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Upcoming Keene Mill Events
Monday, October 12-Indigenous Peoples' Day-No School for Students
Tuesday, October 13-School Picture Day
Thursday, October 29-PTA Bingo Night
Friday, October 30-End of First Quarter; 2-hour early release
Monday and Tuesday, November 2-3-Student Holidays
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Message from the Principal
Greetings Keene Mill Families,
For the last 3 weeks, I have been visiting and reading a story in every single classroom. It has been a joy and the highlight of my day to do a short reading lesson in classrooms and to get to know each of our wonderful students. They have been insightful in learning about the author’s message. I appreciate how warm and welcoming everyone has been in the Keene Mill community.
A friendly reminder that students do not have school on Monday as we observe Indigenous People’s Day. I hope you enjoy a long, restful weekend.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership and dedication to making Keene Mill such a wonderful place to learn and grow.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Cathy Wood
Keene Mill ES Principal
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 School Picture Day is Coming!
📅 Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
📸 Pictures Available: Approximately two weeks after photo day
🛒 Pre-order Online: https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001416961
📧 Questions about Ordering? www.vosphoto.com/contact-us
Family Life Education Instructional Program Information
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) provides a comprehensive, sequential Family Life Education (FLE) program for students in grades kindergarten through grade twelve. Instruction is seen as a partnership among parents and guardians, the school, and the community in supporting the learning essential to the development of strong families, positive relationships, and a healthy community.
Parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of all or part of the Family Life Education program. Students who are opted out are provided with age-appropriate, nonpunitive alternative health instruction, and every effort is made to foster respect for family choices. If you would like to opt your child out of one or more lessons, please complete the opt-out form available in Parent Digital Consent (PDC) at https://www.fcps.edu/family-resources/technology/digital-resources/consent/directions. Paper opt-out forms are available from your child’s school. Students receiving special education services and accessing modified curriculum will receive a printed opt-out form for modified FLE lessons.
Detailed grade-level program descriptions are available online at Elementary (K-6) , Middle School (7-8) , and High School (9-12). FLE grade level-specific lessons and media that FCPS has streaming rights for are available for parents online in Schoology. Parents/guardians login to Schoology using the same username and password as their Student Information System (SIS) Parent account. Grade level-specific lessons are also available at the City of Fairfax Regional Library (this location does not have media). Grade level-specific lessons and media that is not streamed online are available for review at your child’s school library. Due to copyright permissions, we are unable to stream all media online.
Program questions may be sent to Maggie Gawen, magawen@fcps.edu, FLE Admin at Keene Mill, or by contacting Instructional Services at 571-423-4550 or by email to fle@fcps.edu.
SEL Screener Participation Social and Emotional Learning Screening
FCPS is committed to supporting all students’ mental wellness and social and emotional learning. FCPS approved a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener that students use to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop skills they need to succeed. These skills include achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships with adults and peers, and making responsible decisions. Students also share how successful their school and community are at making them feel valued, included, and supported. These factors are critical to positive academic, social, and emotional success.
All students in grades 3-12 have the opportunity to participate in the screener twice a year, in the fall and spring. The SEL Screener elevates the voices of our students by making sure their perspectives are considered in decision-making. Screener data is used to plan programming for the division, schools, and individual students. Division and school level results, which do not include individual student information, may be used by staff to improve SEL and mental wellness practices and to inform strategic plans. Division and school level results may also be shared with the community to describe the needs of our student body and provide opportunities for partnership.
Individual students’ Screener data will only be accessible to teachers, administrators, and staff with legitimate educational interests. Results will be maintained in secure files and databases accessible only to these individuals. In partnership with families, staff review this data alongside other information to plan interventions for students with identified needs. Parents and guardians will receive an individualized report regarding their student’s screener results following each assessment window. School staff are available to discuss results with families.
You can opt out your child from participating in the SEL Screener by completing the form emailed to families on Wednesday, October 7th. The opt
out applies to the current school year and must be completed annually.
For more information about the SEL Screener and access to its contents visit https://www.fcps.edu/student-tests-and-assessments/student-assessment-details/social-emotional-screener.
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.
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.
Boundary Study Community Meeting on October 14
Fairfax County Public Schools is holding a final community meeting related to the boundary study for Rolling Valley Elementary School student planning area (SPA) 8922 middle and high school feeders, and Keene Mill Elementary School attendance island and surrounding schools (e.g., Cardinal Forest and White Oaks elementary schools).
Based on community engagement and feedback on the revised draft scenarios shared in September, FCPS staff is recommending to the superintendent that no changes be made to the Rolling Valley Elementary School boundary.
A final community meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 14, from 6 to 7 p.m., at Cardinal Forest Elementary School. FCPS staff will provide an update on the Keene Mill, Cardinal Forest, and White Oaks portion of the boundary study and gather community feedback. Please register to attend by clicking in person or virtual, based on how you would like to participate.
Learn more about the Rolling Valley Elementary School Middle and High School Feeders, and Keene Mill Elementary School Attendance Island and Surrounding Schools Boundary Study.
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:
Thursday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m., at North Springfield Elementary School
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.
 Screen on the Green will be held on the turf field at West Springfield High School.
Quick Links
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