In this Paw Print:
-
School News
- Principal's Message 🗣️
- Where in the School is Ms. Andujar 🔎
- Panther Prowl! 🏃🏽♀️➡️
- 3-Hour Early Release Choice ⏰
- Veterans Day Celebration🪖
- Step Right Up, Book Fair Volunteers! 🎪
-
PTA News
- iCode Clifton - Halloween Game Night! 👻
- Talent Show Lead or Co-Leads Needed!🎭
- Registration for Math and Running Club is Open! 👟✖️
-
FCPS News
- Superintendent Community Conversations💬
- Safe Routes to School 🚲
-
Community News
- Upcoming Dates
 Dear Families,
We have some exciting news to share! Poplar Tree Elementary School has been chosen as a recipient of the 2026-2027 Purple Star Award! 💜
Schools who receive a Purple Star Award show a high committment to supporting military-connected students and their families. Military children move frequently (often 6 to 9 times between kindergarten and high school graduation) and face unique challenges, such as adapting to new curricula, dealing with parental deployments, and making new friends mid-school year. The Purple Star program helps ensure schools have dedicated systems to make these transitions smoother!
We have received this award thanks to our Student Ambassador program, staff training, and military recognized events. A special thank you to Art Teacher Andrea Williams for all her hard work ensuring that we receive this designation.
We want to express our deepest gratitude to all of our military families and their children. We recognize and appreciate the unique sacrifices you make every single day in service to our country.
To our military-connected students: your resilience, adaptability, and unique experiences enrich our classrooms and make our school community stronger. Please remember that no matter how many times you move or where your journey takes you, you will always have a home here at Poplar Tree!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Sue Andujar, Principal
Amy Alley, Assistant Principal
Where in the School is Ms. Andujar?
Watch the video linked below to see Ms. Andujar visiting 3rd graders during their phonics lesson!
Panther Prowl Fun Run 🏃🏽♀️➡️
Our annual Panther Prowl Fun Run will be on Friday, October 16 starting at 5:30 pm! This event is our biggest fundraiser as a school!
This year's goal is $20,000!!
We've currently raised $12,155!
Money from the Panther Prowl Supports:
3-Hour Early Release
Wednesdays!!⏰
This year we have FOUR 3-Hour Early Release Wednesdays. These days are:
- October 21
- December 2
- February 10
- May 5
Please complete THIS FORM for each of your children letting us know what their plan is on these days. If you need to change their plan for a Wednesday moving forward, we will send another message out giving you the opportunity to update their plan closer to that date.
PTES Celebrates our Veterans🎖️
Family members of our Poplar Tree students who have served or are currently serving in the military are invited to join us for an in-person celebration on Wednesday, November 11, 2026!
-
The celebration will go as follows:
- ⭐ 9:00 am - Reception for Veterans in the Library
- ⭐ 9:15 am - Schoolwide Assembly in the gym
To have your Veterans' photo in a video slideshow we will be showing at the celebration, to sign up for your Veteran to speak at our assembly, or to RSVP to the event, please complete THIS FORM by Friday, November 6! If you have previously submitted a photo, we will use it again unless you would like to submit a NEW photo!
You will have to have a Google account to share your photo on this form. If you do not have one, you can send the photo via email to Leslie Leisey at lfleisey@fcps.edu.
We look forward to honoring all of our Veterans!⭐
Step Right Up,
Book Fair Volunteers! 🎪
Come one, come all! The Big Top Book Fair is coming to town and we need a few helping hands to step right up! Join our spectacular crew to help with setup, breakdown, and Family Night. Whether you’re a strong man of heavy lifting, a ringmaster of organization, a decor acrobat, or just willing to help us juggle it all, there’s a spot for you in our circus.
Don’t clown around—sign up HERE to help make our Big Top Book Fair the greatest show at Poplar Tree! 📚🤡🎟️
Parent Night Out! iCode October Spirit Night 👻
iCode Clifton is Hosting... Poplar Tree Halloween Game Night!
- Saturday, October 24th; 6pm - 8:30pm
- 5754 Union Mill Rd. Clifton, VA
- $35/kid pizza dinner included
- Proceeds Benefit: Poplar Tree ES PTA
Get ready for a spooktacular game night! Enjoy pizza, drinks, Halloween fun, and a costume contest. Check out the link to sign up: https://tinyurl.com/icodeptes.
Talent Show Lead or Co-Leads Needed!🎭
The Talent Show is one of the most beloved community events at Poplar Tree - last year almost 100 students performed, plus teachers and staff! We need a new lead (or group of friends!) to step up in order to hold this event. This is a fun way to contribute through a short-term commitment. We have amazingly detailed notes and guidance from past years and lots of tools and resources to support you! Help us keep this tradition alive!
Interested in this or being involved in another committee?
Contact the PTA at poplartreepta@gmail.com.
 Registration for Math and Running Club is Open! 👟✖️
-
PTES Math Club is back for the new school year!
- Open to students in grades 3-6, the kids will test and build their math problem-solving skills (logical thinking, spatial reasoning) using non-standard math problems, competing in several math contests including Math Olympiad, Noetic, and Math Kangaroo throughout the year.
- This year we will meet on alternate Mondays after school from 3:35-4:45, in the cafeteria. Our first session will be on Monday, October 5; students can attend to try out the club without registering for the full year.
There is a registration fee to cover contest fees and materials.
- Registration is $40 for 3rd graders and $50 for 4th-6th graders.
- Registration deadline is October 17, ahead of our second meeting on Monday, October 19.
- Parents MUST be part of the PTA in order to enroll their child.
- Learn more and register HERE!
-
Running Club Starts October 15th!
Feedback on Traveling to and From School 🚲
The FCPS Office of Safety and Security and Safe Routes to School program are asking families to share their experiences traveling to and from their child’s school. The feedback will help inform the Fairfax County School Board’s annual assessment of traffic and pedestrian safety near schools.
The Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Survey asks about walking and biking routes, traffic near schools, kiss-and-ride experiences, accessibility, and other safety concerns.
Your feedback will help FCPS identify common issues. Your responses will be kept confidential and shared with school administrators and the Office of Safety and Security. The five-minute survey is open through Thursday, October 15.
Be sure to identify the school related to your feedback and include specific locations where you have observed a safety issue. If you have students at different schools in FCPS, please complete a different survey for each school.
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact SafeRoutestoSchool@fcps.edu.
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:
-
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
-
Tuesday, December 1, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School (note date change)
Registration is not required, but it helps with planning.
Clue at Chantilly High 🔎
The game is officially ON! Chantilly High School Theatre is thrilled to present CLUE — a madcap murder mystery packed with hilarious characters, unexpected twists, suspicious behavior, and enough secrets to keep you guessing until the very end!
It’s a dark and stormy night at Boddy Manor. Six colorful guests. One very dead host. A collection of questionable weapons. And EVERYONE has something to hide.
Will it be Miss Scarlet with the rope?
Professor Plum with the candlestick?
Colonel Mustard with the wrench?
There’s only one way to find out! Performances will be:
- Thursday, October 22 at 7 PM
- Friday, October 23 at 7 PM
- Saturday, October 24 at 7 PM
- Sunday, October 25 at 2 PM
Gather your favorite detectives, bring your best theories, and get ready for a night of mystery, mayhem, and LOTS of laughs!
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit chantillydrama.org.
-
Monday, October 12: School Planning Day - no school for students!
-
Friday, October 16: Panther Prowl
-
October 19 - 23: Book Fair
-
Tuesday, October 20: Book Fair Family Night, 4:00 - 7:00 pm
- Wednesday, October 21: 3 Hour Early Release
-
Thursday, October 22: Hybrid Full-Time AAP Identification Meeting
-
Friday, October 23: 5th Grade Field Trip to Camp Hemlock
-
October 27, 28, 29: NGAT Testing
-
Thursday, October 29: 1st Grade Field Trip to EC Lawrence Park
-
Friday, October 30: Kindergarten Halloween Parade
|
