RVES News and Notes - October 23


October 23

News and Notes!

Rolling Valley Families,

Thank you to everyone who helped make our Fun Fair and Haunted House such an amazing and memorable event! We are grateful to the families, staff, and volunteers who shared their time and energy to create such a fun experience for our Rolling Valley community. Thank you PTA! It was wonderful to see everyone come together and enjoy this special tradition.

As the weather changes and we welcome the cooler days of fall, our school has stayed busy with a full and exciting week. We ended the week with a fun Spooky Color Day activity organized by our Student Council Association (SCA). Students enjoyed joining in the festive spirit and adding a little extra color and fun to the school day.

We have many more activities coming up as we finish October and head into November. Please take a moment to check the newsletter for important dates, events, and reminders so you can plan ahead and join us when you can. Our next big PTA event is the Pyramid Challenge, and we look forward to sharing more about it soon!

We hope you have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the beautiful fall weather.

Veronica Del Bagno

Principal, Rolling Valley Elementary School


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Students engaging in small group and math work, following directions to learn new strategic games in PE, practicing fine motor, tasks, choosing new REaderes Choice boos in library, enjoying the beautiful weather, and sharing out information about change. 

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2026-2027 Haunted House & Fun Fair


Save the Dates

Friday, October 30th: Book Character Day

Friday, October 30th: End of Quarter 1 - 2:00 PM Dismissal

Monday, November 2nd: No School - School Planning Day

Tuesday, November 3rd: No School - Teacher Workday

Monday, November 9th - AAP Information Night - 5:30 RVES Library

Saturday, November 14th - Pyramid Challenge - 10 AM - 12 PM - Irving Middle School Field

Wednesday, November 18th - Early Release Wednesday - 1 PM dismissal


FCPS 26-27 School Calendar

Mark your calendars:

RVESn

Rolling Valley

PICTURES ARE ONLINE NOW!

 

The team at Victor O’Neill Studios would like to thank Rolling Valley for a great picture day!

We are reaching out to inform you that student images are now online. 

 

Any student who has not had a chance to order, it’s not too late!

Please visit: vosphoto.com/underclass

use your student ID when prompted for the online code.

For questions regarding school pictures please email: underclass@vosphoto.com

 

Thank you!


WSHS Trunk or Treat

The West Springfield SGA is inviting you to the Trunk or Treat and Screen on the Green on October 24th from 5-7pm, hosted in the lower lot of West Springfield High School! This is a community event open to all ages where children can trick or treat in a controlled environment: going from trunk-to-trunk instead of door-to-door. Many West Springfield communities will be involved, including local clubs, businesses, and food trucks. We will also be hosting Screen on the Green directly after Trunk or Treat, from 7-8pm. It will be a showing of a kids friendly Halloween short on the turf field. These events will be a lot of fun and we hope to see you there!

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Advanced Academics Programs Identification & Screening Info. Night

Monday, November 9

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Pyramid Challenge!

The Pyramid Challenge is a free fun run with the goal of making fitness fun while also fostering school spirit amongst the 7 elementary schools of the West Springfield Pyramid.

The event will take place on Saturday, November 14th from 10am -12:00pm at Irving Middle School.

This year’s event will also include a unified heat - an accessible 200-meter course for students with physical or cognitive disabilities! 

If you have any questions, please reach out to Gabe Gawen at gtgawen@fcps.edu or Joanna McDonald at jlmcdonald1@fcps.edu. Hope to see you there!

https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/Springfield/WestSpringfieldPyramidChallenge


We are continuing to collect recyclables for STEAM projects:

 

We’re continuing to collect recyclable materials and craft supplies for upcoming STEAM projects! We welcome:

  • clean plastic containers
  • egg cartons
  • paper towel rolls
  • small cardboard and shoe boxes
  • unwanted craft supplies such as felt
  • pipe cleaners
  • googly eyes
  • ribbon, and fabric scraps.

Donations can be placed in the STEAM collection box in the front lobby. Thank you for supporting our students’ creativity and learning!


Twice Exceptional Students

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

 

New information, including printable flyers, has been added under the heading Supporting 2e Learners in FCPS. 

 

For more information, please contact Rolling Valley ES at 703-923-2700.


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. 


Attention FCPS Families!

The Federal Impact Aid Survey is now available to complete online. 

The Federal Impact Aid program provides money to districts that enroll federally connected students. Help FCPS secure funding from the Impact Aid Program by helping us identify: 

  • Military families.
  • Federally connected families.
  • Families living on a military base.

Please complete one form for each child in your household. Remember that only the parent that registered the student with FCPS (the ‘enrolling parent’) can fill out the online Impact Aid Survey form. 

For families without access to ParentVUE, a paper copy of the form will be sent home with your student starting November 6. Your information will be kept strictly confidential.

Your support will ensure that we receive the resources for which we are eligible.

To access the Impact Aid Form from your computer or mobile device, we recommend using Google Chrome.

Step 1: Type sisparent.fcps.edu into your Chrome address bar to be taken to SIS ParentVUE. If you don’t have a SIS ParentVUE account, contact your child’s school for an activation letter. 

Step 2: After you’ve logged into your ParentVue Account, look for the ‘Online Registration’ link at the top of the page. Click ‘Online Registration’.

Step 3: Next, click the ‘Federal Impact Aid Survey’ button on the bottom of the page. This will take you to the Impact Aid Survey for you to complete.

If you have multiple children in Fairfax County Public Schools, please fill out a form for each child. You will know you have completed all of the forms when you get to the final page and see a green check next to each of their names.


Share Your 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 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:

Registration is not required, but it helps with planning. 


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Rolling Valley is going Paperless for Report Cards!

Please download the new ParentVUE App before December 1st. It is called ParentVUE (New) in your phone’s and has a purple icon.

 

For more information on how to navigate the ParentVUE (New) App please visit the FCPS.edu website. https://www.fcps.edu/services/technology/tools/sis-parentvue/sis-parentvue-mobile-app


Early Release Wednesdays

2026-2027

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. 

Please view the dates for our school’s Early Release Wednesdays below:

  • November 18
  • January 13

  • April 7

Visit the FCPS website for more information about Early Release Wednesdays.


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PTA NEWS

THANK YOU! The Rolling Valley Haunted House and Fun Fair was a huge success! A BIG THANK YOU to all of our volunteers, RVES administrators and staff, as well as everyone who attended.

 

HAUNTED HOUSE/FUN FAIR FEEDBACK: We would love to hear your feedback on the event so that we can keep improving it. Please complete this brief survey to share your thoughts (all answers are anonymous) and reach out to ptarollingvalley@gmail.com with any questions. Thank you! CLICK HERE

 

PYRAMID CHALLENGE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! We need volunteers at the Pyramid Challenge on Saturday, November 15 - please click on the sign-up to help us out! Note that you can still watch your kid(s) run if you volunteer. Sign-up here: CLICK HERE

 

RVES ROOM PARENTS: Please consider joining Rolling Valley Room Parents! Whether you'd like to volunteer as a Room Parent, or simply sign-up to receive updates from your Room Parent, ALL ARE WELCOME! Each classroom teacher is excited to welcome a parent volunteer who will help serve as their liaison to families, plan events, coordinate field trip volunteers, provide assistance for the classroom, and so much more! Opt-in/out here: CLICK HERE

 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

   

Monday, October 26 - Friday, October 30; All Day; Chick-fil-A Burke Spirit Week:  Head to Chick-fil-A in Burke (5815 Burke Centre Pkwy) for breakfast, lunch or dinner, then mention Rolling Valley Elementary School's PTA fundraiser and 15% of sales will be donated! Mobile Order Code: Rolling26.

 

Monday, November 9; 5:00-8:00pm; 6th Grade "Run the Diner" Fundraiser @ Silver Diner: Dine in or get takeout at Silver Diner (next to Springfield Mall) and 20% of proceeds will go to the RVES 6th grade celebration! Also, our 6th graders will be helping as servers, hosts and more! Be sure to mention the fundraiser when you pay.

 

Saturday, November 14; 10:00am-12:00pm; West Springfield Pyramid Challenge Fun Run @ Washington Irving Middle School: The West Springfield Pyramid Challenge is a FREE fun run that was started over a decade ago. Students from the 7 elementary schools in the West Springfield Pyramid will run a half-mile or one-mile course, depending on their grade level. This event also includes a unified heat with an accessible 200-meter course for students with physical and cognitive disabilities. If you are interested in volunteering, volunteer opportunities for adults can be found here: CLICK HERE

 

Sunday, December 20; 1:00pm; Atlanta Falcons v. Washington Commanders @ Northwest Stadium: RVES has once again partnered with the Washington Commanders to participate in their program- KIDS IN COMMAND! Families will receive discounted tickets, an on-field photo, and exclusive group seating, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the RVES PTA! Don't miss out on this exclusive offer to see the Washington Commanders play the Atlanta Falcons. Event pricing as low as $75 (+fees). Purchase your tickets today using this link (CODE: KIC)! CLICK HERE

 

SEPTA (FAIRFAX COUNTY SPECIAL EDUCATION PTA): SEPTA is a PTA organization affiliated with the state and national PTA but specifically established to address the unique needs of special education, special needs, and disabled students and families. Please click here for more information and details about upcoming events: CLICK HERE

 

SEPTA Mini-Grants are open now, the deadline is October 30th! FCPS staff need to be SEPTA members to apply! 

 

Feel free to contact the RVES PTA at ptarollingvalley@gmail.com with any questions or comments! 


Annual Special Education Family Conference: Call for Presenters and Exhibitors

FCPS is excited to host the Annual Special Education Family Conference on Saturday, November 14, 2026, 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at Hayfield Secondary School, 7630 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA 22315. This year's 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. 

Call for Exhibitors: Showcase Your Program or Resource!

FCPS programs and community partners are invited to host a table in the Exhibitor Hall and connect our families by sharing valuable services, programs, and resources.

Register to be an exhibitor by Friday, October 30, 2026. 

Need more information?

Visit the Special Education Family Conference webpage for the latest information

Email the Steering Committee at specialedfamilyconf@fcps.edu. 


Rolling Valley ES School Families,

Our future Spartans at Rolling Valley are just a short step away from West Springfield High School, where many will compete in Flag Football, Soccer, Lacrosse, Field Hockey, and Football. We’re launching the Spartan Surge to build Turf Field #2 at WSHS! With a $250,000 grant secured from the NFL Foundation and Washington Commanders (read the official feature on Yahoo Sports), we are raising $150,000 by October 31 to complete the project.

  • The $30 Challenge: If every family asks 5 family members, neighbors, or friends to donate $30, we hit our goal!
  • Why It Matters: Eliminates deteriorating field conditions, keeps students on campus, and creates a safe playing surface for our rising Irving athletes.
  • Support Irving: Donate $30 on GoFundMe and leave "Rolling Valley ES" in the comment box so we can feature Irving on our SportsYou leaderboard!

Learn more at our Spartan Surge Hub or read the grant coverage on Yahoo Sports.

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