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Fairfax County Public Schools 2025-2026 Standard School Year Calendar
Powell Puma Families,
Thank you for the incredible way our community came together this week to support a safe return to school. We are deeply grateful to the families who took time to shovel sidewalks near and around bus stops and to those who contacted the school to let us know where additional support was needed. Your communication and collective effort made a meaningful difference in ensuring our students could arrive safely each day.
Last week was National School Counseling Week. While snow and icy conditions impacted our ability to highlight this important work, we will be spending this week celebrating and appreciating our school counselors. Often, they are the first people to respond when a student is in need of additional support, and their work supporting students’ academic, social, and emotional growth is essential to our school community. We are deeply grateful for the care, responsiveness, and dedication they bring to our students and families each day.
Families are invited to join in this appreciation by encouraging their child to write letters or notes of thanks to our counselors, Ms. Anna Bang and Ms. Rachel Lindholm. These messages mean so much to them and are a wonderful way for students to express their gratitude.
As we head into the weekend, temperatures are expected to remain very cold. Please take care, stay warm, and continue to prioritize safety. We look forward to welcoming everyone back next week.
Wishing you a safe and restful weekend.
Catherine Han
Principal
Tired of all the cold weather? Let’s warm up with a little school spirit across the division!
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid is encouraging all FCPS students, teachers, and staff to shake the wrinkles out of their brightest outfits and tropical wear to help brighten everyone’s moods on Thursday, February 19.
From February 18 to March 19, students who are fasting during the day can take school meals home. These kits include one breakfast and one lunch to be eaten after the school day ends.
Families must fill out a request form each week for every student who wants a kit. The first deadline is Wednesday, February 11, for the week of February 16. Please note other important details below:
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Cost: Meals are charged just like a normal school day.
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Pickup: Students must grab their kits at the end of the school day.
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Menu: Kits include school meals that are easy to heat at home.
Visit the Food and Nutrition webpage for forms, deadlines, and other information. Please contact the Office of Food and Nutrition Services with any questions at FCPSFNS@fcps.edu or 703-813-4800.
Our Student Council voted to raise money to support Alex’s Lemonade Stand, a non-profit focused on supporting children and families fighting childhood cancers and working to find a cure. Alex’s Lemonade Stand was founded in 2000 by a 4 year old named Alex, who was diagnosed with cancer before her 1st birthday. While she lost her battle at the age of 8, her family was determined to support others in the same fight. 26 years later, their non-profit has funded over 1,500 research grants working towards a cure and supported thousands of families in their fight against cancer.
Each classroom at Colin Powell will join them in their fight this year, and work together in a friendly competition to raise money towards our $6,000 school goal. Your child’s classroom will also be coming up with incentives to help make the fundraiser more fun. Every student will receive an individual collection box for coins and bills in their Tuesday folder. Please encourage them to fundraise safely: do extra chores around the house, look beneath those couch cushions for extra change, ask a family member or friend, or even sell some lemonade (or shovel snow, depending on the weather) in your neighborhood. It is amazing how powerful it is to show students that they are capable of making a difference every day in even a small way!
For more information about Alex’s Lemonade Stand and to donate online, follow the link sent by your child’s teacher to their classroom page, or click on this link: https://www.alexslemonade.org/2025/colin-powell-pumas-change-childhood-cancer
The fundraiser ends on Friday, February 20th. Let’s see how much of a difference we Pumas can make together, and show kids fighting cancer they are not alone! Questions? Please reach out to Ms. Senturia at lesenturia@fcps.edu
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.
Please remind your student that cell phones and personal devices (AirPods, earbuds, headsets, other items connected to the internet) must be off and away for the entire school day (bell to bell). Cell phones are also not permitted to be used as an instructional tool.
FCPS’ cell phone policy helps students stay focused, safe, and engaged at school. Visit FCPS’ cell phone policy webpage for more information and answers to frequently asked questions, including consequences for cell phone policy violations and exceptions for students with medical conditions or IEP/504 plans.
If you need to contact your student during the school day, please call our front office at 571-522-6000.
Kindergarten helps children learn and practice the social, emotional, problem-solving, and self-regulation skills they will use throughout their lives.
Fairfax County public schools typically conduct kindergarten registration events, including orientation, in the spring. Eligible children can be registered throughout the summer, but registering your child early helps schools prepare and ensure they have the teachers and resources needed on the first day of school.
If your child will attend our school, please gather necessary documents and complete registration forms as soon as possible.
FCPS offers support and resources for all families to help with registration and the transition to kindergarten. For support in other languages, please visit the FCPS Registration webpage.
Parent Project Class in Spanish to the Centreville High School community, which begins on February 26th at 6 PM.
This program is designed for families with children/teens between the ages of 10 and 18 years old, with more details about the program in the flyer below.
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- How to Get Weather Updates ASAP
- Celebrating Students and Staff
- Kindergarten Open Houses
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