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SAVE THE DATE - CULTURAL HERITAGE NIGHT!

Dear Fairhill Families,

Welcome back! It has been so wonderful to have our children back in the building—learning, smiling, laughing, and filling Fairhill with energy once again. Thank you for your patience and continued commitment to safety during arrival each morning. We truly appreciate your partnership.

Looking ahead, please save the date for one of our favorite Fairhill events of the year! Fairhill’s Cultural Heritage Night will take place on Friday, February 13th at 6:00 p.m.

For families who are new to Fairhill, this special evening is a celebration of our school’s wonderful diversity. The event includes three distinct and exciting parts:

• Each family brings a food item representing their culture or heritage to share
• A cultural display and learning portion
• The students’ favorite—the student fashion show!

We can’t wait to come together as a community and celebrate the many cultures that make Fairhill such a special place. We hope to see you there!

Warmly,

Ted and Maura

February February 4th - 6th Grade Field Trip to Fords Theatre                     (TBD by a delay) February 5th - PTA Meeting 6:30 pm February 13th - Cultural Heritage Night 6 pm - 8 pm February 16th - Washington's Birthday Student Holiday (No School) February 17th - Teacher Workday Student Holiday (No School) February 18th - Wednesday Early Release (3 hours)  Dismissal 1:05 pm February 23rd - 6th Grade Field Trip to Gallery of Art Museum February 27th - 6th Grade Panorama Group Picture February 27th - Classroom Group Picture March March 5th - Parent Coffee 9:30 am March 13th - Staff Basketball Game March 18th - Wednesday Early Release (3 hours)  Dismissal 1:05 pm March 27th - End of Third Quarter Early Release (2 hours)   Dismissal 2:05 pm  All Students Dismissed March 30th - April 3rd Spring Break (No School) April  April 6th - Teacher Workday Student Holiday (No School)

❄️ Outdoor Activities 

• Outdoor activities will not be held when the National Weather Service issues Extreme Cold and Wind Chill Advisories, Watches or Warnings.
• Wind Chill Advisory is issued by the NWS when the wind chill temperature is expected to fall between -5F and -20F.
• Wind Chill Warning is issued by the NWS when the Wind chill temperature is expected to fall to or below -20 F (for 3 hours).
•  There will be recess during cold spells, so please make sure your children are prepared to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats).

Join Us for Fairhill Elementary School’s Cultural Heritage Night on Friday, February 13th, from 6:00–8:00 PM! Families are invited to celebrate the rich cultures that make up our Fairhill community through delicious food, a fashion show featuring traditional and cultural attire, and a cultural showcase highlighting art, games, activities, and traditions from around the world. This annual event is a chance to learn from one another, share what makes our families unique, and celebrate together. Interested in participating? Please click this link. We can’t wait to see you there! Spanish

We need your help to make the 25-26 yearbook the best it can be! When you take photos at Fairhill events, please upload your candid photos to the yearbook’s photo albums: https://plicbooks.com/go/L4WV4P . There is a dropdown menu to choose from, from grade levels to special events!  ORDER YOUR 2025/2026 YEARBOOK Fairhill Elementary’s Yearbook, “Etched in Stone” is now on sale! Cost is $20, and must be made online at Strawbridge Yearbooks. No extra copies will be ordered, so secure your child’s memories today! Deadline to place an order is March 20th! Order here

News from PTA

Calling for Volunteers:  Help to Make a Big Difference in our community

The Fairhill PTA again will continue to support Fairhill families and our broader local community by collecting unused food purchased from the cafeteria (e.g., milk, string cheese) and/or unopened store-bought food (e.g., crackers) during the spring semester

Our kids' role -> Kids are asked to leave food they may otherwise toss in the garbage and instead put it off in the Food for Others fridge in the cafeteria.

Our volunteers' role -> Once a week (Mondays or Tuesdays), we are asking for a volunteer to collect the food and drop it off at Food For Others (1 mile away). 

Our collective Impact -> In addition to minimizing food waste, we are helping 75,000 Fairfax County (and Fairhill families) who are food insecure.  On a weekly basis last year, we collected hundreds of milk cartons, string cheese packets, crackers, yogurts and more.

Sign up here to volunteer!  Questions????  Call/text//email Anika Marpaka (anikaamin@yahoo.com or 703 855 0500)

Help Us Erase Student Lunch Debt

Please consider donating to eliminate school lunch debt through our Educate Fairfax platform. All donations are tax deductible; you will receive a receipt for tax deduction purposes.

News from FCPS

Volunteer Registration Update for Families

Volunteer Registration Update for Families

FCPS now requires all school volunteers to register through the new Volunteer FCPS system. Please use THIS link to access Fairhill specifically.

• Volunteers must create a profile in the Volunteer FCPS portal and complete the required steps, including a short orientation.
• FCPS covers the cost of any required background checks.
• Volunteer opportunities are organized by levels based on frequency and involvement.

We strongly encourage families to register as a Level 2 volunteer, even if you plan to volunteer only occasionally.

• Level 2 status is required for field trip chaperones and allows greater flexibility to support school activities.

We greatly appreciate our volunteers and thank you for partnering with us to support our students and keep our school community safe. No families from Fairhill will be turned away from volunteering for the 2025-2026 school year; however, starting in 2026, all families will be required to register to volunteer with FCPS.

JOIN US! Calling all future thespians! The Falls Church High School International Thespian Honor Society is hosting a THEATRE ENRICHMENT DAY on Tuesday, February 17th, from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. There will be sessions in Improv, Makeup, Choreography, Costumes and Props, and Tech Design. We invite all 3rd-6th grade students who want to learn more about the process of getting a show from the page onto the stage. A pizza lunch will be provided to all students. Sign up online now! Space is limited. The cost is $100/student, payable via MySchoolBucks. For questions, please contact the FC Jaguar Theatre Boosters at jaguartheaterboosters@gmail.com.

Early Childhood Identification Services: Supporting Young Children and Families

Friday, February 6 from 10-11:30 a.m.         

Learn about the special education eligibility process and services for preschool-aged children in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). This webinar will explain the steps from eligibility determination through the development of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for children ages 2–5. Families will gain clear, practical information to build and deepen their understanding of special education and available supports and services.

Register here

2026 CTE Summer Enrichment Programs

Create | Explore | Learn

Programs

Tech Adventure Camp: Current Kindergarten - grade 5 students explore Business/Marketing, Family + Consumer Sciences, Health + Medical Sciences, STEAM, and Trades by rotating through daily classes

Visit the Tech Adventure Camp webpage here: bit.ly/FCPS_TAC

CTE Summer Academy: Current grade 6 - 11 students choose their classes and dive deeper into CTE program areas, skills, and career exploration

Visit the CTE Summer Academy webpage here: bit.ly/FCPS_CSA

Details

• Time - 8:30 am to 2 pm* *Early drop off begins at 7:30 am; after care ends at 5 pm

New to 2026! We’re offering after care!

• Location - Robinson SS
• Transportation from select FCPS schools is provided!
• Cost - $300 per week Back for 2026 programs, we will be offering tuition assistance. More information on our webpages.
• Dates -

• Week 1: July 6 - 10

• Week 2: July 13 - 17

• Week 3: July 20 - 24

• Week 4: July 27 - 31

New to 2026! We’re offering a 4th week of our programs!

• Different weekly offerings; weekly themes and class offerings can be found on our webpages!

More Information
Visit our webpages (linked above) for more information!

For questions, please contact Beth Mehr at bgmehr@fcps.edu

We look forward to creating, exploring, and learning with your students this summer!

News from Community

How To Develop Flexibility With Your Child

Friday, February 13, 2026

Join us to learn strategies for teaching your child adaptability, resilience, and problem-solving. We'll cover practical ways to navigate unexpected changes, manage disappointments, and help your child thrive in uncertainty.

Register here

AARP Foundation TaxAide

The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program is the nation's largest free, volunteer-run tax preparation service. Volunteers in this program prepare taxes for low and moderate income taxpayers, with special attention to seniors. AARP Foundation Tax-Aide offers free tax preparation to anyone of any age – especially to those 50 or older and to those who can’t afford paid tax preparation, https://www.aarp.org/money/taxes/aarp-taxaide/

(Northern Virginia Tax Aide Site Hours)

Family Counseling Center of Greater Washington P2P

The P2P Program provides younger students with mentors who provide tutoring and peer support. P2P mentors and mentees (7th-12th graders) are eligible for a $10,000 scholarship. Registration for the Spring 2026 program is now open.

(Spring 2026 P2P Flyer)

(P2P Scholarship Flyer)

Northern Virginia Family Services

NVFS Training Futures is a 12-week program that helps adults gain in-demand digital and office support skills, earn a professional certificate, and receive hands-on support with resumes, interviewing, and networking. Classes run Monday–Friday from 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m., with a mix of virtual and in-person sessions, and the next cycle begins February 2026. Now accepting applications, nvfs.org/trainingfutures.

(T46 Flyer)

Important Fairhill Contact Information

Fairhill Phone Numbers:

Main Office 703-208-8100

• Health Room 703-208-8110

• Cafeteria 703-208-8121

Administration e-mail addresses:

• Principal, Ted Cooper: egcooper@fcps.edu

•  Assistant Principal, Maura Cotter: mkcotter@fcps.edu

Follow us! Click here to follow us on Twitter. #YouBelongAtFairhill Click here to like our Facebook page. Click here to follow us on Instagram.

3001 Chichester Lane, Fairfax, VA 22031 | Main Office: 703-208-8100
Attendance: