Ravens' Nest 1/30/26

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Upcoming Events

Feb 13 Spelling Bee Final Round

Feb 16 No School - Presidents' Day

Feb 17 No School - Teacher Workday

Feb 18 3-Hour Early Release - 12:20 pm

Feb 20 PTA Fun Friday - Coding Night

Link to 2025-2026 School Year Calendar 2025-26 FCPS School Year Calendar

Principal’s Message to Families

Dear Ravensworth Family,

We hope everyone in the Ravensworth community has been safe and warm this week as schools closed due to winter weather. A sincere thank you to our custodial team for their incredible work clearing roads and sidewalks in preparation for the safe return of students and staff. Their commitment to our school community makes a difference every day, and we are truly grateful for all they do.

A friendly reminder that all student devices and chargers brought home last Friday must be returned on our next school day. Thanks for your help making sure students have access to these important instructional tools during the school day.

As we plan for Monday’s arrival and dismissal, please be aware that snow plowing/removal on Nutting Dr. has created the narrowing of Nutting Dr. in front of our school. If you are planning on driving your child to school, please remember to drop off and/or pick up your child through our Kiss and Ride Loop to ensure the safety of all our students, families, and staff. No students should be dropped off in front of or walk across Nutting Dr.

In order to increase the efficiency during arrival and dismissal times starting Monday, February 2^nd, traffic will be one way on Nutting in front of the school. Please refer to the map below:

All of us here at Ravensworth ES are so excited to see all our students back in the building on Monday morning.

Warmly,

Shannon Mueck

Principal

Kindergarten Registration: It's as Easy as 1-2-3...

There’s an easy five-step process for parents wanting to register their child for kindergarten:

Determine eligibility.
Identify your local school.
Gather documents.
Fill out forms.
Schedule an appointment.

After the appointment at the school (the student and one caregiver must be present), the student will be ready for orientation or any other introductory events our school may host. Read more about the registration process. For more information, please call our [student information assistant/registrar] at [phone number].

Try Online Registration Parents may register their children online for kindergarten through 12th grade. Learn how to begin the online registration process. When registering, parents will create or log in to an existing SIS Parent VUE account.

The Bee is Back!

We are so excited to share that The Spelling Bee is returning to Ravensworth Elementary School! Thank you to Mr. Ryan Posey, one of our proud Ravensworth Dads, who has spearheaded this initiative for all our students!

The Ravensworth ES Spelling Bee winner will have the opportunity to go on to the countywide bee, which is the qualifier for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Our annual School Spelling Bee is fast approaching. The final oral competition will take place on February 13, 2025, during one of our school assemblies.

How to Participate: To select the finalists for the oral bee, a written qualifying test will be administered in class to students in grades 3 to 6 during the first week of February.

Start Studying Now: Study lists and preparation materials have been posted on Schoology. We encourage all students to log in and start reviewing the words today!

Questions? If you have any questions about the bee or the selection process or you are interested in volunteering to support the event, please contact parent volunteer bee coordinator Ryan Posey at ryanposey@gmail.com or Shannon Mueck at smmueck@fcps.edu. Happy spelling!

End-of-Quarter

Due to the recent loss of instructional days, the final day of the second quarter has been moved to Tuesday, February 3.

Teachers may continue second-quarter assessments through February 3 and will share any specific changes with students and families through Schoology. Students in semester courses will continue attending first semester classes through February 3. See Dr. Reid’s letter to the community about the end-of-quarter adjustments.

See the complete school year calendar.

Adding Spanish Dual Language Immersion to Kindergarten for School Year 2026-27 & RES will continue with our Spanish Dual Language Immersion Lottery for First Grade as well!

School Year 2026-2027 Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program Information:

All rising kindergarten and first grade students who live in Fairfax County may enter a lottery to participate in Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs. In DLI programs, students are learning elementary content in two languages with students spending half of the day learning in either language. English Language Arts and Social Studies are taught in English. Math, Science, Health, and Target Language Arts are taught in another language. FCPS offers DLI programs in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish. Online lottery application begins on January 12 (8:30 a.m.). A SIS account is required to complete the application. If a student is not currently enrolled in FCPS, registration at the base school is required. FCPS does not provide transportation for students who live outside the attendance area of the DLI school. A one-time fee of $100 must be paid upon acceptance of an out-of-boundary placement (see Notice 5922).

For additional registration information, please visit: https://www.fcps.edu/registration/dual-language-immersion-programs-registration

Weather Closings

Winter weather is here, and snow is in the forecast! Watch this video to see how weather closing decisions are made at FCPS.

FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible, including email, text, social media, the new FCPS mobile app, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.

Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange emergency child care if needed.

Winter Resources for Families

A list of resources has been compiled for students and families in case they or someone they know needs assistance while schools are closed for winter weather. Please visit FCPS’ winter resources page for information on academic support, mental health support, and county resources related to food, clothing, housing, and other needs.

Even If School Is Closed, Learning Can Continue!

We encourage students to take advantage of fun learning opportunities during snow or inclement weather days. Consider these winter activities to blend education and play at home.

⛄ Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities

We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories that may prevent children from being outside. Recess is essential for our students’ well-being and academic success. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. View the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.

If you need assistance getting cold-weather clothing for your family, please call Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health.

Emergency Response Buttons: Enhancing Safety and Security for Staff and Students

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.

Ravensworth Chess Club – Spring Registration is Open!

Registration for the spring semester of the Ravensworth Chess Club is now open! Families can register online at https://chessctr.org/ravensworth/. The cost is $130 for the semester and includes a Chess Club T-shirt and snacks at each meeting.

The club is open to students in grades 2–6 who want to learn how to play chess or improve their skills. Meetings are held on Tuesdays from February 3–June 2, 2026, from 3:30–5:00 PM in the school cafeteria. Chess Club will not meet on days when school is closed or there is an early release.

New registrations will be accepted through February 24; after this date, registration will close. New spring students may withdraw and receive a full refund up to that date. After February 24, refunds will be prorated and subject to transaction fees.