English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو

Principal's Note

Dear London Towne Families,

I am beyond proud to share two massive accomplishments that showcase the hard work, resilience, and heart of our school community!

1. Earning the Purple Star Award

We are officially a Purple Star School! This designation recognizes schools that demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting military-connected students and families. From helping students seamlessly transition into our school to providing dedicated social-emotional and academic resources, this award highlights our promise to care for every family that serves our country.

2. State Accreditation & Outstanding Performance Scores

We recently received our state accreditation summary and overall performance scores, and I am thrilled to report that our school "Meets Expectations" across every single performance metric: Mastery, Growth, and Readiness!

We celebrated with our incredible staff on Wednesday afternoon. As educators, we know that the deep, meaningful work happening in our classrooms every single day doesn't always show up on public measures—so when it does, it is truly special.

A few notable highlights from our state report:

• Overall Performance: Over a 6-point gain across the board.

• Students with Disabilities Subgroup Performance: An extraordinary 11-point gain, reflecting targeted support and unwavering belief in every child's potential.

Outcomes like these do not happen by accident. They are the result of a collective, relentless effort from our teachers, support staff, students, and families working in partnership every single day.

WE can! WE will! WE are the LIONS! ROAR!

While staff enjoyed a moment to pause and celebrate on Wednesday, we cannot wait to share this excitement directly with our students. We look forward to recognizing their hard work and cheering on their success together at our upcoming Q2 Pep Rally!

Thank you for your continued support, partnership, and pride in our school.

Warmly,

Shele Banford, Principal

Jordan Moore, Assistant Principal

Lucy Zamora, Assistant Principal

Save the Date!

🌎Monday, October 12:  No School for Students - Indigenous Peoples Day

☕ Tuesday, October 13:  7:30 a.m. Multilingual Family Coffee

🗣️Tuesday, October 13:  6:00 p.m. PTA Meeting (Library/Zoom)

📸Thursday, October 15:  Fall Picture Day

🥪 Friday, October 17:  1st Grade Immersion Picnic

💻Monday, October 19 - Friday, October 23:  Digital Citizenship Spirit Week

♟️Monday, October 19:  PTA/Baroody Enrichment Clubs Begin this Week

🗣️Tuesday, October 20:  8:30 a.m. PreK Family Meeting (Cafeteria)

⏰Wednesday, October 21:  3 Hr Early Release:12:05 Dismissal (K-6 ONLY)

🎲Thursday, October 22:  5:45-7:15 p.m. SEL Family Game Night

🚌 Friday, October 23:  Bus Safety Program (Grade 3)

🍬 Friday, October 23:  6:00-7:30 p.m. PTA Trunk or Treat

🦺 Monday, October 26 - Thursday, October 29:  Body Safety Program

🚌 Tuesday, October 27:  GMU Field Trip (Grade 4)

💻 Tuesday, October 27 - Thursday, October 29:  NGAT Testing (Grade 2)

🎃 Thursday, October 29: 9:00 a.m.Storybook Character Parade (Grade K-1)

⚽ Friday, October 30:  Field Day (K-6)

⏰ Friday, October 30: 2 Hour Early Release: 1:05 Dismissal  (PreK-6)

London Towne Events and News

Body Safety Program: Oct 26-29

The Body Safety Program is scheduled to take place at London Towne Elementary School the week of October 26^th-29^th for grades Kindergarten to 6^th.

If you would like to opt your child out of this program, please make sure to send in a signed opt-out form (English/Spanish) no later than October 16th. Opt-out forms were sent home in Thursday folders on October 1^st.

Please note that Rylynn, a Department of Family Services Facility Dog, will be on-site Friday.

• OPT Out Form - English.pdf
• OPT Out Form - Spanish.pdf

Hearing and Vision Screenings

Our School Health Aide will be completing hearing and vision screening for our kindergarten and 3rd grade students through October 16.

🎲🎲  SEL Family Game Night 🎲🎲

All are invited to SEL Family Game Night at London Towne on Thursday, October 22!

Pizza will be served at 5:45 p.m.  Game stations start at 6:00 p.m.

Families will play together using Play-Doh, practice yoga, make Zones kits and learn more about London Towne’s social and emotional initiatives.

Students MUST attend with an adult family member. The goal of family game night is that families participate together.

🦸💻💻  Digital Citizenship Spirit Week  💻💻🦸

We are excited to celebrate Digital Citizenship Spirit Week from October 19–23! This special week is dedicated to teaching our students how to navigate the digital world safely, responsibly, and respectfully. To keep students engaged while learning these critical online habits, we invite everyone to participate in our themed dress-up days:

• 🧢 Monday, Oct 19 – Put a Cap on Screen Time: Wear a hat as a reminder to "cap" your screen time and balance it with reading, hobbies, outdoor play, and sleep.

• 👕 Tuesday, Oct 20 – Team Up for Digital Safety: Wear team jerseys or school spirit wear to remember to protect each other online, talk to trusted adults, and keep private information safe.

• 🕶️ Wednesday, Oct 21 – Shine Bright with Kindness: Wear bright neon colors, sunglasses, or kindness-themed shirts to spread positivity in the digital world instead of shade.

• 💤 Thursday, Oct 22 – Safe and Comfy in PJs: Wear comfy pajamas as a reminder that everyone has a right to feel safe and comfortable online.

• 🦸 Friday, Oct 23 – Be an Online Hero!: Wear a superhero or positive role model costume to stand up to online meanness!

Grades 3-6 SEL Screener: Oct 5-30

❤️ LTES SEL Screener Dates

Fairfax County Public Schools believes in supporting social and emotional learning (SEL) for all students. In FCPS, students use a tool called the SEL Screener to think about their own SEL skills and experiences at school.

London Towne students in grades 3-6 will take the FCPS Social Emotional Learning screener between October 5 and October 29 during their counselor time. 

Counselors will be coordinating with teachers to administer the SEL Screener in 5^th and 6^th between Oct. 5-30^th. 3rd and 4th grade students will complete the screener during specials.

After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families without a ParentVUE account.

❤️ FCPS SEL Workshop

Social-emotional learning (SEL) helps children develop confidence, resilience, self-awareness, and other important skills that support their success in school and throughout life. Join an FCPS workshop for parents and caregivers to:

• Understand your child’s Fairfax County SEL Screener results.
• Use the results as a starting point for meaningful conversations at home.
• Support your child’s social and emotional development.
• Build confidence, resilience, and lifelong skills together. 

Learn practical ways to talk with your child about their social and emotional well-being and support their continued growth at home. Events will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 8, at Skyview High School and Wednesday, October 21, at Kingstowne Regional Library. View additional dates on the FCPS Family Academy webpage. 

Childcare will be available. Interpretation services are available upon request. For more information, contact the Family and School Partnerships office at 703-204-4300 or FamilyEngagement@fcps.edu. 

🔎🔬  Family Science Night 🔬🔎

All are invited to SEL Family Game Night at London Towne on Tuesday, November 10!

Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m.  Investigations stations start at 6:00 p.m.

Students MUST attend with an adult family member. 

Advanced Academics 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:

• Fall identification: Students in grades 3 to 7 who have enrolled in FCPS since January may be referred by October 15.
• Spring identification: Any FCPS student in Grades 2 to 7 may be referred by December 15.

⭐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.

⭐ Families are invited to attend an AAP information meeting led by Maddie Sirota our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART):

• Full-Time AAP Identification: Wednesday, November 18^th at 5:15 p.m. in London Towne ES Library Families will learn about the referral and identification processes for Full-Time AAP services.

⭐ Upcoming Deadlines for FCPS Families:

• October 15^th, 2026, full-time referral deadline for students new to FCPS as of January 1^st, 2026
  • Referral forms can be found HERE.

⭐ Supporting 2E Learners:

Twice-Exceptional (2e) learners are students who are both gifted and have learning challenges or disabilities.

Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction. Twice-Exceptional (2e) learners are students who are both 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.

For more information, please contact our Special Education Department Chair, Stacey LaFountain, at slafountain@fcps.edu, or Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART), Maddie Sirota, at masirota@fcps.edu or visit the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs webpage or the FCPS 2e Website. 

PTA News and Happenings

Come join us for our next PTA meeting! Everyone’s welcome! 🎉

Come and learn more about what AVID looks like and sounds like at London Towne and hear from the AVID Division Coordinator how families can foster executive functioning skills such as organization at home.  

📅 Date: October 13

⏰ Time: 6:00 PM

📍 Location: London Towne Library or join us virtually on Zoom

(Zoom link will be sent the evening before.)

We’d love to see some new faces—and plenty of familiar ones too!

Follow the LTES PTA on Instagram to stay to date with all the fun, upcoming events! 

FCPS Events and News

🎭 Westfield High School Theatre Events 🎭

Workshop Details:  Westfield High School Theatre is offering a FREE workshop for students in 4th to 8th grade on October 12 from 10am to noon. Students will play theatre games, take a backstage tour, and enjoy an immersive theatre experience!

Registration Required. Space is limited. Sign up here

Performance Details:  Westfield High School Theatre Presents Romeo & Juliet A story of young love, family rivalry, and the enduring power of hope. October 15th & 16th at 7 PM October 17th at 2 PM & 7 PM.

Tickets: $15 adult, $10 student/senior. All seats reserved. All info found at westfieldtheatre.com. 

Note: October 16th at 7pm is our American Sign Language interpreted performance.

🪩 Westfield High School Theatre Events 🪩

🎃 Westfield High School Trunk or Treat 🎃

FCPS Calendar Change: Eid-al-Fitr

FCPS will mark the beginning of Eid al-Fitr with an evening-only observance day on Monday, March 8. There will be school on this day, but major school-sponsored events and activities (such as auditions or tryouts) will not take place. 

Tuesday, March 9, will be a holiday for students and staff. 

Wednesday, March 10, will be an observance day. There will be school on this day, but certain activities that cannot be made up (major tests, field trips, or mandatory events) will not take place on this day. 

A new school year calendar has been published, which includes this change. Please note that holidays and observances on the calendar may shift due to anticipated lunar sightings. 

Safe Routes to School Family Survey

As part of the Fairfax County School Board’s Annual School-Based Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Assessment, the FCPS Office of Safety and Security and Safe Routes to School program are inviting parents and caregivers to share their experiences traveling to and from school.

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 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

Registration is not required, but it helps with planning. 

Input on Middle School AAP Centers

FCPS is exploring a plan to offer Full-Time Advanced Academic Program (AAP) services at every middle school. Under the proposal, students who qualify could attend their neighborhood middle school and take advanced classes with other AAP students. The School Board has approved community engagement at Franklin, Hayfield, Holmes, Key, and Whitman middle schools, where programs could open for the 2027-28 school year. The proposal is still under consideration, and the School Board is expected to make a decision in December.

Each community meeting offers in-person and virtual participation. Upcoming meetings are scheduled for:

• Holmes Middle: Thursday, October 15, at 6 p.m.
• Whitman Middle: Thursday, October 22, at 6 p.m.

Current middle school students will remain at their assigned AAP centers through middle school. Learn more and find meeting sign-up forms on the Middle School AAP Centers page.

Immunization Events for Students

FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will be providing school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students, ages 18 and under, with no out-of-pocket costs. Multiple events will take place at designated FCPS locations. 

Additional dates will be made available throughout the school year. Parents or guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary. Additional immunization resources are available.

Special Education 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.

Volunteer FCPS Update

💗 Register Today With Volunteer FCPS

Volunteer FCPS allows individuals to search and register for volunteer opportunities. It helps ensure a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment here at London Towne. All volunteers must:

• Create a profile in Volunteer FCPS. 
• Register for opportunities through Volunteer FCPS. 
• Sign in and out of schools using the visitor kiosk.  

At the Volunteer FCPS site, you can complete a volunteer orientation. Visit the Volunteer FCPS Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

2026-27 Early Release Wednesdays

FCPS will continue with limited early release Wednesdays for elementary schools during the 2026-27 school year. The number has been reduced from eight to four days. 

Early release Wednesdays provide elementary 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. 

Our school’s early release Wednesdays: 

• October 21

• December 2

• February 10

• May 5

Visit the FCPS website for more information about early release Wednesdays, including the list of early release dates.

October is National School Principals Month!  We love our school principals, Ms. Zamora, Ms. Banford, and Ms. Moore!

Monday, October 12, is a student holiday and school planning day for Indigenous Peoples' Day. See the complete school year calendar.

Attending school regularly helps students feel better about school — and themselves. See our tips on how to encourage positive school attendance in elementary school. 

6100 Stone Road, Centreville, Virginia 20120  |  Office: 703-227-5400

Attendance: (703)-227-5454 |  Web | Instagram