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Dear Hybla Families,
As we move through this successful first quarter, I want to encourage you to take a few moments each day to ask your child a simple, yet incredibly powerful question: "What are you reading at school?"
The reading your child is doing in their classroom and during dedicated reading time is laying the foundation for all future academic success. By simply showing interest, you create a vital bridge between our work here at school and the learning environment at home.
The Power of Reading at Home
Encouraging reading in the home environment is the single greatest thing you can do to support your child's education. When students read regularly outside of school, they:
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Expand their Vocabulary: Exposure to new words enhances communication skills.
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Build Background Knowledge: Reading widely helps them understand the world around them.
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Strengthen Comprehension: They become better at grasping complex ideas.
These skills are directly linked to success in all subject areas and, critically, to high opportunities at the secondary level (middle and high school). Strong literacy skills are the key that unlocks advanced courses, successful completion of challenging curriculum, and future college and career readiness.
Please join us in fostering a lifelong love of reading. Whether it's reading a picture book together, letting them read to you, or simply seeing you read your own book, your involvement makes all the difference.
Thank you for your partnership.
Warmly,
Kathleen Sain
Federal Impact Aid Survey
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will participate in the SY 2025-26 Federal Impact Aid Survey to identify federally connected students.
The Federal Government owns property in Fairfax County, and those properties are removed from the local tax base. FCPS is eligible to apply for Federal Impact Aid funds as reimbursement for the lost tax revenue. Federally connected students are children of active-duty uniformed services personnel, children who live on federal property or in subsidized federal housing, and children whose parents are employed on eligible federal properties.\
Families will have access to the Federal Impact Aid Survey in electronic format beginning October 21st via ParentVUE. Beginning November 12th, families who have not yet completed the online survey will receive a paper form sent home with their student.
FCPS recommends using Google Chrome to complete the survey in ParentVUE on your phone or computer to complete the survey. Because mobile devices vary, FCPS may be unable to provide support for completing the survey in the SIS ParentVUE mobile app.
Starting October 21st, you can find the directions to complete this on ParentVUE here: https://www.fcps.edu/impact
Mrs. Neilsen's 3rd grade class really enjoyed showing off their school spirit by wearing their coziest pajamas on Wednesday, October 15th.
On September 29th, Hybla Valley students were treated to a special presentation by Camille Fallen. Camille is working on a capstone project that involves her visiting elementary schools and speaking with students about Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the U.S. Supreme Court’s First Latina Justice. When Camille was seven years old, she learned how Justice Sotomayor rose from her humble beginnings and became a judge. This knowledge served Camille well and set her on a path towards amazing academic success. She's now passing that knowledge to other students. What a wonderful way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month!
What time is your student going home? 1:05 PM or 4:05 PM. We need to know as soon as possible!
Students will be going home at the same time they went home on the October 15 early release day. If you need to change what time your child is leaving on November 19th, please call the Main Office at 703-718-7000 or send a Talking Point to your child's teacher.
As a reminder, the remaining three-hour early release dates are:
November 19
December 17
February 25
March 25
April 29
May 20
Do you want to attend and be a chaperone at your student's Field Trip this year? If yes, you must become a Level 2 volunteer!
Join us in making a positive impact in our community by volunteering with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). Whether you have a few hours or more, your time and talents can support our students' educational experiences. Opportunities range from tutoring and mentoring to assisting with school-sponsored events, field trips, PTA/PTO events, and activities. Become a part of our vibrant community and help shape the future by volunteering today!
New Volunteer Management System – Volunteer FCPS FCPS has launched a new system to help ensure student and staff safety. Effective immediately:
- If you plan to volunteer more than twice this school year, or chaperone multiple field trips, you must register in Volunteer FCPS.
- The process involves multiple steps and cannot be completed last minute, so we encourage you to start early.
Volunteer Levels
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Level 1 – One-Time or Infrequent Volunteers (less than 3 times/year; does not include field trips)
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Level 2 – Frequent Volunteers (more than twice/year or any field trip chaperone) – Requires background check and/or fingerprinting. Multiple fingerprinting locations are available. All field trip chaperones are Level 2, even if it’s your only volunteer activity.
How to Register as a Volunteer
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Review FCPS Volunteer Guidelines – All volunteers must read the FCPS Volunteer Protocols before getting started.
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Register in the FCPS Volunteer Portal
- Select “Schools”
- Search for Hybla Valley ES
- Sign up for available opportunities (You can register as a general volunteer to start).
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Choose Your Volunteer Level (NEW) – If you might volunteer at a higher level later, we recommend registering as Level 2 now.
All volunteers (new or returning) must:
- Register in Volunteer FCPS
- Complete volunteer orientation
- Sign in through the visitor kiosk at each visit
- Complete a background check if required
For full details, visit the Volunteer FCPS website or contact our Volunteer Point of Contact, Jennifer Portu, with questions. Jennifer Portu, our Counselor can be reached at jlportu@fcps.edu. Our Family Liaisons, Esmeralda Servin and Beatriz Cueva can also assist with the volunteer sign-up process. If you need assistance registering in FCPS Volunteer, please call the Main Office at Hybla Valley Elementary (703-718-7000) and set up an appointment with Mrs. Servin or Ms. Cueva.
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