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Dear Mighty Red Bird Families,
Our PTA Soar to Success fundraiser is in its final stretch! A huge thank you to all our families, friends, and community members who have donated and shared. Your support helps the PTA provide resources and experiences that benefit our incredible school.
We have been especially proud of our students! They have been bringing their energy, curiosity, and best effort to the classroom every single day. Seeing their enthusiasm and progress reminds us what an incredible school community we have, and we can’t wait to see all they will accomplish together this year.
The excitement is building for this Friday’s big finale... our school-wide Field Day and the high-energy Glow Run! We encourage all students to wear comfortable shoes, bring their school spirit, and get ready for a fantastic day of fun, movement, and celebration.
As a reminder, there is no school for students on Monday, October 12. We hope you have a wonderful rest of your week and a great long weekend.
Warm Regards,
Mrs. Long, Mrs. Agner, Mrs. Compton
Upcoming Dates 📅
🗓️ October 8 - AAP Continuum of Services Meeting: 5:30pm (Zoom)
🗓️ October 12 - NO SCHOOL (Student Holiday)
🗓️ October 16 - Full-Time AAP Identification Process Meeting: 5:30 (library)
National Bullying Prevention Month
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. To help develop a common understanding of Bullying, below is the FCPS definition.
Bullying in Students Rights and Responsibilities is defined as: “Any aggressive and unwanted behavior that is intended to harm, intimidate, or humiliate the victim; involves a real or perceived power imbalance between the aggressor or aggressors and victim; and is repeated over time or causes severe emotional trauma. “Bullying” includes cyberbullying. “Bullying” does not include ordinary teasing, horseplay, argument, or peer conflict.”
For more information on how FCPS handles a bullying situation please visit the FCPS Bullying Prevention and Intervention webpage. Our goal is to ensure all students feel safe and welcome at school. If you have questions and/or concerns about something that is going on at school, please contact the front office so that they can support you and most importantly your student.
🌟Mrs. Long's Blueprint Byte
At the first Purple Star Club meeting of the year, military-connected students gathered to talk about Cardinal Forest and what it means to be a military connected child. Using the See, Think, Wonder strategy, they shared observations and questions about CFES while building connections with peers who understand their experiences as military connected children.
STEMFest
STEMFest, hosted by STEAMOLOGY, is a hands-on celebration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics designed especially for elementary and middle school students. Students will have opportunities to explore, experiment, build, discover, and engage with STEM through interactive activities. High school students can participate as volunteers, while organizations, vendors, and school clubs can showcase STEM-related activities and ideas.
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:
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Monday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m., at Spring Hill Elementary School
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Monday, October 26, at 6:30 p.m., at Beech Tree Elementary School
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Thursday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m., at North Springfield Elementary School
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Friday, November 13, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School
Registration is not required, but it helps with planning.
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.
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 Parent and Caregiver 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.
FCPS Seeks Community 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:
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Franklin Middle: Monday, October 5, at 6 p.m.
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Holmes Middle: Thursday, October 15, at 6 p.m.
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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.
Arrival and Dismissal - Be A Good Neighbor!
Please help us keep arrival and dismissal times safe and smooth for everyone. We ask families to be good neighbors and mindful of:
- Not blocking intersections or painted boxes during Kiss & Ride —this impacts visibility and also prohibits access for emergency vehicles.
- Crossing only in crosswalks and watching carefully for cars.
- Avoiding parking in residential areas, fire lanes, or private parking spaces.
- Refraining from making illegal U-turns.
- No pets are allowed on school property.
District News/In Case You Missed It (ICYMI)
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- College Prep Resources
- Life in the Community Fair
- Calendar Update: Eid al-Fitr
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
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