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SARATOGA CONNECTION
August 27, 2026
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Principals’ Corner
Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year! We are off to an incredible start, and the energy throughout our building this past week has been vibrant, warm, and inspiring.
Prior to day one, our team grounded ourselves in high-quality instructional practices and proactive behavior support systems. Our commitment is ensuring every single classroom is safe, inclusive, engaging, and centered on active student thinking from the moment the morning bell rings.
First-Week Highlights
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Mastering Routines: Visiting classrooms and shared learning spaces across the building, we have watched students quickly master daily procedures. This strong foundation creates a predictable, structured environment where every child feels secure and ready to thrive.
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Living Our Values: Students are already putting Saratoga's core expectations into action—demonstrating what it looks and sounds like to be Safe, Caring, and Community-minded in every setting throughout the school day.
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Joyful Connections: The absolute highlight of our week has been watching students joyfully reconnect with returning friends and welcome new classmates into our community.
Welcoming Ms. Angela Nortey
We are thrilled to introduce Angela Nortey, our new Family Liaison, whose first day with us was August 26! Ms. Nortey is looking forward to meeting each of you and collaborating closely with our families. We are incredibly fortunate to welcome her warmth and expertise to our team.
Save the Date: Back to School Night
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When: September 9 | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
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What to Expect: Hear directly from your child's teacher about daily routines, curriculum goals for the year, and how home-school communication will work.
Keep an eye out for additional details in next week's update. Thank you for your partnership—we are looking forward to an extraordinary year ahead together!
Be the Change,
Abby Ragan Abby Lower Jordan Perry
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
Student ID Cards for Saratoga Bus Riders
We will begin distributing student ID cards to all our students who ride the school bus or use FCPS transportation services.
Student ID cards are ready for bus riders who registered prior to July 2, 2026. You can choose one of two options to receive your child's card:
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Parent Pick-Up (Tuesday, September 1): Pick up the card in the Saratoga lobby between 9:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Please remember to bring a photo ID.
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Sent Home with Student (Tuesday, September 1): Cards will be distributed in classrooms beginning at 12:00 p.m.. Teachers will attach the ID card to your child’s backpack using a clear plastic holder and tag, and send a lanyard home in their bag.
Registered after July 2, 2026?
We are waiting on additional printing materials to process these cards and will distribute them as soon as they are ready.
Students who have student ID cards should begin tapping as they board and exit the bus. Only students who use FCPS transportation services will be provided with a student ID card at this time.
We ask for your patience! Bus drivers will begin checking in students next week and may need some extra time at each bus stop while they do this. The transportation team is working hard to minimize any potential delays.
Learn more about the bus navigation and student ID cards.
Help Your Child Navigate the Lunch Line
Check out some tips to help your child get through the lunch line quickly and have more time to eat:
- Teach your child their student ID number to receive meals at school.
- Sign up for and add money to MySchoolBucks to purchase meals at school.
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Apply for free and reduced-price meals. Students who were approved for free and reduced-price meals last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should submit a new application as soon as possible, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.
If your child has any food allergies, learn how to submit accommodations for dietary restrictions and allergens.
Access menus for breakfast, lunch, and other school meals, as well as allergen and nutrition information.
You Can Manage Student Web Access at Home
At Saratoga, we acknowledge that parents are our students' first and most important teachers. Parents now have greater control over their child’s FCPS-issued device outside of school hours through Lightspeed Parent Portal.
In addition to monitoring weekly internet activity, parents can now also customize web access at home on FCPS devices through Lightspeed using Schedules and Web Rules.
With Schedules, you can set tailored times to automatically pause or restrict internet access. This makes it easier to enforce rules around homework time, family dinners, weekends, or bedtime.
In Web Rules, you can create Custom Block Lists to block specific, individual websites they do not want your child accessing at home. This allows parents greater control over what is happening online, under their own roof.
These new custom controls take effect at home, outside of school hours, and when the device is off the FCPS network. They will not override standard district filtering policies during the instructional day.
Customize Your Lightspeed Settings
All parents should be receiving weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report emails. To set up these new features, click the “Log in or Register” button at the bottom of your weekly Lightspeed Online Student Activity Report email.
Visit the FCPS Lightspeed Parent Portal Guide for more information. If you have additional questions, submit a Parent Technology Support Ticket.
Parents are encouraged to discuss internet boundaries with their children so that they can understand the reasoning behind any limits and the differences between access at home and at school. Get tips on talking to your children about technology safety.
Stay Connected
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