Stenwood Hive Happenings

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Hive Happenings Newsletter

Hello Stenwood Families,

We had another wonderful week in the Hive! Our vocalists performed three times this week, delighting audiences at every turn. They kicked things off at the Marshall Pyramid Concert, followed by a fantastic performance at our Stenwood concert last night. This morning, our entire student body had the pleasure of hearing our amazing singers! Thank you to Mrs. Weingast and our Stingers for all their hard work.

Yesterday was especially busy! Our 6^th graders showed off their hard work and practice during their Reader’s Theatre performances—we definitely have some future actors and actresses in our midst! Meanwhile, our 3^rd graders headed downtown to explore the Natural History Museum. A big thank you to all of our parent chaperones for making that trip possible.

While we still have half of the school year left, we are already planning for next year! We are sending home two forms today:

The Student Intention Form: This helps us understand your plans for next year. While not binding, it helps us anticipate our staffing needs.
The Rising Kindergarten Form: Please see below for more information regarding both forms.

As a reminder, school will be closed this Monday in honor of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

Below you will find information about the following items:

Next Year’s Intention Form/Rising Kindergarten Information - NEW
Community Peers Preschool Program - Reminder
Coming Soon - New Visitor Management System- Raptor Safe - Reminder
Bell Schedule Reminders for Walkers/Kiss N Ride - Reminder
Early Pick Up Reminders - Reminder
School Lunch - Reminder
Original, Makeup, & Retake Pictures Are Now Online! - Reminder
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - NEW
Orthodox Epiphany - NEW
Dual Language Immersion - Reminder
FCPS Budget - Stay Informed - Updated
Holidays and Observations Drawing Contest - Reminder
School Meals and Free/Reduced Lunch Applications - Reminder
Stenwood PTA - Reminder

Sincerely,

Erica Riley, Principal
esriley@fcps.edu

Bryan Case, Assistant Principal
bgcase@fcps.edu

Next Year’s Intention Forms/Rising Kindergarten Information

Today, students brought home a Student Intention Form. We are asking families to fill out this form for each child to help us plan for adequate staffing next year. If you need an extra copy please reach out to the office at 703-208-7600.

If you have a child who will turn five on or before September 30^th, 2026, please return the blue form or fill out the Rising Kindergartner form. We have Kindergarten Orientation coming up on April 29^th from 9:15 - 10:00am. If you have any neighbors that have children that turn 5 on or before September 30^th, please let them know to reach out to Ms. Michelle Burke, mpburke@fcps.edu as soon as possible so we can ensure they have all the information they need.

Community Peers Preschool Program

Stenwood has a community peers preschool program. This program provides opportunities for our students to participate in integration activities with typically developing peers. The program is designed to teach preschoolers with delays and without delays in the same classroom. It can provide young children with a more stimulating environment, teach skills for coping with different situations, and provide the opportunity to learn appropriate social skills.

Our program will invite a limited number of community preschoolers (2 per class), who are ages 3.5 (by September 30^th) to 5 years, to participate in our daily preschool activities.

The children from the community will have the opportunity to make new friends and share experiences with current early childhood special education students. Our students will, in turn, benefit from being with community peers who can model appropriate language, motor, and social skills.

All children learn through their play. Intellectual growth occurs in a social context, influenced strongly by the quality of social interactions. The goal of this program is to encourage active learning and promote social interaction and acceptance through shared experiences between the community children and our preschoolers with special needs. Bus transportation cannot be provided for the community peers. Feel free to contact us for further explanation of our program.

If you are interested in having your child considered for this opportunity, please complete the Community Peers Preschool Program Interest and Information Form by Friday, February 27^th. Stenwood will host a playdate for interested students in late March/early April. If you know of anyone who may be interested and does not receive the Stenwood Hive Happenings, feel free to forward them this information.

Coming Soon - New Visitor Management System - Raptor Safe

FCPS will soon be rolling out Raptor Safe, our new visitor management system. This will be the standard way to sign in at all FCPS schools.

The new system allows you to preregister via the Raptor Safe app, saving you valuable time when checking in for school visits or events! We strongly encourage all family members to download the app and complete their registration today, it will only take a couple of minutes to complete the process!

We will continue to use our current Visitor Management System until we let you know that we have made the official transition.

Registration Options:

Via the App: Search "Raptor Safe" in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. You can also visit raptortech.com/raptorsafe-app/ for direct links.
In Person: If you are unable to register ahead of time, you can still complete the process at the school kiosk. Please ensure you have a valid photo ID with you to check in.

Bell Schedule Reminders

We have been noticing an uptick of late drop-offs at Kiss N Ride in the morning. All students need to be dropped off by 8:38 to be in class on time by the late bell at 8:40. Kiss N Ride closes at 8:38. Students will be marked tardy if they are not dropped off before 8:38. If you see the patrols heading to class - you are late. Kiss N Ride opens at 8:20. If students arrive after 8:38 they will be marked as tardy by the front office.

Early Pick Up Reminders

If a child must leave early for a medical or dental appointment, parents are requested to send an email in advance to StenwoodElem.Attendance@fcps.edu and the classroom teacher and must sign the child out in the office at the appropriate time. To protect instructional time, students will not be called to the office until a parent arrives at school to pick them up. Please allow sufficient time for your child to get to the office in order for you to arrive on time to your scheduled appointment.

School Lunch Reminders

Our amazing kitchen manager has noticed lots of students who have negative balances on their account, please make sure you are checking the account balance on www.myschoolbucks.com. You can also write a check to Stenwood Food Services and deliver it to our Food Services Manager and send it in. All students will be served lunch and breakfast regardless of a negative balance. Students with a negative balance are unable to purchase extra items.

If your family is experiencing financial hardship and need support, please reach out to our counselors, Tammy Berick tsberick@fcps.edu, Anna Keomalavong, amkeomalavon@fcps.edu, our Social Worker Kara Enright, kmenright@fcps.edu, or our Family Liaison Barbara Gusinsky bgusinsky@fcps.edu. There is information for applying for Free/Reduced Lunch below.

Original, Makeup, & Retake Images from Stenwood Elementary School Are Now Online!

Order yours today at vosphoto.com/underclass!

Use your student ID when prompted for the online code.

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

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

On Monday, we honor and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dedication to equality and serving others.

Orthodox Epiphany

A joyous Orthodox Epiphany to those in our community who celebrate! In the Orthodox church, Epiphany celebrates the baptism of Jesus rather than the arrival of the Three Kings

Apply for Your Child to Learn in Two Languages

FCPS’ 2026-27 Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program lottery opens on Monday, January 12^th. The program offers students in kindergarten and first grade the opportunity to learn in English and another language — French, German, Japanese, Korean, or Spanish — for half of each instructional day.

The online, countywide lottery is open to Fairfax County residents. Families must have a SIS ParentVUE account. Students not currently enrolled in FCPS should register at their base school before applying for the immersion program.

Families applying for first grade must do so by Thursday, February 12^th, at 4 p.m. Those applying for kindergarten must do so by Monday, March 2^nd, at 4 p.m.

Informational meetings will begin in January. View dates and details on the FCPS calendar. If you have questions, please contact Brigid Williams at 571-423-4600.

Follow Our Budget Process

Encourage your neighbors, friends, and community members to follow the FCPS budget process and look for opportunities to share your ideas about funding public education. Key decision dates and engagement opportunities are coming up in the next few weeks:

Thursday, January 22^nd, Dr. Reid will present the proposed budget to the School Board.

Holidays and Observations Drawing Contest

Our Equity Team is hosting an ongoing drawing contest to celebrate all the holidays and observations throughout the year.

Submission Details: For the first half of the year, we will collect submissions on the 1st of each month for holidays occurring the following month. For instance, since Lunar New Year is in February in 2026, drawings for it would be due by January 1st (but the 5th since we are on Winter Break). You're welcome to turn in your artwork early—just drop it in the box in the office!

What Happens Next? The winning drawing will be featured in our newsletter and on our social media. All other submissions will be proudly displayed in our hallways for everyone to enjoy!

Missing a Holiday? If your family celebrates a holiday or observance that isn't on our list, please feel free to include it!

Ready to Draw? You can pick up a template paper for the contest in your classroom or the office, and it is posted on our website for easy access. We can’t wait to see the incredible artwork from our Stenwood artists!

School Meals and Free/ Reduced Lunch Applications

Breakfast and Lunch

Breakfast will be $1.75. Lunch will be $3.25, milk $1.00. Money can be added to your child(ren)’s accounts using www.myschoolbucks.com. You can also write a check to Stenwood Food Services and deliver it to our Food Services Manager at Open House. During the school year, you can find the menu for breakfast and lunch at https://linqconnect.com/public/menu/ESSF44 (these menus do not appear to be available yet).

Free and Reduced-Price Status

Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals will continue to receive these benefits through the end of September. A new application must be filled out each new school year and forms are available online now: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/food-and-nutrition-programs/free-and-reduced-price-meals. Applications are accepted at any time, but we encourage you to apply or renew your application before the end of September. Call (703) 813-4800 if you need help. This must be completed for eligible students to receive free meals.