Bee Hive: January 16, 2026

2025-26 FCPS School Calendar

  • January 19: Holiday | Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday
  • January 19: Religious and Cultural Observance | Orthodox Epiphany
  • January 28: End of 2nd Quarter - 2-hr Early Release
  • January 29: Student Holiday (Staff Development Day for Staff)
  • January 30: Student Holiday (Teacher Workday for Staff)

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The Hive
newsReflections from the Hive

Message from Principal Vereb 

Reflections from the Hive: A Week of Progress and Partnership

It has been an incredibly productive week for our busy Bees! From refining our instructional strategies to strengthening the bonds with our community and planning for our future, our staff and students have been moving full speed ahead. Here is a look at the highlights from this week.

Deep Dives into Learning: Stinger Time

This week, our leadership team—including our administration and literacy coach—conducted focused walkthroughs of Stinger Time across all grade levels.

  • The Focus: We observed our dedicated remediation and extension blocks in action.

  • The Goal: By analyzing how we tailor instruction during this time, we ensure that every student receives the exact support or challenge they need to thrive. Seeing our students engage in targeted, small-group learning is a testament to the hard work of our educators.

Planning for the Future

Our hive is always growing and evolving, and this week featured two major milestones for our students and our facility:

  • Rising 7th Grade Course Selection: We were thrilled to host our current 6th graders and their families for Course Selection Night. It is an exciting (and slightly bittersweet!) time as we help our oldest Bees prepare for their transition to middle school. Special thanks to Mrs. Simpkins-Church (Herndon MS DSS), Mrs. Baxter (AP), and Ms. Bryant (Counselor) for joining me on Wednesday evening.

  • Modernization Update: I met with Carey Architecture and Shockey Construction for our monthly progress meeting. We are officially preparing for our next phase of growth; our specialists will begin moving into the new trailers at the end of the month to make way for our campus improvements.

Supporting Every Learner

In preparation for the upcoming WIDA testing in a few short weeks, our team has been working hand-in-hand with the ESOL Department and Mr. Christian Lanzaro. We are committed to ensuring our multilingual learners have the tools, environment, and support they need to demonstrate their incredible growth in English language proficiency.

Strengthening Community Roots

Our community partnerships remain the backbone of Herndon Elementary. Last Sunday, Mrs. Holliday (Assistant Principal), Ms. Bryant (Counselor), and I had the pleasure of visiting Trinity Presbyterian Church.

It was a wonderful opportunity to:

  • Renew our formal partnership for the coming year.

  • Provide a high-level update on the modernization of our school building.

  • Express our gratitude for their unwavering support of our students and staff.

I am incredibly proud of the balance we struck this week—maintaining a sharp focus on academic excellence while meticulously planning for the future of our school and our students.

With Our Bees in Mind,

Dr. Monika Vereb

Herndon Elementary Principal