Stenwood Hive Happenings

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Hive Happenings Newsletter

We hope that you are enjoying this Fall weather and finding ways to enjoy this lovely change of season. Our Stingers were busy in and out of the Hive this week!

As we shared this last evening in a separate email, we are excited to share that Stenwood is recognized as Distinguished under Virginia’s School Performance and Support Framework (SPSF) for the second year in a row.

On Wednesday, we had amazing weather for one of our biggest Walk & Roll to School Days ever! We were so excited to see how many of our students powered themselves to school, while also following safety guidelines.

Safe Routes to School has also provided a Storybook Walk called Scary Gary and the Super Sock around our Kiss n Ride loop. Take some time to take a walk around the Kiss n Ride loop when you get a chance and enjoy a fun story of a squirrel’s curiosity and perseverance.

Today we had quite a lot going on to wrap up the week. Our 1^st grade classes invited their families in for fun Fall Centers. Mr. Zirkle's class visited the Hirshhorn Art Museum; the rest of our 6^th graders will go next week. We also had our AAP Full-Time Services Information Session; please find more information below.

Remember that Monday, October 12^th is a Teacher Workday, and a Student Holiday for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. We will see everyone back in the Hive on Tuesday, October 13^th!

Below we have some additional information:

Storybook Pumpkin Parade - NEW
Lost and Found - NEW
Advanced Academic Programs - Updated
Thanksgiving Lunch - Reminder
Equity Committee looking for Parents - Reminder
Holidays and Observations Drawing Contest - Reminder
Raptor Visitor Management System - Reminder
Fall Picture Day! - Reminder
FCPS: Literacy Webinar Series - NEW
FCPS: Celebrating the Power of School Lunches - NEW
FCPS: Calendar Change: Eid al-Fitr - Reminder
FCPS: Safe Routes to School Parent and Caregiver Survey - Final Reminder
FCPS: Learn About Applied Behavior Analysis and Teaching New Skills at Home - Reminder
FCPS: FCPS Seeks Community Input on Middle School AAP Centers - Reminder
FCPS: Superintendent Community Conversations - Updated Reminder
Family Information Phone Lines - Reminder
School Meals and Free/Reduced Lunch Applications
Stenwood PTA

Erica Riley, Principal esriley@fcps.edu

Bryan Case, Assistant Principal bgcase@fcps.edu

Storybook Pumpkin Parade

Get ready for a little storybook magic! Our Storybook Pumpkin Parade is coming to the library on October 19^th. We can’t wait to see the creative pumpkins inspired by students’ favorite book characters displayed throughout the library—what a fun way to celebrate books, imagination, and fall! Please bring your pumpkins to the library starting on Monday, October 19^th! More information was sent home in your student’s take home folder today!

Lost and Found

As the weather grows colder and you send your student to school in layers, please remember to label those jackets, sweatshirts, and hats. And also remind your students to bring them home. Our lost and found is only so big and we want to keep it from overflowing!

Advanced Academic Programs

Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction. A continuum of Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) services is available to students in Grades K to 12 and is designed to match services to each student’s unique academic needs.

Identification for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP services occurs throughout the school year. Full-Time AAP services have two identification cycles:

Fall identification: Students in grades 3 to 7 who have enrolled in FCPS since January may be referred by October 15^th.
Spring identification: Any FCPS student in Grades 2 to 7 may be referred by December 15^th.

FCPS uses ability testing as one consideration in the holistic identification process for AAP services:

All students in Grade 2 take the Naglieri General Ability Test (NGAT).
Students in Grades 3 to 6 who do not have a multi-domain ability test score take the NGAT.

Families are invited to attend two AAP information meetings led by Kaleigh Hartman, our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART):

AAP Continuum of Services: Here is the recording:

Full-Time AAP Identification: Here is the recording:

Twice Exceptional Students

Fairfax County Public Schools is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction. Twice-Exceptional (2e) learners are students who are gifted and have learning challenges or disabilities.

Families can learn more about 2e learners, how to support them, and how to partner with schools on the 2e webpage, which also includes a link to the Special Education Handbook.

New information has been added under the heading Supporting 2e Learners in FCPS.

For more information, please contact Kaleigh Hartman, AART, at kkhartman@fcps.edu or visit the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs webpage.

Thanksgiving Lunch

On Thursday, November 19^th, all students are invited to have their families come join them for a Thanksgiving Lunch.

Please RSVP by Friday, 10/23 using this link. You will find the schedule for all classes on the google form. Mrs. Schmid, our cafeteria manager, needs to place her food order.

If you would like to volunteer, please sign up using this link. Volunteers will be helping with visitor check-in and meal serving. Do not sign up during your child’s lunch block. Please also do not plan to have younger siblings with you if you are volunteering.

Equity Team

Each year we invite parents to join our Stenwood Equity Team which is made up of staff from each grade level and content area. We have had 3-5 parents on our team for the last couple of years and we want to make sure new families have the opportunity to join! We meet at 8:10am once per month on Thursdays. During the meetings, we focus on ways to promote equitable teaching practices and affirm identities and backgrounds of our diverse community. It's important to have insight and perspectives representative of our community. If you are interested in joining us, please email Heather Ogun at hogun@fcps.edu.

Holidays and Observations Drawing Contest

Our Equity Team is hosting an ongoing drawing contest to celebrate all the holidays and observations throughout the year.

Submission Details: We will collect submissions on the 1^st of each month for holidays occurring the following month. For instance, since Lunar New Year is in February in 2026, drawings for it would be due by January 1^st (but the 4^th since we are on Winter Break). You're welcome to turn in your artwork early—just drop it in the box in the office!

What Happens Next? The winning drawing will be featured in our newsletter and on our social media. All other submissions will be proudly displayed in our hallways for everyone to enjoy!

Missing a Holiday? If your family celebrates a holiday or observance that isn't on our list, please feel free to include it!

Ready to Draw? You can pick up a template paper for the contest in your classroom or the office, and it is posted on our website for easy access. We can’t wait to see the incredible artwork from our Stenwood artists!

Sign Up for the Raptor App

We encourage all families to download and register on the Raptor App. Raptor is the visitor management system FCPS adopted midyear last year. If you have already registered, you do not need to register again. Family members who are not registered on the app will need to present a valid ID each time they visit Stenwood.

To strengthen campus security, FCPS has disabled the "I Don’t Have An ID" option on all Raptor kiosks. All visitors without a valid ID must report directly to the front office staff. The system allows staff to manually enter visitor details once; however, visitors will not be permitted to enter the building on any subsequent visits without a valid ID.

THE SYSTEM CANNOT ACCEPT PHOTOS OR DIGITAL PICTURES OF IDENTIFICATION; A PHYSICAL, ORIGINAL ID IS REQUIRED.

If you need assistance registering for the Raptor App, please contact the front office at 703-208-7600.

Fall Picture Day!

School Picture Day is Coming Soon!

Date: Monday, October 19^th, 2026

Pre-order Online: https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001417001

Images Available: Approximately two - three weeks after picture day

Ordering Questions?: www.vosphoto.com/contact-us

Literacy Webinar Series

Join Fairfax County Public Schools for a series of family-friendly webinars designed to help you understand reading assessments, reading plans, and ways to support your child at home. Learn what assessment results mean, how reading plans guide instruction, and practical strategies to strengthen decoding, language, comprehension, and literacy skills—including support for multilingual learners. Gain the knowledge and confidence to partner with your child’s school and support reading growth at home.

October 20^th, 10 a.m.- Understanding Reading Assessments and Your Child
December 15^th, 10 a.m.- What is a Reading Plan?
February 19^th, 10 a.m.- How Do I Support My Child With a Reading Plan at Home?
May 14^th, 10 a.m.- Continuing Reading Success Through the Summer

Register here- https://forms.gle/JEYjp1T3SyK8qhh26

Celebrating the Power of School Lunches

Multiple studies show that school lunches are important in supporting overall student health by improving students’ diets and combating food insecurity. Students who eat school lunches consume more fruit, vegetables, and fiber than their peers.

This National School Lunch Week, FCPS Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) reminds families that they are dedicated to providing delicious, healthy, sustainable, and student-focused meals. New menu items have been launched this year based on student feedback.

Want to know what’s for breakfast or lunch? View the Nutrition Services menus.

Calendar Change: Eid al-Fitr

FCPS will mark the beginning of Eid al-Fitr with an evening-only observance day on Monday, March 8^th. There will be school on this day, but major school-sponsored events and activities (such as auditions or tryouts) will not take place.

Tuesday, March 9^th, will be a holiday for students and staff.

Wednesday, March 10^th, will be an observance day. There will be school on this day, but certain activities that cannot be made up (major tests, field trips, or mandatory events) will not take place.

A new school year calendar has been published, which includes this change. Please note that holidays and observances on the calendar may shift due to anticipated lunar sightings.

Safe Routes to School Parent and Caregiver Survey - Final Reminder

As part of the Fairfax County School Board’s Annual School-Based Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Assessment, the FCPS Office of Safety and Security and Safe Routes to School program are inviting parents and caregivers to share their experiences traveling to and from school.

The Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Survey asks about walking and biking routes, traffic near schools, kiss and ride experiences, accessibility, and other safety concerns.

Your feedback will help FCPS identify common issues. Your responses will be kept confidential and shared with school administrators and the Office of Safety and Security. The five-minute survey is open through Thursday, October 15^th.

Be sure to identify the school related to your feedback and include specific locations where you have observed a safety issue. If you have students at different schools in FCPS, please complete a different survey for each school.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact SafeRoutestoSchool@fcps.edu.

Learn About Applied Behavior Analysis and Teaching New Skills at Home

All family members and caregivers are invited to attend monthly Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Family Training to learn how to support and teach students with autism and related disorders. No registration is needed.

Virtual trainings take place at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Join the session. Upcoming topics include:

Autism and ABA Overview on Wednesday, October 14^th. (It is highly recommended that you attend this session before any future sessions.)
Prioritizing Skills to Teach at Home on Wednesday, November 18^th.
Toilet Training on Wednesday, December 9^th.
Managing Challenging Behaviors at Home on Wednesday, January 13^th.
Communication: a Foundation for Independence on Wednesday, February 10^th.

Visit the ABA webpage for a full list of classes. Need an interpreter? Contact Stephanie Watkins two weeks before the training at 571-423-4110 or sawatkins@fcps.edu.

FCPS Seeks Community Input on Middle School AAP Centers

FCPS is exploring a plan to offer Full-Time Advanced Academic Program (AAP) services at every middle school. Under the proposal, students who qualify could attend their neighborhood middle school and take advanced classes with other AAP students. The School Board has approved community engagement at Franklin, Hayfield, Holmes, Key, and Whitman middle schools, where programs could open for the 2027-28 school year. The proposal is still under consideration, and the School Board is expected to make a decision in December.

Each community meeting offers in-person and virtual participation. Upcoming meetings are scheduled for:

Holmes Middle: Thursday, October 15^th, at 6 p.m.
Whitman Middle: Thursday, October 22^th, at 6 p.m.

Current middle school students will remain at their assigned AAP centers through middle school. Learn more and find meeting sign-up forms on the Middle School AAP Centers page.

Superintendent Community Conversations

Join us for a series of Community Conversatio