Note from Dr. Sheers

As we head into the final few weeks of school, we want to thank our students, families, and staff for the incredible progress we have made together this year. Our chronic absenteeism rate has decreased by 4.8% from last year, and we are currently at 3.4%. This is something to celebrate!

These last weeks are filled with important learning, end-of-year activities, celebrations, and opportunities for students to stay connected and successful.

We encourage all families to continue prioritizing daily attendance, arriving on time, and keeping students engaged through the last day of school. Together, we can continue building positive habits and strong outcomes for every student.

Thank you for your partnership and support.

School-Wide Picnic - Join us!

Join us for our School-wide Picnic: Friday, May 29 at 11:30

News and Notes

Staffing Adjustments

As the school year comes to a close, we are faced with one of the more difficult parts of this season, staffing. Due to projected enrollment numbers being lower than our current enrollment, staffing adjustments were made through the HR process based on district staffing guidelines and seniority.

Please join us in thanking and saying goodbye to several incredible Mustang staff members who have made a lasting impact on our school community: Kindergarten teacher Jessica Cochrane, First Grade teacher Katie Denisar, STEAM teacher Mary McLaren-Wood, and Instructional Assistants Meghan Fort, Katarina Wassel and Ember Taylor.

We are deeply grateful for their dedication, care, and contributions to our students and school community. Please join us in wishing them all the very best at their new schools.

Summer Laptops

This summer, students are able to check out an FCPS laptop/tablet for home use. This opportunity ensures every student has continued access to personalized learning tools - like Benchmark Universe and ST Math. By having their device available during the summer, students can:

Continue learning initiated during the school year.
Access high-quality, personalized educational resources.
Build important digital literacy and responsibility skills.
Practice routines that support their growth as learners.

What You Need to Know

Students are not required to check out a device for the summer. If you wish your student to have a device for the summer, please complete the google form to the school no later than Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Summer checkout devices will be ready for pick up the following week.

The device should be used for assigned learning activities only. FCPS firewall and internet content filtering will be active on all devices during the summer. Access to games and gaming sites on FCPS devices is prohibited.

We encourage you to:

Set clear expectations about when and how the device is used at home.
Explore our Media Balance and Well-Being Toolkit for Families for strategies in managing technology.
Talk with your child about healthy technology habits.
Use Lightspeed parent tools to monitor use at home and pause access to the internet during non-school hours.

Student/Parent Responsibilities:

Student are expected to adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy and other FCPS policies and procedures applied to technology during the summer.
Devices are to be used for learning only. Access to games and gaming sites on FCPS devices is prohibited.
Students are responsible for the proper care of the laptop and AC Adapter.
Any device returned to the school damaged or missing an AC Adapter, may require the parent to reimburse the school for replacing and/or repairing the device.
Parents must ensure the device is returned to the school no later than July 31, 2026.

International Use

Digital learning resources utilized during the school year remain accessible globally throughout the summer. However, for students traveling abroad, devices must be logged into the FCPS network prior to departure. This ensures the necessary credentials and security protocols are cached for remote use.

NOTE: Access to FCPS resources is prohibited in the following countries due to security protocols: Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine.

E-Bikes Safety Reminder

We are asking for families’ support in reinforcing safe e-bike use for all students. Recently, we have experienced several incidents involving excessive speed, unsafe riding, and misuse of e-bikes on and around campus.

All student bikers are expected to:

Dismount and walk bikes/e-bikes once on school property
Ride at safe and controlled speeds
Yield to pedestrians and avoid crowded walkways
Use e-bikes responsibly and respectfully

Student safety remains our top priority, and unsafe behavior may result in school consequences and loss of riding privileges. Please take time to review these expectations with your student, including middle and high school-aged riders.

Rising 5th and 6th Grade Safety Patrol Application

If your student is a rising 5th or 6th grader and interested in one of the 35 available patrol positions, please complete the Google Form to indicate their interest. After applications are received, Mr. Aleman will gather teacher recommendations to support the selection process. These recommendations typically reflect qualities important for Safety Patrol, such as responsibility, punctuality, attendance, behavior, leadership, and the ability to follow directions.

Students who apply but are not initially selected will be placed on a waiting list based on areas of need, such as walker or bus duties. If openings become available, families and students on the waiting list will be notified promptly.

Safety Patrol members are expected to arrive at school by 8:35 AM and be at their assigned post by 8:40 AM and remain through dismissal at 3:40 PM. If a student needs to leave early, they should notify a patrol captain or Mr. Aleman in advance so coverage can be arranged. Frequent absences, tardiness or missed duties may result in warnings, suspension, or removal from the program.

For questions or additional information, please contact Mr. Aleman.

Visiting our school anytime soon?
Avoid frustration and pre-register!

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

The new system allows you to pre-register 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!

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