A Message from our Administrators
Happy Tuesday Hunt Valley Families,
We hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed the spring like temperatures. This Saturday, many of our families participated in our annual Fun Run and Wellness Fair. It was great day and we enjoyed watching our students try yoga and taekwondo. We were excited to cheer for them as they crossed the finish line. We would like to extend our gratitude to Ms. Carr, our PTA, and our wellness leads, Ms. Huntley and Ms. Dunne, for organizing such a fantastic event.
This week is kindergarten color week. It is a time when we help our kindergarteners celebrate colors! Our students love to see other grade levels join in the fun.
In this edition of News You Choose you will find information about:
-upcoming dates
-Kindergarten Colors Week
-HVES Wellness Fair and Fun Run
-Early Release Wednesdays
-Bond Referendum
-K-12 School Start Times Survey
-Volunteering in FCPS--ACTION REQUIRED
-Cell Phone Policy
-Community Conversations with Dr. Reid
-Comprehensive Boundary Review
-SEL Screener Information
-Attendance
-Varsity Tutors
-Sign-up to eat lunch with your child
We hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend!
Sincerely,
Keieownna Hightower, Principal
Chrissy Gibbs, Assistant Principal
Eric Kopacz, Assistant Principal
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Mark Your Calendar
October 2--NO SCHOOL (Yom Kippur)
October 4--HVES Wellness Fair and Fun Run
October 13--NO SCHOOL for students, Indigenous Peoples' Day
October 20--NO SCHOOL (Diwali)
October 20-- 2 Hour Student Early Release
October 31--End of the Quarter/2 Hour Student Early Release
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Hearing and Vision Screening
This is a friendly reminder that our annual hearing and vision screenings for students will take place next week, starting on Date. We know this can sometimes sneak up on us!
Last year, a notice was sent out to inform parents of these screenings. If you have not yet received a similar notification for this year, please consider this message as notification of the upcoming screenings.
It is particularly important that all students who wear glasses bring them to school next week for their screening. Having their glasses will ensure the most accurate results for their vision check.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping us ensure the health and well-being of our students. If you have any questions, please contact the school clinic.
Clinic Team
Friendly reminder: Join Amazon this Saturday, September 27th, at Amazon's 2nd Headquarters in Arlington, VA. As part of our larger Community Day celebration at HQ2, we're launching our new Signature Program, The Think Big Experience - an innovative, family-friendly outdoor mini-STEM festival.
The Think Big Experience: Where Science and Imagination Collide
Step into an interactive outdoor STEM fair designed to ignite curiosity in minds of all ages. Highlights include:
- Hands-on robotics and engineering activities
- Immersive binary code experiences
- Live, jaw-dropping science experiments
- High-energy, interactive performances by The Science Guys
This mini-STEM festival brings science out of the lab and into the sunshine, sparking creativity and celebrating the power of STEM - all while being part of Amazon's larger Community Day festivities at HQ2.
Event Details:
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HVES Wellness Fair and Fun Run
Join us on Saturday, October 4th from 8:30am to 10:30am for our annual Wellness Fair and .5 and 1 mile Fun Run! All family members are welcome and encouraged to participate. Please RSVP here. Visit with vendors from the community in the gym, participate in yoga sessions on the stage, and enjoy sports-related activities on the field. A coffee truck and 6th grade baked goods donation drive will be available for extra fuel.
8:15am Race Bib Decoration
8:30am Stretching lead by HALO Fitness and Course Instructions
8:45am .5 Mile Run (3-6 first, then K-2)
9:05am 1 Mile Run (all grades)
9:15-10:30am Yoga, Sports Activities, and Vendor Stations
Entry is FREE. Instead of an entry fee, we ask that each family bring in one nonperishable food item to benefit ECHO. We hope to see you there!
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Early Release Wednesdays
⏰ Limited Early Release Days for Elementary Schools
Limited early release days for elementary schools will shift to Wednesdays for the 2025-26 school year.
Three-hour early release days for our school will include:
- October 29
- November 12
- December 10
- February 18
- March 18
- April 22
- May 13
Read more about the reasons for early release and the proposed early release dates.
Bond Referendum
To pay for large-scale construction and renovation work, Fairfax County sells bonds, which allows the county to pay for these projects over time — like a home mortgage. By maintaining its triple-A bond rating, Fairfax County bonds are purchased by institutional investors at very low rates, saving the county considerable amounts of money that might otherwise be paid in interest. The county estimates that the triple-A rating has saved taxpayers at least $1 billion in financing costs.
FCPS uses bonds to fund all of its capital improvement projects – the projects that are focused on the infrastructure of schools and facilities. From important renovations to new safety features like security vestibules, this work is paid for by bonds.
FCPS will have a bond referendum on the ballot this election day, Tuesday, November 4. Bonds can make a difference that represents an investment in public education now and in the future.
Read more about the FCPS 2025 Bond Referendum. And learn more about registering to vote and make a voting plan.
K-12 School Start Times Survey
FCPS is continuing to explore options for adjusting school start times, with the primary goal of starting the middle school day at 8 a.m. or later. In order to minimize any cost for this project, elementary and high school start times would need to shift as well.
Providing feedback opportunities for the community is a critical part of this effort. Since 2024, FCPS’ consultant has hosted five community forums and administered two surveys. That feedback helped in developing two options for adjusting school start times. The options are designed to support student well-being, align with research, and balance transportation logistics.
We invite you to provide input on the two options by taking a short survey. This voluntary survey will close on Tuesday, September 30. Visit the FCPS website for more information on adjusting school start times.
Ensuring Student Safety: Register for Volunteer FCPS
At Hunt Valley, our volunteers are a vital part of our school community. We deeply value the time and care they give to our students.
Recent updates to our volunteer process focus on one primary goal: keeping students safe.
These updates — such as checks against the sex offender registry and, in some cases, criminal background checks — are safety measures that will help us maintain a secure and supportive learning environment for every student in our care.
We encourage all our parents and community members interested in supporting our students by volunteering at school to visit Volunteer FCPS, click “Learn More,” and then “Sign Up.” After you create a profile, you will view an orientation video and complete a volunteer application.
Volunteer FCPS ensures a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. All volunteers must be registered in Volunteer FCPS. This includes individuals who volunteer to chaperone on field trips, work at book fairs, and help out regularly in classrooms, libraries, or cafeterias. Volunteers who work unsupervised with students will also be required to undergo a background check.
We understand these changes may seem disruptive, especially for long-time volunteers. Our intent is to ensure that our students feel safe and supported with each and every person they encounter at school.
As a reminder, all volunteers — and visitors to a school — are required to sign in by scanning their ID at our visitor kiosk. Visit the Volunteer FCPS Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more.
Cell Phones Off, Learning On
Thank you for helping to support the FCPS cell phone policy by waiting to call or text your child about non-urgent matters until the school day is over. In case of an emergency, it is always best to contact our school’s front office to reach your child during class time.
Visit the FCPS Cell Phone Policy webpage to read more about usage policies by grade level and to share your feedback on the current cell phone policy.
Join a Community Conversation with Superintendent Dr. Reid
Your voice matters, and Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid wants to hear from you! At FCPS, parents are partners, working with us to set our students up for long-term success at school and in life.
A series of Community Conversations will be held across the school division to discuss current challenges and future opportunities. These events are also a chance for you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Events are planned for the following dates:
- Monday, September 29, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., at McNair Upper Elementary School
- Friday, October 3, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Annandale Terrace Elementary School
- Friday, December 5, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Churchill Road Elementary School
- Tuesday, December 9, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Fairhill Elementary School
- Thursday, December 11, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., at Bull Run Elementary School
Registration links will be shared soon. Child care and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all.
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SEL Screener Parent Notification and Updates
The Fall Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener will be administered to students in grades 3 through 12 in October.
Students use the SEL Screener twice a year to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop skills they need to succeed. The screener works by asking questions or presenting statements that students can think about and respond to. This gives students a way to share how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families without a ParentVUE account. For more information including SEL Screener questions and opt-out information, please visit FCPS’ Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.
Every Day Counts: Setting Your Child Up for Success
September is Attendance Awareness Month. There are many ways parents and caregivers can help their children create healthy routines and make a habit of getting to school on time every day. Some examples include:
- Set a regular bedtime and morning routine. (Need help? Download this checklist in English or Spanish.)
- Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.
- If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, or other parents for advice on how to make them feel comfortable and excited about learning.
- Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.
- When possible, avoid medical appointments or extended trips when school is in session.
Visit the FCPS website for more attendance tips and resources. Attend today, achieve tomorrow!
Varsity Tutors
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