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January 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day- No School
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January 28: Last Day of the Quarter- Two Hour Early Release Dismissal 2:00 PM
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January 29 & 30: Student Holiday- No School
Fairfax County Public Schools 2025-2026 Standard School Year Calendar
Dear Puma Families-
We hope you and your family are enjoying a restful start to the new year! We want to share a few important updates and reminders for the week ahead.
No School on Monday – Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
Please note that there will be no school on Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. This day is an important time for reflection and learning, as we honor Dr. King’s legacy and his commitment to justice, equality, service, and peaceful change. At school, we encourage students to think about how they can show kindness, stand up for what is right, and help make our community a better place—values that Dr. King championed throughout his life.
Cold Weather Reminder
As temperatures continue to drop, please ensure your child comes to school dressed for the cold. Students should have warm jackets, coats, hats, and gloves each day, as we will continue to go outside for recess whenever weather permits. Labeling items with your child’s name is always helpful.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We look forward to welcoming students back after the long weekend!
Warm regards,
Catherine Han
Our Kiss & Ride procedures must operate efficiently and safely as we welcome over 100 vehicles each day. Beginning next week, the following expectations will be strictly enforced to prevent delays and ensure student safety.
At 8:55 a.m., students must exit vehicles immediately and line up at the entrance. Students may not remain in cars past this time.
School staff will begin directing students to exit vehicles promptly at 8:55 a.m. We have observed students remaining in cars until as late as 9:05 am., which causes the line to stop moving and creates unsafe traffic conditions. This cannot continue.
If your child has large equipment or materials, needs support exiting the vehicle, or has not finished eating breakfast, you must park and walk your child into the school. Kiss & Ride is for quick, independent unloading only. These steps are necessary to ensure the line continues moving and does not back up.
Safety patrols will hold clear signage indicating the unloading zone, and families are expected to unload students when directed. Drivers must pull forward fully, unload promptly, and exit the lot without delay.
Additional traffic signs will be posted to support smoother flow. All drivers are expected to follow staff directions at all times. Speeding, stopping outside the unloading zone, or waiting in the line after 8:55 a.m. will not be permitted.
After 9:15 AM, Kiss and Ride is closed. Families arriving after this time must park and walk their child into the building to sign in, as instruction is already underway.
These procedures are in place to keep students safe and learning on time. We appreciate your full cooperation and expect all families to follow these expectations moving forward.
Thank you for your partnership in ensuring a safe and efficient arrival for all.
Our yearly Parent Preview Night regarding FCPS' Family Life Education curriculum will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 21st at 5:30pm hosted by Caitlyn Yost, FLE lead and 4th grade teacher, and Hope Song, assistant principal. In preparation, parents are encouraged to preview the FLE materials/lessons before the meeting by logging into their Parent Schoology account and clicking on Powell as their "course". A link for the entire K-12 FLE curriculum is available. If you haven't set up your Parent Schoology account, you can do so by using the same ParentVue SIS account log in credentials. If you need to set up a ParentVue SIS account, please contact Regina Johnson, the registrar, in our school office.
You can view program descriptions here: FLE Program Description
Click this link to join the meeting at 5:30pm on Wednesday, Jan. 21st.
If you would like to opt-out your child in one or more lessons, you may access the opt out forms online which you would print-sign-send to school at https://www.fcps.edu/node/31710. Forms are also available at school.
For a distraction-free start to the New Year, please remind your student about FCPS' policy for cell phones and personal devices. This policy helps students focus, interact more with their peers and teachers, and build independent problem-solving skills.
Visit FCPS’ cell phone policy webpage for more information and answers to frequently asked questions, including:
- Exceptions for students with medical conditions or IEP/504 plans.
- Cell phone use on buses and field trips.
- Consequences for cell phone policy violations.
If you need to reach your student during the school day, please call our main office.
Bring the whole family out to the Colin Powell Cafeteria for a night of singing, community and family fun for a great cause! Our annual Student Council Association sponsored Karaoke Night will take place on Friday, February 6 from 5:30 to 8 pm. Admission is $5 per person for anyone 3 and older. Food, drinks, and snacks—including cheese pizza and Rita’s Ice—will all be available for purchase at the event. Come early to make sure you can sing your favorite songs on the CPES Main Stage. Please note, this event is cash only. All proceeds will benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand, which works to support children who are battling cancer and also work on research to fund treatments and possible cures for childhood cancer. If you have any middle of high school aged children who need community service hours, please have them reach out to Laura Senturia at lesenturia@fcps.edu to sign up to volunteer at the event.
Schoology is the learning management system used in FCPS. Parents and students can use Schoology to view assignments and messages from teachers. Learn more about how to access and navigate Schoology.
Visit the Schoology Snippets YouTube playlist to watch short tutorials that walk you through how to use Schoology.
Need help logging in or accessing Tech Support? Visit the Schoology for Parents page.
FCPS’ 2026-27 Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program lottery opens on Monday, January 12. 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, at 4 p.m. Those applying for kindergarten must do so by Monday, March 2, 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.
Do you have a 4th, 5th, or 6th grader that is interested in joining the theatre club? Registration is open now, and students will be practicing on Tuesdays & Wednesdays from 4:15 - 5:30pm. Please see below for the registration form.
 
Sleep is essential to good health, and getting enough sleep has big benefits to your physical and mental health and well-being. Sleep is restorative, allowing your body time to recover and repair.
This is true for your child, too. In fact, adequate sleep in children supports healthy brain development, learning, and memory consolidation, as well as their mood. And it is important for a strong immune system and the prevention of infections. Read about how much sleep a person needs and get some sleep strategies you can use with your family.
School safety and security are being enhanced across FCPS with a new emergency management system. The system includes sensors installed in schools and a wearable emergency response button (ERB) for staff.
The button allows staff to quickly and discreetly request help and, once pressed, they provide location information within the school. The ERB will only work on school grounds and does not rely on cellular service. It is not meant to replace calling 911, but is an additional safety tool that can be used if calling 911 may not be safe or practical.
Learn more about the emergency management system. You may submit questions to the FCPS Chief of Safety and Security Office.
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- The FCPS Budget Process
- Course Selection
- Language Immersion Lottery
Help your student succeed in school by encouraging them to miss as few days as possible. However, do make sure your student stays home if they are sick. Visit the FCPS website for helpful insights regarding absences and how to work with your child and our school to minimize impacts on learning.
If your child has a chronic illness, make sure to let us know so we can provide assistance, if needed.
Healthy Habits to Reduce the Spread of Flu and Other Germs
Fairfax County is seeing very high levels of influenza (flu) illness. Visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers for flu-like illness have increased, especially among children, and multiple flu outbreaks have occurred in our community and school settings.
Consider these tips from the Fairfax County Health Department to help reduce the spread of flu and other germs.
FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will provide school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students with no out-of-pocket costs. Multiple events will take place at designated FCPS locations. Additional dates will be available throughout the school year.
Parents or guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary. View immunization resources on the FCPS website.
FCPS’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) works to ensure every student has access to school meals that are safe, nutritious, and meet their individual dietary needs.
FNS works closely with families to provide reasonable meal accommodations for students whose medical needs affect what they can eat at school. To support students appropriately and safely, families are asked to submit medical documentation to FNS from a U.S. licensed health care provider so we can tailor meals to each child’s needs.
Learn more about the documentation required and the steps to develop a menu for your child.
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