VES Newsletter - October 23, 2026

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 10/23/2026 10:29 AM EDT
red to black gradient background with the words "VES NEWS YOU CHOOSE" in white letters and viking helmet resting on the "V", school logo in the corner

Upcoming Calendar Events

Calendar check-in, VES family! 📅 As we dive deeper into autumn, here are a few important dates, student holidays, and early releases to keep on your radar:

😶‍🌫️Friday, October 30th – Book Character Day: Dress up as your favorite book character and bring your favorite stories to life! Please no masks. 


🎉 Friday, October 30: End of First Quarter! 2-Hour Early Release at 1:30 PM.

✏️ Monday, Nov 2 & Tuesday, Nov 3: No school for students (Planning Day & Teacher Workday).

📸 Thursday, Nov 5: Fall Picture Makeup Day (More info below) 

⏰ Upcoming Early Release Wednesdays (12:30 PM dismissal): November 18, January 13, and April 7.

🍂 Wednesday, November 25th - Friday, November 27th - Thanksgiving Break

 FCPS calendar

picture of Mrs. Condra and Mrs. Burnett, two females in professional attire with red banner background and the words "A Message from Admin"

We have just one week left in the first quarter! Let’s finish strong as we celebrate the learning and growth our students have made so far this year. Be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to sign up for parent-teacher conferences to connect with your child’s teacher, celebrate successes, and discuss goals for continued growth.

October is Disability History and Awareness Month in Virginia. At Vienna Elementary, we celebrate the strengths and contributions of individuals with disabilities and are committed to fostering a school community where everyone feels valued, included, and supported. We believe every student deserves equal opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive!

Finally, we hope to see many of our families at the PTA Fall Festival and Bingo this evening! Thank you to our wonderful PTA and volunteers for creating opportunities for our community to come together and make lasting memories.

Jennifer Condra & Amber Burnett

AUTHOR VISITS

2 boys smiling with pink flower with a red and black gradient background with ‘Author Visits’ in white writing

Two authors will be visiting VES in November and December!  

Photo of Stuart Gibbs

New York Times Best-Selling Author of five series for middle-grade readers (including Spy School, Fun Jungle and Moon Base Alpha), Stuart Gibbs, will be visiting VES on Monday, November 9th. He will be giving presentations to 1st-6th grades. Books for signing can be pre-ordered through Bards Alley at fcps.click/VESauthorvisit 

Kindergarteners will have author Leah Moser give an engaging presentation on her book, I Am a Thundercloud. Leah will be visiting Ms. Gutowski’s class on Tuesday, December 1st and Mrs. Clark’s class on Thursday, December 3rd. Her book can also be purchased through Bards Alley at fcps.click/VESauthorvisit

 Photo of Leah Moser

CLOSING SOON: OPPORTUNITY FOR RECOGNITION

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✨ Don’t miss your chance to nominate our outstanding Viking employees for the 2026 -2027 school year! ✨

🏆Families are invited to nominate:

  • Outstanding Teacher
  • Outstanding New Teacher
  • Outstanding New Principal
  • Outstanding Professional Staff Leader
  • Outstanding Educational Services Employee
  • Outstanding Operational Services Employee

🗓️DEADLINE: Friday, October 30th, 2026.

📝SUBMISSIONS: Click here to submit your nomination!

❤️🤍Thank you for supporting our outstanding Vienna Elementary Staff!

PLAYGROUND UPDATE

Girl smiling with red and black gradient background with white text ‘New playground slide coming’

Our playground slide is currently out of order and has been safely blocked off with caution tape. A replacement slide has been ordered, and we anticipate installation within the next 6–8 weeks. Thank you for your patience as we work to restore this favorite playground feature!

FALL PICTURE MAKEUP DAY

Boy smiling with red and black gradient background with white text ‘Fall Picture Makeup day’

Picture Makeup day is Thursday November 5, 2026

Friendly Reminders -

  • No purchase is necessary to retake photos! If a package was purchased, students MUST return their original photo package to the photographer to receive a new package.
  • Any student may retake their photo for use in the Yearbook. Their new photo will automatically replace the original photo in the Yearbook.

IMPACT AID SURVEY

Girl smiling with red and black gradient background with white text ‘impact aid’

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 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 5. 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.

SUPERINTENDENT COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS

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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:

Registration is not required, but it helps with planning.Â