out of the military and others transition in. Most of these moves take place over the summer, and Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to ensuring our military families feel welcomed and a sense of belonging to their local community.

Blue Star Welcome Week is an opportunity for our community to welcome our military-connected families and show them our appreciation for their service and sacrifices. Throughout the week, FCPS will help ease their transition through events, messages, actions of welcome, and opportunities to make meaningful connections. Please help us welcome our military families during Blue Star Welcome Week, September 26 through October 4, 2026, and throughout the year! #BlueStarWelcomeWeekFCPS

What are we Learning in Language Arts?

Benchmark Unit 1 in Language Arts is about life science. Students in K-5 will be learning about plants, animals, and nature. Sixth grade students will learn about the natural balance of nature.

Connect with your child’s learning at school with these fun questions and hands-on activities at home:

Question: What are some ways we can take care of nature and living things?
Activity: Pick an animal and act out how it moves or survives in its habitat - see if family members can guess!

At the end of the unit, your child will take their unit magazine home. The magazine includes an activity calendar with fun ways to help students build on what they’re learning at each grade level. You can also find information on how to support your child’s reading at home on the Benchmark Families website.

Save the Date for the Annual Special Education Family Conference

The Annual Special Education Family Conference will take place on Saturday, November 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Hayfield Secondary School.

Hosted by FCPS and community partners, its theme — Connected Communities, Thriving Students — highlights the power of partnerships that support student success. This no-cost, in-person event brings together families, staff, and community partners to explore special education services, supports, and resources and to build meaningful connections.

The conference will feature an inspiring opening session, engaging breakout sessions, an exhibitor hall, and lunch for all participants. Visit the Special Education Family Conference webpage for the latest information.

Email SpecialEdFamilyConf@fcps.edu with any questions.

Early Release Wednesdays for 2026-27

FCPS will continue with limited early release Wednesdays for elementary schools during the 2026-27 school year.

Early release Wednesdays provide elementary teachers with a dedicated block of time to prepare lessons, participate in professional development and training, and collaborate with peers. A well-supported and continuously improving teaching staff leads to better educational outcomes for students.

Find more information about early release Wednesdays, including the list of early release dates.

October 21
December 2
February 10
May 5

Advanced Academic Programs

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:

Fall identification: Students in grades 3-7 who have enrolled in FCPS since January may be referred by October 15, 2026.
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 Krista Geck, School Testing Coordinator, at kageck@fcps.edu by September 30.

Families are invited to attend two AAP information meetings, led by Heather Jenkins our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART):

Full-Time AAP Identification: November 12^th at 3:00PM

Families will learn about the referral and identification processes for Full-Time AAP services.

Register here for the virtual parent information meeting

For more information, please contact Heather Jenkins, AART, at hkjenkins@fcps.edu or visit the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs webpage.

Superintendent Community Conversations

Join Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid for a Community Conversation. Students, families, staff, and community members are invited to ask questions, share concerns, and discuss what matters most to them. Everyone is welcome! Click on the date to register for any of the following events:

Registration is not required, but it helps with planning.

Spanish: Conversaciones Comunitarias Directamente con la Dra. Reid Acompáñenos en una serie de Conversaciones Comunitarias que se llevarán a cabo en diferentes lugares de la división escolar. Estas reuniones están abiertas a todos, incluyendo familias, estudiantes, y miembros de la comunidad. Puede asistir al evento que le resulte más conveniente, aunque no se lleve a cabo en su escuela o comunidad. Esta es una oportunidad para compartir sus opiniones, conversar directamente con la Dra. Reid y hacerle preguntas sobre temas importantes para nuestra comunidad de FCPS.

No es necesario inscribirse, pero hacerlo nos ayuda con la planificación.

Join the PTA!

The Garfield PTA supports our school community by:

Supporting students and staff through field trips, technology, and school events
Sharing updates about school news and activities
Giving families a voice in important school initiatives and PTA budget decisions
Providing volunteer opportunities at Movie Night, Field Day, and school celebrations

Scan the QR code to learn more about the Garfield PTA and how to join!

Questions? Email garfield.es.pta@gmail.com

YOUR GES PRINCIPAL PARTNERS

We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with your family this school year. Our goal is to provide every child with a safe, welcoming, and positive learning environment where they can grow and thrive.

Please know that we are always here to listen, answer questions, and address concerns. Thank you for your continued support and for being such an important part of our Garfield team. Together, we can make this a wonderful year for every child! Thank you!

Mrs. Peerman, Principal, Klpeerman@fcps.edu

Ms. Manning, Assistant Principal, eamanning1@fcps.edu

7101 Old Keene Mill Rd, Springfield, VA 22150 | Main Office: 703-923-2900
Attendance: 703-923-2929 | Web | Twitter

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